#what happened to gothic architecture let’s go back to that era | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

algrolo · 3 years

Note

can u PLS explain why the buildings in that post are the way they are, thank u so much for ur time

Alright folks, ask and ye shall receive. Follow up to this post.

Location: Paris, France

Name: Tour Maine-Montparnasse

Paris is fun because you’ve got one of The Most iconic skylines which is literally just a single building which isn’t really a building its actually a big steel tower Mr. Eiffel designed in the 19th century and Paris went “we like it, leave it up”. Because of this, Paris doesn’t have a lot of tall skyscrapers and thus isn’t “””modernizing””” like other old European cities because all the tall skyscrapers have to be away from the super big important tower but unfortunately that’s the center of Paris.

So, some developer comes along, says to the Planning and Zoning Commission (the people who say ‘you can build this’) “we need to make Paris modern!”. The historical society says no. The planning commission says no. You say you will make a big tower that doesn’t looks like anything else in the area so as to “not disturb the local character” and the historical society buys it. You say “big tower means lots of people working means more taxes for city” and the city buys it.

You build a big tower. Everyone hates it. Paris bans more big towers in this area. This conversation will happen again in 15 years.

Location: Chicago, USA

Name: Marina City

History lesson! From like 1400-1800 architects say “hey, lets make really fancy, pretty buildings” - Gothic, et al. 1800-1900 “hey, lets make really fancy pretty buildings but now we care about the materials because we can use this steel stuff” - Gothic Revival, et al. 1900-1960 “Ornament? Hate that. Material? Hate that. We’re looking for clean lines. Clean walls. We can design the ultimate living experience.”- Modernism

It is the 1960s. Everyone hates modernism now because the buildings are constantly breaking and having super clean walls and lines is like living in something more sterile than a hospital. So you and your buds get drunk in the woods and then start thinking “shit, there’s no straight lines out here, maybe buildings should also be, like, organic?” You all pass out. The next morning you come up with brutalism.

Brutalism works on paper... for architects. Because we know the history. For everyone else they just look at this shit and go “yo, why the fuck is it like... that?” This building? It’s supposed to look like two big trees. The circular ribbing is meant to imitate the bark of a tree trunk.

Is it stupid? Yes. Next.

Location: Seattle, USA

Name: Rainier Tower

Ahahahahaha. Okay this one’s funny. After taking a quick look at what’s happening on ground level, the answer is dumb.

You own a single story retail space on this office block. The code says you can actually build a lot higher because of your zoning. You go to an architect and say “listen I want to make my building a little taller so its worth more money.” They come back and say “we can make a skyscraper.” You say “oh sweet, not what i asked for, but yes, that’ll be worth a lot of money lets do that.” Architect says “k but we gotta destroy your existing building cause skyscrapers are kinda heavy and your building would be crushed.”

“Aww but I like my building” you say. Architect goes quiet for a week. They come back and say “Yeah i think we got something that works.” And then congrats. You have this dumb building. The giant concrete foot blooms outward and takes all the loads (weight) of the building. And since you aren’t doing any work on the street, you don’t infringe upon traffic or any other building’s or road’s structural stability.

Technically you got everything you asked for but, uh, was it worth it?

Location: Sydney, Austrailia

Name: Building 8, University of Sydney

If you’ve seen any other buildings that are all crumbled or unnecessarily curvy, it’s probably one of Frank Gehry’s. It’s still a coin toss if Gehry is designing the way he does to be funny and ironic or if he seriously thinks its the direction that architecture should be going in. Welcome to the era of “buildings should reflect the Nature (not nature) of what’s around them.

So what’s around this building? Students. How does he interpret this? “Student’s are like a brown paper bag: malleable, coming to college to be filled with knowledge. School is there to fill them up and the final product should be a paper bag that has been sufficiently filled, ready to step out into the world” -Frank Gehry, probably.

Sometimes, buildings reflecting the Nature of what’s around them works. Like when he designed the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain (curves represent boat building and the nearby river). Building 8? Bro, this just looks stupid. I didn’t go to college for 5 years to be called a brown paper bag. Stick to squares, please.

32 notes · View notes

zhong-taro · 4 years

Text

shotaro as a friendly ghost

this is 2.8k words of shotaro and taeyong interacting and yes it’s all self-indulgent

tw: small mention of suicide, but it’s marked very clearly!

Ok so this is definitely part of a longer, more detailed AU that I’ll probably go into more later (like way later)

bUT let’s start here - Shotaro is a friendly ghost

Oh my g o d he’s such a sweetie you have no idea

When he dies, it’s something really dumb

He and his parents had moved to Korea after his father had sold his company and suddenly come into a significant amount of money

It’s enough that they buy a large plot of land in Korea

Shotaro is about five years old when they buy the land and start construction on the house

It’s positioned at the top of a large hill that looked down over a small Korean town, and in the hot summers the house provided shade for a park, and when it rained the house blocked from too much flooding

Well, once it was finally built it did

It took five years for this absolute MANSION of a house to be built. Shotaro and his family had lived in a small rental home in the town, acquainting themselves with everyone and becoming established members of the community

When the place was finally finished, Shotaro was ten and the Osaki’s would have large gatherings of people at their home most weekends, with large parties every holidays

Originally, the family had built such a large home because they planned on taking in many foster children and helping to raise orphaned children

They never get to

The 1950’s were an absolute golden era for the Osakis, they’re loved by everyone around them and their perfect little boy Shotaro shines in Korea like he never had in Japan

Until in 1959, when they suffer great tragedy and the family is never the same again

Personally, Shotaro thinks he couldn’t have had a dumber death

He was nineteen and it was the night before the town dance contest. He was more than nervous - his parents had already been taking him out of town for dance lessons because he was too scared that the entire town would think he was bad at dancing, but now he was actually facing them

All of these people had known him since he was a toddler, he couldn’t handle the idea of all of them thinking he was bad at something he had found he loved

So he couldn’t sleep

And he had wandered downstairs, grabbing a cup of water and taking it back to his bedroom

However, he had tripped on the top step while going back to his bedroom and spilled water all over the hardwood floor

When he took the last step to try and clean up the spilled water, he slipped and fell down the stairs

Unfortunately, the Osaki parents woke up to a gruesome scene of their son dead at the entryway to their home

Shotaro thought he woke up, but when he stood up and his body didn’t stand with him, he knew something was wrong

And when his mother walked down the stairs (through him, mind you) and screamed, sobbing into his body, he realized that things might’ve been worse than he realized

It didn’t take long to figure out that he had died

(( tw // suicide for the next two bullet points ))

His parents couldn’t handle the pain

After his funeral, it took less than a month for both of his parents to commit suicide

Shotaro had been hoping that they would also become ghosts, but no such luck

So he was left alone, in a huge house that hadn’t seemed nearly as lonely only a month before

Of course he tried to leave, but he could never get past the gates that marked his parent’s property at the bottom of the hill

And so he sat in his house

For decades

Throughout the years, the house decayed and became decrepit. The chandelier fell one year, leaving glass scattered across the front entryway

Books became dusty, all but the ones in the library because Shotaro spent most of his time in that room and watched the days go by through the stories he would read

And when he opened up the windows on a nice spring day and leaned out, looking over the small town that he had loved so much, he heard the rumors

Tales of the haunted house at the top of the hill, told by a new generation of children who had never seen the Osaki home in its original glory

And Shotaro felt the repeating disappointment when a child would look into the windows, seem to spot him, and yelp before running away

So Shotaro becomes a recluse - not because he wanted to, but because he has to

After about 15 years, people start trying to sell the house

He doesn’t let that happen. Shotaro had become quite the… depressed person since his parents death. He had never really been given the opportunity to react to things as they happen. He’s always to put down the book and take a few deep breaths before continuing, or just walk away from the window when the rumors become too upsetting

But when that first person - a potbellied, middle aged man - comes to see the house in the interest of buying it, Shotaro sees red

And so he does what he thinks ghosts are supposed to do

He scares the man off

Years later he looks back and sees how bad of a ghost he was, but that just means that the guy must’ve been real cowardly

Because all he has to do is open a few windows, move around a few glasses, make some scary noises, and the guy is turning on his tail and sprinting out the door

More people come back - a family of three very wealthy foreigners who don’t speak the language, one rich old woman who decides the house would be too much upkeep six sons with two tired parents who decided there was too much room for trouble, and probably dozens more

The ones that don’t decide to move out on their own, Shotaro scares off

He gradually gets better at it - it’s hard to learn how to keep himself transparent at first

He thinks that he can become completely invisible, slightly translucent, or almost-solid but he’s never spoken to someone to figure it out

But as he watches the house crumble more and more around him, it gets more and more difficult to scare away the shoppers

He just wishes somebody other than pretentious jerks would come looking. He likes the original gothic architecture his parents designed, and he knows the house would be beautifully unique if somebody came along to restore it. But he’s not sure if he likes the idea of someone else coming into his house

Although he doesn’t have much of a choice after a while

The man comes along with the same real estate agent who’s been trying to sell Shotaro’s house for at least five years now

He’s pretty sure the woman knows he’s haunting the house, because she shoots glares into the empty air where he makes strange noises or moves furniture, but that sure doesn’t stop him from scaring all her clients away

When she steps in, she holds the open for a red haired man with a sharp jaw

He whistles as he looks around the large entryway, the noise echoing. He looks down at the large chandelier, still shattered on the marble floor, and raises one eyebrow at the agent

“What happened there?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s been there ever since I started trying to sell this place.”

“Have you tried to have it cleaned?”

“Of course,” she looks a little insulted. “But the… ghost,” she glares into the empty air, across the room from where Shotaro is currently floating, “Seems to scare everyone off before they can get much done.”

The man smirks, turning away from her and looking around the entire room. He stands in silence for a few moments, scanning everything (Shotaro tries to ignore how nervous he feels when the man’s eyes briefly pause at his place at the old dining room table, but he tries a lot harder to not think about the point of his teeth)

“I’ll take it.”

The man shows up again the next day, and Shotaro is not happy about it

When he arrives, Shotaro is standing on the stairs and glaring at the front door

After unlocking the doors and stepping in, the red-haired man placed his hands firmly on his hips and smiled while looking around the room

“My name is Lee Taeyong.” the man announced loudly. The smile didn’t slip off of his face as the silence of the house continued. “I was born in 1995,” (how has that much time passed since he died?) “I’m a vampire, and I promise I will treat your home with respect.”

Well. That’s interesting

But Shotaro chooses to gloss over the vampire thing and scoffs, storming up the stairs

The man - supposed vampire - doesn’t go into any rooms or even go upstairs on the first night. He just sleeps (pretends to sleep? Do vampires sleep? Are vampires even real? Shotaro stows all these thoughts away to deal with later) on the couch after ordering food in.

When he wakes up in the morning, Taeyong still has that obnoxious smile on as he looks around at nothing. Shotaro is there, watching and making sure the man doesn’t mess anything up

So when Taeyong fiddles at the dining room table, which only has three working legs and is almost broken in half, and asks the room “Would you be ok with me getting rid of this table?” Shotaro throws a glass at his head

He misses, intentionally obviously, and the old glass cup shatters against the peeling wallpaper of his dining room. Taeyong snorts and holds his hands up in surrender “Alright, no table. Hey, can you throw another glass if you’re a male ghost, please?”

Shotaro throws another glass, and once again ignores the point of the new man’s teeth

Later in the morning, early afternoon, Taeyong starts looking around the house.

“Are you gonna try and kill me again if I go upstairs?” He asks, and Shotaro does nothing but cross his arms from where he’s sitting on the dusty banister

“I’ll take that as a no.”

And so they head upstairs. Taeyong stops in front of every doorway, and if Shotaro doesn’t want him going in the room he makes the door shake and bangs on the wall a few times

Taeyong doesn’t understand this message at first, and when he almost opens the door to Shotaro’s parent’s room he loses it

The ghost bangs on the door so hard the whole thing shakes, making what little art that was still hanging shudder. He yells for effect, coming out more of an angry groan (because he still can’t quite talk to humans when he’s invisible), and shoves Taeyong away from the door

The older (well, physically older) man looks shocked and stands still for a moment staring at the door, before shaking his hand and smiling a little. “Alright, I get the message Mr. Ghost.”

Shotaro only stops him again at his own bedroom door and his library, everywhere else he lets Taeyong explore. The vampire goes back to one of the guest rooms with an en suite and asks if he can keep this room as his own

Shotaro reluctantly lets him take the room, and tries to tell himself that this man is not going to be the one who ends up staying in his house

Again, the night Taeyong orders food in and eats on his own

Although before ordering the food, he grabs a box that had showed up on the front doorstep when Shotaro wasn’t looking

He floats around Taeyong as the other man carried the box to the only table not broken (a coffee table) and opens it with his unnaturally sharp nails. Shotaro’s nose crinkles at the bags of warm blood, and he reaches in to shift them around

“Animal blood,” Taeyong says quickly. “I promise I’m not a murderer, ghost friend.”

Shotaro has to look away as Taeyong drinks it, and gags for the first time since he’s died when he uses the animal blood as a topping for his burger and fries

The next morning, Shotaro comes out of his library after a night of reading and smells breakfast. When he goes downstairs, he’s greeted with Taeyong, dancing a little to a song playing out of a small metal box that Shotaro doesn’t understand and making breakfast

Shotaro peeks over Taeyong’s shoulder to see the bacon, eggs, and pancakes he’s making

He lets himself float up a little and pushes open the window open right above the counter

“Oh!” Taeyong looks up with wide eyes, looking around. “Hello, Mr. Ghost!” He smiles and his eyes pause where Shotaro floats before continuing to look around. “I’m not sure if you can eat, but if you can you’re welcome to some of the food.”

Shotaro can’t eat, but he appreciates the gesture

Through the next few days, they fall into a rhythm

Taeyong doesn’t seem to sleep, but meditates. He never goes fully unconscious but he does seem to float a little bit. Every other day the box of blood arrives and Taeyong drinks some with every meal, plus three full glasses throughout the rest of the day, and Shotaro learns to live with it

Shotaro won’t let Taeyong into only two rooms, but lets the vampire look around the rest of his home

They fight over a few things, like fixing different things up, but not much. Eventually Shotaro lets him buy new furniture and doesn’t object when the man adds a few new paintings to the walls

Shotaro finds himself thinking that maybe this one person (undead vampire?) might not be so bad to live with - for now, at least

Shotaro walks into his library one day, about a month into living together, and finds Taeyong already there. He tries not to get angry, and feels a wave of emotions when he sees that Taeyong is staring up at the portrait of the Osaki family hanging between two large windows. He distantly notices that the man is sitting on the only section of couch without direct sunlight landing on it

He lets the door creak and close noisily as he steps inside, tries to will the wind from the open windows to grow a little colder as he floats next to where Taeyong is sitting

“Which one are you?”

Shotaro wishes he could respond, and looks around desperately for a way to show him

He grabs a dead flower from a large vase sitting on the end table and uses it to point to his face, the painted-him smiling slightly between his two parents and looking as awkward as he always felt in life

Taeyong sighs a little. “You must be so young…” He stares at where he must estimate Shotaro’s head is, judging by the floating flower, and smiles sadly. “I can’t believe the ghost haunting my house is a teenager.”

The painting rumbles a little as the wall shakes.

“Fine, sorry,” Taeyong chuckles a little. “Your house.”

Shotaro can see a shift in Taeyong’s behavior after that

The man seems to actively seek him out and starts talking to him more and more

He starts asking more questions - mostly things Shotaro can’t figure out how to answer - and becomes more joke-y with him

“Can I see you?”

Shotaro freezes from his perched position on a chair across from Taeyong.

“I don’t know if you even know how to show me what you look like, but I’ve been living here for 3 months, don’t you think it’d be more comfortable if I actually knew where you were?” Taeyong is looking at where Shotaro has his book propped up as he marks his page and puts it down

With very little effort, he wills himself into view. Not fully - he still isn’t sure he can even do that - but enough that his features are visible

Taeyong stares for a few moments before speaking

“You’re a baby.”

Shotaro gapes for a moment before laughing, a soft sound that sounds muted in his non corporeal form.

“You can’t be anything but a teenager, how old are you?” Taeyong’s surprised look has slipped off his face and now he looks more curious and excited.

“Well, physically 19,” Shotaro speaks slowly, trying to get used to the way his voice sounds - he hasn’t spoken much since his death. “But I died in 1959”

Aaaand Taeyong gapes again

“Holy crap, that was 50 years ago!”

Shotaro tilts his head to the side a little, thinking. “Really? Hmm, I didn’t realize it was so long ago.”

Taeyong smiles again, leaning forward as he pushes away his breakfast plate. “What’s your name, ghost-teenager?”

“Shotaro, Osaki Shotaro.”

“Nice to meet you Shotaro,” Taeyong grins at him, hair falling into his face. “I’m Taeyong.”

#WHY does everything look so much LONGER on google docs #this is 6.5 pages on google docs yet?? looks so short here????#anYWAYS #nct #shotaro #osaki shotaro #taeyong #lee taeyong #my writing #headcanons #nct monster au #nct au #please be nice i'm sensitive!!!!!!

24 notes · View notes

marvelousmaam · 5 years

Text

Daily DC positivity #6

Let’s talk about ART!

Have you ever opened your latest acquirement and just stared for a very long time at this one page or one panel thinking ‘DAMN! This is why I read comics!’ ?

You probably have because you’re here, you’re reading this and right now you’re remembering one specific time that you were in awe just like that. Isn’t it true?

Of course we’re not only talking DC here this applies to most comic publishers (if not all), seeing that many artists work for more than one company that’s pretty obvious… But here’s the thing: I don’t care much for any other publishers - even Marvel has never held the same magic as DC and then there’s the fact that I barely read any comics other than Bat-related. This is nothing but a personal choice and opinion, I’m not saying that one company or character is better than others, okay?

But let’s get on and talk about some of my favorite artists (in no specific order):

Matt Wagner

He’s got a very distinguishable style. It isn’t perfect by no means but it’s beautiful in its very own way and very clean.

His Batman poses are striking, the Bat looks like a real powerhouse AND he excels at transferring his characters movements on paper. His panels don’t look stiff or crowded but the storyline unfolds just like watching a movie. Also, and this is important to me, the combatant moves are pretty realistic. He does beautiful cover art too.

For me his work is like a perfect combination of a Batman we usually only get to see in animated form, the 1960’s Batman tv-series and modern Bats.

Paul Gulacy

Old-school yes but have you see the fuckin detail? It’s like each character comes alive. There’s real people looking at you right from those pages. Do I really need to say more? His 90s LOTDK comics are iconic. We’re talking “Prey” and “Terror” dear people. These are essentials when reading Modern Age Batman. (Also his Gordon looks like my late stepdad and that’s pretty cool…)

Klaus Janson

Another old-school artist. He’s best known for his work with Frank Miller and he’s worked on the Knightfall saga and much more. In my eyes his most interesting work up to this day is “Gothic”. The detail is pretty amazing but what really makes him interesting is his take on Gotham’s architecture. He sets the scene like no one else I can think of right now.

Jim Lee

You knew this was coming, didn’t you fellow comic book lover? Jim Lee is like a really big name by now. Take one look at the Hush saga and you know why he’s hit it big. THIS is what Batman is supposed to look like. Grim, dark, powerhouse-build, dangerous, animalistic and still somehow there’s something very human about Jim Lee’s Bats. His works are detailed where detail is needed but draw not too much attention to anything remotely less important even though there’s a lot going on in the backgrounds. What I’ve been disappointed in though was his generic body formula for all females… too bad really.

Greg Capullo

Currently that is one VERY big name when it’s DC talk, just think Metal, the whole New 52 era and then you should have an idea why he’s on this list. His art is just like his style suggests: gritty, dark - metal. It’s hard and brash and bold and sometimes crazy but always A+ style. I don’t think I’ve seen him do art that falls far from this concept. But it works.

Lee Bermejo

Beware friends, you might get the shock of your lives. Because Lee Bermejo just so happens to be able to capture a character’s soul. You will probably not have seen much more realistic art, if ever. His covers are a highlight and he’s also the guy who gave us a frontal view of Bruce’s dick. Yes… his penis… not his adoptive son. And again: Lee Bermejo’s art is realistic, so if you were hoping for a horse’s schlong you will be disappointed. :)

Joelle Jones

I am sad to say that she’s the only woman to have made my list, seeing that Yasmine Putri as cover artist didn’t really qualify. But Joelle Jones has done some beautiful work and her Catwoman is a highlight.

Her art reminds me of a feminine take of old-school artists and I DO like me some pretty girls to look at just like handsome guys. Her Selina is beautiful, catlike, seductive, fierce and strong. Joelle Jones does facial expressions like she’s never done anything else and you know what a character is thinking or feeling just by looking at them. I can’t think of many artists who manage to portray expressions like that.

Dexter Soy

Last but definitely NOT least. You probably knew this was coming. I’m a fangirl. Not only a bitch for Jason Todd but I’m a real sucker for Dexter Soy’s art. I love his take on many a character. Just look at Artemis in all her glory. She’s magnificent. A real amazon. Look at her body. That’s how I want my superhero girls portrayed. That’s IT, okay? She’s allowed to have female attributes (no question there) but why aren’t there more artists unafraid to give us physically strong women who look their part?

And then there’s Soy’s Red Hood. I fell in love with Jason all over again. He’s broody, sad, hurt, loveable, sort of shy and self conscious, a true friend (to people who deserve it). All of this is conveyed in Dexter Soy’s Jason. And I’ve come to adopt this version of Jay as MY Jay. Seriously, have you seen him in casual sportswear? Good lord have mercy on my single ass...

Well, these are MY absolute favorites. There are MANY more fabulous artists out there but these were the people I actually thought of first. That being said. Don’t hold back! ;)

16 notes · View notes

thesteadydietofeverything · 5 years

Text

Video Game Year in Review: The Top 10

As with any year-end list, this one probably isn’t complete. Last year, I fell in love with Nioh over winter break after I had already made my top 10, and just a few days ago, I started playing Hollow Knight. As I made clear in my previous lists, Metroidvanias can be hit or miss for me. I can get fed up with wandering around without a clear destination, and Hollow Knight has a bit of that so far, but it also has one of the most atmospherically welcoming settings for a video game in recent memory, and so far I’ve been pretty damn enraptured by it. I’m not too worried about it making the list at this point; it didn’t even technically come out this year anyway, but its Switch release earlier this year gave it somewhat of a second debut, for all the earned attention it finally got. At least I got a little shout-out here before publishing.

Anyway, here’s ten games I loved the shit out of in 2018. This was one year with a handful of games that I absolutely adored, none of which necessarily immediately jumped out to me as hands down the best one of the bunch, and honestly, that’s the way I’d prefer it, but it did make ranking them a bit tough. Really, from number five onward, the ranking gets pretty interchangeable. I didn’t plan on the game in my number one spot being the one that it is until I actually wrote out my feelings for it and decided that out of all them it was the easiest for me to just gush about. Alright, no further ado:

10. Donut County - Overall, it’s probably a good thing that Donut County isn’t longer than it is, but for as mechanically simple as sucking objects into an ever-expanding void is, it’s something that I felt I would’ve been perfectly entertained doing for a lot longer than the game lasted. Donut County has a wildly inspired and novel central gameplay hook, a relatably goofy sense of humor that might border on obnoxious if it weren’t so sincerely delivered, and an anti-gentrification, anti-capitalist message that mostly works without beating you over the head too hard with it. Ben Esposito and his team have created one of the most charming and original games I’ve played in years here.

9. Paratopic - “Cinematic” is a grossly overused and frequently inappropriate word to use in games criticism, but this game often had me coming back to the word, observing how many ways it feels like it authentically takes inspiration from creative methods seen more often in film, particularly art films, than in games, much more so than say, Red Dead Redemption 2, which typically embarrassingly pales in comparison to any movies it’s obviously aping from. There’s its willingness to not explain to you what’s going on, letting you pick up on clues from scenery and incidental dialogue. Its multiple switching perspectives, laced together to draw meaningful narrative connections. Its tendency to sit in the atmosphere of a scene. Its ability to tell a succinct story intended to be experienced in one sitting. And most of all, those jump cuts. I know Paratopic isn’t the first game to employ this technique, but as far as I can remember, it’s the first that I’ve played to utilize them for purposeful artistic effect, and every time it happened, it was oddly thrilling. I loved when I’d switch from walking to suddenly driving, and had a moment of panic, as if I suddenly just woke up at the wheel. The cliffhangers scenes would occasionally end on made me desperate to get back to that thread. Hell, even just the fact that there clearly were scenes, that lasted a few minutes at a time, then moved on to the next one, felt weirdly refreshing at a time when AAA design is becoming so absurdly bloated. Paratopic excited me, not in its desire to emulate a separate art medium, but in its casual realization of how many underutilized narrative techniques work genuinely effectively in this medium.

8. Dusk - I really can’t imagine a game that more perfectly matches my Platonic ideal of “video game comfort food” than Dusk, aside from, maybe, the game in the number one spot of this list. I was raised on 90’s PC FPS games like Doom and, as is much more relevant to this game, Quake. Yeah, for the most part, it’s nice that games have moved on, both in depth of gameplay and artistry, but goddamn does a back-to-basics twitchy shooter with inspired level design and creepy atmosphere just feel good sometimes. The grainy, chunky polygons of this game encapsulate everything I love about the rudimentary but remarkably evocative minimalism of early 3D graphics. The movement feels absurdly fast by modern standards, and the effect is thrilling - every projectile is dodgeable, as long as your reflexes are sharp enough. Undoubtedly the most impressive thing about this game is its ambitious level design, so much of which rivals even John Romero’s. The longer this game goes on, the more sprawling and labyrinthine it becomes. The map shapes become increasingly wacky. The gothic architecture becomes more foreboding and awe-inspiring. Dusk does a lot with a little, and in the process, makes so much more than a tribute to game design and aesthetics of the past - for me, it stands right alongside its obvious inspirations as one of the very best of its ilk.

7. Into the Breach - An absolute masterclass of game design. Into the Breach leaves nothing about its mechanics obscured, making sure you understand how every move is going to go down just as well as it does, and the fact that the result is still compellingly challenging is a sure sign we’re in the hands of remarkably skilled and intelligent developers. The narrative in this game is sparse - you assume the role of time-looping soldiers attempting over and over again to save your world from alien invasion (think Edge of Tomorrow), and that’s pretty much all you get for the plot, aside from some effective but minimal character beats and dialogue one-liners. And yet, every battlefield, a small grid with its own arrangement of sprites (giant creepy-crawlies, various creative mech classes, structures full of terrified denizens given a modicum of hope at the arrival of their ragged potential saviors) offers a playground for drama to unfold, as gripping and epic as any great mecha anime battle. As I mentioned in my previous list with Dead Cells, I have trouble sticking with run-based games, and this game wasn’t quite an exception - honestly, if it had something resembling a more traditional narrative campaign, I could see it potentially filling my number one spot. But that a game of its style nevertheless stuck with me as well as it did proves what a tremendous achievement I found it to be.

6. Astro Bot Rescue Mission - This was both the first game I’ve played fully in VR and the first game I’ve ever platinumed. I guess that might say something about how thoroughly I fell for it. For some reason, one of the questions that my brain kept posing while playing this game is, “would you like this game as much if it weren’t in VR?” I would like to pose that first off, if this wasn’t a VR game, it would be quite a different game, but yes, probably a perfectly delightful 3D platformer in its own right. But most of all, this game helped me realize what a bullshit question that is in the first place. By virtue of its VR nature, this game is just fundamentally different, just as the jump from 2D to 3D resulted in games that were just fundamentally different. The perspective you’re given watching over your little robot playable character allows to look in 360 degrees, and often you need to, if you’re seeking out every level’s secrets, and yet, while it moves forward, it doesn’t follow you vertically, so sometimes you’re looking up or down as well. It’s difficult to describe exactly how this perspective is so much more than a gimmick or something, outside of the cliched exaggeration of “it feels like you’re really there, man,” but honestly, this statement isn’t wrong. I truly did feel immersed in these levels in a way that I wouldn’t have if this weren’t a VR game, and while it’s not exactly a feeling I now desire from every game, it does stand out as one of the singular gaming experiences I had in 2018 as a result.

5. Thonebreaker: The Witcher Tales - I gushed plenty about this game in my review. How its approach to Gwent-based combat is both welcoming to newcomers and remarkably varied, offering new ways to approach and think about the game with nearly every encounter. How its sizable story is filled with fascinating characters and genuinely distressing choices, forcing you to grapple with the inherent injustices of your position. How its vivid art style and wonderfully moody Marcin Przybyłowicz score sell The Witcher feel of this game, despite how differently it plays from the mainline entries of the game. And maybe most of all, how criminally overlooked this game has been. So I’ll make the same claim I did before - if The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt did something for you, it’s likely this game will too. Don’t worry about the card game - I did too, and trust me, it’s fun. It’s the new Witcher game; that really ought to be all you need to know.

4. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life - There’s...a lot about the Yakuza games that I’ve come to adore, but one of the biggest ones that kept sticking out to me while playing The Song of Life is how they build a sense of place. After playing Yakuza 0, set in 1988, and Yakuza Kiwami, set in 2005, I played this one, set in 2016. Each time, same Kiryu, but older, same Kamurocho, but era appropriate. Setting every Yakuza game in the same map has to be one of the quietly boldest experiments in video games, forgoing fresh new vistas to explore in favor of the same familiar boulevards, alleys, and parks of the iconic red-light district, painting an exquisitely detailed and loving portrait of a neighborhood changing with the decades. While Kiryu’s exasperation at once again walking into the all-too-familiar crowded streets of Kamurocho, brighter and louder than ever, hardly matched my eagerness to see how it had changed, it felt appropriate. Though he’s still the hottest dad (grandpa?) in town, he is kinda old now, and he’s certainly earned the right to just be over it a little. Even the silliest of the era-relevant sub stories (one of which delightfully features Kiryu putting a selfie-stick wielding, obnoxious-stunt pulling, wanna-be influencer shithead in his place) serve to underscore how out of place he now is in his old stomping grounds.

By contrast, the other setting of Yakuza 6, the quaint seaside town of Onomichi, very quickly begins to feel like an idyllic retirement destination. The introduction to this part of the game has to be my favorite video game moment of 2018 - Kiryu trying to calm a hungry baby, while walking the deserted streets after dark in search of one store that still happens to be open. The faint sound of ocean in the distance effectively evokes the freshness, the bitterness, of the air. The emptiness and darkness of the space is almost shocking, compared to the sensory overload of Kamurocho. And there’s Haruto. Kiryu took Haruka in when she was 9, so he’s never had to deal with a baby before. He’s out of his element, but hardly unwilling. The help he gets from Kiyomi and his other new friends is the kind of comfort Kiryu needs at this point in his life. Likewise, the events in Onomichi play out like a retirement fantasy - building an amateur baseball team out of local talent, building relationships with the denizens of a bar in an incredible Japanese version of Cheers, hanging out with the town’s Yakuza, who are so small potatoes they seem to barely fit the definitions of organized or crime. It all works beautifully as a touching send-off to my favorite video game character.

3. Tetris Effect - There was a long time where I was contemplating putting this as my number one game. I went through some strange conflicts in the consideration - next to all these original, thoughtful games, am I really going to say that fucking Tetris is best one of them? Is that even fair? Is this game really anything more than just regular-ass Tetris but with some pretty lights and sounds and a 90’s rave kinda vibe? The answer to all of these, is, of course, yes, but also no. I’d defend my choice any day, though. This is the first game to actually get me into Tetris. I always appreciated it; it’s a classic, but it was never a game I had actually put much time or thought into before. This game not only sold me on Tetris, but got me obsessed with it, to the point where the name feels remarkably appropriate: ever since I began playing, I’ve been seeing tetriminos falling - in my sleep, in daydreams, any time I see any type of blocky shape in real life I’m fitting them together in my mind. The idea that all Tetris pieces, despite their differences, need each other and complement each other and can all fit together in perfect harmony, and that this is a metaphor for humanity, has to be some of the cheesiest bullshit I’ve ever heard, and yet, the game fully sold me on it from the first damn level. It’s all connected. We’re all together in this life. Don’t you forget it.

2. Celeste - This is a damn near perfect game, both as refreshing and demanding as a climb up a beautiful but treacherous mountain ought to be. I died many, many times (2424, to be exact), but the game explicitly encouraged me to be proud of that, acting as a friendly little cheerleader in between deaths, assuring me that I could do it. It’s both a welcome break from the smug, sneering attitude so many “difficult” games tend to traffic in, and absolutely central to its themes involving mental health. As the shockingly good plot starts making it increasingly clear that it’s about Madeline’s quest to conquer (or, at least, understand) her inner demons, the gameplay itself offers a simple but effective metaphor for struggling with mental illness - yes, it’s hard, and yes, you’re going to suffer and struggle, but you can make it, and you will make it, because you’re so much better than you think you are. Oh, and also, it’s not all bad, because at least you get to listen to some absolutely rippin’ tunes while you do it.

1. Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom - (Another one I reviewed!) This is my ideal JRPG. In my mind it stands next to childhood treasures like Final Fantasy IX. Unlike some recent Square projects that specifically try to clone their late 90’s output, this game hardly feels beholden to the game design of the past, and yet, feels of a piece with that era in a respectably non-cloying way. It has a bright, colorful, inviting world full of charming characters, an all-time great soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi, and an exciting, deep combat system with an emphasis on action. Building my kingdom of Evermore was remarkably satisfying, down to all the little dumb tasks my citizens would ask of me, none of which my very good boy King Evan was too busy or too proud to refuse. There’s very little grinding. It’s a long game by most standards, but at 40-something hours, it feels lean by JRPG standards. And for as much of a storybook fantasy as the plot is, as much as it reduces woefully complicated socio-political issues into neat, resolvable tasks for Evan to solve, it always came across as perfectly genuine, and sometimes surprisingly affecting. It’s the game that I’ve wanted to play since the PS1 Final Fantasy games stole my heart as a kid. That’s hardly what I expected it to be as I started into it, and what a joy it was to discover that it was.

5 notes · View notes

allacortedikamijo · 6 years

Text

∼Eternal Twilight∼ Saturday September 15th 2018

Tickets sales for Eternal Twilight started at 3:00 pm on April 8th. Long before 3:01, VIP tickets were sold out. I could only manage to buy a Regular ticket. Luckily, in July Mana decided to offer upgrade tickets and I was able to also buy the Meet & Greet. Back in April, I had not yet decided to go to Helsinki. I knew DSVI would be very expensive, but once I learned Mana and KAMIJO would be in Helsinki on the same day, I had no choice. I expected surprises, and I was right.

On September 15th at 9:00 am I walked to Gloria with my friends, who patiently remained in line all day for KAMIJO’s concert. Around noon, I left for Paasitorni Congress Center and the magic started. The location was beautiful: huge, elegant, with big stairs and tall ceilings. VIP were already there and I waited for my turn with my new friend Nami.

Once Regular tickets holders were let in, I noticed the stage, the blue catwalk and the several exhibitors desks. Surprisingly VIP tickets holders had decided to sit in front of the catwalk and not under the stage. I could not believe it. So Nami suggested to immediately take those empty seats. We ended up just in front of the four chairs for the guests.

The room was getting crowded, everybody was wearing incredible outfits. It felt like a movie set or a star wars summit (some Lolitas were rather exotic). The Lolita Tea Party in Milan (2013) and Eternal Twilight in Helsinki (2018) will always remain my best Lolita memories.

Once all the participants had arrived, the presenter walked the stage and the event begun. Mana was invited onstage. He wasn’t backstage, he entered from the back of the room like a God or a Goddess, you choose. He was wearing the new green blouse and very high platform shoes. I could not believe how often I had seen him this year. He walked past us and sat onstage. He was joined by a lady from Hellocon and a lady from Moi Meme Moitié. One chair had remained empty, but even “I” had no idea about what was going to happen. DSVI had let me hopeless about any public interaction between Mana and KAMIJO. The presenter announced the Q&A and she said that, for the occasion, a special Guests would join the stage to be Mana’s voice for the day. She then said KAMIJO’s name. Even then I wasn’t sure I had heard it right. It was only when I noticed his blond hair approaching behind the Lolitas that my brain processed what was really happening. I started screaming, just as the rest of the audience. KAMIJO was warmly welcomed by everyone. I turned towards Mana and bowed to thank him. He was looking my way and he noticed I was on top of the world. I certainly didn’t expect it. I texted my friends at Gloria “He’s here!”.

KAMIJO set next to Mana and they both seemed perfectly at ease. Occasionally speaking in each others ears. The Hellocon lady started making questions to Mana in English, the Moi Meme Moitié lady whisper them to Mana, to which he responded by whispering in KAMIJO’s ear, then KAMIJO would tell the answer in Japanese and the Moi Meme Moitié lady translated it into English. Mana was asked more or less 30 questions and more came in the second Q&A that took place after the Moi Meme Moitié’s fashion show. I only remember 23 of them though. Too much excitement affected my memory. If you are interested, you can find them below. All participants had been asked to submit questions for the Q&A. I was very happy to find out Hellocon had selected 4 of my questions (14, 16, 21!!, 22)

What inspired you to start Moi Meme Moitie? He basically said he had noticed that the Lolita scene in Japan had many different styles except a darker and gothic version, so he came up with the idea of creating Gothic Lolita style. He found great inspiration in Gothic architecture.

Why is blue your favorite color? He said that when he was a child he has a blue snoopy blanked and, as he liked that blanked a lot, blu became his favorite color.

What is your favorite flower? Cherry blossom.

What is your favorite country? He luckily (and wisely) replied Japan. It could be absolutely true though.

Do you prefer rainy weather or sunny weather? Sunny weather because on sunny days it is possible to walk and enjoy nature, take walks in the park…

What is your favorite season? Summer.

Is there a country you would like to visit? He said Greece, because of the beautiful sea landscapes, even though he does not swim.

Do you prefer coffee or tea? Coffee, from expresso machines, as the one he has at home.

What is your favorite type of bird? Planes, though I am scared to fly.

What is your favorite animal? Hattiwatters from Moomins.

If you could have a super power what would it to be? See spirits. I have never seen one and I wish I could.

What is your favorite food? Okonomiyaki (I am not sure of this answer. Can anyone confirm this?)

What is your favorite fruit? Pineapple.

What is your favorite book or what do you like to read? Scientific readings, especially about planes, and cookbooks.

Have you ever had a pet? I am not good in taking care of animals, but I once had fishes and enjoyed watching them.

What is your favorite pastime when you have free time? Go to shrines and wash my hands in the (dragon?) fountains. It makes me feel great.

If you could go back in time in which era would you like to go? My late childhood/early adolescence. He mentioned games, ruffles and candies. He said it was a very happy and peaceful moment in his life and largely misses it.

What is your favorite Lolita item? Crosses necklaces.

Is there any chance for a new picture book such as (I’m sorry I don’t remember that name, could have been Bara No Rondo, Livre Ros’e Blanche, Bara No Higeki, Merveilles or Philosophy)? Maybe.

And now, the spicy moments…

20. You have accomplished a lot with your fashion brand. What could be the next step for Moi Meme Moitié? Mana whispered to KAMIJO’s ear and KAMIJO said “Really?!”, sounding shocked and surprised. It turned out the answer was: “Lingerie”. I applauded enthusiastically and made sure Mana noticed. How could I not want to wear Lingerie designed or approved by Mana?!

21. What’s your favorite place in Japan? Again, Mana whispered to KAMIJO’s ear and he replied in English with a super sexy voice “My bed!”. I thought I would faint. Of course he meant his own bed, but the double meaning implied was powerful (as they had skipped the regular process of waiting for the translator to answer). Some girls in the back giggled. I though it was really nice. A bit of humor and naughty jokes felt good. An informal moment out of the cages of cautious schemes.

22. What is your biggest dream? Moi Dix Mois World Tour (how can this be if he hates flying?)

23. What is your favorite drink? (And here we go with the most shocking reply of the day). I thought he would say Jack Daniels. Instead he replied “Pineapple juice”. Another innocent answer? I wanted to disappear from the face of the Earth.

After the Q&A KAMIJO kneeled in front of Mana and left the venue to reach Gloria. I could not stop but wondering whether Mana would make a surprise appearance during KAMIJO’s concert that night. Unfortunately he didn’t.

However, the two of them looked very close and amused, exactly the opposite of what they looked like at DSVI. I wish I knew why. Is it really so mind bothering to them the idea of playing together? Why? Is this really the last frontier now?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Moi Meme Moitié fashion show followed. I loved it. I counted at least 30 girls. They walked the stage in couples. The couples were selected in such a way that each girl would have the same height. Some held hands. They all looked like goth sisters, very powerful. The soundtrack included a different Moi Dix Mois song for each couple. I lost contact with reality.

After MmM fashion show, there was a second Q&A to Mana. This time he would not need a voice, because he would draw the answers on a piece of paper. The audience was asked to guess his replies and after that he would show his drawings. I enjoyed a lot this part of the event. It felt informal and funny. Very useful to learn something more about Mana. Concerts are great but they leave short room for surprises nowadays. The double Q&A was pure fun. I am so glad the organizers came up with this idea.

After the second Q&A we could enjoy the second fashion show with many different Lolita brands (I do declare, AliceHolic, Puvithel and probably others I can’t recall now), and I must say I deeply enjoyed this one as well. The outfits were stunning and the soundtrack very inspiring (Cosmic Storm by A. Himitsu).

In between all these incredible moments, we had time to visit the exhibitors desks and buy lolita items. I wish the day would never come to an end, but in a while we would be in line for Mana’s Meet & Greet, just before rushing to Gloria for Kamijo’s Meet & Greet, Concert and Checki. Doesn’t this sound too much for a human being to endure in a single day?

When it was my turn, I entered the room where Mana was waiting. My 3rd Meet & Greet with God. I handed him my present and thanked him for DSVI. I was so grateful: he had invited KAMIJO as vocalist, he had cross-dressed and let his beautiful black hair down, all things I had hoped for. I was relaxed until he shook my hands twice and so firmly, with both hands that I started to panic. He was staring and I could tell he realized I took part to almost each event he had organized this year, even thought they were so far away from home. Or at least, this is the impression I got. But as I said before, these kind of days make you lose contact with reality. So I happily walked away with the red rose he gave me.

The best thing about DSVI and Eternal Twilight is that now (new) KAMIJO’s fans know something very important about him: who his Master is.

Report: bellemoitie for Alla Corte di KAMIJO

Photos in the article: KAMIJO Official Instagram, M_d_M Official Twitter,

[Report] ∼Eternal Twilight∼ ∼Eternal Twilight∼ Saturday September 15th 2018

2 notes · View notes

cinemamablog · 5 years

Text

2019 Favorites (So Far)

It’s time to reflect on the new movies that brought me happiness so far in 2019. Keep in mind, I’ve missed almost all limited releases this year and quite a few wide release titles. But of the films I’ve managed to see from this year’s roster, these 11 top the list:

1. Us

The horror event of the year, Jordan Peele’s second film takes us to a more abstract place than Get Out, where things aren’t so clearly cut into Good and Evil. Explanations only hurt the movie, at its best when ambiguities creep up and linger. Peele’s potential excites me: the worlds he creates take residence in reality, while always dipping into the fantastical. Also, I can’t begin to imagine the resulting kindertrauma had I heard Lupita Nyongo’s “tethered” voice as a child.

2. The Beach Bum

I’ve written about this movie before here, but let me stress the point: The Beach Bum is an underrated, gleeful, Floridian bop. Who knew a dolphin-watching tour could hold the potential for so much laughter and danger? Matthew McConaughey’s Oscar era needed to happen so wild and crazy movies like Harmony Korine’s could get greenlit.

3. Happy Death Day 2U

My mom watched pieces of the first Happy Death Day movie with the TV on mute and thought “it looked so stupid” and I was like “MOM. No. It’s DEEP, the sequel made me CRY.” And boy, did it. Happy Death Day 2U continues the humorous, fast-paced tone of the first film, but also places our heroine Tree not just in the prerequisite, life-threatening time warp, but also in the middle of a heart-wrenching conundrum. If you watch this movie while pregnant or grieving or both, it might make you cry a little or a lot. (Guess which two out of the four groups I was in this summer.)

4. Lords of Chaos

I made the mistake of googling reviews of this movie as soon as it ended. Apparently, actual Norwegian black metal fans HATE this movie. Regardless, I think it’s great, electric storytelling with one of the most realistic suicide scenes I’ve ever seen. I watched Lords of Chaos on Hulu and, as a non-metal fan, I enjoyed the life-and-death drama and toxic machismo of gothic boys who grow up into warped men. I appreciated how Kieran Culkin’s character personifies the insecurity of a boy playing gatekeeper while he himself only vaguely comprehends the darker elements of life and masks his innocent fascination with them by putting on a tough guy act. He also hides his insecurities by latching on to those grittier, sadder, more fucked up than him, as if their authenticity will rub off on him.

5. The Last Black Man in San Francisco

I heard the hype for this movie straight out of Sundance, but I still feel like this movie got sorely under-seen. One of the few movies the baby napped through while on maternity leave, the tenderness and love that went into the making of The Last Black Man in San Francisco flows off the screen. It felt like sitting with a friend on the porch, reminiscing about the neighborhoods that surrounded you and shaped your childhood. “Things aren’t the way they used to be,” you muse. “But were things ever the way they used to be?” the movie asks back. Much of our identity relies on the stories we tell ourselves, the ones our families tell around the dinner table, the ones we share at reunions with friends long lost to life’s changes. This movie tells the story Jimmie Fails chooses to share with you. Cherish it as if it were your own. Because once a story is shared, it becomes a part of yours, too.

6. Good Boys

I went out with my husband to see this movie, screening in the pricey theatre at the Promenade. (You know, the one with the fancy seats and the huge screen and special sound system.) I had had a hard time with the baby that day, still only days along as a parent to a newborn. And god, I needed a laugh. I put my trust in Seth Rogen’s role as producer and in return, Good Boys gave me a million laughs. I worried the movie would rely on the boring repetition of jokes along the lines of: “haha, young boys saying bad words and making sex jokes,” but that did not prove to be the case. With the combination of a pitch perfect script and effortlessly guileless performances, the laughs came easy.

7. The Lighthouse

I’ve already written about The Lighthouse here and honestly, I don’t have much more to say except that Robert Pattinson should’ve earned an Oscar nomination for Good Time and Willem Dafoe deserved the win for The Florida Project. Robbed, I tell you! Robbed!

8. Booksmart

I couldn’t be prouder of Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut. The script, written by four women (Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman), treats every high schooler with respect: bully and nerd, rich and poor, booksmart and streetsmart. Most movies about teenagers claim to disparage cliques and social group segregation, but they also tend to romanticize the concept of an “In” crowd. Booksmart is one of very few that presents high school the way it actually goes down: a “popular” kid is just as smart and vulnerable as the valedictorian (sometimes they’re one and the same) and the theatre kids can be just as annoying as the rich kids with too much money to burn. While the characters share more in common than they’d like to believe, Booksmart captures the universal hopefulness and ambition of high school’s final hours.

9. Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

One overly earnest child actress nearly wrecked this movie for me, but the story stuck with me through my maternity leave and into my return to the workplace. In Richard Linklater’s latest character study (based on a novel by Maria Semple), Cate Blanchett plays Bernadette, a world famous retired architect who holes herself up in the ultimate fixer upper, earning the ire of her neighbors and the worries of her husband. Where’d You Go, Bernadette? reminds me of the quote: “An artist who stops making art is committing emotional suicide.” Once Bernadette reaches a breaking point, made painfully clear to her by her husband, his secretary, and an FBI agent, her journey helps bring Bernadette back to her architectural roots. Creating functional, artful structures is Bernadette’s greatest joy, besides the miracle of motherhood. (This mama relates.)

10. IT Chapter Two

Besides the episodic pacing that slowed the movie down, I sat through IT Chapter Two in a state of constant dread. I lived through an easy childhood, but I could still empathize with the terror of the Losers Club as they return to the site of their forgotten childhood traumas. One of them never forgot the painful memories to begin with and one can’t handle it when the past comes rushing back to him. I do wish the script didn’t spend so much time on boring old Bill. And furthermore, Amy Adams was meant to play Beverly, I don’t care what anyone says. But despite my complaints, the way Pennywise manipulates both the adults’ childhood insecurities and the fears of children kept me in an emotional state that only comes from tapping into a deep fear. Or watching several people confronted with their own.

11. Greener Grass

Another entry that I’ve written about here, Greener Grass earns its spot on my list of favorites by having some of the most original art direction, the most imaginative screenplay, and syncing up perfectly with my ideal aesthetic. (Pretty pastels, quivering smiles, and danger beneath the surface.)

That’s all folks! What movies gave you joy in 2019?

#it chapter two #greener grass #jordan peele #us #the beach bum #where'd you go bernadette #booksmart #the lighthouse #good boys #last black man in san francisco #lords of chaos #happy death day 2u #lists

0 notes

mcmansionhell · 7 years

Text

McMansion Hell Does Architectural Theory (Part 3): British Palladianism

Hello Friends! Today we’re going to talk about a rather short-lived movement in late 17th, early-18th century architecture: British Palladianism, which is v “Palladio is great and I, an aristocrat, will only pay you if you design in reference to his style.” Of course it goes deeper than that, so, let’s begin!

Background

In previous installations of this series, we’ve talked about the Italians and the French, but what the heck was happening in Britain all this time? Well, the answer is:

Seriously. The dang Brits were at war all the time - colonializing everything, sinking all of Spain’s ships, creating their own cool church bc their king wanted a son etc.

Because of all this dang war, architecture in Britain for a long time was a messy hodgepodge of stylistic elements. Examples range from Henry VIII’s Windsor Castle Gatehouse (OG Tudor, though ostensibly Gothic) to the more classically-oriented but still rather Gothic Old Somerset House (completed in 1552) (demolished). According to Mallgrave’s Architectural Theory (a great anthology), most of the classically inspired elements on pre-17th Century British buildings can be traced to Italian or French artisans. Oh well.

Early English Classicism (Late 17th Century)

It wasn’t until the 17th century (v late) that classicism became a big deal in England. The first real-deal English classicist was the badass-ly named Inigo Jones, who actually went to Italy for a year (1613-14) where he encountered the work of Palladio for the first time -- which, needless to say blew his damn mind. Jones became the first British architect to have designed buildings in accordance to Vitruvian teachings and classical proportions.

The Dude Jones got into architecture through a weird angle: he was first a prominent set and costume designer for several English theatres. His Italian journey proved fruitful for him career-wise - many of the higher-ups were impressed with Jones’ knowledge of Italian aesthetics, and he was shortly appointed as the Surveyor to the Prince of Wales, before hella upgrading to being Surveyor of the King’s Works in 1615.

Jones’ earliest known architectural work (appropriately called Queen’s House), built for James I’s wife, Anne (who died before it was finished), was the first ever classically styled building in England. I mean, it’s great - just look at it.

Photo by Bill Bertram (CC-BY-SA 2.5)

While Jones would go on to design a smattering of buildings, a great deal of his work was lost both in the English Civil War and in the 1666 Great Fire of London. Despite these minor setbacks, Jones’ is still considered to be among England’s greatest architects whose influence would span two centuries worth of British architectural technique.

Get it? It’s lit? Because half of his stuff got torched? I’m sorry.

As far as architectural theory goes during this era of budding classicism, the closest clue we have is the work of Henry Wotton, the British ambassador to Venice, who got so hellaciously sloshed on Italian architecture while he was there that he decided to write a book about it called The Elements of Architecture (1624), outlining his special interpretation of classical architecture.

Wotton’s book was mostly a translation of Vitruvius with a little bit of Renaissance thought (a la Alberti and Palladio) thrown in. The most well-known snippet is his translation of the Vitruvian triad as “firmness, commodity, and delight” - an architectural catchphrase that often finds its way into contemporary architectural histories, though more accurate translations have been proposed:

Change in this line of thought came with Jones’ later successor, Christopher Wren. Unlike Jones who was rather rigorous in his classicism, Wren was a bit more...capricious. In fact, he even built in the Gothic style at the end of his long career (the dude built 45 churches alone) - a move that would have likely put Perrault and Blondel both in an early grave.

Dude doesn’t even need the sunglasses, he’s throwing so much shade in this pic.

Wren’s ideas about architecture, encapsulated in his Tracts on Architecture (1670s) are varied. In Tract I, Wren opens up with the ballsy af statement: “Architecture has its political Use,” - that is, buildings form the national identity of a country and inspire patriotism amongst its citizens. This itself is a hot take, but it gets even hotter.

Like Perrault, Wren’s ideas about beauty are split into what he calls “natural” and “customary” beauty. Natural beauty consists of geometry, aka Proportions, following in the Platonic tradition® of an absolute beauty or harmony, inherently pleasing to all of us. Customary beauty, however, is more vague - Wren describes it as: “the use of our Senses to those Objects which are usually pleasing to us for other Causes, as Familiarity or particular Inclination breeds a Love to Things not in themselves lovely.”

Basically, we like certain things for some dumb reason like feelings and stuff.

In his second Tract, Wren gripes about architecture being “too strick and pedantick.” This makes sense, because Wren was really into blending a variety of interesting styles together, which was perhaps problematic to some.

Enter the Moralists

One person who was particularly sick of Wren’s sh*t was Anthony Ashley Cooper, Third Earl of Shaftesbury, who, in addition to being an Earl, was also a writer and philosopher. (He was notably taught at a young age by none other than John Locke, the guy you learned about in Civics class once.)

Shaftesbury hated (!!!) the Baroque stylings of Wren’s late work, as well as the next generation of architects including John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor, deeming the pair’s Baroque-leaning Blenheim Palace “a new palace spoilt.” In fact, he wrote a very amusingly scathing essay in 1712 basically saying that Britain was literally *THE BEST* at all of the other arts except for architecture, after which he proceeds to take a huge dump all over the architecture of the day.

Photo by Derova, (CC-BY-2.0)

Shaftesbury tried to sniff out a philosophical basis for Platonic thought regarding absolute beauty and harmonic proportions. What he came up with is essentially moralism, claiming that in order to be able to perceive the naturally good and beautiful ideas in art, one must themselves be naturally good and beautiful on the inside.™ Good taste comes from good inner resolve® to be true to what we know is true beauty and not be swayed by the evils of fashion™ blah blah blah.

The Height of British Palladianism

This line of thought continued within what was now deemed British Palladianism (a movement whose discourse consisted mostly of wealthy Earls tutting at each other). British Palladianism saw several architects (Colin Campbell, Nicholas Du Bois, and William Kent, specifically) launch their own careers by releasing translations or new editions of works by Vitruvius, Palladio, and Jones, respectively with some pithy bits in the introductions haranguing the “ridiculous mixture of Gothick and Roman” of the previous generation thrown in for good measure.

Like all movements, the Palladian movement had its own shadowy figurehead, who funded the work of several of the architects working in the 1720s - Richard Boyle, Third Earl of Burlington.

Burlington was extremely wealthy, and spent most of his time being a total dilettante architect, traveling to Italy to collect manuscripts of Palladio and the like. In fact, Burlington fired Colin Campbell (the English Vitruvius!!) from working on his Piccadilly Villa because apparently Campbell’s classicism was **just not pure enough** for the good Earl, who decided he should just build his damn villa himself.

Burlington’s ruthless aesthetic commitment had a huge impact on the contemporary architects of the day, most of whom he fired. Of the ones he did not fire (aka he did not hire them in the first place), Robert Morris, the most prolific writer of the Palladian movement, is perhaps the most significant. Morris’s work chronicles not only the dawn and spirit of the movement but also its decline.

Morris’s 1728 essay “An Essay in Defense of Ancient Architecture” is about exactly what you would expect:

(((Tutting intensifies)))

The essay of course devolves from tutting critique to legit 17th century fanfiction:

I-Inigo-sama!!! <3

The End of an Era, I Guess

Jokes aside (yours truly used to ship historical figures back in my 7th grade fanfiction days and is not proud), Morris would take a rather different tone in 1739, in an essay commonly cited as a hint to the movement’s end, “An Essay upon Harmony.”

This essay breaks away from the Platonic ideas of absolute beauty, and instead breaks beauty up into several different categories - a relativist aesthetics coming from a contemporary movement (mostly in landscape architecture) called the picturesque, or picturesque theory, which will be the subject of next week’s post.

“In Harmony,” writes Morris, “there are three general Divisions, which may be distinguish’d by the Terms, Ideal, Oral, and Ocular.”

The Ideal is of course numbers and, duh, proportions. Oral harmony is how things are related to each other, with a v Plato allusion to musical harmony. Old news, right?

But it’s Ocular harmony that offers a glimpse into what will ultimately be a much more powerful movement, spanning (serious, not dilettante) philosophy, art, and of course architecture: the picturesque and the sublime, supported by John Locke & Co.’s empiricism (but we’ll get to that).

Ocular harmony is the harmony of nature in its natural state - both “Animate” (animals, insects, also beauty and perfection, apparently) and “inanimate” (hills, woods, valleys, scenery - “noble, rural, and pleasing.”)

Morris’ ideas are ones of subjectivity, blind sensation to what is and is not lovely, rather than dictated ideas of aesthetic morality. He later goes on to say that in architecture, “The Proportion should be with respect to the Situation; the Dress, Decoration, and Materials should be adapted to the Propriety and Elegance of the Situation and Convenience…”

If that’s not the antithesis to Burlington’s objective classicist purity, I don’t know what is. And so, the bell finally tolls on British Palladianism.

Photo by Chris Nyborg, (CC-BY-SA 3.0)

I hope you enjoyed this bit of (admittedly long-overdue) tutting. Stay tuned for Wednesday’s Maine McMansion, and next Sunday’s installment where I trash talk a bunch of dudes who are way too into gardens.

If you like this post, and want to see more like it, consider supporting me on Patreon! Not into small donations and sick bonus content? Check out the McMansion Hell Store - 30% goes to charity.

Copyright Disclaimer: All photos without captioned credit are from the Public Domain. Manipulated photos are considered derivative work and are Copyright © 2017 McMansion Hell. Please email [email protected] before using these images on another site. (am v chill about this)

#architecture #history #architectural theory #palladio #philosophy #aesthetics #inigo jones #christopher wren #robert morris #england #british palladianism #classical architecture #classicism #traditional architecture #theory

446 notes · View notes

happyhomesworld-blog · 5 years

Photo

History of Victorian Architecture

The world of home interiors is dynamically evolving with each passing day, and the influx of various kinds of designs is what makes it even more interesting. With the adequate rise of demand and global competition in the interiors domain, the need to bring on new concepts is a rippling factor of the present time. It has always been a tradition and also a modern idea of the 21st-century era to bring back the vintage vibes for implementation of it in fashion, food, or lifestyle. However, the same concept prevails in the domain of the interior as well. Going back to the opulent era of the 19th century, the colonial and Victorian art of design is a stunning invocation o=for developing modern home interiors.

As the literal meaning goes with the incredibly sophisticated and stylish portrayal of Victorian architecture, the same applies to modern furnishings and interiors as well. It just not sounds impressive but in reality, looks larger than life. The thought of possessing a Victorian architecture styled home interiors is like a dreamy envision; every house owner would love to have it for real. With every feature of this style being unique and class apart, the authentic resonation of a luxurious look caters to the windows, roofs, and even to the wiring.

Before delving deep in more about Victorian architecture home interiors, let’s discuss the inception of this style.

Recalling the History of Victorian architecture

The timeframe between the years 1837 and 1901 demarcates the reigning era of the legendary ruler, Queen Victoria. During this time, the observation focused on producing mass-scaled cheap household items. These items were low in cost and had a significant manufacturing industry. Due to the occurrence of these items being sold at comparatively lesser prices, it was accessible to the people who could earlier not afford to buy these. And since then, the Victorian type of house remodeling had its embryonic steps.

Very quickly, the aristocracy and sophistication of the upper-class Victorian society started being imitated by the less privileged communities. Their houses were flaunted with opulent looking accessories, fabrics, furnishings and designed in a way to make a statement of their emerging new wealth. This also paved their way of concreting a respectable social status in Victorian times.

During the Victorian age, a simple and bare room was taken as a sign of poor taste and meager wealth. What today became the fashion of modern minimalist ideas was a statement for having low-wealth in Victorian society. As a striking comparison, Victorian architecture interiors have to be cluttered with fancy accessories and gorgeous furnishings. The very idea of looking at a Victorian styled home brings a thought of it being extraordinarily luxurious and affluent.

The Extravagant Tastes of the Ruling Queen

One of the very notable reasons for the magnificent looks sprawling from the Victorian architecture is because of the ruling queen Victoria. Her extravagant and luxurious tastes are the first occult seeds for such a fancy architectural style. The revolution happened in the world of home designing, and remodeling began with her eclectic and ornamental elegances, she preferred.

Although the Victorian style goes through various rendition and transitions, yet the ground zero elements of it being classy and over the top remains prevalent to date. After the death of Queen Victoria, the Victorian architecture got associated with the successor periods like Eastlake, Gothic, Edwardian, Japonisme, and Art Nouveau. Nonetheless, the tradition of keeping the overall mixture of decorative components for the ceilings, floors, window frames, doorways, kept on being significantly prevalent.

Since the main objective of Victorian architecture is to show off wealth and rich societal status, the features in its design and styles are not just elaborate but extremely ornamental. The walls, windows, and carpets reflect of the intricate and detailed designing of ornate. Exquisite lamps, lightings, chandeliers are all necessary and essential components of Victorian architecture and are an absolute extravagant statement for your home ceilings. The entrances have to be adorned with etched ad stained windows made of glass along with wrought iron lined in a fancy way around the stairwells and framed doorways.

The Modern-Day Victorian Style Interiors

Blending with the actual origination of the architectural style and heavy influences associated with today’s Victorian-styled home interiors are pretty much the same. It speaks of the identical extravagant language and stands out as a class-apart example for a modern decorative house. The vintage looks that bring it along with itself is a portrayal of art that speaks the language of aristocracy and fine taste.

Speaking in terms of modern-day interiors’ demand, the curve for the Victorian architectural style goes pretty much high. The vintage essence and the fancy array of accessories placed in the living and bedrooms are pure bliss for modern-day homeowners.

By HappyHomes - Interior designers in Kalyan and best Interior design company Kalyan Nagar

#interior designing #Home Interiors #Interior Decorators #victorian interior designing #Interior Designing Company #Bangalore #Kalyan Nagar #india

0 notes

destinyhixon-blog · 5 years

Photo

Going for 2 days in Paris? Popularly known as the ‘City of Lights’, Paris is a great metropolitan area within France and the wider Europe as a whole. You can never afford to overlook it in your visit to mainland Europe.

Given the expensive nature of the city, you want to make the most of your visit to the area. We have lined up for you some itinerary of the most critical and ‘must-visit’ places in a typical two-day visit.

If you have 5 or 7 days for Paris then read more of our posts from here and here.

France has some fantastic places to visit, especially South France, the famous Côte d’Azur. Do read for our trips through: Le Mont Saint Michel, Lyon, Eze, Avignon, Saint Tropez, Provence and Strasbourg.

2 Days in Paris, France

Generally speaking, we do recommend that you visit this city in the summer which runs from the end of May through to the end of August. It is at that time that the weather is forgiving and the city is also lively with visitors.

Expect to spend quite some money to move around. Paris, being a first world city, is naturally very expensive. To add insult to injury, the city is also unfriendly to bikes and as such, you will mostly find yourself hiring taxis.

2 Days in Paris, France: Day 1

On your first day of the trip, we do recommend that you visit the most popular and globally-renowned landmarks. This is just in case you are unable to proceed with the rest of the tour. Luckily, most of these landmarks are located within close proximity to one another.

As such, you will not have to walk longer to be able to access them. This means limited inconvenience and greatly reduced costs of transportation. Here are some of the places to start with:

Louvre Museum at the Right Bank of the Seine

Le Louvre

Louvre Museum is yet another well-known of Paris building structures and facilities. It is also a landmark art museum which has a vast collection of artwork of all kinds. The facility once served as a historic palace.

It houses huge art collections, mostly from the Roman sculptures to da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” Its strategic and central location means limited hassles to access and fairer degree of convenience as well.

Skip the line with this.

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is an iconic Gothic church which is located at the heart of Paris. It traces its origins way back to the 13th-century and has some flying buttresses and gargoyles. The cathedral has played some significant roles in the spiritual and political life of France.

You need not necessarily be a Catholic or a Christian for that matter to be able to make some good out of this building. Its breathtaking appearance coupled with nice architecture is both great for sightseeing and photography.

(Note: In April 2019, Notre-Dame, was largely damaged by fire. You need to check if you can visit).

Arc de Triomphe at the Champs-Élysées

France was at one time a ‘strong man’ in the affairs and history of Europe. During the Napoleonic era (1799-1815), it dominated Europe militarily, politically, and diplomatically. No other structure reminisces these accomplishments better than this Arc de Triomphe.

This iconic triumphal arch and a national monument commemorate Napoleon’s victories. It also has an observation deck for you to get to and gaze the breathtaking beauty of Paris metropolis. Arm yourself with a camera to capture these and many more images.

Eiffel Tower at Champ de Mars

Needless to say, the Eiffel Tower should top the list of your tourism destinations. This is a world-renown tower in Paris, France. The landmark measures 324 mt high and was constructed in the 19th-century tower. It contains steps and elevators which lead you to some observation decks high up.

Other than photography and sightseeing, your visit here may and should indeed entail climbing the elevators to capture some panorama of the Paris skyline.

Book ahead; lines are long.

Champs-Élysées

Definitely, you cannot visit Paris and leave without eating or buying anything. Perhaps no other shopping district grants you the opportunities to do these better than this Champs-Élysées. It is an iconic site of landmarks, dining, and shops.

As you walk through these streets, you will come across some fine restaurants, shops, and other great dining facilities. Food and merchandise cost a lot here in Paris. Be prepared to dig deeper in your pocket to be able to afford them.

Sacré-Cœur at Barre

Sacré-Cœur Basilica

France and indeed much of Western Europe played a vital role in the proselytization of Christianity. This Sacré-Cœur is yet another silent reminder of Europe’s great Christian past. It is basically a landmark hilltop white basilica.

Apart from the core role of serving as a place of worship, the facility in and of itself is also breathtaking to behold. It does have some interior mosaics, stained-glass windows, and a crypt, all of which are great for photography and sightseeing.

You can book a Sacré-Coeur and Montmartre Tour.

Palace of Versailles at Yvelines of Île-de-France

As part of your study of the glorious past of France, you want to spend some time here at the Palace of Versailles. This structure served as the official residence of King Louis XIV. It is gilded and adorned with great gardens.

Access to the facility is restricted to those who hail from outside the European Union. If you do happen to gain access, you will be taken through some guided tours of its gilded apartments, chandeliered Hall of Mirrors and fountain show.

Book the palace tickets early.

Musée d’Orsay on the Left Bank of the Seine

Are you a lover of art? Well, you have this Musée d’Orsay museum for your visit. The museum contains a collection of several masterpieces of 19th- & 20th-century art. These including photography, furniture, sculptures, and paintings.

Entry is free to children who are citizens. Others can be charged up to €14. Though huge, the benefits you stand to accrue far outweigh this small investment. Do purpose to spare a bit of your time and spend it here.

Book your entry.

Montmartre in Paris’s 18th arrondissement

Montmartre

Montmartre is a large hill which is located right at the heart of Paris. At the hill are a basilica, vineyard, and a museum that is dedicated to the celebrated Dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh. A stay here lets you hit three birds with one stone.

You get to access the basilica, take some tour of the vineyard and even visit the museum for a deeper understanding of the life and times of the Dutch painter. Being free of any congestions, it is also a place to detach and relax.

Luxembourg Gardens in the 6th arrondissement of Paris

Luxembourg Gardens

Your final venue on your first day of the tour should be these Luxembourg Gardens. It is basically a park which has a couple of manicured lawns and statues. The trees provide the shade whereas the breeze from the winding Seine River cools the atmosphere for your lively stay.

This is a place to detach and relax from the congested lifestyles of the rest of the city. Being breathtaking, it also provides you some great photography opportunities. What’s more? You will also get to socialize with others from around the world!

2 Days in Paris, France: Day 2

Having exhausted the most crucial landmarks and places of interest in your first leg of the tour, it is now in order to go deeper into those other facilities which are located farther afield. These places are located far apart and will hence require longer commute time and transport expenses.

Taxis are the best means to move around. They are flexible enough to accord you the convenience you require. Be prepared though to spend a lot as transport costs are too high.

Tuileries Garden near Place de la Concorde

Tuileries Garden

This garden is an expansive, 17th-century formal garden in Paris. It is dotted with a couple of statues such as the 18 bronzes by Maillol. The garden is public in nature; meaning that you are not charged any amount to access it.

This is a good place to retreat to as you prepare to venture out to your visit. The ambiance is cool and breathtaking. You will get to unwind and even make friends with other like-minded persons of your kind in the area.

Moulin Rouge

Are you a lover of nightlife? Well, this Moulin Rouge is a nice place to retire to at the end of your visit to the city. It is basically a Cabaret in Paris, France. Inside the facility are some dinner, dancers, and Belle Epoque décor.

The dancers adorn themselves in elaborate costumes which add some life to the air. You will get to have some fun after a long and hectic day running your errands.

Book for the show.

Disneyland Paris

If you choose to travel with your junior, you must divert and spend a bit of your time here. This is a theme park in Marne-la-Vallée, France. It comes in the form of an iconic amusement park that offers some themed rides.

Other than that, it also provides some family-friendly shows and costumed characters, as well as a dozen hotels. It is located some 32 km away from downtown Paris and is hence not so convenient to access.

Get your 1-day ticket.

The Centre Pompidou in the Beaubourg area

Center Pompidou

Paris has in store for anyone an opportunity to quench his literary and musical thirst. This Avant-garde multicultural complex serves that particular role just fine. It houses a music center, library, and a modern art museum.

Being a one-stop-shop facility, you will get to enjoy all your interests and issues ‘under one roof.’ For this reason, you will spend less of your time and money yet gain so much more in return.

Place de la Concorde

France did interact with the mighty Egyptian Empire for quite some time. In the course of this, they did amass some artifacts and devote some relics to commemorate the now fallen empire. This Place de la Concorde Plaza in Paris, France is a venue dedicated to those issues.

At the 18th-century plaza are an Egyptian obelisk, a major public square, a number of the scene of executions, fountain decorations, and statues of Egyptian Pharaohs.

Le Marais in the 4th arrondissement, aka SoMa (South Marais)

Do you cherish matters fashion and dressing? Purpose to spend some of your time here at the Le Marais. It is a segment of Paris that is devoted to matters hip boutiques and also contains gay bars, galleries, and a Jewish quarter.

French boutique and designer attire are ordinarily expensive. Be prepared yet again to spend a lot of your cash. The quality and the prestige are nevertheless impeccable, a fact that guarantees your long-term value for your money.

Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité in the River Seine

As has already been noted, France and indeed much of Europe played a crucial role in promoting Christianity. This chapel in Paris, France is yet another silent reminder of this glorious past. It is a gothic chapel which has stained-glass windows.

Its interior contains some ornate, 13th-century relics and notable stained-glass windows of the various biblical scenes. It is a nice place to just walk around and gaze the beauty over and above taking some photographs.

Les Invalides in the 7th arrondissement

Les Invalides

Apart from the Arc de Triomphe, this Les Invalides is yet another facility that is dedicated to the past military successes of France. It is a building complex in Paris, France which serves as a military museum and the remains of the interred war heroes.

The complex also contains a church and the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. You have to visit the facility if you are a lover of history or matters past events.

Book for the Napoleon Tomb.

Latin Quarter is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements

Just in case you happen to be a student, you have to visit this Latin Quarter. It is home to the reputable Sorbonne University and is lined with numerous cafes and bookshops. A visit here will let you mingle with several scholars from all walks of life.

While here, do take some time to visit the Jardin des Plantes botanical gardens, the stately Panthéon building, and the National Museum of Natural History. You will get to see the remains of notable persons like Voltaire and Marie Curie.

Catacombs of Paris

One last significant yet oft-overlooked place of interest is the Catacombs of Paris. This is a complex of cemeteries and tunnels which houses a whopping 6 million skeletons. The skeletons were dug and relocated from the various cemeteries which exist in and around the city of Paris.

The interior of the catacombs is sufficiently illuminated to enhance your visibility. The scenes do appear scary. You are advised to stay away from here if your heart is not ‘made of steel.

Where to Stay for 2 Days in Paris?

Here is a selection of hotels for your itinerary.

Best for Luxury: Shangri-La – Four Seasons George V

Best for Mid-range price: Hotel Emile

Best Cheap Hotel: Generator Paris – Hotel Chopin

Best Boutique Hotel: Relais Christine – Grand Hôtel Du Palais Royal

Best hotels for families: Four Seasons Hotel George V, Shangri-La Hotel, Relais Christine, Mandarin Oriental Paris, Le Royal Monceau-Raffles, The Peninsula, Hotel Le Bristol

In Marais: Pavillon de la Reine, Hotel Emile Paris, Hotel du Petit Moulin, Hotel Jules & Jim, Hotel Les Bains

In Saint Germain: Relais Christine, L’Hotel, Hotel Bel-Ami, Hotel Baume, La Villa Madame

In South Pigalle: Maison Souquet, Le Grand Pigalle, Le Grey Hotel, La Villa Royale

In the Latin Quarter: Les Dames du Pantheon, Hotel Le Petit, Parc Saint Severin Hotel, Melia Paris, Hotel La Lanterne

In the 7th arrondissement: Le Cinq Codet, Hotel le Bellechasse, Hotel Montalembert, Hotel Thoumieux, Hotel Pont Royal

Having now known that Paris is a wonderful and breathtaking destination for any would-be visitor, why not purpose in your heart to visit it at least once in a lifetime?

Accessing the city is pretty simple and convenient from just about any other location in the world. If you can’t be there for more, then just book only 2 days in Paris or a long weekend. You won’t regret it.

The bustling Charles de Gaulle International Airport provides the convenience necessary for smooth entry and exit into and out of the city. When should we expect you here? Let us know in the comment section!

The post How to Have Amazing 2 Days in Paris, France appeared first on AGreekAdventure World Travel Blog.

1 note · View note

keremulusoy · 4 years

Text

Subways, Metropolises, And Notes From The Underground The history of humanity adapted from nomadic lifestyles to settled lifestyles by making great strides in agriculture, production, and industry. Social order, rooted and stratified in centers, provides sociocultural progression into various comfort areas. The concept of the metropolis is described as a demographic area of obesity arising from the necessity of living together. While the Industrial Revolution was thought to be the main reason for the populational obesityof the cities, it also speeded up the process of modernization. Constructing comfortable cities above ground, then focusing on space studies with technological advances can be considered as modern time efforts. Trying to move “downwards” both for the safety of the planet and transportation could be a nice idea considering that the earth we walked on also has an underground.

While eliciting this idea, it is worth noting that the efforts to go underground, regardless of the need for transportation, are as old as human history. The first works concerning living underground occurred for shelter and protection purposes. From the individual settlements to the communal life, from local storages activities to gigantic underground cities, we see that there has always been an effort to move to the center of the world since the archaic periods of human history.

Today, we witness that underground stations, which are the arterial nodes of underground transportation, become public centers, evolve into crowded places in terms of human circulation, and transform their structures from cold and uncanny atmospheres into modern and fun centers. Let’s start our journey in which we compile subway stations from all corners of the world, some of which are rich in history and some of which are valuable in terms of being modern facilities.

Light, Shadow, And Color: Toledo Metro Station The light illusions, the magic of art and integration with daily life. These are the best expressions to define Toledo Station, one of the subway art stations of the city of Naples. When the city administration decided to design the underground arteries surrounding the city on a certain integrity basis, the art became the main uniting element of this project. The station which was designed around earth, light, water and sky symbols dazzles with spiritual implications in contrast with the monotony of the daily life of the subway users. Toledo (50 m.), One of the deepest subway stations in Europe, has been designed according to three depth levels by taking advantage of this depth. The wall remains of the Kingdom of Aragon, founded in Europe a thousand years ago, adorning the underground theme of the station. In the upper layer representing the Earth, the bright yellow colors of the Mediterranean sun prevail. Seascape form created with light illusions on glass ceramics and wave motifs on the walls creates the sea level thanks to the fascinating effects of blue tones.

References To The Russian History: Kievskaya Subway Station One of the most popular subway arteries of the country, which is considered as one of the symbols of the city like Red Square or Kremlin Palace, reflects the design of the Russian city, which is one of the first pioneers that comes to mind when planning the city. The construction of the subway network of Kievskaya, which is always on the top of the list of the most aesthetic metro stations in the world, took place between 1914 and 1918. Vladimir Shukhov and Ivan Rerberg, architectural designers, managed to reflect the architectural aura of Russian palaces on the metro station. The composition is designed on the basis that stained glass, mosaics, marble and chandeliers, and bright floors emit light and thus getting rid of the dim and dim atmosphere of the underground space. Sculptures, murals, and reliefs create the impression of an art gallery or museum.

One can understand that Russian history is one of the important pioneers regarding art, philosophy, literature, science, and politics from the fact that each station of the Moscow Subway was named after an important figure in the Soviet Era. Chekhovskaya, Dostoevskaya, Mayakovskaya, Pushkinskaya, Leninskaya, just like Kievskaya offer a brief history of Russian art and politics to locals who have to use this node every day and to tourists who visit the city.

Designed to be a safe underground shelter against a possible nuclear attack during the Cold War years, an important period in the recent history of Soviet Russia, the station has now achieved a true art gallery ambiance, which is far away from militarist paranoia. The art deco form, which has infiltrated the fashion and decoration of modernism, Kievskaya Empire exhibits the harmony of traditional and modern thanks to its gothic and Russian folk patterns

Mysterious and Exotic: Pyongyang Subway System Pyongyang Subway, which is one of the mysterious structures of North Korea, which is a closed form of governance, has a history of nearly fifty years. The construction activities of the subway have been given a start by the grandfather of their current leader Kim Jong-Un and because of the security paranoias (valid even today), it was built more than 110 mt deep underground.

The propaganda-art approach seen in many of the socialist administrations have implemented the most obvious practices in Pyongyang Subway. The traditional paintings and sculptures found in the station are interpreted as a typical reflection of the closed political atmosphere with their archaic forms, far from modernism, although the mosaic decorations create a relative ornament and harmony.. Designs with the spirit of the Soviet socialist realistic art movement look at the world through a monotonous window just like the North Koreans using the station. The luminous luminaires, which are rumored to weigh four tons, offer a relative movement as an attempt to reverse the station’s uniformity of design.

The first subway work

Toledo Station Naples-Italy

From symbolism to architecure

Kievskaya Subway Station Moscow-Russia

Pyongyang Subway System -Nort Korea

Pyongyang Subway Museum

Formosa Boulevard Station Kaohsiung – Taiwan

Northern And Aesthetıcal

Stockholm Metro, Kungsträdgården Subway Station Sweden

Reflections Of The Images On The Glass: Formosa Boulevard Station Kaohsiung, Taiwanungs city has one of the most interesting designs of all subway stations in the World. Formosa Station is at the intersection of two subway arteries of the city, in a very lively location where human action does not pause for a moment. What distinguishes it from other subway stations is not its passenger traffic. What distinguishes it, is the huge ceiling called “Dome of Light” which is designed with stained glass in various sizes. Designed by Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata, the 4500 glass panels are jointed to cover an area of approximately 2180 square meters. While the idea of a sun-deprived architectural design underground having a stained glass is ironic on its own, putting symbolic meaning onto it made the designers work even more complicated. The ceiling symbolizes the life adventure of humankind throughout history. The metaphorical reflection of soil, water, light, and fire in stained glass, provides the subway station with light illusions.

Northern and Aesthetical: Stockholm Subway Northern European countries are famous for their peace and quiet and urban structures which are far away from chaos and disorder. The people who live in a geography where the sun doesn’t shine except for a short period, have daily habits which make life easier by choosing the plain and minimal. Transportation for a Stockholmer means either using a bike or the subway. As such, it was inevitable for Stockholm which is both the capital and biggest city of Sweden, to have a rich subway network. Three separate subway lines (called blue, green and red) circulating the city through a total of 105 stations, making it possible to transport close to one and a half million passengers daily from one corner of the city to another. The high level of welfare has made it possible for local people to choose an actual art-prone life. It is possible to see the reflections of this situation easily by looking at the metro stations.

Since the 1950s, local artists, especially Vera Nilsson and Siri Derkert started the trend of decorating the subway stations with Works of art, saved the Stockholm subway from being a regular station and turned it into a modern art gallery. After the ‘70s this trend turned into a more systematic format that was even organized by art designers and curators thus made Stockholm, where city and art intertwine, one of the best of public space transformation in the World.

An Abandoned Design Wonder: City Hall Metro Station New York is undoubtedly one of the metropoles where the linear correlation between the subway networks and urbanization is obvious. City Hall Subway Station is an unfortunate stop in terms of active users even though its construction dates back to centuries ago. City Hall Station, which has a gusto design ahead of its time, has kept its beauty like a treasure buried under the ground for many years with its ceramic arches, brass fittings, and curved form. Just as the ill fate of the station was about to change thanks to the plans of the authorities to reunite it with people, the 9/11 chaos kept it from happening. The station, which attracted the attention of a group of New Yorker artists thanks to its distinctive atmosphere, which does look like Hollywood sets with its interesting arches and ceiling windows, was re-introduced with The Underbelly Project. PAC and Workhouse, New York-based graffiti artist have decorated the subway walls with hundreds of paintings and other Street artists are continuing with this crazy installation.

Gorgeous and Rich: Burjuman Subway Station Burjuman, a subway station in Dubai, that has been attracting the attention of rich people in the western countries as a tourism destination in the last years, is compatible with Dubai’s modern urban design, has a history of almost 10 years The station used by those who want to come to BurJuman Center, one of the largest shopping centers in Dubai, is as spectacular as the Dubai tourist centers. Burjuman, with its ambiance dominated by the color blue, with its gigantic chandeliers and designer objects for which no expense was spared, looks more like a multi-star hotel than a subway station and it dazzles people by being one of the places where the country’s overall ‘wealth’ is made visible. Although the circulation of passengers is planned with a focus on the shopping center, the location is very close to the Dubai Museum, so it is also for the visitors who didn’t come just for an expensive holiday but also for taking a look at the country’s history and culture. The subway station, where the concept of public space has turned into a tourism and economy-oriented connotation, is also an obvious reflection of the country’s overall economic vision.

Time Travel From Galata To Pera: Tünel Metro Tünel Metro, which also gives its name to the square where it is located, has not only served a nostalgic function in any period of its service history but has always performed its transportation function except for war or technical problems. The historical subway line, which is designed for the passengers who have reached Karaköy by sea and then wants to go to Beyoğlu (Pera) and which connects these two ancient Istanbul districts, is known as one of the first examples of ‘integrated public transportation in terms of public transportation design and techniques. It is known as the second oldest public transportation system in the world after the subway transportation which was launched in London in 1863.

The project was designed by the French engineer Eugene Henri Gavand, who came to İstanbul for a touristic visit, with the idea of connecting Galata and Pera, the most important community place of the period, by rail. The project submitted to Sultan Abdülaziz Han was immediately put into practice and (Gavand) was granted a 42-year concession with the condition that the Tünel subway system will become public domain after this period is over and the subway was opened for service in 1875. At the opening ceremony held on January 17th of the same year, in his speech the company manager Albert’s speech emphasized that the functional reflection of the task of combining Eastern and Western elements originating from Istanbul’s geographical fate will come to life with this metro line.

The subway which could not serve for some time due totechnical difficulties and lack of materials during the Second World War, was electrified in 1971. Thus, the distance of 573 meters between Karaköy and Beyoğlu has been covered by electric power in one and a half minutes while it has become an important public vehicle carrying approximately 12 thousand passengers over two hundred rounds per day. In the same process, the renovation task given to a French company. It was completely renewed and adapted to the era while preserving its originality.

From The Speed Of Life To The Magic Of Space Subway Stations The history of modern urbanization has revised the definition of the public sphere many times during the process. We see that socio-cultural issues, which are among the main issues where economic and political developments immediately intervene with an organic change reflex, also modernize public spaces. Metro stations are also regarded as public spaces that bring together the aforementioned modern-day urbanists with an uncommon frequency. While the speed of daily life increases day by day, it is, of course, unthinkable that routine practices do not keep up with this. The “hasty daily life” habits of city-dwellers, which shows similarities regardless of where you live in the World, caused the public spaces and socializing areas to intertwine. Metro stations in an average metropolis must have triggered the feeling of belonging to hundreds of thousands of citizens a day and the relative ‘sense of trust of crowds. We discussed the history of the metro stations from various metropolises of the world, their public values, aesthetic designs, works of art, light, color, and decorations. While writing the waiting areas of these hasty means of transportation, it was appropriate to keep the two basic issues that were always in mind to the last. The relationship between the fast flow of time and the magic of space… Just like the French philosopher Gaston Bachelard did in Poetics of Space. The entity that wants to pass quickly and pursues the lost time in the past; it is obvious that he wants to stop the hasty time that curls like a river in front of him. he space keeps time-compressed in the combs of our memory. Space is the memory repository of experiences.

City Hall Metro Station New York – USA

A Story On Beıng Forgotten

Gigantic Chandeliers of Burjuman Subway Station Burjuman

Burjuman Subway Statİon Dubaİ – UAE

A “Tunnel” Between Ottoman And The Republıc

Tunel Metro Istanbul – Turkey

Ploshchad Revolyutsii subway station – Moscow

Solna Centrum Famous Metro Station – Sweden Komsomolskaya

Komsomolskaya Metro Station – Moscow

NOTES

The First Subway Work: Thames Tunnel It was 1843 when the first tunnel of the world called Thames Tunnel was built under the river with the same name for pedestrians and freight transportation. This is also considered the beginning of the history of the subway, the most important type of transport architecture. The evolution from conventionality to modernity has been evident since 1860 in the context of the need for transportation in continental Europe. The Germans using the rock drills and the British, who started to open the subway networks with the help of dynamite, succeed in establishing underground transportation networks in Western metropolises.

Naples’ Underground Sun The station which is one of the important figures of history of Naples, has been renovated by the Spanish architect Oskar Tusquets Blanca and its renewed visuality wins recognition. The station is located near Via Toledo, one of the streets where the human circulation is high, and the visual aura of the station has affected the underground as well as above.

From Symbolism To Architecture To show the goodwill and the friendship between the Russians and Ukrainians, symbolic values were attributed to the station which was designed round and is a part of the Moscow subway network. Kievskaya which resembles a museum or an art gallery is one of the important city memories of Moscow with its crystal lighting, aesthetic and colorful artistic objects

Pyongyang Metro Museum The museum, which exhibits the works of the subway system, construction activities, tools and documents, even archived records and technical plans photographed throughout the works, is almost a building-memory feature. The North Korea administration which wants to encourage his people to work and produce wishes to remind them how such an important architecture has been developed with Pyongyang Subway Museum.

Dome Of Light The designer who looked at humankind’s history from an anthropologic perspective emphasized the fundamental items that humans need to survive on earth with “Dome of Light” which is the most interesting place in the Taiwan subway network.

Kungsträdgården Subway Station Kungsträdgården, meaning “King’s Garden, stands out with its architectural form that looks like a concrete underground cave. This design is the common aspect of the many stations that Stockholm Subway which is built after 1970s has which is built after the 1970s. It is a reminder of the Malakös Palace, which was built on the current position of the suburbs in the 17th century and later got destroyed in a fire.

A Story On Being Forgotten The abandoned subway station of New York, City Hall, is now a stopover for street artists. New Yorkers, who were deprived of its visual elegance for many years, can discover the station which turned into an unofficial art gallery.

A “Tunnel” Between Ottoman and The Republic For those arriving from Karaköy to Pera by Tünel Metro, this route is a journey through history. The tiles adorning the walls of the station make you feel like the hero of an old-time story. The Tünel Metro, a living history that has been closely witnessed by Istanbul lovers every day from the early years of the Ottoman and the Republic period to the present, continues to function as well as preserving its nostalgic appearance.

By: Necati Bulut *This article was published in the November-December issue of Marmara Life.

From The Memory Of Time To The Magic Of Space Subway Stations Of The World Subways, Metropolises, And Notes From The Underground The history of humanity adapted from nomadic lifestyles to settled lifestyles by making great strides in agriculture, production, and industry.

#stations #subway

0 notes

themusiciantraveler · 5 years

Text

For Whom the Bells Toll in Dresden

Sunday. May 27, 2018.

It was the first morning any of us have actually “slept in” since we departed the States at the beginning of our trip, and let me say that the extra bit of rest was much needed. We once again stuffed our faces before heading into Dresden for a rainy Sunday morning. We arrived in the heart of the city just as it started to sprinkle outside — the fog heavy as the sun began to peek behind the clouds. The moment we stepped out of the van we instantly stepped back in time to the height of the 1800s with their grand balls and premiers of the latest Wagnerian opera.

The towering sight of the Zwinger — a castle and fortress that ended up only being mere walls and a courtyard, turned into a porcelain and crystal museum — greeted us as we were transported to the era of late-Romanticism. Fountains and gothic architecture graced the darkened grey skies, almost blending in together. We were running late (as per usual with 14 other traveling companions) so we only had time for a brief walk through the courtyard before walking to the main square that opened up to the Semper Opera House.

We stepped out into the courtyard of the Semper Opera House only to be greeted by a quartet of brass players performing a stunning Bach chorale. The notes gracefully intermingled in perfect, genius harmony as the reverberated off the lofty corners of the surrounding architecture. After they cadenced their beautiful reverie we tipped the talented musicians and decided to try our luck with a song request – specifically the National Anthem of the United States of America. They looked at us and then looked at one another before kindly acquiescing to our odd request – I’m certain they had never been asked to play the piece ever before based on their reactions. But soon the familiar strains that bring hats off heads and hands to cover hearts began to drift through the courtyard. Pride swelled in each of our hearts as we sang the lyrics that accompany the famous verses – the dictionary definition of juxtaposition as we took in the extremely European history around us.

youtube

The Elbe River flowed directly alongside the town square, hemming in the antique architecture that surrounded our world. The rain began to pick up until it was falling steadily as we joined the queue to wait for the English tour of the opera house. A small tip, plan to have at least two hours to spend on the tour — we only had about 45 minutes to spare before our next excursion, so we unfortunately only barely got to see the stage and stunning seating boxes in the heart of the opera house. Also, check the daily schedule if you are there on a weekend, there may be a performance or two going on and you will need to plan around them accordingly because all tours will stop 2 hours before curtain call. Additionally, if you would like to take pictures of the magnificent marble columns and stunning chandeliers you will need to purchase a photo license at the beginning of the tour for a 3-Euro fee. If you don’t, they will kick you out of the tour if you take any photographs.

Just a few months before WWII ended the Allies bombed the living daylights out of Dresden, in retaliation for the loss of Coventry, completely destroying both the Semper Opera House and the Frauenkirche. In fact, the opera house that was originally commissioned for infamous composer Richard Wagner, had been destroyed on 2 previous occasions (both times by fire) so the building we got to tour was actually the 3rd reincarnation of the magnificent performing arts center that architect Semper had originally envisioned.

We left the tour early and in a hurry as the 11 o’clock bells began to toll from the Frauenkirche just a couple blocks down. There are three main services on Sundays: the 7am Mass, the 11am Lutheran service, and the 5pm English Presbyterian service. And once the service begins, you are not permitted to enter the church late, so we ran for all our worth, making it to the doors just as the final bell tolled to signal a change in the hour.

After being momentarily distracted by the beauty of the Frauenkirche, we finally located Doc and the row he had saved for us in the cathedral. We stood as the priest called us to worship and praise. Much of the service was spent looking around, counting and admiring details in order the stay awake because the entire service was in German! Every so often I would catch a word I recognized and my attention would be sparked before returning to my own thoughts. We participated in several traditional segments of a Mass, including the Kyrie and the Gloria, as well as call and response sections of the service. The most amazing part of the service that I will never forget was singing hymns and the Lord’s Prayer in German. Getting to worship alongside the fellow believers in our group in a different language was an incredible opportunity that just absolutely made my heart soar — certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

After the service ended, we talked Doc and Michael into letting us have a 30-minute break to walk around town a bit more, grab lunch, and purchase some souvenirs before getting back in the van for another long drive. We walked the picturesque square until we stopped at a quaint little cafe and bistro. We ordered cappuccinos and several small pastry bites covered in cinnamon and sugar and enjoyed the sunshine and the sounds of a Sunday in Dresden, Germany. The coffee was smooth and rich, a perfect pairing with the light sugar-coated pastries — something I wish my mom and I could have after every Sunday church service, though I do prefer my service in English.

After snagging some souvenirs for friends and a sandwich for the road, we headed back to the van through the Zwinger, the sun now high in the sky as we began our trek to the capital of Berlin. After yet another deep nap and several restroom stops, we finally arrived in the heart of Germany and our hotel for the next two evenings. We were given a chance to freshen up before a few final outings in the slowly sinking sunlight. We began at the Holocaust Museum and Memorial, after a few delays (as I’ve said before, maps are a useful commodity when traveling to a new place). A piece of advice, use Rick Steve’s travel books as resources when researching what sights to see. He often provides hours of operation and days that museums and other sights are closed. Something unique about Germany is that many museums are open on Sundays but are closed on Mondays, so by the time we finally arrived at the Holocaust Museum it had already closed for the evening and would not be reopening until Tuesday, by which time we would already be in another city.

So instead, I took some time to ponder and think on all that had happened to the people of my heritage during those dark years of WWII. The stunning and heart-stopping monument is designed on uneven ground with stone pillars of varying heights. People walk in and out of the pathways that the pillars create, but because of the differing heights of the columns, it makes it appear as though people randomly appear and disappear in the midst of the monument. It is intended to create an atmosphere that reminds the onlooker of what it must have felt like to lose everyone around you, friends and family disappearing suddenly into the night either in escape or in hostage. A frightening, yet nonetheless interesting, fact about the location of the monument is that it is less than a mile away from Hitler’s final stand, where he took his own life in his bunker. The building no longer exists, but a plaque on the pavement will reveal the location.

After taking a moment to slow down and think, we moved on through the city and just around the corner to the Brandenburg Gate – the starting point of the infamous Berlin Wall. The sun was creeping closer and closer to the ground, streaking the sky in pale hues of orange, yellow, pink, and blue, providing a stunning backdrop to such a painful monument in history. After an additional 2 miles of walking in search of Checkpoint Charlie, we finally convinced Michael to stop for dinner at the only place in sight. We ordered as much as we could as fast as possible, seeing that we had only had a small meal since the early morning.

A few final tips as our evening comes to a close. I recommend indulging in the local cuisine of the country you are in — try new things that might scare you, I promise they will provide some of the best food you will eat on the entire trip. And never travel without a map and research your closing times. You will thank yourself later when you are not wandering around a new city blindly or have missed the only chance at seeing a museum or shop you had on your list of ‘must dos’.

0 notes

storiesofobjects · 6 years

Link

BobandRobertaSmith Talk yesterday 21st Jan 2018 in Parliament. There are two main prerequisites for making art. 1 Peace.... You can’t make art if people are dropping bombs on you... And 2 Freedom... From the dynasties of China, the moguls of India, the ancient silk road, through to the Roman Empire, African modernisms, jazz music, Western European culture and onward to Globalization, Developments in Art have gone had in hand with trade. Trade not just in objects but also in ideas. Culture thrives through collision. British culture benefits enormously from immigration. New voices come and see new solutions to old problems. And when we live elsewhere we understand the world better and deeper than before. I was lucky to live in Rome for two years and then live in America. Brexit presents an enormous set back to the arts. Because like the Sciences Art is about research and discussion, shared development and being able to profit from the accumulation of dispirit bodies of understanding. Lets think for a moment of the great works of English writing? Conrad, from Poland, Joyce from Ireland, Becket from Ireland, Salman Rushdie from India Zadie Smith, Hanif Kureishi, The Budha of Surbubrbia This is British culture Lets think of some amazing British artists? Runa Islam, Turner Prize winner Lubaina Himid, Haroon Mirza, Chris Ofili Goska Macuga, Jessica Voorsanger, Wolfgang Tilmans, Yinka Shonebare. Laura Provoust. British art comes here and is born here and grows here. British Art is rich, its polyphonic, its diasporic , its home grown and its been born out of the excellence of attractive British Art Schools and is a result of British History, empire and two world wars. The Brexitiers are trying to deny the very nature of our islands culture. I wrote an article for the Guardian on the more technical effects of Brexit on the Arts. I was inspired by an idiotic remark by David Starkey on the Today programme. He said we should not be concerned because 'we have been here before when Henry the VIII split with Rome in the 1540's'. Well the English reformation lead to the dissolution of the monasteries and the wholesale destruction of medieval British culture. In the Victorian era Pugin's understanding of this catastrophe lead to the Gothic revival and to the building we are now standing in. When it comes to culture brexiteers are, ... to say the least,.. misleading. Those who claimed that the NHS would benefit by £350 million a week are at it again. Where will the 45 to £60 Billion that we now find we have to pay to leave Europe come from? The bill to leave Europe will denude the NHS, destroy local authorities budgets and wipe out arts funding. They say there will be a European style U.S. Este visa waiver system for European travel. If you have tried to travel to America on the Este scheme with a guitar as part of your luggage you will know that the boarder officials put your name into Google, see where you are playing and you go no further. No young bands or orchestras will gig in Europe and none will come here. We will see the curtailment of ad hoc exhibitions devised by small galleries with no budget or resources to engage in the Brexiteers complex new culture of pointless bureaucracy staffed by a Dads army of volunteers operating on the precautionary principle. No thought has been given to the replacement of the ..£1.46 Billion Creative Europe fund. ................ No thought has been given to maintaining the Erasmus scheme, My son goes to the Anglo European school where dedicated teachers travel to Europe each year with students excited about learning European languages. It’s my son's dream is to study Architecture in Germany. On the morning of the brexit vote he turned to me and said that’s my chance to study in Berlin finished. My MP, my Labour MP, John Cryer voted out when his constituency Leytonstone voted to remain. Politicians need to ask themselves why aren’t they fighting for the rights and pay of European workers, and European nationals, teachers and nurses and yes European creatives and their families and children now based in this country? These people are being left out in the cold. A generation of 50 year old plus politicians who want young people to vote for them should ask themselves are they going to betray British 'millenial' ambition which is overwhelmingly pro European? I think the second referendum is coming and in it 16 and 17year olds must be allowed to vote. Those prerequisites of art I mentioned at the beginning, Peace and Freedom, freedom of movement and ideas are not just the prerequisites of Art but they are the prerequisites of a flourishing society and democracy. They are what Europe has been built on. Life will go on if brexit happens but we are throwing away so much... so much that could help us develop and enable us to be all that we can be. No borders, No barriers. What Unites Human Beings, Ears, Eyes, Toes, Hearts, Hopes, loves is huge and wonderful, what divides human beings is small and mean.

#bobandrobertasmith #art #brexit #jeremy corbyn #theresa_may #European Union #European Union 🇪🇺#votes

0 notes

breaksandbites · 7 years

Text

This was one of the best days of our trip, I have been holding back the urge to jump over and share the detailed happenings of this super adventurous day with you all since so long. This is going to be an extensive post with lots and lots of amazing images from medieval castle to stunning beaches and awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, spectacular (insert all such adjectives here) landscapes with a bonus video and pictures of closer to nature species. So you better bookmark it for later read in case you are in a hurry (just a suggestion). Don’t miss out the video I have attached at the end of post which has some terrific scenes from our day’s escapades.

Dunedin is a treat to the eyes! Also our accommodation was an archaic site from 1860, let me know if you want to have a look around that place as well, I can share the video of it. So this particular day was one ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ (this is an english word, trust me); extraordinarily wonderful to put in simple terms. It was all unplanned and everything was coming as a surprise for us, a pleasant one!

Larnach Castle & Grounds

We set out to visit ‘New Zealand’s ONLY castle‘ called The Larnach Castle which was built in 1871. It was later adopted (read purchased) by the Barker family in 1967, who are now responsible for the restoration and conservation of this beautiful historic site. Sharing the magnificent pictures of the whole property, look out for the captions below each image for more details.

The Castle Panorama

The breathtaking scenic drive towards the castle

we were driving through the clouds

The entry gate of the castle

The castle

castle gardens

This was not a huge palace kinda place but this is what New Zealand’s only castle looks like :)

Entering the castle

The Dining Room

Music Room

This painting I am posing with depicts the castle, Otago Harbour And Heads in 1889

This was the ladies drawing room, here ladies took tea and entertained their friends

This is the library where Mr Larnach held court after dinner, entertaining heads of state and his friends

We posing in the tall mirror which is a part of Master Bedroom

This is the North Bedroom on first floor

This was the only washroom on first floor – No attached bathrooms in the castle mannn

The master bed made of original kauri- on the bed is the warming pan, this was filled with hot coals from fire and used to warm the bed. This was a pretty small room with lights coming in from all directions

This is the wedding dress of Constance (3rd wife of William Larnach)

These were her possessions

Some insights about the fashion of that era

Who doesn’t love nice smells!

Mr Larnach with his wife (not sure which one she is out of the three)

This lady was hung at the ceiling in fashion room, was a little creepy :/

The solid kauri and mahogany Staircase leading all the way up to the nursery floor and tower

The baby room

Some statue in Gun room

Tower room that offers amazing view

The gun owned by William Larnach

some more of his weapons

The fireplace in Gun room

The foyer leading to Ballroom

The Ballroom is now turned into a cafe

The view from tower

The gardens spreading at the left side

The beautiful sights from the top

The gardens that welcome you

This is castle view from main garden

I did a live tour of the baronial house on my Facebook page as well, embedding the session below.

The castle is surrounded by lush green gardens. There is a beautiful, well maintained native plant trail in the gardens area that will surely attract you if you are a nature person. We took a stroll around the gardens and loved the serenely peaceful setting. Check out for yourself.

The picturesque setting <3

Some interesting facts about the castle:

The location of the baronial house was chosen by William Larnach and one of his sons when they went for a horse ride along the top of the Otago Peninsula to choose the best site for their home.

The construction of castle began in 1871; it too 200 men and 3 years to build the castle shell.

Master European craftsmen spent a further 12 years embellishing the interiors.

It is built in Gothic Revival architecture and holds the crown of New Zealand’s only castle.

It was initially built for William Larnach’s beloved first wife Eliza but the possessions of Constance (third wife of Willaim Larnach) are displayed in the boudoir.

Materials from all over the world were used – marble from Italy, slate from Wales, floor tiles from England, glass from Venice and France. Many New Zealand native woods were also used – kauri ceilings, rimu floors and honeysuckle panelling.

William Larnach took his own life in the New Zealand Parliament Buildings in 1898.

50 years have been passed since the restoration and innovation work has begun. And it is still in progress.

The Gardens of castle are home to 17 species of plants that are found nowhere else.

The melodic call you hear as you take a stroll along the gardens is from a native bellbird.

The castle is now one of the top tourist attractions of Dunedin.

After touring the majestic castle and it’s grounds we headed towards an unknown destination. Since, nothing was planned we just drove around the breathtaking peninsula until we arrived at some residential area. We stopped by a grocery store, bought some bottles of milk since it was the only option available for lunch. Yes, there are no petrol pumps on the peninsula as well so go well prepared if you are planning to. We grabbed a map from the salesgirl and decided to check out Allan’s Beach.

Allan’s Beach

It was an isolated beach, literally at the end of road and on top of that there was no proper access to the beach. We crossed some fences of private properties in order to reach the shore and woahh there was a huge fur seal lying in the only passageway to the beach. We tried to bypass Mr. or Mrs. Seal by attempting to go through the long bushes but it was too difficult to manage E in one hand and keep an eye on the seal from the corners while crossing those wilderness. We gave up the idea and waited for sometime in hopes that the lazy creature will go towards the sea on its own but it didn’t. So we turned back and left the place without even touching the waves :( . The beach must be bee-you-tea-full mannn, I can tell that from the limited views we got to witness during that encounter. Have a look at the pictures and decide for yourself :)

The beach and fur seal, amazing view

It moved a little but the path remained blocked

Otago peninsula’s views

Check out this lazy bum, it was hugeee

in love with this sight <3

The fence we crossed, it was a private property.

Royal Albatross Centre & Reserve

We then turned the car and moved towards Pilots Beach, another end of the peninsula where the subject centre is located. I didn’t know that Albatross is the name of a bird until we entered the place.

Upon enquiring we got to know that they have built this reserve to protect the endangered Royal Albatross colony. They conduct tours to the colony where you can see the eggs, babies, male and female albatrosses. We were also told that you can catch albatrosses soaring in the sky from outside but only if the wind is blowing at its top knots. It was not too windy outside when we entered the reserve but still we were not quite interested in spending money on a birds’ tour. So we decided against it.

Small penguins also emerge there at the beach around sunset but we were not keen about those as well since we already had experienced that earlier at Philip island in Australia. We enjoyed a cup of coffee at the cafe and resolved to take a walk along the sea shore before heading back towards Dunedin.

My battery charger!

The centre from inside

Peek-a-boo

The average wingspan of royal albatross is about 2.9 – 3.3 m :o

They were offering tours of this disappearing gun too, we were least interested in it… lol

As we stepped out of the reserve, the wind was blowing very fast to our utter astonishment. As a result of which we were able to observe Albatrosses flying high in the sky. It was a treat to spot them, every other bird was getting unstable in their flight but the albatrosses were kissing the sky like a boss!

The part of beach where albatrosses were flying, we spotted some lazy fur seals at the rocks too.

That’s an albatross flying like a boss!

This is a picture of ‘picture of Albatross’ :p

From here we proceeded towards the basin of beach with the thoughts that we’ll just take a quick walk and will then drive back to the city. But we spent more than an hour in that section, you know why? We encountered some more lazy bums i.e. fur seals relaxing and napping over the rocks as soon as we walked down the stairs. And that was not it, we saw 2 fur seals fighting with each other as we advanced a little more. That was a sight to see, the day was going super awesome until now and their combat made it more adventurous and enthralling. Ahhmazzing experience! :D Check out the pictures below and video at the end to catch some of the glimpses of that deadly war ;)

The Fight!

Stairs leading towards the beach

A lazy seal relaxing

Pilot’s beach

Such an awesome sight :)

I made HI run towards the car to bring my power bank so that I could conduct a live session of the crazy atmosphere. Attaching the session below:

Finally we got settled in the car and progressed towards city centre with smiles on our faces. E also had a great time spotting and watching those seals. We had zero expectations from the day’s excursions but everything we came across was just purrfect. It was one of those days when every piece of puzzle falls in its place on it’s own!

But the day can’t end without having food, right? We were starving by the time we entered the city. We initially thought to try the shawarma from the same place we had turkish tea the day before and while searching for the cafe we bumped into this Indian restaurant named Little India, located inside the Octagon which serve halal food. Our day was made, What else can we ask for! The scrumptious desi style food was the perfect ending to our super awesome day.

Just look at this killer biryani and that soft fluffy naan <3

And this is the video I have made out of the so-less video clips we recorded during the day. Watch in 4K or HD.

This was it about our lovely kinda sensational day. Behold! this is just the beginning, the upcoming couple of days are of the same nature. We were bowled out by the beauty of New Zealand totally. So watch out for more interesting posts from this beautiful part of the world as we set out to explore some more hidden gems in this ‘Trip of Lifetime’ series.

Stay tuned! :)

Outstanding Otago Peninsula – Trip of Lifetime Day 13 This was one of the best days of our trip, I have been holding back the urge to jump over and share the detailed happenings of this super adventurous day with you all since so long.

0 notes