Ana Pastore 8/13/19 Ana Pastore 8/13/19

9: Kolumba

Around this time last year, I was in Germany finishing up my semester abroad of student exchange. In one of my last weekends, I was able to visit a German friend (who I’d met bartending with in Sydney), and visit her home/stay with her in Cologne.

While there, we rode around the city and explored many things, ate great food, and caught up on time passed. One of the standouts was getting to see the Kolumba museum, designed by Peter Zumthor- which I’d actually never heard of until I was inside the museum.

For a bit of context and history, Kolumba is the art museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne which was extablished in 1853. The site incorporates archeological ruins from roman and medieval periods, the remains of a gothic church and the 1950 chapel for the “Madonna of the Ruins” by Gottfried Böhm- which had been built after the second world war, when most of Cologne had been left in ruins.

Kolumba pulls together this patchwork of history with a beautiful, pared back material palette. The physical connections of different time periods by Zumthor are a reminder of the historical events that have occurred in Cologne, yet the museum does not convey any overt reminder of pain or guilt. It feels incredibly still and reflective- reminding you of history through the integration of ruins with the contemporary built form with balance.

Initially, the building felt like a big patchwork- a place where so many things were being pulled together, with the dappled light from the patterned brickwork filtering through consistently. Entering the courtyard was the moment where the true magic of the building started to reveal itself more, and felt like an oasis within.

While the museum is designed to house the collections, and I did enjoy them, the building itself was what primarily captured my attention and has stuck in my memory. Throughout, the palette is pared back- predominantly grey. I was stuck by the stairs, which appear almost floating within the wall, and the windows- built into the circulation of the museum to allow striking glimpses to the cityscape and cathedral, then draw the visitor back into the smaller scale of the next room and exhibition.

The windows are softened with silky curtains in a gradient of greys- creating a soft transition between the solid walls and changing vistas outside. As the path continues through the museum, the reading room appears within the simple grey- an entirely timber clad, warm room where visitors pause to take a break on leather armchairs with tall backs. The height of the room seems monumental, and the transition between the cool greys of the museum into this room is unassuming, a break in the wall with timber cladding.

Despite being there over a year ago, Kolumba still stands out to me as a favourite space and building to be in and explore. I look forward to returning someday, as the first visit was magical.

Until next time

Ana Pastore 4/9/19 Ana Pastore 4/9/19

4: Conversation and Coconuts

When I was little, my father would always laugh at how much I chattered away, especially if I swallowed pool water- when he would laughingly tell me “I thought I’d taught you not to talk underwater”

As the years have passed by, the importance of conversations and dialogue in every aspect of my life- from university, professional and personal, has been centric to my ability to express myself.

This dialogue is an integral part of the university architecture studio- a constant melting pot of creativity, experimentation and ideas. This should not simply die off once that period of study has ended.

These dialogues and conversations allow constant exposure to new ideas, challenges, and thoughts. The simple fact that a conversation is shared allows for exposure to another person’s life experience. That fact alone contains a world of possibility. It may be that you live an incredibly similar life, have the same ideas, and remain flatly unchallenged. It can also be a great teacher and growth factor.

Linking through to the values that I started to express last week: I appreciate relationships with other people; communication, honestly, trust, laughter. All of these things are fostered greatly by conversation. Spending time studying abroad in Germany- where (in my experience) there is less chit-chat and fluff, and far more real, deep conversation has given me even more of a perspective on the value of conversation for any kind of growth, be it personal or professional.

These conversations have different cultural undertones and etiquettes- and having the opportunity to study abroad allowed for a really valuable insight into German culture, as well as the distance to reflect on the multiculturalism present in Australian culture.

Here in Australia, we are spoilt for choice in our food options, while privileged enough to have constant exposure to different ideas, beliefs, customs and religions. This can (and often does) manifest negatively into hatred, racism and intolerance. Having these conversations however, allows an understanding and respect to evolve between individuals and cultures.

I have tremendous admiration for German culture- for the no nonsense, brutally honest approach that they have to life. The stereotype that much of the world holds however, is that Germans are cold and unapproachable. There is no easy “How-To” guide on cross-cultural understanding, however there is more research and implementation of cultural competence, one of the key aspects of which is listening.

And while there is no “How-To” guide, it helps just to keep things simple. The following image, from intercultural training that I undertook while studying abroad, may provide some idea of the German culture- when you consider Germans as Coconuts, tough to crack. The image divided these “coconuts” into species, with some key characteristics.

I believe that conversations and dialogues can spark change in the world- with a balance of talking, but more importantly, listening. From the small things- conversations with Uber drivers from other parts of the world or builders on site for the projects designed at work, a respect and understanding grows, allowing for collaboration at a local, national or international scale.

Until next week!