Spreedreieck

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“Spreedreieck” by Mark Braun Architekten, 2008
Friedrichstrasse, Regierungsviertel
Berlin, September 2011

“So much has been accomplished since reunification, yet Berlin remains a work in progress. The biggest project of 2009, the Spreedreieck , is a 10-story office high-rise situated on the triangular plot of land next to Friedrichstrasse station. Designed by the late Mark Braun, its twin glass towers echo the blueprint of the Modernist building Ludwig Mies van der Rohe conceived for the site back in 1929. The new structure preserves the GDR-era Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), so-named because the Friedrichstrasse station was where West Berliners had to say their teary farewells after visiting their relatives and friends stuck behind the Iron Curtain.” (Spreedreieck, Lonely Planet)

Le Grand Toscano

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“Le Grand Toscano” by Igor Mitoraj, 1983
Faubourg de l'Arche
Courbevoie, La Défense
Paris, July 2011

See also: Testa Addormentata - Tindaro - Centauro - Tindaro Screpolato - Colosse - Ikaria - Bronze Doors

Two Rivers

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“Two Rivers” by Greg Wyatt, 2009
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Pisa, December 2014

“Wyatt’s statue -- an 18-foot tall flowing, crusty bronze behemoth designed to represent the cultural bond between the people who live along the Arno and Hudson Rivers -- was mostly underwritten by a $350,000 grant from the city of Florence. The project took two years and, says exhibition curator Michelangiolo Bastiani, more than 50 official permissions and hours of arguments to complete.” (Michelangelo’s Florence Is Abuzz Over 11-Ton American Statue, Bloomberg)

See also: Peace Elephant - Mikhail Baryshnikov - Peace Fountain - Two Peacocks - Soul of the Arts

Offshore Wind Works

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DONG Energy’s ‘Offshore Wind Works’
Central line, Queensway tube station
London, September 2014

“Research carried out for DONG Energy has shown a very low awareness of the part that offshore wind is playing in the UK's transformation to a low carbon economy. Yet the UK leads the world in deployment of this technology and, according to the latest Government figures, offshore wind today powers over two million homes and supports around 18,300 jobs across the country.” (DONG Energy launches 'Offshore Wind Works' Campaign, Greener Business)

See also: Wanderer above the Sea of Fog

Campo Verano

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Entrance of the Cimitero del Verano (Campo Verano) with the statues of
“Meditation” by Francesco Fabi-Altini, “Hope” by Stefano Galletti,
“Charity” by Francesco Fabi-Altini, “Silence” by Giuseppe Blasetti
Piazzale del Verano
Rome, April 2013

“The city's largest cemetery dates to the Napoleonic occupation of Rome between 1804 and 1814, when an edict ordered that the city's dead must be buried outside the city walls. Between the 1830s and the 1980s virtually all Catholics who died in Rome (with the exception of popes, cardinals and royalty) were buried here. If you're in the area it's worth a look for its grand tombs, but try to avoid 2 November (All Souls' Day), when thousands of Romans flock to the cemetery to leave flowers on the tombs of loved ones.” (Cimitero di Campo Verano, Lonely Planet)

La criée du phare

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“Les Samouraïs des Mers” (formerly “La criée du phare”)
Rue Castagnary
Quartier Saint-Lambert, 15th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

“At 6 a.m. it’s already broad daylight. A lighthouse stands before me, reaching into a sky that announces a beautiful June day. But there are no crying seagulls, no ebb and flow of waves, only rather the sound of cars and trains. Where are we? Rue Castagnary in Paris’s 15th arrondissement, by the train tracks of the Montparnasse Station that serves western France. This lighthouse is nothing but an advertisement for a fish market. But I dream of going inside and opening a window so as to greet Bretons in their trains arriving in Paris.” (The Lighthouse by the Train Tracks, France Revisited)

Actv 15

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A “vaporetto” (water bus) at a stop
Canal Grande (Grand Canal)
Venice, September 2013

Skanderbeg

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Bust of George Kastrioti Skanderbeg by Kreshnik Xhiku, 2012
Lady Samuel's Gardens
Inverness Terrace, Bayswater
London, September 2014

“Around 150 people brought traffic to a standstill yesterday when they gathered to see the launch of the latest contribution to Westminster’s City of Sculpture initiative. A bust of Albanian national hero Skanderbeg was jointly unveiled by Cllr Robert Davis, Westminster City Council’s Cabinet Member for the Built Environment and the Albanian Charge d’affaires, Mal Berisha. The bust was inaugurated at Inverness Terrace in Bayswater to mark the 100th anniversary of Albanian independence as police halted traffic and Albanians gathered to cheer.” (Albanian national hero commemorated in Bayswater, London Evening Standard)

M/V Spirit of America

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“MV Spirit of America” Staten Island Ferry
Upper New York Bay
New York, September 2008

“The third ferry, Spirit of America, was to be put into service on October 25, 2005, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the municipal takeover of the Staten Island Ferry from the B&O railroad. However, mechanical problems on the Molinari class ferries and legal proceedings kept it sidelined at the Staten Island Ferry's St. George maintenance facility until its maiden voyage on April 4, 2006.” (Staten Island Ferry, Wikipedia)

See also: MV Guy V. Molinari

Armand Cahen

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Tomb of second lieutenant Armand Cahen (1898-1920)
Cimetière du Montparnasse, Montparnasse Cemetery
Quartier du Montparnasse, 14th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

“Not far from General Bridoux is the tomb of Armand Cahen, a second lieutenant in an artillery regiment, who died in 1920 at the age of 22, after being awarded the War Cross (Croix de Guerre) for bravery during a heavy shelling attack in June 1918 where toxic gas shells were used. His memorial was quite elaborate, between the large marble sculpture of him and the stone and stained glass enclosure it stands in. I stayed there for a long moment in reverence, and was pondering his fate when the sun came out from behind some clouds, sending bright rays through the stained glass to bathe the white stone bust in red and green light, transforming him.” (Armistice Day... In Memory..., Magic Lantern Show)

Via dell'Amorino

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Door handle
Via dell'Amorino
Florence, April 2014

On Top of The O2

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Climbers on the top platform of The O2
Drawdock Road / Millennium Way
Greenwich Peninsula, North Greenwich
London, September 2014

See also: Up at The O2

Bronze Doors

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Bronze doors by Igor Mitoraj, 2006
Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri
(St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs)
Piazza della Repubblica
Rome, April 2013

“The symbolic potential of Mitoraj’s art made it ideal for religious commissions, which included two sets of bronze doors – at the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome in 2006 and, three years later, at the Jesuit church of Matka Boża Łaskawa in Warsaw. Towards the end of his life, Mitoraj divided his time between Italy and Poland, where he was laden with awards, from the Vittorio De Sica prize of 2001 to an honorary degree from the Kraków Academy in 2007 and the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, conferred two years ago.” (Igor Mitoraj obituary, The Guardian)

See also: Testa Addormentata - Tindaro - Centauro - Tindaro Screpolato - Colosse - Ikaria - Le Grand Toscano

Dormer Windows

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Institution nationale des Invalides, Les Invalides
Boulevard des Invalides
Quartier des Invalides, 7th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Rui Rui

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“Rui Rui” by Jaume Plensa, 2013
Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti
Venice, September 2013

“Rui Rui (2013) will be installed in the garden of Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti on the north side of the Accademia bridge. Though fabricated in cast iron, the sculpture appears like a hologram, fugitive despite its great materiality. The sculpture continues Plensa’s focus on the human figure, specifically the head, a subject he explores in awe-inspiring scale such as the majestic Echo (2011, Madison Square Park, New York) and Dream (2009, St. Helens, Liverpool, U.K.). Rui Rui is captured in silent meditation, her eyes closed in a dream. The sculpture invites a similar moment of quiet contemplation for all who encounter the work, as they pass through Venice’s labyrinthine canals and streets.” (Jaume Plensa at the Venice Biennale, Richard Gray Gallery)

Torsion II

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“Torsion II” by Charles Hadcock, 2011
Reuters Plaza, Canary Wharf
London, September 2014

See also: Verticil

NHow Hotel Berlin

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NHow Hotel Berlin by NPS Tchoban Voss
Seen from the other side of the Spree
Stralauer Allee, Friedrichshain
Berlin, September 2013

“Aligning with the existing storehouses the four-star ‘nhow Berlin’ Music and Lifestyle Hotel by the Spanish nh-group is located between the River Spree to the south and Stralauer Allee to the north containing 304 rooms and two restaurants, a convention center with a ballroom, a spa area and an underground car park. The structure of the building and the façade design reflect the special location of the building. A huge cantilevered cube cites the motif of a crane cabin, whereas the façade’s surface mingles into the ubiquitous brown stone materiality at the formerly important city harbor of Osthafen.” (Music & Lifestyle Hotel nhow, NPS Tchoban Voss)

Chimère

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“Chimère” (Chimera) by Henri Alfred Jacquemart, 1860
Fontaine Saint-Michel by Gabriel Davioud, 1860
Place Saint-Michel
Quartier de la Monnaie, 6th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

St. Matthew & St. Stephen

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“San Matteo” (Matthew the Apostle) by Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1420
“Santo Stefano” (Saint Stephen) by Lorenzo Ghiberti, 1428
Orsanmichele Museum
Florence, April 2014

See also: Christ and St. Thomas - San Luca - Madonna delle Grazie Altar - San Matteo - Santo Stefano

Malta Day Procession

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Malta Day procession with the Statue of Our Lady of Victories
Victoria Street, City of Westminster
London, September 2014

“Malta Day-UK - on Saturday 13th September 2014 - An all day event organised under the auspices of the Malta High Commission in London: Maltese Fair at Westminster Cathedral Hall in the morning (at about 10.00 am), Solemn Mass in the afternoon (about 2.30 pm) followed by Street Procession with the Statue of Our Lady of Victories, (il-Bambina), with brass band and fireworks. In the evening the celebrations will continue with a reception/dinner & dance at a luxurious venue. More details and full programme will follow later. Mark this date in your diary. This is an event that no true Maltese should miss!” (Forthcoming Events, Maltese Culture Movement)

Bernini's Grave

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The grave of Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Piazza di Santa Maria Maggiore
Rome, April 2013

“I was actually amazed with how little attention is paid to the grave of the great Bernini, with not a single soul (or tour group) knowing, noticing, or taking the time to look for the simple, marble gravestone on the right side of the large center-tomb that houses one of the most influential and visually present artists in Rome. The church itself doesn't help the cause either: a mere two slanted, wooden church benches protect the marble step from unknowing people wandering onto it. While you're for the other grandeur of the church, take a second to salute the master.” (Roam freely in this masterpiece, find Bernini's grave, TripAdvisor)

Front Door

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Detail of the decoration of a front door
Rue Condorcet
Quartier de Rochechouart, 9th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Souvenir Shop

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Souvenir shop (Art and gifts made of Murano glass)
Campo Santa Maria del Giglio, San Marco
Venice, September 2013

Charles Lamb

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Centenary Memorial to Charles Lamb by William Reynolds-Stephens, 1935
Watch House
Giltspur Street, City of London
London, October 2009

“Charles Lamb grew up in downtown London and went to school at Christ’s Hospital where he first met lifelong friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He served in various office positions as the needs of his family required, and at age 24, with the death of his father, was placed in charge of all the family’s needs. He published his first poems in 1796 in a Coleridge collection, and published various works through the early years of the 19th century, when he had his first break with Tales of Shakespeare (1807), a joint project with his sister Mary. By this time he had gained a footing in London’s literary elite circle and had become friends with William Wordsworth, Percy Shelley, William Hazlitt, Leigh Hunt, and others. All his adult life he wrote for periodicals in England, particularly London Magazine, and covered everything from dreams, religion, and politics, to marriage, food, and love. Before he died he published Essays of Elia (1823), and Final Essays of Elia (1833), both collections of his contributions to London Magazine.” (Charles Lamb, Quotidiana)

Citigroup Center

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A detail of the former Citigroup Center, now 601 Lexington Avenue
With the Lipstick Building in background
East 54th Street at Third Avenue
New York, September 2008

“Citigroup Inc., the global bank that got a $45 billion government bailout, faces another indignity: Its name will be stripped from the Citigroup Center in Manhattan after 30 years. Building owner Boston Properties Inc. will rename the tower 601 Lexington Ave. next year after completing lobby and plaza renovations, said Arista Joyner, a spokeswoman for the real estate company. The move ‘doesn’t have anything to do with Citi’s current difficulties,’ she said.” (Citi Doesn’t Live Here Anymore as Name Comes Off NYC Skyscraper, Bloomberg)

Ikaria

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“Ikaria” by Igor Mitoraj, 1987
Faubourg de l'Arche
Courbevoie, La Défense
Paris, July 2011

See also: Testa Addormentata - Tindaro - Centauro - Tindaro Screpolato - Colosse - Ikaria - Bronze Doors - Le Grand Toscano

Boar's Head

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“La Norcineria”, “Specialità toscane”
(Pork butcher, Tuscan specialties)
Via Sant'Antonino
Florence, April 2014

“Why are boar hunted? Apart from the fact that they taste good (think Cinghiali al umido) [or any other recipe you can link to] but they cause a lot of damage to gardens and trees. This sounds harsh (you can only really appreciate the murderous qualities needed to shoot the creatures after your lovingly planted vegetable garden has been entirely rooted up) but these animals also breed terribly fast. Originally the Wild Boar had one or two young every year, thus sustaining a balanced population. Unfortunately the domestic (and prolific) pig came into the genetic mix and created a hybrid Boar which produces between 4 – 10 offspring each pregnancy. Thus the countryside is overpopulated and hunting is a sensible solution.” (The Wild Boar Survival Guide, Under the Tuscan Gun)

Brompton Oratory

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Brompton Oratory (Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary)
Brompton Road, South Kensington
London, September 2014

“The second largest Roman Catholic church in London, the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, often referred to as Brompton Oratory, was consecrated in 1884.The facade and the majestic dome were added later, in 1890. The church was designed by Herbert Gribble, a recent convert to Catholicism who was just twenty-nine when he submitted the design for the church. Gribble chose an Italianate design for the church as he wished to bring this style to the United Kingdom. The building boasts marble columns and a beautiful fifty-foot (15m) vaulted dome that graces the London skyline.” (Brompton Oratory, A View on Cities)

Porta San Sebastiano

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Porta San Sebastiano (St. Sebastian's Gate)
Via di Porta San Sebastiano
Rome, April 2014

“St. Sebastian's Gate (Porta San Sebastiano) is one of the best-preserved remaining gates that was originally part of Rome's Aurelian Walls. The wall was first constructed in the third century as a point of defense for the city and was later rebuilt and added on to in later centuries. The gate was originally called Porta Appia, but later renamed after the catacombs found nearby. A single archway still allows traffic to pass through and the marble and brick structure remains in good condition thanks to its preservation and restoration. The interior boasts a museum dedicated to the ancient Roman walls and gates.” (St. Sebastian's Gate, Home & Abroad)

La Ferme de la Métairie

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“La Ferme de la Métairie”, bio ice cream
Parc André Citroën
Rue de la Montagne-de-la-Fage
Quartier de Javel, 15th arrondissement
Paris, July 2014

Palazzo del Cinema

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Palazzo del Cinema by Luigi Quagliata, 1938
(Home of the Venice Film Festival)
Lungomare Guglielmo Marconi
Lido di Venezia
Venice, September 2013

“The Palace is composed of a simple hall and a cinematographic hall (the Great Hall). As a result of the continued success of the festival, it became necessary to widen the building, which was entrusted to the same Quagliata in 1952. The entire plan included widening the Great Hall, an open arena, other projection halls, as well as offices and services, but only the expansion and the open arena were completed.” (Palazzo del Cinema, Portale di Venezia)