Nathan Oliveira’s Windhover paintings get a tranquil new home at Stanford University
![Looking through the trees towards an illuminated exhibition space.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86WbjfX9htuPLsVu8zki6h-415-80.jpeg)
A new sanctuary sits quietly at the heart of the Stanford University campus in California. The project, by San Francisco practice Aidlin Darling Design, is home to a series of paintings from Nathan Oliveira's 'Windhover' series.
The commission's aim was to create a refuge – for students, facutly and staff as well as the general public during dedicated tour – from the intensity of daily life and a space that offers shelter for peace and contemplation. As Oliveira said of his work in 2002, 'These paintings are like a catalyst that can take you where you want your mind to fly.' Taking inspiration from flying kestrels in the Stanford Hills, the artist, who passed away in 2010, envisioned his works as vehicles for spiritual renewal. This new home for them fulfils Oliveira's dream that they be installed in a dedicated, meditative space.
The project, called the Windhover, the centre creates a dialogue between the different elements involved. Joshua Aidlin and David Darling, founders of the award-winning architecture firm, have always worked on the sensory connection between man and environment, and this project, in which art, architecture and landscape are skilfully balanced, is a true representation of this approach. A sculpture garden and an oak grove surrounding the structure protect the interiors, helping to maintain a peaceful atmosphere.
As guests step into the building, the first work revealed is the dramatic 'Big Red', a large abstract oil painting that took 25 years to complete. Also included in the displays are 'Diptych', 'White Wing' and 'Sun Radiating'. Louvered skylights bathe the impressive 4m to 9m paintings in natural light, while the thick rammed-earth walls, wood surfaces and echoing water pools cast dense shadows and amplify their bright presence.
'One must nurture the spirit identity within one's self in order to fully exist,' Oliveira once stated, a belief that breathes through the new centre. Skilfully choreographing relationships between art, architecture, mind and matter, Stanford's new space provides a sanctuary in which its community can reflect and take flight.
As Oliveira said of his work in 2002, 'These paintings are like a catalyst that can take you where you want your mind to fly.' This new home for them fulfils Oliveira's dream that they be installed in a dedicated, meditative space
The commission's aim was to create a refuge for students, staff and faculty, as well as the general public during dedicated tours
Taking inspiration from flying kestrels in the Stanford Hills, the artist, who passed away in 2010, envisioned his works as vehicles for spiritual renewal. As guests step into the building, the first work revealed is the dramatic 'Big Red', a large abstract oil painting that took 25 years to complete
Also included in the displays is 'Diptych'
The architecture creates a dialogue between the different elements involved
Louvered skylights bathe the impressive 4m to 9m paintings in natural light, while the thick rammed-earth walls, wood surfaces and echoing water pools cast dense shadows and amplify their bright presence
Skilfully choreographing relationships between art, architecture, mind and matter, Stanford's new space provides a sanctuary in which its community can reflect and take flight
ADDRESS
Windhover Contemplative Center
370 Santa Teresa Street
Stanford CA 94305
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published