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Bauhaus Museum Weimar, Germany
German architect Heike Hanada designed a minimalist concrete museum to celebrate the Bauhaus in Weimar, where the design school was founded 100 years ago. The building is dedicated to the design school creates a physical cultural presence for the Bauhaus in the German city where it was based between 1919 and 1925. Located near the Nazi-era Gauforum square and the Neue Museum Weimar, the Bauhaus Museum is a simple five-storey concrete box broken only with its entrance and a couple of windows. The enclosing shell of light-grey concrete lends the cube stability and dynamic solidity. Equally spaced horizontal grooves run around the facades of the museum, with the words "bauhaus museum" repeated in a band near the top of the building. Hanada designed the museum to be a public building for the city and has attempted to clearly connect it to the neighbouring park. With elements such as plinths, fasciae, portals, stairways and a terrace to the park, the architecture incorporates classical themes that underscore its public character.
The museum contains 2,000 m2 of exhibition space, which will be used to display around 1,000 items from the Weimar Bauhaus collection. A shop and entrance hall is located on the ground floor, with a cafe and toilets below, and three floors dedicated to telling the story of the Bauhaus above. Each of the galleries overlooks double-height spaces and are accessed from a long ceremonial staircase that stretches the height of the building. The visitors ascend a succession of interchanging open spaces and staircases until they finally arrive at the top floor where they are presented with an unobstructed view of the park. The cascading staircases are encased by ceiling-high walls and function as free-standing, enclosed bodies in the interior space. The collection is arranged to inform visitors about the history of the design school, with the gallery on the first floor dedicated to its origins in Weimar and the Bauhaus manifesto that Walter Gropius wrote in 1919. The second floor has exhibits that show how these ideas were implemented, with galleries dedicated to each of the Bauhaus directors – Gropius, Hannes Meyer and Mies van der Rohe – at the top of the building.
The museum in Weimar has opened to coincide with the centenary of the Bauhaus, which was established in the city in 1919. The school was forced to relocate from Weimar to Dessau in 1925, where Gropius designed a new school building for the institution. Following a short time based in Berlin the school closed for good in 1933. Although only open for just over a decade, the Bauhaus is the most influential art and design school in history. The ideas and people associated with the school had an incredible impact on design and architecture, and to mark its centenary we created a series exploring its key works and figures.
Bauhaus Museum Weimar, Germany
German architect Heike Hanada designed a minimalist concrete museum to celebrate the Bauhaus in Weimar, where the design school was founded 100 years ago. The building is dedicated to the design school creates a physical cultural presence for the Bauhaus in the German city where it was based between 1919 and 1925. Located near the Nazi-era Gauforum square and the Neue Museum Weimar, the Bauhaus Museum is a simple five-storey concrete box broken only with its entrance and a couple of windows. The enclosing shell of light-grey concrete lends the cube stability and dynamic solidity. Equally spaced horizontal grooves run around the facades of the museum, with the words "bauhaus museum" repeated in a band near the top of the building. Hanada designed the museum to be a public building for the city and has attempted to clearly connect it to the neighbouring park. With elements such as plinths, fasciae, portals, stairways and a terrace to the park, the architecture incorporates classical themes that underscore its public character.
The museum contains 2,000 m2 of exhibition space, which will be used to display around 1,000 items from the Weimar Bauhaus collection. A shop and entrance hall is located on the ground floor, with a cafe and toilets below, and three floors dedicated to telling the story of the Bauhaus above. Each of the galleries overlooks double-height spaces and are accessed from a long ceremonial staircase that stretches the height of the building. The visitors ascend a succession of interchanging open spaces and staircases until they finally arrive at the top floor where they are presented with an unobstructed view of the park. The cascading staircases are encased by ceiling-high walls and function as free-standing, enclosed bodies in the interior space. The collection is arranged to inform visitors about the history of the design school, with the gallery on the first floor dedicated to its origins in Weimar and the Bauhaus manifesto that Walter Gropius wrote in 1919. The second floor has exhibits that show how these ideas were implemented, with galleries dedicated to each of the Bauhaus directors – Gropius, Hannes Meyer and Mies van der Rohe – at the top of the building.
The museum in Weimar has opened to coincide with the centenary of the Bauhaus, which was established in the city in 1919. The school was forced to relocate from Weimar to Dessau in 1925, where Gropius designed a new school building for the institution. Following a short time based in Berlin the school closed for good in 1933. Although only open for just over a decade, the Bauhaus is the most influential art and design school in history. The ideas and people associated with the school had an incredible impact on design and architecture, and to mark its centenary we created a series exploring its key works and figures.
The attractive town of Tewkesbury has been dominated by its superb abbey church since the beginning of the 12th century, and we can be forever grateful to its townspeople for purchasing the monastic church in 1540 for £453 for use as their parish church, saving it from the fate that befell countless similar great churches across the land during the turmoil of the Dissolution. It reminds us both how lucky we are to still marvel at it today, yet also how great a loss to our heritage the period wrought when many more such buildings were so utterly plundered as to have gone without trace (the fate of the monastic buildings here and even the lady chapel of the church whose footings are laid out in the grass at the east end).
Tewkesbury Abbey is thus rightly celebrated as one of our greatest non-cathedral churches, and remarkably much of the original Norman church remains substantially intact, most apparently in the great central tower, a fine example of Romanesque architecture adorned with rows of blind-arcading. The west front is dominated by a massive Norman-arched recess (enclosing the somewhat later west window) and the nave and transepts remain largely as originally built, though this is less clear externally owing to the changes made to the windows, nearly all of which were enlarged in the 14th century in the Decorated Gothic style. This century also saw the complete rebuilding of the eastern limb of the church, of a form less common in England with radiating chapels surrounding the eastern apse of the choir (the central lady chapel sadly missing since 1540).
The interior reveals far more of the Romanesque structure with mighty columns supporting the round Norman arches of the nave arcades giving the building a great sense of solidity. The space is further enlivened by the changes made during the 14th century by the stunning vault over the nave (adorned with a rewarding series of figurative bosses) which sits surprisingly well with the Norman work below. Beyond the apsidal choir beckons, and both this and the space below the tower are enriched with stunningly complex vaulted ceilings (replete with further bosses and gilded metal stars), all ablaze with colour and gilding.
There is much to enjoy in glass here, most remarkably a complete set of 14th century glazing in the clerestorey of the choir, seven windows filled with saints and prophets (and most memorably two groups of knights in the westernmost windows on each side). A few of the figures have fared less well over the centuries but on the whole this is a wonderfully rare and well preserved scheme. There is much glass from the 19th century too, with an extensive scheme in the nave of good quality work by Hardman's, and more recently a pair of rich windows by Tom Denny were added in one of the polygonal chapels around the east end.
Some of the most memorable features are the monuments with many medieval tombs of note, primarily the effigies and chantry chapels of members of the Despenser family around the choir (two of the chantries being miniature architectural gems in their own right with exquisite fan-vaulting). In one of the apsidal chapels is the unusual cenotaph to Abbot Wakeman with his grisly cadaver effigy, a late medieval reminder of earthly mortality.
Tewkesbury Abbey is not to be missed and is every bit as rewarding as many of our cathedrals (superior in fact to all but the best). It is normally kept open and welcoming to visitors on a daily basis. I have also had the privilege of working on this great building several times over the years (as part of the team at the studio I once worked for), and have left my mark in glass in a few discreet places.
Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh: An Allegory of the Dinteville Family, 1537
Master of the Dinteville Allegory (Netherlandish or French, active mid-16th century)
Oil on wood
69 1/2 x 75 7/8 in. (176.5 x 192.7 cm)
Wentworth Fund, 1950 (50.70)
The protagonists in this elaborate allegory are the brothers Jean, François, Guillaume, and Gaucher de Dinteville, important members of the court of Francis I, king of France. Portrayed at a moment of crisis in their relations with the king, they participate in a narrative derived from Exodus 7:9. Moses and Aaron plead with Pharaoh to free the Israelites; to prove they are armed with the power of the Lord, Aaron changes his rod into a serpent. Depicted in the guise of Aaron is François II de Dinteville, bishop of Auxerre; his brother Jean is shown as Moses, and the younger brothers, Gaucher and Guillaume, stand behind them. The names and ages of the three latter brothers are inscribed on the hems of their robes. Pharaoh is a disguised portrait of Francis I. This painting hung in the Dinteville château of Polisy along with Holbein's Ambassadors (National Gallery, London). This fascinating allegory has stylistic affinities to the works of sixteenth-century Antwerp artists—in the emphatic gestures of the robed classical figures, in particular. The simplification and solidity of form, meanwhile, are more typical of French painting. Though the identity of the artist is unknown, the work represents a high level of technical accomplishment and suggests the hand of a Mannerist painter working in the circle of a Northern European court.
166 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC.
Description of Historic Place:
Located on the southeast corner of East Hastings Street and Market Alley, the Roosevelt Hotel is a six-storey, reinforced concrete, Edwardian commercial structure.
Heritage Value:
The heritage value of the Roosevelt Hotel lies in the historic relationship between this area and the economy of early Vancouver. At the turn of the twentieth century, this area of town was developed as a shopping area as commercial activity spread outward from its early roots in Gastown. As the young city grew, so did its commercial district. It was the home of several hotels, lodgings, and small retail outlets which were established to serve the growing blue-collar population.
The Roosevelt Hotel is significant because it was the home of Molson's Bank, one of several privately-financed banks founded in the mid-nineteenth century in Canada. It was an example of eastern Canadian capital investment in British Columbia. The bank had 125 branches across Canada by 1925, when it was absorbed by the Bank of Montreal. This East End Branch was built in this location, in the heart of Vancouver's early commercial and civic core, to serve the financial needs of the surrounding retail and accommodation outlets. It was designed by H.L. Stevens, who was based in New York but had a branch office in Vancouver for a few years from 1911 and was responsible for several landmark buildings in the United States. The upper storeys were used for offices for doctors, dentists, lawyers, and other professionals.
The building is similar in construction design and details to early twentieth-century banks across Canada. The Edwardian commercial style took advantage of evolving technology; the advances in reinforced concrete construction and the development of the elevator meant that buildings could rise higher above the ground, while the use of terra cotta ornamentation reflected current tastes in the United States. The interior contains marble finishes and "was intended to give the East End patrons...a pleasing place in which to transact their business." The design was intended to exemplify the solidity of the banking business and, by inference, the stability of the new City of Vancouver.
Source: City of Vancouver Heritage Conservation Program
Character-Defining Elements:
The character-defining elements of the Roosevelt Hotel include:
- the building's early skyscraper form, scale and rectangular massing
- built right to the lot line with no setbacks
- its functional relationship with other buildings within the Hastings Street strip and adjoining neighbourhoods
- its location on an alley
- characteristics of the Edwardian style including: tripartite facade (upper portion highly ornamented with terra cotta swags, central portion of plain brick and lower portion of rusticated stone); pattern of fenestration including paired sets on the front facade, arched upper windows on lower storey, and shop fronts; frieze with volute and dentil trim; terra cotta blocks and intricate cornice above first-storey windows; upper cornice which continues around the alley facade
The largest and most magnificent of the chantry chapels is that erected on the north side of the sanctuary in 1430 by Isabella le Despenser (d.1439) in honour of her first husband Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Worcester (d.1422). She then married a second Richard Beauchamp (later buuired in his famous chapel in Warwick) and thus became Countess of Warwick. The splendid fan-vaulted chantry is thus known either as the Warwick or Beauchamp chapel and is a gloriously ornate piece of Perpendicular architecture.
The attractive town of Tewkesbury has been dominated by its superb abbey church since the beginning of the 12th century, and we can be forever grateful to its townspeople for purchasing the monastic church in 1540 for £453 for use as their parish church, saving it from the fate that befell countless similar great churches across the land during the turmoil of the Dissolution. It reminds us both how lucky we are to still marvel at it today, yet also how great a loss to our heritage the period wrought when many more such buildings were so utterly plundered as to have gone without trace (the fate of the monastic buildings here and even the lady chapel of the church whose footings are laid out in the grass at the east end).
Tewkesbury Abbey is thus rightly celebrated as one of our greatest non-cathedral churches, and remarkably much of the original Norman church remains substantially intact, most apparently in the great central tower, a fine example of Romanesque architecture adorned with rows of blind-arcading. The west front is dominated by a massive Norman-arched recess (enclosing the somewhat later west window) and the nave and transepts remain largely as originally built, though this is less clear externally owing to the changes made to the windows, nearly all of which were enlarged in the 14th century in the Decorated Gothic style. This century also saw the complete rebuilding of the eastern limb of the church, of a form less common in England with radiating chapels surrounding the eastern apse of the choir (the central lady chapel sadly missing since 1540).
The interior reveals far more of the Romanesque structure with mighty columns supporting the round Norman arches of the nave arcades giving the building a great sense of solidity. The space is further enlivened by the changes made during the 14th century by the stunning vault over the nave (adorned with a rewarding series of figurative bosses) which sits surprisingly well with the Norman work below. Beyond the apsidal choir beckons, and both this and the space below the tower are enriched with stunningly complex vaulted ceilings (replete with further bosses and gilded metal stars), all ablaze with colour and gilding.
There is much to enjoy in glass here, most remarkably a complete set of 14th century glazing in the clerestorey of the choir, seven windows filled with saints and prophets (and most memorably two groups of knights in the westernmost windows on each side). A few of the figures have fared less well over the centuries but on the whole this is a wonderfully rare and well preserved scheme. There is much glass from the 19th century too, with an extensive scheme in the nave of good quality work by Hardman's, and more recently a pair of rich windows by Tom Denny were added in one of the polygonal chapels around the east end.
Some of the most memorable features are the monuments with many medieval tombs of note, primarily the effigies and chantry chapels of members of the Despenser family around the choir (two of the chantries being miniature architectural gems in their own right with exquisite fan-vaulting). In one of the apsidal chapels is the unusual cenotaph to Abbot Wakeman with his grisly cadaver effigy, a late medieval reminder of earthly mortality.
Tewkesbury Abbey is not to be missed and is every bit as rewarding as many of our cathedrals (superior in fact to all but the best). It is normally kept open and welcoming to visitors on a daily basis. I have also had the privilege of working on this great building several times over the years (as part of the team at the studio I once worked for), and have left my mark in glass in a few discreet places.
The solidity and build quality is a tribute to Proton successful entry into the UK. Based on the Mitsubishi Colt/Lancer these had quite long lives, but have somewhat suddenly disappeared. This example seemed to have ended up here without any real reason.
inspired by this article and the chocolate caramel torte at marlow and sons, i made this pie.
crust
i threw together some flour (3 cups) and butter (2 cups) with a teaspoon(ish) of salt and sugar and cut it all together with a pastry cutter (!!! very exciting to use one of these).
i baked the crust til it looked golden.
caramel
after waiting for about 20 minutes with no melting of my sugar, i realised that i had turned on the wrong burner. first time making caramel off to a good start! but it turned out to be fine. next time i will heat my water before adding it to my melted sugar, to avoid so much seizing.
i poured the caramel in the baked pie shell.
whipped chocolate
suzette made some fail chocolate fondue, which clumped up and refused to melt, so i threw some of that in a skillet with a bar of dark chocolate and 1/2 cup of water and let it melt all together to a thinnish chocolate sauce.
i enlisted grammar to whip up a cup of cream and folded that in with the chocolate and poured the mixture on top of the caramel in the pie crust
after a few hours on the porch, it had cooled to a nice solidity.
sprinkle some cocoa powder and sea salt on top and there you have it. super nom nom.
Los Angeles, California
Listed 7/23/2013
Reference Number: 13000509
The Boyle Hotel - Cummings Block is significant tmder Criterion A as an important anchor to the early commercial development of Los Angeles in the Boyle Heights neighborhood east of the Los Angeles River. When completed in 1889,6 it reflected expansion and growth outside the commercial core in Los Angeles. Now, as the last remaining commercial building from the early development of Boyle Heights in the 1880s, the building represents the late nineteenth century transition of Los Angeles from a small city surrounded by farmland to a burgeoning city center surrounded by suburban neighborhoods. Pre-twentieth century commercial buildings are extremely rare in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area and likely number fewer than a dozen. Extant pre-twentieth century hotels are even rarer and probably number fewer than five. The Boyle Hotel - Cummings Block is also significant under Criterion C for its rare and unique architectural design in a Queen A1me style. 8 The building embodies distinctive character defining features, including its highly decorative wall surface, ornamental spiral columns, parapets with patterned surfacing, comer turret, second story double window with an arched pediment, and decorative brickwork. The building commands a prominent position at the crest of a hill overlooking downtown, as well as at an important intersection, and its construction out of brick signifies solidity and durability at this important site.
National Register of Historic Places Homepage
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2014. We tended to loose sight of the fact that (more) critically important has been on-going near the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 carriageway.
Bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure are being carried out by JONS Construction also on behalf of the National Roads Authority.
We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. One Friday afternoon I took a trip up there, walking back to the site along the side of the carriageway! Recognised some old faces. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.
Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.
When Alfa Romeo returned to the US market in 2014, all they had to offer was the 4C – a tiny sports car with lust-worthy race car engineering that reflected 100+ years of auto racing heritage while declaring Alfa Romeo’s intentions for their product line-up. Now Alfa has brought it’s volume leaders – the Stelvio SUV and the Giulia sport sedan – to America’s shores as well. We reviewed the Stelvio a few months ago (we liked it) and now we’ve had a chance to spend some time with the Giulia Ti Sport AWD.
The moment you see the front of the car, that V-grille tucked between the two flat ovals, you know it’s an Alfa Romeo. It looks different than anything on the road. It looks unique, and that’s good. Anything to stand out in this increasingly crowded automotive market. Alfa Romeo has nailed that part and they did it without even trying. All they had to do was integrate their classic tri-lobial grille into the design. The rest of the car is equally good looking: The muscular lines, the balanced proportions, the aggressive stance. Let’s face it, it’s a great looking car. Apparently, others thought so too because we had quite a few people stop and ask us what it was. A few even wanted selfies of themselves in front of it. Who were we to disappoint?
2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti AWD Sport
gtspirit.com/2018/05/10/review-2018-alfa-romeo-giulia-ti-...
Inside, the car is all business. The tones are muted and dark. There are few design cues to distract the driver. Everything is simple, clean, focused. It’s very comfortable and has a very driver-focused feel to it. The seats are comfortable and electrically adjustable and heated. The bolsters are good around the torso, and even the smaller ones on the seat cushion provided good lateral support. Instruments are smartly laid out. The touch screen controller, radio controls, and Alfa’s D.N.A. selector are grouped together behind the electronic shifter on the center console. Climate controls are above the center console on the dash. Above those is the infotainment screen. The Giulia has real analog gauges with a configurable screen between them. Some aluminum accents round out the design cues. And that’s it. Not much to distract from the driving experience.
The steering wheel is an attractive semi-flat bottomed number with both cruise and radio controls on it. It feels good in the hands with palm swells at 2:00 and 10:00. The stop/start button is tucked into the middle, out of the way but readily visible. Behind the wheel lie the biggest, sexiest aluminum paddle shifters this side of a Ferrari. The left one has a “-“ laser cut into it for downshifts and the right one has a “+” cut into it for upshifts. They click very positively when you pull them and they’re very responsive.
Speaking of responsive, the 2.0L direct-injected turbo motor is just that. While it sounds a bit rough and crude at idle, like any good Italian engine it’s achieves some kind of glorious smoothness and refinement when it’s working hard. The sound improves at speed. It keeps goading you to push harder, go faster, let it wind out. Which you want to do. The hard part is actually reining it in and keeping it at legal speeds. Acceleration is deceptively quick – you find yourself going 85 mph in the blink of an eye.
All that power gets routed through an 8-speed automatic transmission and a carbon-fiber driveshaft to all four wheels ala Alfa’s Q4 AWD system.
And the suspension loves to take a set of curves. Freeway on-ramps and cloverleaf ramps are this car’s raison d’etre. It quickly instills confidence as it builds lateral g’s. Around town or on the freeway, it never feels caught out. It transitions from side-to-side without any upsetting motions and nimbly darts through traffic with ease. The only time it seemed to struggle was on uneven country roads. At slightly extra-legal speeds, over dips and crests, it felt floaty and uncontrolled, but really this isn’t a car set up for track work or insane speed over secondary roads. No, Alfa Romeo has the Quadrifoglia version for that. The Ti Sport version is made to be a great everyday driver that will impress you in real world driving with it’s performance. And it really does. The trick is to not let the engine talk you into going faster than what conditions will allow.
An engine like this one demands a great set of brakes and the Giulia Ti Sport has them. 13” vented rotors and Brembo 4-piston monoblock calipers front, 12.5” rotors rear and single-piston calipers rear. The calipers are gorgeous: painted Alfa Romeo red with “Alfa Romeo” in white script on them. They look stunning. They’re not just for show either. They effortlessly haul the car down from speed very quickly – enough to hang you up in your seatbelt.
The car is fairly lightweight for what it is, coming in around 3,000 lbs. Lightweight materials were used, which makes everything feel (and sound) light. While this gives the impression that there’s a “cheapness” to the car, a lack of solidity or quality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The car feels very solid and very well put together. We heard nary a creak nor a squeak the whole time we had it.
The Giulia starts at $41,000 USD, which is really a bargain for a capable Italian sports sedan with these looks. The model we drove totalled $46,000 USD, which surprised a lot of people in a good way. Compared to what else you can get for $45,000, the Giulia is a steal. You get a sexy, well-balanced Italian sports car with a touch of exoticness to it with performance to match. It’s a no brainer.
REVIEW OVERVIEW
Performance 8.5
Handling 8.0
Design 9.0
Interior 7.5
Sound 7.0
Fun 8.5
SUMMARY 8.1
OVERALL SCORE ****
‘Scene’ in Hebden Bridge, West Yorks 2.
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
I was reviewing what I had posted over the last few weeks. I realised that whilst I had posted Hebden Bridge parts one and three that I had neglected to post part 2. So here it is.
Friend Peter Rose had one of his occasional breaks in Hebden recently and has forwarded these images. They are reproduced here with his permission and my thanks.
I have visited Hebden Bridge several times and I always like the stone buildings that are the backdrop to the images. To me, they signify solidity and strength.
DRVSVS CAESAR TI AVG F DIVI AVG N PONT TR POT II - Legend around SC
Mint: Rome (22-23AD)
From CNG: This issue, commemorating the birth of twin sons to Drusus, the son of the second emperor Tiberius, and his wife Livilla, was part of the series issued in AD 22 to promote the dynastic solidity of Tiberius’ family. One of the twins died in infancy, but the other, Tiberius Gemellus (meaning "twin") was named an heir along with his cousin Gaius (Caligula). Within a year of Caligula’s accession, however, the new emperor had Tiberius Gemellus murdered.
From Richard Beal (Roma): "This sestertius was struck in 22/23, nearly three years after the death of Germanicus, Tiberius’ nephew and first heir. In the interim Tiberius had named no heir, but with the nine coins in his dated aes of 22/23 he announces a ‘Tiberian dynasty’ that includes his son Drusus, his daughter-in-law (and niece) Livilla, and his twin grandsons Tiberius Gemellus and Germanicus Gemellus, whose heads decorate the crossed cornucopias on this sestertius.
Since it is the only coin in the aes of 22/23 without an obverse inscription, we must presume its design was believed sufficient to communicate the fact that the twin boys were portrayed. Though this type usually is thought to celebrate the birth of the twins, that event had occurred two and one half years before this coin was struck. Rather, it is best seen in light of early Julio-Claudian dynastic rhetoric in which male heirs were celebrated as twins (even if they were not literally twins, or even biological brothers) and were routinely likened to the Dioscuri, the heavenly twins Castor and Pollux.
The crossed-cornucopias design is familiar on ancient coinage, and here the cornucopias, grape clusters, grape leaves and pine cones seemingly allude to Bacchus or Liber in a reference to fecundity. In terms of dynastic appeal, the design boasts of the prosperity and fruitfulness of the Tiberian line, with the caduceus symbolizing Mercury as the messenger of the gods and the bringer of good fortune.
Despite the hopefulness represented by this series of coins, tragedy struck on two fronts. The ‘Tiberian dynasty’ collapsed within months of its being announced when both Drusus and his son Germanicus Gemellus (the boy whose head is shown on the right cornucopia) died in 23.
Poor fates awaited the remaining two members: Drusus’ wife Livilla became increasingly associated with Tiberius’ prefect Sejanus, and she died shamefully in the aftermath of his downfall in 31, and the second grandson, Tiberius Gemellus, survived long enough to be named co-heir of Tiberius with Caligula, but after Tiberius’ death he was pushed into a subsidiary role and soon was executed by Caligula, who would not tolerate a second heir to the throne." - Ars Antiqua, 2008
Ferstel
(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Ferstel and Café Central, by Rudolf von Alt, left the men's alley (Herrengasse - Street of the Lords), right Strauchgasse
Danube mermaid fountain in a courtyard of the Palais Ferstel
Shopping arcade of the Freyung to Herrengasse
Entrance to Ferstel of the Freyung, right the Palais Harrach, left the palace Hardegg
The Ferstel is a building in the first district of Vienna, Inner City, with the addresses Strauchgasse 2-4, 14 Lord Street (Herrengasse) and Freyung 2. It was established as a national bank and stock exchange building, the denomination Palais is unhistoric.
History
In 1855, the entire estate between Freyung, Strauchgasse and Herrengasse was by Franz Xaver Imperial Count von Abensperg and Traun to the k.k. Privileged Austrian National Bank sold. This banking institution was previously domiciled in the Herrengasse 17/ Bankgasse. The progressive industrialization and the with it associated economic expansion also implied a rapid development of monetary transactions and banking, so that the current premises soon no longer have been sufficient. This problem could only be solved by a new building, in which also should be housed a stock exchange hall.
According to the desire of the then Governor of the National Bank, Franz von Pipitz, the new building was supposed to be carried out with strict observance of the economy and avoiding a worthless luxury with solidity and artistic as well as technical completion. The building should offer room for the National Bank, the stock market, a cafe and - a novel idea for Vienna - a bazaar.
The commissioned architect, Heinrich von Ferstel, demonstrated in the coping with the irregular surface area with highest conceivable effective use of space his state-of-the art talent. The practical requirements combine themselves with the actually artistic to a masterful composition. Ferstel has been able to lay out the rooms of the issuing bank, the two trading floors, the passage with the bazar and the coffee house in accordance with their intended purpose and at the same time to maintain a consistent style.
He was an advocate of the "Materialbaues" (material building) as it clearly is reflected in the ashlar building of the banking institution. Base, pillars and stairs were fashioned of Wöllersdorfer stone, façade elements such as balconies, cornices, structurings as well as stone banisters of the hard white stone of Emperor Kaiser quarry (Kaisersteinbruch), while the walls were made of -Sankt Margarethen limestone. The inner rooms have been luxuriously formed, with wood paneling, leather wallpaper, Stuccolustro and rich ornamental painting.
The facade of the corner front Strauchgasse/Herrengasse received twelve sculptures by Hanns Gasser as decoration, they symbolized the peoples of the monarchy. The mighty round arch at the exit Freyung were closed with wrought-iron bare gates, because the first used locksmith could not meet the demands of Ferstel, the work was transferred to a silversmith.
1860 the National Bank and the stock exchange could move into the in 1859 completed construction. The following year was placed in the glass-covered passage the Danube mermaid fountain, whose design stems also of Ferstel. Anton von Fernkorn has created the sculptural decoration with an artistic sensitivity. Above the marble fountain basin rises a column crowned by a bronze statue, the Danube female with flowing hair, holding a fish in its hand. Below are arranged around the column three also in bronze cast figures: merchant, fisherman and shipbuilder, so those professions that have to do with the water. The total cost of the building, the interior included, amounted to the enormous sum of 1.897.600 guilders.
The originally planned use of the building remained only a few years preserved. The Stock Exchange with the premises no longer had sufficient space: in 1872 it moved to a provisional solution, 1877 at Schottenring a new Stock Exchange building opened. The National Bank moved 1925 into a yet 1913 planned, spacious new building.
The building was in Second World War battered gravely particularly on the main facade. In the 1960s was located in the former Stock Exchange a basketball training hall, the entire building appeared neglected.
1971 dealt the President of the Federal Monuments Office, Walter Frodl, with the severely war damaged banking and stock exchange building in Vienna. The Office for Technical Geology of Otto Casensky furnished an opinion on the stone facade. On the facade Freyung 2 a balcony was originally attached over the entire 15.4 m long front of hard Kaiserstein.
(Usage of Leith lime: Dependent from the consistence and structure of the Leitha lime the usage differed from „Reibsand“ till building material. The Leitha lime stone is a natural stone which can be formed easily and was desired als beautiful stone for buildings in Roman times. The usage of lime stone from Eggenburg in the Bronze age already was verified. This special attribute is the reason why the Leitha lime was taken from sculptors and masons.
The source of lime stone in the Leitha Mountains was important for Austria and especially for Vienna from the cultur historical point of view during the Renaissance and Baroque. At the 19th century the up to 150 stone quarries of the Leitha mountains got many orders form the construction work of the Vienna „Ring road“.
At many buildings of Graz, such as the castle at the Grazer castle hill, the old Joanneum and the Cottage, the Leitha lime stone was used.
Due to the fact that Leitha lime is bond on carbonate in the texture, the alteration through the actual sour rain is heavy. www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2HKZ9_leithagebirge-leithak...)
This balcony was no longer present and only close to the facade were remnants of the tread plates and the supporting brackets recognizable. In July 1975, followed the reconstruction of the balcony and master stonemason Friedrich Opferkuh received the order to restore the old state am Leithagebirge received the order the old state - of Mannersdorfer stone, armoured concrete or artificial stone.
1975-1982, the building was renovated and re-opened the Café Central. Since then, the privately owned building is called Palais Ferstel. In the former stock exchange halls now meetings and presentations take place; the Café Central is utilizing one of the courtyards.
Mary St, Gympie.
The RBQ was established in 1885 when local investors were finding it increasingly difficult to obtain loans from sources outside Queensland. By 1889 it had 20 branches and agencies including branches at London and Edinburgh.
Gympie was a town built on gold and in common with other banks, the RBQ saw the opening of a bank here as a sound investment. The architecture bears all the hallmarks of classical solidity, giving it the impression of solidity and reliability. The architect was Swedish-born Hugo Wilhelm Durietz who dominated the architectural profession in Gympie during the gold rush years .
However, by 1917 the RBQ had merged with the Bank of North Queensland to form the Bank of Queensland Limited. The National Bank of Australasia later went on to absorb this bank in 1922.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2014. We tended to loose sight of the fact that (more) critically important has been on-going near the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 carriageway.
Bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure are being carried out by JONS Construction also on behalf of the National Roads Authority.
We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. One Friday afternoon I took a trip up there, walking back to the site along the side of the carriageway! Recognised some old faces. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.
Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.
Within an hour of taking these photos, the rains began to fall with a vengeance. An Orange weather alert, with widespread flooding expected overnight. Non-essential work soon ceased.
Oaxaca has many historic buildings (UNESCO heritage city centre since 1987) and many of them including several churches are very colourfully painted and lighted nicely at night. Oaxaca, which is built on a grid pattern, is a good example of Spanish colonial town planning. The solidity and volume of the city's buildings show that they were adapted to the earthquake-prone region in which these architectural gems were constructed.
Ferstel
(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Ferstel and Café Central, by Rudolf von Alt, left the men's alley (Herrengasse - Street of the Lords), right Strauchgasse
Danube mermaid fountain in a courtyard of the Palais Ferstel
Shopping arcade of the Freyung to Herrengasse
Entrance to Ferstel of the Freyung, right the Palais Harrach, left the palace Hardegg
The Ferstel is a building in the first district of Vienna, Inner City, with the addresses Strauchgasse 2-4, 14 Lord Street (Herrengasse) and Freyung 2. It was established as a national bank and stock exchange building, the denomination Palais is unhistoric.
History
In 1855, the entire estate between Freyung, Strauchgasse and Herrengasse was by Franz Xaver Imperial Count von Abensperg and Traun to the k.k. Privileged Austrian National Bank sold. This banking institution was previously domiciled in the Herrengasse 17/ Bankgasse. The progressive industrialization and the with it associated economic expansion also implied a rapid development of monetary transactions and banking, so that the current premises soon no longer have been sufficient. This problem could only be solved by a new building, in which also should be housed a stock exchange hall.
According to the desire of the then Governor of the National Bank, Franz von Pipitz, the new building was supposed to be carried out with strict observance of the economy and avoiding a worthless luxury with solidity and artistic as well as technical completion. The building should offer room for the National Bank, the stock market, a cafe and - a novel idea for Vienna - a bazaar.
The commissioned architect, Heinrich von Ferstel, demonstrated in the coping with the irregular surface area with highest conceivable effective use of space his state-of-the art talent. The practical requirements combine themselves with the actually artistic to a masterful composition. Ferstel has been able to lay out the rooms of the issuing bank, the two trading floors, the passage with the bazar and the coffee house in accordance with their intended purpose and at the same time to maintain a consistent style.
He was an advocate of the "Materialbaues" (material building) as it clearly is reflected in the ashlar building of the banking institution. Base, pillars and stairs were fashioned of Wöllersdorfer stone, façade elements such as balconies, cornices, structurings as well as stone banisters of the hard white stone of Emperor Kaiser quarry (Kaisersteinbruch), while the walls were made of -Sankt Margarethen limestone. The inner rooms have been luxuriously formed, with wood paneling, leather wallpaper, Stuccolustro and rich ornamental painting.
The facade of the corner front Strauchgasse/Herrengasse received twelve sculptures by Hanns Gasser as decoration, they symbolized the peoples of the monarchy. The mighty round arch at the exit Freyung were closed with wrought-iron bare gates, because the first used locksmith could not meet the demands of Ferstel, the work was transferred to a silversmith.
1860 the National Bank and the stock exchange could move into the in 1859 completed construction. The following year was placed in the glass-covered passage the Danube mermaid fountain, whose design stems also of Ferstel. Anton von Fernkorn has created the sculptural decoration with an artistic sensitivity. Above the marble fountain basin rises a column crowned by a bronze statue, the Danube female with flowing hair, holding a fish in its hand. Below are arranged around the column three also in bronze cast figures: merchant, fisherman and shipbuilder, so those professions that have to do with the water. The total cost of the building, the interior included, amounted to the enormous sum of 1.897.600 guilders.
The originally planned use of the building remained only a few years preserved. The Stock Exchange with the premises no longer had sufficient space: in 1872 it moved to a provisional solution, 1877 at Schottenring a new Stock Exchange building opened. The National Bank moved 1925 into a yet 1913 planned, spacious new building.
The building was in Second World War battered gravely particularly on the main facade. In the 1960s was located in the former Stock Exchange a basketball training hall, the entire building appeared neglected.
1971 dealt the President of the Federal Monuments Office, Walter Frodl, with the severely war damaged banking and stock exchange building in Vienna. The Office for Technical Geology of Otto Casensky furnished an opinion on the stone facade. On the facade Freyung 2 a balcony was originally attached over the entire 15.4 m long front of hard Kaiserstein.
(Usage of Leith lime: Dependent from the consistence and structure of the Leitha lime the usage differed from „Reibsand“ till building material. The Leitha lime stone is a natural stone which can be formed easily and was desired als beautiful stone for buildings in Roman times. The usage of lime stone from Eggenburg in the Bronze age already was verified. This special attribute is the reason why the Leitha lime was taken from sculptors and masons.
The source of lime stone in the Leitha Mountains was important for Austria and especially for Vienna from the cultur historical point of view during the Renaissance and Baroque. At the 19th century the up to 150 stone quarries of the Leitha mountains got many orders form the construction work of the Vienna „Ring road“.
At many buildings of Graz, such as the castle at the Grazer castle hill, the old Joanneum and the Cottage, the Leitha lime stone was used.
Due to the fact that Leitha lime is bond on carbonate in the texture, the alteration through the actual sour rain is heavy. www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2HKZ9_leithagebirge-leithak...)
This balcony was no longer present and only close to the facade were remnants of the tread plates and the supporting brackets recognizable. In July 1975, followed the reconstruction of the balcony and master stonemason Friedrich Opferkuh received the order to restore the old state am Leithagebirge received the order the old state - of Mannersdorfer stone, armoured concrete or artificial stone.
1975-1982, the building was renovated and re-opened the Café Central. Since then, the privately owned building is called Palais Ferstel. In the former stock exchange halls now meetings and presentations take place; the Café Central is utilizing one of the courtyards.
Bauhaus Museum Weimar, Germany
German architect Heike Hanada designed a minimalist concrete museum to celebrate the Bauhaus in Weimar, where the design school was founded 100 years ago. The building is dedicated to the design school creates a physical cultural presence for the Bauhaus in the German city where it was based between 1919 and 1925. Located near the Nazi-era Gauforum square and the Neue Museum Weimar, the Bauhaus Museum is a simple five-storey concrete box broken only with its entrance and a couple of windows. The enclosing shell of light-grey concrete lends the cube stability and dynamic solidity. Equally spaced horizontal grooves run around the facades of the museum, with the words "bauhaus museum" repeated in a band near the top of the building. Hanada designed the museum to be a public building for the city and has attempted to clearly connect it to the neighbouring park. With elements such as plinths, fasciae, portals, stairways and a terrace to the park, the architecture incorporates classical themes that underscore its public character.
The museum contains 2,000 m2 of exhibition space, which will be used to display around 1,000 items from the Weimar Bauhaus collection. A shop and entrance hall is located on the ground floor, with a cafe and toilets below, and three floors dedicated to telling the story of the Bauhaus above. Each of the galleries overlooks double-height spaces and are accessed from a long ceremonial staircase that stretches the height of the building. The visitors ascend a succession of interchanging open spaces and staircases until they finally arrive at the top floor where they are presented with an unobstructed view of the park. The cascading staircases are encased by ceiling-high walls and function as free-standing, enclosed bodies in the interior space. The collection is arranged to inform visitors about the history of the design school, with the gallery on the first floor dedicated to its origins in Weimar and the Bauhaus manifesto that Walter Gropius wrote in 1919. The second floor has exhibits that show how these ideas were implemented, with galleries dedicated to each of the Bauhaus directors – Gropius, Hannes Meyer and Mies van der Rohe – at the top of the building.
The museum in Weimar has opened to coincide with the centenary of the Bauhaus, which was established in the city in 1919. The school was forced to relocate from Weimar to Dessau in 1925, where Gropius designed a new school building for the institution. Following a short time based in Berlin the school closed for good in 1933. Although only open for just over a decade, the Bauhaus is the most influential art and design school in history. The ideas and people associated with the school had an incredible impact on design and architecture, and to mark its centenary we created a series exploring its key works and figures.
This is not a gloat
This post might not impress everybody so I'm calling this an interesting find instead of a gloat.
I've always been fond of the smaller tool makers. So when I spotted an Aussie hand plane on a "Online auction site near you™, I had to make a run for it.
After a btalle with another curious yet uncertain buyer, I won the auction and a few days later arrived a Turner no 4 smoothing plane.
I won't show you any pictures before you have read far enough, as some of you might turn your eyes away in disgust. But I can assure you, there's no need for parental guiding the woodworking style.
Yes, it has plastic handles. Yes, it has a frog made of aluminum.
While you let tho sink in I will tell you the plane also has a very solid and well made body, the handles are translucent (á la MF permaloid) and that the plane is fitted with a Erik Anton Berg cutter made specifically for the Turner tool company.
I will not try to steal the show as all I know about this company is borrowed from the Village Woodworker down under:
thevillagewoodworker.blogspot.com/2012/11/turner-hand-pla...
What I can add is that I agree with his review. This is a very well made hand plane. The celluloid acetate handles feels good in my hands and bring a light smile to my face, much needed in the dark era of Finnish autumn awaiting the even worse. The aluminum frog is of course a slight concern. Will it hold up against had use? But as long as remember not to tighten either the lever cap or the frog screws too much I ought to be OK. And I just love having a Berg cutter made specifically for metal hand planes which can be used not in only in this plane but also my MF no 9.
This plane was purchased from an Englishman who says his father worked in Australia for a few years and who thinks his dad must have bought the plane during his stay. From what I know it hasn't been used for a long time. It's not unused but the scar tissue on the surface has more to do with being stored away improperly than from hard use. The plane has some shallow pitting on both sole and cheeks and I discovered rust on the handle bolts as well as the bolt housing. By the look of the bleached and very tatty box and the mildew stench coming from it, I would guess the plane has been stored in a outside shed but succumbed to sunshine and varying temperatures, which would very well explain why the plane has been corroded.
The handles are intact and I hope that adding some wax might help them to stay sound. Luckily the handles have not been subjected to direct sunlight.
There's a very nice addition t the fastening of the front knob. The raised housing on the body has a recess cut into it at the front side. The knob has a mating little toe which fits into the recess. This feature will keep the front knob from rotating and prevent the user from over tightening the knob. An ingenious invention which would be welcomed on other planes as well.
The plane has only been taken for a short spin on some ash, but it does feel promising. The cutter had been resharpened but not across its full edge so it needs a proper resharpening before I can provide a verdict.
What I can say is that I have compared the weight of this plane with a MF no 9 (Type 2) and a Stanley low knob no 4.
The Turner is the decidedly heaviest of them all, even considering this plane has plastic handles and a frog made of aluminum. It weighs in at 1750 grams.
The MF no 9 weighs 1680 grams and the Stanley no 4 a mer 1610 grams.
The difference are not mind blowing and might be moot for most users, but it does say something about the solidity of this plane.
Ferstel
(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Ferstel and Café Central, by Rudolf von Alt, left the men's alley (Herrengasse - Street of the Lords), right Strauchgasse
Danube mermaid fountain in a courtyard of the Palais Ferstel
Shopping arcade of the Freyung to Herrengasse
Entrance to Ferstel of the Freyung, right the Palais Harrach, left the palace Hardegg
The Ferstel is a building in the first district of Vienna, Inner City, with the addresses Strauchgasse 2-4, 14 Lord Street (Herrengasse) and Freyung 2. It was established as a national bank and stock exchange building, the denomination Palais is unhistoric.
History
In 1855, the entire estate between Freyung, Strauchgasse and Herrengasse was by Franz Xaver Imperial Count von Abensperg and Traun to the k.k. Privileged Austrian National Bank sold. This banking institution was previously domiciled in the Herrengasse 17/ Bankgasse. The progressive industrialization and the with it associated economic expansion also implied a rapid development of monetary transactions and banking, so that the current premises soon no longer have been sufficient. This problem could only be solved by a new building, in which also should be housed a stock exchange hall.
According to the desire of the then Governor of the National Bank, Franz von Pipitz, the new building was supposed to be carried out with strict observance of the economy and avoiding a worthless luxury with solidity and artistic as well as technical completion. The building should offer room for the National Bank, the stock market, a cafe and - a novel idea for Vienna - a bazaar.
The commissioned architect, Heinrich von Ferstel, demonstrated in the coping with the irregular surface area with highest conceivable effective use of space his state-of-the art talent. The practical requirements combine themselves with the actually artistic to a masterful composition. Ferstel has been able to lay out the rooms of the issuing bank, the two trading floors, the passage with the bazar and the coffee house in accordance with their intended purpose and at the same time to maintain a consistent style.
He was an advocate of the "Materialbaues" (material building) as it clearly is reflected in the ashlar building of the banking institution. Base, pillars and stairs were fashioned of Wöllersdorfer stone, façade elements such as balconies, cornices, structurings as well as stone banisters of the hard white stone of Emperor Kaiser quarry (Kaisersteinbruch), while the walls were made of -Sankt Margarethen limestone. The inner rooms have been luxuriously formed, with wood paneling, leather wallpaper, Stuccolustro and rich ornamental painting.
The facade of the corner front Strauchgasse/Herrengasse received twelve sculptures by Hanns Gasser as decoration, they symbolized the peoples of the monarchy. The mighty round arch at the exit Freyung were closed with wrought-iron bare gates, because the first used locksmith could not meet the demands of Ferstel, the work was transferred to a silversmith.
1860 the National Bank and the stock exchange could move into the in 1859 completed construction. The following year was placed in the glass-covered passage the Danube mermaid fountain, whose design stems also of Ferstel. Anton von Fernkorn has created the sculptural decoration with an artistic sensitivity. Above the marble fountain basin rises a column crowned by a bronze statue, the Danube female with flowing hair, holding a fish in its hand. Below are arranged around the column three also in bronze cast figures: merchant, fisherman and shipbuilder, so those professions that have to do with the water. The total cost of the building, the interior included, amounted to the enormous sum of 1.897.600 guilders.
The originally planned use of the building remained only a few years preserved. The Stock Exchange with the premises no longer had sufficient space: in 1872 it moved to a provisional solution, 1877 at Schottenring a new Stock Exchange building opened. The National Bank moved 1925 into a yet 1913 planned, spacious new building.
The building was in Second World War battered gravely particularly on the main facade. In the 1960s was located in the former Stock Exchange a basketball training hall, the entire building appeared neglected.
1971 dealt the President of the Federal Monuments Office, Walter Frodl, with the severely war damaged banking and stock exchange building in Vienna. The Office for Technical Geology of Otto Casensky furnished an opinion on the stone facade. On the facade Freyung 2 a balcony was originally attached over the entire 15.4 m long front of hard Kaiserstein.
(Usage of Leith lime: Dependent from the consistence and structure of the Leitha lime the usage differed from „Reibsand“ till building material. The Leitha lime stone is a natural stone which can be formed easily and was desired als beautiful stone for buildings in Roman times. The usage of lime stone from Eggenburg in the Bronze age already was verified. This special attribute is the reason why the Leitha lime was taken from sculptors and masons.
The source of lime stone in the Leitha Mountains was important for Austria and especially for Vienna from the cultur historical point of view during the Renaissance and Baroque. At the 19th century the up to 150 stone quarries of the Leitha mountains got many orders form the construction work of the Vienna „Ring road“.
At many buildings of Graz, such as the castle at the Grazer castle hill, the old Joanneum and the Cottage, the Leitha lime stone was used.
Due to the fact that Leitha lime is bond on carbonate in the texture, the alteration through the actual sour rain is heavy. www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2HKZ9_leithagebirge-leithak...)
This balcony was no longer present and only close to the facade were remnants of the tread plates and the supporting brackets recognizable. In July 1975, followed the reconstruction of the balcony and master stonemason Friedrich Opferkuh received the order to restore the old state am Leithagebirge received the order the old state - of Mannersdorfer stone, armoured concrete or artificial stone.
1975-1982, the building was renovated and re-opened the Café Central. Since then, the privately owned building is called Palais Ferstel. In the former stock exchange halls now meetings and presentations take place; the Café Central is utilizing one of the courtyards.
Ferstel
(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Ferstel and Café Central, by Rudolf von Alt, left the men's alley (Herrengasse - Street of the Lords), right Strauchgasse
Danube mermaid fountain in a courtyard of the Palais Ferstel
Shopping arcade of the Freyung to Herrengasse
Entrance to Ferstel of the Freyung, right the Palais Harrach, left the palace Hardegg
The Ferstel is a building in the first district of Vienna, Inner City, with the addresses Strauchgasse 2-4, 14 Lord Street (Herrengasse) and Freyung 2. It was established as a national bank and stock exchange building, the denomination Palais is unhistoric.
History
In 1855, the entire estate between Freyung, Strauchgasse and Herrengasse was by Franz Xaver Imperial Count von Abensperg and Traun to the k.k. Privileged Austrian National Bank sold. This banking institution was previously domiciled in the Herrengasse 17/ Bankgasse. The progressive industrialization and the with it associated economic expansion also implied a rapid development of monetary transactions and banking, so that the current premises soon no longer have been sufficient. This problem could only be solved by a new building, in which also should be housed a stock exchange hall.
According to the desire of the then Governor of the National Bank, Franz von Pipitz, the new building was supposed to be carried out with strict observance of the economy and avoiding a worthless luxury with solidity and artistic as well as technical completion. The building should offer room for the National Bank, the stock market, a cafe and - a novel idea for Vienna - a bazaar.
The commissioned architect, Heinrich von Ferstel, demonstrated in the coping with the irregular surface area with highest conceivable effective use of space his state-of-the art talent. The practical requirements combine themselves with the actually artistic to a masterful composition. Ferstel has been able to lay out the rooms of the issuing bank, the two trading floors, the passage with the bazar and the coffee house in accordance with their intended purpose and at the same time to maintain a consistent style.
He was an advocate of the "Materialbaues" (material building) as it clearly is reflected in the ashlar building of the banking institution. Base, pillars and stairs were fashioned of Wöllersdorfer stone, façade elements such as balconies, cornices, structurings as well as stone banisters of the hard white stone of Emperor Kaiser quarry (Kaisersteinbruch), while the walls were made of -Sankt Margarethen limestone. The inner rooms have been luxuriously formed, with wood paneling, leather wallpaper, Stuccolustro and rich ornamental painting.
The facade of the corner front Strauchgasse/Herrengasse received twelve sculptures by Hanns Gasser as decoration, they symbolized the peoples of the monarchy. The mighty round arch at the exit Freyung were closed with wrought-iron bare gates, because the first used locksmith could not meet the demands of Ferstel, the work was transferred to a silversmith.
1860 the National Bank and the stock exchange could move into the in 1859 completed construction. The following year was placed in the glass-covered passage the Danube mermaid fountain, whose design stems also of Ferstel. Anton von Fernkorn has created the sculptural decoration with an artistic sensitivity. Above the marble fountain basin rises a column crowned by a bronze statue, the Danube female with flowing hair, holding a fish in its hand. Below are arranged around the column three also in bronze cast figures: merchant, fisherman and shipbuilder, so those professions that have to do with the water. The total cost of the building, the interior included, amounted to the enormous sum of 1.897.600 guilders.
The originally planned use of the building remained only a few years preserved. The Stock Exchange with the premises no longer had sufficient space: in 1872 it moved to a provisional solution, 1877 at Schottenring a new Stock Exchange building opened. The National Bank moved 1925 into a yet 1913 planned, spacious new building.
The building was in Second World War battered gravely particularly on the main facade. In the 1960s was located in the former Stock Exchange a basketball training hall, the entire building appeared neglected.
1971 dealt the President of the Federal Monuments Office, Walter Frodl, with the severely war damaged banking and stock exchange building in Vienna. The Office for Technical Geology of Otto Casensky furnished an opinion on the stone facade. On the facade Freyung 2 a balcony was originally attached over the entire 15.4 m long front of hard Kaiserstein.
(Usage of Leith lime: Dependent from the consistence and structure of the Leitha lime the usage differed from „Reibsand“ till building material. The Leitha lime stone is a natural stone which can be formed easily and was desired als beautiful stone for buildings in Roman times. The usage of lime stone from Eggenburg in the Bronze age already was verified. This special attribute is the reason why the Leitha lime was taken from sculptors and masons.
The source of lime stone in the Leitha Mountains was important for Austria and especially for Vienna from the cultur historical point of view during the Renaissance and Baroque. At the 19th century the up to 150 stone quarries of the Leitha mountains got many orders form the construction work of the Vienna „Ring road“.
At many buildings of Graz, such as the castle at the Grazer castle hill, the old Joanneum and the Cottage, the Leitha lime stone was used.
Due to the fact that Leitha lime is bond on carbonate in the texture, the alteration through the actual sour rain is heavy. www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2HKZ9_leithagebirge-leithak...)
This balcony was no longer present and only close to the facade were remnants of the tread plates and the supporting brackets recognizable. In July 1975, followed the reconstruction of the balcony and master stonemason Friedrich Opferkuh received the order to restore the old state am Leithagebirge received the order the old state - of Mannersdorfer stone, armoured concrete or artificial stone.
1975-1982, the building was renovated and re-opened the Café Central. Since then, the privately owned building is called Palais Ferstel. In the former stock exchange halls now meetings and presentations take place; the Café Central is utilizing one of the courtyards.
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the first week of October 2014. We tended to loose sight of the fact that (more) critically important has been on-going near the Silverbridge site, adjacent to the N11 carriageway.
Bank stabilisation works involving excavation, repair and building of a support wall structure are being carried out by JONS Construction also on behalf of the National Roads Authority.
We would occasionally catch sight of this work in the distance. One Friday afternoon I took a trip up there, walking back to the site along the side of the carriageway! Recognised some old faces. Quite an impressive little piece of structural engineering.
Having built a retaining concave wall, backfilled for solidity, they were also drilling, fixing and sealing ground anchors to pin the entire structure together.
Albi Cathedral is one of the most unique, awe-inspiring churches ever concieved, quite simply one of the wonders of the medieval world.
Although contemporary with the great gothic cathedrals of Northern France, this largely 13th century structure is radically different, being constructed almost entirely of brick and built like a mighty fortress; mostly unadorned walls rise uninterrupted from the ground like sheer cliff-faces of brick. The simplicity of the design gives it an almost modern appearance, and the massive scale gives it a quite overpowering presence.
The cathedral's powerful fortified appearance is largely down to two factors, the shape of the building is consistent with local forms of gothic churches in southern France and northern Spain, whilst thr fortified solidity can be associated with the supression of the Cathars in this area during the Albigensian Crusades, the building serving a lesson in strength and permanence as a warning to any rebellious locals.
The plain exterior was relieved in the more stable climate of the 16th century by the huge flamboyant porch on the south side of the nave, more like an enormous spikey canopy open on three sides. It remains the main entrance to the cathedral, the base of the enormous tower being so massively constructed as to leave no room for a traditional west entrance.
On entering this vast edifice one's senses are overwhelmed yet again, this time by the profusion of decoration in the cavernous interior. The walls and ceilings are entirely covered by frescoes dating from the early 16th century (mostly in Renaissance style, much of it colourful geometric patterns. The most memorable sections are the earliest frescoes at the west end from an enormous Last Judgement; the central section was sadly removed in the 18th century but the extensive and graphic depiction of the torments of Hell remains.
In addition this cathedral is rare in preserving it's 'jube' or choir screen), a late medieval masterpiece of decoration an sculpture which extends into a lavishly sculpted choir enclosure adorned with a riot of angels and saints.
All in all this unforgettable cathedral is a monument that defies description alone and bombards the senses!
There is much to experience on the Rosa Parks bus, but I am gravitated to the logo on the front of the bus. An old-school, decidedly 1960s-era emblem of solidity.
Here are the specs on this particular coach and some of its history (from the Henry Ford website):
- TDH-3610, Serial # 1132, Coach ID #2857
- General Motors Corp., Pontiac, Michigan
- Delivered in March 1948
- 36 passengers
- Diesel engine, Hydraulic transmission
- Used in Terre Haute, Indiana, 1948-54
- Used in Montgomery, Alabama, 1954-71
- Sold as surplus to Roy H. Summerford, 1971
- Purchased at auction by The Henry Ford, 2001
Acc. 2001.154.1
Albi Cathedral is one of the most unique, awe-inspiring churches ever concieved, quite simply one of the wonders of the medieval world.
Although contemporary with the great gothic cathedrals of Northern France, this largely 13th century structure is radically different, being constructed almost entirely of brick and built like a mighty fortress; mostly unadorned walls rise uninterrupted from the ground like sheer cliff-faces of brick. The simplicity of the design gives it an almost modern appearance, and the massive scale gives it a quite overpowering presence.
The cathedral's powerful fortified appearance is largely down to two factors, the shape of the building is consistent with local forms of gothic churches in southern France and northern Spain, whilst thr fortified solidity can be associated with the supression of the Cathars in this area during the Albigensian Crusades, the building serving a lesson in strength and permanence as a warning to any rebellious locals.
The plain exterior was relieved in the more stable climate of the 16th century by the huge flamboyant porch on the south side of the nave, more like an enormous spikey canopy open on three sides. It remains the main entrance to the cathedral, the base of the enormous tower being so massively constructed as to leave no room for a traditional west entrance.
On entering this vast edifice one's senses are overwhelmed yet again, this time by the profusion of decoration in the cavernous interior. The walls and ceilings are entirely covered by frescoes dating from the early 16th century (mostly in Renaissance style, much of it colourful geometric patterns. The most memorable sections are the earliest frescoes at the west end from an enormous Last Judgement; the central section was sadly removed in the 18th century but the extensive and graphic depiction of the torments of Hell remains.
In addition this cathedral is rare in preserving it's 'jube' or choir screen), a late medieval masterpiece of decoration an sculpture which extends into a lavishly sculpted choir enclosure adorned with a riot of angels and saints.
All in all this unforgettable cathedral is a monument that defies description alone and bombards the senses!
When Alfa Romeo returned to the US market in 2014, all they had to offer was the 4C – a tiny sports car with lust-worthy race car engineering that reflected 100+ years of auto racing heritage while declaring Alfa Romeo’s intentions for their product line-up. Now Alfa has brought it’s volume leaders – the Stelvio SUV and the Giulia sport sedan – to America’s shores as well. We reviewed the Stelvio a few months ago (we liked it) and now we’ve had a chance to spend some time with the Giulia Ti Sport AWD.
The moment you see the front of the car, that V-grille tucked between the two flat ovals, you know it’s an Alfa Romeo. It looks different than anything on the road. It looks unique, and that’s good. Anything to stand out in this increasingly crowded automotive market. Alfa Romeo has nailed that part and they did it without even trying. All they had to do was integrate their classic tri-lobial grille into the design. The rest of the car is equally good looking: The muscular lines, the balanced proportions, the aggressive stance. Let’s face it, it’s a great looking car. Apparently, others thought so too because we had quite a few people stop and ask us what it was. A few even wanted selfies of themselves in front of it. Who were we to disappoint?
2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti AWD Sport
gtspirit.com/2018/05/10/review-2018-alfa-romeo-giulia-ti-...
Inside, the car is all business. The tones are muted and dark. There are few design cues to distract the driver. Everything is simple, clean, focused. It’s very comfortable and has a very driver-focused feel to it. The seats are comfortable and electrically adjustable and heated. The bolsters are good around the torso, and even the smaller ones on the seat cushion provided good lateral support. Instruments are smartly laid out. The touch screen controller, radio controls, and Alfa’s D.N.A. selector are grouped together behind the electronic shifter on the center console. Climate controls are above the center console on the dash. Above those is the infotainment screen. The Giulia has real analog gauges with a configurable screen between them. Some aluminum accents round out the design cues. And that’s it. Not much to distract from the driving experience.
The steering wheel is an attractive semi-flat bottomed number with both cruise and radio controls on it. It feels good in the hands with palm swells at 2:00 and 10:00. The stop/start button is tucked into the middle, out of the way but readily visible. Behind the wheel lie the biggest, sexiest aluminum paddle shifters this side of a Ferrari. The left one has a “-“ laser cut into it for downshifts and the right one has a “+” cut into it for upshifts. They click very positively when you pull them and they’re very responsive.
Speaking of responsive, the 2.0L direct-injected turbo motor is just that. While it sounds a bit rough and crude at idle, like any good Italian engine it’s achieves some kind of glorious smoothness and refinement when it’s working hard. The sound improves at speed. It keeps goading you to push harder, go faster, let it wind out. Which you want to do. The hard part is actually reining it in and keeping it at legal speeds. Acceleration is deceptively quick – you find yourself going 85 mph in the blink of an eye.
All that power gets routed through an 8-speed automatic transmission and a carbon-fiber driveshaft to all four wheels ala Alfa’s Q4 AWD system.
And the suspension loves to take a set of curves. Freeway on-ramps and cloverleaf ramps are this car’s raison d’etre. It quickly instills confidence as it builds lateral g’s. Around town or on the freeway, it never feels caught out. It transitions from side-to-side without any upsetting motions and nimbly darts through traffic with ease. The only time it seemed to struggle was on uneven country roads. At slightly extra-legal speeds, over dips and crests, it felt floaty and uncontrolled, but really this isn’t a car set up for track work or insane speed over secondary roads. No, Alfa Romeo has the Quadrifoglia version for that. The Ti Sport version is made to be a great everyday driver that will impress you in real world driving with it’s performance. And it really does. The trick is to not let the engine talk you into going faster than what conditions will allow.
An engine like this one demands a great set of brakes and the Giulia Ti Sport has them. 13” vented rotors and Brembo 4-piston monoblock calipers front, 12.5” rotors rear and single-piston calipers rear. The calipers are gorgeous: painted Alfa Romeo red with “Alfa Romeo” in white script on them. They look stunning. They’re not just for show either. They effortlessly haul the car down from speed very quickly – enough to hang you up in your seatbelt.
The car is fairly lightweight for what it is, coming in around 3,000 lbs. Lightweight materials were used, which makes everything feel (and sound) light. While this gives the impression that there’s a “cheapness” to the car, a lack of solidity or quality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The car feels very solid and very well put together. We heard nary a creak nor a squeak the whole time we had it.
The Giulia starts at $41,000 USD, which is really a bargain for a capable Italian sports sedan with these looks. The model we drove totalled $46,000 USD, which surprised a lot of people in a good way. Compared to what else you can get for $45,000, the Giulia is a steal. You get a sexy, well-balanced Italian sports car with a touch of exoticness to it with performance to match. It’s a no brainer.
REVIEW OVERVIEW
Performance 8.5
Handling 8.0
Design 9.0
Interior 7.5
Sound 7.0
Fun 8.5
SUMMARY 8.1
OVERALL SCORE ****
PAGEANT 23 (WESTERLY)
Sailboat Specifications
Hull Type: Twin Keel
Rigging Type: Masthead Sloop
LOA: 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
LWL: 19.00 ft / 5.79 m
Beam: 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
S.A. (reported): 236.00 ft2 / 21.93 m2
Draft (max): 2.83 ft / 0.86 m
Displacement: 4,300 lb / 1,950 kg
Ballast: 2,094 lb / 950 kg
S.A./Disp.: 14.32
Bal./Disp.: 48.70
Disp./Len.: 279.87
Construction: GRP
First Built: 1970
Last Built: 1979
# Built: 551
Designer: Laurent Giles
Builder: Westerly Yacht Construction Ltd (UK)
Builder: Westerly Marine, Hampshire
The Pageant is one of the smaller of the Westerly range designed by Laurent Giles and produced in volume in the 1970s. She offers an excellent small cruiser, with remarkable room below for her length, and has the typical Westerly virtues of strength and solidity.
The Pageant was designed for Westerly by Laurent Giles in 1969, as a replacement for the earlier Nomad. Production ran from 1970 to 1979, the yacht shown in the photographs here being one of the last of the 550 or so built. A very few (reportedly just six) fin-keel versions were also produced in 1976, these being called Westerly Kendals. As with all other Westerly Marine yachts the Pageant was very strongly built to Lloyds specifications, which meant that the building processes were rigorously monitored and all materials had to be approved by Lloyds in order that a hull certificate could be issued.
Auxiliary Power/Tanks (orig. equip.)
Make: Volvo Penta
Model: MD1B
Type: Diesel
HP: 10
Fuel: 10 gals / 38 L
Sailboat Calculations
S.A./Disp.: 14.32
Bal./Disp.: 48.70
Disp./Len.: 279.87
Comfort Ratio: 20.61
Capsize Screening Formula: 1.97
Accommodations
Water: 15 gals / 57 L
Headroom1.75m
Cabins 2
Berths 5/6
"The interior of the portal [of the Lions] corresponds to the great façade of the transept on its southern side, on top of which rests the small balcony with balustrade that corresponds to the tribune where the organ of the Emperor is located. Higher up is the rose window, surrounded by a frame with its pendentives decorated with rosettes.
In the lower part of the great façade is the portal divided by a column-mullion. Above the doors are the tympanum sculpted with themes of the genealogy of the Virgin whose designers were the same who worked on the exterior of this portal. On top of the tympanum is the plateresque carving with a great medallion of the Coronation of the Virgin in the center, the work of Gregorio Pardo (eldest son of Felipe Vigarny). On both sides are the statues of David and Solomon, attributed to Esteban Jamete.
To the right and left of this front are two sepulchres. The one on the right is empty (it is believed that it was prepared to receive the remains of Brother Bartolomé Carranza); that of the left holds the remains of Canon Alfonso de Rojas, represented in a praying statue.
The bronze reja (metalwork screen) was made a century after the great screens of the main chapel and of the choir, in a style completely different from these, valuing solidity and utility more than the taste for ornamentation of the previous century. Its designer was Juan Álvarez de Molina, a native of Úbeda (Jaén), who made the screen in the city of Toledo in 1647. The documents preserved in regard to this say that the master metalsmith received 8,504 reales and 12 maravedís, in addition to the 27,000 reales that had been given to him earlier. The document gives account of the cost of the metal employed, which was nearly as much as the total payment he received for the work." - wikipedia
Toledo Cathedral
27 November 2012
camera: Sony DSC H90
DSC03315
Here is a series of lightshades made from recycled PET bottles. The pale radiant shapes have a beautiful glow, and the range (for Artemide) is truly beautiful.
Notes from Artemide: “IN-EI light range has ten lights including freestanding, table and hanging lights. "IN-EI" is Japanese for ‘shadow, shadiness, nuance’. Each lampshade is created using 2 or 3D geometric principals, where light and shade harmoniously alternate. Miyake's unique folding technology creates both statuesque forms as well as sufficient solidity. The structure of the recycled material, together with an additional surface treatment allows these shades to perfectly keep their shape without the need for internal frame, and to be re-shaped when needed. They can be easily stored flat when not in use. Issey Miyake's artistic vision, applied to the new 3D mathematical process, combines the Japanese tradition of light with Miyake's unique ability to translate tradition into modernity.
The project revolves around a fabric derived from entirely recycled materials, diffusing light in extremely interesting ways; it is a re-treated fibre made using PET bottles. The bottles are processed using an innovative technology that reduces both energy consumption and CO2 emissions up to 40% when compared to the production of new materials. Artemide animates these sustainable and striking shapes using LED lighting, today's most relevant sustainable technology.”
"When you see these lights, you can't help feeling moved; you are full of
wonder, and glimpse a future we thought unreachable and couldn't imagine
this beautiful," said Ernesto Gismondi of Artemide.
Making the lamps involved a new process, using a mathematical program with 3- D geometric principals, developed by Jun
Mitani of the Reality Lab, who say: "This new ingenious way of making was originally used for clothing, which folds flat and then opens out to become a sculptural 3D shape. The Reality
Lab is exploring the potential of this process outside furniture. Lighting
seemed to be a natural extension of the process, so we worked with
Artemeide, marrying their expertise with the Lab’s innovative approach to material
and design."
For more design news and photos follow me on www.twitter.com/sunnyholt
Love London, with 180 photographs of the capital, teamed with over 100 quotes (from 15th century poetry to modern blogs) costs £6.89 post free
from
www.lissongallery.com/exhibitions/anish-kapoor-f45a2ea5-2...
For his latest exhibition, Anish Kapoor presents a new series of paintings, an element of his practice that has rarely been seen, exploring the intimate and ritualistic nature of his work. Created over the past year, the show provides a poetic view of the artist's recent preoccupations. While painting has always been an integral part of Kapoor’s practice, this radical new body of work is both spiritual and ecstatic, showing Kapoor working in more vivid and urgent form than ever. Alongside this exhibition, a solo show dedicated to Kapoor's paintings will run at Modern Art Oxford from 2 October 2021 - 13 February 2022, and both shows precede Kapoor’s major retrospective at Gallerie dell'Accademia di Venezia, opening April 2022 to coincide with the Venice Biennale.
Through painting, Kapoor delves into the deep inner world of our mind and body, from the physical exploration of the flesh and blood, to investigating psychological concepts as primal and nameless as origin and obliteration. Since the 1980s, Kapoor has been celebrated largely as a sculptor, yet painting, and its rawest composition, colour and form, have been a fundamental element of his practice-. The presentation will feature a selection of new and recent paintings, created between 2019 and 2021, the majority in the artist’s London-based studio during the pandemic. Like the artist’s wider oeuvre, these paintings are rooted in a drive to grasp the unknown, to awaken consciousness and experiment with the phenomenology of space.
Kapoor’s work has been characterized by an intense encounter with colour and matter – manifest either through refined, reflective surfaces such as metal or mirrors, or through the tactile, sensual quality of the blankets of impasto. The magnetism of the colour red is evident in these new paintings, manifesting the elemental force that flows through us all, yet now accompanied by a new palette of telluric greys and yellows, as if witnessing a surge from the depths of the earth. Some works appear volcanic, with an intense, fiery energy, while others are more primitive and abstract, with layers of dense pigment and resin forming a sculpted solidity. Many of the paintings have a visceral outpouring where a canvas within a canvas rotates and evolves in space, seeming to defy gravity, with brushstrokes cascading over the edges like a waterfall. In others we see distorted, polymorphic figures emerging from a deep, radiant void, with a ghostly aura.
Kapoor achieves a coherence of mind and body, of interior and exterior in two of the series of works, illustrating a mythic landscape with a turbulent, ominous atmosphere that differentiates land from sky, body from space. These whirling landscapes evoke the extraordinary, eerie Romanticism of JMW Turner, a worship of nature marked through an expressive, dramatic scene. Similar in disposition are two works where we imagine the moon rising over the peak – a symbolic narrative of a new cycle, of origins and menstruation.
The wall-based paintings recall some of Kapoor’s most ambitious, distinguished works, including Svayambhu (2007), My Red Homeland (2003) and Symphony for a Beloved Sun (2013). In these floor-based works we see a more ritualistic, visceral language, where Kapoor unashamedly delves into depicting the very blood and flesh from which we are all born. Artists from Leonardo di Vinci to Francis Bacon have been fascinated with the innards of the body, be it our anatomy or the surrealist beauty in violence. The work also stands in a powerful tradition of artists exploring the human body’s expression of divine matters, yet through the unique vision of Kapoor’s Eastern and Western influences, and ---– considering the year in which they were created --– taking on new meaning highlighting the fragility of the body and self.
In Roccalumera there is an ancient guard-tower which is commonly called Tower of Sollima, from the name of the noble family of Messina owner of the building in the XVI century.The Tower is also called Saracen even if there are no recorded information about Arab origins of the building. The structure, cylindrical shaped and about 13 metres high, showed a conical roof, two windows with modest size and a small door. It was part of the guard and defensive system of Ionian coast against danger of enemy invasions.Outposts communicated to each other by smoke signallings during the day and fire signallings in the night. In the cases of extreme emergency were rung at the same time also alarm bells: people were in this way alarmed and began to escape among near heights. The tower of Roccalumera was considered by the then military architects the best of the area both for its strategical position and the solidity of its structure.After the end of Arab incursions the structure has undergone many changes: windows and the door became larger and was built a wide battlemented terrace which took the place of the previous conical roof.
Antica torre di guardia, comunemente detta “Torre Saracena”. La costruzione risale probabilmente all’inizio del ‘400 e non è improbabile che l’aggettivo “saracena” stia per significare “torre antica”.Le funzioni della torre, costruita nei pressi della spiaggia, erano di avvistamento, di prima difesa e all’occorrenza offriva rifugio ai contadini qualora ci fossero incursioni dei pirati. Le segnalazioni di pericolo si effettuavano di giorno con il fumo, e di notte con il fuoco acceso in apposite padelle. Alla torre si accedeva tramite una scala a corda. Scomparso il pericolo dei pirati, la torre fu adibita a torre telegrafo e metteva in comunicazione la contrada detta “Zia Paola”, nome derivato dalla locanda dove i viandanti solevano fermarsi per rifocillarsi, posta sulla Marina di Pagliara, con la cittadina di Barcellona, poco distante da Messina.el 1578 la “Torre saracena” presentava una struttura con un tetto conico, due lucernari sulla parte superiore, una porticina d’ingresso al di sopra della zoccolatura e, di fianco, alla stalla per il “cavallaio”, visibile ancora oggi.Dopo il 1830 furono aperte, nella parte superiore, due finestre a sesto acuto in pietra bianca e il tetto fu arricchito da una notevole merlatura che fungeva da terrazzo. La “Torre saracena” è divenuta nel tempo il simbolo di Roccalumera.Salvatore Quasimodo le fu particolarmente legato, dedicandole la poesia “Vicino ad una Torre Saracena per il fratello morto”, riprodotta su una lapide di marmo posta alla base della torre.
Religious heritage: the Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais church
The church is one of the oldest in France.
The cult of Saint Gervais and Saint Protais appears to have quickly developed after the discovery of relics in Milan in 386.
Front
The front has the shape of a quadrilateral surmounted by an imposing triangular gable. The decor is limited to the cornice that defines the sprocket. It consists of small arches resting on carved corbels. The facade is, moreover, supported by strong buttresses. The northern one was rebuilt in the fourteenth or fifteenth century.
In the center, the portal is no eardrum. It is decorated with a simple roll. It is topped with a bay semicircular arches and crowned with a thin cord that is based on sculpted caps.
Bedside
The polygonal sanctuary was built around the year 400. It is small cubic apparatus thick joints, resulting directly from the Roman tradition. It is associated with long blocks. Everything is arranged in regular courses. The angles are formed cut stones at each sitting.
Belfry
The bell tower is placed above the choir, which is a rare positioning. It was necessary to ensure the solidity of the building, cluttering the choir by huge piles.
The three upper levels of the tower are represented by cornices. The first level is blind and massive. At the corners, powerful buttresses consolidate all. The last two levels are lit by free bays. These second stages are part of a flat wall, while on the third floor, they are equipped with two rows of arch stones down along the legs and topped with a continuous molded cord on four faces.
The bell tower is topped by a pyramidal cover elegant stone.
Choir
The choir is from the Merovingian period. It is lit by three windows with arches are semicircular. The bows are made of thin archstones extradossed a cordon of tiles that extends back angle at the transom. Other tiles separate the quoins. The decoration is complemented by two diamond patterns placed on both sides of the axial window.
An early Christian monument is preserved in the choir (dated around 400), representing a chrism and an epitaph: "Aeternalis and Servilla Vivatis in Deo" is "Live in God." This stele is one of the oldest evidence of the presence of a Christian community in Poitou. It is contemporary of Saint Hilaire, Bishop of Poitiers from 342 to 368 and Saint Martin, founder of the Abbey of Ligugé (360-370).
Nef
The nave walls and the bell tower date from the eleventh century.
The walls of the nave consist of small irregular stones. They are punctuated by alternating flat buttresses and high windows. The berries are narrow. They are surmounted by a carved lintel semicircular thin lines that simulate a bow paired in a style popular before 1000, but tends to disappear when the construction of the building.
In the twelfth century, are implanted batteries in the nave to the stoop. The capitals that adorn it are from the same era, specifically the beginning of the twelfth century. They are reminiscent of Saint Pierre de Chauvigny but also clumsy. However, two capitals are exceptional: he says of marriage, and that of the Temptation. The other capitals are decorated with stylized floral or geometric patterns or fantastic beasts or birds drinking from a cup.
This image of birds drinking from a cup symbolizes the souls who drink from the source of the memory. This is a reference to the Eucharist. "You will draw water with joy the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12-3). This is an iconography borrowed from the Roman tradition. It is found in many area churches: the Church of St. Peter Chauvigny, the priory of Villesalem, church Bonneuil-Matours or that of Liniers or to the Church of Our Lady of Lencloître .
Vaults and painted plaster date from the nineteenth century. The decor combines foliage and decorative motifs in false appliances. In 1886, Honoré Hivonnait painted at the entrance of the choir Saint Gervais and Saint Protais holding a palm, symbol of martyrdom.
Baptismal pool
During archaeological excavations directed by François Eygun in 1960, a baptismal pool Merovingian was unearthed. It is very rare to find outside of the episcopal see. Its discovery highlights the importance of Civaux at that time.
The baptismal pool has a similar type of construction of the church bedside is a polygonal structure with the use of an elongated device, process characteristic Merovingian poitevines constructions.
According to Brigitte Boissavit-Camus, head archaeologist of the excavations in the late 1980s, the entire building may have been surrounded by walls legacy of an ancient temple, which remains the foundation. these walls have delineated a circulation space reserved for worship.
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Ferstel
(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Ferstel and Café Central, by Rudolf von Alt, left the men's alley (Herrengasse - Street of the Lords), right Strauchgasse
Danube mermaid fountain in a courtyard of the Palais Ferstel
Shopping arcade of the Freyung to Herrengasse
Entrance to Ferstel of the Freyung, right the Palais Harrach, left the palace Hardegg
The Ferstel is a building in the first district of Vienna, Inner City, with the addresses Strauchgasse 2-4, 14 Lord Street (Herrengasse) and Freyung 2. It was established as a national bank and stock exchange building, the denomination Palais is unhistoric.
History
In 1855, the entire estate between Freyung, Strauchgasse and Herrengasse was by Franz Xaver Imperial Count von Abensperg and Traun to the k.k. Privileged Austrian National Bank sold. This banking institution was previously domiciled in the Herrengasse 17/ Bankgasse. The progressive industrialization and the with it associated economic expansion also implied a rapid development of monetary transactions and banking, so that the current premises soon no longer have been sufficient. This problem could only be solved by a new building, in which also should be housed a stock exchange hall.
According to the desire of the then Governor of the National Bank, Franz von Pipitz, the new building was supposed to be carried out with strict observance of the economy and avoiding a worthless luxury with solidity and artistic as well as technical completion. The building should offer room for the National Bank, the stock market, a cafe and - a novel idea for Vienna - a bazaar.
The commissioned architect, Heinrich von Ferstel, demonstrated in the coping with the irregular surface area with highest conceivable effective use of space his state-of-the art talent. The practical requirements combine themselves with the actually artistic to a masterful composition. Ferstel has been able to lay out the rooms of the issuing bank, the two trading floors, the passage with the bazar and the coffee house in accordance with their intended purpose and at the same time to maintain a consistent style.
He was an advocate of the "Materialbaues" (material building) as it clearly is reflected in the ashlar building of the banking institution. Base, pillars and stairs were fashioned of Wöllersdorfer stone, façade elements such as balconies, cornices, structurings as well as stone banisters of the hard white stone of Emperor Kaiser quarry (Kaisersteinbruch), while the walls were made of -Sankt Margarethen limestone. The inner rooms have been luxuriously formed, with wood paneling, leather wallpaper, Stuccolustro and rich ornamental painting.
The facade of the corner front Strauchgasse/Herrengasse received twelve sculptures by Hanns Gasser as decoration, they symbolized the peoples of the monarchy. The mighty round arch at the exit Freyung were closed with wrought-iron bare gates, because the first used locksmith could not meet the demands of Ferstel, the work was transferred to a silversmith.
1860 the National Bank and the stock exchange could move into the in 1859 completed construction. The following year was placed in the glass-covered passage the Danube mermaid fountain, whose design stems also of Ferstel. Anton von Fernkorn has created the sculptural decoration with an artistic sensitivity. Above the marble fountain basin rises a column crowned by a bronze statue, the Danube female with flowing hair, holding a fish in its hand. Below are arranged around the column three also in bronze cast figures: merchant, fisherman and shipbuilder, so those professions that have to do with the water. The total cost of the building, the interior included, amounted to the enormous sum of 1.897.600 guilders.
The originally planned use of the building remained only a few years preserved. The Stock Exchange with the premises no longer had sufficient space: in 1872 it moved to a provisional solution, 1877 at Schottenring a new Stock Exchange building opened. The National Bank moved 1925 into a yet 1913 planned, spacious new building.
The building was in Second World War battered gravely particularly on the main facade. In the 1960s was located in the former Stock Exchange a basketball training hall, the entire building appeared neglected.
1971 dealt the President of the Federal Monuments Office, Walter Frodl, with the severely war damaged banking and stock exchange building in Vienna. The Office for Technical Geology of Otto Casensky furnished an opinion on the stone facade. On the facade Freyung 2 a balcony was originally attached over the entire 15.4 m long front of hard Kaiserstein.
(Usage of Leith lime: Dependent from the consistence and structure of the Leitha lime the usage differed from „Reibsand“ till building material. The Leitha lime stone is a natural stone which can be formed easily and was desired als beautiful stone for buildings in Roman times. The usage of lime stone from Eggenburg in the Bronze age already was verified. This special attribute is the reason why the Leitha lime was taken from sculptors and masons.
The source of lime stone in the Leitha Mountains was important for Austria and especially for Vienna from the cultur historical point of view during the Renaissance and Baroque. At the 19th century the up to 150 stone quarries of the Leitha mountains got many orders form the construction work of the Vienna „Ring road“.
At many buildings of Graz, such as the castle at the Grazer castle hill, the old Joanneum and the Cottage, the Leitha lime stone was used.
Due to the fact that Leitha lime is bond on carbonate in the texture, the alteration through the actual sour rain is heavy. www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2HKZ9_leithagebirge-leithak...)
This balcony was no longer present and only close to the facade were remnants of the tread plates and the supporting brackets recognizable. In July 1975, followed the reconstruction of the balcony and master stonemason Friedrich Opferkuh received the order to restore the old state am Leithagebirge received the order the old state - of Mannersdorfer stone, armoured concrete or artificial stone.
1975-1982, the building was renovated and re-opened the Café Central. Since then, the privately owned building is called Palais Ferstel. In the former stock exchange halls now meetings and presentations take place; the Café Central is utilizing one of the courtyards.
Los Angeles, California
Listed 7/23/2013
Reference Number: 13000509
The Boyle Hotel - Cummings Block is significant tmder Criterion A as an important anchor to the early commercial development of Los Angeles in the Boyle Heights neighborhood east of the Los Angeles River. When completed in 1889,6 it reflected expansion and growth outside the commercial core in Los Angeles. Now, as the last remaining commercial building from the early development of Boyle Heights in the 1880s, the building represents the late nineteenth century transition of Los Angeles from a small city surrounded by farmland to a burgeoning city center surrounded by suburban neighborhoods. Pre-twentieth century commercial buildings are extremely rare in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area and likely number fewer than a dozen. Extant pre-twentieth century hotels are even rarer and probably number fewer than five. The Boyle Hotel - Cummings Block is also significant under Criterion C for its rare and unique architectural design in a Queen A1me style. 8 The building embodies distinctive character defining features, including its highly decorative wall surface, ornamental spiral columns, parapets with patterned surfacing, comer turret, second story double window with an arched pediment, and decorative brickwork. The building commands a prominent position at the crest of a hill overlooking downtown, as well as at an important intersection, and its construction out of brick signifies solidity and durability at this important site.
National Register of Historic Places Homepage
To the south of the high altar stands the chantry chapel of Edward le Despenser (d.1375) opposite the tomb of his father. Edward's effigy is unique, a kneeling, praying figure with its original colouring set beneath a canopy on the roof of the chapel (best viewed from the opposite side of the sanctuary). Within the chapel has a delicate fan-vaulted ceiling and a well preserved mural of the Trinity.
The attractive town of Tewkesbury has been dominated by its superb abbey church since the beginning of the 12th century, and we can be forever grateful to its townspeople for purchasing the monastic church in 1540 for £453 for use as their parish church, saving it from the fate that befell countless similar great churches across the land during the turmoil of the Dissolution. It reminds us both how lucky we are to still marvel at it today, yet also how great a loss to our heritage the period wrought when many more such buildings were so utterly plundered as to have gone without trace (the fate of the monastic buildings here and even the lady chapel of the church whose footings are laid out in the grass at the east end).
Tewkesbury Abbey is thus rightly celebrated as one of our greatest non-cathedral churches, and remarkably much of the original Norman church remains substantially intact, most apparently in the great central tower, a fine example of Romanesque architecture adorned with rows of blind-arcading. The west front is dominated by a massive Norman-arched recess (enclosing the somewhat later west window) and the nave and transepts remain largely as originally built, though this is less clear externally owing to the changes made to the windows, nearly all of which were enlarged in the 14th century in the Decorated Gothic style. This century also saw the complete rebuilding of the eastern limb of the church, of a form less common in England with radiating chapels surrounding the eastern apse of the choir (the central lady chapel sadly missing since 1540).
The interior reveals far more of the Romanesque structure with mighty columns supporting the round Norman arches of the nave arcades giving the building a great sense of solidity. The space is further enlivened by the changes made during the 14th century by the stunning vault over the nave (adorned with a rewarding series of figurative bosses) which sits surprisingly well with the Norman work below. Beyond the apsidal choir beckons, and both this and the space below the tower are enriched with stunningly complex vaulted ceilings (replete with further bosses and gilded metal stars), all ablaze with colour and gilding.
There is much to enjoy in glass here, most remarkably a complete set of 14th century glazing in the clerestorey of the choir, seven windows filled with saints and prophets (and most memorably two groups of knights in the westernmost windows on each side). A few of the figures have fared less well over the centuries but on the whole this is a wonderfully rare and well preserved scheme. There is much glass from the 19th century too, with an extensive scheme in the nave of good quality work by Hardman's, and more recently a pair of rich windows by Tom Denny were added in one of the polygonal chapels around the east end.
Some of the most memorable features are the monuments with many medieval tombs of note, primarily the effigies and chantry chapels of members of the Despenser family around the choir (two of the chantries being miniature architectural gems in their own right with exquisite fan-vaulting). In one of the apsidal chapels is the unusual cenotaph to Abbot Wakeman with his grisly cadaver effigy, a late medieval reminder of earthly mortality.
Tewkesbury Abbey is not to be missed and is every bit as rewarding as many of our cathedrals (superior in fact to all but the best). It is normally kept open and welcoming to visitors on a daily basis. I have also had the privilege of working on this great building several times over the years (as part of the team at the studio I once worked for), and have left my mark in glass in a few discreet places.
Ferstel
(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Ferstel and Café Central, by Rudolf von Alt, left the men's alley (Herrengasse - Street of the Lords), right Strauchgasse
Danube mermaid fountain in a courtyard of the Palais Ferstel
Shopping arcade of the Freyung to Herrengasse
Entrance to Ferstel of the Freyung, right the Palais Harrach, left the palace Hardegg
The Ferstel is a building in the first district of Vienna, Inner City, with the addresses Strauchgasse 2-4, 14 Lord Street (Herrengasse) and Freyung 2. It was established as a national bank and stock exchange building, the denomination Palais is unhistoric.
History
In 1855, the entire estate between Freyung, Strauchgasse and Herrengasse was by Franz Xaver Imperial Count von Abensperg and Traun to the k.k. Privileged Austrian National Bank sold. This banking institution was previously domiciled in the Herrengasse 17/ Bankgasse. The progressive industrialization and the with it associated economic expansion also implied a rapid development of monetary transactions and banking, so that the current premises soon no longer have been sufficient. This problem could only be solved by a new building, in which also should be housed a stock exchange hall.
According to the desire of the then Governor of the National Bank, Franz von Pipitz, the new building was supposed to be carried out with strict observance of the economy and avoiding a worthless luxury with solidity and artistic as well as technical completion. The building should offer room for the National Bank, the stock market, a cafe and - a novel idea for Vienna - a bazaar.
The commissioned architect, Heinrich von Ferstel, demonstrated in the coping with the irregular surface area with highest conceivable effective use of space his state-of-the art talent. The practical requirements combine themselves with the actually artistic to a masterful composition. Ferstel has been able to lay out the rooms of the issuing bank, the two trading floors, the passage with the bazar and the coffee house in accordance with their intended purpose and at the same time to maintain a consistent style.
He was an advocate of the "Materialbaues" (material building) as it clearly is reflected in the ashlar building of the banking institution. Base, pillars and stairs were fashioned of Wöllersdorfer stone, façade elements such as balconies, cornices, structurings as well as stone banisters of the hard white stone of Emperor Kaiser quarry (Kaisersteinbruch), while the walls were made of -Sankt Margarethen limestone. The inner rooms have been luxuriously formed, with wood paneling, leather wallpaper, Stuccolustro and rich ornamental painting.
The facade of the corner front Strauchgasse/Herrengasse received twelve sculptures by Hanns Gasser as decoration, they symbolized the peoples of the monarchy. The mighty round arch at the exit Freyung were closed with wrought-iron bare gates, because the first used locksmith could not meet the demands of Ferstel, the work was transferred to a silversmith.
1860 the National Bank and the stock exchange could move into the in 1859 completed construction. The following year was placed in the glass-covered passage the Danube mermaid fountain, whose design stems also of Ferstel. Anton von Fernkorn has created the sculptural decoration with an artistic sensitivity. Above the marble fountain basin rises a column crowned by a bronze statue, the Danube female with flowing hair, holding a fish in its hand. Below are arranged around the column three also in bronze cast figures: merchant, fisherman and shipbuilder, so those professions that have to do with the water. The total cost of the building, the interior included, amounted to the enormous sum of 1.897.600 guilders.
The originally planned use of the building remained only a few years preserved. The Stock Exchange with the premises no longer had sufficient space: in 1872 it moved to a provisional solution, 1877 at Schottenring a new Stock Exchange building opened. The National Bank moved 1925 into a yet 1913 planned, spacious new building.
The building was in Second World War battered gravely particularly on the main facade. In the 1960s was located in the former Stock Exchange a basketball training hall, the entire building appeared neglected.
1971 dealt the President of the Federal Monuments Office, Walter Frodl, with the severely war damaged banking and stock exchange building in Vienna. The Office for Technical Geology of Otto Casensky furnished an opinion on the stone facade. On the facade Freyung 2 a balcony was originally attached over the entire 15.4 m long front of hard Kaiserstein.
(Usage of Leith lime: Dependent from the consistence and structure of the Leitha lime the usage differed from „Reibsand“ till building material. The Leitha lime stone is a natural stone which can be formed easily and was desired als beautiful stone for buildings in Roman times. The usage of lime stone from Eggenburg in the Bronze age already was verified. This special attribute is the reason why the Leitha lime was taken from sculptors and masons.
The source of lime stone in the Leitha Mountains was important for Austria and especially for Vienna from the cultur historical point of view during the Renaissance and Baroque. At the 19th century the up to 150 stone quarries of the Leitha mountains got many orders form the construction work of the Vienna „Ring road“.
At many buildings of Graz, such as the castle at the Grazer castle hill, the old Joanneum and the Cottage, the Leitha lime stone was used.
Due to the fact that Leitha lime is bond on carbonate in the texture, the alteration through the actual sour rain is heavy. www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2HKZ9_leithagebirge-leithak...)
This balcony was no longer present and only close to the facade were remnants of the tread plates and the supporting brackets recognizable. In July 1975, followed the reconstruction of the balcony and master stonemason Friedrich Opferkuh received the order to restore the old state am Leithagebirge received the order the old state - of Mannersdorfer stone, armoured concrete or artificial stone.
1975-1982, the building was renovated and re-opened the Café Central. Since then, the privately owned building is called Palais Ferstel. In the former stock exchange halls now meetings and presentations take place; the Café Central is utilizing one of the courtyards.
Originally housing the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design (BAID), this building at 304 East 44th Street originally currently serves as the Permanent Mission of Egypt to the United Nations. Designed in 1928 by the winner of a Ecole des Beaux-Arts sponsored competition, Frederic C. Hirons, of the firm Dennison & Hirons, the building combines traditional Beaux-Arts ideas of symmetry, solidity, monumentality and the use of symbolic artwork by Rene Chambellan with ornament reflecting the contemporary Art Deco design aesthetic.
The Beaux-Arts Institute of Design was created in 1916, merging the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects, founded in 1894, with the Studio for Decorative Sculpture, established in 1912. The goal was to provide education for American architects, and other artists, mostly sculptors and mural painters who were allied with architects.
The Beaux-Arts Institute of Design was designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1988.
The school extension built 1935. The original Bible Christian church, later Methodist, was built 1875 and used as church & school. School closed 1952, church closed 1977.
“A tea meeting took place in the Bible Christian Chapel here on Monday afternoon, September 25, given by the bachelors in the neighborhood in connection with the Band of Hope for the purpose of raising funds for the annual picnic to come off at Christmas, and was a decided success. The chapel was decorated with evergreens . . . Our guests came from Balaklava, Watchman's Plains, and Dalkey, some considerable distance.” [Chronicle & Weekly Mail 7 Oct 1876]
“District Councils. . . Balaklava . . . Letter from teacher, Erith, requested small grant towards school prizes; £1 10s. allowed.” [Observer 26 Oct 1878]
“Letter . . asking Council to use its influence in getting a shelter-shed erected at Erith Provisional School; referred to Board of Advice.” [Advertiser 15 Nov 1884]
“In addition to wheat growing Mr Thompson keeps the post office and store at Erith. . . Erith is a small place, and bears scarcely any pretensions to the title "township". There is one Methodist Church, which belongs to the Balaklava circuit. It is also utilised for use by the Government as a schoolroom.” [Kapunda Herald 1 Apr 1904]
“Mr. Harry Masters, treasurer of the Erith Methodist Church Trust, outlined the school's history. For nearly 60 years it had been a church and school, and 10 years ago Erith residents decided to erect a separate school room in time for the Jubilee. Most of the labor in carting and stone raising had been voluntary. . . Replying, Mr. Jeffries said that it was impossible for the Government to spend money on other people's land, but the department appreciated the trust's action in providing a new building. He gave the school a half holiday on Friday next.” [Advertiser 25 Apr 1935]
“Mr. Hosking said that the new room was a better one than would have been provided by the department, and its solidity of construction should ensure usefulness for many years.” [Chronicle 2 May 1935]
Title: Metropolitan
Creator: Sir Norman Foster and Partners; JEMS Architekci
Creator role: Architect
Creator 2: Hochtief Polska
Creator 2 role: Contractor
Date: 1997-2003
Current location: Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
Description of work: The Metropolitan building was erected at the northern edge of Pilsudski Square to fill a void where palaces had once stood until their destruction during World War II. The famous square (home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Papal Cross, and near the Presidential Palace) is the site of military ceremonial gatherings. At the heart of the building is a circular courtyard and fountain, accessible to the street on three sides. "Above the ground level shops and restaurants there are five storeys of flexible office accommodation, grouped in three separate yet connected buildings. [...] The glazed facades maximise daylight in the offices and take advantage of views over the square and surrounding historic buildings, while vertical granite fins balance this sense of transparency with the impression of solidity" (Source: Foster + Partners website: www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/metropolitan-pilsudski...). The innovative building design by Norman Foster and collaborating architect Jems Achitekci won several awards, including the RIBA Worldwide Award, MIPIM Award 2004 in the Business Center category, Construction Journal Award for Best Overall Project of 2003, and the Platinum Drill 2004 (1st prize in Bosch competition for Polish construction companies). According to its website, the Metropolitan building can be rated as one of the most technologically advanced buildings in Europe due to its energy-saving and environmentally-friendly heating and cooling solutions (Source: Metropolitan: www.metropolitan.waw.pl/en/index.php).
Description of view: A straight-on view of the southeast corner entrance. Pedestrian in red stands outside.
Work type: Architecture and Landscape
Style of work: Contemporary
Culture: Polish
Materials/Techniques: Glass
Stone
Metal
Source: Pisciotta, Henry (copyright Henry Pisciotta)
Date photographed: May 2011
Resource type: Image
File format: JPEG
Image size: 2736H X 3648W pixels
Permitted uses: This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted. alias.libraries.psu.edu/vius/copyright/publicrightsarch.htm
Collection: Worldwide Building and Landscape Pictures
Filename: WB2014-0183 Metropolitan.JPG
Record ID: WB2014-0183
Sub collection: office buildings
Copyright holder: Copyright Henry Pisciotta
Not *too* bad for sixteen (?) years. For some reason, now lost, I set my desk at an odd angle from the wall. Works for me. Except I've installed a little mirror on the opposite counter so I can see out my office door. Better feng shui, but not much.
Bauhaus Museum Weimar, Germany
German architect Heike Hanada designed a minimalist concrete museum to celebrate the Bauhaus in Weimar, where the design school was founded 100 years ago. The building is dedicated to the design school creates a physical cultural presence for the Bauhaus in the German city where it was based between 1919 and 1925. Located near the Nazi-era Gauforum square and the Neue Museum Weimar, the Bauhaus Museum is a simple five-storey concrete box broken only with its entrance and a couple of windows. The enclosing shell of light-grey concrete lends the cube stability and dynamic solidity. Equally spaced horizontal grooves run around the facades of the museum, with the words "bauhaus museum" repeated in a band near the top of the building. Hanada designed the museum to be a public building for the city and has attempted to clearly connect it to the neighbouring park. With elements such as plinths, fasciae, portals, stairways and a terrace to the park, the architecture incorporates classical themes that underscore its public character.
The museum contains 2,000 m2 of exhibition space, which will be used to display around 1,000 items from the Weimar Bauhaus collection. A shop and entrance hall is located on the ground floor, with a cafe and toilets below, and three floors dedicated to telling the story of the Bauhaus above. Each of the galleries overlooks double-height spaces and are accessed from a long ceremonial staircase that stretches the height of the building. The visitors ascend a succession of interchanging open spaces and staircases until they finally arrive at the top floor where they are presented with an unobstructed view of the park. The cascading staircases are encased by ceiling-high walls and function as free-standing, enclosed bodies in the interior space. The collection is arranged to inform visitors about the history of the design school, with the gallery on the first floor dedicated to its origins in Weimar and the Bauhaus manifesto that Walter Gropius wrote in 1919. The second floor has exhibits that show how these ideas were implemented, with galleries dedicated to each of the Bauhaus directors – Gropius, Hannes Meyer and Mies van der Rohe – at the top of the building.
The museum in Weimar has opened to coincide with the centenary of the Bauhaus, which was established in the city in 1919. The school was forced to relocate from Weimar to Dessau in 1925, where Gropius designed a new school building for the institution. Following a short time based in Berlin the school closed for good in 1933. Although only open for just over a decade, the Bauhaus is the most influential art and design school in history. The ideas and people associated with the school had an incredible impact on design and architecture, and to mark its centenary we created a series exploring its key works and figures.
HOWL
For Carl Solomon
I
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by
madness, starving hysterical naked,
dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn
looking for an angry fix,
angelheaded hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly
connection to the starry dynamo in the machin-
ery of night,
who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat
up smoking in the supernatural darkness of
cold-water flats floating across the tops of cities
contemplating jazz,
who bared their brains to Heaven under the El and
saw Mohammedan angels staggering on tene-
ment roofs illuminated,
who passed through universities with radiant cool eyes
hallucinating Arkansas and Blake-light tragedy
among the scholars of war,
who were expelled from the academies for crazy &
publishing obscene odes on the windows of the
skull,
who cowered in unshaven rooms in underwear, burn-
ing their money in wastebaskets and listening
to the Terror through the wall,
who got busted in their pubic beards returning through
Laredo with a belt of marijuana for New York,
who ate fire in paint hotels or drank turpentine in
Paradise Alley, death, or purgatoried their
torsos night after night
with dreams, with drugs, with waking nightmares, al-
cohol and cock and endless balls,
incomparable blind; streets of shuddering cloud and
lightning in the mind leaping toward poles of
Canada & Paterson, illuminating all the mo-
tionless world of Time between,
Peyote solidities of halls, backyard green tree cemetery
dawns, wine drunkenness over the rooftops,
storefront boroughs of teahead joyride neon
blinking traffic light, sun and moon and tree
vibrations in the roaring winter dusks of Brook-
lyn, ashcan rantings and kind king light of mind,
who chained themselves to subways for the endless
ride from Battery to holy Bronx on benzedrine
until the noise of wheels and children brought
them down shuddering mouth-wracked and
battered bleak of brain all drained of brilliance
in the drear light of Zoo,
who sank all night in submarine light of Bickford's
floated out and sat through the stale beer after
noon in desolate Fugazzi's, listening to the crack
of doom on the hydrogen jukebox,
who talked continuously seventy hours from park to
pad to bar to Bellevue to museum to the Brook-
lyn Bridge,
lost battalion of platonic conversationalists jumping
down the stoops off fire escapes off windowsills
off Empire State out of the moon,
yacketayakking screaming vomiting whispering facts
and memories and anecdotes and eyeball kicks
and shocks of hospitals and jails and wars,
whole intellects disgorged in total recall for seven days
and nights with brilliant eyes, meat for the
Synagogue cast on the pavement,
who vanished into nowhere Zen New Jersey leaving a
trail of ambiguous picture postcards of Atlantic
City Hall,
suffering Eastern sweats and Tangerian bone-grind-
ings and migraines of China under junk-with-
drawal in Newark's bleak furnished room,
who wandered around and around at midnight in the
railroad yard wondering where to go, and went,
leaving no broken hearts,
who lit cigarettes in boxcars boxcars boxcars racketing
through snow toward lonesome farms in grand-
father night,
who studied Plotinus Poe St. John of the Cross telep-
athy and bop kabbalah because the cosmos in-
stinctively vibrated at their feet in Kansas,
who loned it through the streets of Idaho seeking vis-
ionary indian angels who were visionary indian
angels,
who thought they were only mad when Baltimore
gleamed in supernatural ecstasy,
who jumped in limousines with the Chinaman of Okla-
homa on the impulse of winter midnight street
light smalltown rain,
who lounged hungry and lonesome through Houston
seeking jazz or sex or soup, and followed the
brilliant Spaniard to converse about America
and Eternity, a hopeless task, and so took ship
to Africa,
who disappeared into the volcanoes of Mexico leaving
behind nothing but the shadow of dungarees
and the lava and ash of poetry scattered in fire
place Chicago,
who reappeared on the West Coast investigating the
F.B.I. in beards and shorts with big pacifist
eyes sexy in their dark skin passing out incom-
prehensible leaflets,
who burned cigarette holes in their arms protesting
the narcotic tobacco haze of Capitalism,
who distributed Supercommunist pamphlets in Union
Square weeping and undressing while the sirens
of Los Alamos wailed them down, and wailed
down Wall, and the Staten Island ferry also
wailed,
who broke down crying in white gymnasiums naked
and trembling before the machinery of other
skeletons,
who bit detectives in the neck and shrieked with delight
in policecars for committing no crime but their
own wild cooking pederasty and intoxication,
who howled on their knees in the subway and were
dragged off the roof waving genitals and manu-
scripts,
who let themselves be fucked in the ass by saintly
motorcyclists, and screamed with joy,
who blew and were blown by those human seraphim,
the sailors, caresses of Atlantic and Caribbean
love,
PAGEANT 23 (WESTERLY)
Sailboat Specifications
Hull Type: Twin Keel
Rigging Type: Masthead Sloop
LOA: 23.00 ft / 7.01 m
LWL: 19.00 ft / 5.79 m
Beam: 8.00 ft / 2.44 m
S.A. (reported): 236.00 ft2 / 21.93 m2
Draft (max): 2.83 ft / 0.86 m
Displacement: 4,300 lb / 1,950 kg
Ballast: 2,094 lb / 950 kg
S.A./Disp.: 14.32
Bal./Disp.: 48.70
Disp./Len.: 279.87
Construction: GRP
First Built: 1970
Last Built: 1979
# Built: 551
Designer: Laurent Giles
Builder: Westerly Yacht Construction Ltd (UK)
Builder: Westerly Marine, Hampshire
The Pageant is one of the smaller of the Westerly range designed by Laurent Giles and produced in volume in the 1970s. She offers an excellent small cruiser, with remarkable room below for her length, and has the typical Westerly virtues of strength and solidity.
The Pageant was designed for Westerly by Laurent Giles in 1969, as a replacement for the earlier Nomad. Production ran from 1970 to 1979, the yacht shown in the photographs here being one of the last of the 550 or so built. A very few (reportedly just six) fin-keel versions were also produced in 1976, these being called Westerly Kendals. As with all other Westerly Marine yachts the Pageant was very strongly built to Lloyds specifications, which meant that the building processes were rigorously monitored and all materials had to be approved by Lloyds in order that a hull certificate could be issued.
Auxiliary Power/Tanks (orig. equip.)
Make: Volvo Penta
Model: MD1B
Type: Diesel
HP: 10
Fuel: 10 gals / 38 L
Sailboat Calculations
S.A./Disp.: 14.32
Bal./Disp.: 48.70
Disp./Len.: 279.87
Comfort Ratio: 20.61
Capsize Screening Formula: 1.97
Accommodations
Water: 15 gals / 57 L
Headroom1.75m
Cabins 2
Berths 5/6
Albi Cathedral is one of the most unique, awe-inspiring churches ever concieved, quite simply one of the wonders of the medieval world.
Although contemporary with the great gothic cathedrals of Northern France, this largely 13th century structure is radically different, being constructed almost entirely of brick and built like a mighty fortress; mostly unadorned walls rise uninterrupted from the ground like sheer cliff-faces of brick. The simplicity of the design gives it an almost modern appearance, and it's massive scale exudes a quite overpowering presence.
The cathedral's powerful fortified appearance is largely down to two factors, the form of the building is consistent with local forms of gothic churches in southern France and northern Spain, whilst thr fortified solidity can be associated with the supression of the Cathars in this area during the Albigensian Crusades, the building serving as a lesson in strength and permanence as a warning to any rebellious locals.
The plain exterior was relieved in the more stable climate of the 16th century by the huge flamboyant porch on the south side of the nave, more like an enormous spikey canopy open on three sides. It remains the main entrance to the cathedral, the base of the enormous tower being so massively constructed as to leave no room for a traditional west entrance.
On entering this vast edifice one's senses are overwhelmed yet again, this time by the profusion of decoration in the cavernous interior. The walls and ceilings are entirely covered by frescoes dating from the early 16th century, mostly in Renaissance style, much of it colourful geometric patterns. The most memorable sections are the earliest frescoes at the west end from an enormous Last Judgement; the central section was sadly removed in the 18th century but the extensive and graphic depiction of the torments of Hell remains.
In addition this cathedral is rare in preserving it's 'jube' or choir screen), a late medieval masterpiece of decoration and sculpture which extends into a lavishly sculpted choir enclosure adorned with a riot of angels and saints.
All in all this unforgettable cathedral is a monument that defies description alone and bombards the senses!
Bauhaus Museum Weimar, Germany
German architect Heike Hanada designed a minimalist concrete museum to celebrate the Bauhaus in Weimar, where the design school was founded 100 years ago. The building is dedicated to the design school creates a physical cultural presence for the Bauhaus in the German city where it was based between 1919 and 1925. Located near the Nazi-era Gauforum square and the Neue Museum Weimar, the Bauhaus Museum is a simple five-storey concrete box broken only with its entrance and a couple of windows. The enclosing shell of light-grey concrete lends the cube stability and dynamic solidity. Equally spaced horizontal grooves run around the facades of the museum, with the words "bauhaus museum" repeated in a band near the top of the building. Hanada designed the museum to be a public building for the city and has attempted to clearly connect it to the neighbouring park. With elements such as plinths, fasciae, portals, stairways and a terrace to the park, the architecture incorporates classical themes that underscore its public character.
The museum contains 2,000 m2 of exhibition space, which will be used to display around 1,000 items from the Weimar Bauhaus collection. A shop and entrance hall is located on the ground floor, with a cafe and toilets below, and three floors dedicated to telling the story of the Bauhaus above. Each of the galleries overlooks double-height spaces and are accessed from a long ceremonial staircase that stretches the height of the building. The visitors ascend a succession of interchanging open spaces and staircases until they finally arrive at the top floor where they are presented with an unobstructed view of the park. The cascading staircases are encased by ceiling-high walls and function as free-standing, enclosed bodies in the interior space. The collection is arranged to inform visitors about the history of the design school, with the gallery on the first floor dedicated to its origins in Weimar and the Bauhaus manifesto that Walter Gropius wrote in 1919. The second floor has exhibits that show how these ideas were implemented, with galleries dedicated to each of the Bauhaus directors – Gropius, Hannes Meyer and Mies van der Rohe – at the top of the building.
The museum in Weimar has opened to coincide with the centenary of the Bauhaus, which was established in the city in 1919. The school was forced to relocate from Weimar to Dessau in 1925, where Gropius designed a new school building for the institution. Following a short time based in Berlin the school closed for good in 1933. Although only open for just over a decade, the Bauhaus is the most influential art and design school in history. The ideas and people associated with the school had an incredible impact on design and architecture, and to mark its centenary we created a series exploring its key works and figures.
If there's one place in London that merits an Art Deco Fair, it's Eltham Palace,
with its Art Deco entrance hall, created by the textile magnates the Courtaulds in 1936. The much-loved weekend fair is held twice a year - once in the summer and a second time in September - giving visitors the chance to buy original 1930s objects, from furniture and collectables to hats, handbags and jewellery. Browse the original 1930s objects, from jewellery to furniture while you take in the magnificent Art Deco surroundings of the Palace. Ticket price includes entry to Eltham Palace and gardens and you can see the house by guided tour.
About Eltham Palace
Restored by English Heritage, this fantastic house boasts Britain's finest Art Deco interior and offers visitors the chance to indulge in the opulence of 1930s Britain whilst at the same time experiencing the solidity and symbolism of medieval London. Eltham Palace began to evolve during the 15th century when Edward IV commissioned the Great Hall, which survives today as a testament to the craftsmanship of the period. More about Eltham Palace
Observation station (restaurant, gift shop) overlooking the town of Banff and the Bow Valley
I believe it's possible to scramble up Sulphur Mountain; however, families like mine often prefer to ride the aerial gondola
Once atop the summit, there is a boardwalk which can be followed to Sanson's Peak, affording terrific views both westward and east of the Bow Valley
Sulpher Mountain is named for the hot springs on its lower slopes; the Cave and Basin National Historic Site (including the aforementioned springs) is shown in another picture...
Banff National Park
Alberta, Canada
For those who might be interested,
[processing] this is a picture from the Vault. Meaning, it was shot in 2006 with a Minolta X700 camera, 28mm Minolta lens, and most likely Kodak Portra 160VC film. The negative was scanned using a CanoScan 800. I created three different copies of the resulting image with varying exposures, then combined them using Photomatix. The resulting HDR was tonemapped twice using both "details enhancer" for increased detail and "tone compressor" for greater solidity of color. Then both resulting images were layered in Photoshop, with some final touch-up. Since I seem to have an unusually bright monitor on my home computer, I may also later adjust exposure on my work computer, using the Flickr Picnik feature. This is not an unusual procedure for me, often resulting in my only downloading one photo a night (on the days I actually get to sit down at the computer).
An exquisite book. Here's the PDF. Used in:
* Shaving the Man in the Mirror
Some excerpts:
~~~~~
2. Sadhu Ekarasa (Dr. G.H. Mees, M.A., LL.D.) was a Dutch scholar who came to the Maharshi in 1936. For him it was a case of deep devotion from the very first meeting.
…
Extracts from his poem: *Heart’s Homage to Sri Ramana*
| If future generations will ask what was The special note of Ramana the Sage, I shall reply: If any, it is certainty; The certain safety of a Rock, unmoved, Unchallenged in a storm-swept sea, The immovable solidity of a mountain In an ever-wavering world of doctrines and philosophies, Yea, truly art thou the Sage of ‘Arunachala’!
39. Suri Nagamma:
| "He seemed unattached to anything like water on a lotus leaf, sparkling in the sun."
43. Prof. K. Swaminathan:
| In one article the famous Swiss psychologist Carl Jung contrasted Sri Ramakrishna and Sri Bhagavan and saw in this succession the progressive advance from bhakti to jnana. On hearing this, Bhagavan promptly sat erect and protested against the comparison, saying: When one has reached the mountain-top, no matter from which side and by which path, one knows and understands all other paths. What is there that Sri Ramakrishna did not know?
48. Prof. NR Krishnamurti Aiyer:
| Prof. Aiyer who in his old age stayed with his son at Tiruvannamalai told the following to V. Ganesan: In Bhagavan’s daily life one noticed:
- Personal cleanliness
- Tidiness of dress
- Habitual wearing of vibhuti and kumkum on the forehead
- Equal sharing of all enjoyment with those around him
- Strict adherence to a time schedule
- Performing useful work however ‘low’ it may be
- Never leaving a work unfinished
- The pursuit of perfection in every action
- Incessant activity except while sleeping or resting after a spell of hard work
- Never considering oneself superior to others
- Speaking the truth always, or strict silence if the expression of truth would hurt or lower the reputation of others
- Perfect self-help
- Never asking another to do a piece of work which can be done by oneself
- Taking full responsibility for failure, if any, without shifting the blame on others
- Accepting success or failure with equanimity
- Never disturbing the peace of others
- Leaving the leaf-plate clean after eating
- Complete non-interference in the affairs of others
- Never worrying about the future.