AREP builds on city's historic legacy with redevelopment of former car factory in Paris. AREP has redeveloped the former Panhard car factory in Porte d'Ivry, Paris, applying exciting design choices to work with the city's existing heritage.
The Panhard and Levassor workshops were partially demolished in 1967 to create the Olympiades district. They are the last remnants of a thriving industrial past, after the demolition of all the automobile plants in Paris: the Renault facilities on Ile Séguin, Citroën in Javel and part of the Panhard factory at Porte d'Ivry.
Between 2007 and 2013, AREP extended and entirely refurbished the building to create 21,000 sq m of office space as well as public facilities (a nursery and the premises of a non-profit organisation running a day centre for the homeless). The firm worked with architects Jean-Marie Duthilleul and Etienne Tricaud and with Benoît Ferré and Serge Caillaud (Phase 1 and Building Work Management).
In an environment dominated by the verticality of high-rise residential blocks, the project keeps the former factory alive, sustains its horizontality and unique architectural style and relies on the ornamental features of the existing façades: materials, dominant chromatic palette and contour line.
The brick façade provides a mineral base extending the current façades while the openings are in line with the rhythm of the original building. Each, partially or entirely, new façade forms a coherent whole with the reinforced mineral angles providing the framework for a more open sequence in the centre.
Two large industrial-style statuesque boxes loom above the roof-top mouldings, clad in a double semi-transparent layer of glass and perforated coppery metal and echoing the tiles on the saw tooth roofs. These are intended as a metaphor of the former industrial features.
The adjacent cut of the Petite Ceinture (an abandoned railway line) was decked over to create a garden. Planted with ground covering plants, shrubs and trees, the garden slopes down from Rue Regnault to the new garden level, reflecting the characteristic bucolic image of the embankments of the Petite Ceinture, where vegetation takes over any available space.
The new extension houses a nursery in its north-east corner and a day centre for the homeless in its north-west corner, both situated on the garden and ground-floor levels.
The work spaces inside the building are designed to facilitate contact, interaction, formal and informal relations. This result is achieved through clearly designed spaces (atrium and vertical access flows), quality of the working environment (natural light, acoustics and ergonomics) and green spaces.
Redevelopment of the Car Factory In Porte d'Ivry [France, Paris], 7 out of 10 [based on 175 votes]
Rachel McAdamsand Michael Sheenwho are co-stars in Woody Allen's new film, "Midnight in Paris," have confirmed they are dating, following months of speculation. "We spent our nights really laughing, and walking around Paris, Notre Dame is my favorite spot, and having great meals. It was a great way to get to know anyone," Sheen told Us Weekly. "Rachel McAdams's the most wonderful person I know. We got to know each other on set, it was an amazing time. We've been a couple for a while now."
The British actor also said that Rachel McAdams is a "fantastic actress" and the pair have already begun working together again in director Terrence Malick's next project, which is currently filming in Louisiana. "We love going to little diners, out of the way places, so we found some great little spots out in Louisiana," Sheen said. "My favorite meal is breakfast!"
Rachel McAdams and Sheen made their first red carpet appearance as a couple at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday for the premiere of "Midnight in Paris." Rachel McAdams stars opposite Owen Wilson in the film, which tells the tale of an engaged couple, who travel to Paris and while McAdams gets charmed by the repugnant intellectual Paul (Sheen), Gil (Wilson) wanders the streets of Paris and finds himself traveling back in time to the 1920s each night, to the very era he's romanticized.
Last November, Sheen was photographed holding hands with Rachel McAdams in Toronto, fueling rumors that the two were dating. They were also spotted together at an after party at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Sheen comes across as being quite smitten by the actress, who sparked engagement rumors recently when McAdams was spotted wearing what looked like an engagement ring, but Sheen's rep denied to E! News. "She's a genuinely lovely lady as well as being stunningly beautiful and very talented," Sheen, 42, told "Entertainment Tonight Canada" of McAdams, 34, People reports. Meanwhile, McAdams told Elle magazine recently that her parent's happy marriage made her disillusioned with what love is. "You grow up and you assume that everyone is like that, and you quickly realize that they're not," Rachel McAdams told Elle magazine recently. "And then you have those days when you wonder if you're going to find it for yourself. It's such a hard thing to find. I think it was more that realization that rocked me." (S)
Notre Dame is one of the most iconic buildings in the world. Built from 1160 to 1345, the massive cathedral is one of the most recognizable landmarks of Paris and is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture that exists today. For all its storied past, however, little information survives about the architects and designers who raised the building. That’s where art historian and laser modeler Andrew Tallon has stepped in, with new methods of gathering data about Notre Dame that shed light on some of its earliest history.Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris [Credit: osc-vector.com]
The actual laser modeling is done by mounting a laser from a tripod and shooting the gallery, taking time to measure the distance between the scanner and every point it hits. Each one of these points represents a distance — by mapping millions of points from a single location, historians can measure how the building expands and contracts during the day, as well as how it shifts over longer periods of time. By combining the point cloud data generated by the laser scanner with on-site photographs taken at the same time, Tallon has created extremely accurate models of the underlying structure and design of the cathedral, and identified points where the cathedral’s masons either deviated from the original plan or paused work to allow the ground to settle.
The point cloud data from the laser scans builds a virtual model of the church [Credit: Andrew Tallon/Vassar College]
Tallon’s research, for example, has found that the Gallery of Kings — the massive, three-doorway facade that dominates one side of the cathedral, had shifted almost a foot out of plumb. Researchers had previously suspected that work had stopped on the area for up to a decade, and this new work suggests why that might have occurred. The masons, realizing that the building was shifting in the thin, sandy soil, halted progress to give the ground time to settle and resumed a decade later.
Tallon’s laser scans reveal that some of the columns in the nave of Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral don’t line up because they were built around existing structures [Credit: Andrew Tallon]
Other findings from Tallon’s work include data that shows the internal columns of Notre Dame don’t align perfectly, and that workers likely incorporated existing structures in the area as part of the cathedral rather than tearing them out altogether. The flying buttresses, which were often thought to be a later addition to the architecture, were likely installed from the very beginning to counterbalance the effect of the vaulted ceilings (which tended to force the walls outward). External support from flying buttresses would push the walls inward, counterbalancing the vaults. The walls of Notre Dame have scarcely moved since they were constructed — a testament to the exquisitely balanced and counterbalanced supports.
The triple archways of Notre Dame [Credit: Benh Lieu Song/Flickr]
National Geographic has a full update on the process and technology used to create the laser point models and a discussion of the work done at Notre Dame and other Cathedrals. Laser and LIDAR-assisted mapping has become more prominent in recent years, thanks to its ability to show us where long-buried structures or archaeological remains may still exist. Thermal maps and subtle gradation variations can also show remnants of mankind’s activity in an area, even when shifting sands or jungle terrain has obscured the more obvious visual reminders. Human buildings and structures absorb heat differently than surrounding terrain even when buried, which gives us a window into the past when conventional methods or other records come up short.
Author: Joel Hruska | Source: Extreme Tech [June 24, 2015]
Rome's famed 2000-year-old pyramid has been restored to its gleaming white ancient glory following a two-million-euro project.The Rome Pyramid after restoration [Credit: ANSAmed]
The Egyptian-style pyramid-shaped tomb of Gaius Cestius, an Augustan era general, reopened to the public this week following an extensive restoration initiated in March 2013. Japanese fashion mogul Yuzo Yagi who funded the project said "It is extraordinary to return it to the white city like [it was] two thousand years ago. It was a great job with an incredible team led by two women", referring to Rita Paris and Maria Grazia Filetici, Italy's archaeological superintendency directors who oversaw the project.
The 120 foot-high pyramid, according to Paris, was constructed in 330 days, made of white Carrara marble. The 21st century restoration of the 2000-year-old tomb took a cumulative 327 days, 75 days less than projected.
Yagi donated two million euros to the innovative internal and external restoration that required a mix of traditional and non-tradition conservation in areas such as vegetation removal, marble facade protection, marble panel stabilization and damage prevention, and a handicap-accessible entrance ramp.
The restoration was much needed after centuries of wear and tear, which included, as Paris detailed, the tomb's incorporation into the 3rd century AD walls, looting in the Middle Ages, mid-17th century restoration, and use as a meeting spot in the 19th century.
Present at the invitation-only inauguration was Umberto Vattani, president of the Italy-Japan Foundation, cultural and foreign affairs undersecretaries Francesca Barracciu and Benedetto Della Vedova, Rome Cultural Heritage superintendent Francesco Prosperetti, and Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino.
Barracciu said that the restoration was "a brilliant best practice that strengthens our belief that the public and private collaboration is a way to go again with more determination. And since last July's Art Bonus, we are very confident ".
When asked if Yagi would finance future heritage projects in Italy, the fashion mogul said "we have a long list of aid to Japan, for the tsunami-affected areas. But I would be happy to return in the coming years".
WASHINGTON -- Dead bodies, diseased lungs and a man on a ventilator were among the graphic images for revamped tobacco labels unveiled on Tuesday by U.S. health officials. Proposed in November under a law that put the multibillion-dollar tobacco industry under the control of the Food and Drug Administration, the new labels must be on cigarette packages and in advertisements starting in October 2012.
Somehow, I don't think that this will dissuade anybody. In fact, I think that it may give cigarettes a more "dangerous" image and become sort of cool or badass. I think that if they really want people to stop smoking, the image they should put on the label is of Paris Hilton's vagina. Oh wait. Nobody knows who Paris Hilton is anymore. ALSO:Graphic Health Warnings for Cigarette Packages
Museum experts from around the world on Monday issued an "emergency red list" to help authorities identify Iraqi antiquities at risk of being looted and illegally exported as the country battles a surge in jihadist violence.
The list from the Paris-based International Council of Museums (ICOM) highlights objects that are popular on the black market such as sculptures, stone tablets, vases and coins, and tells customs and police officers how to spot stolen ancient treasures.
"In recent months we have witnessed massacres of minorities in Syria and Iraq but also the destruction of priceless works of cultural heritage," the head of Paris's famed Louvre Museum, Jean-Luc Martinez, said at a press conference presenting the new list.
"These are two parts of the same strategy that has been described as 'cultural cleansing' which seeks to erase entire segments of human history," he added.
Items on the list range from millennia-old Mesopotamian goods to 19th-century artefacts from the reign of the Ottomans.
ICOM's president Hans-Martin Hinz said that since 2000 the organisation has published red lists for over 25 nations.
"It is a solution with proven results," he said, adding that art dealers should "stop buying objects that come from Syria and Iraq."
Created in 1946, ICOM brings together over 35,000 members including museum professionals in 137 countries and cooperates with UNESCO, the World Customs Organization and Interpol to fight against the illicit trafficking of antiquities.
Iraq's cultural heritage is protected by national laws and international conventions.
By LAUREN PAXMAN Evening gown: Lily Allen admires Lagerfeld's sketch and tries on her custom-designed Chanel dress, which she wore to the wedding reception While Kate Middleton kept us guessing over her choice of wedding dress designer, Lily Allen's decision was all but confirmed months ago. The singer hinted that Lagerfeld would be designing her gown while posing with him at Chanel's Paris Fashion Week show in March... and then confused everyone by wearing a Delphine Manivet dress down the aisle instead. But there is a very logical explanation - like the Duchess of Cambridge, Lily had two wedding outfits, one for the ceremony and one for the reception. The 26-year-old revealed all on her Twitter page after Lagerfeld uploaded an image of Lily wearing the white dress he had designed, along with a sketch of his creation. The images were accompanied by a caption explaining that they were taken by Benoît Peverelli at a fitting in Chanel's Paris headquarters, 31 rue Cambon. Fashion blogger Laura LaRue tweeted a link to Lagerfeld's picture saying: 'Confused? Me too.' Radiant bride: Lily, with husband Sam Cooper, in the Delphine Manivet dress she wore to her wedding ceremony, which also featured transparent sleeves and detailing on the bottom of the skirt and was designed to accommodate her baby bump Lily wrote straight back, explaining: 'I wore my BEAUTIFUL Chanel dress to our reception.' There are many similarities between the two dresses. Both had a transparent layer which went right up to the bride's neck. The Delphine Manivet gown was lacy, and had a sweetheart neckline underneath, while the Chanel number featured beautiful floaty sleeves that were puffy to the elbow and then tight to the wrist. It also had intricate embroidery on the bustier, and looks like it was semi-transparent below that. Both gowns had additional detailing on the bottom half of the big skirts. Manivet has revealed that her gown was intentionally designed to be roomy as Lily has been trying for a baby since January. The singer's husband, Sam Cooper, announced his wife was four months pregnant on their wedding day - to gasps of joy from his guests. We imagine there were similar exclamations of affectionate surprise when they laid eyes on the radiant bride in each of her stunning gowns. source: dailymail
By PAMELA OWEN Diva: Lopez has been touring Europe to promote her latest album 'Love?' and has done a number of TV interviews As far as wardrobe malfunctions go, Jennifer Lopez could probably count this one as her worst ever. The 42-year-old singer managed to fully expose her ample bosom during an interview with German television. Lopez has fiercely been promoting her latest album, 'Love?' across Europe but the recent appearance left her a little over exposed and will, no doubt, make her blush. Unsuspecting: Jennifer is in a jovial mood as she is greeted by the show's presenter Thomas Gottschalk Windy: TV presenter Thomas Gottschalk runs to Jennifer's rescue but little do they know she's about to reveal even more flesh It all started when the signer arrived on a horse drawn carriage for the live filming of 'Wetten das...?' - German for 'wanna bet that' - at the Coliseo Balear bull fighting arena in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The singer looked gorgeous in a floor-length beige and black dress with a matching head band and the crowds screamed as she waved. Superstar: Fans at the bull fighting arena went crazy as Jennifer performed her hit On the Floor But her flowing outfit, which was barely held together with a large brown belt, was probably not suited and kept whipping up in the windy weather. As she greeted the show's presenter Thomas Gottschalk and Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel a huge gust of wind started to blow her flowing dress up. Almost immediately Gottschalk can be seen scuttling over to her in a bid to try and keep the ensemble down. And Lopez sighs with relief as she manages to escape showing too much flesh. But she didn't suspect she was about to commit an even greater faux pas Glamorous: The singer talks to host Gottschalk and Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel As she sits down the singer's entire breast pops out, leaving her completely exposed. Completely oblivious to what just happened, the singer carries on with the interview unaware that she has just given Gottschalk and Vettel an eyeful. After discussing her latest album and revealing a bit about her personal life, she then went on to sing her hit song, On The Floor. The interview was just one of many that she has been doing in Europe and was recently spotted with her mum Guadaulpe in Paris. Last year Lopez spoke about how having her own children helped the pair mend their own troubled relationship. Dressed casually in a grey cardigan and jeans, J-Lo didn't let the rain dampen her spirits as she did a bit of shopping with her mum. Hollywood royalty: Jennifer made a grand entrance and was brought into the arena on a horse-drawn carriage The Diva, who is married to Marc Anthony, also recently revealed in an interview with the BBC that she might not be returning American Idol. Lopez, who judged alongside Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson, announced in April that she was keen to start a new show to try and find undiscovered talent in Latin American countries with her husband. The show, called Que Viva!, means that Lopez, who has two children, will be able to spend more time with her family. Motherly love: J-Lo's mother Guadalupe with her daughter in Paris while she promotes her new album in Europe
French fashionable house Hermès has co-operated with a command of distributors of cars Como and has developed design of an interior for ten cars Smart.
Ten cars are created in ten colours; the internal upholstery consists of the same materials that is used for road accessories from Hermès.
The given project is dated for 10-year-old anniversary of the Parisian group of company Como/Smart. Magnificent fashionable autonovelties will be presented in Grand Palais.
It is not surprising, that stylish and playful model Smart for two passengers, Toile H is the smallest and most elegant compact city car which when or should be sold Como/Smart in Paris.
Experts Hermès used a firm upholstery for salon, optimised space, have made the car as much as possible comfortable and practical.
A stunning replica of the 36,000 year-old Grotte Chauvet, home to the oldest figurative cave drawings in the world and an UNESCO Heritage site, opened to the public at the weekend. Here's a look inside the country's latest tourist attraction.The replica of the Chauvet cave at Pont d'Arc is to open its doors [Credit: AFP]
The grotto at Vallon-Pont d'Arc in the Ardeche region of southern France, is a reproduction of the closely guarded Grotte Chauvet, which was granted World Heritage status last year.
The French president had already officially inaugurated the museum earlier this month and it officially opened to the public on Saturday.
The replica cave, which took a team of scientists two and a half years to create, will enable tourists from around the world to continue to see the frescos of painted animals without damaging the original cave.
Unique in the world for being such an identical and precise reproduction, the grotto has been built in the shape of a bear's paw, and stands just one kilometre away from the original site.
Inside the new grotto, which came a cost of €55 million visitors will be able to see more than a thousand drawings, including 425 animal figures of 14 different species, which have been meticulously reproduced.
A reproduced drawing of a buffalo inside a replica of the Chauvet cave in France’s Ardèche region, which opens to the public Saturday [Credit: Pierre Terdjman/The New York Times]
The smell, humidity and even stalactites of the Grotte Chauvet have also been recreated to make the new site as authentic as can be.
The visitor walks down a long ramp to get into the building housing the replica, entering a darkened, cool and humid place that mirrors conditions in the grotto.
Then just like in the real cave, people stick to a walkway that takes them past replica bones and the skull of an Alpine ibex, a species of wild goat.
The drawings reveal themselves as the visitors walk further into the fake cave, a total of 1,000 paintings including 425 animals -- including bears, rhinos, big cats, owls.
These have been reproduced using charcoal, just like our Aurignacian ancestors did some 36,000 years ago.
The reconstruction covers 3,500sq m and is housed in a huge concrete-clad building [Credit: AFP]
Using ultra-modern techniques such as 3D imaging, engineers, sculptors, painters and visual artists faithfully reproduced the paintings.
A team of 10 people in Paris also worked for four years to reproduce stalactites, stalagmites and other formations present in the Grotte Chauvet itself.
Authorities hope that the giant replica will attract some 350,000 visitors a year.
The original Chauvet grotto was preserved for more than 20,000 years thanks to the fallen rocks, which blocked its entrance.
The grotto was discovered on the 18th December 1994 by amateur potholers: Jean-Marie Chauvet, Eliette Brunel et Christian Hillaire.
If you are wondering how important the grotto is, then the words of Philippe Lalliot France's envoy to UNESCO, should leave you in no doubt.
"I had the chance, I should say the privilege, to visit the cave... and I was literally stunned by what I saw, which revolutionizes our views of our origins," said Lalliot after the UNESCO vote last year.
A French lawmaker for the Ardeche, Pascal Terrasse, also described the cave as "a first cultural act".
"This artist has now been recognized," Terrasse said. "May he forgive us for waiting 36,000 years to recognize his work."
Author: Chloé Farand | Source: The Local [April 26, 2015]
Surprisingly, I miss the smell of mothballs and rotting, moldy fabric. I miss how cold and dark it would be on a hot, summer day. But what I miss the most is the amazing surprise each box would be as uncovered some amazing suit made in Paris or a box just overflowing with heirloom styled petticoats. Do you know how much restraint it took me not to try anything on? lol! Yes, big no-no indeed!
The San Fransisco Museum is having a exhibition on the great couturier Balenciaga. Now, I honestly only knew of this designer in high school from the infamous Balenciaga motorcycle bag that all my friends covereted. Now everyone has a copy hanging from their arm. It wasn't until my great discovery of couture that I realized how beautiful his work was.
Back from spring break and now overwhelmed with work...
I have three major papers to write this week and not much on the sewing front has been completed. I've been knitting a bit, a row here and there. Sometimes I get quite a lot done in a sitting, but then sometimes I maybe knit just a row before my hands get tired. Though, over break I was super excited to finish up my first ball and move onto the second.
Happy Memorial Day
Last night my father invited me to a BBQ up in the mountains. I got my kitchen supplies and drove as fast as I could. There is something about the mountains, the air is crisper and the colors are more vibrant. I made my spicy barbecue bean burgers and an anti-pasta salad. We had the traditional corn on the cob, which we left on the grill too long and blackened on the bottom. I took some shots of the farm valley between my father's home and my mothers on the drive back, I just missed the sunset but it still is just as beautiful at twilight. Soon, around July and August, the fields will be lite with fireflies and I promise when it happens I'll take plenty of pictures.
So, everything is unpacked and I'm back to work...
I can officially call it summer. However, most of my peers won't call it summer until Memorial Day. What a perfect time to start on some cotton, floral frocks! I just finished Simplicity's 2250 by Cynthia Rowley. I did a few adjustments, such as doing a muslin lining, omitting the tie, and elastic in the ruffles. All the fabric manipulation in the top isn't visible in the white cotton. I do think it would show better in a dark color where you can see the contrast if you're focused on that detail. It's intermediate, at best. The top takes a bit of finesse doing all those tucks. It resembles a bit of a puzzle piece, it took a bit of marking and basting. But, if you have patience and can follow directions it might be the best challenge to a experienced beginner.
The back ruffles are a great detail...
You might be able to tell that I only attached the zipper to the underlining. It's something we do at work all the time when there is a light overlay like organza or chiffon. It keeps it nice and light, doesn't add bulk, and makes the zipper sit well when you're using a lining.
As we all know, Machine Head is currently working on their seventh studio album and are preparing to embark on the Rockstar Mayhem Festival! After releasing the first cut from their album, "Locust", the Machine Head camp seem to be steering their new album to the right direction both sonically and lyrically. Their new album is set to be released on September 26/27, 2011 via Roadrunner Records and its titled "Unto the Locust". Here is the Official press release: Off on the distant horizon what appears to be a massive cloud can be seen blackening the sky. As it gets closer it becomes obvious that the "cloud" is no cloud at all, but a massive swarm preparing to descend on the shores of Europe and the U.K.. "The Eighth Plague" tour will make land on November 2nd and rip a swath across the landscape with a magnitude heretofore unseen. MACHINE HEAD, in support of their newest crushing release "Unto The Locust" (out September 26/27, 2011) will collide with the land and lay waste to every city in their path. Accompanied by very special guests Bring Me The Horizon as well as DevilDriver and Darkest Hour, "The Eighth Plague" tour promises to be the most exciting, hard-hitting tour in recent memory. "This will no doubt be the heaviest show you're going to see this year" states Machine Head frontman and guitarist Robb Flynn. "A lot of the greatest shows of our last touring cycle were in Europe and the U.K., so the prospect of this lineup combined with these crowds has us extremely stoked to get out there and tear it up! New material, great venues, killer fans... we absolutely cannot wait!" Adds Bring Me The Horizon vocalist Oliver Sykes, "We're proper excited for these dates with Machine Head! We were listening to them before we even started BMTH, so to be going on tour with them is blowin' our minds! These will be our last U.K./Euro dates before we take a break to record our next album as well, so it's gonna be mental! We honestly can't wait." Says DevilDriver vocalist Dez Fafara, "We always love touring in packages that offer a diversity of styles of metal. This is yet another one of those packages. I would like to personally thank Robb Flynn for inviting us to the party. See you in the fucking pit." "We are so excited to announce our upcoming winter European tour with Machine Head, Bring Me the Horizon, and Devildriver" exclaims Darkest Hour vocalist John Henry. "European audiences are true purists when it comes to their love for metal music and great metal concerts, so there's no better place in a world for this tour to go down. It will take us to cities we haven't been to in a decade, as well as a few new ones. Meeting new friends and exploring other cultures has always been something we enjoy as a band, and getting to explore some of these places with this great bill for the first time is both a great privilege and an honor. If you can make it out to one of these shows please do, you won't be let down." After over a year hiatus from touring, busy writing, recording and crafting their newest masterpiece, Machine Head cannot wait to be back in Europe and the U.K. on stage before some of the most diehard fans metal has to offer. A relationship forged with years of relentless touring is about to be reignited. Tickets go on sale June 24th. Give yourself Unto The Locust or be left to wander aimlessly in the aftermath. Tour Dates: - 02-Nov Wed: Norway, Oslo - Sentrum - 03-Nov Thu: Sweden, Stockholm - Aren - 05-Nov Sat: Finland, Tampere - Sorsapuisto-Sali - 06-Nov Sun: Finland, Helsinki - Circus - 08-Nov Tue: Denmark, Copenhagen - KB Halle - 09-Nov Wed: Germany, Hamburg - Grosse Freiheit 36 - 10-Nov Thu: Germany, Dresden - Alter Schlachthof - 12-Nov Sat: Austria, Vienna - Gasomter - 13-Nov Sun: Italy, Milan - Alcatraz - 15-Nov Tue: Spain, Barcelona - Razzmatazz - 16-Nov Wed: Spain, Madrid - Riviera - 17-Nov Thu: Portugal, Lisbon - Coliseum - 18-Nov Fri: Portugal, Oporto - Coliseum - 19-Nov Sat: Spain, Bilbao - Rockitar - 21-Nov Mon: Switzerland, Zurich - Volkshaus - 23-Nov Wed: France, Paris - Zenith - 24-Nov Thu: Germany, Neu-Isenburg - Hugenottenhalle - 25-Nov Fri: Germany, Munich - Tonhalle - 26-Nov Sat: Germany, Ludwigsburg - Arena - 28-Nov Mon: Holland, Eindhoven - Klokgebown - 29-Nov Tue: Belgium, Brussels - Forest - 30-Nov Wed: Germany, Oberhausen - Turbinenhalle - 03-Dec Sat: UK, London - Wembley Arena - 04-Dec Sun: UK, Birmingham - NIA - 05-Dec Mon: UK, Glasgow - SECC - 06-Dec Tue: UK, Manchester - Central Related links: Machine Head Purchase Locust on Amazon Purchase Locust on Itunes
In the fields of Bulgaria they are everywhere -- hundreds of mounds like huge molehills concealing the gold-filled tombs of ancient kings who left no other trace of their rule.Detail of a mural in the burial chamber in a replica of the Thracian tomb of Kazanlak, dated back to the 4th century BC in the central Bulgarian town of Kazanlak [Credit: AFP/Dimitar Dilkoff]
Known as tumuli, the burial mounds are the only remnants of the Thracian civilisation that inhabited the Balkan peninsula from the 2nd millennium BC to the 3rd century AD.
The accidental discovery of a tomb in 1944 revealed that the earthen structures were in fact manmade and that the burial monuments hidden within contained intricately crafted treasures.
Experts believe there are more than 15,000 of these tombs in Bulgaria, a tenth of them in the so-called Valley of the Thracian Kings near the central town of Kazanlak.
Many of the tombs have been looted, but a collection of surviving gold, silver and bronze objects are being shown at the Louvre museum in Paris until July 20.
Of the 1,500 tumuli in the valley, "only 300 of them have been excavated so far and about 35 revealed such rich burial monuments," said Kazanlak archeologist Meglena Parvin.
EU funds have been used to restore a handful of tombs that have been opened to public view, but most remain shut because of a lack of money for repairs.
"I feel sad that they are left like that. I hope that more money will come and we can restore and open them," Parvin said.
The Thracian burial tumulus Malka Arsenalka mound, which dates back to the end of 5th century BC, near the central Bulgarian town of Kazanlak [Credit: AFP/Dimitar Dilkoff]
The Thracians were a people of horse and cattle breeders, metal miners and goldsmiths who are believed to have had no alphabet of their own and left no written records.
They believed in the afterlife and the immortality of the soul, and buried deceased rulers with their horses, dogs, weapons, drinking cups and even playing dice.
The kings were considered sons of the great goddess Mother Earth and the burial rites were highly symbolic, Parvin explained.
"When he finishes his journey in this world, the king must return to the womb of his mother. That is the reason why we think that they built these artificial mounds around their funeral structures," she said.
In addition to the treasures, the bushy tumuli also conceal a variety of exquisite burial monuments.
Built from huge granite blocks or bricks, they consist of a corridor and one or more chambers, with each revealing its own meticulous design and ornamentation.
A mural of a woman's face can be seen in the burial chamber in a Ostrusha tumulus dated back the middle of the 4th century BC, near the central Bulgarian town of Kazanlak [Credit: AFP/Dimitar Dilkoff]
"No two tombs are alike," Parvin noted, leading the way through the antechamber of the tomb in the Shushmanets mound.
Inside, a slim column helps support the vaulted ceiling of the burial chamber, the walls of which are adorned by seven half columns.
The Ostrusha tumulus nearby contained a sarcophagus-like chamber hewn from a single granite block thought to have weighed 60 tonnes.
Its ceiling contains traces of drawings of people, animals, plants and geometric figures. The remains of six other rooms surround the burial chamber, none of which have been restored as yet.
The most famous tomb in the valley is the Kazanlak tomb, which was the first to be unearthed during World War II and has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1979.
The original is closed to visits to protect its fragile murals, which depict a funeral procession and a horse race, but visitors can view a replica right next door.
Tourists examine the Thracian tomb of Shushmanets, which is dated back to 4th century BC, near the central Bulgarian town of Kazanlak [Credit: AFP/Dimitar Dilkoff]
The site draws large crowds but the tourism revenue has not been converted into conservation funds, said Sofia-based archeological expert Diana Dimitrova.
"It is a pity that in Bulgaria somewhere the link is cut and the money from tourism does not go to restorations and archeological excavations," said Dimitrova, whose late husband, archaeologist Georgy Kitov, excavated most of the tombs in the Kazanlak valley and christened it the Valley of the Thracian Kings.
Dimitrova pointed to the three-chamber tomb of King Seuthes III which provided the pieces for the Louvre exhibition as an example of the problem.
A hit among foreign tourists in the years after it opened to the public in 2005, the tomb has been temporarily closed this summer while awaiting funds for emergency repairs.
"The Thracians built these splendid monumental structures to last forever," Dimitrova said.
"We cannot just uncover them and leave them like that."
Ever since a Free People opened in NYC, I've become the overbearing girlfriend and/or crazy ex-girlfriend of the shopping world. Luckily, I'm pretty sure that if I keep spending money every time I go in, I won't have to worry about a restraining order. But, honestly, can you even blame me with accessories like these? I think not.
Cuffed
So, it looks like I'm going to be held hostage at my job for the rest of the week. Now, if only figurative handcuffs looked like this, being chained to my desk would probably suck a little less.
Walking in White
There is really no reason for this other than me just thinking that she looks very pretty all dressed in white. Then again, she is Bambi Girl. It's kinda hard not to look pretty when you have that going for ya. On the bright side, at least I'll never have to buy tissue paper again. Just thinking of all the pennies I'll save in future gift wrapping costs is probably enough to convince myself that I walked away with quite the bargain.
The damage really isn't as bad as it looks though. If you happened to check out the book, you'll know that there is a lot of emphasis on finding 'your esstentials' and the key pieces you want to build your wardrobe around. For me, that translated into finding the right accessories and basics to fill the gaps in my style. (aka me seriously stocking up on layering tees, belts, and light-weight scarves.)
Richie Getting Lucky
Nicole Richie has not come a long way since her days living the simple life. Nicole Richie has become a completely different person. In fact, I wouldn't rule out a brain transplant or brief alien abduction in between all those dramatic confrontations with Paris.
I may not fully understand how or when she went from being famous for no reason to a super-styled, career mom, but as long as she keeps the kimono dresses and costume jewelry coming, I won't question the process.
A recent international study led by ANSTO instrument scientist Vladimir Luzin is likely to be of interest to conservationists who are trying to preserve important marble sculptures and artefacts, such as Michelangelo's famous sculpture of David.David is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture created between 1501 and 1504, by Michelangelo [Credit: ALAMY]
"The fact of the matter is that physical weathering, deterioration and damage to marble and other architectural stones present a serious problem for the preservation of sculptures, monuments and buildings," said Luzin.
David: A sculpture made from Carrara marble
Before its relocation in Galleria dell'Accademia, David, the "Giant", was symbolically displayed in the political heart of Renaissance Florence, the Piazza della Signoria. Over a period of almost three centuries, the statue was exposed to the action of weather, historical events and inappropriate restoration works. These coexisting factors prevented the appropriate preservation of a masterpiece that, already at the time of its creation, was regarded as challenging by many artists—due to the presence of taroli, imperfections of the marble.
Today David is in a highly stable condition but still presents a contemporary scientific challenge from a conservation point of view. Researchers are monitoring marble cracking of the 4.3 metre David with a system of sensors that record vibrations, rotations and environmental conditions. [1] Conservationists monitor the sculpture because it is thought that even small mechanical impacts and small temperature variations are detrimental to marble.
Geologically marble is formed by the alteration (metamorphism) of limestone under high temperature and high pressure. The metamorphic process causes a complete recrystallization of the original rock into an interlocking mosaic of calcite and/or dolomite crystals with very specific mechanical behaviour.
Carrara marble, the stone used by Michaelangelo in sculpting David, was one of the most popular types of marble in the world because of its beauty and high lustre. For centuries it was quarried from the Apuan Alps in Tuscan Italy.
The popularity of Carrara marble was due in part to the wide range of varieties available (statuary, flowered, veined, brecciated, bardiglio, etc.), to the constancy of its quality, scarcity of defects, large size of single blocks that could be extracted, excellent physical and mechanical characteristics, and long-lasting strength and beauty." [2]
The Pantheon in Rome [Credit: ANSTO]
However the suitability of marble from the Carrara area of Italy for buildings and artworks has been questioned because of 'spectacular bowing behaviour' of marble slabs on numerous modern buildings including the Amoco building in Chicago and the Grand Arche de la Defense in Paris.
A study of Carrara marble by a group of investigators led by Luzin have confirmed that microstresses caused by temperature variation and the thermo-mechanical properties of the marble itself help explain the deterioration. Co-investigators are Dimitry Nikolayev of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Moscow and Siegfried Siegesmund of theUniversity of Göttingen in Germany.
The investigators were interested in the different environmental conditions that influence marble deterioration and had to reproduce factors known to be important to the process of deterioration. Temperature effects were among those known to cause mechanical stress.
Luzin and collaborators used non-destructive neutron diffraction to confirm that thermally-induced microstress from a single thermal exposure can cause microcracking in the marble and therefore be responsible for weathering and deterioration of the marble [3].
"Neutron diffraction is a useful tool and a non-destructive method to investigate the texture, phase composition and spatial and orientation dependence of strain in a bulk marble sample," explained Luzin.
Although the commercial use of statue-grade Carrara marble is no longer allowed, an exception is made for restoration works and scientific research. Freshly cut marble from a quarry in Carrara, Italy was used for the testing.
"Although not easy, stress measurements in geological materials, such as marble are feasible and provide valuable characterisation," said Luzin.
He explained that the challenges are related to the need to measure two phases with sufficient accuracy. It is necessary to use a large gauge volume because of the coarse grain microstructure and longer measurement time in order to capture very delicate effects of microstress in calcite and dolomite—which are also very weak neutron scatterers.
The neutron high resolution powder diffractomter, Echidna, determined the amount of each phase in two cube samples of marble. In one sample, the dolomite comprised a volume fraction of 28 per cent and in the other it was 18 per cent, which is not surprising given the highly visible non-uniform distribution of dolomite in the marble.
The Kowari diffractometer was used to produce pole figures, graphical representations that capture the preferred crystallographic orientation (texture) of the calcite and dolomite. "A weak crystallographic texture in both phases was confirmed in the neutron diffraction experiment," said Luzin.
The stress experiments were carried out using the Kowari diffractometer in a specially designed sample environment unit in order to control temperature. "We took measurements of the calcite and dolomite phases at room temperature and at 80° C."
Using a technique to measure the stiffness of an elastic material, the researchers were able to accurately measure the accumulated damage after a thermal exposure that could be unambiguously attributed to microcracking.
"Evidently, a significant change in microstress caused micro-cracking in the marble sample due to temperature changes," said Luzin.
Although exaggerated temperature might not be relevant to real daily and seasonal temperature variation, smaller, more numerous natural temperature variations during long periods of time might result in even greater accumulated damage. There are historical examples of sculpture which deteriorated into a pulverised state after a century of exposure to temperature variation.
"We have a responsibility to try and preserve great works of art and architecture with non-destructive techniques and nuclear technologies give us the means to do this. Hopefully David and other important monuments can be preserved in the centuries to come," said Luzin.
References
[1] Giovanni Pascale, Filippo Bastianini, Roberto Carli, "Monitoring Marble cracking in the David by Michaelangelo Proc. Art'11, 10th Int. Conf. on Non-Destructive Investigations and microanalysis for the diagnostics and conservation of cultural and environmental heritage, Florence, April 13th-15th, 2011, NDT44
[2] Stephano Merlino Paolo Orlandi "Carraraite and zaccagnaite, two new minerals from the Carrara marble quarries: their chemical compositions, physical properties, and structural features" American Mineralogist, Volume 86, pages 1293–1301
[3] 310.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.777.148. Luzin, V; Nikolayev, D and Siegesmund, S, Temperature Induced Internal Stress in Carrara Marble, Mater. Sci. Forum 777, 148-154 (2014)
Source: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) [June 22, 2015]
A team of American explorers on Thursday claimed to have discovered silver treasure from the infamous 17th-century Scottish pirate William Kidd in a shipwreck off the coast of Madagascar.A diver handles the suspected loot [Credit: Malagasy Presidency]
Marine archaeologist Barry Clifford told reporters he had found a 50-kilogramme (110-pound) silver bar in the wreck of Kidd's ship the "Adventure Gallery", close to the small island of Sainte Marie.
But UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural body, immediately criticised Clifford's methods and said he may have damaged a precious archeological site in his hunt for treasure.
Captain Kidd, who was born in Scotland in about 1645, was first employed by British authorities to hunt pirates, before he himself turned into a ruthless criminal of the high seas.
After looting a ship laden with valuable cargo in 1698, he was caught, imprisoned and questioned by the British parliament before being executed in Wapping, close to the River Thames, in 1701.
The fate of much of his booty, however, has remained a mystery, sparking intrigue and excitement for generations of treasure-hunters.
Clifford, who was filmed by a documentary crew lifting the silver ingot off the sea bed, handed it over to Madagascan President Hery Rajaonarimampianina on Sainte Marie on Thursday.
Underwater explorer Barry Clifford, right, presents a silver bar he believes is part of the treasure of the pirate Captain Kidd, to the president of Madagascar, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, left, on Sainte Marie Island, Madagascar [Credit: AP Photo/Martin Vogl]
Soldiers guarded the apparent treasure at the ceremony, which was attended by the US and British ambassadors.
"We discovered 13 ships in the bay," Clifford said. "We've been working on two of them over the last 10 weeks. One of them is the 'Fire Dragon', the other is Captain Kidd's ship, the 'Adventure Galley'."
October Films, the British production team behind the project, struck a more cautious note, saying that the silver ingot was of the correct date and appeared similar to other ingots linked to Kidd.
"Further analysis of the ingot will be required to confirm these preliminary findings," the company added.
Archaeologist John de Bry, who attended the ceremony, said the shipwreck and silver bar were "irrefutable proof that this is indeed the treasure of the 'Adventure Gallery'."
The ship, which was armed with 34 big guns, is thought to have been scuttled by Kidd during an expedition to the Indian Ocean.
Treasure hunt criticised
"This is a fantastic find that shows the hidden story of Madagascar," Robert Yamate, US ambassador to Madagascar, said. "This is great for tourism... and it is just as important as historical preservation."
But UNESCO said it was "very worried" about Clifford's methods, and expressed concern that a professional archaeologist had not been permanently on site to oversee the search.
"It is basically a film team going and directly intervening at an archeological site -- that should not be the case," Ulrike Guerin, underwater specialist at UNESCO in Paris, told AFP.
"You should have a competent underwater archaeologist there. We do not say everything that has been done is bad. We will go and check, but there are certain doubts about the scientific handling of the intervention. It is not enough that you find the treasure if you destroy the whole archaeological site with it."
Guerin said that Madagascan authorities last week asked UNESCO to send a team to take control of the site.
Soldiers watched over the silver at a ceremony attended by the president and diplomats [Credit: BBC]
UN experts are due to arrive by the end of next month.
UNESCO has clashed with Clifford before when he announced last year he believed he had identified the wreck of Columbus's flagship that sank in 1492 off the northern coast of Haiti.
The claim sparked global publicity but was soon disproved by UNESCO, which determined it was a ship from a later period.
Clifford is best known as the discoverer and excavator of the world's first fully verified pirate shipwreck, the Whydah, in 1984.
Aston Martin prepares new model, One-77 — only seventy seven in manufacture.
Hundred buyers have already left the deposit at a rate of 200 000 pounds sterling "as a deposit". The car in cost of 1,200,000 pounds sterling has subdued them in absentia, even before the occurrence.
At first, all admirers of mark teased the planned display of a novelty on Paris Auto Show, but there have slightly opened only some parts of model.
In model One-77 high technologies and outstanding design are combined. Why 77? “Figure 75 seems too obvious and normal”, — main designer Aston Martin Marek Reichman speaks. — “And 77 are two happy the seven”.
