A moment of silence.

Building:  Notre Dame du Haut

Architect: Le Corbusier

Location:  Ronchamp, France

Date:          1955

Use:           Church

Material:  Concrete 4'-12' thick

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 I still remember the day quite vividly. It was Tuesday morning, and we were all gathered for the last bit of visiting buildings in Paris as a class. At noon, we were all let loose in the City of Lights to research and investigate our assigned building to study and present upon in a week's time. I headed over to the Cluny Museum (or aka Musee National du Moyen Age), a part Roman Bath/Medieval/Gothic mansion housing Unicorn Tapestries, to photograph the entrance, the window details, the doorways, the roof, the gardens. After sometime, I decided it was enough Cluny for me, and headed back to the Louvre for another wing to explore but was surprised to learn it was closed. Maybe I have my days mixed up? I thought to myself, and opted instead to sit in the Jardin de Tuileries and sketch, but suddenly didn't feel right, and had a desire to head back to the hotel. Heading towards the metro, I was stopped by a vendor asking if I was American. Eyeing his bags full of Eiffel Tower keychains, I simply smiled and waved 'bye' as if I didn't understand him. 

Back at the hotel, I still had that weird feeling and needed to shake it off. I went to the internet cafe across the street to pass time while waiting for some classmates to return. About an hour of responding to emails, I thought maybe a nap would make me feel better, so returned to the hotel. Waiting at the front desk to retrieve my room key, I turned and looked at the tv. I immediately recognized the scene to be the NYC skyline. And then there was smoke.  I don't recognize this movie, I thought, and continued watching. About 5 minutes later, I realized that the scene was on repeat, and that the "movie" was in fact, the news. I turned back to the receptionist, who was staring at the tv in complete horror and shock.

That evening, we dined quietly all together at a small restaurant down the street, unsure of what was going to happen to us, what was going to happen to our country, what was going to happen in the world.

It almost seems fitting that at the time of the world-wide moment of silence that Friday, we were all atop a hill in Ronchamp by the Swiss border at Le Corbusier's chapel, Notre Dame du Haut. It had been raining the night before and was still drizzly that day, but for just a moment, the clouds parted for our moment of silence as we stared down at the lush, green, peaceful valley below.