Today was a half day. Since I went to bed at 3am it was nice to sleep until 11:30. Unfortunately it gets bright in my room so its hard to sleep in.
We aimed to see five things. Got to four, and it was still like 7pm. Last one will be Monday. Tomorrow is a free day so after a nap later tonight, tonight will be a long night. I'll be returning in the "early" group from the bar, which means pre-3am. The late group may see the sun.
First thing we saw was the "ING House". Didn't realize it housed ING Direct corporate until we got there. WOW.
On the way we saw some colorful building. The VU Medisch Centrum.
The ING House. Unreal. Whole thing on GIANT legs. Like an insect. HUGE. Glassy.
The backside. Wish we could get inside. I think something cool is in this back part...
We moved on to see a Steven Holl building, which was pretty modest and quite inaccessible. Its an addition on the back of a bank building. It butts up to the canal, which you can see here, and the front is surrounded by fence. Its clad in perforated aged copper. It houses what appears to just be a cafe type space inside.
The back. How did we get in? Waited for someone to left, and went in the gate when they went out. A Saturday, so no one else was around. And the people who left said it was fine. Ooooookaaaaaaay...so we walked around and took pictures.
This is the upclose.
From here, we walked to a cafe where a few people got drinks of caffeinated or alcoholic sorts, because Jimenez wanted to hang out with a friend of his we met up with. We've met up with many of his friends/former co-workers, and each time we do results in going for some kind of beverage or food. I and a few others fell asleep-ish in the cafe, which resulted in the bartender-ish lady complaining, even though we were practically the only business, and people had bought stuff. Whatever, so we moved on.
It was chilly, I was wearing shorts cause my key didn't work when I went upstairs to change into jeans before we left so I said screw it, and I was tired cause I think the continual moving about schedule is taking its toll on me and people. Tomorrow will be nice and leisurely.
We went on to take a ferry to what felt like an island cause it was a pretty wide canal or whatever that we crossed. We went to go see some homes/apartments made out of shipping containers. Cool looking, but didn't look that great to live in. I think a bunch of em could stack and make something sweet though- a cool house :)
Then we walked a bit over to this more industrial part. There was LOUD techno-ish/house music coming from some place that was totally fenced off and had tents and a stage, definitely some kind of festival- most of the people off our ferry went straight over there. But we didn't see any people outside it, couldn't hear anything but thumping bass and beats, and couldn't see anything, and it was the middle of the afternoon. Yet I think it was like a rave basically in there.
Anyway, we went into the warehouse next door, and first there are steps way UP to a skatepark, that is basically on a built third story over the end of the warehouse. From down below, you could see glu-lam beams holding it up that were like 3-4 feet deep, supported on giant columns.
Shoes that kids had thrown up over a beam over the park.
The ridiculously huge beams holding up the skate park.
Beyond the skate park, which we had to talk to someone to get in to, from the other end of the warehouse, was this co-op type space, where artists and designers and such had built a steel framework into which they could plug shipping containers and other similar-sized spaces and build a small catwalk city of offices and studios within the warehouse. Quite remarkable. Really cool.
One of the main streets of the complex...
From the second level catwalk, there are more units on top of others...
The main "street" again.
After this we were supposed to see one more place, but a classmate spoke up cause she was tired. When we found out it was another hour of travel, we decided she was right, and went to get food/showers/naps/beers/internetting, whatever people desired. I tagged along with a few people to get something I'd been craving. These fries. They're big and hot and crispy, and more importantly come in a giant paper cone with a tiny fork, covered in whatever sauce you choose- cheese sauce, peanut sauce, curry, ketchup, whatever. YUM-tastic.
So after starving myself all day (I had a sweet donut at noon- chocolate covered, cut in half, filled with an inch of custard- that cost bloody 3.50 euros) and eating only these free little cookie wafers that I steal by the pound from the breakfast area at our hotel, it was time to stuff myself. One big piece of sausage pizza and half of a giant thing of fries later, i was satisfied.
I wished it was time for a shower and a nap, but I needed internetting, and the shower is pointless given our plans later. So here I am, posting this stuff.
Last but not least- first, a random outdoor urinal apparently used for festivals. Space-effective, and not-so-private, but I guess good enough :)
Adios for now.
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