At first, I wondered why there are spotlights in the windows of what looked like a cathedral. Then I looked it up. I wish I had something clever to say, but I'm still too pissed over the men in our own little "Palace."
Always look up, Speedway; even if there's nothing interesting to see you'll add the spice and excitement to your life of never knowing if you're about to fall down an open manhole.
You'll have noticed I had to severely bugger with this in Photoshop as the spotlights simply aren't bright enough for camera work and the hammerbeam roof was almost black in the original image. It's the largest span hammerbeam roof anywhere, by the way, and was built - along with the rest of the hall - by William the Conqueror's son. It's fortunate enough to no longer be a palace but is instead the great hall of the Houses of Parliament. Until a little while ago it used to house the gift shop but lately it's been brought back into more dignified use with folk such as Nelson Mandela speaking there.
Oh, wow, Dive! I could barely make out the outline of the beams, but googled the phrase "hammerbeam roof" and got all these terrific images of intricate structures. That is so cool.
PS; I was just talking to my brother and I read to him your comment mentioning ocarinas. He asked if that was those old gourd-like thing with holes our mom used to have. Uh, yep. He had me send him the link for an ocarina seller in St. Louis. I found while we talked. Uh-oh, "mass ocarinas" in the making.
Hammerbeam roofs rule! There's one in Necton church about twenty minutes drive away that has huge carved angel finials, and a similar one in Blythburgh that I'm pretty sure I've posted about in the past. I love 'em.
Speedway, "hammerbeam" describes the shape of the underlying structure that involves a cantilevered beam with a hammer-shaped post. The whole point of the concept is to allow for wider spans. As you can see from the photo, the normal span of a timber trussed roof would mean that the walls should be inward of where they are now, along the line of the springing point of the main arch. The hammerbeam changes the direction of the downward and outward forces involved and removes the need for aisles of columns marching down either side of the room (as in most churches and cathedrals). Spiffy, huh?
Hoorah for PDQ Bach. That ocarina really is shudderingly hideous in a hilarious way.
Ms.M. the unseemly shouting and whining and outrageous lying goes on in two Victorian great halls off to the left. They are so hideously decorated (Pugin taking bling so far beyond the extremes of taste that it takes your breath away) that I can never resist a mocking laugh whenever I visit.
9 comments:
At first, I wondered why there are spotlights in the windows of what looked like a cathedral. Then I looked it up. I wish I had something clever to say, but I'm still too pissed over the men in our own little "Palace."
Always look up, Speedway; even if there's nothing interesting to see you'll add the spice and excitement to your life of never knowing if you're about to fall down an open manhole.
You'll have noticed I had to severely bugger with this in Photoshop as the spotlights simply aren't bright enough for camera work and the hammerbeam roof was almost black in the original image.
It's the largest span hammerbeam roof anywhere, by the way, and was built - along with the rest of the hall - by William the Conqueror's son.
It's fortunate enough to no longer be a palace but is instead the great hall of the Houses of Parliament. Until a little while ago it used to house the gift shop but lately it's been brought back into more dignified use with folk such as Nelson Mandela speaking there.
Oh, wow, Dive! I could barely make out the outline of the beams, but googled the phrase "hammerbeam roof" and got all these terrific images of intricate structures. That is so cool.
PS; I was just talking to my brother and I read to him your comment mentioning ocarinas. He asked if that was those old gourd-like thing with holes our mom used to have. Uh, yep. He had me send him the link for an ocarina seller in St. Louis. I found while we talked. Uh-oh, "mass ocarinas" in the making.
Hammerbeam roofs rule! There's one in Necton church about twenty minutes drive away that has huge carved angel finials, and a similar one in Blythburgh that I'm pretty sure I've posted about in the past. I love 'em.
Mass ocarinas are a cruel and unusual punishment.
Are they called "hammerbeam" because that was the primary tool used to form them?
What about a "mass for ocarina"? Bach's oeuvre was really expansive, Dive, as you know better then I could ever hope to.
Here is one number
http://youtu.be/hSLN9Ol3ONU
Oh, did I mention it's PDQ Bach?
Of what I can see online and through your photo, the Palace complex looks like a magnificent place.
So this is where the "wheelin' and dealin'" takes place? The "baiting" and "debating"?
Speedway, "hammerbeam" describes the shape of the underlying structure that involves a cantilevered beam with a hammer-shaped post. The whole point of the concept is to allow for wider spans. As you can see from the photo, the normal span of a timber trussed roof would mean that the walls should be inward of where they are now, along the line of the springing point of the main arch. The hammerbeam changes the direction of the downward and outward forces involved and removes the need for aisles of columns marching down either side of the room (as in most churches and cathedrals).
Spiffy, huh?
Hoorah for PDQ Bach. That ocarina really is shudderingly hideous in a hilarious way.
Ms.M. the unseemly shouting and whining and outrageous lying goes on in two Victorian great halls off to the left. They are so hideously decorated (Pugin taking bling so far beyond the extremes of taste that it takes your breath away) that I can never resist a mocking laugh whenever I visit.
We can see those Victorian halls sometimes here on the news, or BBC America.
I've never seen this, though.
I still don't get what the spotlights in the windows are for. I missed something.
The spotlights are pointed up at the hammerbeam roof, Petrea. If you ever get in there you'll see why (the photo is pretty poor).
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