Tag Archives: architecture

Manitoba Legislative Building, Winnipeg, Canada

Karl on Oct 4, 2015 with Comments Off

The Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg is home to the provincial government of Manitoba — not unlike a USA state capital building. It’s an imposing structure sitting in the heart of historic Winnipeg on the banks of the Assiniboine River, not far from “The Forks” (junction of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, the historic heart of the city). It’s home to the legislative assembly, its committees, and offices for the ministers of all government departments. Groundbreaking for the building occurred in 1913 but delays in its construction occurred because of material shortages in the First World War, and it was not completed until 1919. It’s official opening was in 1920 on the 50th anniversary of Manitoba’s founding.

The Legislative building consists …

Tagged architecture, goldlen boy, Manitoba Legislature, Winnipeg

.All Trips / Europe / Italy

An Introductory Perspective of Sicily

Karl on Sep 28, 2015 with Comments Off

Travel guru Rick Steves likes to say (and I’m paraphrasing) that Italy either gets better or worse as you head south from Rome, depending on what you like. If you like a quieter people, trains running almost on time, etc. head north towards Milan. If you enjoy a lively chaotic experience, perhaps a little rough around the edges, then head to the bottom of the boot. Sicily, the three cornered island just a few miles from the mainland is about as far south as you can go. It’s part of Italy, but really has its own unique history and heritage.

I’d wanted to go to Sicily to meet its people, enjoy its food, and experience its antiquities and heritage. I knew …

Tagged Arab-Norman, architecture, food, Greek, history, Roman, ruins, Sicily, UNESCO World Heritage Site

“Pic of the Week”, September 4, 2015: Charleston Historic Post Office

Charleston is one of America’s most walkable cities, especially the area south of Broad Street. Compact enough to get around on foot, and with interesting architecture, gardening and history. I’ve greatly enjoyed both of my visits to this city.

During my last sojourn to Charleston, we stopped by the historic U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, a grand building situated just south of Broad near the corner of Meeting. It’s one of the oldest post offices in the United States and was completed in 1896 for the then staggering sum of $500,000. It’s thought that construction of this building lead to a revival of the area that surrounded it, then already well over a century old. The Historic Post Office is of …

Karl on Sep 3, 2015 | Comments Off

.All Trips / Eastern Canada / North America / Ontario

Old City Hall, Toronto, Canada

Karl on Apr 19, 2015 with Comments Off

In a city with hundreds of gleaming new skyscrapers, I found it refreshing to see and visit a view a few of Toronto’s older buildings, including this one in particular. It was designed by noted Toronto architect, Edward James Lennox (who also designed Casa Loma). The project took almost 10 years to complete, opening in 1899, and came in at the then hefty sum of $2.5 million. It’s a huge square quad building with a central courtyard. Two types of colored stone were used in the construction: 1) grey from the Credit River Valley in Ontario, and 2) brown from New Brunswick. To give you an idea of the scale of the project, it took the equivalent of …

Tagged architecture, Old City Hall, Toronto

.All Trips / North America / South Carolina / Southeastern USA

The Doors of Charleston

Karl on Mar 22, 2015 with Comments Off

Besides enjoying grand panoramas of a city, I think it’s good to look at the smaller things, too. It’s often these that makes a place interesting and reveal a lot about its character. Details of architecture are among these facets, providing a sense of style, color, sometimes even grace.

My wife has been taking pictures of doors for years. I have to confess to being sensitized to entryways by her careful eye. In modern towns and cities, doors tend to be fairly ugly things — prefabricated, mass-produced, often of low quality. They lack character. That’s not at all true of older buildings and older cities, like many of those in Europe, and it’s certainly not true of Charleston. Here the doors …

Tagged architecture, Charleston, doors

.All Trips / Europe / Germany

Cologne Cathedral — A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Karl on Mar 8, 2015 with Comments Off

I first saw Cologne’s Cathedral on a train journey from Amsterdam to Heidelberg in the late 1990s. It’s an imposing and immense Gothic structure situated adjoining the Cologne train station near the Rhine River. I recall the cathedral’s massive spires (157 m or 515′ tall) inspiring me to think, “some day I’m going to visit that church”! It took almost 15 years from that train trip to finally visit the Cathedral, but thanks to friends Bernd and Monika, my wife and I visited Cologne and its great cathedral recently.

Cologne Cathedral stands on the site of a 4th Century Roman ruin, and if you’ve time, there’s a fabulous Roman history museum immediately adjoining it that’s worth visiting. A previous church …

Tagged architecture, Cathedral, Cologne, Gothic, Rhine River, UNESCO World Heritage Site

“Pic of the Week”, August 22, 2014: Chicago’s River Walk

One of the most scenic urban walks in America is along the Chicago River. Just like the tall skyscrapers all around you, the river itself is one of Chicago’s iconic landmarks. It’s hard to keep your eyes on the sidewalk ahead as you’ll will be looking up and around to enjoy the great architecture of the buildings and bridges along the way. Or if you don’t want to walk, it’s great fun to cruise the river and relax as you enjoy the views!

The walk ends at the Navy Pier, itself a great destination! The River Walk takes you through the heart of “The Loop” and presents lots of opportunity to stop for something to eat or drink along the way. …

Karl on Aug 21, 2014 | Comments Off

.All Trips / Argentina / South America

La Boca, Argentina. Colorful, gritty, tough.

Karl on Mar 16, 2014 with 2 comments

Having just returned from a 3 week vacation to South America, I saw and photographed many fascinating places which I hope to share with you in the coming weeks. I thought I’d start with the very last but most colorful place we visited. La Boca (or Boca) is among the oldest “working class” neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. Settled in the 19th century, mostly by poor Italian immigrants from Genoa, it was built adjoining the city’s old harbor on Rio Riachuelo. As with much of Buenos Aires, it retains a distinct European flavor, but Boca has resisted gentrification — it seems to enjoy being the tough neighbor.

The immigrants homes in Boca, cobbled together some 150 years ago of wood and sheet metal and painted …

Tagged architecture, Argentina, Buenos Aires, colorful, La Boca, tango