Bridges over the River Thames in London Twenty-four bridges span the Thames in London, from Kew Bridge to Tower Bridge. Some our railway bridges and there is a footbridge, howeer most are road bridges. The oldest is London Bridge, which was originally made from wood. In 1209 it was replaced by a stone bridge with shops and houses along its sides. This was followed by a granite bridge in 1831, and the present concrete bridge in 1973. Lambeth Bridge is the central bridge of the three bridges in the photograph on the left. Nearest the camera isWestminster Bridge and in the far distance is Vauxhall Bridge. Tower Bridge: 1894 Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognisable bridges in the World. It is the London bridge you tend to see in movies and on advertising literature for London. Tower Bridge is the only Thames bridge which can be raised. Tower Bridge is 60 meters long with towers that rise to a height of 43 meters. Its middle section can be raised to permit large vessels to pass the Tower Bridge. Massive engines raise the bridge sections, which weigh about 1000 tons each, in just over a minute. It used to be raised about 50 times a day, but nowadays it is only raised 4 to 5 times a week London Bridge: 1176 London Bridge is between the City of London and Southwark. It is between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge. London's original bridge made this one of the most famous bridge in the world. The first London Bridge is thought to have been built by the Romans sometime in the first century, with several rebuilds over the centuries. Eventually wooden bridges were replaced with a stone bridge, the first one being started in 1176 and finished years later Throughout its history, London bridge has been a busy thoroughfare, and was once lined with shops. The road over the bridge was only about 4m wide between the shops. It was so narrow it often jammed with people, horses and carts. In 1733 a 'keep left' rule was enforced to keep the traffic moving. This became the rule of the road in Britain. In 1757 the houses and shops on the bridge were demolished. A new bridge was built in 1831 to replace the old one. This in turn was demolished in 1967 and rebuilt in Lake Havasu City, USA, as a tourist attraction. The present london bridge opened in 1973. The Millennium Bridge: 2000 The Millennium bridge is a pedestrian bridge erected to connect the Tate Modern Art Gallery to the City and St Paul's Cathedral. Almost immediately after opening the bridge had to be shut because of dangerous swaying. It has now been reopened. The bridge is about 320 metres, costs 16 million pounds to build and only takes pedestrians. Southwark Bridge Southwark Bridge is a road-bridge linking Southwark and the City across the River Thames. It was designed by Ernest George and Basil Mott and opened in 1921. Blackfriars Railway Bridge Blackfriars Railway Bridge is a railway bridge crossing the River Thames between Blackfriars Bridge and the Millennium Bridge Westminster Bridge Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster and Lambeth. The current bridge, opened in 1862, is the second on the site and replaced an earlier bridge that had opened in 1750 by: Robby Prasetyo (109020201) source: http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/london/bridges.htm http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/london/history.htm http://www.engineering-timelines.com/why/bridgesOfLondon/bridgesLondon_06.asp
Seen from the London Eye observation wheel.
Photo taken by Adrian Pingstone in November 2004
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (Queen Sofia Palace of the Arts)
A nation's identity can be shown through a built environment, for instance : when we talk about China, we remember about the Great Wall. When we talk about Cambodia, we remember about Angkor Wat. When we talk about England, we also remember about the London Bridge. In this post, I want to talk about Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía.
Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía is an opera house and also a cultural center in Valencia, Spain. Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía is designed by the Valencia-born and internationally known architect, Santiago Calatrava which using the contemporary concept on the design of this building. The process began in 1995 and it was opened on 8 October 2005. And the first opera that is presented in that theatre is Beethoven’s Fidelio, at October 25th 2006.
Measuring over 70 metres in height, the Palau de les Arts is divided into four separate halls, all boasting the latest technological advances conceived to stage all kinds of opera, musical and theatrical performances.
Under the expansive curved-roof structure, 230 metres in length, the building rises fourteen stories above grade and includes three stories below ground. Its height is 75 metres. The 40,000 sq. metre building contains four auditoriums:
· The Sala Principal (Main Hall)
Designed to seat more than 1800, it will be used for opera, zarzuela, classical ballet, contemporary dance, symphonic music, musicals and theatre. The Hall has four tiers of seating, a stage equipped with all major facilities, and the third largest orchestra pit in the world, being capable of housing 120 musicians. The main Hall is at the heart of the building, both formally and structurally speaking.
The building suffered a number of unfortunate incidents after its opening which hampered initial productions. The first of these was the collapse of the main stage platform while it was bearing the complete set of Jonathan Miller's production of Don Giovanni in December 2006. This forced the Palau to cancel the last performance of La Bohème, all of La Belle et la Bête, and meant that the management had to reschedule the remainder of the inaugural opera season. In November 2007, the entire cultural complex suffered a series of floods. The recently re-built stage platform was paralised once again because almost two metres of water entered the lower floors of the building and wrecked the electronics and the motors of the complex stage equipment, forcing the management to re-schedule the season again, delaying the premiere of Carmen and canceling the opera, 1984.
· The Auditorio
Located above the Main Hall. It seats 1,500 people and its facilities include sound and video systems capable of projecting displays of events taking place in venues below it. Officially given to the managing trust during the 2007–2008 season, it is a spectacular venue with multiple uses, from classical music concerts to political rallies.
· Aula Magistral
Capable of seating 400 people and is used for chamber music performances and conferences.
· Martí i Soler Theatre
Constructed below the base of the Palau's plume and seats 400 people. It shall be used for theatre productions and as a training centre for the main auditoria. Unfortunately, this hall suffered vast damage during the 2007 flooding and its opening was delayed. No equipment had been installed before the flooding, however, so the estimated cost for reconstruction was much lower than it would have been shortly thereafter.
From what I explain above, I can conclude that this building is an attractive building. I think this building can also increase the popularity of the city where this building located, Valencia. What do you think?
Some Elevation of Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía
Art Performance in Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía
Sources :
http://www.valencia-cityguide.com/tourist-attractions/monuments/palau-de-les-arts-reina-sofia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau_de_les_Arts_Reina_Sof%C3%ADa#The_building
Compiled by : William Chandra
COLOUR OF THE RANG
for the people of India who followed him. but that does not mean this event
should not be attended by other people.
event held on this night, so place lively
and especially with the added decorations that support indian cultural.
in this event are many different kinds of performances that we can
see, for example there is an Indian fashion show with clothing as
the most fashion. in addition there is also a very popular dance in india
namely boolywood dance. This dance is very famous all around the
world.why? because this dance interpretation of the characteristic dances
the other is the movement of a dancer is dancing.
It also, in the event there is a show like comedy
drama in the play with music and jokes from his players.
This show is very entertaining once for the people who
watching it.
and that most of the show color of the rang.
Posted by Stevano Indra Gunawan
Stonehenge
A nation's identity can be shown through a built environment, e.g : when we talk about China, we remember about the Great Wall. When we talk about Paris, we remember about Eiffel tower. When we talk about USA, we also remember about the statue of Liberty and the White House. What I want to talk about in this post is Stonehenge.
Stonehenge was built during the megalith, therefore the material contains huge stones. During its age, Stonehenge was related to spiritual claim. It was used to predict eclipse and also predict when is the right time to plant.Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury. The stonehenge that we see today is the final stage that was completed about 3500 years ago,and it represented Stonehenge in ruin. Many of the original stones have fallen or been removed by previous generations for home construction or road repair. There has been serious damage to some of the smaller bluestones resulting from close visitor contact (prohibited since 1978) and the prehistoric carvings on the larger sarsen stones show signs of significant wear.
On its day, the construction of Stonehenge was an impressive engineering feat, requiring commitment, time and vast amounts of manual labor. In its first phase, Stonehenge was a large earthwork; a bank and ditch arrangement called a henge, constructed approximately 5,000 years ago. It is believed that the ditch was dug with tools made from the antlers of red deer and, possibly, wood. The underlying chalk was loosened with picks and shoveled with the shoulderblades of cattle. It was then loaded into baskets and carried away. Modern experiments have shown that these tools were more than equal to the great task of earth digging and moving.
The first Stonehenge was a large earthwork or Henge, comprising a ditch, bank, and the Aubrey holes, all probably built around 3100 BC. The Aubrey holes are round pits in the chalk, about one metre wide and deep, with steep sides and flat bottoms. They form a circle about 284 feet in diameter. Excavations have revealed cremated human bones in some of the chalk filling, but the holes themselves were probably made, not for the purpose of graves, but as part of the religious ceremony. Shortly after this stage Stonehenge was abandoned, left untouched for over 1000 years.
The second and most dramatic stage of Stonehenge started around 2150 BC. Some 82 bluestones from the Preseli mountains, in south-west Wales were transported to the site. It is thought these stones, some weighing 4 tonnes each were dragged on rollers and sledges to the headwaters on Milford Haven and then loaded onto rafts. They were carried by water along the south coast of Wales and up the rivers Avon and Frome, before being dragged overland again to near Warminster in Wiltshire. The final stage of the journey was mainly by water, down the river Wylye to Salisbury, then the Salisbury Avon to west Amesbury.
This astonishing journey covers nearly 240 miles. Once at the site, these stones were set up in the centre to form an incomplete double circle. ( During the same period the original entrance of the circular earthwork was widened and a pair of Heel Stones were erected. Also the nearer part of the Avenue was built, aligned with the midsummer sunrise.)
The third stage of Stonehenge, about 2000 BC, saw the arrival of the Sarsen stones, which were almost certainly brought from the Marlborough Downs near Avebury, in north Wiltshire, about 25 miles north of Stonehenge. The largest of the Sarsen stones transported to Stonehenge weigh 50 tonnes and transportation by water would have been impossible, the stones could only have been moved using sledges and ropes. Modern calculations show that it would have taken 500 men using leather ropes to pull one stone, with an extra 100 men needed to lay the huge rollers in front of the sledge.
These were arranged in an outer circle with a continuous run of lintels. Inside the circle, five trilithons were placed in a horseshoe arrangement, whose remains we can still see today.
The final stage took place soon after 1500 BC when the bluestones were rearranged in the horseshoe and circle that we see today. The original number of stones in the bluestone circle was probably around 60, these have long since been removed or broken up. Some remain only as stumps below ground level.
The way they built Stonehenge is so impressive in that time, also when we think how they can carried huge stones to built a place. So on, Stonehenge site is truly impressive, and all the more so, the closer you approach. It is a place where much human effort was expended for a purpose we can only guess at. Some people see it as a place steeped in magic and mystery, some as a place where their imaginations of the past can be fired and others hold it to be a sacred place. And how about you? What do you think about stonehenge? =)
Compiled by: Karina Astria
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge
http://www.britannia.com/history/h7.html
"http://www.stonehenge.co.uk/history.php
Saturday, May 8, 2010
The Tower of Pisa
The Tower of Pisa (La Torre di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) after the Cathedral and the Baptistry.
Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower currently leans to the southwest.
The height of the tower is 55.86 m from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70 m on the highest side. The width of the walls at the base is 4.09 m and at the top 2.48 m. Its weight is estimated at 14,500 metric tons. The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees, but the tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is 3.9 meters from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.
The Tower of Pisa was a work of art, performed in three stages over a period of about 177 years. Construction of the first floor of the white marble campanile began on August 9, 1173, a period of military success and prosperity. This first floor is a blind arcade articulated by engaged columns with classical Corinthian capitals.
The tower began to sink after construction had progressed to the third floor in 1178. This was due to a mere three-meter foundation, set in weak, unstable subsoil, a design that was flawed from the beginning. Construction was subsequently halted for almost a century, because the Pisans were almost continually engaged in battles with Genoa, Lucca and Florence. This allowed time for the underlying soil to settle. Otherwise, the tower would almost certainly have toppled. In 1198, clocks were temporarily installed on the third floor of the unfinished construction.
In 1272, construction resumed under Giovanni di Simone, architect of the Camposanto. In an effort to compensate for the tilt, the engineers built upper floors with one side taller than the other. This made the tower begin to lean in the other direction. Because of this, the tower is actually curved. Construction was halted again in 1284, when the Pisans were defeated by the Genoans in the Battle of Meloria.
The seventh floor was completed in 1319. The bell-chamber was not finally added until 1372. It was built by Tommaso di Andrea Pisano, who succeeded in harmonizing the Gothic elements of the bell-chamber with the Romanesque style of the tower. There are seven bells, one for each note of the musical major scale. The largest one was installed in 1655.
After a phase (1990–2001) of structural strengthening,the tower is currently undergoing gradual surface restoration, in order to repair visual damage, mostly corrosion and blackening. These are particularly strong due to the tower's age and to its particular exposure to wind and rain.
• On January 5, 1172, Donna Berta di Bernardo, a widow and resident of the house of dell'Opera di Santa Maria, bequeathed sessanta soldi or "sixty coins" to the Opera Campanilis petrarum Sancte Marie. This money was to be used toward the purchase of a few stones which still form the base of the bell tower today.
• On August 9, 1173, the foundations of the Tower were laid.
• Nearly four centuries later Giorgio Vasari wrote : "Guglielmo, according to what is being said, in [this] year 1174 with Bonanno as sculptor, laid the foundations of the belltower of the cathedral in Pisa."
• Another possible builder is Gerardo di Gerardo. His name appears as a witness to the above legacy of Berta di Bernardo as "Master Gerardo", and as a worker whose name was Gerardo.
• A more probable builder is Diotisalvi, because of the construction period and the structure's affinities with other buildings in Pisa. But he usually signed his works, and there is no signature by him in the belltower.
• Giovanni di Simone was heavily involved in the work of completing the tower, under the direction of Giovanni Pisano, who at the time was master builder of the Opera di Santa Maria Maggiore. He could be the same Giovanni Pisano who completed the belfry tower.
• Giorgio Vasari indicates that Tommaso di Andrea Pisano was the designer of the belfry between 1360 and 1370.
• On December 27, 1233 the worker Benenato, son of Gerardo Bottici, oversaw the continuation of the construction of the belltower.
• On February 23, 1260 Guido Speziale, son of Giovanni, a worker on the cathedral Santa Maria Maggiore, was elected to oversee the building of the Tower.
• On April 12, 1264 the master builder Giovanni di Simone and 23 workers went to the mountains close to Pisa to cut marble. The cut stones were given to Rainaldo Speziale, worker of St. Francesco.
Few images of pisa tower
Assunta bell 
Pasquareccia bell
Entrance door to the bell tower
Plaque in memory of Galileo Galilei's experiment
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisa_tower
Posted by: MIchelle Chiang
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
The Wilsonova Building at the Main Railway Station
This is one of Art Nouveu Architecture, it is The main railway station, the largest, busiest and probably the dirtiest in the Czech Republic, used to be a thing of beauty. The Art Nouveau building with its station and ticket hall was designed by the Czech architect Josef Fanta and built between 1901 and 1909. The building had a grand, ornate Art Nouveau entrance and ticket hall complete with a small, decorated ceiling dome, customers would head for their trains in intricate style. Unfortunately during the Communist regime, some unattractive additions were made and the exterior grandeur of the original ticket hall and building was swallowed by the massive highway built directly in front of Wilsonova building, destroying the park in front and causing the old gem great dirt and structural damage. The Wilsonova Building, named after former U.S. president Woodrow Wilson, was once a beautiful example of Art Nouveau architecture, however, the building is now in a total state of disrepair. The original ticket hall is now a dingy and faded, though beautiful cafe, named Fantova Kavarna after the architect Josef Fanta, and is just waiting with breath that is bated for a renovation. Tickets are now purchased underneath the cafe, in the Communist designed terminal, basically located underground; have a look around, it looks very similar to the Metro. Luckily the main train station in Prague is undergoing a massive renovation by Grandistazioni, an Italian company. Let us hope they restore the Art Nouveau grandeur that once so highly impressed passengers arriving to Prague for the first time.
Pictures for Wilsonova building
SOURCE : http://prague-stay.com/lifestyle/review/178-the-wilsonova-building-at-the-main-railway-station/
Posted By Ivan Putrama Karlo
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau, 1890-1914, explores a new style in the visual arts and architecture that developed in Europe and North America at the end of the nineteenth century. The exhibition is divided into three sections: the first focuses on the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, where Art Nouveau was established as the first new decorative style of the twentieth century; the second examines the sources that influenced the style; and the third looks at its development and fruition in major cities in Europe and North America.
At its height exactly one hundred years ago, Art Nouveau was a concerted attempt to create an international style based on decoration. It was developed by a brilliant and energetic generation of artists and designers, who sought to fashion an art form appropriate to the modern age. During this extraordinary time, urban life as we now understand it was established. Old customs, habits, and artistic styles sat alongside new, combining a wide range of contradictory images and ideas. Many artists, designers, and architects were excited by new technologies and lifestyles, while others retreated into the past, embracing the spirit world, fantasy, and myth.
Art Nouveau was in many ways a response to the Industrial Revolution. Some artists welcomed technological progress and embraced the aesthetic possibilities of new materials such as cast iron. Others deplored the shoddiness of mass-produced machine-made goods and aimed to elevate the decorative arts to the level of fine art by applying the highest standards of craftsmanship and design to everyday objects. Art Nouveau designers also believed that all the arts should work in harmony to create a "total work of art," or Gesamtkunstwerk: buildings, furniture, textiles, clothes, and jewelry all conformed to the principles of Art Nouveau.
ART NOUVEAU ARCHITECTURE
link for Art Nouveau Architecture
SOURCE : http://www.nga.gov/feature/nouveau/exhibit_intro.shtm
Posted By Ivan Putrama Karlo
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Borobudur Temple
Borobudur Temple Identify Indonesian's Culture
If we search about seven wonder of the world, Borobudur Temple is one of that seven things. It's an old temple which related with Indonesia's history and culture. This is a short story about Borobudur Temple.
Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.
Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the fourteenth century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the then British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur
Posted by : Federick Theofanes Trisnata
