Opinionated and Controversial
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According to some websites 'Cerro Paine Grande' is one of the world’s hardest mountains to climb. It's the highest peak in Torres del Paine, but it's controversial how tall he really is. Latest measurements result in an altitude of only 2884 m instead of well above 3000 in most maps.
A venue for several entertainment specially sports and concerts. It has 55,00 seats.
It's also where I watched the highly controversial but well-acclaimed "Confessions" World Tour of Madonna two years ago.
This scene caught my eye because it was a black guy and a white guy together in the rural south. They had been hunting and were working on the truck at a gas station. The ironic part was the controversial southern rebel flag license plate which unfortunately the subject is blocking.
... the controversial "brown" series
This is what i found for you :
At a practical level the gleaming pronged prow is another counterweight to the gondolier at the back. It also protects the front of the wooden boat from accidental scrapes and collisions. But the prow is so much more and if you know how to decipher it will reveal information about the geography, landscape and power of this most beautiful of cities.
As you look closer the details start to stand out. And every one has a meaning. The domed top, for example, represents the ceremonial hat of the Doge or president of the old Venetian Republic. The 6 prongs to the front represent the 6 districts or sestieres of the historic centre. And the prong facing backwards denotes the island of Giudecca that floats just off the bottom of the city. Some boats also have 3 additional prongs interspersed between the 6 main ones and these signify the main islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. But that’s not all. The overall S-shape of the prow mirrors the characteristic curves of the legendary Grand Canal that winds between the city’s grandest palazzi. And finally the small semi-circular opening beneath the dome represents St Mark’s Basin, the expanse of water in front of the Doge’s Palace that leads to the city’s front door. Ultimately the entire city is encased in this wonderful metallic prua so it’s fitting that it’s become the motif of Venice across the world.
The controversial silos at White Bay, Sydney.
Strange signs encountered by me at White Bay, near Rozelle, in Sydney, on Wednesday 1st March, 2023.
Apparently we can: "Get almost anything on Uber Eats"
BUT absolutely: "No Giant Silos"
But my problem was just staying out of the way of random Mack trucks whilst taking photographs of silos.
What was a Mack truck doing there anyway?
A bizarre incident.
My Canon EOS 5D Mk IV with the Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L lens.
Processed in Adobe Lightroom and PhotoPad Pro by NCH software.
The 235-foot long (72m) Highland Eagle was seen in the early morning mist at Mackinaw City, Michigan. The London-based "supply vessel/offshore tug", built in 2003, is conducting rock sampling and other preparations for the controversial Enbridge Line 5 tunnel (an oil pipeline) in the Straits of Mackinac.
Enbridge, a Canadian company, was responsible for the 2010 oil spill in Marshall, Michigan, the largest inland oil spill in history that required five years of cleanup in the Kalamazoo River.
The controversial and sensational book by Prince Harry.
It is written "Darling boy, Mummy's been in a car crash."
HMM!
14th June 2015 - British Aircraft Corporation TSR 2 XR220 taken in the morning sun on a rare outing outside her hangar at the RAF Cosford 2015 airshow.
The Following is taken from the museum website:
Although never developed beyond the prototype stage, the British Aircraft Corporation TSR2 was one of the most exciting and controversial British combat aircraft designs of the 1960s. The cancellation of the project is a subject of great debate to this day.
During the mid 1950s, the increasing sophistication of air defence systems led the RAF to consider the procurement of a high speed, low level strike and reconnaissance aircraft to replace the English Electric Canberra. In October 1957, the Ministry of Supply released the first specification for such an aircraft.
On 1 January 1959 the Ministry of Supply announced a design had been selected for production. Christened the TSR2 (Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance Mach 2), this aircraft was developed by a joint design team. A contract for eleven TSR2 prototypes was concluded on 6 October 1960, the first (XR219) made its maiden flight from Boscombe Down on 27 September 1964.
By 31 March 1965 XR219 had completed twenty-four flights, and a second, the aircraft you see here, was to join the programme. Initial reports indicated that the TSR2 was an outstanding technical success. However political opposition to the project led to it being cancelled from 6 April 1965.
The word “Mitama” means spirit of the deceased and this festival held in mid-July pays homage to those spirits. Taking place in the controversial Yasukuni shrine, it sees some 30,000 lanterns strung up in memory of the dead. The festival started in 1947 just a couple of years following the conclusion of WWII, in which over two million Japanese soldiers lost their lives.
Look closely and you can make out the Iron Man Antony Gormley sculpture on the edge of the iconic ziggurat building at the University of East Anglia, Norwich. It is part of the British sculptor's series Another Time, an often controversial, thought-provoking collection of human sized statues around Britain. Gormley is probably best known for his Angel of the North statue off the A1 in Tyneside.
The UEA student halls were designed by English architect Denys Lasdun in 1962. He is also famous for the Royal National Theatre on London's Southbank, similarly in a brutalist style.
General cargo ship Peak Bergen in at Hatston pier with another load of the controversial Glensanda stone bought by Orkney Islands Council.
Lake Powell remains a controversial subject for people in the United States. For a visitor however it’s a wonderful sight this vast lake seemingly in the middle of the desert. The colours came out quite nicely on this early morning shot. Taken from my hotel room so no great work was involved in this work.
Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River, straddling the border between Utah and Arizona It’s the second largest man-made reservoir in maximum water capacity in the United States behind Lake Mead, Lake Powell was created by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the controversial Glen Canyon Dam, which also led to the creation of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, a popular summer destination. The reservoir is named for explorer John Wesley Powell, a one-armed American Civil War veteran who explored the river via three wooden boats in 1869. In 1972, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area was established. It is public land managed by the National Park Service, and available to the public for recreational purposes.
Lake Powell is 186 miles long and has 1,960 miles of shoreline, which is longer than the entire west coast of the continental United States.
THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE A COMMENT IT’S MUCH APPRECIATED.
What has become the most.. Controversial locomotive in Michigan, scheme wise that is, as of late sits outside of the A&B's Jail shops in Mason Mi. This was the first time I had an opportunity to light up the locomotive and wanted to do it while it was still fresh and clean. The crew has just fired up the 821 and will soon go about their evening work of running LHF to Jackson. Two of the GP9's are still here and are used as needed, 1751 and 1760 but once the 6410 is operational the 9's will be used as need and may even be shifted around to other properties. And yes it’s that bright of a white.
I only shoot birds with my camera, and I didn't like the gunfire around me, but I found these guys quite fashionable.
I walked on land belonging to the Gjorslev Estate, which was built by a bishop in 1396. Part of the area is open to the public.
Z80_0193
Amsterdam
Netherlands
ArtZuid International Sculpture Biennial Amsterdam 2017
Arne Quinze - Natural Chaos
The fifth edition of the International Sculpture Biennial Amsterdam, ARTZUID 2017, takes place from 19 May – 17 September, 2017. Curator Rudi Fuchs presents 65 abstract sculptures of post war artists on the Apollolaan, Minervalaan, Churchilllaan and the Zuidas business district. ARTZUID 2017 follows the theme year Mondrian to Dutch Design – 100 Years of De Stijl ands shows the influence of the Dutch art movement De Stijl on post war Dutch sculpture.
Arne Quinze is a Belgian conceptual artist best known for his unconventional and controversial public art installations.
See here the whole thing !
Tobetsu Dam, damming the Tobetsu River in western Hokkaido, thereby forming the artificial Lake Tobetsu Fukuro. Completed in October 2012, the controversial dam is supposed to provide flood control, and the lake serves as a water reservoir for the region.
Camera: Canon EOS 80D.
Lens: Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM.
Edited with Adobe Photoshop.
Satellite Beach, Florida, USA.
A controversial artificial reef project has brought renewed attention to the unique and beautiful sabellariid worm reef that runs along the shoreline of Satellite Beach. Built upon a substrate of coquina and only visible at low tide, the mounding structures seen here are typical of the colonies created by the tiny bristle worms. Sadly, three acres of this natural reef will be buried when new sand is brought in to replenish the beach. The barge and crane in the distance have been placing segments of the new artificial reef that is hoped will compensate for the damage.
Additional note: the worms build sand hoods over their tubes to protect themselves from drying out in the sun at low tide. Walking on a living worm reef crushes these hoods into the tubes, sealing them, and killing the worms. People should never walk on, scrape, or break pieces off the worm reefs. The mounds are usually surrounded by areas of sand and coquina so it's still possible to walk among the worm homes without causing any harm.
Commercial licensing available at jillb.smugmug.com
- Loures, Portugal -
Always trying to be controversial ... I know that most viewers will see blue and not teal. Let the arguments begin!
The controversial so called 'Toaster' building at East Circular Quay in Sydney, still has a few very interesting features. One is the white granite colonnade leading the crowds towards Opera House and second may be this entry lobby to the underground Dandy Cinema with it's skylight with a 'moving' sculpture and very interesting floor pattern.
I am aware that some of my creations are controversial. I leave the interpretation to the viewer. However, I am open to a discussion.
The mj main-prompt:
the dead pool: a woman in a fogsurrounded by thousands of skulls, in the style of bertil nilsson, calm waters, calming and introspective aesthetic, yasushi nirasawa, naturecore, jamie heiden, cinestill 50d, extreme details, 8k, hyperrealistic, surreal, --ar 3:2 --s 500
I changed the prompt slightly during pan right and pan left.
Upscaling and framing in PS
Clue
In a metaphorical context, "The Dead Pool" could allude to a place, situation, or state characterized by despair, hopelessness, moral decay, or general chaos. It could refer to an environment where life and hope are all but "dead." This expression might be used to describe a bleak or desolate atmosphere or a place where the future appears grim.
In literary works or films, such a title could indicate that the characters are facing severe challenges or dangers and are confronted with extreme difficulties. In this regard, the title "The Dead Pool" serves to prepare readers or viewers for the somber and oppressive nature of the place or plot.
The Idea is That People Should Look A Certain Way in the Face of Tragedy
Thomas Hoepker/Magnum Photos/Harry Ransom Center
During the 9/11 attacks in NYC, Magnum photographer Thomas Hoepker shot what is perhaps the most controversial image created that day: a photo that appears to show a group of young people casually enjoying themselves while the World Trade Center burns in the background. Hoepker kept the image under wraps for four years and then caused quite a stir after publishing it in a 2006 book. Columnist Frank Rich wrote in the New York Times that “The young people in Mr. Hoepker’s photo aren’t necessarily callous. They’re just American.”
Three days after Rich’s column in the NYT, The Slate published an email from Walter Sipser, a Brooklyn artist and the man on the right hand side of the photo. Sipser had harsh words for both Hoepker and Rich:
We were in a profound state of shock and disbelief, like everyone else we encountered that day. Thomas Hoepker did not ask permission to photograph us nor did he make any attempt to ascertain our state of mind before concluding five years later that, “It’s possible they lost people and cared, but they were not stirred by it.” Had Hoepker walked fifty feet over to introduce himself he would have discovered a bunch of New Yorkers in the middle of an animated discussion about what had just happened. He instead chose to publish the photograph that allowed him to draw the conclusions he wished to draw, conclusions that also led Frank Rich to write, “The young people in Mr. Hoepker’s photo aren’t necessarily callous. They’re just American.” A more honest conclusion might start by acknowledging just how easily a photograph can be manipulated, especially in the advancement of one’s own biases or in the service of one’s own career.
Photographer Colin Pantall wrote a blog on this issue and how we look at images with expectations:
"The idea is that one should look a certain way in the face of tragedy, part of the simplistic narrative that is expected of people when they are part of a photograph – a simplistic narrative that does not have an equivalence in writing. Here it is easy to explain the contrast between the glorious sky and the casual dress, the trappings of the picnic and the relaxed poses. These are all allowed to happen, but when it comes to a photograph, God forbid if anybody is caught doing anything that lies outside a very narrow band of expected responses.
petapixel.com/2024/07/12/thomas-hoepker-who-shot-9-11s-mo...
Fotografiska museum Stockholm. Besides providing many wonderful photo opportunities, Stockholm also offers one of the largest contemporary photography museums in the world. Located in the beautiful Stockholm harbor, Fotografiska focuses only on photography as an art form. Even the building, originally a custom service house, kept its original Art Noveau style during the renovation. Four major exhibits, along with 15 to 20 minor exhibits are featured each year.
Approaching the square at the main entrance is the interesting and controversial bronze sculpture by Dan Wolgers, a well known Swedish artist.
His controversial 1991 fibre-glass work, Forward in Birmingham's Centenary Square was destroyed by arson on 17 April 2003.
The statue carried a reference to DNA ("the secret of life") in connection with Maurice Wilkins, who went to school in Birmingham and worked at the University of Birmingham.
It is not controversial that the Iranian regime was and is a dictatorial one without respect for human rights. The issue now is rather that the "Operation Epic Fury" is outside international law, a war of aggression whilst negotiations were still happening, and an international gamble without a clearly defined outcome. Encouraging the Iranian population to rise up is certainly not a replacement for a proper strategy. If one invokes the law of the jungle one should not be surprised when one is judged by it. Fuji X-Pro1 plus Helios 44M-7 at F8.
A controversial design by Helmut Jahn, the James R. Thompson Center is definitely unique.
One of my favorite things about this building is the infinite amount of angles and reflections you can find to photograph.
This was created using an information kiosk as a reflective surface.
A controversial design by Helmut Jahn, the James R. Thompson Center is definitely unique.
One of my favorite things about this building is the infinite amount of angles and reflections you can find to photograph.
This was created using an information kiosk as a reflective surface.
If you'd like to join the protest, you are welcome to sign an on-line petition asking Flickr to look again at these controversial changes. Please click on the following link:
petitions.moveon.org/sign/change-flickr-back?source=s.em....
A controversial sculpture that sits in Copenhagen harbour. It is made up of metal from cars and machines. See more here
Les Deux Plateaux, more commonly known as the Colonnes de Buren, is a highly controversial art installation created by the French artist Daniel Buren in 1985–1986. It is located in the inner courtyard (Cour d'Honneur) of the Palais Royal in Paris, France.
The Colonnes de Buren in the Cour d'Honneur of the Palais-Royal
As described by the architectural writer Andrew Ayers, "Buren's work takes the form of a conceptual grid imposed on the courtyard, whose intersections are marked by candy-striped black-and-white columns of different heights poking up from the courtyard's floor like sticks of seaside rock. ... In one sense the installation can be read as an exploration of the perception and intellectual projection of space."
The work replaced the courtyard's former parking lot and was designed to conceal ventilation shafts for an underground extension of the culture ministry's premises.[1] Some of the columns extend below courtyard level and are surrounded by pools of water into which passersby toss coins.
The project was the "brainchild" of the culture minister Jack Lang and elicited considerable controversy at the time. It was attacked for its cost and unsuitability to a historic landmark. Lang paid no attention to the orders of the Commission des Monuments Historiques, which objected to the plan. In retrospect Ayers has remarked: "Given the harmlessness of the result (deliberate — Buren wanted a monument that would not dominate), the fuss seems excessive, although the columns have proved not only expensive to install, but also to mainta
Colonnes de Buren of different height and of black and white colors in the Louvre Palace by day.
A forty, a fifty, and a ninety... This patchwork CSX consist was typical fare along the forgotten CSX P&A subdivision in the latter half of the twenty-teens. It's an early Saturday morning in October of 2018, and you really couldn't ask for better conditions, or locomotive consist for the spectacular 13 miles of bayshore running in Pensacola, Florida.
This stretch of trackage was the former Louisville and Nashville Railroad's connection to the Seaboard Air Line in Chattahoochee, Florida. The line famously hosted the Gulf Wind passenger train that was a combined effort between the two railroads. It ran between New Orleans and Jacksonville until the advent of Amtrak in 1971.
The L&N's side of the panhandle main was a block controlled DTC main line that saw a handful of daily movements running through from the Southern Pacific in New Orleans. The Seaboard's side was a CTC, high capacity, railroad that would help bring in a new era of traffic to the railroad. After the mega-mergers of the 1990's, new traffic patterns brought a boom to the line. In 2002 one such record of daily train movements along this stretch of track documented 31 trains in a 24 hour period, including the daily Sunset Limited passenger train.
The Hurricane Katrina disaster in August of 2005 would see the end of the Sunset, and the beginning of an up and down decline for the Panhandle mainline that would last until around 2017. In early 2017 activist investor and professional business mafia boss Paul Hilal of Mantle Ridge would tap controversial Canadian Pacific CEO E Hunter Harrison to help stage an executive coup at CSX. The CSX board and shareholders ultimately caved in to the massive pressure put on them by Hilal and Harrison. They subsequently agreed to force then-current CEO Micheal Ward into immediate retirement by bending their own internal rules and accepting the aging Harrison's ascension to the role of CEO. Tens of millions of dollars would swap hands, and E Hunter Harrison would usher in the force-fed world of "Precision Scheduled Railroading" to the entire rail industry.
Harrison went to work "streamlining" the railroad for investors. This meant sidelining thousands of locomotives, wiping out management, eliminating entire service plans, and selling off anything that he and his new team deemed "excessive" to the bottom line. He would die in December of 2017 after complications from a medical emergency. It was later revealed that CSX hired Harrison even after finding out he was in poor health from the start. Harrison was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying “don’t judge me by my medical record, judge me by my performance.” Unfortunately for CSX and Harrison they ultimately were one and the same.
One such fatality to the frenzied chopping was the Pensacola-Jacksonville mainline. By the time this photograph was recorded in October of 2018 Pensacola was down to a mere 4 train movements in 24 hours. Most crews had been forcibly relocated to other CSX locations, and had their family lives uprooted. Still, however, the worst was yet to come, and CSX finalized the sale of the entire line, and associated assets, to the new Florida Gulf and Atlantic railroad in June of 2019.
The Florida Gulf and Atlantic began operations full of promise to serve new customers, open up shipping opportunities, and be a great place to work for those previously at CSX. As is usual for a non-union railroad those promises soon fell flat. Engineers and conductors who were lured in by great pay saw leadership cut into that nearly immediately. Maintaining a 300+ mile class one mainline to the standards set forth in the sale agreement also proved to be a challenge. In less than a year of operation multiple bridges between Pensacola and Jacksonville were deemed unfit for service and the railroad was severed in the middle for the better part of a calendar year.
In 2025 the story is really still the same along the panhandle line. The Florida Gulf and Atlantic is now on their fourth round of ownership, and while carloads and service remain somewhat steady the future is unknown.... The train count along the bayshore has dwindled to two movements a day. One in and one out. Nothing even runs on weekends anymore...
Thank you for reading and looking!
A controversial design by Helmut Jahn, the James R. Thompson Center is definitely unique.
Good article in the @ChicagoTribune today about Jahn and other artists.
A somewhat controversial addition to the Ocean Reef Marina development is this large mobile tower. There are complaints that it is obtrusive and gets in the way of peoples ocean views.
I was returning from skateboarding when I saw a beam of sunlight break through the overcast day and light up this tower and crane so pulled over and snapped off a couple of shots. The light and colour is impressive
Get it bc they're literal figures and they cause controversy whenever people talk about them (anyways I finally got the farmer from CMF and used his awesome pieces)
Controversial Monument commemorating the Battle of the Ebro.
The Tortosa City Council and the Tarragona Provincial Council withdrew some of the francoist symbols and dedications, so that the monument would be considered as a tribute to the dead of both sides and it has been declared a part of the cultural heritage of Catalonia.
Polémico Monumento conmemorativo de la Batalla del Ebro.
El Ayuntamiento de Tortosa y la Diputación de Tarragona retiraron algunos de los símbolos y dedicatorias franquistas, para que se considerase el monumento como un homenaje a los muertos de los dos bandos y ha sido declarado bien integrante del patrimonio cultural de Cataluña.
Comarca del Baix Ebre.
Tortosa (Tarragona/ Catalunya/ Spain)
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monumento_conmemorativo_de_la_Batal...
(Warning, this description contains politics and controversial topics, solely for the purpose of this image and it's theme)
Right off the bat, yes, this is a heavily edited shot. I fantasized a very specific look I wanted from this composition and this was the result. All I wanted with this shot was to make it look more noire, particularly inspired by the cinematography of The Batman (2022).
Portland really is a rather depressing city. A shell of a once prosperous place, eaten out by it's dissatisfaction and insatiability for what it perceives as equity. Poor living conditions, tents on the roadside yet to be cleaned up, crawling with antifa. But perhaps that's the sad legacy of major American cities, where people don't live as hard, thrive on higher business to live, and dare I say don't contribute to the needs of the country as much as they think they do. My own resentment matches theirs. It's a shadowy topic to discuss, they're drawn to different opinions like airborne viruses. Responsibility doesn't hang heavy in these vicinities anymore. I've tried and tried to find a source for the outcome, and it keeps coming up empty. Maybe it was all just predetermined to happen. (That's the kind of thing I wanted this shot to exude).
Fatalism can be a good belief to apply to certain situations, but it can never be treated as a core belief, because that means you believe you're never at fault and everything you do is decided by something else. The victimhood perspective is overplayed these days and is amplified by more social thought structures like fatalism.
I foresee this shot not doing too well because it's in almost no way real. Everything in the frame is real. I did go to St John's Bridge and I did take this photo, but nothing is how it originally looked. From the sky to the bridge to the street, to the lamps (that weren't on). But I figured this would be a good shot to work on with October around the corner. I don't think I'll take this many creative liberties again for a long while, hope you enjoy anyway.
"Dotty Wotty" aka "The New White House" is one of the few remaining buildings in the Heidelberg Project on Detroit's east side.
The Heidelberg Project is a controversial outdoor art project conceived in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton. After a tour in the Army, Guyton returned to Heidelberg Street, his childhood Detroit neighborhood, and was quoted as saying "it looked like a bomb went off" there.
He began using "found objects" to decorate abandoned homes in the area, for example discarded toy dolls were affixed to the exterior of one house and it became known as the "Doll House". Tourists, and artists alike flocked to the area to be amused and amazed by the vision of the artist. But not everyone saw the artistic achievement. Two Detroit mayors ordered destruction of some of the homes. Then in 2013 and 2014, eight houses were lost to an arsonist in separate incidents. No one was apprehended.
Today, the spirit of Heidelberg Project remains, but vacant lots mark the spots of many parts of the neighborhood.
By controversial artist Maurizio Catalan ,exhibition at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.
P.Artistry 12/7
La idea de construir un temple expiatori (és a dir, a partir de donatius) dedicat a la Sagrada Família va partir del llibreter Josep Maria Bocabella, inspirat pel sacerdot Josep Manyanet —canonitzat el 2004—, fundador de la Congregació de Fills de la Sagrada Família i de la Congregació de Missioneres Filles de la Sagrada Família de Natzaret, encarregades de promoure el culte a la Sagrada Família i de fomentar l'educació cristiana de nens i joves.[6] El 1866, Bocabella va fundar l'Associació de Devots de Sant Josep, entitat dedicada entre altres qüestions a recaptar fons per a la construcció d'un temple. Per a la difusió de la seva tasca, va editar a partir del 1867 una revista, titulada inicialment El Propagador de la devoción a San José, inspirada en la revista francesa Le propagateur de la dévotion à Saint Joseph, publicada a Dijon pel pare Joseph Huguet.[7][b]
El 31 de desembre de 1881, Josep Bocabella va comprar per 172.000 pessetes uns terrenys situats a la zona del Poblet, aleshores una barriada de Sant Martí de Provençals.[8][9][c][10] Delimitats pels carrers de Mallorca, Provença, Marina i Sardenya, corresponien a una de les illes del Pla Cerdà, la qual, però, era més gran que les altres perquè, en principi, estava previst construir-hi un hipòdrom.[8]
El projecte fou encomanat a l'arquitecte Francesc de Paula Villar i Lozano, que va traçar un projecte neogòtic amb una església de tres naus amb creuer i un absis amb deambulatori, rebutjant la idea de Bocabella de fer una rèplica del santuari de Loreto, que se suposa va ser la casa de Josep i Maria a Natzaret.[11] El dia de Sant Josep de 1882, el bisbe Urquinaona posava la primera pedra,[12][13][14] coincidint amb la proclamació al Concili Vaticà I de sant Josep com a patró de l'Església Universal. Els desacords de Villar amb Bocabella van fer que aquest demanés assessorament a l'arquitecte Joan Martorell i Montells i van provocar la dimissió del primer. Aleshores, es va oferir el càrrec a Martorell, però aquest el va rebutjar i va recomanar Gaudí, que havia treballat per a ell com a ajudant, i el 1883, assumí la direcció de les obres.[15]
El desembre de 1884, Gaudí signà el projecte de la capella de Sant Josep a l'absis de la cripta, que fou inaugurat el 19 de març de 1885, en el qual intervingueren els escultors Llorenç Matamala i Piñol i Carles Mani.[16] Se sap que en aquest any hi treballaven un equip de vuit paletes, deu picapedrers, dotze escultors i un nombre indeterminat de fusters i serrallers.[17] El 1891 van començar les obres de la façana del Naixement,[cal citació] i des del 1895, la gestió del projecte va a càrrec de la Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, una fundació canònica per a promoure la construcció del temple mitjançant donatius i iniciatives privades.[cal citació]
A partir de l'encàrrec de la casa Milà de l'any 1906, Gaudí pràcticament es concentraria només en l'obra de la Sagrada Família que, de fet, ocuparia tota la seva carrera, ja que feia un quart de segle que en dissenyava i dirigia la construcció i moriria fent-ho; així i tot, el temple només quedava embastat.[18] Va poder veure'n construïda una part del costat de l'Epístola amb la façana del Naixement, de la qual només la torre de sant Bernabé estava acabada totalment i una part del mur exterior de l'absis.[cal citació]
El 12 de juny de 1926, Antoni Gaudí va ser sepultat a la capella de la Mare de Déu del Carme de la cripta.[cal citació] A la seva època, hi van col·laborar molts dels seus deixebles i ajudants, com Francesc Berenguer, Josep Maria Jujol, Josep Francesc Ràfols, Cèsar Martinell, Joan Bergós, Francesc Folguera, Josep Canaleta i Joan Rubió, i a la seva mort, es va fer càrrec de les obres un altre dels seus deixebles, Domènec Sugrañes, que va finalitzar la construcció de les tres torres de la façana del Naixement que quedaven pendents.[cal citació]
El 20 de juliol de 1936, tot just iniciada la Guerra Civil espanyola, grups d'exaltats anarquistes van incendiar el temple i van destruir bona part del taller en el qual Gaudí havia treballat i on hi havia els seus esbossos, maquetes i models. Tot i que es va perdre molt material van quedar restes de les maquetes, que es van restaurar, i la documentació que s'havia publicat en El Propagador, en l'Àlbum i que havia estat recollida pels seus deixebles, com Isidre Puig i Boada.[cal citació]
L'any 1944 es van reprendre les obres per un equip dirigit per Francesc de Paula Quintana i Vidal, Isidre Puig i Boada, Lluís Bonet i Garí, els quals, a la mort del primer l'any 1966, continuaren fins a l'any 1981, en què prengué el relleu Francesc Cardoner i Blanch.[19] El 1985 va ser nomenat director Jordi Bonet i Armengol,[20][21] amb un equip on figuraven Carles Buxadé, Joan Margarit i Jordi Faulí i Oller.[20] El 2012, Jordi Bonet va ser substituït per Jordi Faulí i Oller.[22]
El 18 de març de 2007 se'n va commemorar el 125è aniversari de la col·locació de la primera pedra amb una festa, concerts i ballant una sardana (La Santa Espina) encerclant tot el temple.[23]
Segons les darreres previsions, la torre de Jesús s'acabaria a finals del 2025, i el 2026 es faria la inauguració oficial, coincidint amb el centenari de la mort de Gaudí.[24]
The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família,[a] otherwise known as Sagrada Família, is a church under construction in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), in 2005 his work on Sagrada Família was added to an existing (1984) UNESCO World Heritage Site, "Works of Antoni Gaudí".[5] On 7 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a minor basilica.[6][7][8]
On 19 March 1882, construction of Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned,[5] Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the church's crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.[9]
Relying solely on private donations, Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. In July 1936, anarchists from the FAI set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí's original plans.[10] In 1939, Francesc de Paula Quintana took over site management, which was able to go on with the material that was saved from Gaudí's workshop and that was reconstructed from published plans and photographs.[11] Construction resumed to intermittent progress in the 1950s. Advancements in technologies such as computer-aided design and computerised numerical control (CNC) have since enabled faster progress and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. In 2014, it was anticipated that the building would be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death,[12] but this schedule was threatened by work slowdowns caused by the 2020–2021 depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] In March 2024, an updated forecast reconfirmed a likely completion of the building in 2026, though the announcement stated that work on sculptures, decorative details and a controversial proposed stairway leading to what will eventually be the main entrance is expected to continue until 2034.[14]
Describing Sagrada Família, art critic Rainer Zerbst said "it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art",[15] and Paul Goldberger describes it as "the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages".[16]
Though sometimes[when?] described[by whom?] as a cathedral, the basilica is not the cathedral church of the Archdiocese of Barcelona; that title belongs to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (Barcelona Cathedral).
History
Origins
Sagrada Família was inspired by a bookseller, José María Bocabella [es], founder of Asociación Espiritual de Devotos de San José (Spiritual Association of Devotees of St. Joseph). After a visit to the Vatican in 1872, Bocabella returned from Italy with the intention of building a church inspired by the basilica at Loreto. The apse crypt of the church, funded by donations, was begun 19 March 1882, on the festival of St. Joseph, to the design of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, whose plan was for a Gothic revival church of a standard form. The apse crypt was completed before Villar's resignation on 18 March 1883, when Antoni Gaudí assumed responsibility for its design, which he changed radically.[17] Gaudi began work on the church in 1883 but was not appointed Architect Director until 1884.[citation needed]On the subject of the extremely long construction period, Gaudí is said to have remarked: "My client is not in a hurry."[18] When Gaudí died in 1926, the basilica was between 15 and 25 percent complete.[9][19] After Gaudí's death, work continued under the direction of his main disciple Domènec Sugrañes i Gras until interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Parts of the unfinished basilica and Gaudí's models and workshop were destroyed during the war. The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the plans that were burned in a fire as well as on modern adaptations.[14] Since 1940, the architects Francesc Quintana, Isidre Puig Boada, Lluís Bonet i Garí and Francesc Cardoner have carried on the work. The illumination was designed by Carles Buïgas. The director until 2012 was the son of Lluís Bonet, Jordi Bonet i Armengol. Armengol began introducing computers into the design and construction process in the 1980s.[citatiThe central nave vaulting was completed in 2000 and the main tasks since then have been the construction of the transept vaults and apse. In 2002, the Sagrada Família Schools building was relocated from the eastern corner of the site to the southern corner, and began housing an exhibition. The school was originally designed by Gaudí in 1909 for the children of the construction workers.[20]
As of 2006, work concentrated on the crossing and supporting structure for the main steeple of Jesus Christ as well as the southern enclosure of the central nave, which will become the Glory façade. Computer-aided design technology has allowed stone to be shaped off-site by a CNC milling machine, whereas in the 20th century the stone was carved by hand.[21] In 2008, some renowned Catalan architects advocated halting construction[22] to respect Gaudí's original designs, which, although they were not exhaustive and were partially destroyed, have been partially reconstructed in recent years.[23]
Since 2013, AVE high-speed trains have passed near Sagrada Família through a tunnel that runs beneath the centre of Barcelona. The tunnel's construction, which began on 26 March 2010, was controversial. The Ministry of Public Works of Spain (Ministerio de Fomento) claimed the project posed no risk to the church.[24][25] Sagrada Família engineers and architects disagreed, saying there was no guarantee that the tunnel would not affect the stability of the building. The Board of the Sagrada Família (Patronat de la Sagrada Família) and the neighborhood association AVE pel Litoral (AVE by the Coast) led a campaign against this route for the AVE, without success.[citation needed] In October 2010, the tunnel boring machine reached the church underground under the location of the building's principal façade.[24] Service through the tunnel was inaugurated on 8 January 2013.[26] Track in the tunnel makes use of a system by Edilon Sedra in which the rails are embedded in an elastic material to dampen vibrations.[27]
The main nave was covered and an organ installed in mid-2010, allowing the still-unfinished building to be used for liturgies.[28] The church was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI on 7 November 2010 in front of a congregation of 6,500 people.[29] A further 50,000 people followed the consecration Mass from outside the basilica, where more than 100 bishops and 300 priests were on hand to distribute Holy Communion.[30]In 2012, Barcelona-born Jordi Faulí i Oller took over as architect of the project.[31][32] Mark Burry of New Zealand serves as Executive Architect and Researcher.[33] Sculptures by J. Busquets, Etsuro Sotoo and Josep Maria Subirachs decorate the fantastical façades.
Chief architect Jordi Faulí announced in October 2015 that construction was 70 percent complete and had entered its final phase of raising six immense steeples. The steeples and most of the church's structure were planned to be completed by 2026, the centennial of Gaudí's death;[14] as of a 2017 estimate, decorative elements should be complete by 2030 or 2032.[34][failed verification] Visitor entrance fees of €15 to €20 finance the annual construction budget of €25 million.[35] Completion of the structure will use post-tensioned stone.[36]
Starting on 9 July 2017, an international mass is celebrated at the basilica every Sunday and holy day of obligation, at 9 a.m., and is open to the public (until the church is full). Occasionally, Mass is celebrated at other times, where attendance requires an invitation. When masses are scheduled, instructions to obtain an invitation are posted on the basilica's website. In addition, visitors may pray in the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and Penitence.[37]
The stone initially used in its construction came from the Montserrat mountain, but it became clear that as quarrying there went deeper, the stone was increasingly fragile and an alternative source had to be found. Since 2018 stone of the type needed to complete the construction has been sourced from the Withnell Quarry in Brinscall, near Chorley, England.[3
This "controversial architecture" building can be seen on the previous shot in my stream (which was made 40 mins after this shot). See how the sky / light has changed. By now in 2024 another bulding has been already constructed on the empty place seen on this photo.
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A Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) in it’s hideout during the day.
The Tawny Owl has only inhabited Finland for a bit over a 100 years. The first nest was found at the end of the 19th century. And only recently, during the 1960s and 1970s, the population increased. However, the cold winters of the 1980s took the population significantly down again. Global warming may have a positive impact on the population of this bird in Finland. How controversial.
A very controversial work that retains a special charm due to its extremely rigid geometries that recall the arches of the Colosseum.
Colosseo quadrato
Un opera molto discussa che conserva però un fascino speciale dato dalle sue geometrie estremamente rigide che ricordano però gli archi del Colosseo.
It' probably controversial to say this, but I like nature that has been improved by man. Nature is swell, don't get me wrong, but I am always drawn to the places where man has improved something in nature. A great lodge, a bridge, heck, look at Going to the Sun Road in Glacier! Its the main attraction. Anything the CCC built during the depression is always my favorite part of the park, no mater which park. I like that they open up nature to so many others to fall in love with. There is a book called Last Child in the Woods that makes the argument that preservation has gone way too far (are you listening Parks Departments?). The idea is that if you close off nature to the select few, the fit, the rugged, then that group will keep getting smaller. They will have a hard time defending these places politically, and these places will start to disappear. On the flip side, if you open up these fantastic places with improved trails, cool bridges, and catwalk trails, more people see them, they fall in love, and greater numbers of people respect these places, want to actually fight to keep them. The more you share, the stronger these places will become.
So in this shot, in Johnston Canyon up in Canada, I just love that they took this great canyon, with a great river, and great trees, and did what any nature lover should do- bolt a catwalk to the side of the cliff. Oh yeah, that's my kind of nature. That's why this image features the catwalk as prominently as the river. I tried to really play with light in this image to pull you into the frame. Enjoy.