London, September (2)

Continuing some aspect of gated community. Most of buildings in London are gated and the reason is obviously for security. Most windows at the ground level are iron-barred. When I started working at the architectural office, my boss said ‘this house does not work in London’ when I made a scheme of a house with bedrooms on the ground floor. It seems natural here to have bedrooms at upper levels where are more secured.
However if we go outside of the city for just 30 min by train, we can see peaceful British suburbs where there is no gate nor grilled window. The ideal life for British people seems that working and playing hard in the city when they are young, then spend quiet and calm time at suburbs.


ゲーテッドな街の構成の話が出たので、それに関連して。ロンドンも市街は完全にゲーテッドな建物ばかりで、それは主に防犯上の理由だ。地上階の窓は大抵鉄格子で覆われている。事務所に来て最初の頃、一階に寝室を配する設計をしたら、ボスに「こんなの駄目だよ」と言われた。寝室は安全な２階以上に配すというのが当たり前の感覚のようだ。
しかし電車で30分も郊外に出ると、非常に長閑なイギリスらしい家々が立ち並ぶ風景に出会える。ここには柵もゲートも鉄格子もない。若いうちは都市部でバリバリ働き・遊び、年老いてからは安全な郊外で静かに過ごすというのがイギリス人の理想のようだ。

(September 2010, London by Hiroshi Takeyama)