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I was here today!! Loved it ^__^ Had seen a small exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario a while ago which made me realize I actually LIKED Native American sculptures and art which got me interested and landed me here! Some of my favourite pieces are below:
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Olympia & York (also spelled as Olympia and York, abbreviated as O&Y) was once a major international property development firm based in Canada. The firm built major financial office complexes like Canary Wharf in London, the World Financial Center in New York City and First Canadian Place in Toronto. It went bankrupt in the early 1990s and was recreated to eventually become Olympia & York Properties.
Portfolio
A list of notable O&Y current and previous ownership properties:
Olympia & York Properties Corporation owns 18 properties in 6 Canadian cities.
Pg. 268
"What was most striking about the Reichmanns' dealings in Olympia & York's embryonic stage was not that they invariably lived up to their end of a bargain but that they did not always hold their clients to the same standard. Often, *their word was not only their bond but an all-purpose warranty. Once Sirlin (Morley Sirlin - O&Y's early architect) was reviewing a plan for Delta Electronics, a local retail chain, with its president who insisted that he had been quoted a price that included a fieldstone lobby. Sirlinm who had designed a conventional lobby, telephoned Paul Reichmann. "I don't remmeber it that way," Reichmann replied, "but if he says I said he could have stone, then give him stone." Similarly, Wos (Frank Wos- O&Y's first construction supervisor) once was dispatched to make repairs to a long-completed building that had been flooded through no fault of Olympia & York's. "I didn't like it because I knew it was caused by the tenant's bad maintenance," Wos recalled. "I told Albert it was not our responsibility. He said, 'No, it's not, but it is my money. So go back and fix it.'"
*"Their edge was their integrity," he said. "They put themselves on the line and they lived on the line." "The Reichmanns very early on developed a lot of business just on that basis. If they shook on a deal, that was it. Their word was their bond."
Starting October 13, visitors to Toronto’s Gardiner Museum will be transported to another time and place through the evocative exhibition, The Tsars’ Cabinet.
The Tsars’ Cabinet presents more than 200 examples of decorative arts, including objects with Fabergé mounts, gilded dinner services, imperial porcelain eggs, and historic court photographs that document the extravagance and sumptuousness of life in palaces and yachts during the Romanov era.
The exhibition follows the history of the tsars and their family, including Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia. The Tsars’ Cabinet also features intimate Romanov family photographs from the Toronto-based Di Rocco Wieler Private Collection and personal artifacts once owned by Grand Duchess Olga, the younger sister of Tsar Nicholas II, who spent her final years living in Toronto.
Most of the objects in the exhibition were specifically designed for and used by the tsars and members of the Russian imperial family. The pieces include magnificent examples of works from the Imperial Porcelain Factory, the Imperial Glassworks, and the private firms of Fabergé and Ovichinnikov. Many of the objects are extremely rare and offer one of the best opportunities to see outstanding imperial Russian art outside of Russia.
The Tsars’ Cabinet was developed from the exceptional private collection of Kathleen Durdin, and organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in collaboration with International Arts + Artists, Washington D.C.
The Gardiner Museum is the first stop of an international tour.
http://www.gardinermuseum.on.ca/exhibitions/the-tsars-cabinet
courtesy of: http://www.artsandartists.org/exhibitions/thetsars'cabinetinstallations.html
Jade Symbolism in China
Revered for its hardness and texture, jade symbolizes the cosmos, wealth, political power, security, good health and strength. In China, jade cicadas have been placed on the tongue of the dead to speed resurrection; jade pigs symbolize prosperity, jade disks represent heaven and a piece of jade enclosed within a square signifies the earth.
Confucian scholars compared the 11 virtues of jade as models for human behavior. Confucius himself equated the stone with intelligence, truth, loyalty, justice, purity and humanity, and he used the stone to symbolize the idea of junzi, the noble or superior man. Taoist alchemists mixed up elixirs with powdered jade that they hoped would make them immortal.
The emperors communicated with the gods through jade disks; and Chinese poets called the skin of beautiful woman "fragrant jade" and the part of her body which men love so much to enter, her "jade gate." A jade donut has traditionally been given as a gift to newborns. Jade gifts were commonly given as bribes to corrupt Chinese officials. In athletic events second and third place contestants were given trophies of gold and ivory, while the winners were awarded jade.
Jade is prescribed as a medicine and credited with having miraculous powers and the ability to ward off evil and bad luck. A villager in Xinjiang told the Los Angeles Times, “I believe it will cure everything. I have heard when it touches your skin, it sucks out the poisons.”
Qing period Jade cabbage
The Chinese have revered jade since Neolithic times. Archeological data shows that the ancient Chinese were using nephrite jade to make ornaments and weapons between 7000 and 8000 years ago. Archaeologists have unearthed Neolithic jade tools along the Yellow River. Starting around 1600 B.C., Shang dynasty royals began sleeping on jade pillows and signing edicts with jade chops. [Source: Fred Ward, National Geographic, September 1987; Timothy Green, Smithsonian magazine, 1984]
According to an ancient Chinese proverb: "You can put a price on gold, but jade is priceless." The word for jade is used to describe beautiful and pure women. Many people believe it has medicinal and even magical powers. A chip of jade worn around the wrist can soothe a frightened child, improve circulation or absorb bad energy, the Chinese say. According to an age-old belief, jade provides a link between the physical and spiritual worlds. Some of those beliefs are bolstered by the tendency of some jade to change color when worn on the body.
The Chinese word "yu which we translate as "jade" actually refers to any rock that is carved. Some 30 or 40 different kinds of mineral in China are called yu. Nephrite is known as "lao-yu" (“old jade”) or "bai-you" (“white jade”) and jadeite is known as "fei-cui-yu" (“kingfisher jade). John Ng, a jade specialist and author of Jade and You, told Smithsonian magazine, " The Chinese or Japanese have no hesitation in buying good pieces to give their families or friends for good luck. To the Asian, giving jade conveys a special feeling."
According to the Chinese creation myth, after man was created he wandered the earth, helpless and vulnerable to attacks from wild beasts. The storm god took pity on him and forged a rainbow into jade axes and tossed them to the earth for man to discover and protect himself with. According to legend only emperors were allowed to possess carved jade. There are stories of quests for particularly prized pieces resulting in the deaths of 10,000 soldiers. The Chinese character for king has the same root as the character for jade.
Some scholars have suggested that Chinese civilization was built around jade. Known as the "Stone of Heaven," it was more valuable than gold or gems in imperial China and was considered a bridge between heaven and earth. Prized for both its beauty and symbolic value, jade has traditionally been worn as talisman by Chinese and shaped into a variety of objects. Jade was also prized by the Olmec and Mayan civilizations in America and by the Maori in New Zealand.
Jade comes in two forms: nephrite and jadeite, both of which are prized for their hardness, firmness and ability to be carved and the luster they generate that creates an appearance of transparency. Nephrite and jadeite are two chemically different and distinct materials. Both are technically rocks not gems, since they are mineral aggregates rather than crystals. Natural stones passed off as jade include chrysoprase, jasper, serpentine and soapstone.
Source: http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=259&catid=7&subcatid=40
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Fine Chinese Mutton-Fat Jade Carved Rabbit:
Cecil Beaton in New York
Almost anyone would have hankered to have a personal portrait shot by Cecil Beaton. He made his subjects, many of them distinguished or celebrated to begin with, seem impeccably elegant and disarmingly good-looking, seldom employing any of the irony or social commentary that other photographers often used.
Now comes a coffee-table book, accompanying an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York, that contains some of the finest photographs Beaton took during his many sojourns in New York, as well as sketches, designs and caricatures that this aesthetically versatile artist drew for the movies, theater, opera and fashion. It is a pleasure to leaf through the thick pages of CECIL BEATON: The New York Years (Museum of the City of New York/Skira/Rizzoli, $65) and see Greta Garbo at her mysterious peak and Marilyn Monroe at her most luscious. Brando, Astaire, Warhol, Capote, Callas, Coco, Liz — people recognizable by a single name — flocked to Beaton or were lobbied by him.
Like Capote, Beaton was not well-born but became a high-society favorite, and he paid his patrons back with opulent portraits — the ones of Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt and Lee Radziwill and her daughter, Anna Christina, are dazzling. The book also reminds us that it was Beaton who designed the lavish Edwardian gowns for both the play and the film “My Fair Lady,” the belle époque excess of “Gigi” and the lushly feathered tutus for Balanchine’s “Swan Lake.”
As the concise text by Donald Albrecht, the museum’s curator of architecture and design, points out, Beaton, educated at Harrow and Cambridge, turned himself into a dandy like Oscar Wilde, with a highly cultivated Old World style and manner and an exaggerated accent. In 1928, at age 24, he sailed into New York Harbor, and a playful, acrobatic self-portrait taken on the Brooklyn Bridge a year or so later suggests why he charmed everyone he met. Everyone, of course, meant the wealthy and famous, since Beaton, as Albrecht says, had “a snobbish obsession with class and status.”
“I only photograph those I know and admire,” he said, in an unguarded statement.
Ambitious and a canny networker, but possessed of a penetrating eye for stylishness, he impressed tastemakers. His photographs were soon gracing Vogue and Vanity Fair — in time helping to generate the glamour that Depression-era New York needed, just as it needed the lift of a flamboyant Busby Berkeley movie. An anti-Semitic joke that he included in the margins of an illustration a year before World War II lost him the Vogue account, but he regained his stature with a famous photograph of a young girl with a bandaged head clutching a doll and sitting up in a hospital bed in the days of the London blitz. Today it seems highly romanticized, possibly even staged, in the manner of a Norman Rockwell painting, but it landed on the cover of Life and became a powerful symbol of what Britain was enduring.
*Picked this report up from the Japan Foundation yesterday; download condensed version of "The Three Cities within Toronto" report here go to: Cities Centre homepage
Printed copies might be available for purchase at the Cities centre for $4.95
Presented in part by
Cities Centre is a multi-disciplinary research institute established February 2007 in response to one of the five major research priorities defined in the University's "Stepping Up" plan. The mandate of the Centre is broad: to encourage and facilitate research, both scholarly and applied, on cities and on a wide range of urban policy issues, both in Canada and abroad, and to provide a gateway for communication between the University and the broader urban community.
- Bring together faculty, professionals, and graduate students interested in urban development, policy issues and the quality of life in cities;
- Encourage interdisciplinary scholarly research on urban issues;
- Support research by providing academic staff and students with space, access to services and information, opportunities for collaboration, seminars and conferences, and graduate research internships;
- Disseminate ideas related to urban and community studies to other researchers and to agencies and organizations interested in urban matters by publishing books, reports, bibliographies, and research bulletins;
- Improve communications among researchers and between researchers and the broader urban community. The Centre's activities are intended to contribute to scholarship on questions relating to the social and economic well-being of people who live and work in urban areas large and small, in Canada and around the world.
Finally made it to the exhibit!!!
Struggling Cities from Japanese Urban Projects in the 1960s
by Naohiko Hino, Architect and Supervisor of the exhibition
What is a city? There can be no single answer to this question. For over 5,000 years cities have developed all over the world. In each, a unique material culture and lifestyle has formed to reflect local conditions and history. For example, there was a fortress of a city surrounded with walls in preparation for foreign invasion, a market of a city where various people met on trade routes, a city developed by industry, and a city where all the power of the government was concentrated. Thus, cities have been built in various ways.
In the 20th Century, influenced by modernization, cities changed themselves by rather stylized methods. A mesh of modern urban planning covered cities. As if to replace their local culture, cities were rationalized to fit the modern social system, planned according to an ideal based on an archetypal European city.
In the mid-20th Century, only 25 percent of the world's population lived in cities, in 50 years this figure rose to 50 percent. In light of the fact that it took 5,000 years for the urban population grew in the latter-20th century.
This rapid urbanization caused drastic change to cities and forced governments and cities to adapt to new conditions. Modern urban planning is less effective in larger-scale cities because of the difficulty of maintaining organic consistency while overcoming urban problems caused by modernization. Megacities are at the forefront of this problem.
In the 1960s Tokyo became a megacity. The population reached 20 million and continued growing rapidly. Newspapers were filled with articles about the problems caused by modernization: traffic congestion, pollution, housing shortages and sinking ground. In order to find a way out of these critical situations and to renovate the city, Japan mobilized industrial productivity during a high-growth period of its economy. In response to this increase in momentum, architects announced quite ambitious urban projects through mass media such as TV programs, newspapers and magazines. The project aroused the interests of a public caught in the waning mood of the times, a people that still believed modernization's promise of a brilliant future.
Representative examples are Kenzo Tange's "A Plan for Tokyo - 1960", projects proposed by the Metabolists, a group that included the four architects Kiyonori Kikutake, Masato Ohtaka, Fumihiko Maki and Kisho Kurokawa, and Arata Isozaki's "Cities in the Air". Although they were announced in tandem, in their details these projects have different meanings. Tange made a rational and systematic response to the problems. The Metabolists used fear of crisis as a springboard for proposing progressive images of future cities. Isozaki thought that an essential problem existed in the fact that cities came to refuse urban planning itself. The differences between these projects emphasize the changing consensus from the modern to the contemporary age. The times steadily moved toward skepticism about modernism.
While none of these projects were realized in Japan, globally many urban plans by architects were implemented and modern cities emerged such as Brasilia by Locio Costa, the capital cities of Nigeria and Macedonia by Kenzo Tange, and Chandigarh by Le Corbusier. In most cases the architect's intentions were not fully realized. Part of a given city would be built to plan only to be surrounded by chaotic areas. As such it's ambitious city planning was unstable and failed to keep its consistency. This reality reveals the essential difficulty in modern urban planning, which Isozaki pointed out; it's extremely difficult to set visions for idealized cities and share the visions with people, and then realized them consistently.
Rather than difficult, urban planning may simply be unnecessary. Tokyo serves as a good example. Thinking back to the critical atmosphere of the 1960s, it's significant that today few of its citizens are aware of Tokyo as the largest megacity in the world. They merely feel inconvenience with that huge Tokyo. There is no vision of an ideal shape or consistency for Tokyo, it looks like an impromptu patchwork. The reality of Tokyo shows that expanded megacities can be functional.
So far as these megacities are concerned, why does ideal vision or consistency matter?
In some sense, cities resemble living things. Figuratively speaking, Tokyo is a self-indulgent creature tending towards schizophrenia. Why did this happen? It's hard to tell where Tokyo's unique characteristics end and where general characteristics of megacities begin. As stated above, other megacities continue to grow according to their own characteristic identities. We can at least recognize that like Tokyo, many megacities have a patchy structure in which old cities overlap new ones, and planned areas are adjacent to unplanned.These patchy structures exhibit a flexibility suggesting that development aimed at meeting practical needs is more efficient thatn building cities to strictly rational plans. It may sound strange, but it seems to be a natural fact that megacities themselves are irrational.
It's not easy to plan new city blocks to have true organic relationships which existing urban context. If new blocks are only planned to be in harmony which the rest of the city, cities as a whole would fall into things of the past. To keep cities active, it's necessary to have projects that can continually revitalize the context of a city. In this regard, Tokyo has few good examples to show. Even if we recognize Tokyo as a self-networking system with multiple variables, we are still searching for a way to lead and support the system. Facing the reality that many megacities are shifting to patchwork-like structures, it's clearly nonsense to consider cities as extensions of tree structures. A new vision for cities is needed, one which can connect unrelated things and create a new organism. This is a big and challenging problem for us.
Our understanding of architecture and cities has been depressed by Globalism and Neo-Liberalism. We need a vision that can release us from this depression and allow us to take the next step. We need to build momentum in order to develop cities with identify out from under of these banners of universalism.
My most memorable photograph from yesterday's book >
Suit by Digby Morton. Vogue (British Edition), September 1941. This picture pretty much summarizes why I've loved the Second World War fashion. Actually it instantly brought to mind what my mum said when we were watching a documentary of the WWII a long time ago - that women in those days even when there was disaster and rubble all around they still wore their high heels and were always perfectly dressed. I truly admire them.
Started reading today ... VOGUE FASHION! One of the best books on fashion! Loved it. Highly recommended! Very neat, tidy and to the point.
Posted by Derek Flack / November 10, 2011
The first thought that came to mind when I arrived at INabstracto for the launch of John Martins-Mantiega's latest book, Métro: Design in Motion, was why hasn't anybody given the TTC such a lovely and thorough treatment? Spread over 450 pages, Mantiega's new book is more that just a love letter to the Montreal subway and the remarkable people who made it possible — it's a tribute to modern design and the pragmatic spaces we often take for granted. I'd love to read — or perhaps even write — something similar about the Toronto subway, even if the story isn't as compelling or Canadian in its design history.
Needless to say, this isn't an easy task. It took over three years for Martins-Mantiega to write Metro. Part of this has to do with the amount of research and documentation that went into the book, but it also has to with funding. It's a challenge to publish books of this nature, and the journey wasn't always a smooth one — but here's the book, and it's fantastic.
So too are the photographs on display. As much as I enjoy viewing (and posting) archival photographs, there's something about seeing larger versions in person that really get me enthusiastic. But perhaps even more cool than the photographs is the model subway train and orange seat in the window of INabstraco. Seeing them displayed this way really drives home the degree to which they're design objects, something that's all too easy to forget.
"That little train is probably the most important piece of industrial design that Canada ever produced," Martins-Manteiga declared at last night's launch. That might be overstating it, but it was still a remarkable accomplishment, particularly given the timelines the designers had to work with. 20 of the original stations were completed in just four years to coincide with Expo 67.
At the media preview for the new TTC streetcars I attended earlier today, it was revealed that full incorporation of the vehicles isn't expected until 2018. And that's just vehicles — no stations. That gives a bit of perspective into just how quickly the Montreal system came together. It's also interesting to note that Toronto's new streetcars will be built by Bombardier, which blossomed into the large-scale company it is today on account of their construction of Montreal's subway cars.
It may not be the Toronto subway book I'm hoping for, but Metro: Design in Motion is well worth the read for design buffs and transit history fans. And even if you don't fall into either of these categories, having a look at the exhibit is still highly recommended.
Metro: Design in Motion will be up at INabstracto until November 27th. The book can be purchased there or at Swipe Books.
*The word koi comes from Japanese, simply meaning "carp"
The koi fish meaning takes on a enormous significance in Oriental society. The koi fish are believed to be Chinese in origin but is very well known in Japan. As legend has it, as koi fish swim boldly upstream against the adverse currents on the Yellow River, if it is successful in its attempt to swim up the falls at a certain point known as Dragon Gate, there within the mist of the waters of the falls it is magically transformed into a water dragon. Based upon this, the koi became a status symbol representing strong character, courage, and perseverance in achieving hard to reach goals. Also included within these traits is the drive to attain worldly success and advancement, even under trying conditions and against all odds. In Japan, these traits are considered masculin qualities and attributes, as a result, the status of the koi fish has become related with male masculinity. The symbol was said to represent the annual Boys’ Day Festival in Japan where multi-color koi flags were flown as a symbol of honor for each son in a family.
The Koi Fish Meaning is also symbolically used today. For Children’s Day, the koi is symbolic of the family structure and flags are flown in a multiple of colors for different members of the family: Black Koi symbolizes the father; orange stands for the mother; the blue or white color is chosen for a boy; and lastly the red or pink shades symbolizes a girl.
In some cases, the amount of fish, color and even the direction in which the fish are swimming in the water represents a Koi Fish Meaning. For instance, some people believe that 5 golden koi stands for perpetual wealth and prosperity. Other people believe that the colors of the tatoo on your body must represent you as an individual and where you live. All of these traditions only add to the thought and beauty surrounding the koi fish meaning and their legendary status. One other meaning for the symbol which is more common is that of standing for good luck or fortune.
The following pictures courtsey of TORONTOHISTORY.ORG but for more info on the building itself go here: Queen's Quay Terminal
Queen's Quay Terminal was a cold storage warehouse facility, the Toronto Terminal Warehouse, built in 1926 by Moores & Dunford (NYC) and converted to a condo/mall complex in 1983 (The southwest section was demolished and forms the south end of the parking lot between Queen's Quay Terminal and the EnWave PowerPlant). The renovations by Zeidler Roberts added 4 floors to the original 10 floor structure, for a total of 750,000 square feet (70,000 m2) of space. The New York Times mentioned it as an example of successful revitalization efforts in Toronto during the 1980s.
The Art Deco facility houses a shopping mall that includes a Sobeys grocery store. It is also home to the Premiere Dance Theatre and the Museum of Inuit Art.
Yahoo! Canada and Anheuser-Busch InBev's Canadian unit Labatt both maintain offices in the building.
It is owned by Brookfield Properties.
An abandoned cold storage facility (Central Warehouse Cold Storage at Montgomery Street and Colonie Street) identical to its original appearance exists in Albany, NY.
Source: Wikipedia
世界初就航NH7871便 香港行き初フライト
ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-881 Dreamliner JA801A
Boeing 787 Special charter flight Narita - Hong Kong
Oct 26. 2011
TODAY!!
LANDING IN HONG KONG!
TOMORROW in Japan time> First Official Flight in
19hrs 42mins
(took this book out of the library on Thursday & couldn't recognize this place!)
MISSION FOR TODAY: Find this place!!
Found it!!
Commerce Court North @ 25 King St. W :
The first building, now known as Commerce Court North, was built in 1930 as the headquarters of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, a precursor bank to the current main tenant. Designed by the Canadian firm Pearson and Darling with the American bank specialists York and Sawyer as consulting architects, the 34-storey limestone clad tower was the tallest building in the British Empire/Commonwealth for roughly three decades, until 1962. At the time of its construction, the building was one of the most opulent corporate headquarters in Canada, and featured a public observation deck (since closed to the public due to safety and liability concerns).
Commerce Court North held the title of tallest building in Toronto between 1931–1967
The Lethbridge Viaduct, commonly known as the High Level Bridge, is the longest and highest steel trestle bridge in North America. It was constructed between 1907–1909 at Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada at a cost of $1,334,525.
Specifications
This massive steel trestle over the Oldman River was designed by the Canadian Pacific Railway's bridge department in Montreal. The field work was directed by CPR's Assistant Chief Engineer John Edward Schwitzer. The steel work was manufactured by the Canadian Bridge Company of Walkerville, Ontario. A 100 man gang worked on the erection of the steel. Although there were some initial problems with settlement, the bridge has proved to be an enduring engineering work and is still in use today.
It was built as part of a major diversion of the Crowsnest Pass route between Lethbridge and Fort Macleod. The river crossing was previously over a wooden trestle measuring 894 m (2,933 ft) long and 20 m (66 ft) high; an impressive structure in its own right.
Above is a picture of the High Level bridge I took the last time I was in Lethbridge! Sorry not the best picture but atleast I have one of my own.
A relic of a time before Netflix, or even Cineplex Odeon, Etobicoke’s Westwood Theatre—just south of where Kipling, Dundas and Bloor meet in the former muncipality’s notorious “six points” intersection—has stood vacant since its closure in 1998. The last two movies to screen there were Titanic and Wild Things.
But the cinema was ultra-modern when it was built in 1952, with a sleek design and a gimmicky “floating screen”, curved to allegedly provide a 3-D experience. The theatre catered to a neighbourhood that was, at the time, on the edge of town—a harbinger of sprawl to come. (Though two more screens were added in later decades, the Westwood was nonetheless dwarfed by the nearby Queensway and Sherwood multiplexes.)
In 2009, plans were made between the city and the province to tear down the theatre and build a courthouse on some of the 19 acres of city-owned land, but funding was pulled. There may now be plans to put a YMCA on the site, but no deals have been inked, yet. Reassuringly, the majority of the building is still intact—apart from the “D” in the iconic sign, which was damaged during the filming of Resident Evil: Apocalypse. (The roof was blown up by a zombie with a rocket launcher.)
Westwood Theatres, 1974
Chewang Norphel, Director of the Leh Nutrition Project.
Rain is scarce in these snow-peaked Himalayas of northern India, and summers bring dust storms that whip across craggy brown slopes and sun-chapped faces. Glaciers are the sole source of fresh water for the Buddhist farmers who make up more than 70% of the population in this rugged range between Pakistan and China. But rising temperatures have seen the icy snow retreat by dozens of feet each year — to find evidence of global warming, the farmers simply have to glance up from their fields and see the rising patches of brown where, once, all was white. Knowing no alternative, they pray harder for rain and snow.
But Chewang Norphel has gone beyond prayer. The 73-year-old civil engineer has come up with a solution that won't exactly save the ancient glaciers, but it could stave off a looming irrigation crisis. Norphel has created artificial glaciers, frozen pools of glacier run-off perched above the farmers' fields, which thaw just in time for the start of growing season in April — two months before water from the distant natural glaciers is expected to arrive. The slanted pools melt into irrigation channels over the next six weeks, watering crops for villages of roughly 500 families and, as a bonus, recharging the valley's natural springs.
Norphel is known locally as "Ice Man," and cuts a rebellious figure with slick raven hair and a black leather jacket. His innovation has been hailed as an elegantly simple and cheap solution to a devastating problem. One artificial glacier costs just $7,000, compared to $34,000 for a cement water reservoir. Only local materials are needed, and the villagers themselves can build and maintain them. The seven glaciers he's built as head of a local non-profit managing the watershed program for the state of Jammu and Kashmir have won him widespread attention, as engineers from other mountainous regions in India and Afghanistan have visited to learn his methods.
But funding from the government and cooperation from villagers have proved fleeting, and his plan to put artificial glaciers in over 100 villages of his native highlands now faces Everest-sized obstacles.
One of the villages targeted by Norphel is the Buddhist hamlet of Sakti, tucked in the mountains of the Ladakh Range that stretch above the Indus River. Village head Tsering Kundan recalled the rush of optimism when Norphel's glacier was first built in 2001. People grabbed up more land to cultivate, planting groves of willow and poplar saplings between the fields. But now they're letting their man-made glacier fall into disrepair, says Kundan. Villagers accuse one another of secretly diverting its water, and the local watershed committee is neglecting to spend government funds on maintenance. "They're more interested in spending it on buying cows," said the 54-year-old farmer, his eyes glistening red from sun and wind.
Norphel found his state funds cut in 2006 as part of the fallout from an unrelated political dispute between government officials and Ladakh's notoriously crowded field of NGOs. Still, the quixotic Ice Man remains determined to prove the power of his invention. His biggest and most successful glacier is also the most remote, meaning that few officials are willing to make the seven-mile hike to see it. One nearer to town has been reduced to a series of dirt pits from neglect and a major flood. Unperturbed, Norphel sees this as a chance to rebuild the perfect showpiece.
Shimmying down the slopes toward the dry pools, he described the improvements he would make if he just had the money. The headworks at the natural glacier would direct water with more precision and efficiency. Stone channels would be widened so the water wouldn't freeze on its way down. Pipes leading to the pools would be deep underground, and made of concrete, to withstand floods. Water would cascade onto fields in April, and global warming would lose its grip, for a while.
Then people would see.
"I just need one village," said Norphel. "Then I can show everyone.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1717149,00.html#ixzz1Zg7NzrPc
The Busan to Geoje fixed link project was an ambitious scheme to reduce journey times between Korea's south coast city of Busan and the island of Geoje - a tourist hot-spot and home to the country's biggest shipbuilding yards.
This world class project provides an 8.2km highway link between the southern city of Busan and the island of Geoje in South Korea. The overall link comprises two major cable stayed bridges, with main spans of 230m and 475m respectively, and a 3.4km long immersed tunnel. The tunnel, which carries traffic at a depth of up to 48m below sea level to avoid large container ships, is one of the deepest in the world.
Halcrow TEC JV were appointed Technical Advisers to Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd, who led the consortium to design, construct and operate this vital US$1100m transport link, completed in 2010.
Halcrow–TEC JV provided advice to Daewoo on many aspects of the design and construction of the link, together with advice on contracts and contract strategy (including design contracts) and project organization.
The link slashes journey times from three and a half hours to just 40 minutes opening up the region to a wealth of previously untapped business and tourism opportunities thus boosting the economy.
http://www.halcrow.com/Our-projects/Project-details/Busan-Geoje-Fixed-Link-Korea/
BUSAN-GEOJE bridge under construction
Duration: Tuesday, September 11, 2001
8:46 am – 10:28 am
The September 11 attacks (called September 11, September 11th or 9/11), were a series of four coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States in New York City and the Washington, D.C. areas on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 terrorists from the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally crashed two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City; both towers collapsed within two hours. Hijackers crashed a third plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth jet, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania before it could reach its intended target in Washington, D.C. after the passengers attempted to take control. Nearly 3,000 died in the attacks.
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum is scheduled to open on September 11, 2012.
National September 11 Memorial & Museum
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4783587896_6d7581c7f6.jpg
Fatalities included the following:
Post-war Toronto was creative and dynamic. It was a hotbed of industrial and artistic activity. Toronto had attitude, it was brash and confident. It not only reinvented art and architecture but re-engineered it.
It all came together like one beautiful storm, brewing an intoxicating wind of change, a system that would remake and retool Canadian industry and establish Canada's manufacturing infracture, thereby creating bot a middle class and an artistic class that would redesign the city, realising some of the very best and most uncompromising examples of art and architecture this country has ever seen.
The end of the war was seen as a new beginning. We built the Victory Soya Mills on the Toronto waterfront, a colossal structure of concrete silos with "VICTORY" written in bright red sans-serif across its superstructure to annpounce Canada's triumph in Europe and reiterate Canada's modern aesthetic heritage all in one bold stroke.
In the days after the war, young men and women in Canada, with dreams in their veins pubped up by victory, believed anything was possible. Immigrants disembarking in Halifax and Montreal had left behind the devastation of the Old World and were determined to build a new one, one which would lead to lives and new careers.
And into the midst of this came architect Peter Dickinson, fresh off the boat in Halifax and building up a storm in a manner most Dickinson. John C. Parkin and Macklin L. Hancock, newly graduated from Harvard, were full of piss and vinegar, looking to roll up their sleeves and execute the never-before-imagined.
...
From the igloo to concrete silos to prairie grain elevators to Canadian Pacific's Empress liner series to wartime housing - Canada's aesthetic is simple, clean and functional. Modern is our national form and our inherent design language.
Toronto was a city like no other. We were Hogtown, and loving it! We had a style and a forward, get-out-of-my-way attitude. At the same time, we were a city of outstanding cultural depth and vision. Ours was a modern city that carried weight and gravity in art, design and architecture. We believed in our young, we nurtured them and we believed the future was bright.
Toronto was [at] the most, a cultural and industrial revolution, an artistic explosion. It was breathtaking. Toronto. We are the citizens of no mean city.
*taken from the Introduction pages of Mean City: From Architecture to Design: How Toronto Went Boom by John Martins Manteiga
Just coming out of mourning for Jack Layton and I believe this should be a starting off point for all Torontonians who have been inspired to work for this city. I think I am back in the game. This is me pledging my involvement in City Politics after my 2 year hibernation!!! I am totally psyched! I love Toronto. Toronto IS my city and I hope to see you rise again.
Dezeen was launched at the end of November 2006 and has grown rapidly to become one of the most popular and influential architecture and design blogs on the internet. We now get over two million visits a month, and traffic is doubling every year.
Dezeen was included in Time magazine’s Design 100 list of the most influential forces in global design (below), and in Design Week magazine’s Hot 50 list of key figures in design.
Copyright: all our content is protected by copyright law.
Data protection: Dezeen handles data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
The Dezeen story: Dezeen was started as a simple blog in 2006 by Marcus Fairs, author of Twenty-First Century Design (published October 2006 and republished in June 2009) and Green Design (published March 2009) and former founding editor of icon magazine.
In 2007 he was joined by Rupinder Bhogal and together they set up Dezeen Limited, which they now run as co-directors. They launched the recruitment site Dezeenjobs in 2008, followed by Dezeen Watch Store in 2010.
http://www.dezeenjobs.com/ ; well since I may not ever work as an Architect thought someone else might be looking. They have some pretty good posting here. Below is only photo clipping. You will not be able to access it here. You will have to go to the 'dezeenjobs' website; it is only a snap shot for those interested.
One of the things I miss about SEOUL~ Haechi, their mascot! I love him! Haechi first began appearing in Silla era (57 BC – AD 935). a mythical creature as a guardian of justice which representing also safety and luck. in Jeoseon kingdom (1392 – 1910) statues of The Haechi were placed in palaces and homes to protect them from harm and misfortune. Haechi was chosen as a symbol of Seoul in May 2008. With the move, Seoul City has developed various products featuring Haechi to make it one of world’s best city brands.
Haechi, a mythical animal, has been reborn as a character representing Seoul. Seoul Metropolitan Government held a ceremony March 25 (2009) at the City Hall Seosomun Annex unveiling Haechi brand identity and character.
Haechi was selected as a Seoul symbol last May after it was pointed out there is no core image that represents Seoul. The Haechi BI(Brand Image) and character were developed through a survey of Seoulites and consultations with experts.
The basic shape of Haechi BI derives from the Haechi statue in Gwanghwamun. Glancing slightly upward with his head turned a little to the side, Haechi exudes a dynamic image. Seoul sky color representing the animal’s characteristics and the cleanliness and integrity was used as the basic color. The Haechi BI will be used in the City Hall documents, promotional materials, mugs, cars, badges and business cards.
A Haechi character that is children-friendly and can communicate with the public has been created as well. The basic colors are ginko yello and brick brown-colors which were shown in a survey to be preferred by Seoulites. The character will be used in music videos, flash animation and at Hi Seoul Festival programs and events.
“The city will conduct an integrated Haechi marketing program in a consistent manner to develop it as the foremost Seoul icon,”said a city official.
http://english.seoul.go.kr/gtk/news/news_view.php?idx=878
Birth of the Haechi
So, why the Haechi?
Yi* says the selection of the mystical beastie as the symbol of Seoul was based on much research. "We asked Seoul citizens and visiting foreigners what they considered to be symbols of Seoul. The symbols were separated into three categories - traditional symbols, environmental symbols and cultural symbols. In the end, the top three responses were Gyeongbokgung Palace in the traditional category, Hangang River in the environmental category, and N Seoul Tower in the cultural category."
When these results were analyzed, Gyeongbokgung Palace was the favorite in terms of both symbolism and usability. Still, there was a problem. "Gyeongbokgung Palace is too big, so it's hard to use as a symbol," Yi said. "We looked at what aspects of the palace we could use, and we decided on the Haechi."
There was more going for the Haechi, too. "If we'd chosen a religious symbol, this could spark a religious controversy. Plus, we needed something with a connection to the city. For example, we could use a lion, but lions have no connection to Seoul." China and Japan have Haechi, too, but they differ quite a bit from Korea's. "The Korean Haechi is rather happy and cute, perhaps a bit silly looking. It has Korean aesthetic features. And Seoul has more Haechi statues than anywhere else in Korea - some 90% of Haechi are located in the city."
*Yi Byeonghan, the Director of the Design Planning Division of Seoul Metropolitan Government
http://english.seoul.go.kr/gtk/news/reports_view.php?idx=1270
Kanzashi are hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles. Some believe they may also have been used for defence in an emergency.
In the English-speaking world, the term "kanzashi" is sometimes applied to the folded cloth flowers that traditionally adorned tsumami kanzashi, or to the technique used to make those flowers.
Seasonal kanzashi
The seasons dictate which kind of hair ornament is worn in Japan. Usually this applies above all to the geisha and maiko, who tend to be the only Japanese women to wear kanzashi often enough for seasonal changes to be noticeable. Since maiko wear more kanzashi than senior geisha, seasonal changes are even more important for them.
http://www1.odn.ne.jp/maya/english/enknshop.htm
*I wanted to be a hairstylist when I was little after watching this Japanese Drama called OSHIN where the actress was a hairdresser. I was flipping through a magazine, waiting for my friend, when I saw these Kanzashi designs. ^__^
Architect Allyn E. Morris' gorgeous and compact Silver Lake home and studio, which is situated on the architecturally impressive Silver Ridge Street, is for sale.
Morris, who was an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright, fused his own aesthetic from training as an engineer with the more organic principles of his famous teacher. He also worked with Calvin C. Straub, as well as Frank Lloyd Wright, Jr., decades after he had become famous in his own right, according to Crosby Doe Associates, who is listing the Silver Lake property. While Morris did not receive as much attention as some of his peers during his lifetime, he is still recognized as an extremely talented architect, as evidenced by this article in The Architect's Newspaper. His Silver Lake home has been published in six different journals, books, and magazines, including Architectural Digest and An Architectural Guidebook to Los Angeles.*
The Silver Lake property, built in 1958, has been lovingly preserved by its current owner in order to maintain the architect's original vision. The one-bedroom, one-and-three-fourths-bath studio home has numerous large windows that offer beautiful views of Mount Baldy and the San Gabriel Mountains. The lush foliage of these surrounding hills delicately balances out the warm hues of the brick structure. The house has an airy two-story living room and open kitchen and dining area, as well as a lower ground-floor office.
The 1,026 square-foot home is currently listed for $668,000 on Redfin. You can learn more about the home at its website, designed by Scott Mayoral.
Photos provided courtesy of Michael D. Phillips of Crosby Doe Associates.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/15/architect-allyn-morris-mo_n_876393.html#s291466
*I was gifted a coffee table book on my return from Korea and this house by Allyn Morris was in it. It caught my eye and thought of researching it online and I can't believe it has just been put on the market. According to the book it is owned by film-maker Stephen Chin, originally from Toronto, and is featured in pages 18-23 of the book:
Finally watched 'VALENTINO the last emperor'!! after so many years of wishing! Totally worth the wait! Highly recommended! awww... Wish him an enjoyable retirement!
Valentino: The Last Emperor is a documentary film about the life of Valentino Garavani. It was produced and directed by Matt Tyrnauer, Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine. The film is an exploration of the singular world of one of Italy's most famous men, Valentino Garavani. The film documents the colorful and dramatic closing act of Valentino's celebrated career, tells the story of his life, and explores the larger themes affecting the fashion business today. At the heart of the film is the unique relationship between Valentino and his business partner and companion of 50 years, Giancarlo Giammetti.
I am currently reading Seth Godin's Linchpin and I found this chapter to relate quite closely to my yesterday's topic of www.nycgarbage.com by creator Justin Gignac.
WHO IS It [art] FOR? (pg. 94- 95)
Some artists work to change themselves. The process of making the art and the results produced are solely aimed at the creator. Whistling as you walk through the woods is a form of art, but you're not doing it hoping a squirrel will applaud.
Most of us, though, most of the time, make our art for an audience. We want to change someone else. We're seeking to make them happier, or more engaged, or a customer.
There are two reasons why it's vital to know whom you are working for. The first is that understanding your audience allows you to target your work and to get feedback that will help you do it better next time.
The other reason? Because it tells you whom to ignore.
It's impossible to make art for everyone. There are too manyconflicting goals and there's far too much noise. Art for everyone is mediocre, bland, and ineffective.
If you don't pinpoint your audience, you end up making your art for the loudest, crankiest critics. And that's a waste. Instead, focus on the audience that you choose, and listen to them, to the exclusion of all others. Go ahead and make this sort of customer happy, and the other guys can go pound sand.
In the words of Ev Willams, founder of Blogger and Twitter,
The core thing would be just do something awesome. Try not to get caught up in the echo chamber. That is probably the toughest thing when you are trying to break out and do something original.
A lot of things are evolutionary, and it is easy to get caught up in what the geek subculture thinks. There's lots of valuable businesses that can be bought there, but I think that is where a lot of peiple tend to spin their wheels, and I've been caught up there before. When I've had more successful things, I've thought, "Back to basics. What do I want? What do I want to see in the world?" And create that.
Ev and Twitter didn't succeed at first. People didn't get it. What's the point? Where's the business model? And then, once the word spread, Twitter became the fastest-growing communications medium in history. Not because it followed a model, but because it broke one.
Some artists create.
Some artists seek a patron, someone who will help them pay the bills while they do their work.
Some artists think they need a boss. Someone who will not only pay them, but also tell them what to do. The moment this happens, the artist is no longer an artist.
An artist's job is to change us. When you have a boss, your job is to please the boss, not to change her. It's okay to have someone you work for, someone who watches over you, like someone in charge of your movements and your output, you are a cog, not an artist.
63 Building/ 63 City
With 63 floors measuring a height of 264m, the 63 Building is Korea’s tallest and most recognized building. The 63 Building boasts spectacular views of the Hangang River and the surrounding mountains of Bugaksan Namsan and Gwanaksan.
63 Building has undergone considerable renovation and the basement floor boasts convenient facilities including 63 Sea World, 63 IMAX theater, Korea’s greatest buffet restaurant “Buffet Pavilion,” and a host of other restaurants.
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| Activity Information |
| * 63 Sea World Basement first floor 16,119 square feet, basement second floor 16,724 square feet, and basement third floor (technology room) 5,515 square feet, totaling 38,358 square feet. Within this large-scale space, there are 54 regular aquarium displays, 26 special organism breeding aquariums, and other aquariums adding up to 80. In addition, specially created aquarium is 2m 10cm in height, 42m in circumference, water capacity of 200tons, and 11cm of transparent acryl. Other than aquarium displays which consist of 400 different kinds of over 20,000 of water organisms, there are also reptiles exhibitions and event hall is separately located in 63 Sea World in order to present unique ocean scenes. Ocean Family Show (seal, fur seal, diver show) can only be enjoyed at 63 Sea World. It is very unique and extraordinary which interests the audience presenting interesting scenes. * 63 Sky Deck 63 Sky Deck, many visitors come every year, is 264m above the sea level, and 249m above the ground level is providing feelings as if floating above the clouds. Together with Han River’s water flow and view of the city lead it to be Korea’s representative tourist route. In addition, Sky Deck’s recreation facilities provide unique experience for the visitors and its various special exhibitions provide educational and cultural learning. *63 IMAX theater 63 IMAX theater is Korea’s the first IMAX theater which opened in July, 1985 with 504 seats. There are eight special seats for handicapped audiences and simultaneous interpretation services are available in four different languages. Surround sound system is used; there are six vast speakers in the front and two in the back for the best quality of sound. 63 IMAX theater is international standard size of six floor building and its film is ten times the regular movie, 35mm, providing three times the 70mm movie. |
http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264122
Historic Site No.117: GYEONGBOKGUNG palace
Built in 1395, Gyeongbokgung Palace is also commonly referred to as the “Northern Palace” because it is the furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of Changdeokgung (Eastern Palace) and Gyeongheegung (Western Palace). Gyeongbokgung Palace is arguably the most beautiful and remains the grandest of all five palaces.
The premises were destroyed by fire at the time of Japanese occupation from 1592-1598. However, all of the palace's 7,700 rooms were later restored under the leadership of Heungseondaewongun during the reign of King Gojong (1852~1919) .
Remarkably, the most representative edifices of the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeonghoe-ru Pavilion and Hyangwonjeong Pond are still relatively in tact. Woldae and the sculptures of Geunjeongjeon (The Royal Audience Chamber) represent past sculpture of contemporary art.
The National Palace Museum of Korea is located south of Heungnyemun Gate, and the National Folk Museum is located east within Hyangwonjeong.
http://visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264337
National Palace Museum of Korea
Kings and queens of Joseon living in royal residences such as Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, and Changdeokgung Palace had built a magnificent and sublime royal culture during the Joseon Dynasty. Their beloved palaces were brimming with art treasures from the greatest artists of that time. What dresses did they wear? What paintings did they see? What tools did they use? The National Palace Museum of Korea, which will be shortly introduced, will satisfy all your curiosities.
The National Palace Museum of Korea is a royal museum, which exhibits royal artifacts and related materials of the Joseon Dynasty (1392~1910). The Royal Museum in the Stone Hall of Deoksugung Palace was moved to a significantly larger location at Gyeongbokgung Palace and re-opened under the name of “The National Palace Museum of Korea” on August 15, 2005. The Museum has about 40,000 collections of precious royal artifacts found in Joseon’s palaces, and for the present about 700 collections are exhibited on the 2nd floor halls. All of the exhibit halls on the 1st floor and the basement will be opened by the year 2007.
http://visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_6.jsp?cid=259914
Gwanghwamun Square
Gwanghwamun Square was created by reducing16 lanes of traffic down to 10 in the middle of Sejong-ro, which connects Jongno-gu Gwanghwamun to Sejong-ro intersection and Cheongye Square. Constructed started May 27, 2008, and it opened to the public on August 1, 2009. The 557meter long, 34 meter wide Sejong-ro, the heart of Seoul with 600 years of history, was transformed into a human focused space that harmonizes with the beautiful sceneries of Gyeongbok Palace and Bukak-san, which completed the rebirth of Sejong-ro for historical and cultural experiences.
"Historical Flow" measures 1 meter wide and 365 meters long on both side edges of square. The east flow has 617 stone boards written with major historical events from 1392 (the start of the Joseon period) to 2008. The west flow has empty stone boards waiting to be recorded for the future. This "Historical Flow" plays a role of passing underground sourced water generated from the Gyeongbok Palace and Gwanghwamun subway stations to Cheongyecheon.
A fountain installed around the statue of Lee Sun Sin is also known as Music Fountain as it also plays music. However, its official name is "12.23 Fountain," which indicates the great Myeongryang Victory of clearing 133 Japanese ships by 12 Korean ships and Lee Sun Shin's perfect record of 23 wins in 23 battles.
The center of the Square between Sejong Cultural Center and the status of Lee Sun Sin is utilized for various display purposes. The north part of the Square has a colorful "flower carpet" 17.5 meters wide and 162 meters long expressing the number of days from October 28, 1394 (the date of the Joseon Dynasty's settling of Seoul), to August 1, 2009 (the date of the opening of Gwanghwamun Square).
The "Square of Recovering History of Gwanghwamun" has restored Waldae (the stone placed in front of a palace or castle) and a miniature model representing the past center of the area. The whole renewed area of Gwanghwamun stands as a symbol for the revitalization of Seoul.
http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/448
Changdeokgung Palace was the second royal villa built following the construction of Gyeongbukgung Palace in 1405. It was the principal palace for many of the Joseon kings and is the most well-preserved of the five remaining royal Joseon palaces. The palace grounds are comprised of a public palace area, a royal family residence building, and the rear garden. Known as a place of rest for the kings, the rear garden boasts a gigantic tree that is over 300 years old, a small pond, and a pavilion.
The palace gained in importance starting from the time of 9th king of Joseon, Seongjong, when a number of kings began using it as a place of residence. Unfortunately, the palace was burned down by angry citizens in 1592 when the royal family fled their abode during the Japanese Invasion of Korea. Thanks to Gwanghaegun, the palace was restored in 1611. Even today, it holds a number of cultural treasures such as Injeongjeon Hall, Daejojeon Hall, Seonjeongjeon Hall, and Nakseonjae.
Changdeokgung’s rear garden was constructed during the reign of King Taejong and served as a resting place for the royal family members. The garden had formerly been called ‘Bukwon’ and ‘Geumwon,’ but was renamed ‘Biwon’ after King Kojong came into power. The garden was kept as natural as possible and was touched by human hands only when absolutely necessary. Buyongjeong, Buyongji, Juhabru, Eosumun, Yeonghwadang, Bullomun, Aeryeonjeong, and Yeongyeongdang are some of the many pavilions and fountains that occupy the garden. The most beautiful time to see the garden is during the fall when the autumn foliage is at its peak and the leaves have just started to fall.
Though it has been treasured by Koreans for centuries, the Changdeokgung Palace was not designated a World Cultural Heritage by the World Cultural Heritage Committee until December of 1997, at the committee meeting in Napoli, Italy.
MORNING> Namdaemun Market
| Namdaemun Market, located in the very center of Seoul, is the biggest traditional market in Korea selling children's clothing, men & women's clothing, daily miscellaneous goods, kitchenware and local and imported products. Most shops have their own factories and make the products themselves offering both wholesale and retail prices which enable visitors to purchase various shopping items at extremely inexpensive prices. Foreign visitors to Namdaemun Market show different tastes: the Japanese are more into foods like gim (seaweed), gimchi, and ginseng, while the Chinese show interest in clothing and miscellaneous goods. On the other hand, most tourists from the West simply enjoy the ambience of the traditional market. Hours vary by store, so it's advisable to plan in advance according toa shopping list before you start actual shopping. |
 http://visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SH/SH_EN_7_2_4_1.jsp |
AFTERNOON> Namsangol Hanok Traditional Village
If you get off at Chungmuro Subway Station, you are right in front of Namsangol Hanok Village (traditional Korean village). You may consider it interesting to find this area standing between the tall buildings. This village has five restored traditional Korean houses and a pavilion, a pond and a time capsule, which make it a perfect spot to take a walk.
When you enter the front gate, you will see the vast valley and the Chunugak building to the left of the pond. Along with the pond, it is a splendid place where performances are held. On the side you will see five traditional houses. These houses were rebuilt after the traditional houses of Joseon Dynasty and belong to those of various social classes, ranking from peasants to the king. The furniture in the house is situated to help guests understand the daily life of the past, and the clean, traditional houses and their antique items provide a great photo op. If you would like to check out some souvenirs, stop by the traditional craftwork exhibit where you can buy small dishes and other items. You can also have traditional tea and refreshments. On the grounds, there are traditional games you may try such as 'neolttwigi' (sea-saw jumping), 'tuho'(arrow throwing) and 'yunnori' (traditional game of throwing wooden yut sticks). Don't forget to go see the traditional marriage ceremony! During the weekends, traditional marriages are shown at Bak Yeong Hyo's Residence. The traditional marriage ceremony is an interesting event for both Koreans and foreigners and many gather to watch. During the winter season (November to February), there are not as many wedding ceremonies as held in the spring and fall. Weddings are typically held around noon or 1 p.m. and visitors can take pictures with the husband and wife wearing traditional wedding costumes. There is also a time capsule commemorating Seoul’s 600 Year Anniversary that was buried in 1994 and is scheduled scheduled to be reopened four hundred years later in 2394.
http://visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=264116
EVENING/NIGHT> Namsan Tower
N Seoul Tower located on Mt. Namsan offers great panoramic views of the city, and has been a symbol of Seoul since it first opened to the public in 1980. The tower has not only been given a new look, but also a new name following a complete makeover. It is now a true cultural space with various performances, movies, exhibitions as well as upscale restaurants and snack bars.
N Seoul Tower Floor Guide
① N TOWER T5 : ‘N Grill,’ a revolving restaurant
② N TOWER T3 : Digital Observatory / Shocking Edge/Digital Telescope
High-powered Telescope
③ N TOWER T2 : Analogue Observatory / Down Elevator / Sky Restrooms
Souvenir Shop
④ N TOWER T1 : Korean restaurant ‘Hancook’
⑤ N PLAZA P2(F2) : Café Swee Tree / Roof Terrace / Multi Stage / Sky Road
⑥ N PLAZA P1(F1) : Bakery / Characters & Photos / Convenience store / Food Court / Reed of Light Garden / Shower of Light/Glass Terrace / Souvenir Shop / Ticket booth, etc ⑦ N PLAZA P0(B1) : Pavilion/Children’s Theater/Observatory Elevator Lobby/Bakery
MORNING> SEOUL MUSEUM of ART
Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) is one of the most representative public museums in Seoul. The museum is a place for culture and art, which plans exhibitions that draw the interests from both professionals and the general public. Located in the heart of Jeongdong Street next to Duksugung Palace, SeMA is a cultural space that people can always enjoy the pleasure of art at the center of the busy city of Seoul.
SeMA has grown to be the representative museum of Seoul with various and high quality exhibitions. In addition to special exhibitions such as “Millet”, “Chagall” “Picasso”, “Monet”, “Van Gogh”, "Pompidou", "Renoir" and "Andy Warhol", SeMA has held diversified and quality planned exhibitions such as "International Media Art Biennale" which is drawing more attentions as a global exhibition, "City_net Asia", "SeMA Exhibition" and "Spring Outing Exhibition" and "the Korean Artists' Abstract Painting Exhibition" which captures the trend of art making SeMA as a representational museum in Seoul.
2,800 pieces including the donations from Chun Kyung-Ja, Park Nosu, Kwon Young-Woo and Oh Seung-Woo are the basis for the our unique "SeMA Collection Exhibition". Every year, SeMA conducts systematic analysis and diagnosis to contribute to strengthening the competitive edge and identification of the museum with specialized and differentiated collection power.
Address 61, Deoksugung-gil (37, Seosomun-dong), Jung-gu, Seoul (zip code: 100-813)
Telephone (02) 120
Email [email protected] / http://seoulmoa.seoul.go.kr/global/eindex.jsp
AFTERNOON> Deoksugung Palace
| Introduction to DEOKSUGUNG (palace) |
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EVENING> NEW SEOUL CITY HALL (will expand later)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seoul_City_Hall
http://english.seoul.go.kr/gtk/news/news_view.php?idx=6681
NIGHT> Cheonggyecheon Stream
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Cheonggyecheon Stream used to exist merely as an overpass neglected in 1970 until it was restored in 2005, becoming a haven of natural beauty amidst the bustle of city life. |
BEST WAY TO SEE SEOUL!!! http://en.seoulcitybus.com/
We took City Circulation Course: 26 Stops!
Our Stop that took us about 4 hrs:
The National Museum of Korea is located only 1.5km away from Yongsan Station. It is the largest museum in Korea and houses precious Korean cultural assets that silently tell the story of Korea’s fascinating history, from ancient days to the modern era. The museum, in turn, is close to Yongsan Family Park, a wooded grassland with a pond that serves as a natural habitat for various species of birds, as well as over 80 different kinds of trees. The War Memorial of Korea is located approximately 1km from Yongsan Station toward Samgakji. It displays a daunting array of collections and wartime relics.
In addition to galleries with a wide array of national and international pieces, the National Museum of Korea is the stage for a number of cultural activities related to relics collection and preservation, research and analysis, social training, academic publications, international cultural exchange programs, concerts, and more. Visitors of all ages have the opportunity to participate in a number of educational events and quality cultural programs. For those who prefer to tour at a leisurely pace, the museum grounds have a number of environmentally friendly spaces and rest areas.
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| Exhibition Hall Information |
Prehistory and Ancient History Gallery on F1 The southern part of the Ancient Hall consists of 10 exhibition rooms, each of which features a different era from the ancient Paleolithic Age to the era of the Balhae Kingdom. Here, masterpieces and historic items from prehistoric eras or ancient times are mainly on display. (10 exhibition rooms: Paleolithic Age/ Neolithic Age/ The Bronze Age/ Early Iron Age/ Proto-Three Kingdom Era/ Goguryu Kingdom Era/ Baekje Kingdom Era/ Gaya Kingdom Era/ Unified Silla Kingdom Era/ Balhae Kingdom Era) Medieval and Early Modern History Gallery on F1 The northern part of the History Hall consists of 9 rooms, each of which is under 9 different themes including traditional ideologies, kings and Dynasties of Goryeo to Joseon Dynasty. Historical documents and items on display are interesting and easy to understand for visitors. (9 exhibition rooms: External Exchanges/ Traditional Ideologies/ Society & Eeconomy/ Kings & Nations/ Documents/ Epigraph/ Maps/ Hangeul/ Printing) Calligraphy and Painting Gallery on F2 Visitors may enjoy masterpieces of Korean calligraphy, paintings, Buddhist paintings, and woodworking & lacquerware. (4 exhibition rooms: Calligraphy Room/ Paintings Room/ Buddhist Paintings Room/ Wood & Lacquer Room) Donations Gallery Invaluable culture assets and items donated by Yi Hong-Geun, Bak Byeong-Rye and other donors are on display here. Visitors can not only appreciate the beauty and significance of each piece, but also the generosity of its donor. (Exhibition rooms: Yi Hong-Geun Room/ Donated Cultural Assets Room/ Kim Jong-Hak Room/ Yu Gang-Yeol Room/ Bak Yeong-Suk Room/ Choi Yeong Do Room/ Bak Byeong Rye Room/ Kaneko Room/ Yu Chang-Jong Room/ Hachiuma Room/ Yi U-Chi Room) Sculpture and Crafts Gallery on F3 Presenting Buddhist Sculptures and metal & ceramic works that emphasize the beauty of Korean culture. (Exhibition rooms: Buddhist Sculptures Room/ Metal Crafts Room/ Ceramic Crafts Room – Celadon Porcelain/ Ceramics Crafts Room – Buncheongsagi/ Ceramics Crafts Room – White Porcelain) Asia Gallery on F3 Displays cultural pieces from China, Japan and Central Asia to increase public understanding of Korea's neighboring countries and to promote cultural diversity (6 exhibition rooms: Indonesia Room/ Central Asia Room/ China Room/ Cultural Assets from Sinan Underwater Room/ Excavated Relics of Nangnang Room/ Japan Room) |
_museum.jpg)
July17:
UA867 @ 0700; Toronto> San Franciso> Incheon, South Korea
UNITED CONTINENTAL Airlines ~ "Fly the Friendly Skies"
AWESOME FLIGHT CREW!
United adopted a red, white and blue shield logo in 1936, but its use varied widely and was eventually abandoned altogether in the early 1970s. In 1973, the airline commissioned designer Saul Bass to develop a new logo. The "tulip" logo of colored stripes representing overlapping letter "U"s remained in use until the Continental merger with only slight modification. United's grey livery featured the words "Worldwide Service" near the front of the aircraft.
On May 3, 2010, it was announced that United and Continental Airlines would merge. The combined airline will take the United name but use Continental's "globe" identity and livery. The merger was approved in September 2010, and the two companies merged on October 1, 2010.
The early slogan "The Main Line Airway," emphasizing its signature New York-Chicago-San Francisco route, was replaced in 1965 with "Fly the Friendly Skies." The "friendly skies" tagline was used until 1996. The current slogan and ad campaign since 2004, is "It's time to fly." Other United Slogans include:
BEST APP goes to BLACKberry Travel!!!
Video demo for the app..
"Architecture, for her, is a game of power and influence as much as it is about bricks and mortar... architecture as a social process - as a carefully negotiated agreement between various people, rather than as a product of the solitary architect"
- Annmarie Adams, assistant professor at the McGill University school of Architecture as a commentary on Adele Freeman's book, Sight Lines: Looking at Architecture and Design in Canada (Printed in the Gazette, Montreal/ December 29, 1990)
Link to source: people.mcgill.ca/files/annmarie.adams/KeepingScoreCandianArch.pdf
Regal Constellation Hotel currently under demolition
The Regal Constellation Hotel was a large hotel with focus on trade shows, convention and hospitality training centre near Pearson International Airport near Toronto, Ontario.
Built in 1962, the hotel consisted of two 15 floor towers, 6 storey atrium, a Chinese restaurant and 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) of convention space. Renovations took place in 2001.
Once a popular hotel and convention venue, the hotel is no longer operating due to declining business and other setbacks, culminating with the SARS crisis. It was owned by Hong Kong-based Regal Hotels International.
In 2004, Hospitality Investors Group (HIG) of Scottsdale, Arizona acquired the site and was planning to add a 350 room hotel to the existing 800 room hotel. Construction was planned to begin in 2005. However, since that acquisition, HIG was broken up and one of its chief officers has formed a new organization, Alatau Hospitality, with the principal shareholders of Lancaster Group of Kazakhstan. Alatau Hospitality retained the domain name of HIG (hospitalityinvestors.com) and its web site does not list this hotel as one of its current construction projects. As of November 2007, it is not clear who owns the property.
Plans are to re-brand the hotel under Red Lion and Crowne Plaza names. Other tenants of the new complex include:
Construction and demolition company, Terrasan has begun work on the Regal Constellation in September, 2007. The entire hotel property is now surrounded by tall Terrasan fencing, and the company's logos are posted as large signs on the corners of the main hotel building (on its south face).
As of November 16, the rear garage building is being torn down. This will probably be the site of the planned new third tower.
As of October 9, 2008, most of the complex has been torn down, with the exception of the two taller towers fronting on Dixon Rd. and the smaller wing to the east that fronted onto Carlingview.
Also visit:
http://jermalism.blogspot.com/2011/01/urban-exploration-regal-constellation.html
http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/10/torontos_forgotten_landmarks_regal_constellation_hotel/
The credits for the following pictures go to ABANDONED UE for more:
http://www.uerev.com/index.php?pid=faq
http://www.uerev.com/index.php?pid=constellation
Currently reading...
PREFACE
The projects included in this book are some of the very best examples that our post-war architects, designers and artists have given our city, Toronto. This book is a celebration of their work, their vision and their vision and their energy.
At the same time, the work featured here is fast disappearing. The year 2004 marked the demise and complete eradication of Parkin's Terminal One at the Toronto International Airport and of the A. V. Roe Company's administration building and the very hangars were the Avro Arrow and the Avro Jetliner, North America's first commercial airliner, were designed and built. The cancellation of the Arrow stands as a symbol of this Canadian duality; fresh, energetic design filled with possibilities, stifled by MOR administrative decisions.
The forum, the concert venue designed as part of Ontario Place, has been destroyed, replaced by the Molson Amphitheatre. The CNE Grandstand Stadium was replaced by a parking lot, its majestic cantilevered rood dynamuted, coming down in one fell swoop. The Shell Oil Tower, George A. Robb's seminal work of modern architecture, was torn down more than a decade ago to make way for the Molson Indy. The O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts and the modern collection at the CNE are threatened with each new corporate quaterly report.
The fact is, not much has been learned since Eric Arthur wrote his battle cry, Toronto: No Mean City, back in the early 1960s. Little has changed and Toronto remains a city with one of the wrost records for heritage conservation in North America. Our heritage laws have no teeth. Facadism is rampant and we are still turning sacred places like Maple Leaf Gardens into supermarkets.
It is my hope that this document inspired us to rediscover our modern past, to reflect on it and to preserve it in a meaningful and throughtful way; that it serves to encourage and support indigenous talent and to create places that speak to us.
For the industry, it is my hope that the work included here serves to move a new generation of architects to strive for excellence, to pick up the torch where modernism left off and to go further.
For the public, it is my hope that these works inspire them to expect more and demand excellence of their built forms; that they understand that architecture is not an elite sport but part of everyday life; that they learn to appreciate its beauty and poetry; that they be more discriminating in their scrunity of what is being passed off as architecture; that they observe and debate architecture and design in all its glory.
JOHN MARTINS-MANTEIGA/curator, Mean City/Director, DOMINION MODERN Museum of Modern Architecture & Design
Featured Projects:
>> Don Mills; Yonge Subway; Sun Life Building; O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts; Toronto International Airport, Aeroquay No. 1; Toronto City Hall; Toronto-Dominion Centre; Canadian National Exhibition; Grandstand Stadium; Shell Oil Tower; Queen Elizabeth Building; Food Products Building; Dufferin Gates; Hockey Hall of Fame; Better Living Centre; Ontario Place; Maple Leaf Plastics; Canadian General Electric K40; A.V. Roe Canada
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dominion-Modern/146075508303?sk=info
Dominion Modern is Canada’s foremost archive of 20th Century Canadian architecture and design.
Our mission is to collect, catalogue, preserve, and promote public awareness and understanding of our architectural and design heritage.
A registered non-profit organisation, Dominion Modern operates with the generous support of individual and corporate donations
METRO FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
Since 2003, Dominion Modern has established itself as a leading authority on this essential, yet often overlooked, period in our nation’s cultural development.
Your support will enable Dominion Modern to continue its vital work in these key areas:
-ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
-PUBLISHING PROGRAMME
-EXHIBITIONS PROGRAMME
-CATALOGUING COLLECTIONS
By Matthew Liebenberg, National Post
At a time when much of the city’s modern architecture is being lost to the wrecking ball, its fans think they have a solution. All it will take to allow the Dominion Modern Museum to find a permanent home is $2-million.
“I’m full of ideas, I’m full of energy, I just need money,” said John Martins-Manteiga, the museum’s founder and director. “We’ll raise the money to purchase the building and have a fund that will keep the museum functioning. I don’t want to get the building and then lose the museum. I want to keep it forever.”
Mr. Martins-Manteiga thinks he has found a suitable building to provide a permanent home for the Dominion Modern, which he established in 2003 as an archive of modern architecture and design. He hopes to establish a blue-ribbon panel of Torontonians to give prominence to fund-raising efforts.
Toronto city councillor Adam Vaughan, an ally of the museum whose father Colin worked as an architect in Toronto during the fifties and sixties, said he is confident funding can be raised pretty quickly.
“It’s a legacy project that the architectural, engineering and development partners in the private sector have a stake in protecting,” he said. “They have a lot to be proud of in terms of what was accomplished and the legacy left to the city. They have an even greater stake in making sure the dialogue is sustained so that buildings contribute to our urban fabric rather than just be places to live and work.”
Catherine Nasmith, a Toronto architect and president of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, said the postwar building boom reflected one of the most optimistic periods in Canadian history, but that architectural legacy is now under attack.
“It’s a huge issue,” she said. “We’re rapidly losing the best works of a whole generation.”
Mr. Vaughan says the city’s modern design tells the story of an era in which Toronto became a new city. “There was something interesting about what happened in Toronto,” he said. “It had to do with the convergence of immigration and of a postwar building environment that has a lot of unique components. To not understand that history explains why you end up with buildings like the ROM that are already falling apart after only opened for six months.”
Mr. Martins-Manteiga is an indefatigable, if quixotic, crusader for Toronto’s threatened architectural gems of the modern period, an era that stretches from perhaps the 1930s to 1970. He’s had more failures than successes, as developers knocked down the old Inglis plant for townhouses, Loblaws bought Maple Leaf Garden to gut it for a food store, and wreckers demolished the Bata Shoe Headquarters, the Inn on the Park and the old Riverdale hospital. The striking half-round Riverdale Hospital building appears to be the next one to go.
Although Ms. Nasmith appreciates the work already done by the Dominion Modern to create a record of modern architecture, she does not want a museum collection to be the only evidence of an era.
“These buildings should be looked after and enjoyed,” she said.
Mr. Martins-Manteiga said the aim is not to preach to the converted, hoping to get ‘‘people who would not ordinarily go into a gallery or museum to come in, to walk around.” He is also proposing an architect lounge at the museum, where architects and designers can ‘‘exchange ideas.”
“Architects used to argue and critique each other. That doesn’t happen any more, it’s a very tight fraternity.”
While happy to talk about his plans for the museum, Mr. Martins-Manteiga is reluctant to say too much about the building he has found. He still remembers what happened when they looked at the former TD Bank building at Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue.
“We actually named the location to stir interest in people,” he said. “There was a buzz, but that buzz also created the fact that it was taken out of our hands and someone else bought it.”
With the museum’s expanding collection of artifacts and material languishing in storage, Mr. Martins-Manteiga speaks with a sense of urgency. He is currently completing two books, one about architect Peter Dickinson and the other on the Montreal Métro.
“After they’re launched I really have to think about the future of Dominion Modern,” he said. “We either do it or we scrap it.”
Photo of John Martins-Manteiga in front of the now-demolished Inn on the Park in 2005 by Brent Foster, National Post
Link: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2008/04/23/give-us-2m-or-this-masterpiece-of-modern-architecture-gets-demolished.aspx#ixzz1Q4cbFq1z
Peter Allgood Rastall Dickinson, (October 21, 1925 – October 15, 1961), was a British-born architect responsible for many modernist buildings in Toronto.
Born in London, UK, he studied architecture during World War II and served during 1944-1945. He came to Canada in 1949 to work for Wells Coates. He moved to Page and Steele in 1950 and later with his own firm Peter Dickinson and Associates. He died in Montreal, Quebec.
Some of Dickinson's works:
Ten Newest Buildings
Dickinson's most famed design is the Hummingbird Centre in the downtown Toronto.
His legacy lives in the firm created by his former partners in Webb Zerafa Menkes Housden Partnership.
Dickinson, left, with 561 Avenue Road in Toronto and his phallic masterpiece, Montreal's CIBC building, "in many ways like Dickinson himself," writes John Martins-Manteiga, "tall, lean, smart ... and forever young."
also see: http://dominionmodern.com/exhibitions/peter-dickinson-architect (please read my entry on DominionModern tomorrow!!!)
Peter Dickinson by John Martins-Manteiga (This is the first major book on architect Peter Dickinson. The 304-page catalogue traces the life and work of architect, Peter Dickinson from England to Canada. PETER DICKINSON is the first comprehensive catalogue on the work of this important modern Canadian architect.)
PLEASEpleasePLEASE pleasePLEASEplease BUY!
ISBN 978-0-09681933-1-0
John Martins-Manteiga
2010
First Edition, Binding: Paperback, 304 pages.
Dimensions: 8" x 10"
Dominion Modern
Price: $50.00 Shipping within Canada: $16.00
International orders contact us:
[email protected]
Styles of Architecture in Buffalo, NY
KIT/ CATALOG Houses
After World War I, between 1900 and 1917, middle class society was expanding and, for the first time, beginning to buy more homes. To meet growth demand, companies started expanding in the residential building industry. Kit houses purchased through mail-order became popular in the 1910s, allowing new homeowners to be a part of the design and building process and giving the option of buying the home in stages,
Between 1906 and 1940, thousands of North American homes in the United States and Canada were built according to plans sold by mail order companies such as Sears and Montgomery Ward.
Aladdin Homes of Bay City, Michigan premiered the idea of kit houses in 1906. It wasn't until 1908 that the largest provider of kit houses, Sears, Roebuck and Co., building upon its earlier forays into building materials and house plans, entered the market for complete kit houses.
Often the entire mail order house (in the form of labeled timbers) came via freight train.
Other times, builders used local materials to construct homes according to the mail order catalog house plans.
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According to Houses by Mail, over 100,000 kit houses were built in the United States between 1908 and 1940. Many people have lived in kit houses for years without realizing the historical and architectural significance of their humble abodes...
These houses came in a wide variety of styles, designs and prices, although kit houses were generally cheaper than traditional building options.
For many years these house were slowly forgotten, but in the 1980s, people looking for affordable housing began to discover kit houses.
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"Between 1908 and 1940, Sears sold about 70,000 homes in 48 states through their mail-order Modern Homes program, with 370 designs that you might not readily recognize as a kit home. Sears kit homes were shipped via boxcar and came with a 75-page instruction book. Each kit contained 10,000 - 30,000 pieces and the framing members were marked to facilitate construction." - WikiHow, How to Identify a Sears Kit Home
Above content taken out from: http://www.buffaloah.com/a/archsty/kit/kit.html
See also:
Francis R. Kowsky, http://www.buffaloah.com/a/archsty/kit/kowsky.html
The Rail Barons, http://www.railbarons.org/Layout/layout.html
Thorne House, 16 Tillinghast Place, http://buffaloah.com/a/tilling/16/ext/index.html (don't forget to look at pics of the interior!)
333 Bay Street, Toronto
Above: A view of Toronto's "stump" in April 2005.
Previous construction attempts
The tower was the last of a series of construction projects in downtown Toronto launched in the boom years of the 1980s, when a number of massive towers were built nearby, such as Scotia Plaza. It was a joint project by Markborough Properties and TrizecHahn: a 57-storey office tower to be constructed at the corner of Bay and Adelaide in the heart of Toronto's financial district. It was to have cost almost a billion dollars.
The building caused considerable controversy among those opposed to the erection of such massive structures. The tower would have stood far higher than was allowed by the city's official plan. To gain city hall's approval, the developers committed some $80 million towards new social housing and other projects. A portion of the site was turned over to the city for use as a park that is now Cloud Gardens. Both of these deals went ahead, despite the tower never having been completed.
Construction began in 1990, but the developers soon ran into problems. The economy went into recession and office vacancy rates in Toronto rose to 20%. Construction was halted, and in 1993, with over $500 million already invested, the project was permanently put on hold. All that was completed was the underground parking garage and several storeys of the concrete service shaft that stood from 1991 onwards, as a monument to the failed project in downtown Toronto. The stump of the service shaft was known to security and the locals as "the bunker" or simply "the stump". The parking garage was in operation, and the stump itself was used as a surface on which to mount advertisements.
There were several attempts to revive the project. In 1998 TrizecHahn briefly revived it, but another shift in the economy caused them to again pause. In 2000 there was again talk of reviving the project, but the next year TrizecHahn sold its 50% share to Brookfield Properties for $49 million. Brookfield was committed to completing the structure to a smaller height of either 40 or 50 storeys, but later that year the economy again soured and the project remained on hiatus.
In October 2005, plans had been filed with the City of Toronto to develop the property. An information sign (notice to amend the by law regulating zoning) was placed on Bay St. between 347 Bay and 355 Bay, both also Brookfield properties. The notice, in short, informs the public that three mixed-use high-rise towers surrounding an urban plaza will be built. The towers will vary in size from 43 to 50 storeys and contain an aggregate density of 240,396 sq. metres. Brookfield Properties has signed KPMG and Goodmans LLP as anchor tenants for the first tower, with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin and Heenan Blaikie also taking up residence in the building .
The Bay Adelaide Centre is a skyscraper in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The first and tallest tower, at 51 storeys, has already been completed as of July 2009.
| Design and construction | |
|---|---|
| Architect | WZMH Architects |
| Developer | Brookfield Properties |
"Books allow us to emerge into another world," said Andrew Piper, professor at McGill University and author of Dreaming in Books.
(Taken from article 'BEYOND THE COFFEE TABLE: The printed book is finding a new life as lovingly displayed art piece' by Betty Ann Jordan for FASHION Magazine Summer 2011 Issue)
vvvvv Below is my book collection!!!
--more pictures of my books in the 'Finding Lost Time' album
STROLL THE HIGH LINE, New York, NYC
What used to be an abandoned 1930s-era elevated rail line on Manhattan's West Side is now one of New York City's newest parks. The High Line was resurrected in 2006 after Friends of the High Line converted the rail bed into a handsome elevated garden and promenade. The High Line is divided into sections; No. 1, which opened in June 2009, starts at Gansevoort Street and continues up to the 20th Street and 10th Avenue; Section 2 opens later this year. Take your time and walk the whole thing, passing by the Washington Grasslands and Northern Spur Horticultural Preserve en route. Stroll like a local and snack on oysters at the nearby Chelsea Market. (www.thehighline.org)
taken from: Westjet Up Magazine (www.upmagazine.com > June 2011 Issue)
picture credits to: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/egXTBSZ-R1H/New+York+New+High+Line+Park+Opens+Public/w65mlku7OSb & ( June 9, 2009 - Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America)
The RC Harris Water Treatment Plant will open its doors to the public for the first time since 2001. (Photo: City of Toronto)
ctvtoronto.ca
Date: Friday May. 27, 2011 2:16 PM ET
After a 10 year hiatus, the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant will be returning to Doors Open Toronto.
The landmark joins over 150 buildings slated to open their doors for the free two-day event, which pledges to be exciting for even the most knowledgeable Torontonian.
Scheduled to take place the weekend of May 28 and 29, the 11th annual architectural affair lets visitors peruse the hollows of usually off-limit buildings.
Favourites likes Toronto City Hall, where visitors can take a gander inside Rob Ford's office; and the TTC's Lower Bay station, will be back
Visitors will also get a chance to take a peek inside 38 new sites like the R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant.
Dubbed "The Palace of Purification," the plant was once on the Doors Open roster but was taken off after 9/11 due to security concerns.
Built with materials like marble and bronze, the building is one of Toronto's most celebrated examples of Art Deco architecture.
Doors Open spokesperson Shane Gerard said he expects the water facility to be very popular.
"People are always interested in public buildings," he said.
Other new sites include:
TTC Roncesvalles Carhouse/Division, 20 Queensway
Built in 1895, the Roncesvalles carhouse holds 130 streetcars and serves as a work location for 105 employees. Today, the TTC building is the older of two carhouses. Visitors will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the building and see equipment used for regular maintenance.
Open: Saturday 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., last admittance 4:30 p.m.
Fire Station 227, 1904 Queen St. E.
Built in 1905, this fire station's soaring clock tower is a landmark in the Beach community. Although it has undergone significant renovations over the years, many original Arts and Crafts architectural details, such as the building's Romanesque Revival arches, remain.
Open: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., last admittance 4:30 p.m.
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, 30 College St., 416-969-8510With striking features such as a "green" roof planted with traditional medicines such as cedar, sweet grass and sage, this four-storey office building pays tribute to many traditional aboriginal Anishnaabe elements.
Open: Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., last admittance 4:30 p.m.
Canadian Turkish Islamic Heritage Association Inc., 336 Pape Ave., 416-469-2610Located at the corner of Pape and Gerrard Avenues, this mosque first opened its doors to Toronto's Muslim community in the early 1980s. Also known as "Pape Cami" or ‘"Pape Mosque", it is one of the city's first mosques.
Open: Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., last admittance: 4:30 p.m.
Corus Quay, 25 Dockside Dr., 416-479-7000Designed by world-renowned architect Jack Diamond of Diamond and Schmitt Architects, the state-of-the art media production and broadcast facility features street-level radio studios and a performance space that looks out onto Sugar Beach.
Open: Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., last admittance 3 p.m.
To find your way around the city during the two-day event, visitors can download one of four Doors Open mobile apps. They list useful information like opening hours, phone numbers and transportation options.
was born in Preston MD. February 16, 1926. She began modeling in the mid 1940's and appeared on over 40 magazine covers. She ended her modeling career in 1963. Ms. Patchett died January 22, 2002 in La Quinta CA.
http://www.jeanpatchett.com/home.php
To purchase images from Vogue, Glamour, Mademoiselle & Charm magazines check the Conde Nast Store for availibility http://www.condenaststore.com/
Jean Patchett
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*I was reading an article in June Vogue where this picture and the model, Jean Patchett, was mentioned and I just spent about 3hrs saving the most beautiful pictures. Feel totally inspired. So in love with the clothes... I so want to go shopping!! My album of Jean Patchett coming soon!! She photographs beautifully!!
Just purchased my very own yearly membership for the Royal Ontario Museum!!! As I might have mentioned before, I have handed in my resignation and hence, this is my plan B> to spend most of my unemployed moments here!
THE HUGHTRAIN MANIFESTO: “THE MARKET FOR SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN IS INFINITE.” by Hugh Macleod author of _EVIL PLANS
We are here to find meaning. We are here to help other people do the same. Everything else is secondary.
We humans want to believe in our own species. And we want people, companies and products in our lives that make it easier to do so. That is human nature.
Product benefit doesn’t excite us. Belief in humanity and human potential excites us.
Think less about what your product does, and think more about human potential.
What statement about humanity does your product make?
The bigger the statement, the bigger the idea, the bigger your brand will become.
It’s no longer just enough for people to believe that your product does what it says on the label. They want to believe in you and what you do. And they’ll go elsewhere if they don’t.
It’s not enough for the customer to love your product. They have to love your process as well.
People are not just getting more demanding as consumers, they are getting more demanding as spiritual entities. Branding becomes a spiritual exercise.
Either get with the program or hire a consultant in Extinction Management. No vision, no business. Your life from now on pivots squarely on your vision of human potential.
The primary job of an advertiser is not to communicate benefit, but to communicate conviction.
Benefit is secondary. Benefit is a product of conviction, not vice versa.
Whatever you manufacture, somebody can make it better, faster and cheaper than you.
You do not own the molecules. They are stardust. They belong to God. What you do own is your soul. Nobody can take that away from you. And it is your soul that informs the brand.
It is your soul, and the purpose and beliefs that embodies, that people will buy into.
Ergo, great branding is a spiritual exercise.
Why is your brand great? Why does your brand matter? Seriously. If you don’t know, then nobody else can- no advertiser, no buyer, and certainly no customer.
It’s not about merit. It’s about faith. Belief. Conviction. Courage.
It’s about why you’re on this planet. To make a dent in the universe.
I don’t want to know why your brand is good, or very good, or even great. I want to know why your brand is totally frickin’ amazing.
Once you tell me, I can the world.
And then they will know.
Why is it called The Hughtrain? Soon after I drew the cartoon, I wrote a little manifesto on my blog, trying to explain the cartoon in more depth. I called it “The Hughtrain Manifesto”, a pun on a book that had made a big impact on me around that time, “The Cluetrain Manifesto”.
Here’s the point of The Hughtrain: Whatever you’re selling isn’t just a product of capital, it’s also a product of a belief system- your own. And understanding your belief system is crucial.
Link to page: http://gapingvoid.com/2009/06/25/my-next-book-evil-plans/
Link to main blog homepage: http://gapingvoid.com/
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