Visiting Subrosa located in Newbern, Alabama, is a somewhat somber experience. The concrete cast in place space is at once cold and also warm-the flow of sound and whimsical sculptures seem to counteract experiences of the visitor. Crafted by Samuel Mockbee's Daughter, Subrosa becomes monument and memorial to the great Rural Studio master mind.
As the video montage describes, the visitor enters the space off access after a small decent. The hall way is then exploded into a bowl like space framed with star responsive steel circles and rods. In the center of the room is a water well that reflects and softens the hard nature of the space. Details play an important role in Subrosa-the steel work has meanings and solidify Samuel's signature.
Subrosa, meaning below the rose, connotes secrets and mystery. Much like the name the space contains secrets as well. The whispering bench is a mystical feature the bends sound from listener to another through an unknown pipe matrix. The simplicity of the scheme adds to its poetry, a fitting memorial to a man who sought diligently an "architecture of decency."
