السبت، 7 أبريل 2012

Modern Architecture Santiago Calatrava

مرسلة بواسطة abosharaka

Modern Architecture Santiago Calatrava





Santiago Calatrava Spanish-born Architect

S. Calatrava is an internationally recognized Valencian Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer with offices in Zurich, Paris and Valencia. He has award winners buildings all over the world, including USA

I am so happy to find out that Calatrava is currently designing the future Transportation Hub at Ground Zero in New York City called "World Trade Center Transportation Hub".
On May 8th Santiago Calatrava unveiled his final design for World Trade Center Transportation Hub and I have some pictures courtesy of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from that event.

I am proud to present to you the life and work of my favorite modern Architect Santiago Calatrava Valls (born 1951).

In USA we already enjoy his design on:
Milwaukee Art Museum Wisconsin
Sundial Bridge in Turtle Bay, California
Symphony Hall Atlanta Georgia
New York 80 South Condos
Chicago Spire (it is on working now)
If you followed the Olympics on Athene Greek on TV, you noticed the Olympic Sport Complex, it was his design as well.

You can admire some of them here in pictures, I'll keep the words at minimum and let you enjoy the beauty of Calatrava's buildings, bridges, and sculptures.



Santiago Calatrava's Bio and Career
Santiago Calatrava the designer of the most spectacular buildings in the world at the moment; was born on Valencia, Spain.
At the early age Santiago was interested in art and architecture, and his parents sent him to boarding school in France when he was 13.
He earned:
A degree in architecture from the Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura in Valencia
A a Ph.D. in engineering from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich
He attend post-graduate studies and earn a degree in civil engineering
In this picture you see The Museum of Art and Science, designed for his native town of Valencia, Spain.

He opened his first office in Zurich, he started his architecture and engineering practice, and he began entering in competitions with his work. The building of the Bach de Roda bridge in Barcelona, Spain was Calatrava's first big success known worldwide.

Calatrava's early career was dedicated largely to bridges and train stations, the designs for which elevated the status of civil engineering projects to new heights.


Santiago Calatrava's Page on Facebook


Santiago Calatrava has a Page on Facebookwith 119,977 "likes" when I look it over where you can find not only informations about Calatrava but also other modern architecture info which I found interesting to browse from time to time.

The pictures on the page (over 500) are also an attraction, you can find more then I can visualize on a lens, some are spectacular, as his design.

This picture is just a different angle of the entrance on Transportation Hub WTC New York.


TWC New York The Transportation Hub
We are fortunate to have Santiago Calatrava, world-renowned architect, artist and engineer, designing the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.
He exposed his final design during a press conference on May 8th at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute.




His project has transcended the complex challenges of the site for commuters, subway riders, pedestrians as well, and significantly improve mass-transit connections across Lower Manhattan New York.

His design, which is seen as a symbol of renewal and hope, is defined through the evocative image of a bird being released from a child's hand.




The glass and steel structure is meant to have a profound impact on Lower Manhattan at all times of the day:
During the day, natural light will flood into the Transportation Hub
At night the illuminated building will serve as a lantern for the plaza and the office towers surrounding it
The roof of the Hub's freestanding structure will be fitted with an operable skylight located along the central axis on fine spring, summer, and fall days, as well as on September 11th each year, the skylight will open thus providing the interior space with a slice of sky and its natural light
Mr. Calatrava's theme is meant to see the beauty within despair and provides hope for a brighter future. 

Those are a part of the features of transportation Hub:
In the hall we will see a hanging American flag recovered from the ruins of the World Trade Center's twin towers. The 8-foot by 12-foot flag used to fly in the plaza of the World Trade Center. It was buried under rubble for three days before being recovered. It has since flown over
Yankee Stadium
SuperDome in New Orleans for the Super Bowl
Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Hub will provide connectivity between
PATH trains
Sunwat lines: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, E, J, M, R, W, and Z
World Financial Center
Hudson River ferries,
Fulton Street Transit Center
The main hall will be 80 feet tall
It is design to serve up to 250,000 people per day
January, 2004 - Santiago Calatrava's original plan for this building is unveiled
July 28, 2005 - A revised plan is presented to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Some changes is added to the initial project
2006 - Anticipated start of construction
A have those pictures from the courtesy of the Port Authority of NY and New Jersey



Freedom Tower 2011
This is Lower Manhattan August 2011 - Freedom Tower which will open soon.
Note:
The next two videos are not related with Calatrava but, they are part of the environment of WTC space, memory, and significance. Enjoy!

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Tenth Anniversary "I Am FREE"
VIDEO Tribute!
An Emotional 9/11 Tenth Anniversary Video Tribute
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Other Calatrava's USA Work

Please click on each pic, I stoped rotation because of the page jump.


The Quadracci Pavilion of the Milwaukee Art Museum was his first USA building. (2001)



Calatrava Projects Around The World
Please click on each pic, I stoped rotation because of the page jump.


Puente del Alamillo, made for the Universal Exposition of Seville, Seville, Spain.




Last Video Calatrava Created in Nov. 2010
Santiago Calatrava is an architect, structural engineer and artist .. all in one fascinating personality. 
Recent projects such as the Athens 2004 Olympic sports complex, the Turning Torso in Malmo, and TGV station in Liege, have brought him international acclaim.

He is presently designing the main transportation hub for Ground Zero in Manhattan, as well as the tallest building in the USA: the 160-story Chicago Spire Tower.

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Other Calatrava Projects
We know the "Chicago Spire is a work in progress, NY Low Manhattan Transportation Hub as well, The 4th Bridge in Venice Italy is stopped now, hopefully will resume soon.

There is a huge project, maybe the biggest ever "The Future Train Station In Liege, Belgium" When I created the lens it was a work in progress, now is finished. You have a picture in the next module.
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Santiago Calatrava Awards

Santiago Calatrava has been rewarded by:
The Gold Medal of AIA which is awarded by the American Institute of Architects, it is the Institute's highest award. Calatrava got it in 2005
The Gold Medal of the Institute of Structural Engineers, London, England
Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts, award created by MIT
Prince of Asturias Awards, awarded by the Prince of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements. Calatrava got it in 1999
Auguste Perret Prize<ul>



Calatrava's Opera House In Valencia
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Dallas - Trinity River Corridor Project
Calatrava's Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge.


The Trinity River Corridor Project has started in 1998, it covers 20 miles and 10,000 acres.

The Estimated benefits are:
It will increase flood protection for about 12,500 structures in southern Dallas and near downtown
It will provide relief from traffic congestion in the downtown area
The Dallas people and visitors will be able to enjoy recreational areas: hiking, biking, equestrian trails, new parks, lakes and more...
What is included in the Trinity River Corridor Project
The building of levees, wetlands, downtown lakes, gateway parks, trails, equestrian centers
The expansion and preservation of the Great Trinity Forest through the acquisition of 3,500 acres of land along the Trinity River
Transportation improvements including the Trinity Parkway and the Woodall Rodgers Extension Bridge - now named the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
Calatrava is the architect who design the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge




Video The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
A big Milestone on the contraction of Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. The 400-foot tall arch was lowered into place.
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Sydney Opera House 2

مرسلة بواسطة abosharaka













Spectacular. Stunning. With a psychedelic 60s look.

The 2011 Lighting of the Sails transforms the Sydney Opera House into a living canvas with dazzling colour, shape and movement.



Part of Vivid Sydney, the festival that celebrates light, music and ideas, video projections are mapped onto the shapes of the sails to create a 3D effect. This is the work of Superbien, a creative French agency renowned for its lighting design with animation, photography and projections that are tailored to specific environments.

Now in its third year, the festival is popular with visitors, Sydneysiders and photographers vying for a vantage position.

Below are images of the Sydney Opera House like you’ve never seen it before.




Vivid Sydney runs from from 27 May to 13 June 2011, with the Lighting of the Sails commencing at 6.00 pm. Other highlights of the festival include 43 dazzling Lights On installations including the mesmerising Customs House display, FireDance, a live show of fire and music at Campbells Cove which runs hourly from 7pm to 11 pm, the Sony Lounge Pop Up Bar and the Vivid Sydney Night Markets at the Rocks on Friday and Saturday nights.

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مرسلة بواسطة abosharaka

(The Piano House (China

This unique piano house was built recently in An Hui Province, China. Inside of the violin is the escalator to the building. The building displays various city plans and development prospects in an effort to draw interest into the recently developed area.




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الأربعاء، 4 أبريل 2012

The World’s Best Intelligence Agencies

مرسلة بواسطة abosharaka



Nearly every country in the world has an intelligence agency that is charged with espionage in order to protect its own interests in all aspects, including economic, political and military interests. While some of these agencies have agreements to share information with others for greater impact, others are very secretive and make it a point to share with no one. It is widely known that many countries have spies in other areas of the world for the purpose of gathering intelligence data. Who these spies are and exactly how they operate is more secretive in nature.


1: ISI (Pakistan)



The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (more commonly known as Inter-Services Intelligence or simply by its initials ISI), is Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan. The ISI is the largest of the three intelligence service agencies of Pakistan, the others being the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Military Intelligence (MI).


It is the successor of the IB and MI formed after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 to coordinate and operate espionage activities for the three branches of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The ISI was established as an independent intelligence agency in 1948 in order to strengthen the sharing of military intelligence between the three branches of Pakistan’s armed forces in the wake aftermath of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, which had exposed weaknesses in intelligence gathering, sharing and coordination between the Army, Air Force and Navy.


2: U.S. Intelligence Agencies

The United States of America’s intelligence community is made up of sixteen different agencies. Most notable and recognizable on that list are the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).


While in the past these agencies operated in mostly isolated states, the sharing of intelligence information has increased considerably since the attacks of September 11, 2001. The CIA is the largest of the intelligence agencies and is responsible for gathering data from other countries that could impact U.S. policy.


The NSA is the country’s intelligence agency responsible for intercepting and deciphering foreign signals while protecting the information systems of the United States. The DIA gathers intelligence information that is pertinent to military operations around the world while the FBI is the link between the intelligence and law enforcement communities in the country.




3: CSIS (Canada)


The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is responsible for intelligence gathering on a domestic level.


The agency does not have the authority to work on foreign intelligence and its main objective is to protect Canada from national threats.


It works closely with intelligence agencies from other countries, including the United States.


4: ASIS (Australia)


The Australian Secret Intelligence Service was founded in 1952. For more than twenty years, the existence of the agency was a secret even from its own government.


Its primary responsibility is gathering intelligence from mainly Asian and Pacific interests using agents stationed in a wide variety of areas.


Its main purpose, as with most agencies, is to protect the country’s political and economic interests while ensuring safety for the people of Australia against national threats.

5: Mossad (Israel)


The Institute for Intelligence and Special Tasks is the intelligence agency of Israel.


Also widely known as Mossad, it was founded in 1951. The agency has always operated in a secret state and, until the mid-90s, the identity of the director of the agency was even regarded as a secret.


Mossad is responsible for gathering intelligence data using human field agents throughout the Middle East. While other countries are also included, their main focus is on countries in their own region. Current estimates number their force at just over one thousand agents.

6: BND (Germany)


The Federal Intelligence Service of Germany is referred to as BND. The agency sees almost the entire world as an opportunity for intelligence gathering with agents stationed in more than one hundred countries.


BND is widely known for sending agents in as undercover embassy workers to gather intelligence data. The agency employs more than four thousand worldwide.

7: DGSE (France)


The General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) of France has a rather short history compared to other intelligence agencies in the region.


It was officially founded in 1982 from a multitude of prior intelligence agencies in the country.


Its primary focus is to gather intelligence from foreign sources to assist in military and strategic decisions for the country. The agency employs more than five thousand people.


8: GRU (Russia)


The Main Intelligence Administration or GRU, largely came into play after the fall of the Soviet Union.


Its main task is gathering military intelligence data both on domestic and foreign levels. Even though its staff size is smaller than the intelligence agencies under the Soviet Union, the GRU still remains an important player in the world intelligence community and is regarded as a professional force.


Russia and China have a signed treaty for the sharing of intelligence information between their agencies.

9: MI6 (UK)


The Secret Intelligence Service of the United Kingdom, also known as MI6, has a long history dating back to 1909.


The agency’s main office is in London and it is responsible for gathering information from across the globe that could impact political and economic interests in the UK.


MI6 has a strong focus on terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and crimes of a serious nature that have the potential to impact the entire region.


10: MSS (China)


The current intelligence agency of China, the Ministry of State Security, was founded in 1983. Its main objective is to gather intelligence on those that could be seen as enemies with the goal of overthrowing or otherwise dismantling the socialist government of China.


The MSS has agents stationed throughout the world posing as ordinary citizens. The MSS has a primary interest in the United States and has many agents posted throughout the Silicon Valley in California.


11: RAW (India)


India’s intelligence agency is known as the Research and Analysis Wing or RAW. It is sometimes also abbreviated as R&AW.


RAW was founded in 1968 with its main objective to gather intelligence about its neighbor, Pakistan. Throughout the years, Pakistan has continued to be a primary target of its intelligence gathering efforts.


It is estimated that RAW employs more than eight thousand field agents in various locations throughout the world.


All pictures are courtesy of MorgueFile.

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World’s Largest and Most Expensive Yachts

مرسلة بواسطة abosharaka


Photo by autumn_leaf

Yachts are so beautiful and charming. They seem to fly over the waves inspiring a magnificent feeling of freedom. But having even a small yacht is not a cheap pleasure, not to mention the world’s biggest and most expensive yachts. I wish I could spend at least a day on one of these amazing mega-yachts, as I’m sure that would be unbelievable!
Dubai

Dubai is the current name of the second biggest yacht in the world. It is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (the ruler of the Emirate of Dubai). It has a length of 162 m. It goes right after the Eclipse yacht (which is the largest one is 170 meters long). The construction process lasted over 10 years. The yacht was built by German construction company Blohm & Voss, and was completed by Lürssen Company. The Dubai is distinguished by its exclusive and graceful interior design created by French product designer Philippe Starck. Its huge lounge (which is able to host 80 people) is styled with mosaic floors and palm-like columns resembling an oasis in the desert. There is a gorgeous pool on the main deck with a waterfall running out to the down-level decks. The Dubai has 5 VIP apartments and 6 guest cabins; there is a helicopter pad, submarine, SPA-salon, and modern gym. The yacht is valued at$300 million USD.

Photo by strizale


Photo by saraab™

Photo by s_zeimke
Al Said

Al Said is a luxury yacht owned by Sultan Qaboos of Oman. This is currently the third largest yacht in the world with a length of 155 m. The yacht was built by one of the largest and most successful German shipbuilding companies, Lürssen Werft. The Al Said was ordered by the Oman royal family in 2006. It was launched in 2007 under code name Sunflower and then was renamed to “Al Said” after being purchased by Sultan Qaboos bin Said. The perfect interior design was created by Redman Whiteley Dixon Company. There is a luxurious concert hall which seats 70 visitors.

Photo from Wikipedia




Photo by Bilal /\/\iRza
Prince Abdulaziz

Prince Abdulaziz is considered the fourth largest motor yacht in the world with its length of 147 meters. It is owned by the Saudi Royal family for the past 26 years. The yacht was designed in 1984 by Maierform and built by Helsingør Værft in Denmark. For more than 20 years it was known as the world’s largest motor yacht. The Prince Abdulaziz is a classic example of eighties vessels. The helicopter pad is one of its important virtues; nowadays it is essential to modern motor yachts. The yacht was renovated in 2007 and became famous because of its speed of 22+ knots.

Photo from Wikipedia

Photo by thatgirl
Rising Sun

Rising Sun is the world’s sixth largest motor yacht after Al Salamah and Prince Abdulaziz. Its length is 138 meters. It is co-owned by Larry Ellison (CEO of Oracle Corporation) and David Geffen (American film producer). The Rising Sun yacht was built in 2004 by Lürssen Werft. The development expenses are estimated at $377 million USD. The yacht is equipped with jacuzzi bathrooms, gym & spa salons, a huge wine cellar, private cinema with a giant plasma screen, and a basketball court on the main deck which serves as a helicopter pad. Among its multiple advantages there is a major limitation – an inability to tie up at small ports and exotic islands.

Photo by Daisuke

Photo by Daisuke

Photo by PlanetStar 
Savarona

Savarona takes the seventh place in the world’s largest yachts rate. The luxury motor yacht is 136 meters in length. It was the largest motor yacht when it launched in 1931. Also, it was the first custom-made vessel built by German’s Blohm & Voss with an original cost of $4 million USD (much more by today’s standards). The Savarona was originally ordered by Emily Roebling Cadwalader, who owned it for a couple of years and then sold it to Kemal Ataturk, the Turkish President. Since 1980 the Savarona has been leased by Turkish businessman Kharaman Sadikoglu and treated as a charter luxury business yacht. The Savarona was completely rebuilt in 1999 and modern diesel engines were installed.

Photo by The Elder Dan

Photo by twiga269

Photo by steve.wilde 
Al Mirqab

Al Mirqab is the eighth largest yacht in the world, owned by Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister. The yacht of 133 meters in length was built by Germany’s Kusch Yachts in 2004 and launched in 2008. In 2008, according to Forbes Magazine the Al Mirqab was called as the second most beautiful yacht in the world. The Al Mirqab is one of the most interesting luxury yachts; it has everything one can imagine on board – a helicopter pad, two jacuzzis, a cinema, water jets, bars, and a small fast boat.

Photo by twiga269

Photo by ehpien

Photo by epo:redia
Octopus

Octopus is the ninth largest (126 meters long) super-yacht in the world. It was custom built in 2003 for Paul Allen (co-owner of Microsoft Corporation) by Germany’s Lürssen Werft. The Octopus has been priced at around $170 million USD. The vessel’s hull is made of ice-resistant steel material. The excellent interior design was created by Jonathan Quinn Bennett and is famous for the cinema, audio recording studio, submarine, and pleasure boats. The Octopus has another special appeal – its transparent floor from which the mysterious underwater world can be observed.

Photo from Wikipedia

Photo by Daisuke Ido

Photo by ethan21

Photo by 1000zen
HMY Britannia

Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia is the former Royal Yacht of the British Royal Family. With a length of 126 meters it is one of the largest yachts in the world. Due to its age (57 years by now) the royal vessel was decommissioned in 1997 and is currently moored as an exhibition ship at Leith, Edinburg, Scotland. During its history the Britannia transported a number of famous people such as U.S. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan; Charles and Diana, Prince and Princess of Wales who spent their honeymoon cruise aboard it in 1981, and many others.



Photo by stusmith_uk

Photo by Pauky 
Alexander

Alexander is known as the world’s 11th largest yacht after 8th Wonder yacht. Its length is 122 meters, with a capacity to hold 82 passengers. It was built in 1965 by Lubecker Flender for the Latsis Family. Currently the vessel is treated as a charter luxury yacht for the world’s famous celebrities and costs around $100,000 daily. The Alexander is distinguished by its old-style design and luxury modern equipment. There is everything one can dream of being on a board: two jacuzzis, meeting and conference halls, a private cinema, restaurant, pools and sunbathing places, a fast boat to enjoy the sea and, of course, a helicopter pad.

Photo by twiga269 

Photo by twiga269
“A” (Project Sigma)

“A” (Project Sigma) takes the 12th place in the worlds’ largest super-yachts with a length of 119 meters. The yacht was especially built for Belorussian business man Andrey Melnichenko in the summer of 2008 by the Blohm & Voss Shipbuilding Company. The Project Sigma yacht has an exclusive modern design proposed by reknowned French designer Philippe Starck. It is notable for its futuristic look with an axe bow and a small, tall superstructure at the aft end of the yacht. Among one of the largest luxury yachts, the “A” Project Sigma is found to be one of the ugliest ones as well.

Photo by afloden

Photo by twiga269



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