Category Archives: Art

Music, theatre, movies, paintings, photography

This is the wall/library door you first see when you walk into the building

The enchanting doors of the Arab Fund building

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I’m dedicating this post to the beautiful doors at the Arab Fund building that I visited a couple of weeks ago. For more on the building you can check out my posts: first post, second post and third post.

Big doors swing on little hinges. – W. Clement Stone

Close up of the green door seen above

This is the wall/library door you first see when you walk into the building

Another door (upstairs) that incorporates wood and glass in its geometric pattern

This is a detail of the front door

The wooden pieces on the front door were designed to fit together, like a jigsaw puzzle, but with spaces in between them so they can expand and contract depending on the weather. Genius, right? Here’s another image of the front door as well as the wall right behind it.

As well as the incredible architecture, the building houses beautiful pieces of modern art

The beauty of the Arabic script

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Here are more photos from the building that enchanted me. This time, I’m focusing on the various forms of Arabic calligraphy ranging from the creative zoomorphic epigraphy to the heavy, squared Kufic and graceful thuluth.

The first picture shows the entire Quran written out on a shirt worn for protective purposes (probably during wartime), dating back several centuries.

As well as the incredible architecture, the building houses beautiful pieces of modern art

 

"This (blessing) is by the grace of my Lord" - Islamic art often uses benedictory phrases.

Check out my other posts on the Arab Fund building in Kuwait (part 1 and part 2).

Behind the scenes

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Yesterday I posted some photos from the Arab Fund building. Although I know absolutely nothing about architecture and engineering, I was blown away by the tour I was given. The engineer showed us the parts of the building that are cleverly  hidden from the visitor. He talked to us about the raised floors which provide easy access to the “life support cabling system running from the central building management room.”

Beneath the floors, computer cables share space with fire fighting equipment, communication lines, air conditioning and water pipes. Air handling units, normally above the ceiling, here are housed under the floor as well.   Every pipe, light or duct is easily accessible.” (from their website).

Because there’s no point in me trying to explain the brilliance of this building, here are more pictures to give you an idea.

Detail from another Syrian fountain

The mother art is architecture

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“The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization.” – Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect and writer 1867-1959

The following are pictures I took last week inside the Arab Fund Headquarters Building, just outside Kuwait City. I can’t even begin to describe the beauty and architectural genius of this building. It was my second visit, but I was still blown away.

If you’re ever in Kuwait, make sure it’s at the top of your To See list.

The Syrian fountain in the atrium
Detail from another Syrian fountain
A geometric patter – one of the many Islamic motifs seen in the building
This cosy seating area was outside one of the meeting rooms
The ledge of a beautiful meeting table
The carpet inside the mosque
One of the massive brass chandeliers

Tick tock

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Clocks make me nervous. It’s the ticking, I think. I glance up at clocks obsessively. They make me feel like the White Rabbit. Like I’m late, I’m late, for a very important date!

So at some point I decided that my future house will be devoid of useless clocks. Then I saw this post. And changed my mind. I guess not all clocks are evil.

Why Amy? Why?

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Dear Amy,

Your voice hits the spot. I think your music is daring and I love it. I can’t believe you’re only 3 years older than I am but have the vocal maturity of someone who’s at least 30.

What I don’t understand, however, is why you’re such a mess. It saddens me. Please shower, eat some scones (do you want the name of my nutritionist? She’s cool), quit smoking, see a doctor or two, find a therapist… do SOMETHING. Wash your mouth out with soap? Joke.

Look, I don’t know. I mean I’m a mess myself sometimes but I eat pizzas to make up for it and generally try to look presentable. Then again I’m not an internationally known artist hounded by paparazzi… What do I know! So yeaaah.. Just chill and make more music mmkay?

Now I need to go hear how you only said goodbye in words and how you died a hundred times.

*sound of heart shattering*
F.