Nothing To See Here has only been going for 8 months of 2006 but there have been lots of great places to go.

To recap, our contributors have spotted:

• peculiar record breakers like The World's Largest Hedge in Perthshire


• stars of stage and screen such as the Bradbury Building in LA, and the home of Robinson Crusoe in Fife


• folk art and public art: Lancaster's Knitted Village, Oxford's Untitled, David Mach's Train in Darlington, and Nebraska's Carhenge


• overlooked towns: Moffat in Dumfriesshire, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorks


• strange phenomena: Ayrshire's Electric Brae and The Whispering Gallery in New York, New York


• old-tyme attractions: Blackpool Model Village, and the Fairytale Garden in Munich


• follies and unusual buildings: Manchester's fabulous Toast Rack and The Pineapple in Dunmore near Stirling


• industrial icons: Sizewell Power Station, East Anglia and the Tyne Pedestrian Tunnels

Plus a few places that are uncategorisable as there really is nothing to see: Dungeness, Malhamdale and Lud's Church.

And we've had to say goodbye to some old friends. Mondial House, hated by many but loved by our readers lost its battle with the planners and the Wicker Man's legs in Burrowhead were cut down by vandals. There was good news though when Antony Gormley's Another Place got a reprieve and was allowed to stay on Crosby Beach.

We're always looking for new material so if you find a place you love do think of writing an article. Here's to lots more Nothing To See in 2007.

Posted by Anne on December 31, 2006 | Permalink

Despite being a child of the 60’s the Brunswick centre still feels distinctly futuristic, a neat trick considering its last century lineage predates the technological innovations which define modern notions of cutting edge. Yet among the otherwise genteel Georgian Streets of Bloomsbury the monolithic concrete architecture of the Brunswick still evokes visions of tomorrow. The rectangular slab looks like a super block of reinforced Lego that has fallen from space and embedded itself in north London.

Inside its walls the elevated pedestrian central precinct is a clinical open space, flanked by shops and residential units which run the length of the development and cascade down toward street level. The tiered construction is the architectural equivalent of a tea plantation with the flats terraced back against an invisible hillside. Huge service towers stand watch over the building, reaching for the heavens like the ramparts of a futuristic citadel. The effect is dramatic and distinctly sci-fi, you really wouldn’t be surprised to see a Cyberman or bowler hatted Malcolm McDowell giving the place the once over.

Our visions of the future are usually played out cinematically against two distinct architectural backdrops. On the one hand there is the grim, grimy and nihilistic tomorrow as seen in films such as Robocop. On the other our offspring are seen to inherit a sleek, minimalist, usually white robed world, often harbouring a sinister secret. Check out Jenny Agutter in Logan’s Run for a good example. Before its £24 million revamp the Brunswick centre would have fitted neatly into the former category. In the late 1990s the building was neglected and shabby; its concrete walls turned a dour shade of inner city grey by the British weather. The unloved design coped badly with neglect and the Brunswick looked increasingly like the sort of place Judge Dredd patrols in the pages of 2000AD. This state of affairs was hardly surprising given the history of wrangling and compromise which dogged the development.

Continue reading "The Brunswick Centre, London" »

Posted by Maurice on December 12, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1)

It goes against the crowd to stand still in New York's Grand Central Station but if you stop for a minute in the right spot you might find a little bit of magic. Underneath the main concourse, on the way to the historic Oyster Bar, there’s a special place known as The Whispering Gallery where the faintest murmur can be heard 40 feet away across the busy passageway.

There are no signs to the Whispering Gallery but look for a place where two walkways intersect, and a vaulted roof forms a shallow dome. Look up and admire the herringbone terra cotta tiles - designed by Rafael Guastavino and Son and found in some of New York's finest buildings. Take a friend or sweetheart and pick diagonal corners. Then turn your faces to the wall and start talking. It feels a little odd at first, but even though you’re a long way away you should hear every word.

The phenomenon is fairly common, usually found beneath domes or ellipsoid surfaces. Sound "telegraphs" along the line of the curve to reach the other side. Other famous examples are found in St Paul's Catherdal in London and St Peter's Basilica in Rome. I've tried things like this before and stood talking to myself like an idiot, but this one definitely works. It's a popular spot for marriage proposals - word has it jazz legend Charles Mingus proposed here. It can get busy so pick your moment carefully to avoid embarrasment. If he/she says yes, head straight to the Oyster Bar and celebrate in style. It also has Guastavino ceilings so be careful where you whisper your sweet nothings if you don't want the whole place to hear.

Continue reading "The Whispering Gallery, New York, NY" »

Posted by Anne on December 06, 2006 | Permalink