Tag Archives: architecture

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Austria, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Travel

Skylight, Austrian Postal Savings Bank

Image November 30, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Skylight above the main interior space of the Austrian Postal Savings Bank

The Austrian Postal Savings Bank in Vienna is an astonishing bit of modernist architecture. There is a lot of see in Austria, and for various reasons this didn’t make it onto many of the lists we consulted. However, close to the end of our 2018 visit we got a recommendation to visit this place, which turned out to not be all that far from where we were staying.

The building, both historically and architecturally, is a fascinating place. My understanding is that the Austrian Postal Savings Bank was a sort of revolutionary extension of banking services to working people in Austria, to encourage them to develop savings habits even though the amounts they were likely to deposit paled next to what the wealthy had to work with . This particular building is also a beautiful example of modernist architecture of the early 20th century. The photograph looks straight up from the floor of the main room in the building, a large open space surrounded by service windows/desks. This skylight is simple but very big, and it produces absolutely lovely interior light.

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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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Photographs: Netherlands, Photographs: Travel

Amstel Canal

Image November 20, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Boats along the Amstel Canal, Amsterdam

We had clouds — and occasional rain — during a good part of our August visit to Amsterdam. This being our first time in that city, I did not really know what sort of weather to expect, and stories of unusually warm northern European weather had me expecting something different. I mentioned this to some natives we ate with at a brewery one rainy evening, and they sort of laughed, explaining that “seeing the blue sky is somewhat unusual” in Amsterdam. I guess we were lucky then, since we actually did see some blue sky later.

Amsterdam is pretty much as you probably imagine it if you have read about the place. There are, obviously, those canals, with provide one of the many layers of transportation in parts of the city. (Other elements include many walkers, many cyclists, some drivers, public transit, and so on.) We had gotten to this location in the city by boat, if I recall correctly, but then set out on foot to explore a bit. I made the photograph not far from the opera house, on a bridge crossing the canal.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: France, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Pigeons on the Roof

Image November 10, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Pigeons on the roof of the Brancusi Gallery at Le Centre Pompidou, Paris

We were here somewhat early in the morning to visit the nearby Centre Pompidou. We may have arrived before it opened — or perhaps we weren’t aware that it had opened, or possibly we just wanted to look a bit before entering. In any case, we were walking around the large open space in front of the entrance, and I took the time to make a few photographs of the surroundings.

Off to the side, along a parallel street, is the Brancusi Gallery — the building whose roof is seen in the photograph. I think that the flock of pigeons first caught my attention. I thought it was odd that they were all clusters on the roof of this structure. Then I began to find the composition of lines and shapes and color interesting, with the slight foreground diagonal creating some dissonance with the squared shape of the gallery and with the older buildings in the background.

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Photographs: France, Photographs: Structures and Objects, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Red Door, Paris

Image November 5, 2018 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A red door in the Le Marais area of Paris

On this summer’s visit to Paris we stayed along the edge of Le Marais, in an area not far from the Seine, transportation, and the Centre Pompidou. The latter was on our list of places to visit this time, and on this morning we were walking into that area when we passed through this neighborhood of old buildings and narrow streets.

I don’t suppose there is a whole lot to write about (another!) photograph of a colorful door on an old building — after all, it is a bit of a “type.” One thing that did intrigue me about this little scene was the clear attempt to add something approximating nature to this very urban setting… though apparently not with complete success judging from the condition of some of the potted plants.

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G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: architecture

Skylight, Austrian Postal Savings Bank

Amstel Canal

Pigeons on the Roof

Red Door, Paris

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.