Architecture is space, but without light there is no space. Light determines everything. Christmas is the festival of light. During Christmas we see differently, writes Dr. Pieter F. Vlaardingerbroek in this end-of-year edition of ” Through Different Eyes “.
All year around, Brinkman Fine Real Estate invites you into a carefully curated portfolio of properties in The Netherlands and beyond, each one a masterpiece of architectural distinction.
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Interior stained glass. Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France, by architect Le Corbusier
CHRISTMAS LIGHT
Christmas Light
Christmas is the festival of light. During Christmas we see differently. We take the time to reflect and look back on the past year. Time appears in a different light.
Light determines how we look. The red of a beautiful sunset warms our lives. Provides inspiration for a new day and a different view. A gray day is gloomy and results in a gray veil. Fortunately, there is electricity nowadays to drive the dark out. Or a beautiful candle, which gives a feeling of warmth with its flickering light.
Life was very different back then. Light was costly! The warmth of the fireplace lit the room, but someone who wished to read, had to light a candle. Poor people had tallow candles made from animal fats. They quickly melted, causing the wick to smoke. A big stink. The wealthy used wax candles, which did not smell. But relatively little light was available.
When you realise this, you get a different view of old buildings. Picture a maid walking a corridor, to a door with a candle. Changing shadows are the result. Through shadow we see the light. For that reason, the old interiors often have many edges and profiles. Each profile reflects light differently and makes dark light bright. Contrast is the means of letting light shine.
Architecture is space, but without light there is no space. Light determines everything. I hope that the new year gives you space to see the light.
Dr. Pieter Vlaardingerbroek
Architecture Historian
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2020 has been a year like no other. With the all too familiar Corona-rules dictating most of our lives, the people still persist. That spirit of community is ever present, and with all the streets so quiet and empty, we all get this one chance to sit, watch and embrace the warmth and glow of Christmas, and its light.
We at Brinkman Fine Real Estate wish you all a healthy, merry and safe Christmas season, and we look forward to seeing you all in 2021.
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