bold silence
Metropolis, one of my favorite magazines, did a story in December about an architect named Rand Elliott, who is known for some really great modernist work all over Oklahoma and surrounding areas. I have to admit that I hadn't heard of Mr. Elliott, and also hadn't seen many of his works in all of my annual trips to Oklahoma City. So this year, my friend Myron and I made sure to try to see one of his works when we were in OKC a couple weeks ago. His recently completed Chesapeake Boat House is amazing in its simplicity that speaks volumes to reference the land, water, and spirit of sailing. Its simple shapes and materials clearly evoke the feeling of rowing and an aspirational sense that you can find surprisingly often in cities in the Plains and the Southwest. Looking around, we realized that we missed out by not getting to see the building at night, but even on a grey rainy day, its subtlety made an impression; and getting to see it being used by rowers exactly as intended gave it a sense of life I otherwise wouldn't have gotten to see. Boathouses are little more than garages, but this garage harmoniously echoes both its purpose and its surroundings. It does what graphic design is supposed to do - communicates. I love it when architecture successfully does that.