Beny Alagem of Alagem Capital and renderings of the new design (Credit: DBOX for Alagem Capital Group via Los Angeles Times)

Beny Alagems latest plan for One Beverly Hills is ambitious, totally new, and very green.

The developers firm Alagem Capital and partner Cain International unveiled architect Norman Fosters new $2 billion design for the 17.5-acre property next to Alagems Beverly Hilton, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Alagems plan, the latest in a development saga that spans over a decade, would see the construction of two condominium towers at 28 and 32 stories; a 10-story hotel; and eight acres of green space, much of which would be open to the public. The hotel would feature 42 all-suite guest rooms, plus a fine-dining restaurant and 37 residential units; the condo towers would house 303 condos.

Greenery is clearly the theme of the design. Renderings show gardens across just about every surface of the buildings and grounds. Foster said the building architecture is an extension of the greenery.

The protagonist is the landscape, the garden, he said.

Those three main buildings line the west side of the development site. The central gardens separate them from Alagems Beverly Hilton on the northeast side of the One Beverly Hills site. Landscape architect Mark Rios with RIOS designed the gardens and said he was interested in pursuing what a botanical environment is for the 21st century.

Alagem Capital and Cain International filed the plans with the city of Beverly Hills on Monday. They hope to break ground late next year and wrap up construction by 2024, according to the Times.

Alagem, an Israeli-born hotel magnate, has been trying to develop condo towers next to his Beverly Hills hotel since George W. Bush was still president and the Great Recession had not yet struck.

In early 2016, he lost a ballot initiative to build condo towers on the hotel site. But his fortunes turned in 2018, when Alagem Capital and Cain International bought the 750,000-square-foot One Beverly Hills site in 2018 from rival Dalian Wanda Group for $420 million. Alagem tossed out Wandas design for the building approved by the city of Beverly Hills, and by May of 2019 tapped Foster + Partners as architect.

In February, the ultra-luxury Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel sued Alagems Waldorf Astoria hotel for allegedly conspiring with a Peninsula employee to gain access to guests accounts and then steal clients. [LAT] Dennis Lynch

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Beny Alagems new $2B One Beverly Hills design is loaded with gardens - The Real Deal

A tented alfresco reception at the American Swedish Historical Museum is among the Philadelphia-area outdoor wedding venues on our list. Photo by Anthony Page Photography

Summer has us longing for the outdoors, and alfresco weddings (including all those elopements and micro-gatherings) seem to offer a post-pandemic paradise. Thats why weve compiled a list of 12 Philadelphia-area venues that celebrate the beauty of the world around us many of which are working on implementing new COVID-19-related health and safety practices as cities and states introduce updated guidelines. Whether youre dreaming of a sky-high rooftop party, an intimate secret-garden soiree or a ceremony amid historic grounds, these open-air destinations set the scene for your Big Day. (And check out these lake and riverfront wonders or beachfront beauties for more options.) Now thats au naturel!

South Philly

A photo moment amid the arches at the American Swedish Historical Museum. Photo by Laura Caporizzo Photography LLC

Historian Amandus Johnson founded the museum in 1926 as a tribute to Swedish contributions to the United States, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence that same year. Case in point: The venue in FDR Park sits on a property that was once part of a 17th century land grant from Queen Christina of Sweden to Swedish colonist Sven Skute. The venue also references famous Scandinavian and American architecture with elements from Swedens centuries-old buildings as well as Mount Vernon, George Washingtons home. Ceremonies and receptions can be held under the natural flora, under one of the venues arches or in front of the main doors. (Guests will also have access to indoor galleries featuring period paintings, regardless of whether the fete is held outside.) The museum is isolated enough to avoid noise restrictions yet close enough that Ubers and Lyfts are a quick trip. As Philly moves into the green phase, the venue hopes to begin hosting weddings in the late summer and fall; it is extending its outdoor tent rentals (the facades have clear, retractable sides) to facilitate social distancing. (COVID-related guest capacity will be introduced as available.) Rental fees from $1,750 for a five-hour event. 1900 Pattison Avenue, South Philly.

Southwest Philly

A couple strolls the grounds at Bartrams Garden. Florals by Fresh Designs Florist; photo by Kelly Giarrocco

Treet your guests to a veritable garden of them at this 45-acre historic landmark that planted roots thanks to early-American botanist John Bartram. Theres a ginkgo believed to be the oldest on the continent and a signature tree dubbed Franklinia. (Well let you figure out its namesake.) The outdoor spaces are alive with flora and fauna (as you can see in this flower-filled celebration), and there are transitional areas for lawn games and cocktail hour, all backed by vistas of the Schuylkill River. Under normal circumstances, the new Eastwick Pavilion (it has a covered porch and granite patio) can accommodate about 300. However, the venue expects to limit head counts as it begins its reopening process in July and enacts social-distancing measures. Catering is handled by Jamie Hollander; Bartrams is offering 25% off for food and bev through 2020. Venue rentals from $2,800. 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard, Southwest Philly.

East Passyunk

The rooftop setting offers 360-degree panoramas of Philly. Photo by Love Me Do Photography

Want to say your vows with a backdrop bearing one of the best views in the city? Head to this eclectic, industrial venue topping off the former vocational school turned creative hub and gathering place. The Center City skyline sets the scene for the Bok Special, a complete 300-person outdoor wedding experience thats available only 10 weeks per year and begins at $9,000. It provides access to both the eighth-floor North and South Terrace. (Other locations throughout the space start at $5,500.) Outdoor ceremonies on the North Terrace are typically available as an upgrade to other Bok nuptials; however, the building cannot currently accommodate ceremony-only bookings. All packages give couples guided access to hidden, lesser-known areas throughout the building perfect for cool first-look photos. The venue is accepting bookings for 2021; some Friday and Saturday dates are still available. 800 Mifflin Street, East Passyunk.

Center City

A ceremony in the private enclave at The College of Physicians. Photo by Brittney Raine Photography

The College of Physicians represents a cornerstone of American medicinal history: Since 1787, the nonprofit has had a mission of championing health and medicine. (It is largely known for its Mtter Museum, a cabinet of veritable medical mysteries skulls, among them, if you want to get brainy on your Big Day.) The Sir John Templeton Veranda is a private enclave with four parterres of medicinal herbs and plants (think flax or evening primrose), slate and pebble pathways, and benches for quiet moments. The blooming season begins in the spring and ends in the fall, ensuring ample greenery for your backdrop. Typical capacity is 195 seated and standing. As Philly moves into the green phase, it expects to offer 75% of that for events; the space has also instituted a plethora of preventative measures including sanitation before, during and after the event; eliminating buffets (Catering by Design will work with you on cuisine); and checking employees temperatures beforehand, among other actions. A Saturday in peak season starts from $4,200. 19 South 22nd Street, Center City.

Wyncote

A couple shares their first dance en plein air. Photo by Jessica Manns Photography

Rolling hills, two ponds and 50 types of trees make up this 45-acre destination in Montgomery County. If thats not enough to paint a pretty picture, consider this: The site was also designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect for Central Park; the mansion and grounds were renovated in 2019. The original wisteria-covered pergola is a romantic space for ceremonies, and the historic gardens provide a verdant backdrop for sipping cocktails post I do. As the region moves into its green phase, the venue aims to open for outdoor July weddings with 160 guests, depending on guidelines. Tours have opened up with required face masks; 2021 rental prices start at $3,000. 1250 West Church Road, Wyncote.

Norristown

A giraffe feeding during a wedding at Elmwood Park Zoo. Photo by Jessica Manns Photography

Giraffe feedings, jaguar exhibits and wild weddings, oh my! Animal-loving duos can get their fauna fix thanks to the more than 100 species here. Weddings support the zoos work to raise awareness about conservation efforts; couples can hold their ceremony in front of the Classic Red Barn or Olivias Eagle Observation Deck, among other outdoor locales. Eagles fans might take flight knowing that Noah, the teams animal ambassador, and his pal Reggie sometimes make an appearance. Want to feed one of the three giraffes? They love to photobomb, which can make for one-of-a-kind portraits. The zoo is available for fall and winter 2020 weddings as well as 2021. It can accommodate 100 seated guests, though it hopes to return to full capacity (150) in the future; the zoo is also offering 50% rental fees for events and bookings through 2020. The various venue prices range from $500 to $2,500. 1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown.

Center City

The cool, brick-lined garden at Fitler Club. Photo by Philip Gabriel Photography

The semi-newish, members-only Fitler Club, which opened in 2019, has it all but its 1,800-square-foot brick-walled garden, with its charming string lighting illuminating the dance floor, is perfect for a sophisticated set of future newlyweds. The clubs garden currently offers micro-weddings of up to 25 people (it typically can accommodate 50 folks for the ceremony, dinner and dancing); larger celebrations are being booked for the future as regulations allow. A perk: Those who celebrate their unions here become honorary, temporary members, receiving access to restaurants, bars, fitness centers and, perhaps, a bit of bowling by way of the Trophy Room. Pricing starts at $200 per person (excluding tax and service charge). 1 South 24th Street, Center City.

Fairmount Park

A reception at the Historic Strawberry Mansion. Photo by Ashley Gerrity Photography

The Historic Strawberry Mansion is for a couple with good taste its sweet, lush and surrounded by fresh berries. Lawyer and abolitionist Judge William Lewis built the iconic white estate more than two centuries ago, and it makes a picturesque backdrop to outdoor celebrations for up to 250 on the charming rear grounds, with its brick terrace looking out over a winding azalea path. It is managed by Open Aire Affairs, while the catering program is run by Birchtree, who will dish out seasonal menus (the signature fruit, picked from the award-winning fields, might just find its way onto your plate). While the mansion has been closed due to COVID-19, the venue is allowing already-booked couples to use the space on their planned wedding dates for pictures or an elopement of 25 people or less, based on health and safety guidelines. (These couples can move their reception to 2021 as well.) The venue is not currently booking otherwise for 2020 until Philly moves into the green phase. Saturday night venue prices start at $2,500. 2450 Strawberry Mansion Drive, Fairmount Park.

Fairmount Park

The greenhouse at the Horticulture Center. Florals by Fabufloras Design; photography by Adrienne Matz

Take your guests on a tropical trip without leaving Philly at this green-thumbs paradise. Recite your vows framed by lush Cherry Alle trees; say I do by the reflecting pool or get indoor-outdoor vibes in the light-filled greenhouse. The ample space can accommodate up to 300; COVID regulations, however, have affected the total capacity, and the venue plans to update its programs as the city moves into green phase and regulations change. (The venues first wedding post-pandemic is hopefully planned for August; read about a few of the couples whose celebrations have been impacted here and here.) Tours are currently not available, though exclusive caterer Constellation has a Pinterest page that might inspire your Big Day plans. Five-hour events from $2,500. 100 N Horticultural Drive, Fairmount Park.

New Hope

A COVID-19-compliant celebration at HollyHedge Estate. Photo by Weddings by Two

This romantic, family-run farm in Bucks County dates back to the 18th century and is cheerily outfitted with bucolic touches. The property spans 21 acres and delights with pristine grounds and postcard-perfect landscaping. HollyHedge can typically accommodate 200 guests and provide 15 on-site rooms for friends and family; right now, couples can hold four-hour micro-weddings in spaces such as the courtyard garden, pastures, ponds and the stone barn. As the green phase progresses, the destination hopes to expand offerings to up to 140 attendees; the spot is also considering introducing full-day progressive receptions (during which various groups come at different stages of the day to mitigate risk) moving forward. Prices from $125 per person. 6987 Upper York Road, New Hope.

Center City

A ceremony at the Rodin Museums reflecting pool. Photo by Asya Photography

Philly Francophiles already adore this venue: It houses the largest collection of the French sculptors work outside of Paris. So theyll certainly fall in love with hosting their wedding here, too. The outdoor environs allow you to say your vows between the serene reflecting pool and The Thinker statue; garden ceremonies typically accommodate up to 100, though the venue is currently limiting capacity. The venue is accepting inquiries and has weddings booked as early as August, pending updates to COVID-19 guidelines. Pricing starts at $3,000 for ceremony only and $7,500 for a full event. 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Center City.

Southwest Philly

A reception at the Carriage front of the Hamilton Mansion at The Woodlands. Photo by Peach Pear Plum Photography

The historic park, cemetery and mansion sit along the banks of the Schuylkill River and was inherited 180 years ago by William Hamilton. He turned the central mansion into a beacon of British-style architecture and landscaping. The aesthetic carries throughout the 54-acre grounds, and it remains grand yet charming today, beckoning all kinds of couples seeking to say their I dos in a historic setting. Peach Pear Plum Photography has called it one of the most enjoyablenontraditional venues at which to work. While the space accommodates a maximum of 200 (in either the alfresco Carriage or Riverfront spaces at the estate), it is currently offering smaller ceremonies of up to 50 and will work with couples on a flexible budget. Micro-weddings from $660 per hour. 4000 Woodland Avenue, Southwest Philly.

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12 Philly-Area Outdoor Wedding Venues That Bring a Breath of Fresh Air to Your Big Day - Philadelphia magazine

WELCOME TO THE DEBUT of Vintage Pacific NW, a relaxing road trip through our scenic magazine archives and, honestly, an invention of pandemic necessity, because our archives are about the only place we can visit safely these days.

Actually, well be revisiting our magazines richly colorful (if sometimes sepia) history every Sunday for a spell, through some of our favorite magazine stories by some of our favorite magazine writers.

In a time of disorienting uncertainty, its been surprisingly reassuring and grounding to unearth these timeless classics, and especially to enlist suggestions from former magazine contributors such as Nancy Leson (food), Nicole Tsong (fitness), and garden gurus Ciscoe Morris and Valerie Easton. A familiar voice goes a long way in troubling times.

This week, were launching Vintage Pacific NW with a one-home retrospective of NW Living, a beloved fixture in one Seattle Times Sunday magazine or another for decades and decades and decades.

We really arent exaggerating the decades thing: It was 40 years ago that a brand-new Pacific debuted. Pacific became THE Seattle Times Sunday magazine on Sept. 7, 1980, one week after the final issues of the Magazine, which had begun in 1902 (!), and the comparatively youthful Pictorial (started as the catchy Sunday Rotogravure Pictorial Section in 1923), which bequeathed Northwest Living and Northwest Design to the new upstart.

Over the years, NW Living widened its focus on homeowners, architects, designers, craftspeople and artisans our Pacific Northwest neighbors while keeping an unparalleled photographic eye on their homes and work, all atop a foundation reinforced by our distinct and special Northwest style, and place.

Our consistent goal has been to explore how and why we live the way we do, and it is with the deepest gratitude toward all of the people in all of our stories who have shared their spaces and their talent and to all of you who have read about them that we also present this Vintage Pacific NW debut as a heartfelt tribute: This will be our last NW Living feature. More about that in this weeks Backstory.

We are ending on a high note. This striking West Seattle home, built in 1966 and designed by noted Northwest architect Ralph Anderson for his friends Duff and Dorothy Kennedy, originally appeared in the Nov. 11, 1973, Pictorial. We revisited it in person for our June 9, 2019, NW Living feature, following a gentle, respectful, also-striking remodel by current owners Steve Hoedemaker and Tommy Swenson.

As an architect himself, Hoedemaker told us in 2019, [Such a legacy] can feel like an uncomfortable obligation when the house doesnt do its job well. I find myself remodeling some beautiful things [elsewhere] that didnt work well. This one is a study in approaching what works and what you might have done differently. The house is fundamentally the same.

Ah. Theres comfort in consistency, too and legacy.

Heres the original Pacific Northwest Living story, from Nov. 11, 1973:

An artistic home in West SeattleText by Rosella Broyles

The Duff Kennedy residence in West Seattle is an effective blend of all the elements that create a distinctive home.

The architectural details of the contemporary plan, the beauty of a wooded site on a bluff above Puget Sound, the quiet neutrality of the furnishings, the careful linking of indoor to outdoor spaces and the taste of the owners are brought together in a harmonious whole.

That kind of result is best achieved when the design team works together from the beginning to bring its concepts to fruition. Ralph D. Anderson & Partners was the architect, Robert W. Chittock the landscape architect and Roy Strom the interior designer who followed the plan through from the start.

Kennedy and his wife, Dorothy, greatly influenced the design, not only as knowledgeable connoisseurs and collectors of the arts, but in stressing the manner in which they wished to live in the house.

Although informal materials such as brick, cedar and clay tiles were used throughout, the couple wanted the home to be a suitable setting for formal entertaining and a background for their many fine paintings and pieces of sculpture.

Some of the art pieces were commissioned especially for the Kennedy home.

Sandy Deneau Dunham writes about architecture and design for Pacific NW and is associate editor of the magazine. Reach her at sdunham@seattletimes.com.

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The evolution of a classic West Seattle home and a brand-new Pacific NW feature - Seattle Times

Downtown Reidsville has a new look. Because some of the downtown trees were in poor health and causing sidewalk problems, the City Council approved a plan to remove about half of the downtown sidewalk trees and replace them with trees in planter boxes created by Eric Smith.

These planter boxes come with an added twist, though. The large wooden boxes are adorned with the City logo, as well as unique and colorful art panels by local artist Mary ED Ryan.

The artist who created Downtown Reidsvilles newest mural, as well as numerous other art projects across the county, Ryan used wood stain to create 14 abstract panels and 14 panels depicting plants and animals of North Carolina.

We knew that with Mary creating them, the art panels would be great, said Missy Matthews, Market Square/Main Street Manager for the City of Reidsville. But, they are even more amazing than we hoped.

Working with a landscape architect to determine which trees to remove, 18 were replaced earlier this spring. In addition, two large bottle trees, crafted at Amos Welding, will be installed at the entrance to Kellys Way at 120 S. Scales St.

Some pruning will be done to sidewalk trees that remain, and string lights also will be installed on the sidewalk trees.

The Reidsville Downtown Corporation established Project DREAM (Downtown Reidsville Empowering Arts Movement) in 2018, and a number of public art projects downtown have been added. For example, angel wings were painted at the Rockingham County Public Library.

City employees have told me that the uplifting messages in Gina Francos See Good in All Things gives them a boost as they enter and leave the City Hall parking lot, Matthews added. Cities gain value through public art cultural, social and economic value.

Ryan applied her art to the 3/4-inch sanded plywood planters using colored wood stains, not paint. The color is absorbed into the wood and sealed with polycrylic.

This is much more weatherproof than painted panels, and they could last for a long time, Ryan said.

Ryan was thrilled to be a part of the project.

Im a huge fan of public art because its available for the entire community and visitors to enjoy, she said.

Having never created stain art of the size for the panels, Ryan said the project was challenging, but she is happy with the results.

I pushed myself hard, took chances, even experimented a bit, she said. I wanted to give Reidsville something to get excited about, and thats hard because people are really down right now.

Like Matthews, Ryan is a huge supporter of public art and sees her artistic contributions as a way to serve her community.

Its much harder to get public art into rural areas and small towns, yet those places get the biggest boost from it, Ryan said. Public art has a strong track record of helping places to recover, bring hope, energize downtown businesses, bring people back into town, attract new businesses and help the community feel good about where they live.

As weather permits, artist Ruby Blanco will paint a mural at 138 South Scales St. on the back of the building, which faces a public parking lot. A tattoo artist, Blanco recently opened Ravens Claw Studio on Scales Street.

Ruby transformed utility meters in this same parking lot into a charming turtle, and we are excited to see this new mural come to life, Matthews said.

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Planters and artwork added in Downtown Reidsville - Greensboro News & Record

Here, in a photo staged by Brunk Auctions at Bankshaven, two Federal chairs flank the swivel-top card table possibly made by Phyfe, 1815-1820. Above hangs the 1856 oil on canvas Beacon Rock, Newport by John Frederick Kensett.

By Laura Beach

ASHEVILLE, N.C. William N. Banks Jr, who died last November at age 95, was the model of a scholar collector, his work as a regular contributor to The Magazine Antiques dovetailing with his passion for preserving historic homes of his own in Georgia and New Hampshire. Banks appointed each residence with a sympathetic mix of Federal and Classical American furniture and Nineteenth Century American paintings. He filled his library with antiquarian volumes bespeaking his passion for architecture, landscape and travel.

In a much-anticipated addition to the fall arts calendar, Brunk Auctions will sell the contents of Bankshaven, the collectors carefully tended property in Newnan, Ga., on September 12. The single-owner sale consisting of roughly 300 lots will be accompanied by a print catalog designed both as a well-documented reference and an enduring tribute.

Visitors to what Banks himself referred to interchangeably as Bankshaven and the Gordon-Banks house, the latter acknowledging the propertys first owner, were uniformly impressed. I know of no more comfortably authentic, untouched, all original house in America, Morrison H. Heckscher, former chairman of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, wrote his host after a stay. Cultural observer Brendan Gill averred, In architecture I can think of few more delightful examples of cultural cross-fertilization than the country house in Coweta County, Georgia belonging to the writer, historian and collector William Nathaniel Banks.

Skillful as a host and steeped in the rituals of gracious entertaining, Banks was a Southern gentleman of the old school. He was stylish, elegant, polite and cultured. It was always a delight to see him. A Charmed Life, his loosely autobiographical account published in Antiques May/June 2015 issue, captures him well, says auction house president Andrew Brunk, who recently visited Bankshaven while inventorying the collection. Being there and seeing how he lived the collections, sculpture, gardens and fountains transported us to another time. The house is an architectural gem. We saw the vestiges of a remarkably wonderful life.

Born in Newnan in 1924 to a successful investor and his wife, Banks left Dartmouth College to serve in the US Army infantry during World War II, completing a degree in drama at Yale University in 1948. In addition to his writing on historic art and architecture, Banks, a playwright, was a four-time fellow at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, N.H. He was a long-serving member of its board, as well as that of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

Grecian sofa, New York, 1815-20, tiger maple with gilt and verd antique decoration.

He wrote for Antiques for more than 40 years, always with the historians attention to detail and the playwrights flair for character and sense of time and place. Nobody else ever did it quite the way he did. He never mastered email or a computer, or even, really, a cell phone, but he dug deeply into every subject he covered for the magazine, from historic houses and towns to individual artists and artisans, and readers always loved his stories, Antiques consulting editor Eleanor H. Gustafson wrote in an email earlier this year.

Karma seems to have led Banks to his Georgia residence. He had already acquired a Federal house in Temple, N.H., the birthplace of Daniel Pratt (1799-1873), an architect-builder who migrated to Georgia, where in the 1820s he built a house near Milledgeville for planter John W. Gordon (1797-1868). A local college professor, L.C. Lindsley, saved the Gordon house, by then all but derelict, in the 1940s.

Banks writes, In 1959, having seen photographs taken for the Historic American Buildings Survey in the 1930s, I contacted Lindsley, and he graciously gave me a tour of the property. I was awestruck by a unique house that had remained virtually unaltered for more than a century; and, I confess, I fell in love. Banks persuaded his recently widowed mother to buy the building in 1968. Under the supervision of architect Robert Raley, it was reassembled in Newnan, 40 miles southwest of Atlanta, amidst gardens begun by Banks parents in the late 1920s. The family razed their existing Tudor-style home to accommodate the structure.

Finding himself with an empty house, Banks began collecting for it. Beginning in the late 1960s, he bought at auction in New York, where he kept an apartment, and from leading dealers, among them Vose, Spanierman and Hirschl & Adler Galleries, where in 1972 he paid $150,000 for Franconia Range from the South with Village of South Woodstock, New Hampshire, an important work of 1857 by Asher B. Durand and a highlight of the upcoming sale, and a Raphaelle Peale still life. The collection includes other New Hampshire views by Cropsey, Gifford and Shapleigh.

I met William in the early 1980s when I was working at Alexander Gallery, says Brunk Auctions general manager and fine arts specialist Nan Zander, who spent 35 years in the New York art world before moving to Asheville. One of the first important paintings I sold, the 1856 Beacon Rock, Newport by John F. Kensett, was to William. Its now hanging in my office. I feel Ive come full circle. William bought the best of the best that was appropriate for his home.

Mt Washington from the Saco River by Sanford Robinson Gifford, 1856, oil on canvas.

He became very interested in his wonderful collection of paintings and was very knowledgeable, says Banks longtime friend James Landon, a retired attorney asked by Brunk to write the catalogs introduction. He had more than one Raphaelle Peale. Every time I entered his dining room, I marveled at his still lifes, all little jewels, each lighted exactly right. It was the most beautiful thing. The landscapes were in the drawing room. It really was like going to a gallery.

There are some exciting pieces of furniture, some thought to have Southern histories, says Andrew Brunk, summoning to mind a tiger-maple Grecian sofa with a caned back and sides and verd antique and gilt feet. Among other furniture highlights is a set of six lyre-back klismos chairs with Middleton family history that are attributed to Duncan Phyfe, circa 1815; a Classical marble top pier table attributed to J.&J.W. Meeks, circa 1830; and a marble top center table attributed to Anthony Quervelle, circa 1829. A New York caryatid card table previously attributed to Charles-Honor Lannuier but now thought possibly to be by Phyfe, 1815-20, came from Banks cousin, Olive Pringle Brown, who inherited it from her family, said to be former owners of Charlestons Pringle house.

Pulling brown-paper lining from the last drawer of a sideboard, Brunk found a signature, the date July 3rd, 1817, and the words Keene, New Hampshire. As anyone in this business knows, its great fun to chase down details when youre looking at good quality things, says the auctioneer, whose team is in the midst of cataloging the sale.

In Antiques, Banks wrote of his fascination with Humphry Repton (1752-1818) and speculated on the English landscape designers possible influence on William C. Pauley (1893-1985), the American designer who worked with Banks father to create at Bankshaven what the collector called a pleasing landscape in the English style.

William had a genuine passion for architecture and gardens and collected some wonderful, early books on the subject by Alexander Jackson Davis and others, says Brunk, who looks forward to selling two rare Repton volumes. Where possible, the collectors research relating to specific paintings and objects will accompany sold lots to their new owners.

Brunk Auctions is pulling out all the stops for the Banks sale. Andrew Brunk says, We are thrilled and honored to offer this collection. Its a great fit for our company. That, and an eagerly anticipated prelude to the season ahead.

Consistent with public health directives, the collection of William Banks will be available for viewing by appointment at Brunk Auctions Asheville gallery at 117 Tunnel Road. For information, 828-254-6846 or http://www.brunkauctions.com.

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Brunk To Celebrate The 'Charmed Life' Of William N. Banks With September 12 Sale - Antiques and the Arts Online

Imagine a castle and it will be made of stone or bricksthat is how old bricks are! Red and rustic, bricks have come back in fashion with the brutal or raw architectural trend that has gripped modern architecture. And we have to agree, they provide a jarring contrast to the sleek glass towers, standing like gentle giants or wise kings of the old in the modern cityscape. Using bricks to give a modern-day look, all the designs featured here are futuristic yet preserve the heritage aesthetics that add value or character to your building!

Brick being a traditionally tough material, it is difficult to envision this material for creating a curved surface. But that is exactly what Studio Olafur Eliasson has done with their very first construction in Denmark. Named the Fjord House, the project is commissioned by KIRK Capital to showcase the buildings relationship to the harbor. I am very thankful for the trust shown by the Kirk Johansen family in inviting me, with my studio, to conceive Fjordenhus, Eliasson says. This allowed us to turn years of research on perception, physical movement, light, nature, and the experience of space into a building that is at once a total work of art and a fully functional architectural structure. In the design team, we experimented from early on with how to create an organic building that would respond to the ebb and flow of the tides, to the shimmering surface of the water, changing at different times of the day and of the year. The curving walls of the building transform our perception of it as we move through its spaces. I hope the residents of Vejle will embrace Fjordenhus and identify with it as a new landmark for the harbor and their city.

MVRDV continues to awe, astonish, and wow us with this transparent brick store created for Herms, situated in Amsterdam. Using glass bricks, the studio created the jewel-like sparkling exterior to merge the high-end luxury aesthetics necessary for Herms with the historical brick facade that has been iconic to the Amsterdam landscape.

Tadao Ando, a Japanese architect had transformed a Chicago based building into an architecture exhibition center, using raw concrete and glass to create a wealth of contrast along with balancing the feel of old and new. This exhibition center, named Wrightwood 659 is a four-storey structure with a concrete staircase that wraps around one pillar while being highlighted with rectangular windows that provide ample natural lighting. Looking ta this, it looks like Tadao tried to highlight all the essential building blocks to great architecture brick, concrete, glass which is fitting for an architectural exhibit.

Its always interesting when architects design and create their own homes. It is a chance for them to unleash their creativity as they see fit, build that dream design they always wanted to build and that is exactly what Dutch architects Gwendolyn Huisman and Marijn Boterman did when creating this skinny black brick building that is their home. The house, while looking opulent in black bricks from outside houses hidden windows and a huge indoor hammock to add fun to the place!

The Muse Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech (mYSLm) stands tall with a two-toned brick facade that pays homage to the natural environment found in Marrakesh. The museum houses important selection from the fondation Pierre berge Yves Saint Laurents impressive collection, which includes 5,000 items of clothing, 15,000 haute couture accessories, along with tens of thousands of sketches and assorted objects. Designed by the French Studio KO, the building is made up of cubic forms, that come to form a pattern that resembles interwoven threads.

With sweeping arches made of brick and an abundance of natural lighting, this residential complex by Muhamad Samiei is the perfect example of how modern architecture can adopt brick surfaces. In an attempt at changing the traditional tower design, this design uses the flow of the structure to create separate spaces within the enclosure, resulting in a harmonious balance of space-saving and utilizing space whereas the use of bricks pays homage to the past while looking futuristic in the same design.

India is known for its vibrant colors and it is those colors that the Surat-based studio Design Work Group has brought to life in this rippling brick facade. The Location of the building, being on a crossroads inspired the architects to have some fun with it, by using two different materials concrete and brick to create a unique look on each road-facing side of the structure.

When a building is named Cuckoo House, you know you are in for a fun treat! This unusually shaped residence is by the architectural firm Tropical Space in Vietnam and sits above a coffee shop. The entrance to this home starts with an elevated terrace with more smaller terraces created to add ventilation and natural light inside the home. Given the local climate, the house is designed to make complete use of the indoors as well as the outdoors on warm balmy days.

CTA | creative architects have designed the Wall House in Vietnam, named for the use of unique breathing walls designed by the STudio for this house. After realizing that indoor air pollution was a major health hazard in Vietnam, the team decided to build a protective layer of hollow bricks around the house to facilitate the growth of greenery in the walls with ease. This technique creates an all-natural purification system that works on its own!

A drama theater built with some more drama, that is what Drozdov & Partners have created when they redesigned the Teatr na Podoli, a drama theater in Ukraine. What is the drama you ask? Its the use of recycled bricks made up of titanium and zinc that clad the higher levels of this theater, balancing the old school aesthetics with the beige brick-work in contrast to the modern metallic bricks that highlight the top.

Think concrete is the better choice of materials rather than brick? Check these concrete-based designs that show why concrete may be the futuristic material of choice!

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Brick Architectural Designs that pay homage to the past while inspiring the future! - Yanko Design

The Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation launches an open international competition for the development of architectural solutions for the recreational infrastructure of Gyumri Friendship Park. Applications are open on July 1-29, 2020.

The competition makes part of the integrated development and restoration of Gyumri within Armenia 2020 Initiative. The renovated park will not only become a new public venue for the Gyumri people and guests of the city but also a symbol of friendship and gratitude to the countries that have supported the citys rehabilitation after the devastating earthquake in 1988.

The competition is aimed at selecting the best architectural and planning solutions reflecting the citys identity and conveying the idea of international collaboration. The design of the recreational infrastructure elements will help talented architects from across the globe to co-create the modern public venue and diversify the territory of the city.

The competition will be held in 2 rounds. Based on the results of the first round, the jury will shortlist 20 participants for the development of architectural solutions. The participants will get technical task containing the necessary information about the parks design project and the terms of reference for the development of the objectives. Following the second round, the jury will select the finalists of the competition in 3 nominations.

In October 2020, the winners will be announced and the parks final design project will be presented. The finalists will have the opportunity to realize their architectural designs in the new public space in Gyumri.

The jury is comprised of renowned experts, including Andrei Ivanov, architect and researcher, Nune Petrosyan, Deputy Chair for the Urban Development Committee of Armenia, Udo Dagenbach, Landscape architect and Founder of Glaer und Dagenbach GBR office, Fedor Rashevsky, Chief Architect and Partner of OFFCON Bureau, Emma Baghdasaryan, Aide to the Head of Shirak Regional Administration.

The park is located in the northern part of the city, between the historical center and residential and industrial areas. The central street links all the main sights and public spaces of Gyumri. The renovated park will become the first modern green area in the city center on this itinerary, popular among locals and tourists.

The restoration of the Friendship Park is very important for the people of Gyumri. It will become a unique project, fostering the development of the tourism and the citys infrastructure. We are glad that the people of Gyumri have accepted the project and embraced its significance. This project brought people together and this truly will be a park of friendship and gratitude, says Ruben Vardanyan, Co-Founder of IDeA Foundation.

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Competition for the development of Gyumri Friendship Park architectural solutions kicks off in Armenia - Public Radio of Armenia

The archive of the renowned American architect Paul Revere Williams has been jointly acquired by the USC School of Architecture and Getty Research Institute.

The USC alumnus is considered the most significant Black architect of the 20th century, with especially strong ties to Southern California and the city of Los Angeles.

Paul Williams led by example and instilled in his children and grandchildren the importance of excellence, an attention to detail and, above all, family. The collaboration of two such esteemed institutions, the University of Southern California and Getty Research Institute, to preserve and further his legacy would make our grandfather extremely proud, said his granddaughter, Karen Elyse Hudson, who has cared for the archive and published extensively on her grandfathers work.

As the family historian, my journey has been one of awe and encouragement, she added. Never once did I believe my work was my gift to him, for it has been and will always be his gift to us. To others, he is often referred to as the architect to the stars. To his grandchildren, he was simply the best grandfather ever.

Williams started his career doing residential commissions during Los Angeles housing boom of the 1920s, like the 10800 Ambazac Way House in Bel Air, shown in this 1982 photograph. (Photo/Julius Shulman, J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles [2004.R.10])

Although many of Williams business records were lost in a 1992 fire, most of his extensive archive was in a different location and is in excellent condition.

We are honored to accept this archive and synthesize his legacy with the forward-looking vision of the school to produce impactful design and scholarship on the historical and contemporary evolution of the modern city, said Milton S. F. Curry, dean of the USC School of Architecture.

The work contained in this archive tells many stories, he added. It contains the creative expressions of an architect working across many different constituencies in a socially complicated time. It also contains evidence of stunning aesthetic innovations that reimagined the space and program of public housing, hotels and residential design and civic space. Paul R. Williams was an architect who believed that architecture could advance social progress. His work and life as captured in this archive will quickly become an invaluable resource for like-minded students, faculty and the greater public.

Williams was hired to remodel the El Mirador Hotel in Palm Springs from 1952-53. (Photo/Julius Shulman, J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles [2004.R.10])

At theGetty Research Institute, the archive will be a cornerstone of its African American Art History Initiative, launched in 2018.

Paul Williams was a trailblazing architect whose long career helped shape Los Angeles and Southern California. His archive essentially tells the story of how the modern Southland was built, said Getty Research Institute Director Mary Miller. Its importance as an aesthetic and educational resource cannot be overstated, and we are pleased to be working with the USC School of Architecture to preserve and share it.

A native Angeleno who was orphaned by the age of 4, Williams contributed greatly to the cultural landscape and design of Los Angeles. Always acutely aware of being African American in a profession that rarely welcomed those of color, he was the first African American member of the American Institute of Architects, its first African American Fellow and ultimately its first African American Gold Medalist.

Segregation often framed the context in which Williams worked. He learned to draw upside down in order to sketch for clients from across the table for the benefit of any white clients who might have been uneasy sitting next to a Black person. He toured construction sites with hands clasped behind his back because he was not sure every person would want to shake a Black mans hand.

During a period of de jure segregation, Paul R. Williams mastered architecture, a public art form, and was as prolific as he was persistent. His legacy is therefore as much about the character of the man himself as it is the scale, variety and ambitions within a professional practice wed to realizations of perpetual excellence, said LeRonn P. Brooks, associate curator for modern and contemporary collections at the Getty Research Institute. His career and life invite new histories to be written by the countless scholars who will have unprecedented access to this tremendously important archive.

Williams designed the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz House in Palm Springs (photographed in 1954-55. (Photo/Julius Shulman, J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles [2004.R.10])

His early work was primarily residential, designing legendary homes for leaders in business and entertainment such as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Bill (Bojangles) Robinson, Frank Sinatra, the E. L. Cord and Paley families, and Cary Grant. Though his later career included commercial, institutional and public building projects, residential design was a perennial element of his work.

Williams worked on a large number of national and international projects, which notably included the design and construction of the Hotel Nutibara in Medelln, Colombia, the United Nations Building in Paris and Langston Terrace in Washington D.C., the first federally sponsored public housing in the country. However, Southern California was always his chief building ground.

The Los Angeles cityscape is a testament to Paul R. Williams lasting impact on Southern California and modern architecture in general, said Maristella Casciato, senior curator of architecture at the Getty Research Institute. This rich, comprehensive archive is one of the most significant acquisitions of 20th-century architecture that Getty has worked on.

Williams worked on an addition to The Beverly Hills Hotel in 1949-50. (Photo/Julius Shulman, J. Paul Getty Trust. Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles [2004.R.10])

Williams also was the chief architect for the Pueblo del Rio neighborhood at 52nd Street and Long Beach Avenue in South Los Angeles, which was built to house Black defense industry workers in 1940.

Williams retired in 1973 having received numerous accolades, including AIAs Award of Merit for the MCA Building and the NAACPs Spingarn Medal for his outstanding contributions as an architect and work with Los Angeless Black community. In 2017, he was posthumously awarded the USC School of Architectures Distinguished Alumni Award. He died in 1980 at 85.

The USC School of Architecture and the Getty Research Institute are co-owners of the archive and will work together to extend the legacy of Williams through research and scholarship as well as exhibitions and programming. The archive will be housed at Getty, which will oversee the processing and conservation of the materials. An extensive digitization effort will take several years and ultimately make most of the archive accessible to scholars and others.

More stories about: Architecture, History

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Paul Revere Williams' archive acquired by USC, Getty Research Institute - USC News

This green retreat brings the Australian beach house to California

A Californian beach house, inspired by Australian seaside retreats and infused with a contemporary aesthetic and an environmentally friendlyapproach, is the latest residential completion by the US architecture studio of Alec Petros

Perched on the Solana Beach hillsidein the regionscoastal landscape, the Seaside Reef House is defined by a subtle combination of elegance, conviviality, and domestic comfort. Designed by American Alec Petros, this Californian home serves as a shaded, versatileretreat for both leisure and day-to-day activities.

Inspired by the Australian beach house vernacular, the residence offers great flexibilityof space;it comprises an oak wood floor lined, openplan living space framed by oversizeddoors, allowing for cross-ventilation to be implemented while unveiling outstanding ocean views. The development of deep roof overhangs (7ft each) that cantilever out over terraces below adds to this concept, and aclever floor-to-ceiling door system blursthe separation between indoors and outdoors.

Dissolving boundaries that typically separate spaces helped tremendously in gaining the flexibility that we wanted, says Petros. This idea initially emerged from the architects desire to include a covered porch in the design.A wrap-around porch has such a nostalgic feel that connects people with the outdoors, and their neighbourhood, he adds.

Located within walking distance from expansive beaches, the Seaside Reef House also features a series of sustainable systems, creating a green and long-lasting habitat for its occupants. Made of FSC-certified cedar boards, the externalcladding is connected to a sleeper wall andenabling air to effectively pass through, while creating a filtering process that prevents the regions high temperatures from affecting the interiors.

Using this passive energy technique allows the home to reduce its energy demand, especially in warmer seasons, says Petros. On the plus side, the wood that constitutes the exterior skinis a durable material that will age gracefully in this humid-coastal environment.

With Seaside Reef House, Alec Petros - with the help of Nielsen Builders -has brought a stylish, convenient and eco-friendly design to the residential neighbourhood of Solana Beach.

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This green retreat brings the Australian beach house to California - Wallpaper*

BRECKSVILLE, OHIO-- Perched in the middle of the Cuyahoga River in his 80,000-pound excavator, Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, plucks pieces of the Pinery Dam from the river with surgical precision. The large timbers that made up the dam have been submerged under the swirling waters of the Cuyahoga River for 193 years, and he takes care to preserve as many as possible for purposes of historical documentation. He cant really see what hes picking up, as the water flows all around him impeding his view, so he must feel the river through the giant arm and bucket of the excavator.

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, removes the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Piece by piece, he moves the black, sediment-saturated beams to the shore where they are measured and cataloged by Scott Heberling, who is in charge of documenting the Pinery Dam.

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, places a piece of the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, on the shore of Cuyahoga River for measurement.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Heberling, a historical archaeologist and historian with Heberling Associates, Inc., measures each beam and sketches on paper what the Pinery Dam looked like. As each piece comes ashore, his drawing takes shape.

Scott Heberling, a historical archaeologist and historian with Heberling Associates, Inc., measures beams from the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Wednesday marks the final day of dam removal from the river, a project that began just over a month earlier with the removal of the concrete Brecksville Dam. The Brecksville Dam was built in the 1950s, but served no purpose since the 1990s. It also posed hazards for recreational users and negatively impacted water quality and the wildlife habitat up stream. Another week or so of cleanup is needed to remove steel rebar and concrete along the shore.

You can read more about the Brecksville dam removal effort here.

Scott Heberling, a historical archaeologist and historian with Heberling Associates, Inc., shows what the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, looked like based on the beams recovered. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Phil Rhodes, who operates Rhode2Compliance, LLC., is working with Friends of the Crooked River to oversee the removal process.

He explained that the goal is to get rid of dam pools where stagnant, low-oxygen water has accumulated with a lot of sediment. The dams also restrict fish movement up and down the river.

Youre getting improved water quality and youre restoring the stream to where the fish can move without the impediment, Rhodes said. So its a win-win for the environment.

The Cuyahoga River was not meeting water quality standards above the dam.

Phil Rhodes, with Rhode2Compliance, LLC.,watches Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, remove the Pinery Dam from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Also working on the removal process, alongside Friends of the Crooked River, is the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the Northeast Ohio Four County Regional Planning and Development Organization.

It takes years of planning to remove a dam like this.

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, removes the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Kim Norley, a National Park Service landscape architect, said, Its an exciting project. Weve been trying to get the river flowing for years, and allow for a free-flowing river through the 82 corridor. Its a great day for the Cuyahoga.

She noted theres still a low-head dam in Peninsula, so its not yet completely free-flowing through the park.

To read more about what went into the Brecksville and Pinery Dam removals, and for more history on the dams, visit the National Park Service website.

Continue scrolling to see more photos of the Pinery Dam removal process.

The Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, is removed from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, removes the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Detail of steel spike and beam from the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Scott Heberling, a historical archaeologist and historian with Heberling Associates, Inc., measures beams from the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Scott Heberling, a historical archaeologist and historian with Heberling Associates, Inc., measures beams from the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, removes the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Detail of a beam from the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, removes the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Scott Heberling, a historical archaeologist and historian with Heberling Associates, Inc., and Phil Rhodes, with Rhode2Compliance, LLC., study beams from the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, removes the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, removes the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, places a piece of the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, on the shore of Cuyahoga River for measurement.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

Andy Bennett, a machinery operator with Kokosing Construction, removes the Pinery Dam, constructed in 1827, from the Cuyahoga River.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

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Pinery Dam removed from Cuyahoga River after standing 193 years - cleveland.com