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Re: Any recommendations in Northumberlan
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Well it's not at all antiquarian, but it's made from rock, mazes have a long and important history and it sounds fun. This is from today's Guardian arts section

Last month, the Minotaur labyrinth opened in the grounds of Kielder Castle in Northumberland. Designed by architect Nick Coombe and artist Shona Kitchen, the £125,000 maze is a fine object. A handsome architectural sculpture, it is also a giant game for anyone to play, free of charge, at any time of any day of the year. Built of basalt stones that turn from shining silver grey in the dry to gleaming near black in the wet, caged in thick steel-wire mesh, the Minotaur labyrinth is a perfect match for its forest setting.

It is also a welcome addition to other architecturally inspired artworks built elsewhere in the Kielder Forest Park by the Kielder Partnership. These include James Turrell's magical Skyspace - a circular chamber of ever-changing, challenging and intensely focused, natural and artificial light - and the Belvedere, by Softroom, a mirror-surfaced refuge that distorts reflections of nature and weather, and draws you towards it, like some oddly bright black hole.

Summer or winter, the place is a delight. Whether or not a labyrinth should be delightful is another question. The Minotaur labyrinth is certainly a determinedly serious-looking structure, yet it is animated by the shrieks and laughter of children thrilling to its sudden twists, turns and seeming blind alleys. One of these leads to a stone stair. From its top, visitors get an aerial view of the structure and can try to work out how to get to its secret, glass-lined centre. On the way round the labyrinth, there are slits in the walls, 26 of them, through which you can see and hear others worming their stringless way through this gloriously physical and computerless game. There are alcoves to spring surprises on trailing parents and a constant play of shadows as the sun, or moon, races overhead through the watery Northumberland cloudscape.


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Joanna
Posted by Joanna
22nd July 2003ce
11:10

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Any recommendations in Northumberland? (goffik)

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Re: Any recommendations in Northumberlan (pebblesfromheaven)

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