The « jewel » of Cistercian abbeys. Built between 1160 and 1230, Le Thoronet Abbey, together with Silvacane and Sénanque, is one of three Cistercian abbeys in Provence. In danger of falling into disrepair after the French Revolution, restoration work began on this masterpiece in 1841. An example for contemporary architecture. Generations of architects were inspired by the […]
Following the fire at Notre Dame de Paris, the Musee de Cluny exhibited for a limited time, the heads of the Kings of Judah, discovered in 1977 at the Moreau hotel they had probably been buried there after the revolutionary iconoclastic period. They where very moving to look at, because of the remains of polychromy
German pavilion: making heimat, Germany, arrival country. Four large openings where made in the German pavilion to signify Germany’s openness towards refugees: the German pavilion will be literally opened for the duration of the Biennale (the Venice monument preservation board having accepted the opening for that duration). The exhibition analyses the condition for making Heimat,
Serpentine Pavilion Architect’s Statement For the Serpentine Pavilion 2016, we have attempted to design a structure that embodies multiple aspects that are often perceived as opposites: a structure that is free-form yet rigorous; modular yet sculptural; both transparent and opaque; both solid box and blob. We decided to work with one of the most basic
Of course there is an assumed nostalgia about the time when France was within the worlds leading countries…. but you can’t help being nostalgic about about a modernity that joyful and worry less… And times when women after being put to work during WWI, decided they were not going to go back to their kitchens
The Silo, built in 1924, used to be a wheat container at the time of Marseille’s grand commercial days. Abandoned for a while, it was declared historical industrial building and bought by the town of Marseille in 2001, after an extensive renovation from 2007 onwards, it became partly an office block, and finally opened the
Although the vieux port’s actual face seems quite normal to most considering it’s importance as Marseille’s focal point, it used to be no more than a few feet wide stretch of sidewalk with most of the pavement dedicated to traffic and boat owners. Although the planners couldn’t make the traffic disappear completely (the car
La Vieille Charite, one of Marseille’s architect Pierre Pujet’s masterpiece used to be a shelter house for the poor. Abandonned, it was refurbished in the 1980’s. It now houses the Mediterranean Architectural Museum. It’s peaceful courtyard is a welcome stop on a hot day after a stroll through the Panier, or now, through the sea
On our second trip to Rome, we still haven’t discovered but a fraction of it’s museums and it’s monuments, we just tend to get lost in those romantic narrow streets, nose up, admiring the graceful ochre frontages… Ochres are also in the antique brickwork…. …and even the cars follow the proper colour-coding!
On a recent week-end in Roma, the discovery of yet one more of Zaha Hadid’s master piece, the MAXXI pure sensual free flowing architectural bliss that I’ll let you enjoy: Inside: a fab exhibition of Architectural 3D models from major Roman Architects….. and contemporary art that I won’t even try to describe as just can’t
Mucem, the little name for « Musee des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Mediteranee » is planned to open it’s doors in June of this year. I have been eagerly following it’s construction but a diabolic bugg erased most of them, so here are what I have left… From the Fort St Nicolas in February 2012
Este edificio creado por Le Corbusier durante el periodo de reconstrucción es un hito arquitectural, pero aquí la gente le dio el apodo de edificio del « fada » (loco) ..! Ahora es muy cotizado por los aficionados del genio suizo y las « unités d’habitation » salen raramente a la venta. El piso de la « calle de negocios », donde
La cuidad de Le Havre fue unas de las mas bombardeada de Francia al fin de la segunda guerra mundial : no quedo cuasi nada del centro. Con mas de 35 000 personas totalmente siniestradas y 80 000 personas con casas dañadas, la reconstrucción fue financiada en la urgencia por el estado Francés con vista de