Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Eiffel Tower



Gustave Eiffel, the man who created The Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty was a famous architect for metallic buildings. His name Eiffel is taken from the place where his German ancestors lived. He was born in Dijon, Côte-d'Or, France on December 15, 1832. He studied Chemistry at the famous Ecole Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris. Aside from the two famous structures he built, he was also known for building state of the art bridges all over the world. Truly, Gustave Eiffel is one of the greatest architects and engineers of all time. People like me won't remember him but his works will never fade in the hearts of the people.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The Great Wall of China


The Great Wall of China stretches over 4,000 miles and was built beginning in the 5th century BC and added to and maintained until the 16th century to keep China’s northern border safe from attacks. Despite erroneous reports the Great Wall cannot be seen from the moon but some 1 million plus people visit the Wall annually here on planet earth.

REN Building




The REN Building is a proposal for a hotel, sports and conference center for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The building is conceived as two buildings merging into one. The first building, emerging from the water, is devoted to the activities of the body, and houses the sports and water culture center.
The two buildings meet in a 1000 room hotel, a building for living.
REN building in Shanghai - a symbol of human or the dominance of human over this planet or the inhumane nature of man?

The Statue Of Liberty
















The Statue of Liberty is located on Liberty Island in New York Harbor and was a gift to the United States from France in 1886 to honor the ideals of freedom and independence and to represent the friendship established between the two countries during the American Revolution. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi sculpted the statue which stands 151 feet high, and 305 feet high including the pedestal and foundation. The Statue of Liberty became a symbol of hope and freedom for many millions of people who immigrated to the United States during the 20th century to find a new life of peace and prosperity.

The Opera House




Danish architect Jørn Utzon designed and largely built the Sydney Opera House located in Australia. Its unique design contains eight separate performing spaces including the Concert Hall which is home to the Sydney Symphony. Construction on the Opera House started in 1958 and the structure was completed in three phases. The building of the upper podium which was completed in 1963. The building of the outer shells which finished in 1967. And the construction of the interior which finished in 1973. In June of 2007 UNESCO declared the Opera House a World Heritage Site. Up to 300,000 people tour the Opera House every year and it is one of Australia’s most recognized sites.

Collosseum




The Colosseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.

Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81-96).The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name.

Originally capable of seating around 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.

Although in the 21st century it is in a ruined condition due to damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is now an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Taj Mahal







Located in Agra, India, the Taj Mahal took 21 years to complete and was finished in 1653. The Taj Mahal was built as a mausoleum for emperor Shah Jahan’s 3rd wife who died giving birth to their 14th child.














It is arguably the most recognized building in the world today and is visited annually by some 4 million people.