This is the Stata Center at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in Cambridge. The architect is Frank Gehry who also designed the amazing Louis Vuitton Fondation in the Bois de Boulogne. Apparently there is a law suit against Gehry’s company because the building leaks. Sounds a bit like the problems IM Pei (MIT & Harvard …
Category Archives: Postcards
Postcard from Boston – The Rower
Boston skyline on a perfect day, taken from Cambridge along the Charles River. Boston, un jour parfait, photographié depuis Cambridge le long de la rivière Charles.
Postcard from Boston – Reflections of Trinity
Trinity Church in Boston, recognized as one of the most significant buildings in America, took shape on marshland in Boston’s Back Bay in the 1870’s. It is the birthplace and archetype of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, characterized by a clay roof, polychromy, rough stone, heavy arches, and a massive tower. I love the reflections in the glass …
Continue reading “Postcard from Boston – Reflections of Trinity”
Postcard from New York – Union Square Subway
Union Square is our local subway while we’re staying in NYC. It’s an excellent location, at the intersection of several subways and buses, which we prefer even though they are slower. When you go down into the subway station, it’s blisteringly hot. When you get into the train, you’re hit with the airconditioning. The stations …
Continue reading “Postcard from New York – Union Square Subway”
Postcard from New York – 9/11 & Brooklyn Bridge
Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of 9/11. As we walked across Brooklyn Bridge, the man in front of me stopped to take a photo of the One World Observatory. Crossing the bridge is a wonderful experience as you are above the cars (you can see the yellow taxi on the left below). We intend to …
Continue reading “Postcard from New York – 9/11 & Brooklyn Bridge”
Postcard from New York – Friends and Fire Escapes
Yesterday I learnt the story of the ubiquitous fire escapes on the front of New York buildings. Initially there were only inside staircases but in 1860, two separate fires destroyed two crowded tenement houses. In both cases, fire and smoke blocked the sole stairway, trapping those on the upper floors and claiming a total of …
Continue reading “Postcard from New York – Friends and Fire Escapes”
Postcard from New York – The Freedom Tower
The One World Trade Center (or 1 World Trade Center or 1 WTC) that you can see on the right, was nicknamed the Freedom Tower when construction begin. It is the main building in the new World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan and the highest skyscrape in the western hemisphere. The 104 storey tower has the …
Continue reading “Postcard from New York – The Freedom Tower”
Postcard from NYC – Reflecting Absence 9/11
“Reflecting Absence” with its two pools immortalises the footprint of the twin towers. Surrounding the pools on bronze parapets is the heartbreaking list of the names of the victims. The photo below shows a floral tribute from the French fire brigade to their New York colleagues who perished during the rescue operations that followed the attack. “Reflecting Absence” immortalise par deux bassins les empreintes …
Continue reading “Postcard from NYC – Reflecting Absence 9/11”
Postcard from France – Troyes
We thought it was fitting to finish our holiday in Germany with a stopover in the French mediaeval town of Troyes in Champagne which does not have painted façaddes but does have some beautifully renovated half-timbered buildings. Nous avons cru bon de terminer nos vacances en Allemagne avec un arrêt dans la ville médiévale française de Troyes …
Postcard from Germany – The End of the Ride
We ended our last ride in Germany in torrential rain, fortunately only for the last four kilometers. Back to France tomorrow. Nous avons terminé notre dernière virée en vélo en Allemagne sous une pluie torrentielle. Heureusement, il ne restait plus que quatre kilomètres. Demain nous serons de retour en France.