This Matrix of Being
In her 2018 collection of writings What Are We Doing Here? the American essayist Marilynne Robinson declares, “There is something irreducibly thrilling about the universe.” The Port; the Beach; the Basin; and the clarity, preciseness and joy of Calais’ 20th century architecture interspersed with just the odd remnant of prewar life. A climb up 271 steps of the 55 metre high 1848 lighthouse to take in the 360 degree panorama is a must. Calais has many zany moments and an inland lighthouse is just one of them. It is built on a mound where the old city bastions once stood, at least three urban blocks away from the nearest wave.
A sturdy pitched roof two storey over basement house is attached to the seven storey slender tower surmounted by a lantern. The top floor of the tower is painted black; the rest of the lighthouse is pale grey brick with stone dressings a tone darker. The lighthouse is riddled with ghosts. Two skeletons were discovered when the foundations were being laid. Dominique Darré, President of the Association for the Enhancement of the Architectural Heritage of Calais, says, “The lighthouse was built on the fortifications of Calais, on a defence site, where the presence of bodies could be explained.” There is something irreducibly thrilling about Calais.
