Dutch cities are known for many things, but grand plazas aren’t one of them. Whilst there are many older plazas in the inner cities of Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, one plaza in Rotterdam counters the typical image of the Dutch plaza: the old-city center point surrounded by mainly low or midrise buildings. Schouwburgplein (Theatre […]
Archive | November, 2013
Architecture of Love and Death (Part I)
This post is about funerary architecture of two different people in different times and places, ancient Egyptians and Muslim Mughals in India. Both of these people built great pieces of architecture to their dead. In Part 1 I will focus on the religious thought or absence of it behind these great pieces of architecture, i.e. Pyramids and Taj Mahal. I believe the former […]
Moose are Dying Off
Mankind is often self-involved and indulgent. It becomes apparent when we talk about the perils of climate change, too; we are primarily concerned about how these changes will impact our economies, our cities, and our way of living. However there are thousands of other species of plants, insects, and animals who are at far greater […]
Cutting pensions is the only way to save Cities
Or so James Spiotto would have you think. Spiotto, a partner with Chapman & Cutler who specializes in bankruptcies and workout deals, is recommending the formation of state-mandated Public Pension Funding Authorities. The New York Times delicately explained the role of these new authorities in that they “would offer independent, quasi-judicial powers to sort out the […]
Architecture of Death
While New Orleans is probably the best known city for its cemeteries, New York has some really lovely ones. A magnet for history buffs and bird watchers, Green-Wood is a Revolutionary War historic site (the Battle of Long Island was fought in 1776 across what is now its grounds), a designated site on the Civil […]
Sydney Sings!
There is a pretty amazing film project documenting an unusual choir in Sydney being done by a friend of mine, Albert Lecoanet. His wife, Liz, is directing a choir of volunteers from all walks of life: Rather than having a choir made up of ‘just’ homeless people, or ‘just’ employees or ‘just’ school boys’, this […]
