Architecture

Fidelity

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Fidelity. Havana, Cuba. July 2019.

Fidelity. Havana, Cuba. July 2019.

La Guarida, Havana, Cuba.

The stories of Fidel Castro and Camilo Cienfuegos (the man depicted on the wall) are legendary in modern Cuban history. Tales of victory and loyalty, but also of foul play and jealousy.

Cienfuegos was a loyal compatriot of Castro’s, however many speculate that after the revolution, Castro was responsible for Cienfuegos’ untimely disappearance in 1959. Since his death at 27, Cienfuegos has been an everlasting martyr of the Cuban Revolution. So why does the speculation of Castro’s involvement linger on? It is said that Cienfuegos gained more popularity than Castro post-revolution, which threatened Castro’s position in leadership. If true, it proves once again that politics is about a lot more than just pledging fidelity.

When you ask Cubans or read about their relationship, you will get plenty of opinions supporting one theory or the other. Whether they parted as allies or adversaries remains a mystery, however one thing is certain, Cienfuegos, the charismatic, adventure loving, "Hero of Yaguajay” lives on everywhere in the country.

Curves in All the Right Places

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Curves in All the Right Places. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Curves in All the Right Places. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Curves in All the Right Places II. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Curves in All the Right Places II. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Frank Gehry designed staircase at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

I visited the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) specifically to see this Frank Gehry creation. I went with my friend Matthew (an incredibly talented painter, http://www.matthewcarver.net/home) and he told me that Gehry actually grew up a stones throw away from the gallery. Gehry and Partners renovated the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2008 and one signature piece of the restoration was this beautiful wooden staircase. The spiral bursts up from the first floor, breaks through the glass covered courtyard, and into the other contemporary gallery floors of the museum. This section connecting the second and third floor is my favorite perspective. From this particular point of view, you can see that the railing keeps curving up higher as someone walks up and instead of becoming parallel with the floor. In this way, if you look over the railing as you ascend or descend, your view of the courtyard disappears in some steps and then returns in others. It is meant to mimic your peekaboo line of sight as if you were riding a wave.

From the view below, the staircase, to me, looks like a piece of ribbon being spun off to one side, tilting off kilter, and adding a bit of movement to the wooden structure.

Squared Away

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Squared Away. Rome, Italy. March 2016.

Squared Away. Rome, Italy. March 2016.

The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana (or Colosseo Quadrato) is one of my favorite examples of rationalist architecture. Just outside of Rome in the EUR neighborhood, the palazzo was recently renovated to be the global headquarters for fashion powerhouse Fendi. While I enjoy the aesthetics, it has a bit of a controversial past.

The palazzo was constructed between 1938-1943 and created to showcase Benito Mussolini's grand fascist vision for Rome, Italy, and the world. EUR was created to host the 1942 World's Fair and the palazzo was its centerpiece. It is rumoured that there are nine window arches to match the number of letters in "Mussolini". If you look across the top of the photo you can count: M-U-S-S-O-L-I-N-I.

The plans for the exhibition were actually canceled in 1941 during the finishing of the palazzo and it sat unused for a decade after its completion. The palazzo has open and closed intermittently since 1953, and in 2015 Fendi moved in after a five year public restoration period. Fendi will call the palazzo home at least until 2030. 

I am headed back to Rome this month and will hopefully make it back to visit EUR. 

Serenity Now

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Serenity Now. Wilmette, Illinois, U.S. October 2017.

Serenity Now. Wilmette, Illinois, U.S. October 2017.

Baha'i House of Worship for the North American Continent. Wilmette, IL, U.S.A.

This Baha'i Temple is located just outside of Chicago and is worth a visit if only to admire the lace-style interior and exterior. I have visited my fair share of cathedrals, churches, mosques, temples etc., however this is the first religious site I have seen with this type of intricate architecture.

This Baha'i temple is one of the seven in the world and is the only one located in the United States. Completed in 1953, the Baha'i House of Worship is the oldest surviving of the seven. The Baha'i faith was founded in the mid 1800s and it is quite an inclusive religion that believes in the oneness of the world’s religions, the equality of all races, and a coming age of world peace. Baha’i temples are meant to be a place where all people of faiths can worship God. To reflect this openness, the exterior pillars include symbols representing Judaism (Star of David), Christianity (cross), and other ancient religions (swastika). 

I consider myself more spiritual rather than religious; I enjoy visiting to have that moment of reflection and introspection. It is clear, especially from the design, that Baha'i is a welcoming faith so I feel encouraged to come back, sit, and look up at this view.

 

 

Never Neverland

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Never Neverland. London, England. September 2017.

Never Neverland. London, England. September 2017.

Kew Gardens. London, England, UK. September 2017.

While I love the busy and frenetic aspects of London, I also enjoy its green spaces. Despite how dense London is, there are numerous parks scattered across the city: from Hampstead Heath to St. James Park, Regent's Park to Kew Gardens.

This Victorian-style greenhouse named Palm House is located in Kew Gardens, roughly 45 minutes via tube from city center. This was my first time to this part of Richmond and I ventured there to see "The Hive," the U.K. Pavilion from Expo Milano. The pavilion was beautiful, but I was just as intrigued by the greenhouse.

The Palm House was built in 1844 as a place for explorers to house tropical plants brought back from travels in the tropics. It remains one of the most distinguished examples of a glass and iron Victorian structure. The misters are necessary to maintain the rainforest climate inside, but also creates the appropriate ambience for this ethereal and mystical urban escape.

Sky High

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Sky High. London, England. September 2017.

Sky High. London, England. September 2017.

Sky Garden, London, U.K. September 2017.

Sitting atop of London's controversial "Walkie Talkie" building (aka 20 Fenchurch Street Tower), Sky Garden is a must see for anyone that enjoys a free urban retreat with a view. Opened in 2015 and designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, Sky Garden has a full 360 degree view of the city where you can see London Bridge, Tate Modern, Barbican, Gherkin, and a lot in between. I went right around opening so that I could get some photos without people in them, but many others had the same idea. Luckily the garden is large enough to accommodate hundreds and finding an undisturbed moment shared between a couple is still possible.