Sheila recently alerted me to another Mondrianesque convenience, this time in KawaKawa, Bay of Islands, New Zealand...
The decision to ignore the formality and rigidity of Mondrian's grid-locked art is a clue to the fact that this is the work of the free-thinking, free-wheeling, Austrian artist and architect, Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) who - with a wonderful disregard for the usefulness of spirit-level and plumb-line - created some of the world's most fantastical buildings.
Move over Gaudi! These are something else...
Here's more information about...
The KawaKawa Public Toilets
Hundertwasser life and career
Hundertwasser's work
(Click on 'The Oeuvre' for his architecture)
10 comments:
Better be completely sober when you go in there!
I've been to Vienna twice but never managed to get round to visiting the Hundertwasser house - what a shame!
There's certainly something Gauiesque about his buildings - though the pink creation is a bit to 'in yer face'.
Going back to the convenience, is that predominantly green condoms on the board?
SUZANNE - Next time, eh? And be sure to take and send some photos when you're there! I'm, intrigued by his work: arresting, daring (maybe even outrageous) and FUN!
SHARON M - What I love about the 'pink creation' ('confection' might, actually, be a better word!) is the fact that the building is roofed with grass. Almost a variation on a hobbit hole!
Condoms?? Just look at the size of them, Sharon! In your dreams, my dear!
No, that is the window and it is made of wine bottles! :)
A little bit of Gaudi, a little bit of english neoclasical... I like the concept of Hunderwasser, I like the architects who believe that buildings should be a place where people live or work, not just a set of materials prepared to look beautiful and modern, or even "cool".
I am fascinating with modern architecture since I wrote a little work in college about Etiénne Louis Boullé, the architect who never built the buildings that he designed on paper.
I've actually spent a penny in said toilet!
EUDORA - I agree! And now I'm off to google Etiénne Louis Boullé!
HEMULEN - It's a heck of a long way to go for a p...
Coincedentally, I just happened to be in that part of the world. I think Kawakawa has more "wee tourists" than anywhere in the world...
Understandable! And when patrons suddenly whip out their cameras, I don't suppose anyone gives it a second thought.
Thanks for posting these pieces of Hundertwsser's architectural whimsy! Before I went to Virginia Tech for architecture (and discovered Gaudi as part of my education), I was introduced to Hundertwasser through a set of UN postage stamps which I collected. I have admired the absolute fantasy with which these two approached the built environment. That possibly comes out of a never-ending love of things Disney, but that's another story.
You're right, Chuck! Disney is there in my response, too!
When I finally got to Disneyland - after years of reading about the place and looking at pictures (still and moving) of it - I wanted to live there! I guess Walt Disney did, too, which is why he built himself an apartment over the Firehouse! And, of course, that's why he conceived EPCOT - not the theme park that was built after his death, but the original concept of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
I made a documentary for British TV about EPCOT when it opened and we called it Waltopia which was the name that 'Imagineer' Marty Sklar had suggested Walt give the project when it was still in the 'dreaming' stage...
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