Manitoga

Friday, 2 September 2022

Manitoga is the well-preserved estate of industrial designer Russell Wright in Garrison, NY, across the Hudson River from West Point. Over the course of three decades, this quarried and logged 75-acre parcel was developed into a showcase of nature-inspired sustainable architecture and gardens.

The Dragon Rock area (quarry, pond, house, and studio) are accessible only through a reserved tour. Four miles of trails are available during daylight hours without a reservation.

While officially "gardens" most of the landscape is left in a natural state, with some rearrangement to create trails and views. Various "rooms" are created in the landscape, most with a mossy "carpet" underfoot.

This footbridge crosses a re-located stream that normally is a "waterfall" (cascade, rather than a free drop) and fills the former quarry to make a swimming pond. It's been an exceptionally dry summer in this part of New York, so there's currently no water flowing.

A classic spiderweb in the woods.

Currently, the pond is low and filled with murky water because of the drought.

Normally, water flows over the dam, and these stepping stones have a shallow water flow around them.

Leaves along the dam.

The house and studio blend into the surrounding woods - especially when the trees have leaves.

Looking along the studio towards the house.

A pergola covered by Dutchman's Pipe vine connects the house and studio.

Looking along the pergola from the house to the studio.

The desktop in the studio has a "worm's eye view" of the surroundings - the outside ground is at desktop level. The window opens by dropping into a pocket for a seamless view into the outdoors.

The ceiling in the studio has white pine needles embedded in an industrial resin.

A translucent wall in the studio is made of an industrial insulation sandwiched between two panes of plexiglass.

In the house, a similar translucent wall was made from thin sections of cardboard tubes, squashed, then embedded in acrylic resin between plexiglass panes.

The "eclipse lamp" in the house.

Currently, the dining room chandelier is an installation from Formafantasma, an Italian artist duo who is the current artist-in-residence. These artists use left-over parts of animals that are slaughtered for meat. These enormous egg-like structures are actually cow bladders.

Every doorknob in the house and studio is unique. This one, at the entrance to the house, is a hook left behind from quarry operations.