| Original Message: Light (in the city of light) |
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Hi Kika, In the midst of all the terrible violence, I've been thinking of one of my favourite buildings in Paris, l'Institut du Monde Arabe. Do you know it? It was designed by the brilliant French architect Jean Nouvel in the 1980s and it's on a beautiful site on the banks of the Seine. But the south side of the building is all windows - a crazy idea with all that sun striking them. Not these windows, however; each one is composed of multiple "irises" that expand and contract according to the amount of light that's required for the time of day. The effect on the interior is to create a wealth of geometric patterns that recall the interior of a mosque. From the very beginning the Institut has been a centre for multicultural dialogue and it has always seemed to me to be a perfect example of the best that is possible in Paris. I remember going there for the first time in 1988 to hear a reading by the great Franco-Lebanese novelist Aamin Maalouf; afterwards we went out to the terrasse which looks across the river to the cathedral of Notre Dame. I'll attach a photo of the reading room where I've spent many quiet afternoons and met some fabulous people. I'm sure, in the dark times, that light will triumph. Best, Will
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