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| "but now you have me fixated on the thing as well, yes that's the whole point" |
Written by Lewis Portal, July 5th, 2014
Architects, friends and those of noble thoughts I speak to you today about a visit to a home that has so moved me like no other. I am not so foolish to expect that anyone will care a cent about my story or tale of such a visit. After all, how many times do we hear from our family, friends and colleagues that the latest book they have read or movie they have watched or in this case travel I took was the greatest ever...until the next great book, movie or experience comes along. Unfortunately I come to you with the same over enthusiastic introduction, however, different maybe. If you would be so gracious as to indulge me and your curiosity in what I have to say, please read on.
I am certain that each of us, including you reading these words believes profoundly that what you believe or think is superior to anyone Else's thinking, including your work or architecture, or whatever it is that you do. It's just human nature to think this way and we are all guilty of it, including me. However, this kind of thinking is a hindrance that stops us from appreciating the rest of what life has to offer. There is a vast world beyond your own, full of unlimited ideas and thinking and worthy of your attention. What you set your sights on becomes your reality, a narrow reality and for some unfortunates that is the only reality they will ever care to experience. I am here to tell you that far greater things exist beyond your wildest dreams. To be closed to the ideas of others and to believe that you are all knowing and no one else could possibly have a thought or idea more important than your own is a severe blemish on the soul. To those people I say stop, look around you and practice this exercise: Take notice of all the created objects and things that surround you. If you are in your home, look at the TV, computer, phone, someone designed and built that, look at the furniture, that rug, all these things were fabricated just fine without you or your help. The car you will drive later, the road you will drive on, the places you will visit, cities and towns were built by someone, but not by you. I hate to be such a heart breaker but the world did fine without your superior thoughts and I suspect will continue to do so without them.
Now I do not write such words to sting or to denigrating the brilliant ego you may have but simply to show you that others are worthy of our attention and time. Some mighty egos would not give me, you or the world theirs unless a substantial payback was in store, Frank Lloyd Wright, or Corbusier come to mind and I'm sure you could name many, many other's who look down upon the world instead of giving back to it. They all could have learned a lesson from this architect I am about tell you about. Now I feel I must go back to how I started this discussion and temper my, "Unbridled Enthusiasm" (where is that line from...? Oh I know, it was a Seinfeld episode with Elaine recounting to a publisher Kramer's take on a manuscript she did not read) because I do admit I may be over excited, embarrassingly so, with the retelling of my adventure. Even if my excitement is a detriment to the conveyance of my story, merit is still due that no one can deny, at least not by anyone familiar with this great man and his legacy. I put forward to you an architect, an architect greater than any we have known living or dead who was not only an architect of buildings but of men and mankind and gave back to us the betterment of life which was his sole desire, his gift to us. He was a genius no doubt inspired by Palladio, Locke, Newton, Bacon and many others but I'm not here to give you a history lesson, no need to. I want to share with you my experience of this life altering visit for me and hopefully for you one day. My visit, my experience I'm recounting in the grand scheme of things means nothing, least of all to you but maybe you will find in it a worthy inspiration for your own visit or further research. Curious? Then you are on the right track, so let me recount some of the moments I experienced and possibly take you back in time.
It was a warm July Virginia summer day and my expectations of visiting this famed site, following a 7 hour drive, were high. Why did I even want to visit this place I thought, as mile dragged on after mile. I couldn't say. No one in particular recommended I visit, I did not have a burning desire to go, I just knew something was calling me for some time to come visit and the opportunity arose. I arrived to the mountain setting with every turn seeming familiar to me and reminding me of my own special past places, the stage was being set. As great as the location and site were, which I will describe in a moment, nothing would compare to the experience I later had while on the guided tour through the home. It was as close to a supernatural experience as possible but not in the paranormal kind of way; more in the extreme emotional way. Tears welled up in my eyes, which I was trying to hide from the tour group, as I thought, "Here I stand in the same place where one of the greatest men to walk this earth stood, worked and lived." That "incident" happened twice in two of the rooms of the visit. It was a bit overwhelming for me. My second experience and one that moved me almost as much as the first, was while walking the south terrace I was mesmerized by the breathtaking vista perfectly in tune with the home, (or the home in tune with it's setting) No picture or video can express the grandeur of the panoramic views and majesty of the site and home; I will not go into further detail because I want you to experience that for yourself. Another great experience I had and one that took hold of me for the rest of time at the estate, was the awareness of his all pervading influence in every single thing designed on the site. Around every corner you turn, whether you are in the house or on the grounds, you could hear him say, " Yes, this was designed to take advantage of this or that or the other," " this was done to capture majestic views," "this was planted to give the best yield," "I built this for efficiency" and on and on in everything, his hand had an influence on it.
It was a privilege to know the views I gazed upon, which are unchanged since his day, he once gazed upon as well. It is as if he were literally standing next to me saying, "look out there, isn't it wonderful." One thing I'm certain of: this man still walks these grounds and if you ask him as I did, he will walk the place with you. Think about it; how many other visitor's ask him to accompany them for a tour around his home and gardens? I'm sure not many. So my advice when you visit is to go ahead and ask him for a personal tour, he will oblige you as he did me. This is I suppose, the reason he kept me for long periods of time in certain parts of the grounds; actually he did not want to leave the slopes were you will find his vineyards, (no surprise there) and his vegetable gardens. I had to drag him away from that. Lastly I leave you with this intriguing experience we had together; "look over there, where? up there, do you see it, see what, there is something up there, do you mean on top of that mount right there, yes, so why don't you go see for yourself, no, I cannot, there is a mystery there, a mystery? Yes but I would like to keep it a mystery, OK, but now you have me fixated on the thing as well, yes that's the whole point..." (ode to Saramago) With that I left to see his grave site, but of course he is not there; he roams the slopes and goes into the house occasionally and accompanies anyone willing to go for a walk with him to discuss the beauty and greatness that can be extracted out of life.
Please see part 2 for more photos....Part Two
Best Regards, AD
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| Here we are together, (....to my right) facing the mystery Mont. |
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