The owners of this place might be the kindest, most selfless people in the world. They may be charitable beyond compare. They may lend their time and skill to projects like Habitat For Humanity, or Doctors Without Borders. That said, I don't like what they've done to the landscape of Gagetown, but I don't blame them. Someone in the New Brunswick government gave them permission to create this affront. Why?
As I cruised up Gagetown Creek in my luxuriously appointed tin boat, I couldn't help but feel nostalgia. Gentle lawns sloped down towards the river from houses both century old and relatively new. I saw the world of Gagetown from what was once the highway, and by that I mean the river. I suspect the flowing lawns are more a feature of the modern world, but the feeling of timeless Gagetown was palpable. Acacia trees shaded the old Steamers Stop Inn, once a favourite of the yachting crowd, now looking unshaven and under-loved.
Slightly further upstream is the house I used for this blog post. It stands out like a desperately sore thumb. It simply doesn't belong. I'm not a big fan of vinyl houses but that's not the problem. The house itself is immaculately kept. It's the boulders. They're horrible. No attempt has been made to soften their look. I wouldn't be surprised if Chris Hadfield saw them...from the International Space Station. They look so unapologetically out of place. They make Gagetown look less beautiful, and I think that's a shame.
The boulders are there because without them the riverbank would not, could not, should not support a home. This begs the question, why allow a house to be built there? It's a question to be asked of whatever government department sanctioned the building permit. I doubt an answer will ever be found; besides, it's too late. It might have behooved the property owners to have found a way to lessen the visual impact of their rock quarry aesthetic, but I guess that's probably not their thing. They're not the only ones to think, and act, this way.
Charlie Llewellyn, the disgraced former owner of the Wandlyn Motel chain, built a tasteless South Forkian nightmare amid the tasteful older mansions on Fredericton's Waterloo Row. Some uber-wealthy pharmaceutical CEO built an architectural shoebox from reclaimed ocean on Northeast Harbor's (Maine) tony waterfront. Neither place complements its surroundings, though I am making a subjective judgment call. I think that you would find a unanimous amount of support for my observations, among people who have environmental awareness or aesthetic sensibilities at least (itself a minority, perhaps).
Gawd, I sound like a bowtie wearing, tree hugging, art gallery snob who showers in prude juice and has his bum wiped with cashmere!
I love architecture. I love modern architecture too. I love visual design and natural harmony. I'm consumed by context. The right building in the right place....I'm all for it! You know it when you see it, and you know it when you don't. It's not a question of money. The people who built this place can afford to 'fix' what they've done, if they cared. It will never have the charm that a heritage home will have, few do, but at least it could sing in harmony when the wind whistles through the gorgeous grassy marshes of Gagetown Creek.
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