Monday, October 31, 2011

Supremo Tribunal Federal, Brasilia

Supremo Tribunal Federal, BrasiliaThe Supremo Tribunal Federal (Supreme Court) is one of the powers that flank the Praça dos Três Poderes (Square of Three Powers) in Brasilia.

Designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1958 is it one of the fabulous Modernist buildings that make Brasilia such an interesting city.

The statue, a Justiça (Justice), in front of the court dates from 1961 and was sculpted by Alfredo Ceschiatti.

A Justiça, Brasilia

References:
Fundação Oscar Niemeyer, www.niemeyer.org.br
Enciclopédia Itaú Cultural de Artes Visuais, Ceschiatti, Alfredo (1918 - 1989)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Clock Restaurant, Griffith

Clock Restaurant, Griffith

Clock Restaurant, Griffith
A former bank, now Clock restaurant, in Griffith.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Police Building, Montevideo

Police Building, MontevideoThis massive building belongs to the Police force in Montevideo.

Huge columns and that wide expanse of concrete around the roofline. Everything about this building is so enormous, except the windows. There are several small porthole windows above the doorways and the regular rectangular windows are very small in contrast to the overall bulk of the building.

Police Building, Montevideo

And then you notice something delicate and beautiful with no definite purpose. Decoration, pure and simply, as decoration.

Police Building, Montevideo

Two lines, liked piped icing, tracing the line of the steps leading to the main entrance.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Apartments, Buenos Aires

Apartments, Buenos Aires

A lovely asymmetrical apartment block in Buenos Aires.

Monday, October 24, 2011

former Crítica Newspaper Building, Buenos Aires

former Crítica Newspaper Building, Buenos Aires

This is one of the best Art Deco buildings in Buenos Aires. It is the former offices of the Crítica daily newspaper. It was designed by Hungarian architects Andrés & Jorge Kálnay.

former Crítica Newspaper Building, Buenos Aires

former Crítica Newspaper Building, Buenos Aires

former Crítica Newspaper Building, Buenos Aires

Reference:
Av. de Mayo 1333 / Ex Edificio Crítica (JORGE KALNAY), Homenaje a los Arq. Andrés y Jorge Kálnay Blog by Alejandro Machado

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Community Restorative Centre, Chippendale

Community Restorative Centre, ChippendaleThe Community Restorative Centre (CRC) provide a range of support services to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families and friends.

They also live in this former bank, dating from 1933, on the corner of Broadway & Shephard Street, Chippendale in Sydney, NSW.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Apartments / Greengrocer

Apartments / Greengrocer

Apartment block in Montevideo with its own corner greengrocer.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Police and Fire Station No 10, Montreal

former Police & Fire Station No 10, MontrealI was interested to learn of the practice in Montreal, and perhaps elsewhere in Canada, of combining police stations and fire stations in a single building.

This is former Police and Firs Station No 10, now just Fire Station No 25. It was designed by Harold Edgar Shorey and Samuel Douglas Richie.

former Police & Fire Station No 10, Montreal

former Police & Fire Station No 10, MontrealThe doors to the separate police & fire sections of the building are marked with simple block letters. Police on one side of the building with the bays for the fire engines around the corner.

A frieze above the Police Station door depicts city buildings in one section and shipping activity it two others.

former Police & Fire Station No 10, Montreal
The building was constructed in 1931 and won first prize in the public building category from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada the same year.



Reference:
Centre-Ville tour booklet, 10th World Congress on Art Deco, Montreal

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Hotel Broadway, Chippendale

Hotel Broadway, SydneyThankfully when they converted part of this Art Deco pub in Sydney into apartments (and added some more onto the roof) they kept the old Hotel Broadway sign.

It is still a pub, well there is a cafe/bar on the ground floor and the building is in a prime location on Broadway in Chippendale.

I didn't have time even to pop across and look inside but I imagine anything deco would have been stripped from the public areas.

Hotel Broadway, Sydney

Monday, October 17, 2011

former Cine Trocadero, Montevideo

former Cine Trocadero, MontevideoRafael Ruano designed this former cinema in Montevideo's Avenida 18 de Julio. It was known as the Cine Trocadero but now houses the Iglesia Universal del Reino de Dios (Universal Church of the Kingdom of God).

The figure on the façade does seem to have a religious theme but closer examination proves her to to be purely theatrical.

Inside, the foyer is quite sparse but does have a very stylish staircase off to one side and just inside the front doors, a vent on the floor bears the Trocadero name.

Reference:
Cine Trocadero, Montevideo, cinematreasures.org

former Cine Trocadero, Montevideo

former Cine Trocadero, Montevideo

former Cine Trocadero, Montevideo

Sunday, October 16, 2011

JK Memorial, Brasilia

JK Memorial, BrasiliaThis amazing scene is in Brasilia (where else?).

It is the JK Memorial designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1980 (yes the nineteen-eighties!!!) for the former Brazilian President and founder of Brasilia, Juscelino Kubitschek.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Assembly Hall, Footscray

Assembly Hall, FootscrayNo doubt there is quite a history to this little deco Assembly Hall in the back streets of Footscray.

Who assembled here? Who uses it now and why have the windows been bricked up with such unsympathetic bricks?

I first glimpsed this building several years ago from Footscray Road, just before it takes a dog-leg and ducks under the Geelong Road overpass. Since then I have always looked for it when passing but never ventured down for a closer look and to take a few photos ... until now.

Assembly Hall, Footscray

Friday, October 14, 2011

141-143 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

141-143 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

An Art Deco building at 141-143 Flinders Lane in Melbourne adapted for a variety of uses including a gallery and a restaurant.

141-143 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

141-143 Flinders Lane, Melbourne

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Chapman Tomb, Recoleta Cemetery

Chapman Tomb, Recolata Cemetry

I presume that this tomb in Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires was originally built for Elisa Chapman since her name appears so promenently above the door.

Chapman Tomb, Recolata CemetryThe Art Deco plaque above Elisa's name, however, relates to Lieutenant Jorge Chapman who was associated with the Military Aviation School but unfortunately died in a plane crash fulfilling his duties on 19 March 1925.

(click on the image to see a larger version)

Monday, October 10, 2011

Police Kiosks, Montevideo

Police Kiosk, Pocitos

The seafront and beaches of Montevideo have several of these Police kiosks.

Police Kiosk, Pocitos

This one is in Pocitos while the one below, obviously no longer used by the Police, is in the Ciudad Vieja (Old City).

Deco Kiosk, Montevideo

Deco Kiosk, Montevideo

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Escola de Educação Física do Exército, Urca

Escola de Educação Física do Exército, UrcaForte São João (St John Fort) sits in the shadow Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf) in the Rio de Janeiro suburb of Urca.

That's where you'll find the Army's Escola de Educação Física do Exército (Physical Education School) with it's central entrance marked by a series of four white stepped fins.

Escola de Educação Física do Exército, Urca

Escola de Educação Física do Exército, Urca

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Instituto Art Déco Brasil, Rio de Janeiro

Instituto Art Déco Brasil, Rio

This is the headquarters of the Instituto Art Déco Brasil near the Jardim Botânico in Rio de Janeiro.

Instituto Art Déco Brasil, Rio

Instituto Art Déco Brasil, Rio

Friday, October 7, 2011

Windows, Footscray Town Hall

Early this year I wrote about the former City of Footscray Town Hall designed by architect Joseph Plottel and opened in 1936. I'd never been inside and I got the chance to have a quick look the other day. Unfortunately I didn't get to see any of the grander rooms and I imagine there are some in this fine building. No I got to duck up some side stairs to have a look at an exhibition. On the way I snapped these leadlight windows.

Window, Footscray Town Hall

Window, Footscray Town Hall

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Apartments, Montevideo

Apartments, MontevideoThese apartments in the Ciudad Vieja in Montevideo are right opposite the dock area along the River Plate.

A sports area that several soccer pitches fills the space between the street where the apartment block is and the main road carrying traffic to the ferry terminal and the eastern suburbs of Montevideo.

Apartments, Montevideo

Apartments, Montevideo

Monday, October 3, 2011

Obelisco de Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires MetalworkThe large obelisk at the intersection of Avenida Corrientes & Avenida 9 de Julio is in many ways the symbol of Buenos Aires.

It was designed by architect Alberto Prebisch and constructed in quicktime between March 20 and May 23 1936. It was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the foundation of Buenos Aires using concrete and Olaen white stone from Córdoba.

Obelisco de Buenos Aires

Obelisco de Buenos Aires

Reference:
Wikipedia: Obelisk of Buenos Aires