La Fabbrica

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Restaurant “La Fabbrica” (The Factory)
Rue de l'Etoile / rue de Montenotte
Quartier des Ternes, 17th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Graves of the Glossatori

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Graves of the Glossatori
Piazza Malpighi
Bologna, April 2015

“Although these are essentially glorified gravestones, the Glossatori Tombs are nevertheless really very special, with a unique charm quite unexpected. Adorning the graves of important Italian lawyers, teachers and scholars, the tombs are spread around no less than five different mausoleums in the city. Dating back to the latter part of the 13th century, these monuments generally comprise a grandiose shrine with graceful marble columns, topped by a tiled roof in the shape of a pyramid.” (Bologna Landmarks and Monuments, Wold Guides)

Cat on a Barge

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Cat on a barge, Little Venice Lagoon
Regent's Canal
London, September 2016

“Little Venice is a scenic and affluent part of London, known for its canals and moored boats. Much of the property in the area consists of Regency-style white painted stucco terraced town houses and mansions. Little Venice surrounds the convergence of three waterways: the Grand Union Canal and the Regent's Canal, and Paddington Basin which meet in a large, picturesque pool, Browning's Pool (usually called by residents ‘Little Venice Lagoon’ or ‘the Lagoon’), which forms the focus of the area. Little Venice is also a ward of the City of Westminster. The population at the 2011 Census was 10,633.” (Little Venice, London, Wikipedia)

Ninotchka

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Ninotchka graffiti shop, tattoo supplies
Via de' Pandolfini
Florence, January 2017

Cascada

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Cascada (Waterfall) by Josep Fontserè i Mestre, 1888
Parc de la Ciutadella (Citadel Park)
Barcelona, March 2017

“The Cascada (waterfall or cascade in Spanish) is located at the northern corner of the park opposite to the lake. It was first inaugurated in 1881 without sculptures or any meticulous details, and was thereby criticized by the press, after which this triumphal arch was thoroughly amended by the addition of a fountain and some minor attributes, which required six years of construction from 1882 to 1888, and was thenceforth put on display at the Universal Exhibition, and hitherto not been redesigned. It was erected by Josep Fontsére and to a small extent by Antoni Gaudí, who at that time was still an unknown student of architecture. Fontsére aimed to loosely make it bear resemblance to the Trevi Fountain of Rome. Two enormous pincers of gigantic crabs serve as stairs to access a small podium located in the centre of the monument. In front of it a sculpture (designed by Venanci Vallmitjana) of Venus standing on an open clam was placed. The whole cascade is divided in two levels. From the podium on a path leads to the Feminine Sculpture and to the northeastern corner of the park, and upon following the route down the stairs the fountain's pond is rounded and the southern tip of the artifact is reached.” (Parc de la Ciutadella, Wikipedia)

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

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Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Campo dei Frari, San Polo
Venice, September 2013

“The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, usually just called the Frari, is a church in Venice, northern Italy. One of the greatest churches in the city, it has the status of a minor basilica. It stands on the Campo dei Frari at the heart of the San Polo district. The church is dedicated to the Assumption. The Franciscans were granted land to build a church in 1250, but the building was not completed until 1338. Work almost immediately began on its much larger replacement, the current church, which took over a century to build. The campanile, the second tallest in the city after that of San Marco, was completed in 1396. The imposing edifice is built of brick, and is one of the city's three notable churches built in the Italian Gothic style. As with many Venetian churches, the exterior is rather plain. The interior contains the only rood screen still in place in Venice. The Frari is a parish church of the Vicariate of San Polo-Santa Croce-Dorsoduro. The other churches of the parish are San Barnaba, San Ludovico Vescovo, Santa Maria del Soccorso and Santa Margherita.” (Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Wikipedia)

Ilona

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The 242 ft yacht “Ilona”, built by Amels in 2004
West India Dock, Isle of Dogs
London, September 2016

“The 73.81 metres (or 242 ft) long custom built yacht was launched by Amels in the Netherlands in 2004 and she has also refitted in 2006, and 2012. She is classed as one of the world’s top 100 largest private yachts and has the unusual feature of a helipad, when she was built the helicopter could be stowed in a hangar below deck. In the latest refit, the helicopter garage was replaced by a large 10m by 3m swimming pool. Estimated to have cost 100 million dollars, the Super Yacht Ilona is owned by one of Australia’s richest men, businessman Frank Lowy who made much of his fortune developing shopping centres with the Westfield Group. Lowy has also been one of the main individuals responsible for developing professional football in Australia in the last decade. Unusually for a Super Yacht owner, Lowy and his family have used the yacht to travel extensively around the world and the boat is the fourth yacht called Ilona which has been built and launched for the owner.” (Super Yacht Ilona arrives in West India Dock, Isle of Dogs Life)

Eve

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Copy of “Eve” by Lot Torelli, 1886
Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower
Piazza del Duomo
Florence, May 2017

El Cap de Barcelona

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El Cap de Barcelona” (The Head) by Roy Lichtenstein
Passeig de Colom
Barcelona, March 2017

“The Head of Barcelona, or El Cap de Barcelona in Catalan, is a 64-foot sculpture done by American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The sculpture stands tall on the waterfront in the heart of the city. Made out of concrete and ceramic, it is an abstract rendition of a woman's head and appears exactly how one would expect a Lichtenstein sculpture to be. Lichtenstein did not start experimenting with three-dimensional art until the late 1970s, and prior to this his main focus was on pop art. He mainly painted on large canvases and his paintings resembled comic-strip art; his signature use of bold primary colors, thick dark lines, thought bubbles containing context and sound effects, and dots used as a method of shading, can be seen in most of his works from 1961 and later, starting with his painting Look Mickey.” (El Cap de Barcelona, Wikipedia)

Piccolo Teatro

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Piccolo Teatro della Città di Milano (Little Theatre of the City of Milan)
Teatro Grassi, Via Rovello
Milan, November 2016

“The Piccolo Teatro della Città di Milano is a theatre in Milan, Italy. Founded in 1947, it is Italy's first permanent theatre, and a national ‘teatro stabile’, or permanent repertory company, and is considered a theatre of major national and European importance. The theatre has three venues: Teatro Grassi, in Via Rovello, between Sforza Castle and the Piazza del Duomo; Teatro Studio, which was originally intended to be the theater's rehearsal hall; and Teatro Strehler, which opened in 1998 with a seating capacity of 974. Its annual programme consists of approximately thirty performances. In addition, the venue hosts cultural events, from festivals and films, to concerts, conferences, and conventions, as well as supporting the Paolo Grassi Drama School.” (Piccolo Teatro, Wikipedia)

Paternoster Vents

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“Paternoster Vents” (or “Angel's Wings”) by Thomas Heatherwick, 2002
Paternoster Square, City of London
London, September 2016

“Paternoster Square is part of a development in a high-profile, sensitive location, next to St Paul’s Cathedral in London. It is a new public space containing a pre-existing underground electricity substation. This substation required a cooling system with outlet and inlet vents, but the client team was unhappy with the proposed solution for a single large object as it would turn the surrounding space into a corridor. The studio made use of the two existing holes in the concrete slab covering the substation, to reduce the overall size of the vent object by splitting the outlet part into two smaller vents – saving significant space by setting the inlet ducts into the ground using grilles flush with the pavement. The aesthetic design is derived from experiments with folded paper, scaled up to 11m in height; the vents retain the proportions of the A4-size paper used in these experiments. The Vents are fabricated from 63 identical, 8mm thick, stainless steel isosceles triangles welded together and finished by glass bead blasting. The Vents are a permanent installation, available for the public to visit.” (Paternoster Vents, Heatherwick studio)

Palazzo Corsini al Prato

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Palazzo Corsini al Prato by Bernardo Buontalenti, 1594
Via il Prato
Florence, April 2017

“Palazzo Corsini al Prato was created by Renaissance architect Bernardo Buontalenti in 1594, who amongst his many great works, is said, not unimportantly, to have invented Italian gelato. The building was commissioned by an aristocrat with a passion for botany who wished to have a villa in the city centre, surrounded by a large park. (Well, who doesn’t?) A few years later, however, construction had to be interrupted due to the aristocrat’s financial difficulties. It was only continued in 1620 when the Corsini family bought the property. Filippo Corsini had Gherardo Silvani create an Italian garden, adorned with statues that can still be found today. Skillfully done, the difference in height between the statues creates an effect that makes the garden look even bigger than it really is.” (Hidden from view, The Florentine)

Tristan Bernard

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Bust of Tristan Bernard by Josette Hébert-Coëffin
Place Tristan-Bernard
Quartier des Ternes, 17th arrondissement
Paris, July 2012

“Born Paul Bernard into a Jewish family in Besançon, Doubs, Franche-Comté, France, he was the son of an architect. He left Besançon at the age of 14 years, relocating with his father to Paris, where he studied at the Lycée Condorcet, which was noted for its numerous literary alumni. In 1888 was born his son Jean-Jacques Bernard, also a dramatist. He studied law, but after his military service he started his career as the manager of an aluminium smelter. In the 1890s he also managed the Vélodrome de la Seine at Levallois-Perret and the Vélodrome Buffalo, whose events were an integral part of Parisian life, being regularly attended by personalities such as Toulouse-Lautrec.[1] He reputedly introduced the bell to signify the last lap of a race. After his first publication in La Revue Blanche in 1891, he became increasingly a writer and adopted the pseudonym Tristan. His first play, Les Pieds Nickelés (Nickel-plated Feet), was a great success and was representative of the style of his later work (generally humorous).[citation needed] He became known especially for his writing for vaudeville-type performances, which were very popular in France during that time. He also wrote several novels and some poetry. Bernard is remembered mainly for witticisms, particularly from his play Les Jumeaux de Brighton (The Brighton Twins). In 1932, he was a candidate for the Académie Française, but was not elected, receiving only 2 votes of a total of 39.” (Tristan Bernard, Wikipedia)

Cloister of St Andrew

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Chiostro di Sant'Andrea (Cloister of St Andrew)
Vico Dritto di Ponticello
Genoa, April 2016

London Aquatics Centre

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London Aquatics Centre by Zaha Hadid, 2011
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
London, September 2016

“It was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid in 2004 before London won the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The centre was built alongside the Water Polo Arena, and opposite the Olympic Stadium on the opposite bank of the Waterworks River. The site is 45 metres (148 feet) high, 160 metres (520 feet) long and 80 metres (260 feet) wide. The wave-like roof is stated to be 11,200 square feet (1,040 m2), a reduction from the previously stated 35,000 square feet (3,300 m2). The design was inspired by the Dollan Aqua Centre in East Kilbride, Scotland.” (London Aquatics Centre, Wikipedia)

Two Brothers

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Wire mesh sculpture by Mattia Trotta, 2011
Villa Fabbricotti
Via Vittorio Emanuele II
Florence, April 2017

“Italian sculptor Mattia Trotta creates amazing sculptures from wire meshes, which at first glance, I mistook to be that by Ivan Lovatt who works with almost the same materials. While Ivan Lovatt creates sculptures from chicken wire, Mattia Trotta uses steel. Both artist also employ different techniques. Trotta starts from a skeleton of steel wrapped around with wire. One by one, these wires are tangled and compacted to fill the casing. As a skilled tailor who, with needle and thread, sew a dress that fits perfectly on the body, Mattia Trotta with iron creates a kind of dress that can give fullness and thickness to thought and emotion, as he himself says: ‘Every wire and twist is given a reason to exist.’ Brought to completion the iron figure undergoes further treatment with acid to prevent corrosion and to extract the natural shades and colors of the wires.” (Iron Wire Sculptures by Mattia Trotta, Amusing Planet)

Tower of Apostle Thomas

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Tower of Apostle Thomas
Passion Façade, Sagrada Família
Carrer de Sardenya
Barcelona, March 2017

“Gaudí's original design calls for a total of eighteen spires, representing in ascending order of height the Twelve Apostles, the Virgin Mary, the four Evangelists and, tallest of all, Jesus Christ. Eight spires have been built as of 2010, corresponding to four apostles at the Nativity façade and four apostles at the Passion façade. According to the 2005 ‘Works Report’ of the project's official website, drawings signed by Gaudí and recently found in the Municipal Archives, indicate that the spire of the Virgin was in fact intended by Gaudí to be shorter than those of the evangelists. The spire height will follow Gaudí's intention, which according to the report will work with the existing foundation. The Evangelists' spires will be surmounted by sculptures of their traditional symbols: a winged bull (Saint Luke), a winged man (Saint Matthew), an eagle (Saint John), and a winged lion (Saint Mark). The central spire of Jesus Christ is to be surmounted by a giant cross; its total height (170 metres (560 ft)) will be one metre less than that of Montjuïc hill in Barcelona as Gaudí believed that his creation should not surpass God's. The lower spires are surmounted by communion hosts with sheaves of wheat and chalices with bunches of grapes, representing the Eucharist. The completion of the spires will make Sagrada Família the tallest church building in the world.” (Sagrada Família, Wikipedia)

Palazzo Re Enzo

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Palazzo Re Enzo
Piazza del Nettuno
Bologna, June 2015

“Palazzo Re Enzo is a palace in Bologna, northern Italy. It takes its name from Enzio of Sardinia, Frederick II's son, who was prisoner here from 1249 until his death in 1272. The palace was built between 1244-1246 as an extension of the nearby Palazzo del Podestà, which had proven insufficient for the exigences of the Commune of Bologna. It was therefore initially known as Palatium Novum (‘New Palace’). Three years after the palace completion, Enzio was captured by the Guelphs at the Battle of Fossalta, and after a short stay in Anzola he was moved here, where he remained until his death. In 1386 Antonio di Vincenzo finished the Sala dei Trecento ("Hall of the Three-Hundred"), which was to become the city's archive. The last floor was largely renovated in 1771 by Giovanni Giacomo Dotti. The current Gothic appearance dates from the restoration of 1905 due to Alfonso Rubbiani. On the right of the palace is the access to the chapel of Santa Maria dei Carcerati, where the condemned to death went to. In the first floor was held the Carroccio and the war machines, while in the middle floor were the offices of the praetor and the chapel.” (Palazzo Re Enzo, Wikipedia)

Borough Market Hall

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Market Hall by DLA Architects, 2013
Bedale Street / Borough High Street
Borough Market, Southwark
London, September 2016

“DLA have transformed a pocket of Southwark into a new city garden and gathering space for Borough Market through the refurbishment of The Market Hall. Borough Market was established in 1754 and is London's oldest food Market. With its roots based firmly in the local community, an Act of Parliament stated that Borough Market should remain ''an estate for the use and benefit of the local community forever''. The Market Hall strengthens this Act by promoting food education and sustainability, whilst engaging the local community. DLA have helped the Trustees of Borough Market achieve this through the development of the brief and a series of distinctive architectural interventions including a vertical herb garden, scented planter seating, a mobile olive orchard, hop planters, a demonstration kitchen and a CNC engineered timber cladding design which represents the Market through the four seasons. Located opposite London Bridge Station and the Shard, the Market Hall is a piece of urban design which for the first time in the Market's rich history stiches together the existing Market and Borough High Street, whilst providing a frontage where Market activities will be visible and education events promoted. Locals and visitors to Borough Market will now be greeted with an ever changing calendar of events and activities throughout the day and year. The flexible community hall will function as a public square, garden, education space and dining room.” (The Market Hall, Architecture.com)

Goldrake

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Goldrake (Grendizer) at a window
Borgo degli Albizi
Florence, January 2016

Gambrinus

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“La Gamba” or “Gambrinus” by Javier Mariscal and Alfredo Arribas, 1989
Passeig de Colom
Barcelona, March 2017

“Gambrinus is probably the happiest lobster in Barcelona and one of the stars of Barcelona’s public art. He waits at the end of Passeig de Colom with big pinching claws and a cheeky smile ready to welcome you to the seafront. This huge cartoon-like lobster was, like most of the urban art in Port Olympic, commissioned for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Gambrinus was created by the Valencia-born artist Javier Mariscal, dubbed “the Peter Pan of Spanish design”. He first won the adoration of the public in 1988 with his design of “Cobi,” the official Olympic mascot for the Games in 1992, creating its corporate identity with this friendly dog mascot. Gambrinus is clever, edgy, and humorous. Below it there was once a Gambrinus café bar, and whilst the café has now closed the lovable lobster remains.” (Gambrinus by Javier Mariscal, AB Apartment Barcelona Guide)

Tartuca

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Tartuca (Tortoise) fountain by Bruno Buracchini, 1951
Via San Pietro
Siena, April 2017

“The first Siena contrada to commission its own unique fountain was Tartuca (tortoise). Sculptor Vico Consorti was engaged by the contrada to make a bronze turtle, but the original sculpture lacked animation and did not satisfy the contrada committee. The replacement, as recast by artist Bruno Buracchini, depicts a child astride a tortoise in motion. Tartuca’s fountain was inaugurated in 1951, but due to the recasting and delays it was not the first but the second put into use. Tartuca’s patron, St. Anthony of Padua, is celebrated on June 13. The Tartuca contrada is in the southeast part of Siena, between the Pinacoteca and Porta Tufi, in Terzo di Città. Their fountain occupies a niche in a wall on Via San Pietro.” (Siena's Contrada Fountains, La Bella Vita in Italia)

Heroic Self Sacrifice

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Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice
Postman's Park, City of London
London, September 2016

“The painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts and his second wife Mary Fraser Tytler had long been advocates of the idea of art as a force for social change. Watts had painted a series of portraits of those figures he considered to be a positive social influence, the ‘Hall of Fame’, which was donated to the National Portrait Gallery. As the son of a piano maker, who reportedly despised the wealthy and powerful and twice refused a baronetcy, Watts had long considered a national monument to the bravery of ordinary people. In August 1866, he suggested to his patron Charles Rickards that he "erect a great statue to Unknown Worth", and proposed erecting a colossal bronze figure. Unable to secure funds, the memorial remained unrealised. On 5 September 1887, a letter was published in The Times from Watts, proposing a scheme to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Entitled ‘Another Jubilee Suggestion’, Watts proposed to ‘collect a complete record of the stories of heroism in every-day life’. Watts cited the case of Alice Ayres, a servant who, trapped in a burning house, gave up the chance to jump to safety, instead first throwing a mattress out of the window to cushion the fall, before running back into the house three times to fetch her employer's children and throwing them out of a window onto the mattress to safety before herself being overcome by fumes and falling out of the window to her death.” (The Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice, Wikipedia)

External links: List of tablets on the Memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice

Tepidarium

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Tepidarium by Giacomo Roster, 1878
Giardino dell'Orticultura (Horticultural Garden)
Via Bolognese
Florence, April 2017

“In 1880, the Italian Horticultural Federation chose the Horticultural Garden of Florence as the venue for the First National Exhibition. For the occasion, the Tuscan Horticultural Society sponsored the construction of a large tepidarium capable of sheltering the plants from subtropical and temperate climates. This is without a doubt the garden’s most spectacular structure. Realised by the Officine Michelucci of Pistoia on a project by architect Giacomo Roster, the work constituted an extraordinary example of architecture in iron and glass that was emerging on the national panorama. The daring building with its metal structure supported by 24 cast-iron columns is situated more or less on the spot where the ‘Chinese Pavilion’ had stood only a few years before. The tepidarium stimulated the interest for botanical research and experimentation in greenhouse cultivating.” (Horticultural Garden, Scientific Itineraries in Tuscany)

An Iron Church

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Interior of the church of Notre-Dame-du-Travail by Jules-Godefroy Astruc, 1902
Rue Vercingétorix
Quartier de Plaisance, 14th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Victor Emmanuel II of Italy

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Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II by Ercole Rosa, 1896
Piazza del Duomo
Milan, November 2016

Central Avenue

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Central Avenue, Battersea Park
London Borough of Wandsworth
London, September 2016

Saccomazzone Players

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“Giocatori del saccomazzone” (Saccomazzone Players), by Romolo del Tadda, 1780
Giardino di Boboli (Boboli Gardens)
Florence, January 2017

“This statue depicts two blindfolded youth, one crouching low behind the other figure who raises a sling. In 17th century Italian courtly life the Gioco del Saccomazzone was a game played during the interludes of rustic dances. It involved two blindfolded men attempting to hit each other with a knotted cloth without lifting their left hands from an object in the middle of the room, while also shrieking imitations of bird cries. Orazio Mochi (1571-1625) originally conceived this comical composition in around 1620, and the small witty bronze of Saccomazzone Players was later enlarged to life-size pietra serena group for the Boboli Gardens by the sculptor Romolo Ferrucci del Tadda (c. 1550-1621).” (Saccomazzone Players, Web Gallery of Art)

Torre Agbar

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Torre Agbar by Jean Nouvel and Fermín Vázquez, 2004
Avinguda Diagonal
Barcelona, March 2017

“The Torre Agbar is a 38-story skyscraper/tower located between Avinguda Diagonal and Carrer Badajoz, near Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, which marks the gateway to the new technological district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel in association with the Spanish firm b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos and built by Dragados. The Torre Agbar is located in the Poblenou neighbourhood of Barcelona and is named after its owners, the Agbar Group, a holding company whose interests include the Barcelona water company Aigües de Barcelona.” (Torre Agbar, Wikipedia)

Piazzale Mandraccio

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Piazzale Mandraccio / Calata Mandraccio
Porto Antico (Old Port)
Genoa, April 2016

“Unquestionable town square, surrounded by history, cultural attractions, museums and views of nature; Piazzale Mandraccio is a large area overlooking the sea extending from its pedestrian gateway to Porta Siberia. Flanked by trees and rows of towering palm trees, it’s a gathering place for both tourists and residents. Extensively visited all year round, crowded on weekends and during the long summer months, Piazzale Mandraccio with its sea side benches facing the sea and children play areas guarantees moments of leisure and relaxation.” (Piazzale Mandraccio, Porto Antico di Genova)

Pain de Mie

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“Pain de Mie”, More than a Sandwich
New Oxford Street, Holborn
London, September 2016

“Pain de mie is a type of soft, white bread, mostly sold sliced and packaged. ‘Pain’ in French means ‘bread’, and ‘la mie’ refers to the soft part of bread, called the crumb. In English, pain de mie is most similar to pullman loaf or regular sandwich bread. This bread usually has sugar in it, which makes it sweeter than most French breads. This bread is usually used for making sandwiches or for toasting. It can be baked in a sealed pan, which prevents crust from forming. If not baked in a sealed pan, the crust can be cut off (as done in factories before packaging). Pain de mie is sold in rounded or rectangular shapes.” (Pain de mie, Wikipedia)