April 5, 2012

Love padlock bridge spotted in Amsterdam

Filed under: Architecture by Orangemaster @ 1:35 pm

In Paris, the Pont des Arts, a pedestrian bridge over the Seine is well known for its huge collection of padlocks that adorn the sides of the bridge, left by couples in love as an urban equivalent of carving your initials into a tree. And since international trends usually find their way to Amsterdam, a bridge on the Kloveniersburgwal downtown has started its own collection of love padlocks.

Unfortunately, many trends are not always adopted with the same spirit in which they came. What could be a lovely, new local tradition has already hit newspaper Metro as a tolerated public annoyance at best. “If those padlocks get in the way, we’ll take the necessary measures to remove them”, a spokesperson for the city told the paper. It wouldn’t be the first time cities around the world have threatened to remove padlocks, as they probably do damage metal, look awful in some places and clash with their surroundings in others. However, a bit like love, the cities often cave in to public opinion.

Love padlocks and wish padlocks have been around for a while, and have no definite origin. It’s probably one of those trends that started simultaneously in several countries because we’re all human after all.

UPDATE: In May 2012 all the padlocks had been removed.

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June 4, 2010

Forest in the city

Filed under: Art,Nature by Branko Collin @ 8:10 am

A quirky little idea by DUS Architects: put a 3 x 3 metre box next to the Amsterdam public library, line its inside with mirrors, and put a tree in the middle.

The Urban Woods pavilion is part of the Liefde in de stad (Love in the city) art project about which we wrote earlier. You can visit the forest (a short walk from Central Station) until June 27.

(Link: Bright. Photo: DUS Architecten / Pieter Kers.)

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February 23, 2010

Web service lets grannies embroider your handkerchief

Filed under: Online by Branko Collin @ 1:20 pm

Do you need an embroidered handkerchief, but you lack a grandmother with a taste for needle craft? Fear not, smartlapjes.nl employs needle-wielding grandmothers with lots of spare time who will embroider a phrase of your choice onto a handkerchief for only 10 euro.

The delivery time of any given ‘smartlapje’ is ‘when it is ready.’

According to Bright, the site is a part of the Liefde in de Stad (Love in the City) art project.

(Image: a screenshot of smartlapjes.nl)

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