View allAll Photos Tagged sacral
Scialbe nebbie scalano le colline
rosseggianti di trifoglio in fiore,
s’aprono allo sguardo piccoli borghi,
chiazze di pietra vetusta nel verde
umido delle valli, vecchie signore
che il tempo ha segnato senza intaccare
il tratto solenne e gentile.
Sul sagrato del tempio,
che intorno a sé tutto raccoglie,
risa gioiose di bimbi s‘accompagnano al rintocco
della campana della prima messa.
Nulla è cambiato: l’orologio dell’antica
torre segna sempre la stessa ora,
muto custode della sacralità di questo incanto.
_________________
(Renzo Montagnoli)
meglio su nero!!!
This was the first mosque built in Malmö, at first I used to see it at a distance often when my family drove from rural Hofterup where we lived, to the Urban Malmoe to shop or similar…
the minarets were added later, at first it was only the main building…
later on a would visit it several times, both as part of my education but also later with muslim friends I had…
Peace and Noise MushroomBrain exploring religious architecture
looking through the hole of a the sculpture
artwork by Albert Schilling de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Schilling
New 365 Project 2022 21.02
The Secret of Cosmic Blood Flow: Plasma
The Pentagram and the Ether Streams
Steiner describes, in “From the Contents of Esoteric Classes“, the pentagram with:
We’re always surrounded by five ether streams in the world around us on earth. They’re called earth, water, fire, air and thought ethers. These etheric streams are also active in man: earth either from the head to the right foot, from there water ether to the left hand, from there fire ether to the right hand, from there air ether to the left foot, and then thought ether back to the head. This is the occultist’s sacred pentagram, the symbol of man. Its point is directed upwards, which indicates that the spirit streams to man from the heights. The pentagram is present in many flowers and other things in nature. The sign of black magic is a pentagram with one point at the bottom, through which magicians attract bad forces from the earth and send them out of the two top horns into the environment by means of their bad will in order to use soul and nature forces for their own egotistical, evil purposes.
The cosmic blood flow is currently recognized as a characteristic of the Electric Bridge and it is now possible, in parallel, to focus on the form that is constructed and sustained through this fluid, electrical support.
As it is well known, the basis of all organic life is carbon and one of the secrets contained in the ability of carbon to form long polymer chains and build organic forms, is the magnetic power inherent in it. Until now, scientific theory considered it impossible to magnetize carbon at room temperature because of its electron configuration; the "magnetic club" was an exclusive group that included only a few prestigious members: copper, cobalt, nickel and a few rare alloys. But now, with the result of sophisticated research on light, carbon is officially recognized as part of this group: science and technology are working to bring together the world of magnetism and that of carbon - something that the high priests of alchemy had long done.
Magnetism is an "order phenomenon" - for scientists and occultists alike, it will be used to transfigure the structure of form into a home more appropriate for the mind. Magnetic carbon has a central role to play in this process because it is the hidden and long sought-after key to the philosopher's stone. The relationship between inner and outer man focuses on the alchemy of carbon and current research on the electronic and magnetic functioning of carbon has immense implications for the future; it will help humanity to transcend the physical plane through new conceptions of time and space, and with the words of the Tibetan...: "We will see each other, as well as all forms of divine manifestation, as units of light of different degrees of luminosity and we will reason more and more in terms of electricity, voltage, intensity and energy. »
There are seven basic types of electrical power that the spiritualized and creative human being can use and seven corresponding types of matter, and the resulting construction work lies at the heart of a future electrical alchemy where "temples will be built that will not be made with hands. "The current discoveries concerning carbon and their application in nanotechnologies are an external symbol of this science: future spiritual art. When humanity as a whole has progressed to a more spiritual state of consciousness, the electrical manipulation of carbon will be widely practiced through the natural abilities dormant in each individual. Humanity will then begin to work consciously as one, to transform the earth, and later, the entire solar system, into a living temple. It will be a temple of transfigured carbon and humanity will express itself through it, as a living diamond, as a kingdom of souls.
The key to implementing this great Alchemic undertaking lies in understanding the "seventh ray in connection with the phenomena of electricity, by means of which the solar system is coordinated and vitalized... When the great work is accomplished, we will see the Temple of God, the solar system, organized objectively and subjectively; its sacred places will then be accessible to the sons of men, who will then be able to work unimpeded and have free access to all parts of the building. Through the magic of the Word, which will then have been found, all doors will open, and man's consciousness will respond to every divine manifestation. »
It is not only an enigmatic and mystical vision, but an intensely practical vision, an understanding of the fundamental role of carbon in the electric bridge that will reveal :
"Every manifestation is only electricity, "the mystery of electricity" to which H.P.B. referred in the "Secret Doctrine". In Nature, everything has an electric nature. Life itself is electricity. But the electricity that we currently know and use is only physical electricity, inherent in the physical and etheric matter of all forms, and linked to this matter... The secret lies therefore in future scientific discoveries. »
The discovery of the magnetic properties of carbon and its ability to respond to electrical manipulation is one of these secrets, but much more is about to be revealed...
Steiner describes, in "From the Contents of Esoteric Classes", the pentagram with :
We are always surrounded by five ether currents in the world around us on earth. They are called earth, water, fire, air and thought ethers. These etheric currents are also active in man: the earth is from head to right foot, from there the ether of water to left hand, from there the ether of fire to right hand, from there the ether of air to left foot, then the ether of thought to head. It is the sacred pentagram of the occultist, symbol of man. Its point is pointing upwards, which indicates that the spirit is flowing towards man from the heights. The pentagram is present in many flowers and other things in nature. The sign of black magic is a pentagram with a dot at the bottom, through which magicians attract the evil energies of the earth and send them out of the two upper horns into the environment through their evil wills in order to use the forces of the soul and nature for their own selfish and evil ends.
"Bereshit bara elohim eth âchamaîm veéth âaretç" (Gen 1:1), which is commonly translated as : "In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. "The first two words are "Bereshit" and "bara". With regard to the first term, it should be noted that, in their respective interpretations, both Saint Augustine and Maimonides identify the beginning with the principle[10][10] They thus distinguish themselves from Saint Thomas Aquinas, who.... This is the reason why the first bed: "In principle you made heaven and earth" (in principio fecit Deus coelum et terram)[11][11] Saint Augustine, Confessions, XI, 3, 5. and the second: "In principle God created the top and bottom of the universe. "Maimonides opposes the notion of principle[rechit] - derived from rock, the head, to the notion of priority[té'hilla] Maimonides, Le guide des égarés, trad. S. Munk, Verdier,...; as the second term applies to something prior in time.
We are all born into a particular flow of energy that determines many parameters of our lives
We are all born in an "astrological field", in a particular flow of energy which determines many parameters of our life: our personality, our potential, etc. In Hebrew this is referred to as "Mazal", which means "alignment of celestial bodies". But this term can also mean "luck", as when one wishes someone "Mazal Tov"
A person's Mazal is determined at birth. Now in the paracha of Lekh-Lekha, God makes Abraham leave his tent and enjoins him "to try to count the stars". God then changed Abraham's name and raised him metaphorically above the stars to realign his destiny.
Why did Abraham deserve this special treatment? The dominant vision of the time was idolatry. Abraham, having perceived the falsity of this vision, had risen above social norms. In response to his transcendent act, God raised Abraham above the laws of nature, "beyond the stars.
From this moment flowed an eternal principle: the Jews would be above the Mazal. We will no longer have to follow the fate dictated by the stars. History has clearly confirmed this: Jews survived the great empires that were the Romans or the Greeks. Even today, the Jews of Israel defy nature by their flourishing presence on a land surrounded by enemies.
But beyond national considerations, this idea has profound implications in our personal lives as well. The Talmud tells us that Rabbi Aquiva's daughter was to die on her wedding day. During the wedding meal, the bride froze the needle of her bun in the wall behind her, killing a snake that was there and was about to bite her. When the body of the beast was discovered and it was realized what it had just escaped, it was asked to recall the events of the day. She told how in the middle of the festivities she had noticed poor people waiting outside, and she had left her own wedding to bring them food. An extraordinary act of charity!
This is where we can see how this rule works. This woman's superhuman act had elevated her above the pre-programmed system, which altered her destiny and changed her life. If we aspire to it, we can also benefit from it.
... Hermes, 237-238 Moses: as alchemist, 187; competition with Pharaoh's magicians, ... 197; alchemical uses of, 190-191; in Paracelsus, 185; Pico's interest in, 17; ... longevity of due to alchemy, 188 pentagram: force of against demons, 144; ...
What is the shared core of all religious and esoteric traditions?
To continue the tale of the serpents lets look at the Kundalini Fire from India. The Kundalini system looks like the Caduceus Staff with the two Serpents around the spine: Kundalini with Chakras The serpents has two different colors like the two outer pillars in the Kabbalah Tree of Life, and they have the same interpretations as the Feminine and Masculine energies. Seven Lotus Flowers or Chakras, which are spiritual organs, are placed on the spine.
Macrocosmic Man: Left side of Man is the masculine side and the right side is the feminine side, as we see the Tree of Life from the front, the macrocosmic man.
The correspondence between the Chakras (see later) and the Sephirots: Sahasrara or the Crown Chakra, corresponds to Keter. Ajna, the Third Eye , or the Brow Chakra corresponds to Chokmah, and the back head chakra with Binah.
Vishuddha or the Throat Chakra corresponds to Chesed and Ta Chui, The Neck Chakra, with Gevurah.
Ahanhata or the Heart Chakra corresponds to Tiferet
Manipura or the Navel Chakra, where Hod corresponds to the Liver and Netzach corresponds to the Stomach
Svadhistana or the Sacral Chakra corresponds to Yesod
Muladhara, the base of spine, the Root Chakra, corresponds to Malkhu. From the heart and up the feminine and masculine energies are nearly in Equilibrium with the heart near the center. 5. Chesed, 6. Gevurah, 7. Chokmah, 8. Binah, 9. Daat, 10. Kether
Microcosmic Man: Rudolf Steiner describes the two sides of man as being a kind of fight between Luciferic and Ahrimanic powers, where Lucifer is the masculine power (Yang) and Ahriman is the feminine power (Yin). Both described in the literature as Serpents or Dragons. Lucifer represents The Right Pillar, and Ahriman The Left Pillar. They are on Earth seen as Evil powers, but they are necessary factors in our development, as we both need the Feminine and Masculine influence, but we need to find the balance between them. From The Balance in the World and Man, Lucifer and Ahriman:
The left part of you — your left man, as it were — is the fortification set up by Lucifer, and your right man is the fortification set up by Ahriman. And the whole art of life consists in finding the true balance between them.
See also an extended Collection of Steiner texts about Lucifer and Ahriman(pdf) . The energy flows from the left side to the right side, from the Luciferic or Masculine side to the Ahrimanic or Feminine side.
Spiritual AnatomyMicrocosmic Man
Crossed arms or legs shortcuts the natural streams and should be avoided, except where specified in meditative practices. From The Kingdom of God from www.adishakti.org/
“Now this Kundalini is the power which is placed in the sacrum bone, nowhere else… And imagine this bone is called sacrum; “sacrum” means “sacred. So they knew there was something in it… This is the primule, is the germinating power within us. Now this fact has been accepted for thousands of years in India and elsewhere. For in the Bible also … they talk of the Tree of Life. That is the same as this… So this is the thing that is being described in our ancient books, in all the scriptures, even in the Qur’an they are described as Ruh, R,U,H, Ruh. “Ruh” means the “cold breeze”, the “cool breeze”. The cool breeze of the Holy Ghost is described in the Bible also.
Japanese Mitsudomoe: The Mitsudomoe represents the trinity of the Shinto religion: Sky, Man, and Earth, which is the same as the three Pillars of Kabbalah: first, second and third, or Steiners Lucifer, Christ, and Ahriman, or the Hindi Rajas, Sattva, and kimgraaemunch.wordpress.com/tag/ether-streams/treams/
The Occult Sciences in the Renaissance: A Study in Inthttp://books.google.fr/books?isbn=0520020219sbn=0520020219 - Traduire cette page
30/04/2018, the glorious, vaulted ceiling, of the Synagogue Cafe, which also serves as a library, in Trnava, Slovakia.
My friend Martin insisted that we visit this exquisite and historic building, and I am glad we did.
Eighty-two percent of the Jews residing in Trnava, Slovakia, were murdered in the Holocaust, destroyed along with an ancient Jewish heritage dating back to the 12th century. The city's synagogues were similarly demolished—or were converted for other uses. This one survived, just.
The café is located in the premises of the now consecrated Orthodox Synagogue, which was designed by the Viennese architect Jakub Gartner, and built in 1891.
After surviving the turbulent times of the last century, the synagogue was reconstructed at great expense, and in 2010 received the award for the Most Beautiful Reconstructed Sacral Building in Slovakia.
The exploitation rights for this text are the property of the Vienna Tourist Board. This text may be reprinted free of charge until further notice, even partially and in edited form. Forward sample copy to: Vienna Tourist Board, Media Management, Invalidenstraße 6, 1030 Vienna; media.rel@wien.info. All information in this text without guarantee.
Author: Andreas Nierhaus, Curator of Architecture/Wien Museum
Last updated January 2014
Architecture in Vienna
Vienna's 2,000-year history is present in a unique density in the cityscape. The layout of the center dates back to the Roman city and medieval road network. Romanesque and Gothic churches characterize the streets and squares as well as palaces and mansions of the baroque city of residence. The ring road is an expression of the modern city of the 19th century, in the 20th century extensive housing developments set accents in the outer districts. Currently, large-scale urban development measures are implemented; distinctive buildings of international star architects complement the silhouette of the city.
Due to its function as residence of the emperor and European power center, Vienna for centuries stood in the focus of international attention, but it was well aware of that too. As a result, developed an outstanding building culture, and still today on a worldwide scale only a few cities can come up with a comparable density of high-quality architecture. For several years now, Vienna has increased its efforts to connect with its historical highlights and is drawing attention to itself with some spectacular new buildings. The fastest growing city in the German-speaking world today most of all in residential construction is setting standards. Constants of the Viennese architecture are respect for existing structures, the palpability of historical layers and the dialogue between old and new.
Culmination of medieval architecture: the Stephansdom
The oldest architectural landmark of the city is St. Stephen's Cathedral. Under the rule of the Habsburgs, defining the face of the city from the late 13th century until 1918 in a decisive way, the cathedral was upgraded into the sacral monument of the political ambitions of the ruling house. The 1433 completed, 137 meters high southern tower, by the Viennese people affectionately named "Steffl", is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture in Europe. For decades he was the tallest stone structure in Europe, until today he is the undisputed center of the city.
The baroque residence
Vienna's ascension into the ranks of the great European capitals began in Baroque. Among the most important architects are Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. Outside the city walls arose a chain of summer palaces, including the garden Palais Schwarzenberg (1697-1704) as well as the Upper and Lower Belvedere of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1714-22). Among the most important city palaces are the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene (1695-1724, now a branch of the Belvedere) and the Palais Daun-Kinsky (auction house in Kinsky 1713-19). The emperor himself the Hofburg had complemented by buildings such as the Imperial Library (1722-26) and the Winter Riding School (1729-34). More important, however, for the Habsburgs was the foundation of churches and monasteries. Thus arose before the city walls Fischer von Erlach's Karlskirche (1714-39), which with its formal and thematic complex show façade belongs to the major works of European Baroque. In colored interior rooms like that of St. Peter's Church (1701-22), the contemporary efforts for the synthesis of architecture, painting and sculpture becomes visible.
Upgrading into metropolis: the ring road time (Ringstraßenzeit)
Since the Baroque, reflections on extension of the hopelessly overcrowed city were made, but only Emperor Franz Joseph ordered in 1857 the demolition of the fortifications and the connection of the inner city with the suburbs. 1865, the Ring Road was opened. It is as the most important boulevard of Europe an architectural and in terms of urban development achievement of the highest rank. The original building structure is almost completely preserved and thus conveys the authentic image of a metropolis of the 19th century. The public representational buildings speak, reflecting accurately the historicism, by their style: The Greek Antique forms of Theophil Hansen's Parliament (1871-83) stood for democracy, the Renaissance of the by Heinrich Ferstel built University (1873-84) for the flourishing of humanism, the Gothic of the Town Hall (1872-83) by Friedrich Schmidt for the medieval civic pride.
Dominating remained the buildings of the imperial family: Eduard van der Nüll's and August Sicardsburg's Opera House (1863-69), Gottfried Semper's and Carl Hasenauer's Burgtheater (1874-88), their Museum of Art History and Museum of Natural History (1871-91) and the Neue (New) Hofburg (1881-1918 ). At the same time the ring road was the preferred residential area of mostly Jewish haute bourgeoisie. With luxurious palaces the families Ephrussi, Epstein or Todesco made it clear that they had taken over the cultural leadership role in Viennese society. In the framework of the World Exhibition of 1873, the new Vienna presented itself an international audience. At the ring road many hotels were opened, among them the Hotel Imperial and today's Palais Hansen Kempinski.
Laboratory of modernity: Vienna around 1900
Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06) was one of the last buildings in the Ring road area Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06), which with it façade, liberated of ornament, and only decorated with "functional" aluminum buttons and the glass banking hall now is one of the icons of modern architecture. Like no other stood Otto Wagner for the dawn into the 20th century: His Metropolitan Railway buildings made the public transport of the city a topic of architecture, the church of the Psychiatric hospital at Steinhofgründe (1904-07) is considered the first modern church.
With his consistent focus on the function of a building ("Something impractical can not be beautiful"), Wagner marked a whole generation of architects and made Vienna the laboratory of modernity: in addition to Joseph Maria Olbrich, the builder of the Secession (1897-98) and Josef Hoffmann, the architect of the at the western outskirts located Purkersdorf Sanatorium (1904) and founder of the Vienna Workshop (Wiener Werkstätte, 1903) is mainly to mention Adolf Loos, with the Loos House at the square Michaelerplatz (1909-11) making architectural history. The extravagant marble cladding of the business zone stands in maximal contrast, derived from the building function, to the unadorned facade above, whereby its "nudity" became even more obvious - a provocation, as well as his culture-critical texts ("Ornament and Crime"), with which he had greatest impact on the architecture of the 20th century. Public contracts Loos remained denied. His major works therefore include villas, apartment facilities and premises as the still in original state preserved Tailor salon Knize at Graben (1910-13) and the restored Loos Bar (1908-09) near the Kärntner Straße (passageway Kärntner Durchgang).
Between the Wars: International Modern Age and social housing
After the collapse of the monarchy in 1918, Vienna became capital of the newly formed small country of Austria. In the heart of the city, the architects Theiss & Jaksch built 1931-32 the first skyscraper in Vienna as an exclusive residential address (Herrengasse - alley 6-8). To combat the housing shortage for the general population, the social democratic city government in a globally unique building program within a few years 60,000 apartments in hundreds of apartment buildings throughout the city area had built, including the famous Karl Marx-Hof by Karl Ehn (1925-30). An alternative to the multi-storey buildings with the 1932 opened International Werkbundsiedlung was presented, which was attended by 31 architects from Austria, Germany, France, Holland and the USA and showed models for affordable housing in greenfield areas. With buildings of Adolf Loos, André Lurçat, Richard Neutra, Gerrit Rietveld, the Werkbundsiedlung, which currently is being restored at great expense, is one of the most important documents of modern architecture in Austria.
Modernism was also expressed in significant Villa buildings: The House Beer (1929-31) by Josef Frank exemplifies the refined Wiener living culture of the interwar period, while the house Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1926-28, today Bulgarian Cultural Institute), built by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein together with the architect Paul Engelmann for his sister Margarete, by its aesthetic radicalism and mathematical rigor represents a special case within contemporary architecture.
Expulsion, war and reconstruction
After the "Anschluss (Annexation)" to the German Reich in 1938, numerous Jewish builders, architects (female and male ones), who had been largely responsible for the high level of Viennese architecture, have been expelled from Austria. During the Nazi era, Vienna remained largely unaffected by structural transformations, apart from the six flak towers built for air defense of Friedrich Tamms (1942-45), made of solid reinforced concrete which today are present as memorials in the cityscape.
The years after the end of World War II were characterized by the reconstruction of the by bombs heavily damaged city. The architecture of those times was marked by aesthetic pragmatism, but also by the attempt to connect with the period before 1938 and pick up on current international trends. Among the most important buildings of the 1950s are Roland Rainer's City Hall (1952-58), the by Oswald Haerdtl erected Wien Museum at Karlsplatz (1954-59) and the 21er Haus of Karl Schwanzer (1958-62).
The youngsters come
Since the 1960s, a young generation was looking for alternatives to the moderate modernism of the reconstruction years. With visionary designs, conceptual, experimental and above all temporary architectures, interventions and installations, Raimund Abraham, Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth, Hans Hollein, Walter Pichler and the groups Coop Himmelb(l)au, Haus-Rucker-Co and Missing Link rapidly got international attention. Although for the time being it was more designed than built, was the influence on the postmodern and deconstructivist trends of the 1970s and 1980s also outside Austria great. Hollein's futuristic "Retti" candle shop at Charcoal Market/Kohlmarkt (1964-65) and Domenig's biomorphic building of the Central Savings Bank in Favoriten (10th district of Vienna - 1975-79) are among the earliest examples, later Hollein's Haas-Haus (1985-90), the loft conversion Falkestraße (1987/88) by Coop Himmelb(l)au or Domenig's T Center (2002-04) were added. Especially Domenig, Hollein, Coop Himmelb(l)au and the architects Ortner & Ortner (ancient members of Haus-Rucker-Co) by orders from abroad the new Austrian and Viennese architecture made a fixed international concept.
MuseumQuarter and Gasometer
Since the 1980s, the focus of building in Vienna lies on the compaction of the historic urban fabric that now as urban habitat of high quality no longer is put in question. Among the internationally best known projects is the by Ortner & Ortner planned MuseumsQuartier in the former imperial stables (competition 1987, 1998-2001), which with institutions such as the MUMOK - Museum of Modern Art Foundation Ludwig, the Leopold Museum, the Kunsthalle Wien, the Architecture Center Vienna and the Zoom Children's Museum on a wordwide scale is under the largest cultural complexes. After controversies in the planning phase, here an architectural compromise between old and new has been achieved at the end, whose success as an urban stage with four million visitors (2012) is overwhelming.
The dialogue between old and new, which has to stand on the agenda of building culture of a city that is so strongly influenced by history, also features the reconstruction of the Gasometer in Simmering by Coop Himmelb(l)au, Wilhelm Holzbauer, Jean Nouvel and Manfred Wehdorn (1999-2001). Here was not only created new housing, but also a historical industrial monument reinterpreted into a signal in the urban development area.
New Neighborhood
In recent years, the major railway stations and their surroundings moved into the focus of planning. Here not only necessary infrastructural measures were taken, but at the same time opened up spacious inner-city residential areas and business districts. Among the prestigious projects are included the construction of the new Vienna Central Station, started in 2010 with the surrounding office towers of the Quartier Belvedere and the residential and school buildings of the Midsummer quarter (Sonnwendviertel). Europe's largest wooden tower invites here for a spectacular view to the construction site and the entire city. On the site of the former North Station are currently being built 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, on that of the Aspangbahn station is being built at Europe's greatest Passive House settlement "Euro Gate", the area of the North Western Railway Station is expected to be developed from 2020 for living and working. The largest currently under construction residential project but can be found in the north-eastern outskirts, where in Seaside Town Aspern till 2028 living and working space for 40,000 people will be created.
In one of the "green lungs" of Vienna, the Prater, 2013, the WU campus was opened for the largest University of Economics of Europe. Around the central square spectacular buildings of an international architect team from Great Britain, Japan, Spain and Austria are gathered that seem to lead a sometimes very loud conversation about the status quo of contemporary architecture (Hitoshi Abe, BUSarchitektur, Peter Cook, Zaha Hadid, NO MAD Arquitectos, Carme Pinós).
Flying high
International is also the number of architects who have inscribed themselves in the last few years with high-rise buildings in the skyline of Vienna and make St. Stephen's a not always unproblematic competition. Visible from afar is Massimiliano Fuksas' 138 and 127 meters high elegant Twin Tower at Wienerberg (1999-2001). The monolithic, 75-meter-high tower of the Hotel Sofitel at the Danube Canal by Jean Nouvel (2007-10), on the other hand, reacts to the particular urban situation and stages in its top floor new perspectives to the historical center on the other side.
Also at the water stands Dominique Perrault's DC Tower (2010-13) in the Danube City - those high-rise city, in which since the start of construction in 1996, the expansion of the city north of the Danube is condensed symbolically. Even in this environment, the slim and at the same time striking vertically folded tower of Perrault is beyond all known dimensions; from its Sky Bar, from spring 2014 on you are able to enjoy the highest view of Vienna. With 250 meters, the tower is the tallest building of Austria and almost twice as high as the St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna, thus, has acquired a new architectural landmark which cannot be overlooked - whether it also has the potential to become a landmark of the new Vienna, only time will tell. The architectural history of Vienna, where European history is presence and new buildings enter into an exciting and not always conflict-free dialogue with a great and outstanding architectural heritage, in any case has yet to offer exciting chapters.
Info: The folder "Architecture: From Art Nouveau to the Presence" is available at the Vienna Tourist Board and can be downloaded on www.wien.info/media/files/guide-architecture-in-wien.pdf.
A jewel among churches - the wooden Church of St. St. Nicholas is one of the oldest and most beautiful wooden churches in Slovakia. The three-part log building with a richly ornamented shingled roof and three towers was built in 1658. In 2008 it was entered in the UNESCO World Heritage List together with seven other wooden churches from the area of Slovak Carpathians.
The sacral monument is a part of a unique complex located in the center of Bodružal in the Svidník district. In addition to the temple, it also consists of a separate bell tower, an adjacent cemetery and a wooden fence with a shingled roof and an entrance gate covered by a conical roof.
The three church towers symbolizing the Holy Trinity will catch your attention for sure. The highest tower houses the bells, which were used for military purposes at the beginning of the World War I - the inhabitants of the village replaced them in the second half of the 1920s. The oldest preserved bell features the inscription “1759”.
www.severovychod.sk/vylet/dreveny-chram-bodruzal-unesco?l...
Karfreitag
Bildcomposing zu einem Ritual in der Karfreitagsliturgie der römisch-katholischen Kirche
Geheimnis des Glaubens
Mysterium fidei
Mystery of faith
Tajna vjere
Church of st. Mary Magdalene in Dukla is one of the most valuable Polish rococo churches.
It was built as a gothic one, around 1461, with a brick chancel and a wooden nave. When in 1738 there was a fire in the city, the nave burned down entirely, and the chancel became the basis for the reconstruction of the temple.
The owner of Dukla and the Grand Marshal of the Crown, Józef Wandalin Mniszech, the same one who donated the land for the Bernardine monastery, undertook it. The temple was given a baroque appearance, but another fire and the death of Józef Vandalin in 1747 interrupted the work. They were continued in 1764 by the son of the marshal, Jerzy August Mniszech, supported by his wife, Maria Amalia. It was then that the church's interior acquired a rococo interior and fittings that have survived to this day.
gorybezgranic.pttk.pl/en/295-gory-bez-granic-the-church-o...
In the main chapel of Seville Cathedral is the great main altarpiece, which is nothing more than a great collection of works of art. And although it is considered to be a single work of art, in fact one of the largest in the world, the fact is that numerous sculptors and painters worked here. It took more than 80 years to complete the altarpiece. The initial commission was given to the Flemish sculptor Pedro Dancart in 1482, but even older carvings were added to enhance the glory of the work.
We cannot go into all the scenes that are represented, but we can tell you that there are 45 scenes represented between the main body and the side streets. In these 45 scenes there are more than 200 polychrome sculptures and the whole structure that surrounds it is covered in gold leaf.
The main body is joined to the upper part by motifs of Muslim origin. It is a body with geometric decoration with octagons. Inside these figures you can see a kind of cone-shaped pattern known as muqarnas pine cones. Both the lacquerwork and the muqarnas will surely remind you of places like the Alhambra or other Andalusian buildings.
Wat Rong Khun - the White Temple, is a contemporary, unconventional, privately owned, art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand, about 15 kilometers southwest of Chiang Rai.
It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997.
The pictures were taken in December 2012 before in May 2014 the temple has been damaged by an earthquake.
But the main structures of the building and other parts of the temple were completely renovated during the last years.
Also there is still hope to reconstruct some art and filigree work over the next few years, for example, one of the rooftops, which is kinked.
Pan, vin e bisatele,
che le tose le vegne bele,
da lontan e da vissin viva,
viva el panevin.
Pan vin e torta
La vecia sul forca,
la befana sul camin,
viva, viva el panevin.
Un
legame atavico fra fuoco e spettatore in una sorta di magia sacrale.
a man with severe deformity
might be scoliosis
or a sacral tumor
earning his living
amongst locals
@ Nizam ud Din.
in
in New Delhi
Photography’s new conscience
Il Ramadan detto anche il Digiuno (arabo: رمضان, ramaḍān) è, secondo il calendario musulmano, il nono mese dell'anno e ha una durata di 30 giorni. La parola, in arabo, significa "mese caldo", il che fa ritenere che un tempo (quando i mesi erano legati al ciclo solare) esso fosse un mese estivo.
Il Ramadan, per la rigorosa osservanza del digiuno diurno che ostacola il lavoro e per il carattere festivo delle sue notti, costituisce un periodo eccezionale dell'anno per i fedeli islamici in tutti i paesi a maggioranza musulmana: la sua sacralità è fondata sulla tradizione già fissata nel Corano di maometto, secondo cui in questo mese Maometto avrebbe ricevuto una rivelazione dall'arcangelo Gabriele. In origine, il mese di Ramadan era, come il suo nome stesso (il 'torrido') mostra, un mese estivo; ma successivamente Maometto stesso adottò un calendario puramente lunare di dodici mesi che, perciò, cambia posizione anno per anno.
Il digiuno (sawm) durante tale mese costituisce il terzo dei Cinque pilastri dell'Islam e chi ne negasse l'obbligatorietà sarebbe kāfir, colpevole cioè di empietà massima e dirimente dalla condizione di musulmano. In alcuni paesi a maggioranza islamica il mancato rispetto del digiuno è sanzionato penalmente[1].
Nel corso del mese di Ramadan infatti i musulmani praticanti debbono astenersi - dall'alba al tramonto - dal bere, mangiare, fumare e dal praticare attività sessuali. Chi è impossibilitato a digiunare (perché malato o in viaggio) può anche essere sollevato dal precetto, però, appena possibile, dovrà recuperare il mese di digiuno successivamente.
Dal momento che lo scopo del devoto è quello di purificarsi da tutto quello che di materiale esiste nel mondo corrotto e corruttibile, e dal momento che ogni ingestione gradevole è considerata corruzione del corpo e dell'anima, è vietato anche fumare e, secondo alcuni, profumarsi perché in entrambe le azioni s'ingerirebbero sostanze estranee e da entrambe le azioni si trarrebbe un godimento illecito che distoglierebbe dagli aspetti penitenziali cui mira l'istituzione. L'ingestione involontaria di cibi, di sostanze liquide o gassose non costituisce comunque rottura di digiuno.
Vale la pena però sottolineare che l'uso del profumo nel corso del digiuno è ammesso da una parte dei dotti musulmani che vietano esplicitamente solo l'inalazione di incenso. Il motivo di questa relativa tolleranza sta forse nel fatto che il profeta Maometto amava molto i profumi e ne faceva abbondante uso per il fastidio che egli provava per i cattivi odori, tanto da vietare a chi avesse mangiato aglio o cipolla di partecipare alla preghiera collettiva del mezzodì di venerdì in moschea.
In occasione del Ramadan è anche richiesto di evitare di abbandonarsi all'ira.
Per alcuni dotti dello Sciismo, come ad esempio Najm al-Dīn al-Muhaqqiq al-Hillī, invece, se il fumo e il profumo non costituiscono violazione dell'obbligo, in caso di rapporti carnali, la prima violazione dell'obbligo di astensione nel corso del digiuno comporterebbe la fustigazione e, in caso di recidiva, addirittura la pena di morte. Varrà la pena comunque ricordare che l'opinione di un dotto, sia pur autorevole come al-Hillī, rimane pur sempre un'opinione e che l'irrogazione della pena è lungi dal costituire una realtà di fatto.
Le donne incinte o che allattano, i bambini e i malati cronici sono esentati dal digiuno e dovrebbero al suo posto, secondo le loro possibilità, fare la carità come ad esempio nutrire le persone bisognose indipendentemente dalla loro religione, gruppo etnico o dalle loro convinzioni. Le donne durante il loro ciclo o le persone in viaggio non devono digiunare ma lo possono rimandare.
Quando tramonta il sole il digiuno viene rotto. La tradizione vuole che si debba mangiare un dattero perché così faceva il Profeta. In alternativa si può bere un bicchiere d'acqua.
Dato che il calendario islamico è composto da 354 o 355 giorni (10 o 11 giorni in meno dell'anno solare), il mese di Ramadan di anno in anno cade in un momento differente dell'anno solare, e quindi man mano cade in una stagione diversa.
Il significato spirituale del digiuno è stato analizzato da molti teologi. Si attribuisce ad esempio al digiuno la dote di insegnare all'uomo l'autodisciplina, l'appartenenza ad una comunità, la pazienza e l'amore per Dio.
Varie le ricorrenze del mese festeggiate o commemorate dai musulmani. Il giorno 6 infatti sarebbe nato il nipote di Maometto, al-Husayn ibn ‘Alī. Il giorno 10 sarebbe morta la prima moglie del Profeta, Khadīja bint Khuwaylid. Il giorno 17 sarebbe stata vinta la battaglia di Badr. Il giorno 19 sarebbe stata conquistata dai musulmani la città di Mecca. Il 21 sarebbero morti ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib e il suo discendente, l'imam sciita ‘Alī al-Ridā.
Al termine del ramadan, viene celebrato lo Id al-fitr ("festa della interruzione [del digiuno]"), detta anche la "festa piccola" (id al-saghir).
Plešivec is an ancient seat of the Bubek family. The Ákoš family, the ancestors of the Bubeks, received it from King Belo IV. in 1243, after the battle on the Slaná River, where the ancestor of the Bubeks, Detrik, allegedly saved the king’s life. After stabilizing his position in 1320, Dominik Bubek built a water castle in Plešivec. In its vicinity, he built a monumental church, which also served as a burial place for the representatives of the family. It was constructed on the site of an older church built by his ancestors. The church, originally nearly twice as long as it is now, was a two-nave Gothic building with a polygonal ending of the chancel, originally vaulted on the central pillars.
From 1349, we have a record of the request of Juraj Bubek to the Pope for the possibility of collecting the indulgences to finance its construction. In the middle of the 14th century, the interior of the church was completed with fresco paintings of very high quality, carried out by Italian masters. In the first quarter of the 15th century, the church was completed with the north-facing funeral chapel of the Bubeks, built according to the pattern of the Spiš funeral chapels. We enter into the chapel through an impressive portal, the architecture of which is associated with the works of the Cathedral of St. Elizabeth in Košice. In its interior, we find three three-part late Gothic windows with an original tracery in the ogive arch shape and corbels of the former vaults.
In 1558, at the time of the Turkish threat, the church was severely damaged, the vault collapsed and the building remained as a ruin until its reconstruction in 1617. By that time, the church was taken over by the reformed believers who reduced its layout to its current length of 19 meters; they covered the nave with a flat ceiling and closed the entrance to the unused chapel. At that stage, the entrance to the church was established from the south and three window openings were made on the south wall. From that period comes a valuable matroneum with painted decorations from 1627. In 1807, a bell-tower was built, a beautiful example of the so-called Gemer classicism.
Mission San Xavier del Bac, a historic Spanish Catholic mission, was founded in 1692 and is located south of Tucson, Arizona. Today's Mission was built between 1783 and 1797. The richly decorated interior of the church displays a mixture of New Spain and Native American artistic motifs.
Many thanks for your visits / comments / faves!
The strange effect of intense colour and sideways light that Gaudi created in Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia
The exploitation rights for this text are the property of the Vienna Tourist Board. This text may be reprinted free of charge until further notice, even partially and in edited form. Forward sample copy to: Vienna Tourist Board, Media Management, Invalidenstraße 6, 1030 Vienna; media.rel@wien.info. All information in this text without guarantee.
Author: Andreas Nierhaus, Curator of Architecture/Wien Museum
Last updated January 2014
Architecture in Vienna
Vienna's 2,000-year history is present in a unique density in the cityscape. The layout of the center dates back to the Roman city and medieval road network. Romanesque and Gothic churches characterize the streets and squares as well as palaces and mansions of the baroque city of residence. The ring road is an expression of the modern city of the 19th century, in the 20th century extensive housing developments set accents in the outer districts. Currently, large-scale urban development measures are implemented; distinctive buildings of international star architects complement the silhouette of the city.
Due to its function as residence of the emperor and European power center, Vienna for centuries stood in the focus of international attention, but it was well aware of that too. As a result, developed an outstanding building culture, and still today on a worldwide scale only a few cities can come up with a comparable density of high-quality architecture. For several years now, Vienna has increased its efforts to connect with its historical highlights and is drawing attention to itself with some spectacular new buildings. The fastest growing city in the German-speaking world today most of all in residential construction is setting standards. Constants of the Viennese architecture are respect for existing structures, the palpability of historical layers and the dialogue between old and new.
Culmination of medieval architecture: the Stephansdom
The oldest architectural landmark of the city is St. Stephen's Cathedral. Under the rule of the Habsburgs, defining the face of the city from the late 13th century until 1918 in a decisive way, the cathedral was upgraded into the sacral monument of the political ambitions of the ruling house. The 1433 completed, 137 meters high southern tower, by the Viennese people affectionately named "Steffl", is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture in Europe. For decades he was the tallest stone structure in Europe, until today he is the undisputed center of the city.
The baroque residence
Vienna's ascension into the ranks of the great European capitals began in Baroque. Among the most important architects are Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. Outside the city walls arose a chain of summer palaces, including the garden Palais Schwarzenberg (1697-1704) as well as the Upper and Lower Belvedere of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1714-22). Among the most important city palaces are the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene (1695-1724, now a branch of the Belvedere) and the Palais Daun-Kinsky (auction house in Kinsky 1713-19). The emperor himself the Hofburg had complemented by buildings such as the Imperial Library (1722-26) and the Winter Riding School (1729-34). More important, however, for the Habsburgs was the foundation of churches and monasteries. Thus arose before the city walls Fischer von Erlach's Karlskirche (1714-39), which with its formal and thematic complex show façade belongs to the major works of European Baroque. In colored interior rooms like that of St. Peter's Church (1701-22), the contemporary efforts for the synthesis of architecture, painting and sculpture becomes visible.
Upgrading into metropolis: the ring road time (Ringstraßenzeit)
Since the Baroque, reflections on extension of the hopelessly overcrowed city were made, but only Emperor Franz Joseph ordered in 1857 the demolition of the fortifications and the connection of the inner city with the suburbs. 1865, the Ring Road was opened. It is as the most important boulevard of Europe an architectural and in terms of urban development achievement of the highest rank. The original building structure is almost completely preserved and thus conveys the authentic image of a metropolis of the 19th century. The public representational buildings speak, reflecting accurately the historicism, by their style: The Greek Antique forms of Theophil Hansen's Parliament (1871-83) stood for democracy, the Renaissance of the by Heinrich Ferstel built University (1873-84) for the flourishing of humanism, the Gothic of the Town Hall (1872-83) by Friedrich Schmidt for the medieval civic pride.
Dominating remained the buildings of the imperial family: Eduard van der Nüll's and August Sicardsburg's Opera House (1863-69), Gottfried Semper's and Carl Hasenauer's Burgtheater (1874-88), their Museum of Art History and Museum of Natural History (1871-91) and the Neue (New) Hofburg (1881-1918 ). At the same time the ring road was the preferred residential area of mostly Jewish haute bourgeoisie. With luxurious palaces the families Ephrussi, Epstein or Todesco made it clear that they had taken over the cultural leadership role in Viennese society. In the framework of the World Exhibition of 1873, the new Vienna presented itself an international audience. At the ring road many hotels were opened, among them the Hotel Imperial and today's Palais Hansen Kempinski.
Laboratory of modernity: Vienna around 1900
Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06) was one of the last buildings in the Ring road area Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06), which with it façade, liberated of ornament, and only decorated with "functional" aluminum buttons and the glass banking hall now is one of the icons of modern architecture. Like no other stood Otto Wagner for the dawn into the 20th century: His Metropolitan Railway buildings made the public transport of the city a topic of architecture, the church of the Psychiatric hospital at Steinhofgründe (1904-07) is considered the first modern church.
With his consistent focus on the function of a building ("Something impractical can not be beautiful"), Wagner marked a whole generation of architects and made Vienna the laboratory of modernity: in addition to Joseph Maria Olbrich, the builder of the Secession (1897-98) and Josef Hoffmann, the architect of the at the western outskirts located Purkersdorf Sanatorium (1904) and founder of the Vienna Workshop (Wiener Werkstätte, 1903) is mainly to mention Adolf Loos, with the Loos House at the square Michaelerplatz (1909-11) making architectural history. The extravagant marble cladding of the business zone stands in maximal contrast, derived from the building function, to the unadorned facade above, whereby its "nudity" became even more obvious - a provocation, as well as his culture-critical texts ("Ornament and Crime"), with which he had greatest impact on the architecture of the 20th century. Public contracts Loos remained denied. His major works therefore include villas, apartment facilities and premises as the still in original state preserved Tailor salon Knize at Graben (1910-13) and the restored Loos Bar (1908-09) near the Kärntner Straße (passageway Kärntner Durchgang).
Between the Wars: International Modern Age and social housing
After the collapse of the monarchy in 1918, Vienna became capital of the newly formed small country of Austria. In the heart of the city, the architects Theiss & Jaksch built 1931-32 the first skyscraper in Vienna as an exclusive residential address (Herrengasse - alley 6-8). To combat the housing shortage for the general population, the social democratic city government in a globally unique building program within a few years 60,000 apartments in hundreds of apartment buildings throughout the city area had built, including the famous Karl Marx-Hof by Karl Ehn (1925-30). An alternative to the multi-storey buildings with the 1932 opened International Werkbundsiedlung was presented, which was attended by 31 architects from Austria, Germany, France, Holland and the USA and showed models for affordable housing in greenfield areas. With buildings of Adolf Loos, André Lurçat, Richard Neutra, Gerrit Rietveld, the Werkbundsiedlung, which currently is being restored at great expense, is one of the most important documents of modern architecture in Austria.
Modernism was also expressed in significant Villa buildings: The House Beer (1929-31) by Josef Frank exemplifies the refined Wiener living culture of the interwar period, while the house Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1926-28, today Bulgarian Cultural Institute), built by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein together with the architect Paul Engelmann for his sister Margarete, by its aesthetic radicalism and mathematical rigor represents a special case within contemporary architecture.
Expulsion, war and reconstruction
After the "Anschluss (Annexation)" to the German Reich in 1938, numerous Jewish builders, architects (female and male ones), who had been largely responsible for the high level of Viennese architecture, have been expelled from Austria. During the Nazi era, Vienna remained largely unaffected by structural transformations, apart from the six flak towers built for air defense of Friedrich Tamms (1942-45), made of solid reinforced concrete which today are present as memorials in the cityscape.
The years after the end of World War II were characterized by the reconstruction of the by bombs heavily damaged city. The architecture of those times was marked by aesthetic pragmatism, but also by the attempt to connect with the period before 1938 and pick up on current international trends. Among the most important buildings of the 1950s are Roland Rainer's City Hall (1952-58), the by Oswald Haerdtl erected Wien Museum at Karlsplatz (1954-59) and the 21er Haus of Karl Schwanzer (1958-62).
The youngsters come
Since the 1960s, a young generation was looking for alternatives to the moderate modernism of the reconstruction years. With visionary designs, conceptual, experimental and above all temporary architectures, interventions and installations, Raimund Abraham, Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth, Hans Hollein, Walter Pichler and the groups Coop Himmelb(l)au, Haus-Rucker-Co and Missing Link rapidly got international attention. Although for the time being it was more designed than built, was the influence on the postmodern and deconstructivist trends of the 1970s and 1980s also outside Austria great. Hollein's futuristic "Retti" candle shop at Charcoal Market/Kohlmarkt (1964-65) and Domenig's biomorphic building of the Central Savings Bank in Favoriten (10th district of Vienna - 1975-79) are among the earliest examples, later Hollein's Haas-Haus (1985-90), the loft conversion Falkestraße (1987/88) by Coop Himmelb(l)au or Domenig's T Center (2002-04) were added. Especially Domenig, Hollein, Coop Himmelb(l)au and the architects Ortner & Ortner (ancient members of Haus-Rucker-Co) by orders from abroad the new Austrian and Viennese architecture made a fixed international concept.
MuseumQuarter and Gasometer
Since the 1980s, the focus of building in Vienna lies on the compaction of the historic urban fabric that now as urban habitat of high quality no longer is put in question. Among the internationally best known projects is the by Ortner & Ortner planned MuseumsQuartier in the former imperial stables (competition 1987, 1998-2001), which with institutions such as the MUMOK - Museum of Modern Art Foundation Ludwig, the Leopold Museum, the Kunsthalle Wien, the Architecture Center Vienna and the Zoom Children's Museum on a wordwide scale is under the largest cultural complexes. After controversies in the planning phase, here an architectural compromise between old and new has been achieved at the end, whose success as an urban stage with four million visitors (2012) is overwhelming.
The dialogue between old and new, which has to stand on the agenda of building culture of a city that is so strongly influenced by history, also features the reconstruction of the Gasometer in Simmering by Coop Himmelb(l)au, Wilhelm Holzbauer, Jean Nouvel and Manfred Wehdorn (1999-2001). Here was not only created new housing, but also a historical industrial monument reinterpreted into a signal in the urban development area.
New Neighborhood
In recent years, the major railway stations and their surroundings moved into the focus of planning. Here not only necessary infrastructural measures were taken, but at the same time opened up spacious inner-city residential areas and business districts. Among the prestigious projects are included the construction of the new Vienna Central Station, started in 2010 with the surrounding office towers of the Quartier Belvedere and the residential and school buildings of the Midsummer quarter (Sonnwendviertel). Europe's largest wooden tower invites here for a spectacular view to the construction site and the entire city. On the site of the former North Station are currently being built 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, on that of the Aspangbahn station is being built at Europe's greatest Passive House settlement "Euro Gate", the area of the North Western Railway Station is expected to be developed from 2020 for living and working. The largest currently under construction residential project but can be found in the north-eastern outskirts, where in Seaside Town Aspern till 2028 living and working space for 40,000 people will be created.
In one of the "green lungs" of Vienna, the Prater, 2013, the WU campus was opened for the largest University of Economics of Europe. Around the central square spectacular buildings of an international architect team from Great Britain, Japan, Spain and Austria are gathered that seem to lead a sometimes very loud conversation about the status quo of contemporary architecture (Hitoshi Abe, BUSarchitektur, Peter Cook, Zaha Hadid, NO MAD Arquitectos, Carme Pinós).
Flying high
International is also the number of architects who have inscribed themselves in the last few years with high-rise buildings in the skyline of Vienna and make St. Stephen's a not always unproblematic competition. Visible from afar is Massimiliano Fuksas' 138 and 127 meters high elegant Twin Tower at Wienerberg (1999-2001). The monolithic, 75-meter-high tower of the Hotel Sofitel at the Danube Canal by Jean Nouvel (2007-10), on the other hand, reacts to the particular urban situation and stages in its top floor new perspectives to the historical center on the other side.
Also at the water stands Dominique Perrault's DC Tower (2010-13) in the Danube City - those high-rise city, in which since the start of construction in 1996, the expansion of the city north of the Danube is condensed symbolically. Even in this environment, the slim and at the same time striking vertically folded tower of Perrault is beyond all known dimensions; from its Sky Bar, from spring 2014 on you are able to enjoy the highest view of Vienna. With 250 meters, the tower is the tallest building of Austria and almost twice as high as the St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna, thus, has acquired a new architectural landmark which cannot be overlooked - whether it also has the potential to become a landmark of the new Vienna, only time will tell. The architectural history of Vienna, where European history is presence and new buildings enter into an exciting and not always conflict-free dialogue with a great and outstanding architectural heritage, in any case has yet to offer exciting chapters.
Info: The folder "Architecture: From Art Nouveau to the Presence" is available at the Vienna Tourist Board and can be downloaded on www.wien.info/media/files/guide-architecture-in-wien.pdf.
Since the renaturation in the baie du Mont St. Michel has finished in 2015 the Mont St. Michel becomes an island on some days in the year. This happens during the spring times a few days after full moon and new moon. The sea foods the area in front auf the mountain where the bridge ends. At the day of my return from Ireland the spring tide in the evening reached a height of 12,6m and coincided with the blue hour. The strong tidal stream prevented a perfekt reflection in the tide-way...
An exceptionally large and elaborate Gothic cathedral on the main square of Milan, the Duomo di Milano is one of the most famous buildings in Europe. It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world.
Milan Cathedral (Italian: Duomo di Milano; Lombard: Domm de Milan) is the cathedral church of Milan, Italy. Dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (Saint Mary Nascent), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Cardinal Angelo Scola.
The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the fifth largest cathedral in the world, and the largest in the Italian state territory.
The roof is open to tourists, which allows many a close-up view of some spectacular sculpture that would otherwise be unappreciated. The roof of the cathedral is renowned for the forest of openwork pinnacles and spires, set upon delicate flying buttresses.
Saint Michael’s Cathedral of Alba Iulia was built between 1247 and 1291, which makes it contemporary to the famous Notre Dame of Paris. Furthermore, it appears that a great French architect, Villard de Honnecourt, contributed to its design. In addition to being the oldest and the longest cathedral in Romania (at 89.16 m measured along its axis), it is also considered the most important monument of Romanesque architecture in Transylvania.
The site is registered in the National Archaeological Repertory of Romania.
alien structures and arts appear all over my room in my own universe where I am the agnostic god...
just an unused digital design for my bands PR digi-sleeve
I love galavanting around snapping shot of meaningless stuff just for fun, wish I had more time...
as Uncle Browne said: "Danny you are the Master at stating the Obvious..."
Peace and Noise!
The exploitation rights for this text are the property of the Vienna Tourist Board. This text may be reprinted free of charge until further notice, even partially and in edited form. Forward sample copy to: Vienna Tourist Board, Media Management, Invalidenstraße 6, 1030 Vienna; media.rel@wien.info. All information in this text without guarantee.
Author: Andreas Nierhaus, Curator of Architecture/Wien Museum
Last updated January 2014
Architecture in Vienna
Vienna's 2,000-year history is present in a unique density in the cityscape. The layout of the center dates back to the Roman city and medieval road network. Romanesque and Gothic churches characterize the streets and squares as well as palaces and mansions of the baroque city of residence. The ring road is an expression of the modern city of the 19th century, in the 20th century extensive housing developments set accents in the outer districts. Currently, large-scale urban development measures are implemented; distinctive buildings of international star architects complement the silhouette of the city.
Due to its function as residence of the emperor and European power center, Vienna for centuries stood in the focus of international attention, but it was well aware of that too. As a result, developed an outstanding building culture, and still today on a worldwide scale only a few cities can come up with a comparable density of high-quality architecture. For several years now, Vienna has increased its efforts to connect with its historical highlights and is drawing attention to itself with some spectacular new buildings. The fastest growing city in the German-speaking world today most of all in residential construction is setting standards. Constants of the Viennese architecture are respect for existing structures, the palpability of historical layers and the dialogue between old and new.
Culmination of medieval architecture: the Stephansdom
The oldest architectural landmark of the city is St. Stephen's Cathedral. Under the rule of the Habsburgs, defining the face of the city from the late 13th century until 1918 in a decisive way, the cathedral was upgraded into the sacral monument of the political ambitions of the ruling house. The 1433 completed, 137 meters high southern tower, by the Viennese people affectionately named "Steffl", is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture in Europe. For decades he was the tallest stone structure in Europe, until today he is the undisputed center of the city.
The baroque residence
Vienna's ascension into the ranks of the great European capitals began in Baroque. Among the most important architects are Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt. Outside the city walls arose a chain of summer palaces, including the garden Palais Schwarzenberg (1697-1704) as well as the Upper and Lower Belvedere of Prince Eugene of Savoy (1714-22). Among the most important city palaces are the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene (1695-1724, now a branch of the Belvedere) and the Palais Daun-Kinsky (auction house in Kinsky 1713-19). The emperor himself the Hofburg had complemented by buildings such as the Imperial Library (1722-26) and the Winter Riding School (1729-34). More important, however, for the Habsburgs was the foundation of churches and monasteries. Thus arose before the city walls Fischer von Erlach's Karlskirche (1714-39), which with its formal and thematic complex show façade belongs to the major works of European Baroque. In colored interior rooms like that of St. Peter's Church (1701-22), the contemporary efforts for the synthesis of architecture, painting and sculpture becomes visible.
Upgrading into metropolis: the ring road time (Ringstraßenzeit)
Since the Baroque, reflections on extension of the hopelessly overcrowed city were made, but only Emperor Franz Joseph ordered in 1857 the demolition of the fortifications and the connection of the inner city with the suburbs. 1865, the Ring Road was opened. It is as the most important boulevard of Europe an architectural and in terms of urban development achievement of the highest rank. The original building structure is almost completely preserved and thus conveys the authentic image of a metropolis of the 19th century. The public representational buildings speak, reflecting accurately the historicism, by their style: The Greek Antique forms of Theophil Hansen's Parliament (1871-83) stood for democracy, the Renaissance of the by Heinrich Ferstel built University (1873-84) for the flourishing of humanism, the Gothic of the Town Hall (1872-83) by Friedrich Schmidt for the medieval civic pride.
Dominating remained the buildings of the imperial family: Eduard van der Nüll's and August Sicardsburg's Opera House (1863-69), Gottfried Semper's and Carl Hasenauer's Burgtheater (1874-88), their Museum of Art History and Museum of Natural History (1871-91) and the Neue (New) Hofburg (1881-1918 ). At the same time the ring road was the preferred residential area of mostly Jewish haute bourgeoisie. With luxurious palaces the families Ephrussi, Epstein or Todesco made it clear that they had taken over the cultural leadership role in Viennese society. In the framework of the World Exhibition of 1873, the new Vienna presented itself an international audience. At the ring road many hotels were opened, among them the Hotel Imperial and today's Palais Hansen Kempinski.
Laboratory of modernity: Vienna around 1900
Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06) was one of the last buildings in the Ring road area Otto Wagner's Postal Savings Bank (1903-06), which with it façade, liberated of ornament, and only decorated with "functional" aluminum buttons and the glass banking hall now is one of the icons of modern architecture. Like no other stood Otto Wagner for the dawn into the 20th century: His Metropolitan Railway buildings made the public transport of the city a topic of architecture, the church of the Psychiatric hospital at Steinhofgründe (1904-07) is considered the first modern church.
With his consistent focus on the function of a building ("Something impractical can not be beautiful"), Wagner marked a whole generation of architects and made Vienna the laboratory of modernity: in addition to Joseph Maria Olbrich, the builder of the Secession (1897-98) and Josef Hoffmann, the architect of the at the western outskirts located Purkersdorf Sanatorium (1904) and founder of the Vienna Workshop (Wiener Werkstätte, 1903) is mainly to mention Adolf Loos, with the Loos House at the square Michaelerplatz (1909-11) making architectural history. The extravagant marble cladding of the business zone stands in maximal contrast, derived from the building function, to the unadorned facade above, whereby its "nudity" became even more obvious - a provocation, as well as his culture-critical texts ("Ornament and Crime"), with which he had greatest impact on the architecture of the 20th century. Public contracts Loos remained denied. His major works therefore include villas, apartment facilities and premises as the still in original state preserved Tailor salon Knize at Graben (1910-13) and the restored Loos Bar (1908-09) near the Kärntner Straße (passageway Kärntner Durchgang).
Between the Wars: International Modern Age and social housing
After the collapse of the monarchy in 1918, Vienna became capital of the newly formed small country of Austria. In the heart of the city, the architects Theiss & Jaksch built 1931-32 the first skyscraper in Vienna as an exclusive residential address (Herrengasse - alley 6-8). To combat the housing shortage for the general population, the social democratic city government in a globally unique building program within a few years 60,000 apartments in hundreds of apartment buildings throughout the city area had built, including the famous Karl Marx-Hof by Karl Ehn (1925-30). An alternative to the multi-storey buildings with the 1932 opened International Werkbundsiedlung was presented, which was attended by 31 architects from Austria, Germany, France, Holland and the USA and showed models for affordable housing in greenfield areas. With buildings of Adolf Loos, André Lurçat, Richard Neutra, Gerrit Rietveld, the Werkbundsiedlung, which currently is being restored at great expense, is one of the most important documents of modern architecture in Austria.
Modernism was also expressed in significant Villa buildings: The House Beer (1929-31) by Josef Frank exemplifies the refined Wiener living culture of the interwar period, while the house Stonborough-Wittgenstein (1926-28, today Bulgarian Cultural Institute), built by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein together with the architect Paul Engelmann for his sister Margarete, by its aesthetic radicalism and mathematical rigor represents a special case within contemporary architecture.
Expulsion, war and reconstruction
After the "Anschluss (Annexation)" to the German Reich in 1938, numerous Jewish builders, architects (female and male ones), who had been largely responsible for the high level of Viennese architecture, have been expelled from Austria. During the Nazi era, Vienna remained largely unaffected by structural transformations, apart from the six flak towers built for air defense of Friedrich Tamms (1942-45), made of solid reinforced concrete which today are present as memorials in the cityscape.
The years after the end of World War II were characterized by the reconstruction of the by bombs heavily damaged city. The architecture of those times was marked by aesthetic pragmatism, but also by the attempt to connect with the period before 1938 and pick up on current international trends. Among the most important buildings of the 1950s are Roland Rainer's City Hall (1952-58), the by Oswald Haerdtl erected Wien Museum at Karlsplatz (1954-59) and the 21er Haus of Karl Schwanzer (1958-62).
The youngsters come
Since the 1960s, a young generation was looking for alternatives to the moderate modernism of the reconstruction years. With visionary designs, conceptual, experimental and above all temporary architectures, interventions and installations, Raimund Abraham, Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth, Hans Hollein, Walter Pichler and the groups Coop Himmelb(l)au, Haus-Rucker-Co and Missing Link rapidly got international attention. Although for the time being it was more designed than built, was the influence on the postmodern and deconstructivist trends of the 1970s and 1980s also outside Austria great. Hollein's futuristic "Retti" candle shop at Charcoal Market/Kohlmarkt (1964-65) and Domenig's biomorphic building of the Central Savings Bank in Favoriten (10th district of Vienna - 1975-79) are among the earliest examples, later Hollein's Haas-Haus (1985-90), the loft conversion Falkestraße (1987/88) by Coop Himmelb(l)au or Domenig's T Center (2002-04) were added. Especially Domenig, Hollein, Coop Himmelb(l)au and the architects Ortner & Ortner (ancient members of Haus-Rucker-Co) by orders from abroad the new Austrian and Viennese architecture made a fixed international concept.
MuseumQuarter and Gasometer
Since the 1980s, the focus of building in Vienna lies on the compaction of the historic urban fabric that now as urban habitat of high quality no longer is put in question. Among the internationally best known projects is the by Ortner & Ortner planned MuseumsQuartier in the former imperial stables (competition 1987, 1998-2001), which with institutions such as the MUMOK - Museum of Modern Art Foundation Ludwig, the Leopold Museum, the Kunsthalle Wien, the Architecture Center Vienna and the Zoom Children's Museum on a wordwide scale is under the largest cultural complexes. After controversies in the planning phase, here an architectural compromise between old and new has been achieved at the end, whose success as an urban stage with four million visitors (2012) is overwhelming.
The dialogue between old and new, which has to stand on the agenda of building culture of a city that is so strongly influenced by history, also features the reconstruction of the Gasometer in Simmering by Coop Himmelb(l)au, Wilhelm Holzbauer, Jean Nouvel and Manfred Wehdorn (1999-2001). Here was not only created new housing, but also a historical industrial monument reinterpreted into a signal in the urban development area.
New Neighborhood
In recent years, the major railway stations and their surroundings moved into the focus of planning. Here not only necessary infrastructural measures were taken, but at the same time opened up spacious inner-city residential areas and business districts. Among the prestigious projects are included the construction of the new Vienna Central Station, started in 2010 with the surrounding office towers of the Quartier Belvedere and the residential and school buildings of the Midsummer quarter (Sonnwendviertel). Europe's largest wooden tower invites here for a spectacular view to the construction site and the entire city. On the site of the former North Station are currently being built 10,000 homes and 20,000 jobs, on that of the Aspangbahn station is being built at Europe's greatest Passive House settlement "Euro Gate", the area of the North Western Railway Station is expected to be developed from 2020 for living and working. The largest currently under construction residential project but can be found in the north-eastern outskirts, where in Seaside Town Aspern till 2028 living and working space for 40,000 people will be created.
In one of the "green lungs" of Vienna, the Prater, 2013, the WU campus was opened for the largest University of Economics of Europe. Around the central square spectacular buildings of an international architect team from Great Britain, Japan, Spain and Austria are gathered that seem to lead a sometimes very loud conversation about the status quo of contemporary architecture (Hitoshi Abe, BUSarchitektur, Peter Cook, Zaha Hadid, NO MAD Arquitectos, Carme Pinós).
Flying high
International is also the number of architects who have inscribed themselves in the last few years with high-rise buildings in the skyline of Vienna and make St. Stephen's a not always unproblematic competition. Visible from afar is Massimiliano Fuksas' 138 and 127 meters high elegant Twin Tower at Wienerberg (1999-2001). The monolithic, 75-meter-high tower of the Hotel Sofitel at the Danube Canal by Jean Nouvel (2007-10), on the other hand, reacts to the particular urban situation and stages in its top floor new perspectives to the historical center on the other side.
Also at the water stands Dominique Perrault's DC Tower (2010-13) in the Danube City - those high-rise city, in which since the start of construction in 1996, the expansion of the city north of the Danube is condensed symbolically. Even in this environment, the slim and at the same time striking vertically folded tower of Perrault is beyond all known dimensions; from its Sky Bar, from spring 2014 on you are able to enjoy the highest view of Vienna. With 250 meters, the tower is the tallest building of Austria and almost twice as high as the St. Stephen's Cathedral. Vienna, thus, has acquired a new architectural landmark which cannot be overlooked - whether it also has the potential to become a landmark of the new Vienna, only time will tell. The architectural history of Vienna, where European history is presence and new buildings enter into an exciting and not always conflict-free dialogue with a great and outstanding architectural heritage, in any case has yet to offer exciting chapters.
Il Significato dei Colori :
Giallo / yellow:
è un colore ambivalente, il giallo chiaro simbolizza la luce del sole, l'intelletto, intuito, fede e bontà. Il giallo scuro simbolizza slealtà, tradimento, gelosia, ambizione, avarizia, furtività, inganno, perfidia. Il giallo dorato simbolizza la sacralità, la divinità, la verità rivelata.