My official studies of Architecture began in 1964 as a high school sophomore attending Brooklyn Tech. They had a State certified program, and I was hooked the moment I stepped through those hallowed doors.
When this program unfolded, I was greeted by staunch German exiled architects from post war Germany... men of the revered Bauhaus… they were task masters in EVERY way. We were even taught how to sharpen our pencils. Oh, the things we learned.
One of my biggest takeaways from those years was not just the technical aspects of this profession...but HOW to look at life.
The instructions were rigorous and joyous.
One thought that has always stayed with me was this: Look up...Look up...not only was God there but the imaginations of the architects before… see what they imagined...drink in the art and detail...the shades and shadows of the day and how they affected the architecture... LOOK UP!!!... but please NOT when walking across a street or crosswalk!!!
Last week almost 60 years later, I heard Mr. Ehrenreich in my head.
It was a beautiful day, and I was ambling up lower Madison Avenue...I looked up.
This is some of what looked back down on me.
Marvelous.
