BARBICAN EXHIBIT TOUR

The New York Times talked yesterday with Ab Rogers, designer of the Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style exhibit at Barbican.  In the interview Rogers takes us on a tour through the show, including a recreation of Ian Fleming's office at Goldeneye in Jamaica, where visitors hear the sound of a typewriter and birds chirping. Great to learn that the exhibit did not leave Bond's creator out of the picture. Asked which of the film's evil lairs were his favorite, Rogers said, "I think Goldfinger’s ranch is pretty extraordinary: the floor plane sliding away, tables rotating to reveal maps, very satisfying. But I also loved the conceit of Blofeld’s empire hidden in a volcano in “You Only Live Twice.” The carving-out of the interior, the grafting of sharp steel architectural details, louvered walls, even a monorail network, into the rock was beautifully simple and marvelously conceived in Adam’s original concept sketches. More recently in “GoldenEye,” I thought the idea of villain Alec Trevelyan operating from a customized decommissioned military locomotive was an interesting take on modern mobile solutions. If I had to choose one lair, it would be “The Man With the Golden Gun.” I like the way it opens up out of the rock with incredible clarity. The combination of shining materials, technology and concrete against the natural elements of rock, vegetation and the power of the sun is fantastic." The exhibit will be in London through September 5th, before moving to Toronto. Read more at The New York Times.

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