unique art of glendora gallery :
structural model of conceptual design of subway station

The conceptual design of the subway station grew to be multi layered.

The physical appearance of the subway station is reminiscent of ancient stone ruins.

The site is triangular in shape making the work of builders of the ruins unrecognizable.

The whole site is layered with penetrable ruins.

Gazing through the ruins one becomes aware that the ruins are perforated with cuts which allow light and air to move through the space. These perforations or cuts also create good sight lines to all areas of the ruins. A curious observer will note that the outdoor rooms that exist are not built with parallel walls. For those who like to explore a marche is provided that takes the wanderer through several different realms.

The first realm is of air.

The longest side of the site has a corridor from the sharpest point of the triangle that runs the entire length of the site ending in a flight of stairs that lead directly to the subway station platform.

But beware, this corridor is not as short as it first appears! And as one progresses one experiences the air venting from the railroad platform thus the realm of air. Curiously as vertigo overtakes the hapless traveler it becomes apparent that the stone walls grow higher and further apart as one walks along! An illusion!

The second realm is of earth.

If one chooses to continue on the marche one notes that the previous stone blocks of the corridor of air change to decomposed granite. The smell of damp earth permeates the air as you step into what appears to be an low adobe building.

The interior is unlit but you can see well enough and through the holes that perforate the walls you can see the activity of the subway station platform as well as specifically engineered views of different lines of sight from the room of earth. The only exit other than the entrance is bright with reflected light.

The third realm is of fire.

As one steps through the door and as one's sight adjustes from the deep dark underground realm of earth to that of fire one becomes aware of a courtyard filled with columns upon each of which a flame licks.

You note that behind each flame is a reflector and that all of the reflectors are aimed at the wall of the earthen structure you have just left behind. The columns act as natural cooling towers for the heavy vibrating machinery that toils in the depths below.

You feel the fire!

You feel the heat!

Once again a sense of vertigo clutches at your heart before you are suddenly become aware that you are growing as you walk down the ramped path angling down towards the end of the courtyard full of flaming columns. Once again you have been deceived.

The size of the courtyard was an illusion as well!

This courtyard is not nearly as big as it first appeared! As the heat bears down upon you and you are about to break out into a sweat you smell the smell of water in the air and you see across a major cross path, necessary for handicap access, a circular entrance from which emanates the sound of running and falling water. After a brief check of your Rolex you realize that you have a few more minutes before your express train is due at the station.

Quickly as you duck into the circular hole you realize
you have now entered into the realm of the fourth element, water.

The water runs down over a water sculpture trickling and laughing as well as filling the air with a mist. After taking in the refreshing coolness of the water as it dissipates the heat of fire you note a ramp that the water follows down to an exit that just happens to be on the level of the subway platform. Of course for the less adventurous and for those that prefer modern people moving contraptions there is a set of elevators.

To cap off the whole experience we have an archetypyical icon of life in the City of the Angles the wizard's apprentice Micky Mouse stands upon the clock tower set at the tightest angle of the elemental city of ruins.

city of ruins

city of ruins

corridor of the element air

the courtyard of flaming columns

the courtyard of the flaming columns cast in shadow

micky through a perforation

the courtyard of the element fire and the subway platform

lights of the subway platform after dark

cool refreshing water

city of ruins reprise

the corridor of the air elemental

micky above the courtyard of fire

micky gaurds the air elementals corridor

micky above the subway platform

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