This post is one of those treasures one finds only via LT.
Luca, I thought of you immediately when I saw this because of your references to the beautiful cars of your youth. I don't think I'd want to drive this, but wouldn't it look cool in one's driveway?
Thank you Linda for your kind words! Yes, that Audi is an amazing labor of love and properly insane. Wonderful to think that a large company would blow money on such a project.
We did a secret Santa once at a previous job (remote fly in mine) and the brief was the gift be made with things already on site. I received a handwoven hemp necklace with a broken off tooth from a used diamond drill bit as the pendant. Sort of a similar vibe to these stair noses, highly resistant bort diamond set in steel.
The shiny new look might be trickier to get from a recycled piece, but if you make friends with some diamond drillers (or anyone at a drilling company) I bet you could get your hands on an old drill bit.
I grew up in London and, to my shame, only realised how underground stations connected up above ground when I once returned from uni and decided to walk around and see my home city as a tourist might. I have lived away for many years and now have to contend with a chronic illness which makes walking difficult. As a result, on a recent trip to the big smoke (for a perfume event incidentally) I was forced to resist the furious speed of fellow passengers and for the first time my eyes were cast downwards as I made my slow crawl from platform to platform. And there, to my great delight, I also discovered such treasures, seeing them as if for the first time. I was particularly taken with the golden step edging articulated with cobalt rectangles like Art deco jewels, and the same pattern but copper inlaid with black. Such beauty right under our feet.
I am now going to be knocked flying down the tube steps trying to get a closer look. I agree re rose gold jewellery although I think it works well with a rainbow of stones. I have an octet ring from Wright & Teague with rainbow sapphires set in rose gold and they bed in better than the same in yellow
I’ve not given much thought to the metal nosing of New York City, but when they wore down in one neighborhood subway station, the workmen of the MTA added (welded, I assume?) diagonal slashes to them, and they seem to held up over…about six to ten years, maybe?
Fabulous. I will look out for this stuff. I’d be interested in what you think of Luxcrete. I adore it. My fantasy lotttery spending includes having a wetroom made out of it: walls, shower cubicle but not the floor. It’s too pretty!
Yes, that’s it. I particularly like what I would call the cellar lights embedded in the pavement in the grander parts of town. They have Luxcrete, London inlaid in brass. The older ones have greenish glass and give Babes in the Wood vibes when lit from below
Following the lead of London (or vice-versa) New York City also used to embed glass in concrete to provide light into the basements of business. Some of the older ones have an exquisite amethyst color, the result of manganese in the glass getting exposed to UV light over time:
Wow, these are gorgeous. Lovely video - I never knew there were so many words for these things. I am picturing a 1920s estate agent taking a client to the basement, describing how this Astoria new build ‘benefits from deck prisms’, gesturing upward hoping to time it with the sun hitting the pavement outside and lo, the room is filled with the true purplish light of the real estate gods. And the building is sold. Fabulous!
This post is one of those treasures one finds only via LT.
Luca, I thought of you immediately when I saw this because of your references to the beautiful cars of your youth. I don't think I'd want to drive this, but wouldn't it look cool in one's driveway?
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-petrolhead-corner-auto-union-lucca-recreation-hans-stuck-land-speed-record-1935/
Thank you Linda for your kind words! Yes, that Audi is an amazing labor of love and properly insane. Wonderful to think that a large company would blow money on such a project.
what a lovely musing; I suppose a rose gold with tiny specks of silver oxidized black would be close….
We did a secret Santa once at a previous job (remote fly in mine) and the brief was the gift be made with things already on site. I received a handwoven hemp necklace with a broken off tooth from a used diamond drill bit as the pendant. Sort of a similar vibe to these stair noses, highly resistant bort diamond set in steel.
I want one. Titanium nitride cutting tools also look great, lemon yellow…
The shiny new look might be trickier to get from a recycled piece, but if you make friends with some diamond drillers (or anyone at a drilling company) I bet you could get your hands on an old drill bit.
I grew up in London and, to my shame, only realised how underground stations connected up above ground when I once returned from uni and decided to walk around and see my home city as a tourist might. I have lived away for many years and now have to contend with a chronic illness which makes walking difficult. As a result, on a recent trip to the big smoke (for a perfume event incidentally) I was forced to resist the furious speed of fellow passengers and for the first time my eyes were cast downwards as I made my slow crawl from platform to platform. And there, to my great delight, I also discovered such treasures, seeing them as if for the first time. I was particularly taken with the golden step edging articulated with cobalt rectangles like Art deco jewels, and the same pattern but copper inlaid with black. Such beauty right under our feet.
Thank you Sarah.
Love this. Small structural delights in man made landscapes.
I am now going to be knocked flying down the tube steps trying to get a closer look. I agree re rose gold jewellery although I think it works well with a rainbow of stones. I have an octet ring from Wright & Teague with rainbow sapphires set in rose gold and they bed in better than the same in yellow
Love your inquiry into the ubiquitous.
I’ve not given much thought to the metal nosing of New York City, but when they wore down in one neighborhood subway station, the workmen of the MTA added (welded, I assume?) diagonal slashes to them, and they seem to held up over…about six to ten years, maybe?
Fabulous. I will look out for this stuff. I’d be interested in what you think of Luxcrete. I adore it. My fantasy lotttery spending includes having a wetroom made out of it: walls, shower cubicle but not the floor. It’s too pretty!
Ha! Could not agree more. Actually my dream is to have a study with the walls entirely made of luxcrete so you get the light but not the view!
There seems to be a number of different things called “Luxcrete”—is it glass blocks embedded in concrete?
Yes, that’s it. I particularly like what I would call the cellar lights embedded in the pavement in the grander parts of town. They have Luxcrete, London inlaid in brass. The older ones have greenish glass and give Babes in the Wood vibes when lit from below
Following the lead of London (or vice-versa) New York City also used to embed glass in concrete to provide light into the basements of business. Some of the older ones have an exquisite amethyst color, the result of manganese in the glass getting exposed to UV light over time:
https://www.lcpsociety.org/vaultlights.html
https://www.6sqft.com/soho-and-tribecas-windowed-sidewalks-provided-light-to-basement-factory-workers-before-electricity/
Wow, these are gorgeous. Lovely video - I never knew there were so many words for these things. I am picturing a 1920s estate agent taking a client to the basement, describing how this Astoria new build ‘benefits from deck prisms’, gesturing upward hoping to time it with the sun hitting the pavement outside and lo, the room is filled with the true purplish light of the real estate gods. And the building is sold. Fabulous!