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Robert White

@white_partners

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...an amazing view, a beautiful flower, an experiential delight...
Host of darksideclub.info in Venice and founder of

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In the movie “High Fidelity” a scene that has long appealed is when Todd Louiso’s character “Dick” (from the record store) pays a visit on “Rob” (played by John Cusack) at his home. On discovering Rob amidst piles of his vinyl collection Dick asks excitedly if he is re cataloguing it. Cusack replies that it is “chronological” requiring his remembering “what he was doing” and “when” to be able to find an album. Now as this illustrates - and as most who know me will testify to - I do love a tangent and equally a metaphor. This post is about my books and in particular my art ones. Begun at the age of 13 by one of those fabulous teachers we all remember, Lou Skiffington (#princethorpecollege), who had me do the first O’level that year and followed it with an A level the following year in art but even more so introduced me to one of his heroes Graham Sutherland. And as a result an artist whose work I too have loved ever since. So recently in and amongst the many piles of books filling my Bankside apartment because of that I bought these two. The cloth covered one is an extraordinary facsimile of Sutherland’s sketchbook produced by Marlborough. And I mean facsimile because aside from its essays and letters in the first volume .. and the limited production (and of course his elegant signature) … is a sketchbook and it is so well done that people I have shared it with have actually smelt the pages to see if it isn’t in fact real!!. So why “Hi Fidelity”. It concerns the influence of others. Art is seen as the viewer and the artist but for myself mu best memories involve the art and a person I have encountered it with. You have seen my “looking at art” images earlier in the posts well this is no different as I bought this from @pallanthousegallery from their extraordinary catalogue, courtesy of an introduction to them as part of a suggestion of these two volumes by my very beautiful “in-house art expert” @alexandrazagalsky , sharing things and experiences like this make them all the more special. Enjoy the pictures and hopefully the video it is a wonderful object @marlborough_gallery #lookingatart #artbooks #clothcovers #grahamsutherland by @white_partners

#stpauls #stpaulscathedral #sirchristopherwren #bluesky #nofilter by @white_partners

A second spiritual location in L’abbaye du Thoronet and second one related to Le Corbusier. His description of his own la Tourette being heavily influenced by its “architecture of truth”. Visited in December light in 2021 with @alexandrazagalsky after a wonderful few days at another Mecca in @chateaulacoste. A place where the effect of various visits is clear. At the invitation of the head of the Cistercian order le Corbusier in the 1950’s in preparation for designing la Tourette, @johnpawson while preparing for his own Monastery of Our Lady of Novy Dvur, @tadaoando.architecture has visited many times reputedly whose own chapel at la coste is on another post. For myself and Alex the description that the acoustics of the church imposed a certain discipline upon the monks; because of the stone walls, which created a long echo and that the monks were forced to sing slowly and perfectly together was as profound as the light. Recommended originally by @philcoffey and the last slide is the play strips from the Abbeye that sit now on my apartment table in Bankside … prompting the architect visitors to play .. this time from @_samjacob and @madelon_vriesendorp #lecorbusier #lecorbusierarchitecture #abbeyeduthoronet #provence #provencefrance by @white_partners

When, as architects, we visit buildings, we are often swept along by wanting to see the whole and stick our phones or cameras into each and every spot. We then talk about it like some kind of quasi authority. This post and a few others this week aim not to do that, but rather what happens when someone else experiences such a place. @alexandrazagalsky is a perceptive and well travelled journalist and with whom I have been to and seen many places. And almost every time I have come away having seen something new as a result of being with her. Further back in this feed there are countless images of her looking at art and being in spaces. Many of them in beautiful buildings. Most we have talked about at the time or later. Many of those places have also been church’s or holy buildings. Alex is a self proclaimed atheist. The second image here, which I love because of its focus (or lack of it) captures her sitting quietly. Head bowed. In that wonderful and yes ethereal spaces. Her comment was simple. “I found it very spiritual”.
#lecorbusier #lecorbusierarchitecture #lecorbusiercolours #church #spiritual by @white_partners

New era for White Partners. “How to make money in architecture” as a book … something I have discussed for two years and to @alexandrazagalsky I owe huge thanks for her encouragement and no little guidance as to how to go about it …. and of course not just a word file but something of a scrap book over the next few months (Christmas seemed a good time to start) … #architects #architecture #architecturewriting #businesswriting #businessofarchitecture by @white_partners

by @white_partners

There is a reason why the views are protected by @white_partners

CZWG in all its Southwark Streer glory … and a sunset .. and RPBW by @white_partners

Another view from a window .. RRP shadows … some HdeM on Giles Gilbert Scott and of course Sir Christopher Wren all bathed in beautiful sunlight by @white_partners

Rogers Stirk Harbour (as was) over HdeM over RPBW by @white_partners

Wonderful wonderful wonderful. What an amazing event to have experienced. Madelon Vriesendorp, the 2025 Soane Medalist was quoted before the lecture and her receiving of the Medal as saying “All creative things, all life is playing. And the aim is to be connected with the focus you had as a child.” And she showed us what this meant with childhood stories and lyrical and adept joining up of imagery and her personal memories. Her lecture was some four times over subscribed and the room was full of faces and love with friends having arrived from all over the globe and, after poor Will Gompertz had been “shredded” by her fabulous one liners (although his own “surely you are the only artist in the world who can’t recall which of her works are in MOMA” was almost as good!) we were left with the only proper thing to do being to stand in unison and applaud!!!!!
A first for me after forty years listening ti architecture lectures. by @white_partners

Barcelona Olympic Park to Miro Foundation was a trip I did in 1990 as a student although a somewhat less elegant path that no longer exists down a ravine like cliff face … definitely not 2025 with no people populating what two years later for two weeks at least would be a focus for the world so a lovely if not rather hot revisit with Alex and thank you to her for the patience, decorative input and the invitation ti join her in the first place while she wrote her review (see last images of the restaurant) @alexandrazagalsky but also the voice overlay on the last slide Miro slide … by @white_partners