by Gail Ingis | May 29, 2014 | Events, News, Technical
Daniel Libeskind Designs Milan Expo Pavilion for Chinese Developer Vanke
New York-based architect Daniel Libeskind has proposed a twisted reptilian structure for the first ever expo pavilion for a stand-alone Chinese company.
Ancient Chinese teachings and Renaissance art are cited as some of the inspirations for the building, whose twisted shape is intended to create a “continuous flow” between inside and outside spaces. A staircase will also curve around the exterior, leading up to a rooftop terrace.
Responding to the Expo theme Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, New York exhibition designer Ralph Appelbaum and Chinese graphic designer Han Jiaying will work with Libeskind to create an interior described by Vanke as a “virtual forest”. This will feature 300 multimedia screens, offering a look at the role of the dinner table in Chinese communities.
Designed for Vanke, China’s largest property developer, the Shitang pavilion is already under construction at the Milan Expo 2015 site, and was conceived by Daniel Libeskind as a sinuous volume with a scaly outer skin.
“In keeping with the theme of Expo Milano, Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, we proposed the concept ‘Shitang’ for the Vanke Pavilion,” said Vanke chairman Wang Shi.
“Shitang in Chinese means ‘table’. We thus want to express our idea of urbanisation and community through the experience of food. Indeed, food is one of the most effective ways to understand a culture: the ritual of eating and talking together is important in every community because by eating together it is possible to get to know each other better,” he said.
Libeskind has previously said that he would not work in China on ethical grounds and urged architects to “think twice” about building in the country. Later that same year it was revealed by UK architecture newspaper BD that his practice was working on a 25,000-square-metre public building in Hong Kong.
“This is not a dogmatic idea for Daniel,” Nina Libeskind told BD in 2008. “Its a personal thing for him. We’ve seen what has happened in Tibet, but there is a rule of law in Hong Kong that Daniel is comfortable with.”
I was thrilled to find this pavillion through architectural news on Twitter and written up in de zeen magazine. I went exploring. This edifice is a fascinating structure with its twists and turns and will be available for all to experience in 2015 in Milan. Plan to go now.
Should we all go together?
by Gail Ingis | May 21, 2014 | Events, History, News
Local red roof barn
Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, and then there’s Putney. You probably know what state these towns are in. The town we visited was Putney. Putney is anything but a sleepy town in Vermont. But, this town has no supermarket. I couldn’t believe it. What, where will we buy our food? How can I prepare our meals if there is no food, where’s the supermarket, or grocery store or something? No worries. Tucked away around a corner was their Co-op that calls itself a grocery store.
The popular Captain getting his garden ready to plant.
The Putney Co-op is a full service, community owned grocery store and deli. It’s been around for more than seventy years. You can buy all kinds of fresh food, grown locally, delicious baked good and hefty sandwiches. A little pricy, but everything is fresh. Then, of course, just in case you can’t get to the next town Brattleboro, with their supermarket, seven miles or so away, there are staples of all types. The General Store and Pharmacy has all kinds of necessaries and first aid items like peroxide and bandaids and tweezers to get out splinters. Here there’s a store called “Basketville,” and known, obviously, for it’s woven baskets. It also sells necessaries, and handmade rocking chairs. And candy. And rugs. And toothpaste. This is what the brochure says about Basketville. A landmark store . . . a browser’s paradise, vast and barnlike, full of handcrafted items for the home. You never know what you’ll find down the next aisle. Whatever you find, it’s probably a bargain. They pride themselves on outlet prices, workshop direct deals, and frequent specials. The international basket collection includes exotic new imports from Africa and Cambodia. The store is100% solar powered. We were amazed at the selections. Fun. The drugstore, within another store, the general store, and the co-op all think they are cafe’s. There are sit-down areas to eat, drink and socialize. It’s all very strange.
Local waterfall
There’s even a waterfall in town. It’s mini, like everything else, but it is a waterfall. Makes noise like a waterfall, feels like a waterfall, smells like a waterfall. It’s even wonderful to stand nearby and feel the cool spray as it pours into the canal.
Private tennis court in the middle of nowhere.
For those of you who know, tennis has been part of my life, and Tom’s. Upon exploration, we found a private tennis court. There is enough land to grow several tennis courts, but this one was right near that red roof barn in the first image above, in the middle of nowhere. No, we didn’t invite ourselves. Perhaps, if we had our tennis racquets . . .
This trip to Putney, Vermont, was for a painting workshop for me. Since flowers are not always my first choice to paint, I opted for this workshop because the emphasis was flowers. You can figure that one out, can’t you?
Putney barn studio
Gail’s Pansy set-up
So here’s the interior of the Putney barn studio and flowers to select for our set-ups .
You are probably wondering where we hunkered down at the end of each intense workshop day. Our accommodations were right below this studio.
It was a busy week. There were seven of us, and our workshop leader standing in the middle of the studio, Stephanie Birdsall, an amazing artist and instructor. Google her if you want to know more about her work. We loved our workshop, and found new friends.
Gail’s Pansy oil painting 9×12 using set-up above
Putney barn exterior
In this barn, we had a lovely apartment on the first level just under the studio. It’s the first set of lower windows, We had a bedroom, full bathroom, sitting room, and full kitchen. Brand, spanking new, we were the first guests. It was comfortable, clean, lovely, and had full views of the vast landscape.
Here’s more images. Wonderful, not so sleepy town, Putney, Vermont. Do you have a favorite town in Vermont? 
Gail’s Begonia set-up
Gail’s in-process Begonias using set-up above
by Gail Ingis | May 7, 2014 | Events, History, News
The street where slaves were bought and sold
Crepe Myrtles, restaurants, at least two on each block, talented artists, galleries, historic buildings, also at least two on each block, cobblestones, and museums.
The Old Slave Mart Museum
Charlestown has a fascinating history going back to 1630 after Charles II of England was restored to the English throne in 1660 following Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate, he granted the chartered Province of Carolina to eight of his loyal friends. It took seven years before the group arranged for settlement expeditions. The community of Charles Towne was founded in 1670. Several shiploads of settlers from Bermuda settled the community on the banks of the Ashley River. Although they moved to a peninsula between the Ashley and Cooper rivers, the early settlement was often subject to attack from sea and land, from Spain, France, pirates and raids by Native Americans, who violently resisted further expansion of the settlement.
The pink house on the famous cobblestone street
At 17 Chalmers Street, this pink house is said to be the oldest standing tavern building in the South. Built within the walled city of Charles Towne in the mid 1690s by John Breton.
The first settlers were free people of color, who came from England and its Caribbean colony of Barbados and Atlantic colony of Bermuda. Other groups were attracted to Charles Towne, but because of the battles between English royalty and the Roman Catholic church, practicing Catholics could not settle in South Carolina until after the American Revolution. However, Jews were allowed and Sephardic Jews migrated to the city in such numbers that by the beginning of the 19th century, the city was home to the largest and wealthiest Jewish community in North American—a status it would hold until about 1830.
Africans were brought to Charles Towne on the Middle Passage, first as servants, then as slaves. The port of Charles Towne was the main dropping-off point for Africans captured and transported to the American English colonies for sale as slaves.
Famous horse and carriage tour
By the mid-18th century Charles Towne had become a bustling trade center, the hub of the Atlantic trade for the southern colonies. Charles Towne was also the wealthiest and largest city south of Philadelphia. By 1770, it was the fourth-largest port in the colonies, after Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, with a population of 11,000-slightly more than half of them slaves.
When the invention of the cotton gin in 1793 it revolutionized the production of this crop, and it quickly became South Carolina’s major export commodity. Cotton plantations relied heavily on slave labor, and slaves were also the primary labor force with in the city, working as domestics, artisans, market workers and laborers. After a revolt by Denmark Vesey, a free black in 1822, hysteria ensued amidst white Charlestonians and Carolinians who feared that the violent retribution of slaves against whites during the Haitian Revolution might be copied. Soon after, Vesey was hanged along with 34 other slaves. Later, the activities of free blacks and slaves were severely restricted.
Crepe Myrtle tree (smoothest trunk I ever did see) when it’s warm it has gorgeous flowers
After the Civil war and the defeat of the Confederacy, Federal forces remained in Charleston during the city’s reconstruction. The war had shattered the prosperity of the city. Freed slaves were faced with poverty and discrimination. In 1865 The Avery Normal Institute was established by the American Missionary Association as a private school for Charleston’s African American population. There is the old slave museum on the very same block where slaves were bought and sold before the Civil War. The Old Slave Mart Museum, located at 6 Chalmers St., recounts the story of Charleston’s role in this inter-state slave trade by focusing on the history of this particular building and site and the slave sales that occurred here. We missed visiting the museum by fifteen minutes.
On August 31, 1886, Charleston was nearly destroyed by an earthquake. It was felt as far away as Boston, Chicago and Milwaukee, New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as Cuba and Bermuda. If you visit Charleston you can see the plaques used to shore up a building by inserting long rods from one end of the building to the other.
Known for its rich history, well-preserved architecture, distinguished restaurants, in which we indulged in as frequently as possible, like the much awarded Slightly North of Broad (also called SNOB, for short).
Everyone visit Charleston even the Navy
And the music . . . we visited the circular church co-founded with Charles Towne around 1687 by the English Congregationalists, Scots Presbyterians, and French Huguenots of the original settlement. The music program was called “The Sound of Charleston and included gospel spirituals, Gershwin, jazz, and more.
historic house and the popular azaleas
Charleston has received a large number of accolades, including “America’s Most Friendly [City]” by Travel + Leisure in 2011 and in 2013 by Condé Nast Traveler,[7] and also “the most polite and hospitable city in America” by Southern Living magazine.
Age old oak
The tree is often called the oldest living thing in the U.S. east of the Mississippi and is often cited to be over 1500 years old. While the first might be true for a single, not resprouting tree, the second is almost certain an exaggeration. Age estimations for this tree are not scientifically substantiated, but a comparison with live oak trees for which the growth rings were counted and a comparison with proven ages for deciduous oak trees in temporate climates (where trees grow slower) makes an age of less than 600 years more likely. The Angel Oak is standing 20 m (65 ft) tall, with a girth of about 7.7 m (28 ft) in diameter, and the crown covers an area of 1,580 m² (17,000 square feet). Its longest limb is 27 m (89 ft) in length. The tree and surrounding park have been owned by the city of Charleston since 1991.
The oak derives its name from the Angel estate, although local folklore told of stories of ghosts of former slaves would appear as angels around the tree[7].
Spanish moss, prevalent in the South from the high humidity
With a haze of Spanish moss dripping from the oaks’ limbs, this garden has an extraordinary Southern feel.
A modern landmark
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge across the Cooper River opened on July 16, 2005, and was the second longest cable-stayed bridge in the Americas at the time of its construction. The bridge links with downtown Charleston, and has eight lanes plus a 12-foot lane shared by pedestrians and bicycles. It replaced the Grace Memorial Bridge (built in 1929) and the Silas N. Pearlman Bridge (built in 1966). They were considered two of the more dangerous bridges in America and were demolished after the Ravenel Bridge opened.
Another visit is in order. In fact, we are planning a return in about a year.
Would you want to know more about this infamous Charleston? It’s a great place to spend a few days.
by Gail Ingis | May 1, 2014 | Events, History, News
Alligators, about four feet long, Hmm, maybe six feet for this one, with heads at least a third of their bodies, hang out on the edge of the waterways. They lay on the grassy lagoons basking in the sunlight. Tom and I were strolling by, shocked to see alligators in this place that is supposed to be a hotel/Inn on the bluffs of the Ashley River in South Carolina. I began to walk closer to get a good picture, but I felt a hand on my arm pull me back. “You don’t want to get too close, do you?” asked my hubby Tom. But as I persevered, the alligator picked up his head, and I jumped back. But like lightening, it was gone as it dropped into the water. They didn’t seem as though they were interested in eating us, or anyone else for that matter. At least no one has gone missing . . . yet. 
On the bluffs of the Ashley River, The Inn at Middleton Place, is nestled amongst old pines and centuries old oak trees, trees that are at least eight-hundred years old, with a girth of thirty-three feet, and steps away from the country’s oldest landscaped gardens. It was like being in summer camp, in the South, where alligators prevail. A camp like no other I remember. There are no paved roads or walkways. What appears to be a dense forest at the edge of the river, climbs up to level walkway, I guess that would be called the bluffs.
The organization of the architecture is most unusual in its boxy appearance created by the tall walls of windows, divided by bold, dark grids in each bank of buildings. The buildings appear to be tall boxes juxtaposed to each other. I think the idea was to create an environment of informal elegance.
In the interior, the floor to ceiling windows bring into every room views of the pastoral woodland setting sweeping views over the meandering Ashley River, where the rice plantation culture, not the cotton culture that prevailed in the South, flourished more than 200 years ago. 
The stable yard is fascinating. It’s filled with ducks, white geese, peacocks, chickens, roosters, milking cows and horses of all sorts. And soaking in a water pond, two water buffalo, one white, one black, hang out. They follow you with their eyes as you walk by and appear very serious about soaking in the pond. If you happen to be around the stables when they feed the chickens, all the birds come running. It’s hilarious to watch the feathered fellows gather and squawk within their clans, and push their way in to get their share.
The inn is on the property of the Middleton family’s 18th century plantation and is about thirteen miles northwest of Charleston. It feels very secluded, but just outside the property is busy US 61 with several condominium neighborhoods and the Magnolia Plantation just up the road. People from the wintery North are moving to the sunny South to escape the harsh winters. Hmm, tempting.
Middleton Place was established in 1741. Four generations of Middletons’ occupied the estate. Days after the fall of Charleston in 1865, the Main House and flanking buildings were ransacked and burned by a detachment of the 56th New York Regiment on February 22nd. The ground was strewn with books, paintings and other family treasures. William Middleton restored the South Flanker. What was left of the Main House and North Flanker toppled in the Earthquake of 1886.
The restored South Flanker survived and is a museum today. Middleton Place is a National Historic Landmark and home to America’s Oldest Landscaped Gardens visited by thousands.
According to the words of the ads, the inn offers guests a unique, hands on approach to experiencing the LowCountry of South Carolina. This secluded inn is the perfect place to reconnect with nature and history while being a short drive from the culture and beauty of historic Charleston. Ground tours include the Middleton Place Gardens, house Museum, and stable yards.
Rice Fields as they were in the 19th century
Within this luscious landscape, a five-star restaurant resides. We did indulge, why not? We were a captive audience, and who doesn’t enjoy good food? And drink of course. Plenty of wine choices and beverages of all kinds. Have you ever heard of a Bloody Mary and “sweep the kitchen”? It’s spiced tomato juice with veggies, and liquor of your choice or not.
Why not visit? Wouldn’t this place make a fascinating setting for your next book? Especially you history buffs?
Scroll down for a picture show.
Can you see the alligator near the water?
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