I t seems there's a museum for everything. And while this isn't as odd as the funeral museum in Houston, Texas the Bata Shoe Museum is a unique specimen. The owner, Sonja Bata, has been collecting shoes since the 1940's. The collection runs from the modern clogs worn by celebrities like Elton John to ancient footwear from China and Egypt. In all 10,000 shoes are showcased in the five-story building (three above ground, two below) that is as modern and dynamic as the latest designs it contains. In fact, "container" is the right word here because the building was designed to evoke that staple of third-grade art projects, the shoebox. One way to create this impression is by leaving a gap around the top of the building to make the roof appear to be resting on the structure like an askew box lid, rather than a permanent piece of the construction. The Shoe Museum's walls are set at a 33.5-degree angle to enhance the whole "container" concept. Yes, real shoeboxes have perpendicular walls, but remember the basic and identifiable containers used to carry Chinese food. For maximum impact the roof illusion and the jaunty walls are intended to be viewed from the sidewalk below where a glass pyramid has been set into the pavement and the walls of the building. This incongruous element helps establish this as a 1990's construction and not one of the stark geometric forms that took shape in the mid-20th century. It also allows pedestrians to see inside, and draws the curious to the collection. Those who are truly curious might notice that the building's signage incorporates leather, that staple of the cobbler's trade.
New York, United States
