The Phoenicians were paramount in the spread of wine throughout the Mediterranean region, which is why it is odd that there is strikingly little archaeological evidence of wine production in Phoenicia itself. But things are changing as excavations at Tell el-Burak in Lebanon have revealed the first ancient Phoenician wine press. The structure was apparently rather innovative in its design, emphasizing the importance the beverage had both for Phoenician society and Mediterranean trade.

The Iron Age wine press dates to the 7th century BC and its discovery is shedding light on the wine production of the Phoenicians and their construction habits. Dr. Adriano Orsingher, of the Eberhard Karls University Tbingen, Germany and lead author in the current study published in Antiquity later today , told Ancient Origins that this find is the earliest evidence of wine-making installations in ancient Phoenicia.

The ancient Phoenician wine press at Tell el-Burak from the south-west. (Courtesy of the Tell el-Burak Archaeological Project/ Antiquity)

The ancient Phoenicians were significant wine traders and key in the spread of the production and consumption of the alcoholic beverage across the Mediterranean, so researchers have been keen to find out more about Phoenician wine making.

This is why the discovery of the first Phoenician wine press in Lebanon is such a great find by studying this well-preserved structure a team of researchers from the Eberhard Karls University Tbingen hope to glean more insight into the ways the Phoenician wine pioneers made the beverage.

The wine presss discovery site, Tell el-Burak, is a small Phoenician site that was occupied from the 8th to 4th century BC. It is located near the modern city of Sidon, which was also an important Phoenician city. Sidon was on the maritime trade routes of the eastern Mediterranean and the current and previous discoveries at Tell el-Burak suggest that it was focused on supplying the wine that people in the area would consume and inhabitants in Sidon would trade.

Phoenician territory and their extensive trade networks and settlements around the Mediterranean. (Credit: Rodrigo & Reedside / CC BY-SA 3.0 )

Phoenicians is an ancient Greek term which is now used to refer to Iron Age Semitic-speaking people who lived on the central coast of the Levant from around 1200-332 BC. They used their trade routes to spread not only wine, but also their alphabet, which was adopted and adapted by the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Wine was a valuable commodity for the ancient Phoenicians, but it was also important for traditions and ceremonies in their society. Dr. Orsingher explained some of the ritual ways the ancient Phoenicians used wine:

Wine consumption played a quintessential role in Phoenician feasting activities. Wine was also employed in libations, namely the act of intentionally pouring out liquids onto the ground, an altar, or another surface. In sacred areas, libations were poured to appease and thank deities and gain their favour, but they were also performed to honour or in memory of the deceased and ancestors in burial grounds.

Wine obviously played a significant socio-economic role in Phoenician societies. The researchers believe that this is reflected in the development of innovative solutions in the building technology of installations for the wine production. This innovation can be seen in the design of the newly discovered Phoenician wine press .

It was built with plaster that was made by mixing lime and recycled ceramics, making the press stronger and easier to build. This is in contrast to the Bronze and Iron Age wine presses of the Levant (c. third to first millennia BC), which were generally hewn into the bedrock or built with stone blocks, according to the new paper. Dr. Orsingher told Ancient Origins that the design of the wine press really was unique:

The archaeometric research offers the first evidence of a local and innovative tradition of plaster production in the southern Phoenicia, which is characterised by the mixing of crushed ceramic sherds with lime. Although the Phoenicians are often reported to have promoted the use of this type of plaster, the three installations of Tell el-Burak, dating from at least the 7th century BC, currently represent the first evidence of such a practice in the Phoenician homeland.

The scientific analysis carried out at the Competence Center Archaeometry - Baden-Wuerttemberg (CCA-BW) of the University of Tbingen revealed that use of recycled ceramics mixed with mortar (a technique known as cocciopesto) would have made the construction of the Phoenician wine press easier, more water-resistant, and more durable. Later on, Romans improved upon this technique and used it in their buildings as well.

Plan of the ancient Phoenician wine press at Tell el-Burak, showing the position of the plaster samples. ( Antiquity)

In their paper, the researchers write that even though this is the first example of a Phoenician wine press, there are numerous examples of ancient wine presses in the Levant and across the Mediterranean from the fifth millennium BC (or even earlier) to the first centuries AD with which it can be compared. Although they vary in building techniques, shapes, size and number of components there are three important elements to ancient wine presses: a treading floor/basin where grapes were smushed, a connecting channel for must to flow through, and a sunken vat to collect the must and sometimes the first fermentation of the wine.

In the case of the newly discovered Phoenician wine press, the excavators have found a large rectangular treading basin that is attached to a large vat that they state could hold roughly 4,500 liters of liquid, suggesting they were making wine on a large scale which was then shipped out in the large numbers of transport amphorae previously found.

The researchers wrote in their paper that excavations have been underway to the Tell el-Burak archaeological site since 2001. One of the excavated areas has revealed three plastered installations, two of unknown purpose, and the third being the wine press.

Structures at Tell el-Burak, area 3: a) plastered floor in room 1 of house 4, from the south-east; b) plastered floor in room 1 of house 4, from the north-west. (Courtesy of the Tell el-Burak Archaeological Project/ Antiquity)

One of those curious plastered installations is a basin-like feature that was unearthed beneath the floor of a courtyard. The other was discovered in a room, which was also coated with plaster, and had a plastered drainage channel in the wall between two rooms. The researchers are still uncertain of the relationship between those two plastered installations and the wine press. As they wrote in their paper:

The exact chronological correlation of the three plastered installations, however, is yet to be established. Currently, it is thought based on preliminary analysis of associated ceramics that all three installations were probably constructed during the seventh century BC or, in the case of the wine press, during the late eighth century BC.

Plastered basin in room 3 of house 3 at Tell el-Burak, from the south-west. (Courtesy of the Tell el-Burak Archaeological Project/ Antiquity)

However, the wine press was the only installation that they believe was still in use after the beginning of the sixth century BC.

Dr. Orsingher told Ancient Origins that solution to the mystery of the other plaster installations may available in the near future. He said, an organic residue analysis of plaster samples is currently ongoing at the University of Tbingen, which may determine whether all three plastered structures at Tell el-Burak were connected to wine production. At this regard, we also hope that the resumption of the excavations at Tell el-Burak in the Spring 2021 will provide us with more archaeological data.

The remains of a house found at Tell el-Burak, Lebanon. (Credit: Tell el-Burak Archaeological Project/ Antiquity)

Dr. Orsingher also told Ancient Origins that the researchers will be conducting an additional analysis to understand whether ceramic sherds were added into the lime plaster at Tell el-Burak to enhance its hydraulicity. Furthermore, putative evidence for a second press at the site was revealed by recent geophysical survey so the researchers hope that the continuation of the Tell el-Burak Archaeological Projects fieldwork activities will likely provide new evidence to be considered in the study of plaster production at Tell el-Burak, and its role in the broader Iron Age Mediterranean context.

The paper Phoenician lime for Phoenician wine: Iron Age plaster from a wine press at Tell el-Burak, Lebanon is published in the journal Antiquity.

Top Image: Reconstruction of the wine press at Tell el-Burak, looking from the south-east. Source: Tell el-Burak Archaeological Project; drawing by O.Bruderer; Antiquity

By Alicia McDermott

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7th Century Press is a Major Discovery for the History of Phoenician Wine - Ancient Origins

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County Judge Barry Moehring plans to update justices of the peace on the courthouse expansion at the Sept. 24 Quorum Court meeting.

"We should be able to give them a pretty good picture and go through the stages," Moehring said. The circuit judges, prosecutor and public defender staff also need to know where things stand, he said.

Justice of the Peace Susan Anglin looks forward to an update.

"If possible, I think it would be nice to see a picture of how the outside would look and more detail on changes to the entry and the security features," she said.

A new courtroom is needed for Christine Horwart, who was elected in March and will be the county's seventh circuit judge. She takes office Jan. 1. The Arkansas Legislature added the judgeship to assist with the increasing caseload.

The expansion would add 5,500 square feet to the downtown courthouse. The county plans to demolish the one-story section behind the courthouse that housed the coroner's office. A two-story addition is planned on the site with a lobby area and restrooms on the first floor. Horwart's courtroom and office area would be on the second floor.

"I like the proposed courthouse expansion in terms of meeting the needs of Division 7, now and in the future," Horwart said. "It will allow D7 to handle bench and jury trials with no limitation of space or resources."

Demolition work for the court expansion will start later this year and construction will start in early 2021, Moehring said. The old coroner's office will be used as the staging area for construction materials, he said.

County officials met with Bentonville planning staff Wednesday to start the development review process, Moehring said.

The county will finance $3.1 million to expand the courthouse. The county secured the loan from Regions Bank for five years at 1.59% with no prepayment penalty, said Brenda Guenther, county comptroller. The court approved the financing plan in July.

Included in the court expansion cost is $231,783 to repair the annex where Circuit Judge Brad Karren holds court, according to documents. The annex is across the street from the main courthouse.

New outside awnings are being installed on the annex, said Bryan Beeson, county facilities administrator. The west side awning was completed about three weeks ago, and the south side awning was installed last week.

Those two areas are where lines form outside as people wait for their cases to be called. The other two sides will be done in the coming weeks, Beeson said.

A sidewalk will be added under the awning on the west side that should stop water from seeping into the annex basement, Moehring said. That work will be done in the coming weeks, Beeson said. The building exterior also will be painted, Moehring said.

"This court is grateful to Judge Barry Moehring and construction manager Bryan Beeson for the outside awnings erected on the courthouse annex," Karren said. "During the covid-19 pandemic, this court is not conducting in-person hearings. This requires many of our citizens to wait outside in the weather to appear in our foyer by video conference. With fall and winter weather quickly approaching, the awnings will provide much-needed protection from the elements."

The plan is to have the whole expansion wrapped up by the end of 2021, Moehring said.

Until the work is completed, Horwart's first courtroom and chamber would be in a small area in the courthouse last used as a courtroom in 2012. The room doesn't have a jury box and has a small gallery, Moehring said.

"The initial courthouse space will be just fine," Horwart said. "The proposed docket of Division 7 will consist of all domestic and probate cases, eliminating the need for a jury box/room until the new courtroom is completed. I suspect the main challenge will be construction noise while court is in session."

Horwart's courtroom remodeling is finished, Beeson said. The county budgeted $23,796 to remodel the 888-square foot courtroom.

"I have been working closely with the county on the layout of the initial courtroom and they have done an excellent job of making changes to accommodate requested modifications from my Division 7 team," Horwart said. "I am very excited to get started."

Security cameras and doors and audio/visual equipment will be added later in the year, said James Turner, county information technology director. That equipment and moving some prosecuting attorney staff out of the space will cost a little more than $88,600, Turner said.

"They will be ready to go pretty quick. The gears are starting to turn in Division 7." Moehring said.

New awnings are visible Thursday, September 10, 2020, on the Benton County Court House Annex in downtown Bentonville. The work is part of the $3.1 million courthouse expansion. The county will spend $231,783 to repair the courthouse annex. Check out nwaonline.com/200914Daily/ and nwadg.com/photos for a photo gallery.(NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Gottschalk)

Expanded Quorum Courtroom

The Sept. 24 Quorum Court meeting will be held in the expanded Quorum Courtroom on the third floor of the County Administration Building.

The new courtroom is roughly 2,000 square feet. The elimination of the east wall added about 800 square feet of space.

Improved video and audio conferencing as well as livestreaming capability are part of the expansion.

The Quorum Court approved $100,000 for the project July 31.

Source: Benton County

Mike Jones can be reached by email at mjones@nwadg.com.

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Transforming an industrial site: PENETRON ADMIX was used to waterproof the extensive below-grade concrete structures of the new complex in Milan, Italy that combines office towers with green spaces.

EAST SETAUKET, N.Y. (PRWEB) September 15, 2020

The September 2020 inauguration of The Sign office park and mixed-use development has transformed a whole neighborhood in southern Milan, Italy. The Penetron System was used extensively in the below-grade structures to ensure a durable, maintenance-free concrete structure.

The Sign is an innovative office and mixed-use complex designed by Progetto CMR for Beni Stabili. Located on the via Ernesto Calindri in the Moncucco-Romolo area of Barona on the southern outskirts of Milan, The Sign is adjacent to the University of Modern Languages Institute (IULM), an international university.

The project has repurposed a large industrial site from the 1950s, which is now completely transformed. A key focus of the project was the restoration of the foundry into a mixed-use complex (four-floors with a total of 4,200 m2). In addition, there are two office towers (10-floors/9,400 m2 and 12-floors/12,600 m2), for a total area of over 26,000 m2. All three buildings share a curtain wall faade with alternating gold-colored blind panels and glazed surfaces in a visually eye-catching sequence. A significant portion of the former industrial site now hosts a large green area and a 4,000 m2 landscaped public square between the two office towers. A fracture etched into the square as a sign that links the buildings representing the eponymous developments name.

Reinforced Concrete Building Goes for LEED CertificationDesigned to achieve LEED Gold certification, The Sign has optimized the use of natural resources, adds Enricomaria Brac, Managing Director of Penetron Italia. The sustainability features include dual water systems, rainwater collection, green roofs, innovative office cooling systems, local sourcing for construction materials (including regional woods), and the planting of exclusively native plants for the landscaped areas.

The main structures of The Sign complex are entirely made of reinforced concrete, including the basement which house the extensive underground parking areas and the foundation slab, based on a white tank design developed with the Penetron System.

Advantages of the Penetron SystemA white tank design is a concrete structure that uses an integral waterproofing system as part of the concrete, explains Enricomaria Brac. This design is a significant improvement over conventional black tank methods that rely on bituminous membranes fixed to the concrete surface. Penetrons white tank design stands out in its simplicity, remarkable durability and self-healing capacity.

The white tank design takes full advantage of the Penetron System and is well-known as a value engineering solution in the construction industry. PENETRON ADMIX is used to treat the concrete mix about 85,000 m3 to completely waterproof the concrete structure; PENEBAR SW waterstop strips are installed along the construction joints and swell when in contact with water to prevent any leakage through construction joints and penetrations; PENECRETE MORTAR is used to seal form-tie holes and repair any honeycombing, leaking penetrations or cracks bigger than 0.5 mm.

The Penetron System enabled the contractor to save substantial time on the construction schedule, resulting in considerable cost savings, enthuses Enricomaria Brac. Thats a very positive sign for the project owners!

The Penetron Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty construction products for concrete waterproofing, concrete repairs and floor preparation systems. The Group operates through a global network, offering support to the design and construction community through its regional offices, representatives and distribution channels.

For more information on Penetron waterproofing solutions, please visit penetron(dot)com or Facebook(dot)com/ThePenetronGroup, email CRDept(at)penetron(dot)com or contact the Corporate Relations Department at 631-941-9700.

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The Penetron System as a Sign of Complete Protection in Italy - PR Web

The Floyd County Jail's medical wing renovation has reached its halfway point as workers finish up pouring the entire concrete slab for the floors.

Now that the section of the jail has been gutted, they'll begin building it back up. Floyd County Sheriff's Office Major and jail administrator Bob Sapp said they're currently working on removing all of the old fire proofing and insulation from the old unit.

"We had to remove about 6,500 square feet of this stuff off the high metal ceilings that is up in the infrastructure of the facility," Sapp said. "The vendors are now spreading back in and once that process is completed, we'll be able to lay (reinforcing bar) in and metal studs and putting up block walls."

The 2017 special purpose local option sales tax project has gone very smoothly so far, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

While they're putting up the walls, they'll begin incorporating the mechanical, electrical and plumbing parts of the project.

"After that, we'll get into looking into priming all the block and painting," Sapp said.

At the same time, the mixed crews of Carroll Daniel construction workers and inmate workers will begin installing low-voltage wiring in the facility for security controls, such as cameras and door locks. They will then connect the wiring back to the jail's central control network for emergency situations.

Once the wall blocks are up, they'll begin putting metal framing above the cells and install frames within the block to put heavy duty glass in place so that staff can keep an eye on inmates while they're in the infirmary cells. After they finish this installation, they'll start putting down anti-bacterial flooring in the cells.

The medical wing will have about 12 to 16 beds once completed. The rest of the beds promised in the SPLOST project will be a part of phase II construction, where staff will be building a mental health wing with 40 to 45 suicide-resistant beds for inmates.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the construction crews have remained unaffected by it. Crew members' temperatures are taken twice a day and they wear masks while on the job.

Maj. Sapp expects the project to reach substantial completion by late November. This means that they'll begin using the wing for inmates, but they will also be checking to see what works and what doesn't work in the wing. The final completion should be done by the end of December.

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Floyd County Jail SPLOST construction reaches halfway point, will be in use by late November - Rome News-Tribune

Berlins creative spirit is hard to beat down.

Despite a lockdown and a summer without the usual carousel of art events and DJ sets at nightclubsone of the German capitals main drawsthe city is finding ways to keep its cultural pulse alive in imaginative ways. And now, one of Berlins most renowned collections, the Boros Foundation, is partnering up with its most famous nightclub, Berghain.

This novel collaboration, called Studio Berlin, will launch on September 9 in the midst of the annual Berlin Art Week and on the eve of the citys Gallery Weekend. The works of 80 contemporary artists, including major names like Olafur Eliasson, Cyprien Gaillard, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rosemarie Trockel, and Isa Genzken, will be on view at the club. The exhibition will sprawl over Berghains three main dance floors and will maintain a focus on artists who live and work in Berlinat least some of the time.

The joint effort is an attempt to support both the nightclub scene and the citys many artists, both of which havesuffered under the lockdown and resulting economic slump. Nightclubs may have to increasingly dream up alternative models for engaging the public; in Germany, all of its renowned party locations have been closed since mid-March. Amid a steeply rising number of infectionsin the country, reopening is unlikely to come anytime soon.

Studio Berlin will cast a wide net in terms of styles, spanning photography, sculpture, painting, multimedia installations, and sound pieces. Alongside blue-chip artists, the show will also include a younger generation of stars like Anne Imhof, Klara Lidn, Robin Rhode, Rirkrit Tiravanija and Raphaela Vogel, who all partially or fully reside in the German capital.(The full artist list is set to be released on Friday, August 14.)

This is not the first time that Berghain hasbranched into visual art. Artists like Norbert Bisky and Wolfgang Tillmans have commissions on view there, though the works are rarely documented, given the clubs strict no-photo policy. Since the lockdown, the club has also hosted a few events, including a sound installation by artists Sam Auinger and Hannes Strobl, under the creative name TamTam, with full social distancing in effect.

Berlin has the highest density of ateliers, studios, and art workshops in Europeartists from all over the world move to the German capital to work, the Studio Berlin website states. The Boros collection declined a request for comment ahead of the artist release on Friday.

The clubs notoriously strict door policy is not likely to be loosened upif only due to strictly enforced health measures. Guided tours in several languages may be be booked online. The project is being support by the Boros Foundation and by the Berlin Senate.

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With Nightlife Shuttered, the Legendary Berghain Nightclub Is Turning Its Dance Floor Into a Showcase of 80 Berlin-Based Artists - artnet News

Theglobal market for residential building construction industrytotaled $4,171.3 billion in 2017 and is estimated to reach $6,800.9 billion by 2022, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% for the period of 2017-2022.

Request For ReportSample@https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/11814

Report Scope:

Following are brief summaries of the chapters included in this report.

The Chapter One summary presents the reports scope, methodology and structure, as well as brief overviews of each of the reports chapters.

Chapter three provides a high-level overview of the residential flooring industry, including historical, current and future industry perspectives, as well as a look at current, and anticipated manufacturing issues and trends. The chapter also covers current market conditions in the new construction and renovation residential segments. Chapter three also includes an overview of industry trade organizations, such as the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) and the North American Building Material Distribution Association (NABMDA). The chapter also discusses the key trade shows that residential flooring manufacturers and other industry participants attend, such as one of the industrys largest events, The International Surface Event: SurfacesStonExpo/MarmomaccTileExpo. The chapter also details the primary trade media that cover the industry, such as Floor Covering News.

Product types in the residential flooring industry are in a constant state of evolution and at different stages of innovation in an effort to meet changing market needs and demands. Chapter Four provides a detailed look at seven different residential flooring categoriescarpet, ceramic tile, hardwood, laminates, stone, other resilient and vinylincluding associated new products and technologies, and applicable environmental programs and incentives, as well as government regulations and requirements affecting each flooring type.

Chapter Four provides a comprehensive overview of the residential flooring market size and growth in North America through 2021. A preview of residential flooring value by region is provided here, setting the stage for more detailed breakdowns by distribution channel and by product category, both in this chapter and in Chapter Five: Market Definition.

For the purposes of this report, BCC Research has analyzed Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Southwest, West regions in the U.S., as well as Canada, to complete our North American residential flooring research.

Chapter Four also includes a breakdown of residential flooring expenditures by flooring typecarpet, ceramic tile, hardwood, laminates, stone, other resilient and vinylthrough 2021 in million squares and million dollars for the six key industry distribution channels: floor covering stores; furniture and home furnishing stores; home improvement centers and building materials supplies dealers; general merchandise stores; electronic and online sales; and direct sales.

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Finally, growth projection data analysis for this chapter covers residential flooring volume by product type though 2021 in million squares and million dollars.

For the market definition part of this report in Chapter Five, BCC Research analyzed the two primary residential flooring segments in North America: new construction and renovation.

The residential flooring analysis contains expenditure and share data for the years 2015 and 2016, as well as projections for 2021 along with the compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) for the years 2016 through 2021. We have also provided a detailed analysis on the following six North American regions: Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Southwest, West and Canada.

In addition, this chapter includes an overview of 19 of the leading residential flooring product manufacturers with data on 2015 and 2016 revenues, number of employees, and overall market share. Also included are market share breakdowns for the leading manufacturers by product category, as well as a listing of each manufacturers product lines in each product category.

Finally, this chapter provides data on average pricing and installed costs for all product types in the years 2015 and 2016, with projections for 2021. The residential flooring industrys six primary distribution channelsfloor covering stores; furniture and home furnishing stores; home improvement centers and building materials supplies dealers; general merchandise stores; electronic and online sales; and direct salesare covered, as well as listings of major flooring distributors with data on revenues (overall, by product type, by distribution channel and associated market shares).

Chapter Seven profiles 30 of the major producers in the seven residential flooring product categories: carpet, ceramic tile, hardwood, laminates, stone, other resilient and vinyl. The major suppliers in residential flooring products offer multiple product lines. Chapter Seven contains the following information about each company profiled (when available): background, recent company news (selected significant announcements within the past 18 months), products, financial performance, strategic direction and distribution.

Report Includes:

An overview of the market for residential flooring in North America. Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2015, estimates for 2016, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2021. Information on different product and technology types, such as carpet, ceramic tile, hardwood, laminates, stone, vinyl, and resilient flooring. Information on various flooring products, distribution methods, new products and technologies, and the direction of the industry in the near future. Profiles of major companies in the industry.

Report Summary

The North American residential flooring industry is one of the most diverse of any manufactured product in terms of product type and selection. From broadloom carpet and carpet tile to hardwood and innovative resilient products made from cork and rubber, consumers and others involved in new residential construction and renovation have no shortage of choices to meet their architectural or interior design needs and requirements. Within each flooring product type, there exists a myriad of surface textures, color choices and quality levels, as well as collection upon collection of product with intriguing names like Accord, Hydroment Vivid, VersaBond and Blue Emotion, among others. Other product names are more grounded in familiarity and longevity like the well-known Congoleum brand.

Following are a few market observations on several of the flooring types analyzed in this report.

Flooring products are among the most important building materials and constitutes a versatile market with a wide product portfolio. The flooring market is expected to expand significantly due to strong growth of construction and automotive sectors coupled with increases in home improvement and renovation project activities. The demand for various residential flooring materials is expected to increase considerably in the forecast period. Increasing residential construction and reconstructionactivities in North America is one of the major factors fueling the demand for residential flooring in this region. However, in recent times regulations have been issued against import of lumber due to illegal deforestation. This is one of the primary factors restraining the residential flooring market.

The hardwood flooring products remain popular despite the advent of a large number of cheaper flooring products such as laminates and resilient flooring. Easy cleaning, better strength and durability, better acoustics and presence of large number of varieties are some of the major factors fueling the demand for hardwood flooring products. Owing to these factors, hardwood flooring is one of the primary choices for a large number of residential constructions.

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Vinyl flooring is the fastest growing product category, growing at a CAGR of 7.4% between 2016 and 2021. Although vinyl tile floor is often installed in commercial settings where high traffic is a constant, or where a clean or staticfree environment is desired, it is also a versatile and costeffective choice for any household. Moreover, lower maintenance cost is also one of the primary factors expected to drive the demand for vinyl flooring in the coming years.

In terms of value chain, a high degree of backward integration is being witnessed in the flooring market. Several key players are engaged in the manufacture of raw materials. Amoco, a subsidiary of Shaw Industries, is actively involved in the manufacture of fiber. Amoco manufactures polypropylene fibers, which are used by Shaw Industries to manufacture carpets and rugs. Besides being a key player in the hardwood flooring market, Boral Limited is involved in the timber business. Burke Industries Inc., a major rubber manufacturing company based in California, is owned by Mannington Mills, one of the largest flooring manufacturers in North America.

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Residential Building Construction Industry Market How The Market Has Witnessed Substantial Growth In Recent Years? - Kentucky Journal 24

New health and safety protocols required new investments in infrastructure across campusPhoto/Mike Lovett

Brandeis University main entrance

By Julian Cardillo '14Aug. 11, 2020

As part of the campus preparedness project, Brandeis has made significant investments ahead of the fall semester: signage, the landscape, workspaces, classrooms, and building heating and ventilation systems, all aimed at enhancing health and safety for the campus community during the remainder of the pandemic.

A mixture of minor construction, maintenance work, and installations have occurred throughout spring and summer in preparation for the safe restart of university activities.

Signage

Brandeis installed new indoor and outdoor signage at locations throughout campus to clearly message the importance of health safety. The signage includes posters at building entries with reminders about submitting health assessments, lawn signs and pathway stickers with a variety of messages about wearing masks, message boards at every campus entry with a list of health safety rules, room maximum occupancy signs, and six-feet distancing floor stickers in every building.

Photo/Mike Lovett

Photo/Mike Lovett

Outdoors

Large tents have been installed on the Great Lawn and outside Skyline and the Usdan Student Center to provide more common space on campus. Most of the tents have been furnished and will primarily serve as relief space for the library and overflow space for dining halls, and secondarily as programmed space for classes and events.

Additional tent locations at Slosberg and Goldman-Schwartz are planned as well.

Adirondack chairs have been installed across campus to promote spending more time outside.

Social distancing circles have been installed on Chapels Field, adding a new option for community members to come together in groups.

Classrooms and Workspaces

Photo/Mike Lovett

Photo/Mike Lovett

Some furniture has been removed from classrooms, dining areas and work spaces to de-densify the classroom in accordance with state public health guidelines.

HVAC

Engineers have assessed the majority of campus buildings this summer to confirm that heating and cooling systems are working as designed and to identify measures for increasing outside air in order to noticeably improve air circulation and quality such as increased frequency of routine maintenance, audit of preventive maintenance, upgraded filters, repair of existing deficiencies, and increasing outside air levels.

Two new respiratory units have been installed in Golding Health Center, effectively splitting the facility in half.

The new respiratory units operate on their own air handling systems, which have a dedicated exhaust thats separate from the rest of the health center.

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Four ways campus will look different in fall 2020 | BrandeisNOW - Brandeis University

German painter Katharina Grosse was in the middle of installing one of her largest shows to date, at the prestigious Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, when the lockdown threw the museums schedule into disarray.

Luckily for Grosse, she had been given the keys to the (now considerably quieter) museum, located just a stones throw from her studio. She embraced the unexpected delay; by the time the doors finally reopened, her technicolor paintings had found their way onto the exterior gallery walls and across the floors, where a titanic, carved installation curled up toward the roof.

Grosses works often resemble smashes of color that lick the architecture of white cubes or land on felled trees and wind-torn houses with a boundless energy that is undeniably her own. On the other side of the ocean, at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where Grosse opened a show earlier this year, her vibrant curtains gently undulate, dropping down from the ceiling to create small, mountainous color fields inside the gallery.

These two major projects may be complete, but the artist isnt taking a break. She was working in her glass and concrete studio when we met last week, looking over small models for her upcoming exhibitions at Berlins Galerie Knig at the end of October and Gagosians Rome space in November. When those shows are over, she said, she will retreat to her third studio on a cliffside in New Zealand.

Grosse spoke to Artnet News about the hidden benefits of pulling together a blockbuster under lockdown, why she doesnt mind her work being looked at online, and why giant splashes of color can be food for thought.

Katharina Grosse. It Wasnt Us, exhibition view Hamburger Bahnhof Museum fr Gegenwart Berlin, 2020 / Courtesy KNIG GALERIE, Berlin, London, Tokyo / Gagosian / Galerie nchst St. Stephan Rosemarie Schwarzwlder, Wien Katharina Grosse / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2020 / Photo: Jens Ziehe

You made your current exhibition, It Wasnt Us at the Hamburger Bahnhof, in the middle of lockdown. What was that experience like?

The show was complex because of the travel restrictions. I have never worked like that, with another studio that was pre-carving the whole piece near Hannover. We cut it with a hot wire there and then once again here [in Berlin]. And we made sure that all the different components got shipped well before the lockdown.In the end, we had more time on our hands than we thought, and that was really good for the show.

We had an additional week to build the work and then I had another week more to paint it. After that, there was a moment when we were not sure when or if the show was going to open at all, and that was interesting because I [stopped working] within a [specific] time frame. It really was like studio work. I was able to come and go as I pleased, in and out of the museum, because nothing else was going on at that time. I could really bring everything to a point where I was satisfied.

Your work is very considerate of its environment. What kinds of sites and spaces most interest you?

The work that I do tends to take up space that is not traditional museum space. Its good when these pieces are placed in the middle of some sort of crisis, which I do not mean as a negative word, but rather as a position where things can tip and transform from one situation to another. The hierarchy of the location is usually somehow fragileit can be swiveled around, depending on the work.

For my project in the Rockaways in 2016, for example, I painted a beach house that was formerly a military barrack, filled with sand from Hurricane Sandy.There was a certain unclarity as to whether the house was disappearing under the sand or emerging [from it].

I am interested in showing and finding out where paintings can appear in our everyday life. A painting isnt supposed to be on a wall, or locked in a room. They can be anywhere. It doesnt have a fixed locationtraditionally, its only in the last 200 or 300 years that we began to carry paintings around, selling them and hanging them in different locations, which I think is also great.

But a painting can be on a rock, in a church, or on the side of a house. It can be on stamps, or in booksbasically anywhere.

Katharina Grosse, Is It You?, 2020, The Baltimore Museum of Art, USA, Photo: Mitro Hood, courtesy of The Baltimore Museum of Art 2020 Katharina Grosse and VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2020.

How did you come to this realization?

It has never been something that I had to discover. When I first studied painting, I naturally just painted everywhere, on a wall or on a chair, to try things out. I liked these different surfaces and how colors behaved differently: they could manipulate you and change your perceptions of the the materials that youre looking at. A piece of wood does something to the color pink that concrete does not, for example.

In terms of creating installations in museums, like your Hamburger Bahnhof show, I wonder how much the work is aboutfacing off against some of the rules about what is allowed in these spaces.

Yes, the work does have to do with that. As an artist invited to do a show, you see a situation as a person coming from the outside, whether its at an institution or in a certain set of buildings or in an outdoor area. What I very often do is wonder how a painting could live in that space and have the utmost independence. Because then, when people come visit the space, they also experience a sense of independence and encounter the possibility of possibilities.

Instead of trying to fit into the space, I am trying to suggest [spacial] possibilities that you would not see right away. In that sense, I am not looking to break rules, but rather, looking for more possibilities of how space could be.

The qualities of the spaces you work in become more apparent when set against your installations. Youre not just covering them up, but giving them new life, in a sense.

I find that interesting. Sometimes [the work makes the spaces] look even more prominent, like in the Hamburger Bahnhof, where you encounter the steel columns and its very sturdy, strict architecture. The detail of where the old columns meet the exhibition floor, for example, shows two worlds meeting that are not of the same purpose, the same ideology, or the same time, and that all becomes accentuated. I am very interested in the meeting point of paradoxical things.

Katharina Grosse. It Wasnt Us, exhibition view Hamburger Bahnhof Museum fr Gegenwart Berlin, 2020 / Courtesy KNIG GALERIE, Berlin, London, Tokyo / Gagosian / Galerie nchst St. Stephan Rosemarie Schwarzwlder, Wien Katharina Grosse / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2020 / Photo: Jens Ziehe.

Since your work manifests in ambitious installations, I wonder, do you ever feel that you are given limitations that you cannot work with?

If I feel that is the case, then I wont do it. You have a certain thing in mind that is usually the biggest, boldest idea, and you have to go through a couple of steps and look at how it can be done [in reality]. But there are some things that are essential. At the Hamburger Bahnhof, for example, I would not have done the project if I was not allowed to paint outside. That was an important twist.

I am curious about how you navigate your works scale. After doing a large installation, do you feel like you need an even bigger space to challenge yourself further?

The size only matters in relation to what the location needsI am always trying to make the smallest possible version of a large piece. Scale has a very emotional and psychological quality. It is not size that matters to me, but rather how [the work] appears. A very small work can have a similar effect on you psychologically as a very big work in relation to the space its in.

But its true that scale [plays a role]. I use my whole body to make the work. I walk a lot. I work on several paintings at the same time. One of my studios is very large so that I can work on 20 paintings at a time. Sometimes, you cannot even see where one painting stops and the next starts, because everything [blends together] and becomes one painting. The walls are painted. Everything is paintedand it is very exciting to work like that.

Katharina Grosse, o. T., project space, Kunsthalle Bern, 1998. Photo: Michael Fontana; Courtesy: Kunsthalle Bern Katharina Grosse und VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn, 2020.

You are rapidly becoming one of the biggest names in contemporary German painting, which has historically beenand in some ways, still isa very male-dominated field.

It is a very male-dominated field, but so is society.We are very lagging in Germany with this idea of giving perspectives to different speakers and voices and thoughts. It is not to say that the work of white males is rubbish, but half of society should not be excluded from having a say.

I didnt realize the problems of being so dominated by patriarchal thinking until I left art school. The way I grew up and the friends of my parents never gave me that feeling. It was the same during art school and university. Perhaps I was shielded from it, in a way. A lot of my female friends did say to me, though, Hey, are you crazy? Either you go into performative or video art, new fields [primarily dominated by] women. Painting is so overloaded by patriarchal structures. How will you be successful?

Katharina Grosse, This Drove my Mother up the Wall, 2017, South London Gallery, London, UK.

It also must be strange to make work that immerses visitors in a very physical way, given that so much art is being seen and understood online right now.

My work is really about an experience where your body can be stimulated. The screen does not do that. Ones eyes can be stimulated, but the rest of the body remains passive. Yet aspects of the work exist online that you cannot see in the space, too, which I find interesting. The photography shows you something that you cannot see while you are standing there, an experience that is far more particular. I think all the different ways of communicating a work have their own unique impact. The more that is available, the better.

Whats your relationship to abstraction?

I dont see my work as being abstracted from the world. I dont think that a painting puts forward a set of rules that only refers to itself. A painting is an open structure that has to be unfinished so that it can overlap with the world. My central question is: how can a painting appear in the world other than as a canvas on a wall?

I want to suggest a new version of space, and the Hamburger Bahnhof show perhaps shows how that can be done. I understand why you ask about abstraction, though. The term describes something that cannot be named, that isnt represented by something else [already] in existence. You see these large sculptural pieces at Hamburger Bahnhof, and you may say that they look like icebergs or landscapes or shards. Whenever you name them, you also realize that theyre not, in fact, like the things youre comparing them to. You have all these words for them, but you cannot really say what they are.

It is interesting to make visible what cannot be named. But this is not a futurist proposalit already exists. And I think that is kind of a political program [in itself].People walk on the work and become a part of it.

See original here:
How Can a Painting Appear in the World Other Than as a Canvas?: Painter Katharina Grosse on Bringing the Ancient Form Into 3-D - artnet News

The Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport has issued a call for artists, or artist team, to create two site-specific art installations for the airport as part of its Art in the Airport program.

One work will be mounted on a curved wall in the concourse exit. The theme of the work should refer to Arkansass natural environment and be welcoming to visitors. A design fee of $10,000 will be awarded to the chosen artist.

A similar theme is required for another project, for a terrazzo floor artwork, also located in the concourse exit area. The design fee for this project is also $10,000.

The airport will pay for fabrication and installation and may contract with outside contractors or the selected artist for the work. Its estimated budget is $90,000.

The competitions are open to Arkansas residents as well as artists whove lived, worked or studied in Arkansas. Three finalists will be chosen, and an art committee will select the winner.

Submissions are due Aug. 23. Fabrication is set for February-May 2021. Create an artist account at the CaFE webpage.

Go here to read the rest:
Art in the Airport projects issues call for artists - Arkansas Times

We'd be lying if we didn't acknowledge that some of the satisfaction that comes from watching this clip stems from the catharsis that comes from seeing M. Bison, a character that's been frustrating us for a good four and a half years in Street Fighter 5 now, getting absolutely rocked, but it's also just a very aesthetically pleasing sequence.

The newest addition to this current Street Fighter, Seth, is able to teleport about like a damn Dragon Ball Z character when they implement their V-Trigger 1. Put them in the hands of a lab monster like Javits Arias and it almost feels like you're watching an anime battle.

This is something that technically only be performed on Bison since it uses his unique Scissor Kicks install that Seth gains from their V-Skill 1, though there very well may be other characters who offer Seth techniques that function in a same or similar enough manner.

In terms of practicality, this probably isn't a series you're going to see every match as it requires an already activated V-Trigger, a stocked install, and an air to air in the corner.

Javits leaps up to meet his foe with a medium punch and cancels into Seth's Makoto-like axe kick in mid-air. As Bison goes hurtling toward the ground Seth instantly zips below him via teleport and pops him back up skyward with yet another Makoto style technique.

The SF4 boss then follows their foe back up into the air to hit him with yet another axe kick that, again, sends him flying down toward the floor in what appears to be a conclusive end to the combo. It isn't.

Seth actually has time for yet another speedy DBZ teleport and another upward launching fist that juggles Bison up to be hit by a handful of additional attacks. Javits closes the whole thing out with one final teleport, this time sending Seth high above the evil dictator so that they can come crashing down with a multi-hitting drill kick that empties the life bar and finally causes the seven golden "PERFECT" letters to appear on the screen.

Check it out below and let us know if you found it as slick as we did in the comments.

Click image for animated version

Read the original here:
Seth uses a bunch of Makoto's moves and goes full Dragon Ball Z on M. Bison in this oh-so-satisfying Street Fighter 5 beat down - EventHubs