Con(door)

In addition to a central location and amazing view, the Condor Tower also has historical importance. The project, which took a vacant 10-storey building and added an additional 18 floors, is believed to be unique not only in Australia but worldwide. The transformation of an obsolete building into a state of the art landmark won an award which recognized the major engineering challenge that faced the architects: the strengthening of the existing foundation to support the additional weight. By overcoming structural obstacles, the architects were able to demonstrate how existing structures can be recycled and transformed.
With the Condor being such an outstanding example of innovative Australian engineering, I have to question the entry into this world class building.
The brass and silver doorway falls short of capturing the grandeur that should accompany such an architectural feat. Perhaps the artist had hopes of demonstrating how the mighty condor is the king of the urban jungle. Unfortunately, the etched v-shapped bird fails to represent the strength behind of the condor. Instead the bird brings to mind a common seagull, and there is nothing majestic or powerful with this association. Could it be that the artist felt that the building could stand alone in its own glory? I don't know but each time I enter the building I can't help but wonder if who ever commissioned the door feels like they were conned? If so, perhaps, that is what the artist was trying to convey with his masterpiece.

Signing On The Dotted Line

We sat at the table with a stack of papers between us. With a simple signature our dream to live at the Condor would become reality. We knew there would be some struggles but were sure that we could overcome them. I had always complained that the flat in Glenelg was too large, so maybe it was time to downsize. Getting rid of some of the junk we have collected over the past couple years wouldn't be a bad thing. In fact,  we could use a cleansing. But, I couldn't help but wonder if we would be able to adjust to the single 16 inch bar in the closet. As I looked at my forearm, the approximate length of the bar, I tried to visualize just how much clothes we would be able to hang. At least we would each have our own closet and our own little bar. Still, it looked like I'd be making a trip or two to Salvo's with some donations.
Fortunately, we hadn't overlooked some of the more technical issues like the lack of a heating/airconditioning unit and sunshades.  Luckily the owner had agreed to install them, though he didn't believe we needed shades since it would be impossible to see into the 23rd floor. He eventually understood that it wasn't peeping eyes, but rather the sun's searing afternoon rays that we wanted to keep at bay.
Of course, we knew there were some other issues that would be impossible to resolve. We would have to learn to ignore the scratched walls, blemished marble counters, and stained window pane. We knew the pool pump would not be fixed before the end of summer. An empty car space in such a prime location would necessitate the constant need to call in maintenance to clamp illegally parked cars.
As we discussed and debated the severity of each and every one of the issues, we agreed that in the end they were insignificant when compared to the choice location with a perfect view.