Urban Explore - Windows of Edinburgh

Last week, I chose to study on the subject of window and tried to combine the epidemic prevention and control measures of Edinburgh government with it because I was amazed at the quick measures taken and was touched by the humanized service in the community to face the COVID-19 straightly and bravely.

I tried to use some visual languages combined with the photos I took during my walk on the the Johnston Terrace, Lawn Market and High Street.

I also tried to illustrate the Windows of residential buildings, office buildings and shops in Edinburgh.

While observing the changes brought by the epidemic to the windows in this city, I also became interested in various window shapes. These remind me of a photography I once saw. It was Andre Concalves, a photographer, with a collection of photos documenting the windows of different cities. It is obvious that the window features of different cities are irreplaceable.

Windows of the World - Trento, Italy by Andre Concalves

Windows of the World - Notting Hill, England by Andre Concalves

Windows of the World - London, England by Andre Concalves

After the extension of the concept and theme for my subject windows, I found that I have added the are too many elements and concepts to the subject, so I decided to focus on one certain direction and then I drew another mind map, which identified the three directions: the direction of stories through the windows, the direction of the changes brought by the COVID-19 on the windows, the direction of the windows in Edinburgh.

During the research this week, I chose to explore the third direction, the windows in Edinburgh because I found it interesting and worth extending, such as the textures, the color schemes, the structures and the combination of windows and so on. In addition, I found several reasons for the formation of these textures, including the climate, culture, history and so on. For example, Edinburgh has the Temperate Maritime Climate, which is also know as the Oceanic Climate, caused by the onshore flow from the cool, high latitude oceans.

The air in Edinburgh has high salinity, though it is near the sea and always rainy, but it is still very dry. All of them form a different image of the windows in the streets today.

I used the watercolor-pens to record some of the textures around the window and the window itself.