Picture this: an eagle swooping down, closing in on its ground bound
prey, talons open and head forward, wings stretched and trailing feathers
flared in a breaking throttle. Now look at this structure as if the prey
were you! Whence its title.
While we were erecting this open-air structure one of my workers asked:
"Why would anyone build something like this? - it gives no protection from
either rain or sun." Well, that made me pause and ponder some plausible
answer - and here it is:
This style of arbor offers the homeowner the same thing it gives a public
court yard: a focal point for social activity. There are probably some
ancillary reasons, like being a monument to one's own success, but
functionally I think the answer is that it provides an anchor for the hubbub
of human interaction.
Making this arbor rain-proof or a shade screen would defeat its majestic
"sky-scaping" architecture. If there ever was a case where "Form"
outranks "Function", this is it! If it's shade you want, put up an
umbrella beneath the arch. If it's weather protection you want, go indoors;
why would anyone want to be outside when it is raining? ... even animals
know better!
Back to "Form": Notice that the entire canopy is composed of
radial rafters. And they are integrated by two concentric metal pipes. The
front of the canopy is supported in three places by an arched beam bridging
the gap between two foreground columns. The canopy extends beyond the points
of support on both ends. The five precast columns give this simple canopy a
stature nothing short of elegance.
In the pictured setting, the arbor's vast openness allows a panoramic
view of the hills of San Jose in the background and the unblemished blue sky
of the California summer. Without the arbor to look through, such a
background setting would likely be taken for granted. Now it captivates
without recourse!
