Ten excellent reasons to look up
June 7, 2017 9:34 PM Subscribe
Oh, come on. You can't seriously make this list without the Sistine Chapel. Give me a break.
posted by potrzebie at 10:23 PM on June 7, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by potrzebie at 10:23 PM on June 7, 2017 [5 favorites]
The tiling of the Shah Mosque is incredible. I don't know how I've never seen this ceiling before.
I'm actually fine with not including the Sistine Chapel. The genius and beauty of the individual frescoes aside, the Sistine Chapel is not particularly impressive to me in terms of aesthetic coherence or architectural interest.
posted by xyzzy at 12:23 AM on June 8, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm actually fine with not including the Sistine Chapel. The genius and beauty of the individual frescoes aside, the Sistine Chapel is not particularly impressive to me in terms of aesthetic coherence or architectural interest.
posted by xyzzy at 12:23 AM on June 8, 2017 [3 favorites]
Good on them for including Grand Central Station.
But this article needs more Duomo. And the Arabic Room at the old stock exchange building in Porto.
posted by chavenet at 4:49 AM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
But this article needs more Duomo. And the Arabic Room at the old stock exchange building in Porto.
posted by chavenet at 4:49 AM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'm sure the Shah Mosque has many competitors across the islamic world for gorgeous geometric tilework.
I'm unfamiliar with most of them, but the Blue Mosque in Istanbul surely has to be on that list.
posted by lalochezia at 5:32 AM on June 8, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm unfamiliar with most of them, but the Blue Mosque in Istanbul surely has to be on that list.
posted by lalochezia at 5:32 AM on June 8, 2017 [3 favorites]
I appreciate these, but because it's from BBC they included St Stephen Walbrook but not the US Capitol main rotunda ceiling, under the dome. If you ever come to DC you should definitely do a tour, it's amazing in person.
posted by numaner at 6:38 AM on June 8, 2017
posted by numaner at 6:38 AM on June 8, 2017
Cristóbal Vila made a gorgeous 3D animation of the ceiling of the Isfahan Mosque.
I'm also very fond of the ceiling of the Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey. When you go visit, they have a mirror so you can admire the ceiling without killing your neck.
posted by snakeling at 7:02 AM on June 8, 2017 [3 favorites]
I'm also very fond of the ceiling of the Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey. When you go visit, they have a mirror so you can admire the ceiling without killing your neck.
posted by snakeling at 7:02 AM on June 8, 2017 [3 favorites]
I nominate the Tiffany glass ceiling at the Gran Hotel in Mexico City.
posted by carmicha at 8:43 AM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by carmicha at 8:43 AM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
Shingera Ban's work on making sustainable materials balance between vernacular history and new technology is so smart, and that it is also startlingly gorgeous, just makes me happy.
posted by PinkMoose at 8:49 AM on June 8, 2017
posted by PinkMoose at 8:49 AM on June 8, 2017
I'm sorry, but that metro station just makes me afraid.
One of my favourite ceilings is in the gift shop of one of the museums in Florence. The Accademia, I think. You walk in and it has this soaring domed ceiling painted with cherubs and all the usual stuff of domed ceilings and you think 'wow, this is quite a venue for a gift shop.' And then you get to looking at it a little more closely, and you realize that it's a box of a room with ceilings only a little higher than you probably have in your house, but painted with a really impressive trompe l'oeil.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:03 PM on June 8, 2017
One of my favourite ceilings is in the gift shop of one of the museums in Florence. The Accademia, I think. You walk in and it has this soaring domed ceiling painted with cherubs and all the usual stuff of domed ceilings and you think 'wow, this is quite a venue for a gift shop.' And then you get to looking at it a little more closely, and you realize that it's a box of a room with ceilings only a little higher than you probably have in your house, but painted with a really impressive trompe l'oeil.
posted by jacquilynne at 12:03 PM on June 8, 2017
I think they are egregiously missing examples from India. Akshardham (image search) has 10+ glorious ceilings all by itself. The Jain temple at Ranakhpur, similarly. I'm sure there are more.
posted by janell at 12:41 PM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by janell at 12:41 PM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also in Barcelona, the ceiling of the Palau de la Musica Catalana.
posted by nikoniko at 1:05 PM on June 8, 2017
posted by nikoniko at 1:05 PM on June 8, 2017
The mirrored ceiling in the Shah-Abdol-Azim Shrine, Rey, Iran is unfuckwittable.
posted by nikoniko at 1:09 PM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by nikoniko at 1:09 PM on June 8, 2017 [1 favorite]
These are absolutely incredible.
But I'm glad my favorite ceiling is plain white (the one over my bed.) Otherwise, I'd be up all night gazing in awe.
posted by BlueHorse at 1:42 PM on June 8, 2017
But I'm glad my favorite ceiling is plain white (the one over my bed.) Otherwise, I'd be up all night gazing in awe.
posted by BlueHorse at 1:42 PM on June 8, 2017
My favorite ceiling is at the Library of Congress.
posted by all about eevee at 1:49 PM on June 8, 2017
posted by all about eevee at 1:49 PM on June 8, 2017
One might also consider St Paul's in London or Disney Hall in LA.
posted by persona au gratin at 3:33 AM on June 9, 2017
posted by persona au gratin at 3:33 AM on June 9, 2017
« Older Distinguishing character assassination from... | Frederick Law Olmsted: from anti-slavery reporter... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Anyway, I don't know if 'beautiful' is the right word, but that Stockholm metro station is pretty amazing.
posted by LeLiLo at 9:59 PM on June 7, 2017 [1 favorite]