I "discovered" this school through the wonders of Google. I was searching for information on Charles Colbert, architect of the Wheatley School and found this article from 1953 in the Time magazine archive. The article talks about Mr. Colbert's involvement in this revolutionary push to modernize the school facilities in New Orleans. The article referenced McDonogh 39 as our first modern school and I knew I had to check it out. When I went to photograph the building, I was struck by the relative silence of the neighborhood. The wide open space of the Gentilly campus and horizontality of the school building reminded me more of my roots in the Illinois prairie than of New Orleans. However, on closer inspection, I realized that this modern building had a true regional sensibility.Thursday, February 28, 2008
First Modern School I
I "discovered" this school through the wonders of Google. I was searching for information on Charles Colbert, architect of the Wheatley School and found this article from 1953 in the Time magazine archive. The article talks about Mr. Colbert's involvement in this revolutionary push to modernize the school facilities in New Orleans. The article referenced McDonogh 39 as our first modern school and I knew I had to check it out. When I went to photograph the building, I was struck by the relative silence of the neighborhood. The wide open space of the Gentilly campus and horizontality of the school building reminded me more of my roots in the Illinois prairie than of New Orleans. However, on closer inspection, I realized that this modern building had a true regional sensibility.
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2 comments:
Charles Colbert was one of my teachers in Architecture School.
He was a character, and a New Orleanian.
I really wish I'd had the opportunity to meet him. I'm currently reading his book, Idea: The Shaping Force. He seems like quite a character and a fine architect. Did you study with him at Tulane?
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