Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Plaza del Potro

Triunfo de San Rafael by Michel de Verdiguier, Plaza del Potro, Córdoba

Triunfo de San Rafael by Michel de Verdiguier, 1768
Plaza del Potro
Córdoba, September 2022

“Since 1924, the other end of the square has a monument dedicated to the Triumph of the archangel Raphael. Among the buildings overlooking the square is the famous Posada del Potro, mentioned by Cervantes in Don Quixote, in addition to the city's Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum Julio Romero de Torres.” (Plaza del Potro, Wikipedia)

Monday, October 30, 2023

Santa Chiara

Church of Santa Chiara, Piazza del Carmine, Massa

Church of Santa Chiara
Piazza del Carmine
Massa, April 2022

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Ravensbourne College

Ravensbourne University by Foreign Office Architects, Penrose Way, Greenwich Peninsula, London

Ravensbourne University by Foreign Office Architects, 2010
Penrose Way, Greenwich Peninsula
London, May 2023

“Inspired by Gothic rose windows and flower patterns the façade of the building uses a non-periodic tiling system in which seven types of windows have been created from three different tiles. The building is structured around a system of two interconnected atria with each piercing through three levels of program. The atria are attached to the external façade where they are used as ventilation devices as well as to connect the core of the spaces inside the building with its urban surroundings. To achieve good environmental performance, low maintenance and high flexibility the massing is kept as compact as possible. The deep building is able to provide space for the various activities that take place within. The building has received a rating of BREEAM excellent.” (Ravensbourne College, AJ Buildings Library)

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Scuola Normale Superiore

Scuola Normale Superiore, Center for Nanotechnology Innovation, Piazza San Silvestro, Pisa

Scuola Normale Superiore
Center for Nanotechnology Innovation
Piazza San Silvestro
Pisa, June 2022

“The Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa (commonly known in Italy as la Normale) is a public university in Pisa and Florence, Tuscany, Italy, currently attended by about 600 undergraduate and postgraduate (PhD) students. It was founded in 1810 with a decree by Napoleon as a branch of the École normale supérieure in Paris, with the aim of training the teachers of the Empire to educate its citizens. In 2013 the Florentine site was added to the historical site in Pisa, following the inclusion of the Institute of Human Sciences in Florence (SUM). Since 2018 the Scuola Normale Superiore has been federated with the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa and with the Institute for Advanced Studies of Pavia, the only other two university institutions with special status that, in the Italian panorama, offer, in accordance with standards of excellence, both undergraduate and postgraduate educational activities.” (Scuola Normale Superiore, Wikipedia)

Friday, October 27, 2023

Pabellón de Portugal

Pabellón de Portugal (Pavilion of Portugal) by Manuel Graça Dias & Egas José Vieira, now Agencia Andaluza de la Energía, Calle Isaac Newton, Isla de la Cartuja, Sevilla

Pabellón de Portugal (Pavilion of Portugal) by Manuel Graça Dias & Egas José Vieira
(now Agencia Andaluza de la Energía)
Calle Isaac Newton
Isla de la Cartuja
Sevilla, September 2022

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Bella ciao

Bella ciao by Pietro Cascella, Piazza Felice Palma, Massa

“Bella ciao” by Pietro Cascella, 1979
Piazza Felice Palma
Massa, April 2022

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Blue Moon

Blue Moon by Joe Rush, Vinegar Yard, St Thomas Street, London

“Blue Moon” by Joe Rush, 2019
Vinegar Yard, St Thomas Street
London, May 2023

“Located right next to London Bridge Station, Vinegar Yard is an eclectic mix of drinks, food, flea market, and art. In summer, socialise in the sun in our huge outside venue; in winter, we go undercover with huge tents and some outdoor heating, or book a table in one of our two indoor bars. Alongside our extensive drinks menu, our food traders offer a great choice for every taste, daily. The infamous flea market operates on weekends, and art from Joe Rush can be seen throughout the venue.” (Vinegar Yard)

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

The stick

Lo stecco usato per rumare il colore è già pittura by Gianfranco Pacini (The stick used to mix the color is already painting), Piazza delle Gondole, Pisa

“Lo stecco usato per rumare il colore è già pittura” by Gianfranco Pacini
(The stick used to mix the color is already painting)
Piazza delle Gondole
Pisa, June 2022

Monday, October 23, 2023

Satyricon I

Satyricon I by Reuben Nakian, Calouste Gulbenkian Garden, Avenida de Berna, Lisbon

“Satyricon I” by Reuben Nakian, 1981
Calouste Gulbenkian Garden
Avenida de Berna
Lisbon, April 2019

“Reuben Nakian (August 10, 1897, College Point, New York – December 4, 1986, Stamford, Connecticut) was an American sculptor and teacher of Armenian extraction. His works' recurring themes are from Greek and Roman mythology. Noted works include Leda and the Swan, The Rape of Lucrece, Hecuba, and The Birth of Venus. He was also commissioned to create portraits of Roosevelt's cabinet in the 1930s.” (Reuben Nakian, Wikipedia)

Sunday, October 22, 2023

L'Apuano

L'Apuano (The Apuano) by Henri Beaufour, Largo Matteotti, Massa

“L'Apuano” (The Apuano) by Henri Beaufour
Largo Matteotti
Massa, April 2022

“The Apuani were one of the most formidable and powerful of the Ligurian tribes who lived in ancient north-western Italy, mentioned repeatedly by Livy. From the circumstances related by him, it appears that they were the most easterly of the Ligurian tribes, who inhabited the lofty group of mountains bordering on Etruria, and appear to have occupied the valleys of the Macra (modern Magra) and Ausar (modern Serchio). Although they extended eastwards along the chain of the Apennines to the frontiers of the Arretines and the territory of Mutina (modern Modena) and Bononia (modern Bologna), the upper valley of the Macra about Pontremoli, including the area later known as Lunigiana where the Tuscan towns of Aulla, Fivizzano, Fosdinovo, Villfranca and Pontremoli are now found, and the adjoining Upper Garfagnana and Ligurian districts of Sarzana and La Spezia were their center.” (Apuani, Wikipedia)

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Opening the Lock Gate


“Opening the Lock Gate” by Ian Rank-Broadley, 2020
City Road, Islington
London, May 2023

“Walked along City Road recently? The road is unrecognisable from its appearance a decade ago. A half-dozen recent skyscrapers have transformed the skyline. One of them — the tallest, it seems — is 250 City Road, a Norman Foster-designed residential tower for Berkeley group, about half-way along on the south side of the road. Most huge developments come with a sculpture or two these days, and 250 is no exception. The debut piece is by Ian Rank-Broadley. It's known as ‘Opening the Lockgate’, and depicts an attempt at just that. Why canal workers? Well, across the road, behind another pair of towers, is the City Road Basin, once an important hub of the Regent's Canal. The sculpture is both geographically and temporally fitting, since the canal reaches its 200th birthday this year.” (New Sculpture Celebrates Heritage of the Regent's Canal, Londonist)

Friday, October 20, 2023

Fountain of the Gondole

Fountain, Piazza delle Gondole, Pisa

Fountain, 1620ca
Piazza delle Gondole
Pisa, June 2022

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Plaza de Toros de Valencia

Plaça de bous de València (Plaza de Toros de Valencia), Calle de Xàtiva, Valencia

Plaça de bous de València (Plaza de Toros de Valencia)
Calle de Xàtiva
Valencia, September 2022

“Plaza de Toros de Valencia, officially Plaça de bous de València, is a bullring in València, Spain. It was built between 1850 and 1859 in the neoclassical style, inspired by civil Roman architecture such as the Colosseum in Rome or the Arena of Nîmes (France). It was built by the Valencian architect Sebastián Monleón Estellés. Its structure is formed by a 48-sided polygon, with 384 external arches. It follows the so-called Neo-Mudéjar style. When constructed the bullfighting arena was outside the city walls near the Ruzafa Gate. The architect designed the 17.50 meter-high building with 48 sides. Originally the bullring had an inside diameter of 52 meters, which was later reduced. It is an early example of a building that used cast iron columns that provide remarkable transparency in the boxes. Plaza de Toros is one of the more beautiful bullrings in Spain, with an outside diameter of 108 meters and a capacity of 16,851 seated spectators (also reduced to 12,884 seats later on). These dimensions make it one of the largest bullrings in Spain. As reflected in the media at that time. It was inaugurated on June 20, 1859.” (Plaza de Toros de Valencia, Wikipedia)

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Orange trees

Orange trees, Piazza Aranci (Oranges Square), Massa

Orange trees
Piazza Aranci (Oranges Square)
Massa, April 2022

“Piazza Aranci in Massa is named after the double row of orange trees, which were planted in the early nineteenth century after the hotly debated demolition of the Church of San Pietro ordered by the Countess Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon's niece. In the beginning, sweet citrus trees were selected and strict laws were in place to ensure that tourists and passersby didn’t pick the fruit, which were given instead to charities. Over time, less appetizing bitter citruses were planted, proving hardier in the winter. Giacomo Leopardi and Giosué Carducci were equally entranced by these trees, mentioning them in letters after having visited the square.” (Piazza Aranci and Palazzo Ducale, Visit Tuscany)

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Love Is the Running Towards

Love Is the Running Towards, Shoreditch Fire Station, Old Street, London

“Love Is the Running Towards”, 2022
Shoreditch Fire Station
Old Street
London, May 2023

“The Running Towards celebrates London Fire Brigade's new typeface and design history. Expect gallant graphics & nostalgic musings from eminent British creative studios with bold typography inspired by the new Fire Brigade sans typeface & an exclusive one day only vintage fire engine display on 24 September. Bravery is not an absence of fear, but an embracing of it. When faced with fear, the brave do not turn away and run, they run towards despite. The Running Towards, an ode to the acts of heroism of the emergency services, is an exhibition which celebrates London Fire Brigade’s new typeface and design history.” (The Running Towards exhibition at Shoreditch Fire Station, London Design Festival)

Monday, October 16, 2023

Piazza D’Ancona

Fountain, Piazza D'Ancona, Pisa

Fountain
Piazza D'Ancona
Pisa, June 2022

Sunday, October 15, 2023

Ayuntamiento de Toledo

Ayuntamiento de Toledo (Toledo City Hall), Plaza Consistorio, Toledo

Ayuntamiento de Toledo (Toledo City Hall)
Plaza Consistorio
Toledo, September 2022

“Located on modest Town Hall Square (Plaza del Ayuntamiento), the Toledo City Hall construction began in 1575. It was not completed until 1703. Several talented architects and artists contributed to its creation over the years. Alonso de Covarrubias, Nicolas de Vergara, Elder and Younger, Juan de Herrera, Teodoro Ardemans, and El Greco's son, Jorge, all had a hand. The outstanding feature of the Hall is its Spanish Baroque, Herrerian-style facade bracketed by turrets with spires. Its basic design was made by architect Juan Herrera in 1575. Any severity in the main exterior is his work. Nicolas Vergara (the Elder) and Juan Bautista Monegro did the first floor. Jorge Manuel Theotocópuli, son of El Greco, finished the upper floor. The Hall shares space on Town Hall Square with the Cathedral of Toledo, the largest Gothic cathedral in Spain. Another neighbor is the Archbishop's Palace. The 25-member City Council and the Toledo Tourist Information Office are located in the City Hall. The ground floor fills the whole block. It has a central courtyard surrounded by rooms. The main entrance opens to a large reception hall with a Baroque staircase. The upper part of the facade holds a Herrerian-style footbridge (pasadero) with a balustrade. On the third floor is a balcony with gratings and large rectangular windows.” (Ayuntamiento de Toledo, GPSmyCity)

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Obelisk and fountain

Obelisk and fountain, Four lions by Giovanni Isola, Piazza Aranci, Massa

Obelisk and fountain, 1853
Four lions by Giovanni Isola, 1870
Piazza Aranci
Massa, April 2022

Friday, October 13, 2023

American Carwash

Car park above the American Carwash, Archway Road, Shoreditch, London

Car park above the American Carwash
Archway Road, Shoreditch
London, May 2023

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Stickers

Stickers, Via Fedeli, Pisa

Stickers
Via Fedeli
Pisa, June 2022

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Templo de Debod

Templo de Debod (Temple of Debod), Parque de la Montaña, Calle de Irún, Madrid

Templo de Debod (Temple of Debod)
Parque de la Montaña
Calle de Irún
Madrid, September 2022

“The Temple of Debod (Templo de Debod) is an ancient Egyptian temple that was dismantled as part of the International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia and rebuilt in the center of Madrid, Spain, in Parque de la Montaña, Madrid, a square located Calle de Irún, 21–25 Madrid. The shrine was originally erected 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Aswan in Nubia, very close to the first cataract of the Nile and to the great religious centre in Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis. In the early 2nd century BC, Adikhalamani (Tabriqo), the Kushite king of Meroë, started its construction by building a small single-room chapel dedicated to the god Amun. It was built and decorated in a similar design to the later Meroitic chapel on which the Temple of Dakka is based. Later, during the reigns of Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy VIII, and Ptolemy XII of the Ptolemaic dynasty, it was extended on all four sides to form a small temple, 12 by 15 metres (39 ft × 49 ft), which was dedicated to Isis of Philae. The Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius completed its decorations. From the quay, there is a long processional way leading to the stone-built enclosure wall, through three stone pylon gateways, and finally to the temple itself. The pronaos, which had four columns with composite capitals, collapsed in 1868 and is now lost. Behind it lay the original sanctuary of Amun, the offering table room and a later sanctuary with several side-rooms and stairs to the roof.” (Temple of Debod, Wikipedia)

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

Fontana dei quattro putti

Fontana dei quattro putti (Fountain of the four putti) by Alterige Giorgi, Piazza della Liberazione, Massa

Fontana dei quattro putti (Fountain of the four putti) by Alterige Giorgi, 1928
Piazza della Liberazione
Massa, April 2022

Monday, October 9, 2023

Battersea Roundabout Sculpture

Battersea Roundabout Sculpture by WEA architects, Circus Road East / Pump House Lane, Nine Elms, Battersea, Wandsworth, London

Battersea Roundabout Sculpture by WEA architects, 2022
Circus Road East / Pump House Lane
Nine Elms, Battersea, Wandsworth
London, May 2023

“The sculpture is designed by WEA architects, engineered by FORMAT engineers, Fabricated by us Littlehampton Welding Ltd (LWL), galvanised by Joseph Ash (Medway), Painted and installed by Littlehampton Welding Ltd (LWL). It’s located within the second phase of the Battersea Power Station regeneration project and situated on the roads roundabout. The sculpture itself is currently unnamed and is referred to as the ‘Battersea Roundabout Sculpture.’ In essence it’s a contemporary representation of the smoke flumes that were previously exhausted from the historical site of Battersea Power Station. LWL were approached to deliver this sculpture within an extremely tight programmed period. From cradle to grave this project was undertaken engineered, fabricated and installed within 12weeks. It comprises of seven separate parts mostly weighing over one metric ton each, these are bolted together at three locations on each piece. The structure is made up of three circular hollow sections rolled at various radii to create it’s basic shape. Moreover, various sized and thickness laser cut bespoke fin plates are welded and set equal distances to create the ribbed structure. The base is made up of structural steel sections with a rolled perimeter angle that houses and lighting system for night time illuminations.” (The Battersea Roundabout Sculpture, Littlehampton Welding)

Sunday, October 8, 2023

San Torpé

Church of San Torpé, Largo del Parlascio, Pisa

Church of San Torpé
Largo del Parlascio
Pisa, June 2022

“San Torpé is a Roman Catholic church located in Largo del Parlascio #20 in the town of Pisa, region of Tuscany, Italy. A church and adjacent convent were erected between 1254 and 1278 by monk of the Umiliati order, likely to house the relics of Saint Torpe from a nearby decrepit church of San Rossore a Tombolo. This order was suppressed in 1571 by Pope Pius V, and it passed in 1584 to monks of the Franciscan order of Minims of San Francesco of Paola. The Franciscans were dedicated to redecoration of the church and employed the artists Alfonso Robertelli, Bartolomeo di Domenico (altar of San Francesco da Paola), Guerruccio Guerrucci (altar of the Madonna), and Baldassarri di Pasquino Tacci(canvas depicting the Madonna). When this order was suppressed, the church was not assigned until 1808 first to the Vallombrosans and next to Carthusians, and in 1816, to the Carmelite order. In 1866, that order was briefly suppressed and much of the interior decoration underwent auction. The monastery and church are still administered by Carmelite nuns.” (San Torpé, Wikipedia)

Saturday, October 7, 2023

Torre campanario

Torre campanario (Bell tower), Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba, (Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba), Calle Cardenal Herrero, Córdoba

Torre campanario (Bell tower)
Mezquita-Catedral de Córdoba
(Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba)
Calle Cardenal Herrero
Córdoba, September 2022

“In 1589 a strong storm (or earthquake) caused damage to the former minaret, which was being used as a bell tower, and it was decided to remodel and reinforce the tower. A design by Hernán Ruiz III (son of Hernán Ruiz II) was chosen, encasing the original minaret structure into a new Renaissance-style bell tower. Some of the upper sections of the minaret were demolished in the process. Construction began in 1593 but eventually stalled due to resources being spent instead on the construction of the new cathedral nave and transept happening at the same time. Hernán Ruiz III died in 1606 and was unable to see its completion. The construction resumed under architect Juan Sequero de Matilla in 1616 and the tower was finished in 1617. The new tower had imperfections, however, and required repairs only a few decades later in the mid-17th century. The cathedral hired architect Gaspar de la Peña to fix the problems. He reinforced the tower and modified the initial design of the Puerta del Perdón (Door of Forgiveness) which passed through the tower's base. In 1664 Gaspar added a new cupola to the top of the belfry onto which he raised a statue of Saint Raphael made by the sculptors Pedro de la Paz and Bernabé Gómez del Río. In 1727 the tower was damaged by another storm and in 1755 pieces of it (mainly decorative details) were damaged by the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake. A French architect, Baltasar Dreveton, was charged with restoring and repairing the structure over a period of 8 years.” (Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, Wikipedia)

Friday, October 6, 2023

Giuseppe Garibaldi

Giuseppe Garibaldi by Ezio Ceccarelli, Piazza Garibaldi, Massa

Giuseppe Garibaldi by Ezio Ceccarelli, 1906
Piazza Garibaldi
Massa, April 2022

Thursday, October 5, 2023

Embassy of the United States

Embassy of the United States by KieranTimberlake, Nine Elms Lane, Nine Elms, Vauxhall, London

Embassy of the United States by KieranTimberlake, 2017
Nine Elms Lane
Nine Elms, Vauxhall
London, May 2023

“On 8 October 2008, the embassy announced a conditional agreement with the real estate developer Ballymore Group to purchase property for a new embassy site on the South Bank of the River Thames in the Nine Elms area of the London Borough of Wandsworth. The site lies within the Vauxhall/Nine Elms/Battersea Opportunity Area as set out in the London Plan. The proposed plan would only go forward if approved by the United States Congress and by the local planning authority. The Northern line extension to Battersea includes new stations at Battersea and Nine Elms, combined with major local development. The United States Department of State announced in January 2009 that it was choosing among nine architectural firms, all ‘modern’ and ‘upmarket’, to replace the ageing embassy headquarters. In March 2009, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations announced that four architectural firms had been selected for the final phase of the design competition. By law, the architect for a U.S. embassy must be an American firm with ‘numerous security clearances’.” (Embassy of the United States, Wikipedia)

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Mura di Pisa

Mura di Pisa (Walls of Pisa), Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa

Mura di Pisa (Walls of Pisa)
Piazza dei Miracoli
Pisa, June 2022

“The walls of Pisa are among the most ancient in Italy to be almost entirely intact. Construction work on the first lot began in 1154 in the area that currently hosts Piazza dei Miracoli: the site was not chosen by chance; the walls were intended to protect not only the Cathedral and the future Baptistery, but the most vulnerable point from a military point of view, namely the bridge over the Auser to the northwest of the city. This first segment of the wall, erected north of the city from 1155 to 1161, was built of gray limestone, called marmble of San Giuliano, while for the walls erected at a later time, at the end of 1346, the pink grey stone of Asciano.” (Walls of Pisa, VisitTuscany)

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Europa en el corazón

Europe à coeur (Europe at Heart) by Ludmilla Tchérina, Avenida de Europa, Isla de la Cartuja, Sevilla

“Europe à coeur” (Europe at Heart) by Ludmilla Tchérina, 1991
Avenida de Europa
Isla de la Cartuja
Sevilla, September 2022

Monday, October 2, 2023

Madonna della Misericordia

Church of Madonna della Misericordia (Our Lady of Mercy), Viale Chiesa, Massa

Church of Madonna della Misericordia (Our Lady of Mercy)
Viale Chiesa
Massa, April 2022

Sunday, October 1, 2023

After the Coronation

After the Coronation..., Modified Social Bench by Jeppe Hein, The Queen's Walk, South Bank, Lambeth, London

After the Coronation...
Modified Social Bench by Jeppe Hein
The Queen's Walk
South Bank, Lambeth
London, May 2023