“Yellow Crane Tower”

Wuhan, Hubei Province, China (Photo: Gosia Sachse aka Głowacka, 21.04.2013)

Yellow Crane Tower (Chinese: 黄鹤楼; pinyin: Huánghè Lóu) is a traditional Chinese tower located in Wuhan. The current structure was built in 1981, but the tower has existed in various forms from as early as AD 223. The current Yellow Crane Tower is 51.4 m (169 ft) high and covers an area of 3,219 m² (34,650 sq ft). It is situated on Snake Hill (蛇山), one kilometer away from the original site, on the banks of the Yangtze River in Wuchang District.

The Yuanhe Maps and Records of Prefectures and Counties, written almost 600 years after the construction of the tower, notes that after Sun Quan, founder of the kingdom of Eastern Wu, built the fort of Xiakou in 223, a tower was constructed at/on the Yellow Crane Jetty, west of Xiakou, and hence its name.

The tower has been destroyed twelve times, both by warfare and by fire, in the Ming and Qing dynasties and was repaired on ten separate occasions. The last tower at the original site was built in 1868 and destroyed in 1884. In 1907, a new tower was built near the site of the Yellow Crane Tower. Zhang Zhidong proposed ‘奥略楼‘ (Aoliaolou Hall) as the name for this tower and wrote an antithetical couplet for it. In 1957, the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge was built with one trestle of the bridge on the Yellow Crane Tower’s site. In 1981, the Wuhan City Government commenced reconstruction of the tower at a new location, about 1 km (0.62 mi) from the original site on Snake Hill, and it was completed in 1985.

According to legend, the impressive Yellow Crane Tower was created as a symbol of gratitude from a local tavern owner to a poor Taoist monk who, in gratitude for his hospitality, for which he did not pay at all, drew a crane on the wall of the local crane, which, enlivened by his words, began to dance, thus attracting a crowd of guests and making a friendly family rich.

The symbolism of a turtle with a snake wrapped around it, on which a pair of cranes stands, is also very interesting.

In ancient China, the turtle and snake were, in religious and spiritual terms, symbols of longevity. During the Han Dynasty, the Chinese often wore turtle-shaped pendants and amulets. As a result of the influence of Chinese culture on neighboring Japan, Japanese noble titles and public dignity were associated with the right to use the symbol of the turtle.

One of the legends of the time tells of a female turtle that could not make friends with male turtles, but only with snakes. This aroused the anger of the turtle, which the female repelled, marking the area around her with urine. Since the spread of this legend, males call their female partners “turtles” when they suspect them of infidelity, and the turtle ceased to have a symbolic meaning as bringing happiness.

The artistic presentation of Xuánwǔ, often translated as Black Turtle, shows this creature as a cross between a turtle and a snake, what may have its source in the legend cited above. It should be noted, however, that such an interpretation does not explain the existence of this type of representation earlier, during the Zhou Dynasty.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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Today, Wuhan is more associated with the coronovirus epidemic (COVID-19) that appeared in this city at the end of 2019 and has caused the whole world to stand still in the face of such a great threat. It continues to cause more and more victims and has a significant impact on the lives of both the social and economic dimensions of the whole world. Its containment depends on creating in all of us a sense of solidarity and cooperation and a shift in thinking from “I” to “we”. Today, nature says  “I check up” and it is up to each of us individually and all of us together to pass this test of humanity.

“Crooked House”

Architects: Szczepan Szotyński, Maciej Łapkowski, Małgorzata Kruszko-Szotyńska, Leszek Zaleski, Anna Dubicka-Sawicka, Agnieszka Kolka, Robert Mielniczek, Sopot, Poland (Photo Aneta Głowacka, 25.05.2019)

Crooked House – was built in Sopot at 53 Bohaterów Monte Cassino Street, designed by architects Szotyński and Zaleski, inspired by drawings by Jan Marcin Szancer and Per Dahlberg. The construction of the “House” began in 2003 and was completed in 2004. The building is a part of the “Resident” Shopping Centre. On the ground floor there are commercial premises, a restaurant, bars, sushi, café Costa, a beauty and body Shape Garden modeling salon and a games room. The building is also the seat of the regional branch of Radio RMF FM and Radio RMF Maxxx.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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Poland – my home. Once delightful with its beauty – now it stands slightly bent, a few windows have been crashed with baseball sticks, the parson has sat down in the living room and consumes all the household’s supplies without a moment of consideration, frightened children hide themselves in the corners so as not to be seen by the priest who sows fear and havoc. The son of the neighbours makes a big bang in the courtyard shouting: “Poland hasn’t died yet…” And only in the young woman’s breast does the wave of anger rise and she slowly clenches her hands in the fist… This is her house and she will make it clean! Her name is “In-de-pen-dent”!

“Tempodrom”

Architectural projekt: Doris Schäffler and Stephan Schütz, Berlin, Germany (Photo: Barbara Stachira, 15.09.2018)

The Tempodrom is a Berlin venue that was first established in 1980 by heiress and former nurse Irene Moessinger as an alternative venue on the west side of Potsdamer Platz in the immediate vicinity of the Berlin Wall.

With private donations, a compensation payment and state subsidies, a concrete building in the form of a circus tent was erected on the site of the former Anhalter railway station and reopened as the New Tempodrom in 2001.

The new Tempodrom building was designed by Doris Schäffler and Stephan Schütz, employees of the Hamburg architectural office Gerkan, Marg und Partner. The roof, reminiscent of Oscar Niemeyer’s Brasília Cathedral, is based on the shape of a circus tent and with its futuristic, white forms forms a contrast to the remains of the former railway station. The foundation stone was laid on 21 May 2000. It was ceremoniously opened with the presentation of the European Film Prize on 1 December 2001.

 The massive overrun of the planned construction costs (32 million euros instead of 16 million euros) led to the resignation of Peter Strieder (SPD), Senator for Urban Development, on 7 April 2004. Since August 2005, the Tempodrom has been managed by a management consultancy company appointed by the insolvency administrator. Irene Moessinger withdrew from Tempodrom in July 2005.[3] In the course of the insolvency, court proceedings were instituted against the former managing directors, Irene Moessinger and Norbert Waehl, for breach of trust. The proceedings ended with acquittals.

On 23 April 2010, the Bremen-based KPS Group took over Tempodrom It thus escaped the threat of a foreclosure auction that the lender, Landesbank Berlin, had requested.

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I wonder if anyone will bear any political and possibly criminal responsibility for the investments of the current governmant, spending or planning to spend tens of billions of zlotys on investments such as the Central Communication Port or the bridge in Przytoczna, which would connect the Notecka Forest with floodplain areas, fields and forests – no needed investment   by anyone.

“The world is standing on its head…”

Sopot (next to the Georgian restaurant), Poland (photo Arkadiusz Lewandowski, 09.2015)

“The world is on its head. The vampire will teach me how to deal with people.”

Andrzej Sapkowski (from the book “Baptism of Fire”)

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To paraphrase: Today an old bachelor wants me to impose a model of a family I have to have, although he never had one himself,
The priest wants to teach me how to love my husband / boyfriend, even though he himself has made the vows of purity in theory, so there is no point in it,
The offender makes law,
Multiple liar and thief teaches morals,
Old lady, whose best years of her life have gone long time ago, wants to rummage in my pants, peek under my quilt, decide what my family should look like,
A doctor who has carried hundreds if not thousands of abortions today is a roaring enemy of it,
The idiot governs the country and the sociaty instead of blow him away in an unfathomable history applaud him and call him “Chief of State”.
The government wants to punish the deaths of rapists judged by courts of other countries, and indigenous criminals for the same offenses are allowed to go free.

Smell of Christmas…

Internal toilet door in the shop with gingerbread, Prague, Czech Republic (Photo: Gosia Głowacka, 22.08.2014)

While Christmas time is filled with sweet smells of gingerbread and traditional dishes, the political world seems sour. Thinking of the president who signs in laws without reading them, the parliamentary majority excluding the minority, old sour men calling the shots and turning the clock backwards spoils this special time. May the sweet gingerbread smell make us forget these troubles for a bit. Merry Christmas to all of you! 🙂

“The Hans Otto Theater”

Architect: Gottfried Böhm, Potsdam, Germany (Photo. Gosia Głowacka, 03.05.2014)

The architect, winner of Pritzker Prize, Gottfried Böhm designed a five-story theater building with cupped, cantilevered roofs. The dominant materials are: concrete, glass and steel . A landmarked gasometer was integrated into the building.On the side of the Deep Lake is a historic mill next to the theater; today it houses a restaurant.

The Hans Otto Theater, Potsdam´s new stage house, which is part of the cultural meeting place and business centre on Schiffsbauergasse, exudes an enormous architectural appeal. Worth mentioning is the theatre´s unique location right by the shore of Tiefer See, which offers the right kind of framework for spectacles and plays with the theatre’s ensemble, as well as for musical guest performances, readings or representative events and occasions. The theatre’s ensemble also performs at the Reithalle A on Schiffbauergasse, a venue of the theatre mainly for children and youth, and at the historic palace theatre in the New Palace of Potsdam Sanssouci.

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“Good theater is not only a question about resources, but above all, it is engagement of artists” (Kazimierz Kord, “Zycie Warszawy”, February 2, 2006)

The great words of praise are nothing compared to the work of Krystyna Janda and her contribution to the development of Polish culture. Without people like Mrs. Janda Polish culture would be completely forgotten giving way to common mediocrity.

German Historical Museum

Designer: Ieoh Ming Pei, Berlin, Germany (Photo: René Sachse, 12.03.2016)

The German Historical Museum (Deutsches Historisches Museum), DHM for short, is a museum in Berlin devoted to German history and defines itself as a place of enlightenment and understanding of the shared history of Germans and Europeans. It is often viewed as one of the most important museums in Berlin and is one of the most frequented.

The museum is located in the Zeughaus (armoury) on the avenue Unter den Linden as well as in the adjacent Exhibition Hall designed by I. M. Pei.

The German Historical Museum is under the legal form of a foundation registered by the Federal Republic of Germany. Its highest-ranking body is the Board of Trustees (Kuratorium) with representatives of the Federal Government, the German Bundestag (Parliament) and the governments of the German Länder, or states.

The museum was founded on 28 October 1987 on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the founding of Berlin; it was inaugurated in the Reichstag Building in former West Berlin. After the success of an exhibition on Prussia, which was shown in the Martin-Gropius-Bau in 1981, the then Governing Mayor of (West) Berlin, Richard von Weizäcker, commissioned four prominent historians – Hartmut Boockmann, Eberhard Jäckel, Hagen Schulze and Michael Stürmer – to prepare a memorandum, which appeared in January 1982 under the title Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin. The project enjoyed great support from Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who termed the founding of a German historical museum in Berlin a national priority of European importance in his speech on the State of the Nation before the German Bundestag on 27 February 1985. A commission consisting of 16 leading historians, art historians and museum directors worked out a concept for the museum in 1985/86 and put it up for discussion in public hearings in 1986. The final version became the basis for the founding of the DHM. The core of the Museum’s brief was to present German history in an international context. Multi-perspective perceptions aimed to encourage an understanding of the viewpoint of others in order to allow for a high level of reflection on history and culture in a time of the internationalisation of everyday life and the globalisation of work and commerce. On 28 July 1987 the partnership agreement was signed between the Federal Republic of Germany and the land of (West) Berlin concerning the establishment of the temporary trusteeship of the German Historical Museum as a private limited company.

Originally the Museum was to be located near the Reichstag Building at the Spreebogen, the government complex at the bend of the River Spree. The architecture competition for the project was won by the Italian architect Aldo Rossi in 1988. However, in 1989 the fall of the Berlin Wall led to a change of plans: on the day of reunification on 3 October 1990 the Federal Government transferred the collection and premises of the former Museum für Deutsche Geschichte (Museum for German History) to the DHM; the last government of the GDR had already dissolved that museum in September 1990 and made its property and contents available to the DHM. And thus the Zeughaus of 1695 – the oldest building on Unter den Linden – became the seat of the German Historical Museum. The first exhibitions were shown in the Zeughaus in September 1991.

The DHM began expanding its collections shortly after its founding. Opening in December 1994, the former Permanent Exhibition, then entitled German History in Images and Testimonials, presented an initial cross-section of the collection with more than 2000 exhibits.

The façade of the Zeughaus was restored between 1994 and 1998 on the basis of historical documents. The building was closed from 1998 until 2003 while extensive restoration measures were carried out by the architectural office of Winfried Brenne. In the course of the construction of the new adjacent museum hall by Ieoh Ming Pei between 1998 and 2003, glass roofing was once more installed above the Schlüterhof, the inner courtyard with the masks by Andreas Schlüter. The new building by I. M. Pei with a surface area of 2,700 square meters on four floors, and structurally engineered by Leslie E. Robertson Associates, was opened for temporary exhibitions in 2003. The Permanent Exhibition German History in Images and Artefacts was inaugurated in the Zeughaus by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel on 2 June 2006. As of 30 December 2008 the DHM assumed the legal form of a Public Law Foundation of the Federal Government (Stiftung öffentlichen Rechts des Bundes). Founded in 2009 to establish a centre for the remembrance and documentation of flight and expulsion, the Stiftung Flucht, Vertreibung, Versöhnung (Foundation Flight, Expulsion, Reconciliation) is under the aegis of the German Historical Museum.

(source: Wikipedia)

„Atomium”

Project: André Waterkeyna, Brussels, Belgium (Photo: Gosia Głowacka, April 2014)

The Atomium is a building in Brussels originally constructed for Expo 58, the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. Designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and architects André and Jean Polak, it stands 102 m (335 ft) tall. Its nine 18 m (59 ft) diameter stainless steel clad spheres are connected so that the whole forms the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. It is a museum.
SABAM, Belgium’s society for collecting copyrights, has claimed worldwide intellectual property rights on all reproductions of the image via the United States Artists Rights Society (ARS). For example SABAM issued a demand that a United States website remove all images of them from its pages.The website responded by replacing all such images with a warning not to take photographs of the Atomium, and that Asbl Atomium will sue if you show them to anyone. Sabam confirmed that permission is required.[6]

Ralf Ziegermann remarked on the complicated copyright instructions on Atomium’s Web site specific to “private pictures”. The organisers of Belgian heritage, Anno Expo (planning the 50th anniversary celebrations of Expo 58), in the city of Mechelen announced a “cultural guerrilla strike” by asking people to send in their old photographs of the Atomium and requested 100 photoshoppers to paint over the balls. SABAM responded that they would make an exception for 2008 and that people could publish private photographs for one year only on condition they were for non-commercial purposes.

“Museum of Islamic Art”

Project: I. M. Pei, Doha, Qatar (Photo: Gosia Glowacka, April 2014)

The museum is influenced by ancient Islamic architecture, yet has a unique design. It was the first of its kind in Arab States of the Persian Gulf and has a very large collection of Islamic art, plus a study and a library. Sabiha Al Khemir served as the founding director of the museum from 2006-2008.
Occupying a total area of 45,000 m2, the museum is located on an artificial peninsula overlooking the south end of Doha Bay. Construction by Baytur Construction Co. (Turkey) was completed in 2006, but the museum’s interior was subjected to a variety of changes thereafter. The museum celebrated its VIP opening on November 22, 2008, and opened to the general public on December 8, 2008.
The museum’s architect was I. M. Pei. At the age of 91, Pei had to be coaxed out of retirement to undertake this enterprise. He traveled throughout the Muslim world on a six-month quest to learn about Muslim architecture and history and read Muslim texts to draw inspiration for his design. Declining all proposed sites for the museum, Pei suggested a stand-alone island for the structure in order to avoid the encroachment on other buildings. Thus it was built on the water, approximately 195 feet (59 m) off the Doha Corniche and surrounded by a park. Pei requested, further, that the museum spaces be designed by his collaborator on the Louvre project, Wilmotte & Associes, who then assembled a design team including Plowden & Smith (conservation consultants), Isometrix Lighting + Design (lighting consultants), SG Conseil (AV Consultants) under Turner Projacs. Along with this design team, Leslie E. Robertson Associates was the structural engineer for this project. (source: Wikipedia)

“Dancing Hause”

Project: Vlado Milunića and Franka Gehry, Prague, Czech Republic (Photo: Gosia Głowacka, August 2013)

The Dancing House (Czech: Tančící dům), or Fred and Ginger, is the nickname given to the Nationale-Nederlanden building on the Rašínovo nábřeží (Rašín Embankment) in Prague, Czech Republic. It was designed by the Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić in cooperation with Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry on a vacant riverfront plot. The building was designed in 1992 and completed in 1996.
The very non-traditional design was controversial at the time because the house stands out among the Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings for which Prague is famous, and in the opinion of some it does not accord well with these architectural styles. The then Czech president, Václav Havel, who lived for decades next to the site, had avidly supported this project, hoping that the building would become a center of cultural activity.
Gehry originally named the house Fred and Ginger (after the famous dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers – the house resembles a pair of dancers)[2] but this nickname is now rarely used; moreover, Gehry himself was later “afraid to import American Hollywood kitsch to Prague”, and thus discarded his own idea.

The Dutch insurance company Nationale-Nederlanden (since 1991 ING Bank) agreed to sponsor the building of a house on site. The “super bank” chose Milunić as the lead designer and asked him to partner with another world-renowned architect to approach the process. The French architect Jean Nouvel turned down the idea because of the small square footage, but the well-known Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry accepted the invitation. Because of the bank’s excellent financial state at the time, it was able to offer almost unlimited funding for the project.[4] From their first meeting in 1992 in Geneva, Gehry and Milunić began to elaborate Milunić’s original idea of a building consisting of two parts, static and dynamic (“yin and yang”), which were to symbolize the transition of Czechoslovakia from a communist regime to a parliamentary democracy.