While few would consider the typical American laundromat to be “good” architecture, I was curious if certain elements of these spaces had developed independently from the design and construction of the building to create some of the qualities that we do associate with good architecture, such as those that embody authenticity, inspire memory, transport the imagination, and reflect back to us both positive and negative qualities of human existence.
This series of photographs is my attempt to perceive, capture and portray qualities of the laundromat that strengthen the existential experience and reinforce one’s sense of being in the world.
Soap Bleach Softeners
No Hanging Out
Hanging Out
Always necessary and often mundane, doing laundry is a fact of life, and most Americans will probably find themselves in a laundromat at some point in their lives. But unlike doing laundry at home, going to a laundromat is a bit like buying time (assuming there isn’t a coin shortage and you can scrounge up enough quarters). Without other household obligations to pull you away, feel free to do whatever you like while you wait for your wash cycle to complete. Even if it is just hanging out.
The Way the Light Falls
Morning Reflection
“I don’t understand light. It gives me the feeling there’s something beyond me, something beyond all understanding. ...the light on things, is so moving to me that I feel it almost as a spiritual quality.” - Peter Zumthor
The Shadow Threshold
Private Public
On a hot summer day, the interior of a laundromat offers a promise of escape from the heat and chaos of a lively Denver neighborhood. If you accept the invitation, you’ll find a small piece of tranquility within the public realm. Don’t forget to bring your favorite book.
The 70s Called
Soap Bleach Softeners 75
Equimptment that’s been in use for decades, along with an accumulation of dirt and grime, lend a sense of authenticity to the space while also allowing one to experience the continuum of time. How many hands have come before mine to turn this dial to Delicate Wash? An aspect of time I would rather not contemplate during a pandemic.
Almost Perfect
Order from Chaos
Ideally scaled for the human body, the whole purpose of a washing machine is to renew and make clean, to allow us to exert our dominance over dirt, bring stains under our control and create neat piles of perfectly folded shirts.
The Great Alone
Soap Bleach Softeners, 3rd ed.
Laundry Day
A great place to people watch, make new friends, or pick up something cool for yourself from the gumball machines, laundry day brings various socioeconomic backgrounds together and creates a sense of community.
Crappy strip-mall building? Or a miniature version of the world that provides an honest reflection of what it is to be human? Perhaps both.
Still No Hanging Out