I would dearly love a briefing from a client along the lines of:
"I'd like to spend a ridiclously disproportionate amount of money building a tiny little balcony, just big enough for one person to stand up in."
And there it is … On Old Broad Street, close by Liverpool Street Station.To find it, simply look right and up as you come out of わさび with a tray of sushi and some onigiri for the train journey (at least that's how I came to notice it).
But for sheer teeny-scale stupidity, I challenge you good folk to beat the smallest room I have yet found …
I know that Lynn would welcome the opportunity to walk through Leadenhall Market once again, so if the rest of you would care to join us …
Look up as you approach the market and you will see probably the silliest room in London.
There it is; way up on the roof. I cannot even figure out how you would get into it, unless by ladder from the room below.It is just - only just - large enough to stand a child in.
And again, built at huge cost and to no discernable purpose from hand-carved Portland Stone, with hand-blown curved glass windows and a ruddy great gold-plated pheasant on top.
Utterly beautiful but absolutely useless.
I love that in architecture.
14 comments:
LOL the silliest room is indeed just that. What on earth can that have been designed FOR? As you say, a child space only. Unless it was purely for the purposes of borrowed light? Curious.
The balcony would seem to have been used for some sort of public address, do you think? In that area, what do you guess would have been shouted to the crowd below?
I find all this fascinating, Dive. Enjoying the weird and wonderful through your expert eyes is an education in itself - thanks! p.s. loved the walk.
Following your post about the ideal mate, Dive, i might need a little man advice...See you there!
Hooray for useless beauty (is there such a thing?). Everyone needs a tiny room with a gold pheasant on the top. It's lovely. Thanks again for looking up, Dive.
What en excellent idea, Lynn. I would love to lean over that balcony and hector the shuffling herds of commuters below, rather than be one of them as I am at the moment.
It would be handy if Notwork Rail had someone up there to tell us how late our trains were going to be so I didn't have to walk all the way to the station but could duck into a noodle bar.
As for a little man advice; I didn't know you had a little man!
Do you keep him under your desk while you write? I am intrigued …
Good morning, Robyn. I'm afraid my tiny room doesn't have a gold pheasant on top. And you are right; there is no such thing as useless beauty.
LOL Dive. Hector the shuffling herds... ahahahaha such a great image. I'd love to watch you do that, on all subjects of course, pure Dive-rant style. he he still giggling.
Little man he he now there's an idea... a man under the desk as i write. hmm... the mind boggles. Perhaps Robyn will go over to the advice room and give me her considered opinion too. What fun.
I want to have that room to myself. What a fun place to hide!
So when are we going to hear about the girl, Dive?
They should let the balcony out. Soap box style. You'd be first in the clue wouldn't you Dive. What would be your first address?
I'd probably just rant at all the mobile phone users heading for the station.
I found a site the other day that sells jammers. For around £250 I can get a mobile phone jammer to take with me on the train …
It is sooooooo tempting.
What's a jammer exactly?
Something illegal that jams mobile phone signals for about a thirty metre radius.
I waaaaaaaaant one!
You vandal, Dive! There was I, in my relative innocence, thinking it might be some ringtone linking thing (you know the other meaning of jamming?) to share music.
No, no i didn't really. I'm joking. I am! I... am...
"utterly beautiful but absolutely useless"
That's my nickname :)
Hee hee, Terroni.
At least that's one up on my mate Claire, whose nickname is Nuno (Neither Use Nor Ornament).
not very practical but it looks nice. It may also allow for more light?
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