February, 2010: GET ARCHITECTS

Traveling to Barcelona? Barcelona never sleeps, so plan now for the time of your life! Don’t miss anything: immerse yourself in the wide range of cultural excursions, the nightlife, year ‘round pleasant temperatures, and the unique beauty, flair, and ambience of this special city by the sea. Discover why Barcelona is renowned for its distinctive character and incredible mix of modern and historic architecture. Let yourself join the millions of tourists who fall in love with Barcelona each year! You absolutely must visit the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí:

The Sagrada Familia: Gaudí spent ten years working on the designs for his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia, which is in the heart of the city. To find it, take the Metro L2 or L5 and leave at the Sagrada Familia station. You’ll find yourself standing right in front of the cathedral! You can gaze at this masterpiece from either of two parks. Although the cathedral was Gaudí’s life’s dream, he died in a tragic traffic accident in 1926 and was not able to see his project finished. Optimists expect that the construction will finally be completed in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s passing.

Parc Güell: This lovely garden in the north of the city was also created by Gaudí. Take the metro and disembark at Vallcarca. From there you can ride the escalators up the steep hill! At Parc Güell you will enjoy a panoramic view of all of Barcelona and the sea, and can relax on the Sala Hipóstila, the large terrace that made the park famous. Gaudí wanted the park to be a marketplace, a central gathering place. He decorated the inner and outer walls of the seating with many thousands of mosaics. When you visit Parc Güell, be sure to see the Gaudí museum (in a house where the architect once lived), and photograph the famed salamander that welcomes visitors at the main entrance, just at the bottom of the stairs.

If you’re a Gaudí enthusiast now and want to see more of his work, visit Casa Mila and Casa Batlló at the Passeig de Gracia in the city center. They might remind you of the houses of Hundertwasser. Paying the entrance fee allows you to learn far more about the details of the architecture. Gaudí used no right angles in these buildings; he liked to use shapes from nature.

When you’re ready to buy a souvenir and see the sights:
Travel down the Passeig de Gracia, where you will find Spanish shops and all the important designers. Heading south, you will discover Placa Catalunya, a huge square and the center of the city. Then continue with the Rambla, the most famous street in Barcelona until you reach the 197-foot-tall Columbus Monument. It marks the spot where Christoffel Columbus arrived in 1493 after his discovery of America. You might also enjoy exploring the Maremagnum, a shopping center that is especially good for rainy days, and the neighboring Aquarium (one of Europe’s largest), which contains 8,000 fish and 11 sharks! Then when you’re ready to relax, enjoy Barcelona’s 4 km of downtown beaches!

You‘ll be in good company when you fall in love with Barcelona, a city like no other. Progressive, innovative, and intriguing, this international jewel set by the Mediterranean Sea has earned its standing as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. Whatever the experience you seek, you’re sure to find it in Barcelona!

The Santos district of Lisbon (Portugal’s capital city) has become a virtual magnet for students, designers, computer graphics artists, architects, and other creative types. Near Lisbon’s dock area on the Tejo River and once regarded as somewhat dangerous, it is quickly growing in popularity and since 2005 has been dubbed the Santos Design District. Nineteenth-century warehouses and older apartment blocks (some over 200 years old) rub elbows with industrial workshops and some of Lisbon’s most exclusive hotels and apartments. The district offers a supply of large office spaces at inexpensive rents, as well as an abundance of cultural centers, galleries, design studios, and nightclubs. At night, Lisbon’s young and upwardly-mobile elite fill the many restaurants and wine bars.

New complex generates international interest:

In order to promote “the worlds of design and the arts,” Norman Foster (Britain’s most prominent architect) will design a vast commercial complex hosting galleries, studios, cutting-edge shops, nightclubs, and restaurants. This announcement has generated international interest in the regeneration of the Santos District and has attracted upwardly-mobile aficionados of design and architecture.

Top international design names like Norman Foster, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, or Richard Rogers are required in order to receive sufficient interest and investment money in today’s world of the celebrity designer. Lisbon’s Basque cousin Bilbao, Spain (which shares a history of seafaring) was rejuvenated by regeneration projects along the Nervión in the 1990’s and has since seen an enormous increase in tourism. Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim certainly added to this pull!

Some Lisbon design highlights:

· Leonel Moura Arte space

Leonel Moura, a renowned conceptual artist, inhabits this work and gallery space. His earlier work was photography based, but in the late 1990’s he switched to artwork involving Artificial Intelligence and Robotic art. He programs his models to design and paint, and then signs and displays the work. In the past this art work has included insect-human activity. Moura’s art space can be found at: Rua das Janelas Verdes, 76, Lisbon.

· Left

This ultra-trendy Lisbon nightclub, decorated entirely in white, boasts a young, eclectic, hipster crowd. Join them to wind down with a caprinha after a long day of cultural exploration! The Dj roster changes frequently, but you could be treated to a musical experience in the form of Lisbon’s Glitch-hop pioneers Mr. Glitz and Mutsihirato. You’ll find Left here: Largo Vitorino Damásio, 3F (a Santos, Lisboa).

· Yasmin

Chef Gualberto Casaca da Silva offers a rapidly-changing menu, a sophisticated fusion of traditional Portuguese ingredients with Mediterranean and Asian influences. You’ll appreciate the sleek, sexy design of this laid-back restaurant. Note the polished concrete floor and the dining room’s Saarinen tulip chairs! Dj’s provide a sound treat of chillout and jazz for the diners. You’ll find Yasmin at: Rua da Moeda 1a, Lisbon, 1200.

· ExperimentaDesign Biennale

This noteworthy cultural biennal, dedicated to design, architecture, and contemporary creativity, takes place in Lisbon (odd years) and Amsterdam. The Bienalle focuses on design in its broadest sense, especially project motivation methodology and the final product. Original project concepts are showcased through exhibitions, workshops, conferences, screenings, debates, and urban interventions. A number of venues throughout the city host the Biennal during autumn.

· Museu do Design (MuDe)

Lisbon’s design museum, one of the world’s finest, has reopened in new premises in an old bank building with warehouse aesthetics. MuDe holds a design collection consisting of 1,000 design objects by 230 designers from all over the world including Phillipe Starck, Charles Eames, George Nelson, Arne Jacobsen, Paul Henningsen, Vener Panton, Masanori Umeda, Henning Koppel, and Tom Dixon. You’ll enjoy innovative furnishings, glass, and jewelry from 1937 to the present!

There are also more than 1200 fashion pieces on display by icons like Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, and Yves Saint Laurent. Portuguese businessman Francisco Capelo’s fashion collection (including Christian Dior’s 1947 New Look and a Jean Dresses gown worn by Renee Zellweger to the 2001 Oscars), are also on exhibit. The comprehensive catalog describes wonders yet to come! Find MuDe in downtown Lisbon at Rua Augusta, 24.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints build temples. Temples are sacred edifices that are used for holy worship. Temples in the Mormon church have the same purpose that temples in the Bible had. There are over 100 temples across the world in many different countries. The temple that is represented most in the form of art and artwork, is the Salt Lake Temple. The Salt Lake Temple took over 40 years to build under the direction of Brigham Young, John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff.

This gray building built out of granite has a castle like look to it. The front has three towers pointing to heaven and likewise the back. These six towers represent the leadership of the church as there are six presiding officers: three for the spiritual welfare of the members and three for the physical well-being. There are also forty rooms found within the walls.

Although many temples exist all over the world the temple that is chosen to represent the church is the Salt lake temple. You will see pictures of this building on pamphlets produced by the church describing temples and their purpose and on the churches website. Many LDS jigsaw puzzles use this edifice as the image for the puzzle.

Why is this temple the most used in photograph, art, and other artwork, even though this temple was not the first completed by the Mormon church? One reason might be that the headquarters of the Mormon church is located in Salt Lake City. This is also in many ways the show case temple for the church. Every Christmas the grounds are lighted up with thousands of lights. Many people in Utah have fond memories of visiting the grounds every Christmas. There is also so much history in the building; as it is over 100 years old it is a way that members of the church can reflect upon the sacrifice of the early pioneers who worked for years to complete it.

Nearby are located other very important prominent buildings in the Mormon faith: the Tabernacle, the LDS Conference Center, the Assembly Hall, LDS museum of history and art, and other church office buildings. Every six months, the church holds a conference for a world wide audience that is broadcast all over the world, the temple is shown on screen during brief intermissions.

The temple has been photographed inside, and there are pictures of many of the rooms inside the temple. You can find them in LDS books such as “House of the Lord”. In the mid part of the twentieth century, when the temple was being renovated and updated, pictures were taken of the inside prior to the rededication to give members of the church and others an inside look, which had never been done previously. Once a temple is dedicated cameras are not allowed inside.

Since America is new in comparison to Europe and other old monarchies of the world, America does not have many castles; this is a great example of American architecture at its best.

Dunkerque is the northernmost French ferry port, only six miles from the border of Belgium. The third largest harbour in France, Dunkerque is popular with surfers, windsurfers and kayakers. Less touristy than some of the other French ports, Dunkerque is mostly industrial, producing a substantial portion of France’s oil and steel products.

South of Dunkerque is the port of Calais. Calais is one of the oldest and most popular ports for ferries to France via the English Channel. Only one hour and fifteen minutes from the port of Dover, Calais is also the closest port to the U.K. Like most of the towns on France’s west coast, partially demolished and restored medieval buildings and permanent reminders of World War II abound. Calais is also a gateway to many small and fascinating French towns.

Another popular and well-established ferry port in France is Boulogne. Also reputed to be the largest fishing seaport in France, Boulogne has a great selection of seafood restaurants to choose from. Preserved and renovated, Boulogne’s old walled medieval town contains churches, museums, palaces and restaurants just waiting to be explored. Outside the fortressed town, the Nausicaa Aquariium hosts a wide variety of marine exhibitions and activities to educate and entertain visitors of all ages. For those who prefer to just lounge in the sun, there are miles of long wide sandy beaches.

Once a popular seaside resort, Dieppe is one of the more attractive ports accessible by ferry. Less industrial than some of the other coastal towns in France, Dieppe is known for its delicious scallops and a great Saturday morning market. High chalk cliffs and pebbly beaches enhance the appeal of this small medieval town.

Further south along the coast is the city of Le Havre, which sustained the heaviest damage of any port in Europe during World War II. Reinforced concrete was the primary material used in Le Havre’s restoration, which occurred from 1946 to 1964. Architect Auguste Perret single-handedly planned and organized this colossal task, which resulted in a fascinating and visually compelling mixture of medieval architecture and thoroughly modern structural design that is internationally renowned.

Another interesting place to visit if you’re traveling by ferry to France is Cherbourg. The largest aquarium in Europe, containing 500,000 liters of seawater, can be found at La Cite de la Mer in Cherbourg. One can also visit Le Redoutable, which is the very first French nuclear submarine and also the largest submarine in the world that can be visited by sightseers. Cherbourg is also the home of a luxury umbrella factory, and those fortunate enough might catch a glimpse of them being wind-tested at nearby beaches.

Popular for both day trips and longer holidays, St. Malo can be found further south. Once legendary for corsair, pirates and privateers, St. Malo is now known for its great beaches and resorts. Those planning to visit St. Malo during the summer must be sure to make hotel reservations way in advance.

If war-struck and restored medieval churches and palaces, World War II relics and memorabilia, and aquariums are a bit overwhelming, then Roscoff might be just the place to go. As the southernmost and quietest ferry port on the French coast, Roscoff is best known for quiet nature walks and relaxation. Most of the harbor traffic consists of boats for fishing and for seaweed harvesting. As with most of the French coastal towns, restaurants in Roscoff are known for their seafood. Roscoff has sometimes been called “The Seaweed Capital of the World”. This is because of the massive amount of seaweed harvested in Roscoff and the numerous and diverse uses the inhabitants have discovered for it.

The great selection, availability and affordability of ferries to France ensure that surfers, scientists, beach bums, historians, and seafood gourmets will never lack places to explore and enjoy on the other side of the English Channel.