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Land Rover and renowned Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen have revealed the first in a series of unique works entitled ‘Ultimate Vistas’, extraordinary landscape photographs captured with help from the world’s ultimate SUV: the Range Rover.
The Highly Praised Mercedes G Wagon Gets a Wheel Update From Velos Wheels.
It’s hard not to like the Mercedes G class. The vehicle has been around forever and proven itself time and time again. Even though it has an Iconic shape that everyone has grown to love, the styling sometimes can...
www.vividracing.com/blog/announcing-new-products-specials...
The Launch 22v is the perfect combination of size, refinement and performance. This 22.5-foot wakeboard boat welcomes a crew of 15 with room for gear and an interior geared toward luxurious accommodation. Completely redesigned for 2012, the 22V interior brings together intricate sections of multi-textured Syntec Nanoblock vinyls with the durability of exclusive Gore Tenara thread. Triple density foam construction makes the Launch interior as comfortable as it is eye-catching. Supra has made the high-traffic path from the lounge to the swim step worry-free with a newly tooled rear seat step and transom walk-over covered in SeaDeck no-slip padding. The wakes are pro caliber and controllable with cockpit switch or the VISION dash, but the 22V is as much about the drive as it is the ride. Slicing through rough water with flat precise turns, the 22V is exhilarating to drive. The high and slow speed maneuvers are almost as impressive as you will look pulling them off. Available with a walk-through bow as a Sunsport or with the Launch playpen, the 22V captures your water sports boating lifestyle.
Overall Length w/o Platform: 22'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform: 24'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 26' 4"
Width (Beam): 100"
Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"
Draft: 25"
Weight - Boat only: 3900 lbs
Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5000 lbs
Capacity - Passenger: 15
Capacity - Weight: 2,100 lbs
Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals
Capacity - Ballast: 1450 lbs
Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 330 HP 5.7 L MPI w/ CAT
French artist Lauren-ce Savary gives childr-en the space to redefi-ne beauty-
By Minerwa Tahir
Published: October 20, 2014
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Laurence Savary’s photographs of South African flowers displayed in the garden of Gulmit Secondary High School in Hunza. PHOTOS COURTESY: LAURENCE SAVARY
An average crayon drawing by a child might not be particularly engaging — it lacks the depth and refinement that many seek in a modern work of art. But as any well-informed artist would tell you, it is not always wise to judge a painting at first glance. Similarly, a closer look at these drawings will reveal how vocal a child’s art can be.
A drawing by Gulmit students Shaila Hossina and Bibi dedicated to their country, Pakistan. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
Since most children these days are conditioned to think in a certain way at school and at home — for instance, a predefined perception of beauty — it has become difficult to nurture their inherent creativity. It often remains dormant and, over time, fades away. Being well-aware of the downside of disciplining children into thinking within boundaries, Cape Town-based French artist Laurence Savary gives the younger lot a free hand to redefine beauty.
After showcasing her work at the ‘Colour Walk to South Africa’ exhibition held at the VM Art gallery, Karachi, in August, Laurence travelled to Hunza valley to meet her adoptive family. There, she taught photography to the children of the state-run Gulmit Secondary High School and encouraged them to explore their creative side. To get the creative juices flowing, Laurence displayed her photographs in the school’s garden — a basic juxtaposition of a natural image with a human one. She encouraged the young girls to look at the photographs and draw them in light of their own experiences.
Various depictions of the Namaqualand ice plant captured by the artist in one of her photographs. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
The results were striking. Taking cue from the picture of two daisy seeds, two Gulmit girls drew a flower and butterfly. The drawing, however, also had a literal dimension of expression to it in which the two girls added a caption allowing the butterfly to describe its feelings to the flower. Similarly, in a display of four pictures, one of which is of the Namaqualand ice plant taken by Savary, her pupils reflect her philosophy of art and beauty. One of the pictures recreates the flower in a cubist style, diminishing the three-dimensional quality of the picture in a remarkable way. In contrast, two other artists build on the 3D effect of the photostat picture. One used lighter shades of primary colours and a moderated background to focus on the plant, while another attempts to sharpen the background to focus on the flower, using bold blue and orange to inject colour and highlight the flower further. The work of the students at Gulmit and those assembled from similar projects in Cape Town, is currently on display at the Athlone Library, Cape Town.
Students of the Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town take inspiration from flowers for their dress designs. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
The effect of colours and perspective in each picture shows how any object can be represented in multiple ways, depending on the individual’s interpretation. A student from the Design Academy of Fashion, Cape Town, even drew a girl wearing a skirt that imitated the orange petals of a Namaqualand flower, showing just how inspiring nature can be in everyday designs.
Students of Gulmit proudly displaying their work of art. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
Artist Laurence Savary talking to a student at the art exhibit in Cape Town. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
Pictures of student art and their journey to creativity displayed at the Athlone Library, Cape Town. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
Savary’s approach to art brings to mind John Keats’ opening lines in Ode to Endymion, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases.” She believes that people should define and depict beauty in a way that is not only unique but is also an extension of who they are.
Minerwa Tahir is a trainee subeditor at the Karachi desk.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, October 19th, 2014.
Built in 1895-1896, this Chicago School-style thirteen-story skyscraper was designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler for the Guaranty Construction Company. It was initially commissioned by Hascal L. Taylor, whom approached Dankmar Adler to build "the largest and best office building in the city,” but Taylor, whom wanted to name the building after himself, died in 1894, just before the building was announced. Having already had the building designed and ready for construction, the Guaranty Construction Company of Chicago, which already had resources lined up to build the project, bought the property and had the building constructed, with the building instead being named after them. In 1898, the building was renamed after the Prudential Insurance Company, which had refinanced the project and became a major tenant in the building after it was completed. Prudential had the terra cotta panels above the main entrances to the building modified to display the company’s name in 1898, upon their acquisition of a partial share in the ownership of the tower. The building became the tallest building in Buffalo upon its completion, and was a further refinement of the ideas that Sullivan had developed with the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, which was built in 1890-92, and featured a design with more Classical overtones, which were dropped with the design of the Guaranty Building in favor of a more purified Art Nouveau and Chicago School aesthetic, and with more intricate visual detail, with the ornate terra cotta panels cladding the entire structure, leaving very few areas with sparse detail. The building is an early skyscraper with a steel frame supporting the terra cotta panel facade, a departure from earlier load bearing masonry structures that had previously been predominant in many of the same applications, and expresses this through large window openings at the base and a consistent wall thickness, as there was no need to make the exterior walls thicker at the base to support the load from the structure above. The building also contrasts with the more rigid historically-influenced Classical revivalism that was growing in popularity at the time, and follows Sullivan’s mantra of “form ever follows function” despite having a lot of unnecessary detail on the exterior cladding and interior elements. The building’s facade also emphasizes its verticality through continual vertical bands of windows separated by pilasters that are wider on the first two floors, with narrower pilasters above, with the entire composition of the building following the tripartite form influenced by classical columns, with distinct sections comprising the base, shaft, and capital, though being a radical and bold abstraction of the form compared to the historical literalism expressed by most of its contemporaries, more directly displaying the underlying steel structure of the building.
The building is clad in rusty terra cotta panels which feature extensive Sullivanesque ornament inspired by the Art Nouveau movement, which clad the entirety of the building’s facades along Church Street and Pearl Street, with simpler red brick and painted brick cladding on the facades that do not front public right-of-ways, which are visible when the building is viewed from the south and west. The white painted brick cladding on the south elevation marks the former location of the building’s light well, which was about 30 feet wide and 68 feet deep, and was infilled during a 1980s rehabilitation project, adding an additional 1,400 square feet of office space, and necessitating an artificial light source to be installed above the stained glass ceiling of the building’s lobby. The building’s windows are mostly one-over-one double-hung windows in vertical columns, with one window per bay, though this pattern is broken at the painted portions of the non-principal facades, which feature paired one-over-one windows, on the second floor of the principal facades, which features Chicago-style tripartite windows and arched transoms over the building’s two main entry doors, on the thirteenth floor of the principal facades, which features circular oxeye windows, and at the base, which features large storefront windows that include cantilevered sections with shed glass roofs that wrap around the columns at the base of the building. The building’s terra cotta panels feature many natural and geometric motifs based on plants and crystalline structures, the most common being a “seed pod” motif that symbolizes growth, with a wide variation of patterns, giving the facade a dynamic appearance, which is almost overwhelming, but helps to further grant the building a dignified and monumental appearance, and is a signature element of many of the significant works of Adler and Sullivan, as well as Sullivan’s later independent work. The building’s pilasters halve in number but double in thickness towards the base, with wide window openings underneath pairs of window bays above on the first and second floors, with the pilasters terminating at circular columns with large, decorative, ornate terra cotta capitals in the central bays, and thick rectilinear pilasters at the corners and flanking the entry door openings. The circular columns penetrate the extruded storefront windows and shed glass roofs below, which formed display cases for shops in the ground floor of the building when it first opened, and feature decorative copper trim and mullions framing the large expanses of plate glass. The base of the building is clad in medina sandstone panels, as well as medina sandstone bases on the circular columns. The major entry doors feature decorative copper trim surrounds, a spandrel panel with ornate cast copper detailing above and the name “Guaranty” emblazoned on the face of each of the two panels at the two entrances, decorative transoms above with decorative copper panels as headers, and arched transoms on the second floor with decorative terra cotta trim surrounds. Each of the two major entrance doors is flanked by two ornate Art Nouveau-style wall-mounted sconces mounted on the large pilasters, with smaller, partially recessed pilasters on either side. The building features two cornices with arched recesses, with the smaller cornice running as a belt around the transition between the base and the shaft portions of the building, with lightbulbs in each archway, and the larger cornice, which extends further out from the face of the building, running around the top of the building’s Swan Street and Pearl Street facades, with a circular oxeye window in each archway. The lower corner recessed into the facade at the ends, while the upper cornice runs around the entire top of the facade above, with geometric motifs in the central portions and a large cluster of leaves in a pattern that is often repeated in Sullivan’s other work at the corners. The spandrel panels between the windows on the shaft portion of the building feature a cluster of leaves at the base and geometric patterns above, with a repeat of the same recessed arch detail as the cornice at the sill line of each window. The pilasters feature almost strictly geometric motifs, with a few floral motifs thrown in at key points to balance the composition of the facade with the windows. A small and often overlooked feature of the ground floor is a set of stone steps up to an entrance at the northwest corner of the building, which features a decorative copper railing with Sullivanesque and Art Nouveau-inspired ornament, which sits next to a staircase to the building’s basement, which features a more utilitarian modern safety railing in the middle.
The interior of the building was heavily renovated over the years before being partially restored in 1980, with the lobby being reverted back to its circa 1896 appearance. The Swan Street vestibule has been fully restored, featuring a marble ceiling, decorative mosaics around the top of the walls, a decorative antique brass light fixture with Art Nouveau detailing and a ring of lightbulbs in the center, the remnant bronze stringer of a now-removed staircase to the second floor in a circular glass wall at the north end of the space, and a terazzo floor. The main lobby, located immediately to the west, features a Tiffany-esque stained glass ceiling with ellipsoid and circular panels set into a bronze frame that once sat below a skylight at the base of the building’s filled-in light well, marble cladding on the walls, mosaics on the ceiling and around the top of the walls, a bronze staircase with ornate railing at the west end of the space, which features a semi-circular landing, a basement staircase with a brass railing, a terrazzo floor, and multiple historic three-bulb wall sconces, as well as brass ceiling fixtures matching those in the vestibule. The building’s elevators, located in an alcove near the base of the staircase, features a decorative richly detailed brass screen on the exterior, with additional decorative screens above, with the elevator since having been enclosed with glass to accommodate modern safety standards and equipment, while preserving the visibility of the original details. Originally, when the building was built, the elevators descended open shafts into a screen wall in the lobby, with the elevators originally being manufactured by the Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company, with these being exchanged in 1903 for water hydraulic elevators that remained until a renovation in the 1960s. Sadly, most of the historic interior detailing of the upper floors was lost during a series of renovations in the 20th Century, which led to them being fully modernized during the renovation in the 1980s, with multiple tenant finish projects since then further modifying the interiors of the upper floors.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975, owing to its architectural significance, and to help save the building, which had suffered a major fire in 1974 that led to the city of Buffalo seeking to demolish it. A renovation in the early 1980s managed to modernize the building while restoring the lobby and the exterior, which was carried out under the direction of the firm CannonDesign, and partial funding from federal historic tax credits. The building was purchased in 2002 by Hodgson Russ, a law firm, which subsequently further renovated the building to suit their needs, converting the building into their headquarters in 2008. This renovation was carried out under the direction of Gensler Architects and the local firm Flynn Battaglia Architects. The building today houses offices on the upper floors, with a visitor center, known as the Guaranty Interpretative Center, on the first floor, with historic tours offered of some of the building’s exterior and interior spaces run by Preservation Buffalo Niagara. The building was one of the most significant early skyscrapers, and set a precedent for the modern skyscrapers that began to be built half a century later.
Refinement Vanessa wasn't my first choice for leading lady! I originally envisioned Nocturnal Gloss Vanessa in the role but then I saw Veronique and I had to make some changes!
NATO will continue the process of testing and refinement of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) during part two of Exercise NOBLE JUMP, from 9 to 19 June 2015 in Zagan, Poland.
Die NATO setzt die Erprobung und Weiterentwicklung des Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) während Teil zwei der Übung NOBLE JUMP in Zagan, Polen fort.
The Launch 22v is the perfect combination of size, refinement and performance. This 22.5-foot wakeboard boat welcomes a crew of 15 with room for gear and an interior geared toward luxurious accommodation. Completely redesigned for 2012, the 22V interior brings together intricate sections of multi-textured Syntec Nanoblock vinyls with the durability of exclusive Gore Tenara thread. Triple density foam construction makes the Launch interior as comfortable as it is eye-catching. Supra has made the high-traffic path from the lounge to the swim step worry-free with a newly tooled rear seat step and transom walk-over covered in SeaDeck no-slip padding. The wakes are pro caliber and controllable with cockpit switch or the VISION dash, but the 22V is as much about the drive as it is the ride. Slicing through rough water with flat precise turns, the 22V is exhilarating to drive. The high and slow speed maneuvers are almost as impressive as you will look pulling them off. Available with a walk-through bow as a Sunsport or with the Launch playpen, the 22V captures your water sports boating lifestyle.
Overall Length w/o Platform: 22'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform: 24'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 26' 4"
Width (Beam): 100"
Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"
Draft: 25"
Weight - Boat only: 3900 lbs
Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5000 lbs
Capacity - Passenger: 15
Capacity - Weight: 2,100 lbs
Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals
Capacity - Ballast: 1450 lbs
Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 330 HP 5.7 L MPI w/ CAT
Osaka geiko (geisha) often adopted a stylized frown in photographs taken during the Meiji and Taisho periods (1868-1926).
I think that this might be an example of the Miyabi aesthetic, one of the oldest of the traditional Japanese ideals of beauty and taste. The Miyabi aesthetic or "the art of elegant refinement", is closely associated with the notion of “mono no aware” (the pathos of things), a bittersweet awareness of the transience of things, a kind of "exquisite sadness" such as one might feel when looking at the last of the cherry blossoms.
Printed by S. Kuwada & Sons, Osaka.
French artist Lauren-ce Savary gives childr-en the space to redefi-ne beauty-
By Minerwa Tahir
Published: October 20, 2014
Share this article Print this page Email
Laurence Savary’s photographs of South African flowers displayed in the garden of Gulmit Secondary High School in Hunza. PHOTOS COURTESY: LAURENCE SAVARY
An average crayon drawing by a child might not be particularly engaging — it lacks the depth and refinement that many seek in a modern work of art. But as any well-informed artist would tell you, it is not always wise to judge a painting at first glance. Similarly, a closer look at these drawings will reveal how vocal a child’s art can be.
A drawing by Gulmit students Shaila Hossina and Bibi dedicated to their country, Pakistan. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
Since most children these days are conditioned to think in a certain way at school and at home — for instance, a predefined perception of beauty — it has become difficult to nurture their inherent creativity. It often remains dormant and, over time, fades away. Being well-aware of the downside of disciplining children into thinking within boundaries, Cape Town-based French artist Laurence Savary gives the younger lot a free hand to redefine beauty.
After showcasing her work at the ‘Colour Walk to South Africa’ exhibition held at the VM Art gallery, Karachi, in August, Laurence travelled to Hunza valley to meet her adoptive family. There, she taught photography to the children of the state-run Gulmit Secondary High School and encouraged them to explore their creative side. To get the creative juices flowing, Laurence displayed her photographs in the school’s garden — a basic juxtaposition of a natural image with a human one. She encouraged the young girls to look at the photographs and draw them in light of their own experiences.
Various depictions of the Namaqualand ice plant captured by the artist in one of her photographs. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
The results were striking. Taking cue from the picture of two daisy seeds, two Gulmit girls drew a flower and butterfly. The drawing, however, also had a literal dimension of expression to it in which the two girls added a caption allowing the butterfly to describe its feelings to the flower. Similarly, in a display of four pictures, one of which is of the Namaqualand ice plant taken by Savary, her pupils reflect her philosophy of art and beauty. One of the pictures recreates the flower in a cubist style, diminishing the three-dimensional quality of the picture in a remarkable way. In contrast, two other artists build on the 3D effect of the photostat picture. One used lighter shades of primary colours and a moderated background to focus on the plant, while another attempts to sharpen the background to focus on the flower, using bold blue and orange to inject colour and highlight the flower further. The work of the students at Gulmit and those assembled from similar projects in Cape Town, is currently on display at the Athlone Library, Cape Town.
Students of the Design Academy of Fashion in Cape Town take inspiration from flowers for their dress designs. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
The effect of colours and perspective in each picture shows how any object can be represented in multiple ways, depending on the individual’s interpretation. A student from the Design Academy of Fashion, Cape Town, even drew a girl wearing a skirt that imitated the orange petals of a Namaqualand flower, showing just how inspiring nature can be in everyday designs.
Students of Gulmit proudly displaying their work of art. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
Artist Laurence Savary talking to a student at the art exhibit in Cape Town. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
Pictures of student art and their journey to creativity displayed at the Athlone Library, Cape Town. Photos courtesy: Laurence Savary
Savary’s approach to art brings to mind John Keats’ opening lines in Ode to Endymion, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases.” She believes that people should define and depict beauty in a way that is not only unique but is also an extension of who they are.
Minerwa Tahir is a trainee subeditor at the Karachi desk.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, October 19th, 2014.
Autora Paz Ramila
Isfahan Jameh Mosque - Mezquita del viernes - Friday mosque
The Jameh Mosque of Isfahan is a veritable museum of Islamic architecture and still a working mosque. Within a couple of hours you can see and compare 800 years of Islamic design, with each example near to the pinnacle of its age. The range is quite stunning: from the geometric elegance of the Seljuks, through to the Mongol period and on to the refinements of the more baroque Safavid style.
It is the grand, congregational mosque within Isfahan province and can be seen as a stunning illustration of the evolution of mosque architecture over twelve centuries. The mosque is the result of continual construction, reconstruction, additions and renovations on the site from around 771 to the end of the 20th century. The origins of this Mosque lie in the 8th century although it is thought to be burnt to the ground leaving only some of the south and north prayer halls intact. It was rebuilt in the 11th century and went through remodeling many times. As a result it has rooms built in different architectural styles and represents a condensed history of the Iranian Architecture. Spanning more than 20,000 square feet, it is one of the oldest mosques still standing in Iran, and it was built in the four-prayer hall architectural style, placing four gates face to face.
Responding to functional needs of the space, political ambition, religious developments, and changes in taste, further additions and modifications took place incorporating elements from the Mongols, Muzzafarids, Timurids and Safavids.
There is an elaborately carved stucco altar commissioned in 1310 by Mongol ruler Oljaytu, located in a side prayer hall built within the western arcade. Safavid intervention was largely decorative, with the addition of niche-like cells, glazed tile work, and minarets flanking the south prayer hall. The harmony of the brickwork, the tile work added later, as well as the plaster moldings, inscriptions, and other decorations in a setting of glorious simplicity, engulf the beholder in an almost spiritual aura.
The Mosque has eight entrances, each of them built in a different period and the oldest of them on its northeastern side now blocked. Its current main entrance is located on its southeastern side. All the buildings are set round a fine rectangular central courtyard leading to a prayer hall on each side of it. The main courtyard spans 60 by 70 meters which contains two pools, one of them partially covered by a platform raised on top of four columns which in the past had been used as a lectern.
Construction under the Seljuks included the addition of two brick domed chambers, for which the Mosque is renowned. Its double-shelled ribbed domes represent an architectural innovation that inspired builders throughout the region. The south dome was built in 1086–87 and was larger than any dome known at its time. Inside the dome has been adored with Mongol-era stalactite mouldings and two minerats. The north dome was constructed a year later as a direct riposte to the earlier south dome, and successfully so, claiming its place as a masterpiece in Persian architecture for its structural clarity and geometric balance. Inside it is filled with massive cursive Quranic inscriptions. Prayer halls were also added in stages under the Seljuks, giving the mosque its current four-prayer hall form, a type which subsequently became prevalent in Iran and Central Asia.
The prayer hall facing Mecca on the southern side of the mosque was vaulted with niche-like cells during the 1300s.
The mosque also contains alabaster lighting systems for prayer rooms below ground along with a wooden carved minbar. In 2012 the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The Launch 22v is the perfect combination of size, refinement and performance. This 22.5-foot wakeboard boat welcomes a crew of 15 with room for gear and an interior geared toward luxurious accommodation. Completely redesigned for 2012, the 22V interior brings together intricate sections of multi-textured Syntec Nanoblock vinyls with the durability of exclusive Gore Tenara thread. Triple density foam construction makes the Launch interior as comfortable as it is eye-catching. Supra has made the high-traffic path from the lounge to the swim step worry-free with a newly tooled rear seat step and transom walk-over covered in SeaDeck no-slip padding. The wakes are pro caliber and controllable with cockpit switch or the VISION dash, but the 22V is as much about the drive as it is the ride. Slicing through rough water with flat precise turns, the 22V is exhilarating to drive. The high and slow speed maneuvers are almost as impressive as you will look pulling them off. Available with a walk-through bow as a Sunsport or with the Launch playpen, the 22V captures your water sports boating lifestyle.
Overall Length w/o Platform: 22'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform: 24'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 26' 4"
Width (Beam): 100"
Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"
Draft: 25"
Weight - Boat only: 3900 lbs
Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5000 lbs
Capacity - Passenger: 15
Capacity - Weight: 2,100 lbs
Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals
Capacity - Ballast: 1450 lbs
Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 330 HP 5.7 L MPI w/ CAT
Tabletop Inspiration:
Michelle & Paul’s wedding will evoke a sense of “Urbane Nature”. An experience of lush tranquility and refinement at its best.
The Launch 22v is the perfect combination of size, refinement and performance. This 22.5-foot wakeboard boat welcomes a crew of 15 with room for gear and an interior geared toward luxurious accommodation. Completely redesigned for 2012, the 22V interior brings together intricate sections of multi-textured Syntec Nanoblock vinyls with the durability of exclusive Gore Tenara thread. Triple density foam construction makes the Launch interior as comfortable as it is eye-catching. Supra has made the high-traffic path from the lounge to the swim step worry-free with a newly tooled rear seat step and transom walk-over covered in SeaDeck no-slip padding. The wakes are pro caliber and controllable with cockpit switch or the VISION dash, but the 22V is as much about the drive as it is the ride. Slicing through rough water with flat precise turns, the 22V is exhilarating to drive. The high and slow speed maneuvers are almost as impressive as you will look pulling them off. Available with a walk-through bow as a Sunsport or with the Launch playpen, the 22V captures your water sports boating lifestyle.
Overall Length w/o Platform: 22'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform: 24'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 26' 4"
Width (Beam): 100"
Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"
Draft: 25"
Weight - Boat only: 3900 lbs
Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5000 lbs
Capacity - Passenger: 15
Capacity - Weight: 2,100 lbs
Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals
Capacity - Ballast: 1450 lbs
Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 330 HP 5.7 L MPI w/ CAT
More informations here styleandaddict.blogspot.fr/
[annaA], Loordes of London, Birth, French Vintage Couture,
Slurl Summer Time Fair : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Taj%20Mahal/83/201/21
Design concept refinements for the interior of a new bank branch to be built inside the shell of a former car dealership
Tweaked, textured, and tortured in the digital darkroom……and here we are. Capture, process, and refinement…..all part of the journey!
It started put as a single image captured as I explored the many alleys and cobblestone streets that make up the town of Arles in the Provincial region of France. The result here has a little bit of that old world Cuba feel to it, but I’ve never been to Cuba and this is France, so I’m shooting from the hip again…..
It was one of those casual late afternoons. The tripod was back at the room as I was out on this little scouting mission of sorts. Most of the town seemed to be in that “siesta” kinda of mode. The lighting wasn’t great this time of day, but I know that there were a few cool scenes in this little town to explore. Sometimes the mission for me is to capture “foundational images”, ones that I can later use as the building blocks for something more creative in the digital darkroom. Photoshop is one of those programs that can have a person on a perpetual journey of learning and creative exploration. Continually sdding to my library of images to “play with” continues to be one of the driving forces for the trips I like to take.
As always, more on the blog.....
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Built in 1895-1896, this Chicago School-style thirteen-story skyscraper was designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler for the Guaranty Construction Company. It was initially commissioned by Hascal L. Taylor, whom approached Dankmar Adler to build "the largest and best office building in the city,” but Taylor, whom wanted to name the building after himself, died in 1894, just before the building was announced. Having already had the building designed and ready for construction, the Guaranty Construction Company of Chicago, which already had resources lined up to build the project, bought the property and had the building constructed, with the building instead being named after them. In 1898, the building was renamed after the Prudential Insurance Company, which had refinanced the project and became a major tenant in the building after it was completed. Prudential had the terra cotta panels above the main entrances to the building modified to display the company’s name in 1898, upon their acquisition of a partial share in the ownership of the tower. The building became the tallest building in Buffalo upon its completion, and was a further refinement of the ideas that Sullivan had developed with the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, which was built in 1890-92, and featured a design with more Classical overtones, which were dropped with the design of the Guaranty Building in favor of a more purified Art Nouveau and Chicago School aesthetic, and with more intricate visual detail, with the ornate terra cotta panels cladding the entire structure, leaving very few areas with sparse detail. The building is an early skyscraper with a steel frame supporting the terra cotta panel facade, a departure from earlier load bearing masonry structures that had previously been predominant in many of the same applications, and expresses this through large window openings at the base and a consistent wall thickness, as there was no need to make the exterior walls thicker at the base to support the load from the structure above. The building also contrasts with the more rigid historically-influenced Classical revivalism that was growing in popularity at the time, and follows Sullivan’s mantra of “form ever follows function” despite having a lot of unnecessary detail on the exterior cladding and interior elements. The building’s facade also emphasizes its verticality through continual vertical bands of windows separated by pilasters that are wider on the first two floors, with narrower pilasters above, with the entire composition of the building following the tripartite form influenced by classical columns, with distinct sections comprising the base, shaft, and capital, though being a radical and bold abstraction of the form compared to the historical literalism expressed by most of its contemporaries, more directly displaying the underlying steel structure of the building.
The building is clad in rusty terra cotta panels which feature extensive Sullivanesque ornament inspired by the Art Nouveau movement, which clad the entirety of the building’s facades along Church Street and Pearl Street, with simpler red brick and painted brick cladding on the facades that do not front public right-of-ways, which are visible when the building is viewed from the south and west. The white painted brick cladding on the south elevation marks the former location of the building’s light well, which was about 30 feet wide and 68 feet deep, and was infilled during a 1980s rehabilitation project, adding an additional 1,400 square feet of office space, and necessitating an artificial light source to be installed above the stained glass ceiling of the building’s lobby. The building’s windows are mostly one-over-one double-hung windows in vertical columns, with one window per bay, though this pattern is broken at the painted portions of the non-principal facades, which feature paired one-over-one windows, on the second floor of the principal facades, which features Chicago-style tripartite windows and arched transoms over the building’s two main entry doors, on the thirteenth floor of the principal facades, which features circular oxeye windows, and at the base, which features large storefront windows that include cantilevered sections with shed glass roofs that wrap around the columns at the base of the building. The building’s terra cotta panels feature many natural and geometric motifs based on plants and crystalline structures, the most common being a “seed pod” motif that symbolizes growth, with a wide variation of patterns, giving the facade a dynamic appearance, which is almost overwhelming, but helps to further grant the building a dignified and monumental appearance, and is a signature element of many of the significant works of Adler and Sullivan, as well as Sullivan’s later independent work. The building’s pilasters halve in number but double in thickness towards the base, with wide window openings underneath pairs of window bays above on the first and second floors, with the pilasters terminating at circular columns with large, decorative, ornate terra cotta capitals in the central bays, and thick rectilinear pilasters at the corners and flanking the entry door openings. The circular columns penetrate the extruded storefront windows and shed glass roofs below, which formed display cases for shops in the ground floor of the building when it first opened, and feature decorative copper trim and mullions framing the large expanses of plate glass. The base of the building is clad in medina sandstone panels, as well as medina sandstone bases on the circular columns. The major entry doors feature decorative copper trim surrounds, a spandrel panel with ornate cast copper detailing above and the name “Guaranty” emblazoned on the face of each of the two panels at the two entrances, decorative transoms above with decorative copper panels as headers, and arched transoms on the second floor with decorative terra cotta trim surrounds. Each of the two major entrance doors is flanked by two ornate Art Nouveau-style wall-mounted sconces mounted on the large pilasters, with smaller, partially recessed pilasters on either side. The building features two cornices with arched recesses, with the smaller cornice running as a belt around the transition between the base and the shaft portions of the building, with lightbulbs in each archway, and the larger cornice, which extends further out from the face of the building, running around the top of the building’s Swan Street and Pearl Street facades, with a circular oxeye window in each archway. The lower corner recessed into the facade at the ends, while the upper cornice runs around the entire top of the facade above, with geometric motifs in the central portions and a large cluster of leaves in a pattern that is often repeated in Sullivan’s other work at the corners. The spandrel panels between the windows on the shaft portion of the building feature a cluster of leaves at the base and geometric patterns above, with a repeat of the same recessed arch detail as the cornice at the sill line of each window. The pilasters feature almost strictly geometric motifs, with a few floral motifs thrown in at key points to balance the composition of the facade with the windows. A small and often overlooked feature of the ground floor is a set of stone steps up to an entrance at the northwest corner of the building, which features a decorative copper railing with Sullivanesque and Art Nouveau-inspired ornament, which sits next to a staircase to the building’s basement, which features a more utilitarian modern safety railing in the middle.
The interior of the building was heavily renovated over the years before being partially restored in 1980, with the lobby being reverted back to its circa 1896 appearance. The Swan Street vestibule has been fully restored, featuring a marble ceiling, decorative mosaics around the top of the walls, a decorative antique brass light fixture with Art Nouveau detailing and a ring of lightbulbs in the center, the remnant bronze stringer of a now-removed staircase to the second floor in a circular glass wall at the north end of the space, and a terazzo floor. The main lobby, located immediately to the west, features a Tiffany-esque stained glass ceiling with ellipsoid and circular panels set into a bronze frame that once sat below a skylight at the base of the building’s filled-in light well, marble cladding on the walls, mosaics on the ceiling and around the top of the walls, a bronze staircase with ornate railing at the west end of the space, which features a semi-circular landing, a basement staircase with a brass railing, a terrazzo floor, and multiple historic three-bulb wall sconces, as well as brass ceiling fixtures matching those in the vestibule. The building’s elevators, located in an alcove near the base of the staircase, features a decorative richly detailed brass screen on the exterior, with additional decorative screens above, with the elevator since having been enclosed with glass to accommodate modern safety standards and equipment, while preserving the visibility of the original details. Originally, when the building was built, the elevators descended open shafts into a screen wall in the lobby, with the elevators originally being manufactured by the Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company, with these being exchanged in 1903 for water hydraulic elevators that remained until a renovation in the 1960s. Sadly, most of the historic interior detailing of the upper floors was lost during a series of renovations in the 20th Century, which led to them being fully modernized during the renovation in the 1980s, with multiple tenant finish projects since then further modifying the interiors of the upper floors.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975, owing to its architectural significance, and to help save the building, which had suffered a major fire in 1974 that led to the city of Buffalo seeking to demolish it. A renovation in the early 1980s managed to modernize the building while restoring the lobby and the exterior, which was carried out under the direction of the firm CannonDesign, and partial funding from federal historic tax credits. The building was purchased in 2002 by Hodgson Russ, a law firm, which subsequently further renovated the building to suit their needs, converting the building into their headquarters in 2008. This renovation was carried out under the direction of Gensler Architects and the local firm Flynn Battaglia Architects. The building today houses offices on the upper floors, with a visitor center, known as the Guaranty Interpretative Center, on the first floor, with historic tours offered of some of the building’s exterior and interior spaces run by Preservation Buffalo Niagara. The building was one of the most significant early skyscrapers, and set a precedent for the modern skyscrapers that began to be built half a century later.
The department has been building up a library of design related reference books over the last few years. Pupils are encouraged to make use of these books on a regular basis. The photographs here demonstrate the tremendous wealth of content contained therein.
The sequence has been shot in such a way that the cover of the book is shown first and a few sample pages are included to give the student an idea of the content the book contains. Pupils may then approach staff and request a short term loan.
The Launch 22v is the perfect combination of size, refinement and performance. This 22.5-foot wakeboard boat welcomes a crew of 15 with room for gear and an interior geared toward luxurious accommodation. Completely redesigned for 2012, the 22V interior brings together intricate sections of multi-textured Syntec Nanoblock vinyls with the durability of exclusive Gore Tenara thread. Triple density foam construction makes the Launch interior as comfortable as it is eye-catching. Supra has made the high-traffic path from the lounge to the swim step worry-free with a newly tooled rear seat step and transom walk-over covered in SeaDeck no-slip padding. The wakes are pro caliber and controllable with cockpit switch or the VISION dash, but the 22V is as much about the drive as it is the ride. Slicing through rough water with flat precise turns, the 22V is exhilarating to drive. The high and slow speed maneuvers are almost as impressive as you will look pulling them off. Available with a walk-through bow as a Sunsport or with the Launch playpen, the 22V captures your water sports boating lifestyle.
Overall Length w/o Platform: 22'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform: 24'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 26' 4"
Width (Beam): 100"
Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"
Draft: 25"
Weight - Boat only: 3900 lbs
Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5000 lbs
Capacity - Passenger: 15
Capacity - Weight: 2,100 lbs
Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals
Capacity - Ballast: 1450 lbs
Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 330 HP 5.7 L MPI w/ CAT
Refinement Vanessa wasn't my first choice for leading lady! I originally envisioned Nocturnal Gloss Vanessa in the role but then I saw Veronique and I had to make some changes!
Formed only in 2007, Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the vanguard of Italy’s extreme metal movement. No other band in the country’s history has taken ownership of and innovated on death metal quite like the Italians. Inspired by greats Morbid Angel, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse as well as renowned composers Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven, Fleshgod Apocalypse have fused disparate genres and crafted a sound that’s powerful, impressive, and unique across three full-lengths, the latest of which was 2013’s critically-acclaimed Labyrinth effort. However, the group are only getting stronger. Add in film score composers such as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Howard Shore and melodic death metal—Carcass and At the Gates—and there’s clearly no stopping Fleshgod Apocalypse’s creative ambitions.
“Fleshgod Apocalypse’s music is orchestral music,” says frontman/guitarist Tommaso Riccardi, blurring the lines between classical refinement and metallic bombast. “This means that drums, bass, guitars, and vocals are elements of the orchestra, together with all the other sections, [such as] strings, brass, etc. This means that in the process of composing new songs we always consider all these elements together. Of course, sometimes a guitar riff could be the starting point, while sometimes the song could come to life with the idea of a main orchestral theme or a drum rhythm, but it’s going to be a very organic process in which all these elements are written and arranged together during the evolution of the songwriting.”
What Riccardi is saying is that when it comes to writing music for Fleshgod Apocalypse, the spark of inspiration can come from anywhere on any instrument. For new album, King, a song like “Gravity” started with a riff, while a song like “In Aeternum” kicked off with an orchestral motif. Then again, “The Fool” was informed by both Classical and death metal. As with Labyrinth so too with King, the Italians focused first on melding their influences and second on writing songs that would be immediately recognizable yet have a wider and deeper cinematic scope.
“[The songwriting was] very stressful as usual,” the frontman laughs. “We are extremely meticulous about everything, especially the songwriting, and I think this is what made us grow up so fast and gave us the chance to play so many great stages over the years. We are hard workers and we never settle on anything. King’s songwriting and arrangements took almost nine full months—plus all the recordings—so it was actually very challenging. But we are so happy with the results.”
To date, every Fleshgod Apocalypse album is built on the album before it. They’re a synthesis of the music and mentality of what came before. Labyrinth took from and expanded upon 2011’s Agony. The Mafia EP was an extension of debut album, Oracles (2009). King is, therefore, cut from the same cloth as Labyrinth, but in the three years between albums, Fleshgod Apocalypse have matured greatly.
“[King] is much more than the sum of its parts,” says Riccardi. “I think we reached the perfect balance between all the aspects of our music. Besides that, I really believe that we simply wrote our best songs so far. Every riff is mind-blowing and the way we managed the arrangements and song structures is great; I really feel that everything is in the right place, when I listen to it.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse are no strangers to concept albums. Agony was about all the ways our painful feelings can lead us to be violent and hurt others; Mafia was about the way the Italian mafia uses fear to control the weak and perpetrate their dominion on the populace; while Labyrinth centered on the labyrinth of Knossos, the legendary maze made by Daedalus. King, however, moves the band forward lyrically. There’s real commentary behind the stories of a collapsing world.
“King is about an old world that is slowly coming to an end,” Riccardi informs. “The king himself is, in a way, the only positive character of the whole story. He represents justice, integrity, and wisdom that are slowly being corroded by ignorance and mediocrity spreading everywhere. We thought this could be a perfect way to describe our indignation about the unrestrainable downfall of our own society in an era that looks more like the Middle Ages rather than the 21st Century. Obviously, in this story there is a positive message: that the king could be inside every one of us. It’s up to us to recognize the King and find the courage to stand for what we believe in. We should all hail the king we have inside!”
Recorded across two studios—Kick Recording Studios and 16th Cellar Studios—King is easily Fleshgod Apocalypse’s most forceful yet. Pre-production was handled by Stefano Morabito at 16th Cellar Studios—a session Riccardi called “really comfortable”—whereas the full production was completed at Kick Recording Studios with Marco Mastrobuono (Hour of Penance). The sessions for King were, as the frontman tells it, an “amazing time.” The ultimate goal was to give Fleshgod Apocalypse a firm foundation from which to build their complex yet savage music.
“I think working with Marco has been the very first step towards the realization of a very high quality product,” says Riccardi. “We are extremely satisfied about the work we did on the album sound, both during the recordings with Marco Mastrobuono at Kick Recording Studio and of course during mixing and mastering with the almighty Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios.”
Speaking of Bogren, the Italians felt it was absolutely necessary to take King out of the norms of their homeland. They opted to hire Jens Bogren (Soilwork, Symphony X, Enslaved) for his sonic expertise. Their reasoning was this: if Fleshgod Apocalypse had a gem in King on their hands they weren’t going to tarnish it. The group’s hopes were answered when they heard the first Bogren mix, actually. Fleshgod Apocalypse had something massive on their hands.
“We were looking for people who could really interpret our music and put it in a way in, which with all the things going on, where it could be intelligible and still extremely heavy and powerful,” the frontman says. “And we definitely succeeded. We finally obtained what we had in mind since the beginning: a great sounding album.”
If Fleshgod Apocalypse are at the pinnacle of classically-inspired death metal—King is a pivotal album—then where will the Italians take the genre next. For certain, they own it. More orchestration. More death metal. Superlative bluster from all angles. Thankfully, they can first put their efforts into King before deciding where they’ll take the genre in the future.
“This is a very hard question to answer,” Riccardi admits. “It is never easy to predict something like that. What I can say is that on our side, we are trying to push ourselves more and more into something that is grandiose, but at the same time heavy and sharp; something violent, obscure and dramatic!”
We can certainly live with that. Hail to Fleshgod Apocalypse! Hail to the King!
"Pierre Auguste Renoir came from humble origins, and he always felt that his art lacked refinement. In 1881, confronting the limitations of the Impressionist style he had practiced up to that point, he decided to fill an educational gap by going to Italy to study ancient and Renaissance masterpieces. He probably painted this still life en route, in the south of France (along the Mediterranean coast, or Midi). It features an exotic combination of fruits and vegetables—peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, pomegranates, citrons, lemons, and oranges—breaking the unwritten rule that painters should select foods for their culinary compatibility rather than their visual appeal.
Renoir's arrangement of objects in and around a blue-and-white plate is abundant but stable, and the background elements—a plain, white tablecloth and solid, blue-green wall—are even austere. The still-life genre allowed the artist to concentrate on form and local color. He deliberately weighed the relative placement of each fruit and vegetable, lending them a certain monumentality by using long, diagonal brush strokes. As unpretentious as this work appears, it represents a significant attempt on Renoir's part to bring a classical sense of pictorial structure and balance to the fleeting luminosity of Impressionism—a goal that was pursued even more avidly by Paul Cézanne. Indeed, Renoir visited Cézanne in Provence on his journey back to Paris from Italy, and, although Fruits of the Midi was not painted under Cézanne's direct influence, it does show that these two very different artists shared some fundamental aims. "
The Launch 22v is the perfect combination of size, refinement and performance. This 22.5-foot wakeboard boat welcomes a crew of 15 with room for gear and an interior geared toward luxurious accommodation. Completely redesigned for 2012, the 22V interior brings together intricate sections of multi-textured Syntec Nanoblock vinyls with the durability of exclusive Gore Tenara thread. Triple density foam construction makes the Launch interior as comfortable as it is eye-catching. Supra has made the high-traffic path from the lounge to the swim step worry-free with a newly tooled rear seat step and transom walk-over covered in SeaDeck no-slip padding. The wakes are pro caliber and controllable with cockpit switch or the VISION dash, but the 22V is as much about the drive as it is the ride. Slicing through rough water with flat precise turns, the 22V is exhilarating to drive. The high and slow speed maneuvers are almost as impressive as you will look pulling them off. Available with a walk-through bow as a Sunsport or with the Launch playpen, the 22V captures your water sports boating lifestyle.
Overall Length w/o Platform: 22'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform: 24'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 26' 4"
Width (Beam): 100"
Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"
Draft: 25"
Weight - Boat only: 3900 lbs
Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5000 lbs
Capacity - Passenger: 15
Capacity - Weight: 2,100 lbs
Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals
Capacity - Ballast: 1450 lbs
Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 330 HP 5.7 L MPI w/ CAT
Glenn H. Curtiss is considered the "Father of the Flying Boat," having developed the first practical and highly successful flying boat in 1913. His interest in aircraft that could operate from water was spurred almost as soon as he entered the nascent field of aeronautics. In 1911, Curtiss was awarded the prestigious Collier Trophy for the development of the hydroaeroplane (a land airplane mounted on floats) and he won the Trophy again the following year in recognition of his continued refinement of the design. In 1913, the Smithsonian Institution bestowed its Langley Medal upon Curtiss for these contributions to flight.
In January 1911 Curtiss flew one of his standard Model D pusher biplanes fitted with floats from the waters off San Diego, California. He later modified this airplane with the addition of wingtip floats for lateral balance. This aircraft was the basis of the early Curtiss Model E hydroaeroplane.
In 1911, Curtiss offered his standard Model E land airplane with engines ranging from a 40-horsepower four-cylinder to a 75-horsepower V8. The 75-horsepower version was also offered as a hydroaeroplane. Floats for the hydro version weighed 125 pounds and could be installed by trained mechanics in two hours.
The first airplane purchased by the U.S. Navy was a Curtiss Model E hydroaeroplane and was given the Navy designation A-1 in early 1911. The Navy purchased a second Model E in July 1911, with a more powerful 80-horsepower Curtiss OX engine, and designated it the A-2. It was also known as the OWL, standing for Over Water and Land. Modifications of the A-2 by the Navy led to re-designations of E-1 and later AX-1. These modifications, done at the Curtiss plant at Hammondsport, New York, included moving the seats from the lower wing to the float and enclosing the crew area with a fabric-covered framework, giving the aircraft the appearance of a short-hull flying boat.
The OWL, with its modified float, was developed into a true flying boat (the entire fuselage being a hull as opposed to mounting the aircraft on a separate float) by Curtiss in 1912, first with the Model D Flying Boat, and then a refined version, the Model E. The Model E Flying Boat was the first truly practical flying boat. It was powered by either a 60- or a 75-horsepower Curtiss V8 engine. Both the U.S. Army and Navy purchased Curtiss Model E Flying Boats, the Navy designating it the C-1.
The most successful version of the pre-war Curtiss flying boats was the Model F, which was produced in far greater numbers than any of the other models. It was offered in many variants and continued in production until 1919. The Navy designated it the C-2. The Model F perfected the flying boat design with the incorporation of a V hull, supplanting the less efficient flat-bottomed hull of the Model E. The Model F was well received by U.S. military and civilian markets, and with the onset of the First World War, Curtiss enjoyed substantial success abroad as well with sales of the Model F to England, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, and Japan.
During the course of his hydroaeroplane and flying boat development, Glenn Curtiss incorporated design innovations that made the seaplane a practical reality, beginning with the enclose hull, covered with fabric for strength and water tightness. Curtiss, with assistance from Royal Navy engineer Lt. John Cyril Porte, further enhanced the ability of waterborne aircraft to get off the water by constructing a mid-way "step" on the bottom of the float or hull. Water has adhesive qualities, especially when running over a curved surface, and early seaplanes had difficulty getting "unstuck" from the water, especially in calm seas. The addition of the step helped break up the water flow under the hull enabling the flying boat to get airborne more easily. Curtiss also added breather tubes to the flying boat hull. These were small copper tubes that ran from the inside of the hull to the undersurface step to relieve the low pressure under the hull and assisted the aircraft in becoming airborne.
Among the Curtiss Model E Flying Boats produced in 1913 was one sold to Logan A. "Jack" Vilas of Chicago. Vilas' Model E was powered by a 90-horsepower Curtiss OX engine. With this aircraft, Vilas made the first crossing of Lake Michigan, flying from St. Joseph, Michigan, to Grant Park on Chicago's waterfront in July 1913. Vilas donated the hull of his Model E Flying Boat to the Smithsonian Institution in 1949. Nothing else of the aircraft survives.
The Launch 22v is the perfect combination of size, refinement and performance. This 22.5-foot wakeboard boat welcomes a crew of 15 with room for gear and an interior geared toward luxurious accommodation. Completely redesigned for 2012, the 22V interior brings together intricate sections of multi-textured Syntec Nanoblock vinyls with the durability of exclusive Gore Tenara thread. Triple density foam construction makes the Launch interior as comfortable as it is eye-catching. Supra has made the high-traffic path from the lounge to the swim step worry-free with a newly tooled rear seat step and transom walk-over covered in SeaDeck no-slip padding. The wakes are pro caliber and controllable with cockpit switch or the VISION dash, but the 22V is as much about the drive as it is the ride. Slicing through rough water with flat precise turns, the 22V is exhilarating to drive. The high and slow speed maneuvers are almost as impressive as you will look pulling them off. Available with a walk-through bow as a Sunsport or with the Launch playpen, the 22V captures your water sports boating lifestyle.
Overall Length w/o Platform: 22'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform: 24'6"
Overall Length w/ Platform & Trailer: 26' 4"
Width (Beam): 100"
Overall Width w/ Trailer: 102"
Draft: 25"
Weight - Boat only: 3900 lbs
Weight - Boat and Trailer: 5000 lbs
Capacity - Passenger: 15
Capacity - Weight: 2,100 lbs
Capacity - Fuel: 50 gals
Capacity - Ballast: 1450 lbs
Engine - Electronic Fuel Injection: 330 HP 5.7 L MPI w/ CAT
The department has been building up a library of design related reference books over the last few years. Pupils are encouraged to make use of these books on a regular basis. The photographs here demonstrate the tremendous wealth of content contained therein.
The sequence has been shot in such a way that the cover of the book is shown first and a few sample pages are included to give the student an idea of the content the book contains. Pupils may then approach staff and request a short term loan.
Alex had a unique approach to the production of his design folio work. Alex was constantly drawing. He spent most of his classtime just drawing, even when he was supposed to be doing something else. He needed to draw to think. So what you see here isn't necessarily pretty but this folio is stuffed with ideas. Alex's approach demonstrates precisely and accurately the method of idea generation and refinement promoted by the department. Note the large number of drawings on eachpage. this allows the student to easily cross reference and tag from one idea to the next. Extensive annotation also helps to reveal design thinking and comments should always be relevant and refer back to the specification. It is clear that Alex has a thorough understanding of the more technical aspects of the course and he repeatedly suggests ways in which his concepts might be made.
Alex went on to do very well at Higher Product Design. Some of his work also features on this site. He's now studying maths at Warwick University.
Built in 1895-1896, this Chicago School-style thirteen-story skyscraper was designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler for the Guaranty Construction Company. It was initially commissioned by Hascal L. Taylor, whom approached Dankmar Adler to build "the largest and best office building in the city,” but Taylor, whom wanted to name the building after himself, died in 1894, just before the building was announced. Having already had the building designed and ready for construction, the Guaranty Construction Company of Chicago, which already had resources lined up to build the project, bought the property and had the building constructed, with the building instead being named after them. In 1898, the building was renamed after the Prudential Insurance Company, which had refinanced the project and became a major tenant in the building after it was completed. Prudential had the terra cotta panels above the main entrances to the building modified to display the company’s name in 1898, upon their acquisition of a partial share in the ownership of the tower. The building became the tallest building in Buffalo upon its completion, and was a further refinement of the ideas that Sullivan had developed with the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, which was built in 1890-92, and featured a design with more Classical overtones, which were dropped with the design of the Guaranty Building in favor of a more purified Art Nouveau and Chicago School aesthetic, and with more intricate visual detail, with the ornate terra cotta panels cladding the entire structure, leaving very few areas with sparse detail. The building is an early skyscraper with a steel frame supporting the terra cotta panel facade, a departure from earlier load bearing masonry structures that had previously been predominant in many of the same applications, and expresses this through large window openings at the base and a consistent wall thickness, as there was no need to make the exterior walls thicker at the base to support the load from the structure above. The building also contrasts with the more rigid historically-influenced Classical revivalism that was growing in popularity at the time, and follows Sullivan’s mantra of “form ever follows function” despite having a lot of unnecessary detail on the exterior cladding and interior elements. The building’s facade also emphasizes its verticality through continual vertical bands of windows separated by pilasters that are wider on the first two floors, with narrower pilasters above, with the entire composition of the building following the tripartite form influenced by classical columns, with distinct sections comprising the base, shaft, and capital, though being a radical and bold abstraction of the form compared to the historical literalism expressed by most of its contemporaries, more directly displaying the underlying steel structure of the building.
The building is clad in rusty terra cotta panels which feature extensive Sullivanesque ornament inspired by the Art Nouveau movement, which clad the entirety of the building’s facades along Church Street and Pearl Street, with simpler red brick and painted brick cladding on the facades that do not front public right-of-ways, which are visible when the building is viewed from the south and west. The white painted brick cladding on the south elevation marks the former location of the building’s light well, which was about 30 feet wide and 68 feet deep, and was infilled during a 1980s rehabilitation project, adding an additional 1,400 square feet of office space, and necessitating an artificial light source to be installed above the stained glass ceiling of the building’s lobby. The building’s windows are mostly one-over-one double-hung windows in vertical columns, with one window per bay, though this pattern is broken at the painted portions of the non-principal facades, which feature paired one-over-one windows, on the second floor of the principal facades, which features Chicago-style tripartite windows and arched transoms over the building’s two main entry doors, on the thirteenth floor of the principal facades, which features circular oxeye windows, and at the base, which features large storefront windows that include cantilevered sections with shed glass roofs that wrap around the columns at the base of the building. The building’s terra cotta panels feature many natural and geometric motifs based on plants and crystalline structures, the most common being a “seed pod” motif that symbolizes growth, with a wide variation of patterns, giving the facade a dynamic appearance, which is almost overwhelming, but helps to further grant the building a dignified and monumental appearance, and is a signature element of many of the significant works of Adler and Sullivan, as well as Sullivan’s later independent work. The building’s pilasters halve in number but double in thickness towards the base, with wide window openings underneath pairs of window bays above on the first and second floors, with the pilasters terminating at circular columns with large, decorative, ornate terra cotta capitals in the central bays, and thick rectilinear pilasters at the corners and flanking the entry door openings. The circular columns penetrate the extruded storefront windows and shed glass roofs below, which formed display cases for shops in the ground floor of the building when it first opened, and feature decorative copper trim and mullions framing the large expanses of plate glass. The base of the building is clad in medina sandstone panels, as well as medina sandstone bases on the circular columns. The major entry doors feature decorative copper trim surrounds, a spandrel panel with ornate cast copper detailing above and the name “Guaranty” emblazoned on the face of each of the two panels at the two entrances, decorative transoms above with decorative copper panels as headers, and arched transoms on the second floor with decorative terra cotta trim surrounds. Each of the two major entrance doors is flanked by two ornate Art Nouveau-style wall-mounted sconces mounted on the large pilasters, with smaller, partially recessed pilasters on either side. The building features two cornices with arched recesses, with the smaller cornice running as a belt around the transition between the base and the shaft portions of the building, with lightbulbs in each archway, and the larger cornice, which extends further out from the face of the building, running around the top of the building’s Swan Street and Pearl Street facades, with a circular oxeye window in each archway. The lower corner recessed into the facade at the ends, while the upper cornice runs around the entire top of the facade above, with geometric motifs in the central portions and a large cluster of leaves in a pattern that is often repeated in Sullivan’s other work at the corners. The spandrel panels between the windows on the shaft portion of the building feature a cluster of leaves at the base and geometric patterns above, with a repeat of the same recessed arch detail as the cornice at the sill line of each window. The pilasters feature almost strictly geometric motifs, with a few floral motifs thrown in at key points to balance the composition of the facade with the windows. A small and often overlooked feature of the ground floor is a set of stone steps up to an entrance at the northwest corner of the building, which features a decorative copper railing with Sullivanesque and Art Nouveau-inspired ornament, which sits next to a staircase to the building’s basement, which features a more utilitarian modern safety railing in the middle.
The interior of the building was heavily renovated over the years before being partially restored in 1980, with the lobby being reverted back to its circa 1896 appearance. The Swan Street vestibule has been fully restored, featuring a marble ceiling, decorative mosaics around the top of the walls, a decorative antique brass light fixture with Art Nouveau detailing and a ring of lightbulbs in the center, the remnant bronze stringer of a now-removed staircase to the second floor in a circular glass wall at the north end of the space, and a terazzo floor. The main lobby, located immediately to the west, features a Tiffany-esque stained glass ceiling with ellipsoid and circular panels set into a bronze frame that once sat below a skylight at the base of the building’s filled-in light well, marble cladding on the walls, mosaics on the ceiling and around the top of the walls, a bronze staircase with ornate railing at the west end of the space, which features a semi-circular landing, a basement staircase with a brass railing, a terrazzo floor, and multiple historic three-bulb wall sconces, as well as brass ceiling fixtures matching those in the vestibule. The building’s elevators, located in an alcove near the base of the staircase, features a decorative richly detailed brass screen on the exterior, with additional decorative screens above, with the elevator since having been enclosed with glass to accommodate modern safety standards and equipment, while preserving the visibility of the original details. Originally, when the building was built, the elevators descended open shafts into a screen wall in the lobby, with the elevators originally being manufactured by the Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company, with these being exchanged in 1903 for water hydraulic elevators that remained until a renovation in the 1960s. Sadly, most of the historic interior detailing of the upper floors was lost during a series of renovations in the 20th Century, which led to them being fully modernized during the renovation in the 1980s, with multiple tenant finish projects since then further modifying the interiors of the upper floors.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1975, owing to its architectural significance, and to help save the building, which had suffered a major fire in 1974 that led to the city of Buffalo seeking to demolish it. A renovation in the early 1980s managed to modernize the building while restoring the lobby and the exterior, which was carried out under the direction of the firm CannonDesign, and partial funding from federal historic tax credits. The building was purchased in 2002 by Hodgson Russ, a law firm, which subsequently further renovated the building to suit their needs, converting the building into their headquarters in 2008. This renovation was carried out under the direction of Gensler Architects and the local firm Flynn Battaglia Architects. The building today houses offices on the upper floors, with a visitor center, known as the Guaranty Interpretative Center, on the first floor, with historic tours offered of some of the building’s exterior and interior spaces run by Preservation Buffalo Niagara. The building was one of the most significant early skyscrapers, and set a precedent for the modern skyscrapers that began to be built half a century later.