Ugly Consoles

[nullogik]

Was browsing through Carlo Curley's website archive and happened upon this...



It was designed by "...restoration architect, Robert Harris..."

IMO, it looks hideous. If IKEA where to design a flat pack, build-it-yourself organ, I would imagine it to look somewhat like this. Yuk!

Picture taken from page 7 of: www.carlo.com/PDFFiles/CCLN_00024.pdf

Any others that are worse?

[jbird604]

It does look like it could be easily rolled around though! Just the thing for the modern church that has a contemporary service and they want to roll away the console to make room for the drums.

[ShadyJoe]

Put some bigger wheels on it and tow it in a parade.

[regeron]

I kind of like it.

With the newer electrical and electronic options to replace the pneumatics that used to require so much space, why not strip it down and make it look sleek? It's still tasteful - gentle colors and lines - it would need a large enough space to take the curved metal piping, but otherwise, not bad. At least you can't say that it's gaudy.

I wonder, though, what kind of mechanism allows the bench to closer to or further from the console.

It does look like it would be easy to retrieve all those pencils that fall between the pedals.

[Admin]

I wonder, though, what kind of mechanism allows the bench to closer to or further from the console.

It looks to me like the console itself moves rather than the bench.

[Westminster]

Looks somehow like it would be more appropriate to a Cirque du Soleil production.

It appears that the bench height is adjustable (telescoping tubing) and the front back position possibly on tracks (somewhat visible at the back of the bench top though these may be fixed mounting brackets). If I understand the structural design correctly the pedalboard is supported by L shaped framework suspended from the main console box and attached to the rear cross member. This would make it unlikely that the main console box is movable.

[Menschenstimme]

I tend to agree with Regeron's assessment of the console's design. And the floor in that location is beautiful.

[regeron]

Although it doesn't look as if the pedalboard-to-console arrangement isn't flexible, wouldn't that be great for all those organists whose legs are either too short or too long!! Not only an adjustable height bench, but an adjustable height pedalboard.

Part of my enjoying the look is that I like the blonde wood. It just looks clean. I do wonder if the console box could still be made smaller somewhere. And you could always "up" the price by putting in curves instead of all straight lines.

[castaway]

I especially like the aftermarket addon -- the little non-matching, white desklight with the dangling electric cord attached to the left rear supporting pillar! I guess the organist did not think minimalist beauty trumped the ability to see the pedals.

[Moller Artiste]

I've always liked things a "bit" different. In the appropriate setting, it works for me.

[m&m's]

To be honest, it looks like the sort of console that Holtkamp built into the front of some of their organ cases, such as the one at Crouse College, Syracuse University, New York. Those look strange enough, but this one looks disembodied, like someone cast a spell on it and most of it disappeared. But I guess it is portable enough.

[regeron]

I think the photo doesn't do full justice to the console as it stands in its setting. Any pics that show the console with a bit more of its surroundings?

[cantornikolaos]

It's ugly as sin.

[paulj0557]

Looks like the cash register at White Castle.