Last night we went to a bar that had some Very Talented Barmen.

They had a style that I could describe only as baroque. Every movement these guys made was an exercise in glorious decoration; arms swirling through the air, glasses and cocktail shakers alike undergoing a very many spins every time they meet the barman’s hand, a slice of lime describing a great arc of untold beauty as it hurls through the air destined to be caught in a caprioska way down the other end of the bar.

I applaud these men for their interest in 17th Century architecture and it is certain that they have invested far more time in understanding its arcane geometries than I have, however, I wonder (hope!) if they have an expanded repertoire; is saturday night always baroque night? I mean, a lot has happened since Borromini destroyed the idea of corner at San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and one hell of a lot more will happen in the future, as it is, after all, the future. Tackling the history of architecture using only the Waltz of the Cocktail Shaker to tell the tale is a tall order, granted, however I didn’t set them this task, I just stumbled into their strange dance and would like to see them push it as far as they can. As today’s strip suggests, they could at least acknowledge the wonderful contribution that the Dutch have made to fulfilling contemporary architecture’s desire to put forests in buildings.