Frieze London Sculpture Park 2014, London, 17 October 2014
Our sixth year drawing sculpture in the park! Located in the beautiful surroundings of the English Garden, The Sculpture Park is within a three-minute walk of Frieze London and this year exhibited contemporary sculptures alongside historical pieces, with new works by both established and emerging artists represented by Frieze London and Frieze Masters exhibitors.
Balfron Tower,London, 8 October 2014
Balfron Tower is a 27-storey residential building in Poplar, a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. It forms part of the Brownfield Estate, an area of social housing between Chrisp Street Market and the A12 northern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel. It was designed by Ernő Goldfinger in 1963 for the London County Council, built 1965-67 by the GLC, and has been a Grade II listed building since 1996. Thank you to Ana and Renée, Ladies of the Press*, for arranging access to the building. We started the session outdoors drawing the exterior, before the rain and wind forced us inside, where we drew the interior hallways, staircases and views from the tower’s 12th floor balcony. So amazing to get inside such a wonderful building!
Anthony Caro, The Last Sculptures, Annely Jude Fine Art, 16 September 2014
A lovely exhibition to draw…Often regarded as the greatest British sculptor of his generation, Anthony Caro’s long career is characterised by his innovative use of materials. Between 2011–2013 Caro began to experiment with Perspex, a material that he had only employed in one previous sculpture. Initially interested in the transparent quality of glass, Caro turned to Perspex as a less fragile and easier material to work with. It also provided greater opportunity to experiment with colour; many of the works in the 25-strong Perspex series employ coloured sheets of Perspex, which contrast with the rusted steel or wooden structures into which they are incorporated.
The Serpentine Pavilion 2014, 5 July 2014
Smiljan Radić is the fourteenth architect to accept the invitation to design a temporary Pavilion outside the entrance to the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. Occupying a footprint of some 350 square metres on the lawn of the Serpentine Gallery, plans depict a semi-translucent, cylindrical structure, designed to resemble a shell, which rests on large quarry stones. This work has its roots in the architect’s earlier work, particularly The Castle of the Selfish Giant, inspired by the Oscar Wilde story and the Restaurant Mestizo – part of which is supported by large boulders.
Burnham-on-Crouch, Saturday 28 June 1-4pm
Yvonne has invited us to her little open house which will be taking place on Saturday 28th between 1 and 7. Anyone can pop in during that time; there will be food, drink and total chaos. That Saturday will be the last weekend of the Art Trail in Burnham on Crouch so there should be plenty to see. Burnham is a pretty enough place to draw. Trains go from Stratford or Liverpool St. Children welcome! Let me know who is coming and we can meet either at the train station or in Burnham-on-Crouch. Thanks to Yvonne for the invitation!
Battersea Power Station, London, 5 June 2014
A repeat visit to the Battersea Power Station, before the chimneys start to come down this summer. Battersea Power Station was the first in a series of large coal-fired electrical generating facilities set up to solve the problems of Britain’s inefficient and fragmented electricity supply in the 1930s. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the man behind the trademark red telephone box, played a key role in the design of Battersea Power Station it was cutting-edge, but controversial. The station’s celebrity owes to numerous cultural appearances, which include a shot in The Beatles’ 1965 movie Help! and being used in the cover art of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals.
Viewing Platform, King’s Cross, London, 28 April 2014
Meet at the Viewing Platform at the top of King’s Boulevard, Goods Way (opposite Granary Square and Central Saint Martins). Weather permitting (the long range forecast is for sunny intervals and 16C, fingers crossed) “The King’s Cross project is the largest area of urban redevelopment in Europe and it will include the largest new street in London since Kingsway in 1904; the largest public square since Trafalgar Square in 1845.” Ortelius Drew has run two workshops at Kings Cross for UCL (2010 and 2012) and is astounded by how quickly the site is changing. This is a great opportunity to come back to do some drawing before it is completely finished.
Grant Museum of Zoology, University College London, London, 27 February 2014
The Grant Museum of Zoology is the only remaining university zoological museum in London. It houses around 67,000 specimens, covering the whole Animal Kingdom. Founded in 1828 as a teaching collection, the Museum is packed full of skeletons, mounted animals and specimens preserved in fluid. Many of the species are now endangered or extinct including the Tasmanian Tiger or Thylacine, the Quagga, and the Dodo. Thank you to the Museum for offering us a private visit before opening hours.
South London Botanical Institute, Tulse Hill, London, 3 February 2014
Come along for drawing at the South London Botanical Institute, which provides facilities for the study of plants including ecology and conservation, and aims to encourage interest in all aspects of plant life. Since its inception in 1910, the Institute has enabled many to develop a satisfying and absorbing interest, become better botanists, pursue their own studies, share their knowledge with like-minded individuals and contribute to our natural heritage.
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 10 December 2013
The Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. We were very lucky to have access to the Opera’s rehearsal and build areas, where sets are assembled and dismantled. This was our sixth time behind the scenes at the ROH. Wonderful thank you to Alison for organising this special date!
The Sculpture Park at Frieze London 2013, English Garden, Regent’s Park, 19 October 2013
Selected for the second year running by Clare Lilley, Director of Programme at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the Sculpture Park at Frieze London included new work by some of the most acclaimed contemporary sculptors alongside historical pieces. With sculpture dating from the medieval period through to the present day, this year’s Sculpture Park was the largest presentation of sculpture to date at Frieze.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013, Kensington Gardens, 13 October 2013
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2013, was designed by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. Occupying some 350 square-metres of lawn in front of the Serpentine Gallery, Sou Fujimoto’s delicate, latticed structure of 20mm steel poles will have a lightweight and semi-transparent appearance that will allow it to blend, cloud-like, into the landscape and against the classical backdrop of the Gallery’s colonnaded East wing.
Nunhead Cemetery, The Ivy House Community Pub and Nunhead Arts Trail, Saturday 28 September
This date was open to participants of the Nunhead Arts Trail. With optional drink at The Ivy House Community Pub. The Ivy House pub in Nunhead has become London’s first community-owned pub. It is the first pub in the capital to be saved from closure under a new law that gives residents the right to nominate buildings for protection because of their value to the community. Nunhead Cemetery is perhaps the least known but most attractive as well as being the second largest of London’s Victorian cemeteries. This pleasant 52-acre cemetery is a tranquil wilderness. Its formal avenue of towering limes and the Gothic gloom of original Victorian planting give way to paths which recall country lanes of a bygone era. Nunhead Cemetery’s history, architecture and stunning views make it a fascinating and beautiful place to visit. While much of the cemetery is mysterious and overgrown, many of its features have recently been restored to their former glory. Thanks to Stuart for suggesting this date.
Teddington Lock, Teddington, TW11, Saturday 27 July
Teddington Lock, on the western outskirts of London, is the end of the tidal reach of the Thames. An obelisk 265 yards below the Lock marks the boundary of the jurisdiction of the Port of London Authority and the Environment Agency. Before Teddington Lock was constructed in 1811 the river was tidal as far as Kingston. The pound lock was an early attempt to control the high tides, which in the 19th century were around ten feet above the level in Roman times. Today the tide flows up to Teddington but the half tide lock at Richmond prevents too strong a current and keeps the river level. In 1888 – 89 a footbridge, built to the designs of G. Pooley replaced the ferry at Teddington. Two footbridges of different designs meet on the island at Teddington. The bridge spanning the river from the Middlesex bank to the island is a suspension bridge, while the shorter structure crossing from the Surrey bank has a girder design. A selection of photos can be found on this blog. Thanks to Sarah for suggesting and organising this date!
Surrey Docks Farm, London, 21 June 2013
Surrey Docks Farm is a working city farm in the heart of London. It occupies a 2.2 acre site on the south bank of the river Thames in Rotherhithe. The farm works with local communities and the people of Southwark to provide many unique opportunities for people to learn about farming and food production, and to be actively involved in the ongoing work of the farm. Animals reared on the farm include a herd of goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, bees and donkeys. The herds, flocks and swarms are farmed with specific attention to animal welfare.
Westerkerk, Amsterdam, 24 May 2013
Westerkerk is a Dutch Protestant cathedral in central Amsterdam, built in 1620-1631 after a design by the late Renaissance architect Hendrick de Keyser. The spire, called the Westertoren (“western tower”), is the highest church tower in Amsterdam, at 85 meters.
Kensington Roof Garden, London, 3 May 2013
Did you know there’s a rooftop garden in central London that you can visit for free and flamingos live there? Kensington Roof Gardens is a hidden gem. It is 100 feet above Kensington High Street on top of a former department store building. And it’s not small. In fact at 1.5 acres it’s one of Europe’s largest roof gardens. The gardens were laid out between 1936 and 1938 by Ralph Hancock who was a well-known landscape gardener and created many gardens in the UK and US in the 1920s, 30s and 40s including the Rockefeller Center in New York.
La Place Restaurant, V&D department store on the Kalverstraat, Amsterdam, 2 May 2013
From the balcony of the La Place restaurant which is located within the V&D department store we were able to draw from the busiest shopping street in Amsterdam, the Kalverstraat, including views of the Munttorren.
The Blackfriar, London, 16 April 2013
My first pub: please join me for a drink to celebrate my 50th London drawing date! The historic Art Nouveau Grade II masterpiece of a pub was built in 1905 on the site of a Dominican friary. The building was designed by architect H. Fuller-Clark and artist Henry Poole, both committed to the free-thinking of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Jolly friars appear everywhere in the pub in sculptures, mosaics and reliefs. Thank you to Shany for the suggestion!
Two Temple Place, London, 20 March 2013
Two Temple Place is London’s first venue to specifically showcase publicly-owned art from around the UK. The building itself is one of London’s hidden architectural gems, an extraordinary late Victorian mansion built by William Waldorf Astor on Embankment. Thank you to Liz for the suggestion!
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 28 February 2013
The Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. We were very lucky to have access to the Opera’s build area, where sets are assembled and dismantled. This was our fifth time behind the scenes at the ROH. Wonderful thank you to Alison for organising this special date!
Six Fitzroy Square, London, 6 February 2013
Six Fitzroy Square, an elegant eighteenth century townhouse designed by Robert Adam, was built as a residence of the highest calibre reflected in its lavish proportions, Portland stone frontage and exquisite interior and exterior plasterwork. Located in one of London’s most handsome squares, Six Fitzroy Square is owned by The Georgian Group, the national charity for the protection of Georgian buildings. Its rooms have been used for entertaining for well over 200 years and have featured in many films and photo shoots including as 10 Downing Street in the Oscar winning film ‘The King’s Speech’. Special thank you to Stuart for organising this session!
Akihisa Hirata: Tangling, The Architecure Foundation, London, 12 November 2012
The Architecture Foundation has kindly offered to host our drawing group outside of exhibition hours. For his first ever international solo show, emerging Japanese architect Akihisa Hirata will exhibit an immersive 1:1 scale installation – a contorted loop – to distil his architecture’s essence into a large-scale experiential structure. Over a hundred study models and conceptual sketches will be presented on and within the structure, as well as an interview with the architect and intimate films of his projects, illustrating Hirata’s view of architecture and ecology, form and function, as a complex, interwoven ‘tangle’.
William Kentridge Black Box, Joods Historisch Museum, Amsterdam, 1 November 2012
The artist William Kentridge (Johannesburg 1955) has developed a working method that fuses drawing, animation, collage, printmaking and theatre. His principal body of work comprises powerful charcoal drawings, which he transforms into animated films: drawing, erasing and revising as he films. Black Box/Chambre Noire is a mechanical theatre in which six mechanical figures perform in turn for twenty-one minutes against a backdrop of projected animated charcoal drawings.
The Sculpture Park at Frieze London 2012, English Garden, Regent’s Park, London, 14 October 2012
The Sculpture Park at Frieze London 2012 has been selected by Clare Lilley, Director of Programme at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Lilley has put together as ambitious selection of works, offering a rare opportunity to see a significant group of public-scale sculpture by internationally recognised artists. The 2012 Sculpture Park is the largest-ever presentation of outdoor sculpture at Frieze London.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012, Kensington Gardens, London, 23 September 2012
This year’s Pavilion by Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei is the 12th commission in the Gallery’s annual series, the world’s first and most ambitious architectural programme of its kind. Taking visitors beneath the Serpentine lawns, this is an archaeology into each past Pavilion, with 12 supporting columns representing each one, and with a floating platform roof 1.5m above ground. Interior clad in cork. Open House is the capital’s biggest architectural celebration and gives the general public a rare opportunity to visit over 600 buildings, old and new, across London – many of them normally closed to the public – completely free of charge.
Magneet Festival, Amsterdam, 15 September 2012
This year’s Magneet Festival, the first crowdsourced festival of its kind in Europe, is taking place on an artificial sand valley at the Zeeburger Island (Zeeburgereiland) in the East of Amsterdam. Visitors can enjoy music, theatre, experimental constructions, fine arts, children’s activities and more. Friends of Doreen have built a nomadic house called the Mobi-01 which will be on site for the duration of the month-long festival. For more information about the Mobi-01 see www.mobiation.net.
EYE Film Institute Netherlands, Amsterdam, 23 August 2012
EYE Film Institute Netherlands includes a cinematography museum formerly called Filmmuseum, founded in 1952. Its predecessor was the Dutch Historic Film Archive, founded in 1946. The museum was situated in the Vondelparkpaviljoen since 1975, and in 2009, plans were announced for a new home for the museum on the northern bank of Amsterdam’s waterfront. It was officially opened on 4 April, 2012. The building was designed by architectural firm Delugan Meissl, which specializes in buildings that appear to be in motion.
View of Olympic Park, London, 28 June 2012
With the London 2012 Olympics fast approaching, I wanted to take the opportunity to draw the site from a nearby rooftop. Thanks to Lolita and Kaspars for the great view!
Clerkenwell Design Week, London, 24 May 2012
Clerkenwell is a three-day festival celebrating design’s creative richness, social relevance and technological advancements through an exciting programme of workshops, presentations, product launches and debates. Clerkenwell Design Week also features all the elements you would expect from a festival, including exhibitions, installations, street entertainment, music, food, parties and receptions. Thanks to Lucrecia for the suggestion!
Café de Jaren, Amsterdam, 27 April 2012
This grand café on the Nieuwe Doelenstraat is situated in the center between Amsterdam’s Muntplein and the Muziektheater. At the back there is an outdoor terrace overlooking the river Amstel. Back in the day, Rembrant and his wife Saskia used to rent a house formerly located on the exact same site for a short period of two years before they moved to the Jodenbreestraat.
Evening Townscape, Spitalfields, E1, London, 24 April 2012
Spitalfields is a former parish in the borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London, near to Liverpool Street station and Brick Lane. The area straddles Commercial Street and is home to many markets, including the historic Old Spitalfields Market, founded in the 17th century, Sunday UpMarket, and the various other Brick Lane Markets on Brick Lane and Cheshire Street.
View of Mercatorplein from F.P. van Berlage tower (Het Wereldpand), 31 March 2012
In celebration of the 4th anniversary of the Ortelius Drew Drawing Group (AMSTERDAM), we met at the Woningbouw Plan-West on the Orteliusstraat 203-293, apartment buildings designed by the first Dutch female architect Margaret Staal-Kropholler. Artist, Mathilde van Beekhuizen opened her home and gave us a tour of the surrounding area, a neighbourhood designed by a number of the Amsterdam School architects. With the generous hospitality from the people at “Het Wereldpand” we were able to visit the south F.P. van Berlage tower and draw from the square “Mercatorplein” named after the famous cartographer Geradus Mercator.
Horniman Museum, Forest Hill, London, 17 March 2012
Open since Victorian times, when Frederick John Horniman first opened his house and extraordinary collection of objects to visitors. Since then, the collection has grown tenfold and includes internationally important collections of anthropology and musical instruments, as well as an acclaimed aquarium and natural history collection. Unusually for such an important museum, you can see the collection up-close and face-to-face.
Glass Galleries, The V&A Museum, London, 25 February 2012
Room 131 vividly illustrates the entire history of glass-making from ancient times to the present day. Islamic, British and European collections among others are represented, as well as a selection of objects illustrating examples of glass-making techniques. A specially commissioned staircase by glass artist Danny Lane leads to a mezzanine crammed with the study collections. The international glass displayed in Room 129 is recent work by contemporary artist-makers and designers.
Design Icons, Amsterdam, 12 February 2012
The very first edition of Design Icons, a 20th century design furniture fair, took place at the “Bedrijfsterrein De Overkant” in Amsterdam. This former shipyard has been completely restored and is directly situated at “’t IJ” river with a view of the city center.
The Wapping Project, Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, London, 31 January 2012
The Wapping Hydraulic Power Station (built 1890) was originally run by the London Hydraulic Power Company in Wapping. Originally it operated using steam and later it was converted to use electricity. It was used to power machinery, including lifts, across London. After its closure as a pumping station in 1977, the building was converted and reopened as an arts centre, The Wapping Project and restaurant, Wapping Food. Some of the original equipment is still in place. Thanks to Lucrecia for the suggestion!
Jodendom. Een wereld vol verhalen, Amsterdam, 7 January 2012
The exhibition Judaism: A World of Stories (17 December 2011 – 15 April 2012) at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam has more than five hundred objects on display, and tells the fascinating story of three thousand years of Jewish religion, culture, art and history, the chronicle of a world religion that takes diverse international forms but has always held onto its identity. Highlights include a first-century Dead Sea Scroll and the oldest complete Torah scroll.
The Barbican Foyers, London, 7 December 2011
The Barbican is Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference venue presenting a diverse range of art, music, theatre, dance, film and creative learning events. It is also home to the London Symphony Orchestra. The Centre had a long development period, only opening long after the surrounding Barbican Estate housing complex had been built. It is situated in an area which was badly bombed duringWorld War II. The Centre, designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the Brutalist style, has a complex multi-level layout with numerous entrances. The Centre’s design – a concrete ziggurat – has always been controversial and divides opinion. It was voted “London’s ugliest building” in a Grey London poll in September 2003.
De Hollandsche Manege, Amsterdam, 12 November 2011
The Hollandsche Manege in Amsterdam is the oldest riding school in the Netherlands, dating back to 1744. The current building, inspired by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, was constructed in 1882. The richly ornate interior features a main hall with balustrades and a cast-iron roof construction and a hallway from the lobby to the main hall with an iron and glass roof. The building has been declared a rijksmonument (national monument).
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 8 November 2011
The Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. Thanks to Alison, we were again very lucky to gain access to the Opera’s backstage, rehearsal and build areas where we drew sets from Magical Night and La Traviata.
The Sculpture Park, Frieze Art Fair, English Garden, Regent’s Park, London, 16 October 2011
The Sculpture Park at Frieze Art Fair is located in the beautiful surroundings of the English Garden. It is within a three-minute walk of the main fair site and exhibits new works by both established and emerging artists represented by Frieze Art Fair exhibitors. This year, curator David Thorp once again selected the Sculpture Park. The following artists were exhibited: Neha Choksi, Johan Creten, Claudia Fontes, Alicia Framis, Tom Friedman, Gimhongsok, Des Hughes, Thomas Houseago, Eva Koťátková & Petr Koťátko, Will Ryman, Kiki Smith and Gavin Turk.
Lloyd’s Building, London Open House, London, 17 September 2011
The home of the insurers Lloyd’s of London, designed in the high-tech style by Richard Rogers in 1979. Rogers (who also designed the Pompidou Centre) has the unusual architectural approach of putting most of the building’s services (staircases, lifts, air conditioning ducts, water pipes etc.) on the outside of the building. Open House is the capital’s biggest architectural celebration and gives the general public a rare opportunity to visit over 600 buildings, old and new, across London – many of them normally closed to the public – completely free of charge. Thanks to Ling for the suggestion!
Dr. Sketchy Amsterdam Launch Party, Amsterdam, 16 September 2011
Dr. Sketchy’s is an international Anti-Art School and will be opening a branch in Amsterdam. These drawing nights consist of open-model studios with an entertaining twist. A range of international burlesque models will give a short performance and then strike a pose for artists to work from.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2011, Kensington Gardens, London, 30 August 2011The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2011 designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor includes a specially created garden by the influential Dutch designer Piet Oudolf. The concept for this year’s Pavilion is the hortus conclusus, a contemplative room, a garden within a garden. One enters the building from the lawn and begins the transition into the central garden, a place abstracted from the world of noise and traffic and the smells of London – an interior space within which to sit, to walk, to observe the flowers.
ARTIS Royal Zoo, Amsterdam, 30 July 2011
Artis, short for Natura Artis Magistra, is a zoo in the centre of Amsterdam. It is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands. Artis boasts some of the most beautiful 19th century architecture in the city. In addition to the zoo, it has an aquarium, a planetarium, a geological museum, as well as, a zoological museum.
Trent Park Equestrian Centre, London, 8 July 2011
The Equestrian Centre at Trent Park is a vibrant, professional riding school for London and the Home Counties as well as a British Horse Society Equestrian Centre of Excellence. Thank you to Christopher for organizing! The group made some great drawings.
Sketch Peckham!, Peckham Square, London, 25 June 2011An afternoon workshop that celebrated Peckham’s fine architecture by drawing it. The session was led by two expert townscape sketchers Bill Morris and Benedict O’Looney from the Peckham Society. The plan was to draw some of the old houses on the High Street from under the arch at the Peckham Square and started with a demonstration and a talk about the art of townscape drawing. Sketching, and discovering Peckham’s original village centre was fun and a cheerful support for the Peckham Society’s campaign for a central Peckham Conservation Area that will help preserve some of these historic houses. Thanks to Benny for a great day!
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, 28 May 2011
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is one of the world’s leading botanic gardens. Throughout its history, Kew Gardens has made important contributions to increasing the understanding of the plant kingdom with many benefits for mankind. Today it is still first and foremost a scientific institution. With its collections of living and preserved plants, of plant products and botanical information, it forms an encyclopaedia of knowledge about the plant kingdom. Thanks to Nick for the suggestion! Look out next year for a day-long date.
Canvas op de 7e, Amsterdam, 27 May 2011
The Ortelius Drew Skectbook Prize was launched with a drawing date on the 7th floor of the Volkskrantgebouw at restaurant Canvas op de 7e. People working in the building as well as the neighboring public were also invited to come out and draw. From this view from the top, this diverse group of artists, illustrators and architects drew from the transforming area below surrounding the Wibautstraat.
The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, The Sperwer, Amsterdam, 29 April 2011
During the Royal wedding ceremony of British Prince William and Miss Kate Middleton we watched and drew from the live coverage on a tv screen. This took place at Amsterdam’s finest cookbook store, de Sperwer. A big thank you to our host, Juliet Deymann [owner de Sperwer] who provided the drawing group with a very authentic English breakfast and Barbara Paternotte for her delicious Royal wedding cake.
Romford Greyhound Racing, Coral Romford Greyhound Stadium, Romford, Essex, 6 April 2011
Doreen Wittenbols joined the London group at Romford Stadium which is famed for its vibrant atmosphere. This 4,300 capacity venue is the ideal place to sample greyhound action (and some superb drawings were made that evening by all)!
Anish Kapoor, Turning the World Upside Down, Kensington Gardens, London, 12 March 2011
Constructed from highly reflective stainless steel, the giant curved mirror surfaces create illusory distortions of the surroundings and were visible across large distances, creating new vistas in this famous and much-loved setting. The sculptures were sited to contrast and reflect the changing colours, foliage and weather in Kensington Gardens. Despite their monumental scale, the works appear as pure reflection of their surroundings: the sky, trees, water, wildlife and changing seasons. The distortions in the works’ mirror-like surfaces call into question the viewers’ relationship to both the work itself and the surrounding environment.
RED, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, 6 March 2011
The exhibition RED (ROOD) will focus on the colour in all its many aspects. From blood-red and scarlet to Burgundy and the red of the evening sky. The objects are displayed in a transparent, flowing setting created by designers Maarten Spruyt and Tsur Reshef, well known for their work in the Rijksmuseum’s Art Nouveau exhibitions, Voici Paris! – Haute Couture and 15 years of Marlies Dekkers. Of course, the colour red means something different to everyone, but it also has universal associations. These meanings are numerous and contradictory. Red can stand for happiness, fertility and love but also for power, violence and danger. Red can be romantic, but it can also be deadly. All of these associations are included in the exhibition in themes such as life cycles, energy, power, identity, deities, demons and love.
The Chancellery, US Embassy London, 18 February 2011
Eero Saarinen (1910 –1961) was a Finnish American architect and industrial designer of the 20th century famous for varying his style according to the demands of the project: simple, sweeping, arching structural curves or machine-like rationalism. Designed in 1955 and completed by 1960, the U.S. Chancellery, to give its official title, has always divided the critics. It was Saarinen’s only British building, and you can see him struggling to accommodate his highly tectonic, free-form approach with the demands of its historic Mayfair context. Thank you to Lucrecia and Jim for organizing this special date.
Hans Bellmer – Louise Bourgeois Double Sexus, Gemeente Museum, Den Haag, 17 December 2010
Exhibition DOUBLE SEXUS – Although Hans Bellmer (1902-1975) and Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) were both in touch with the Surrealists in the 1930s, the two artists never met. Despite this, their work displays striking similarities. In both cases, the human body plays a major role. Bodies are deformed, limbs are missing or duplicated, and male and female characteristics are melded together to produce androgynous beings. In Double Sexus the oeuvres of Bellmer and Bourgeois are brought together for the first time ever in an intriguing dialogue. Shared themes like female fantasies, male angst, sexual ambiguity and the search for personal identity correspond to the concerns of today’s world, where the emancipation of women has undermined the traditional gender roles of both sexes.
The Skyroom, London, 19 November 2010
The Skyroom is an imaginative new rooftop venue designed by David Kohn Architects, winner of the UK Young Architect of the Year Award 2009, with structural engineering by Form Structural Design. A central courtyard open to the sky frames the rising form of The Shard, the latest addition to London’s skyline. A balcony cantilevered over Tooley Street offers breathtaking views through the More London development to the Thames and the Tower of London beyond. A few examples of the group’s drawings can be seen on The Skyroom website.
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 2 November 2010
The Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. Thanks to Alison, we were again very lucky to gain access to the Opera’s backstage and build areas where we drew sets from Adriana Lecouvreur, Tannhauser and Romeo and Juliet.
The Sculpture Park, Frieze Art Fair, English Garden, Regent’s Park, London, 17 October 2010
The Sculpture Park at Frieze Art Fair is located in the beautiful surroundings of the English Garden. It is within a three-minute walk of the main fair site and exhibits new works by both established and emerging artists represented by Frieze Art Fair exhibitors. This year, curator David Thorp has again selected the Sculpture Park. Entry to the Sculpture Park is free to the public. In 2010 works by the following artists will be exhibited: Hans Peter Feldman, Ceal Floyer, Wolfgang Ganter and Kaj Aune, Sanchayan Ghosh, Jeppe Hein, Marie Lund, John Russell, Slavs and Tatars, Daniel Silver, Tomas Saraceno, Gavin Turk, Franz West
For your eyes only: the secrets of the bag, Tassenmuseum / Museum of Bags & Purses, Amsterdam, 25 September 2010
This exhibition will be opening up bags that can usually only be admired behind glass panes, showing the private contents of women’s bags. Bags and their contents tell stories about women’s daily life in the past and today. The Museum of Bags and Purses is located in an imposing canal house built in 1664 for the the mayor of Amsterdam at that time. It forms part of a row of four buildings built around the same time, sharing the same cornice and having the same layout. This is a one-of-a-kind structure for buildings in the ring of canals in Amsterdam.
The museum houses two period rooms with painted ceilings and chimney paintings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art at the British Library, London, 12 September 2010Maps can be works of art, propaganda pieces, expressions of local pride, tools of indoctrination…Magnificent Maps brings together 80 of the largest, most impressive and beautiful maps ever made, from 200 AD to the present day.
V&A exhibitions: 1:1 – Architects Build Small Spaces and Architectural Studies for the V&A, London, 28 August 2010
The V&A has commissioned a group of international architects to build a series of structures throughout the Museum which will respond to the theme of the ‘retreat’. The starting point for these experimental projects is the idea of a small enclosed space representing an escape from the chaos of urban life to an area for peace, contemplation, shelter or creativity. One of the central aims of the exhibition is to move away from explaining architecture through drawings and models and instead allow the visitor to experience the architecture itself. Eight internationally renowned architects present concept designs for a hypothetical redevelopment of the V&A’s Boilerhouse Yard. The designs, comprising architectural models and plans respond to a brief to create temporary exhibition space below ground and a courtyard at street level off Exhibition Road.
NEMO Science Center, Amsterdam, 14 August 2010The plan was to visit and work from the exhibition: 100 years of household appliances at the NEMO, the largest science center in the Netherlands. Due to the gorgeous weather we ended up working outdoors from the surrounding Oosterdok area. This includes the central library and the major redevelopment zone leading up to and including Amsterdam central station.
Serpentine Pavilion 2010, Kensington Gardens, London, 17 July 2010
The design for the 2010 Pavilion by French architect Jean Nouvel is a contrast of lightweight materials and dramatic metal cantilevered structures. The entire design is rendered in a vivid red that, in a play of opposites, contrasts with the green of its park setting. In London, the colour reflects the iconic British images of traditional telephone boxes, post boxes and London buses.
Canal Side between Camden Lock Market and Regent’s Zoo, London, 15 June 2010
This is an extra date for June organised by Bidisha Sinha. There is lots to draw in this stretch of beautiful canal. (photo B. Sinha)
Zorgvlied Cemetery, Amsterdam, 13 June 2010
The Zorgvlied Cemetery on the banks of Amsterdam’s Amstel river was founded in 1868. The cemetery was designed in English Garden style by Paul Zogger. The first burial took place here in 1870. Numerous famous Dutch people are buried here like Oscar Carré, Annie M.G. Schmidt, Manfred Langer, Frank Govers and Ramses Shaffy.
Avenue Gardens, Regent’s Park, London, 3 June 2010
Regent’s Park was designed by John Nash in 1811-27. The Avenue was originally intended to provide access to a number of villas dispersed within the park, but few were built and the function of the axis changed from a grand carriage drive to a formal Broad Walk. Victorian garden designer William Andrews Nesfield, redesigned the Broad Walk in 1863. His plan consisted of formal gardens set within the framework of existing trees. Nesfield’s design was fully restored in 1996.
Battersea Power Station, London, 11 May 2010
Battersea Power Station was the first in a series of large coal-fired electrical generating facilities set up to solve the problems of Britain’s inefficient and fragmented electricity supply in the 1930s. Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the man behind the trademark red telephone box, played a key role in the design of Battersea Power Station it was cutting-edge, but controversial. The station’s celebrity owes to numerous cultural appearances, which include a shot in The Beatles’ 1965 movie Help! and being used in the cover art of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals.
V&A Museum in Medieval & Renaissance Galleries, London, 16 April 2010
The Medieval & Renaissance Galleries are home to one of the world’s most remarkable collections of treasures from the period ranging from delicately carved ivories and intricate metalwork to Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and powerful sculptures. The galleries tell the story of European art and culture from AD 300-1600; from the decline of the Roman Empire to the end of the Renaissance period.
Imperial War Museum, London, 27 March 2010
The Imperial War Museum is unique in its coverage of conflicts, especially those involving Britain and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present day. It seeks to provide for, and to encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war and ‘war-time experience’. It is proud to be regarded as one of the essential sights of London.
Open Ateliers Plantage Weesperbuurt, Amsterdam, March 20, 2010
Ortelius Drew participated in the Open Ateliers Plantage Weesperbuurt 2010 with the central location taking place at the Plantagedok.
Het Museum Vrolik, Amsterdam, February 25, 2010The collection of the Museum Vrolik originates from the splendid private collection of anatomical, zoological and teratological specimens of Professor Gerardus Vrolik (1755-1859) and his son Professor Willem Vrolik (1801-1863).
After Vrolik’s death the collection was threatened by a public sale, but luckily it was acquired in its entirety by a committee of citizens in 1869. It was then handed over to the municipality of Amsterdam and placed in the Anatomical Laboratories of the Athenaeum Illustre, the forerunner of the University.
There have been several subsequent additions to the collection. The private collections of Hovius (a collection of pathological bones, shown in a fine 18th century cabinet) and Grevers (a dental collection) were donated to the museum. Further additions included some animal specimens, anatomical and embryological, used for teaching and research. Since 1994, 150 specimens of congenital malformations have also been on display. Together with a guidebook, these exhibitions provide an overview of dysmorphology.
Wellcome Collection in Identity: Eight Rooms, Nine Lives, London, 18 February 2010
Doreen Wittenbols joined us for drawing at the Wellcome Collection. What influences or determines our sense of who we are? What makes one person distinct from another? How does science inform human identity? This major new exhibition explored the tension between the way we view ourselves and how others see us.
British Museum, Egyptian Sculpture, London, 21 January 2010
Large-scale sculpture was an important feature of the great temples and tombs of ancient Egypt and was believed to be imbued with powerful spiritual qualities. Sculptures on display in Room 4 include stylised depictions of kings, deities and symbolic objects ranging from the time of the Old Kingdom to the middle of the Roman Period. There are also architectural pieces from temples and tombs.
Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, January 16, 2010
The Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world. Today, there are more than 4,000 plant species growing in the garden and greenhouses. The Hortus is located in the Plantage district on the edge of the hectic center of Amsterdam.
Royal Festival Hall Foyers, London, 1 December 2009
The opening of the Royal Festival Hall in 1951 heralded the artistic revival of post war Britain. Some 50 years later this landmark building has been reopened after 2 years’ refurbishment, the culmination of 15 years design work since Allies and Morrison’s appointment as house architect in 1992. The transparency of the foyers and their flowing internal spaces were always distinctive elements of the Royal Festival Hall building. The refurbishment project recovered the clarity of circulation, reinstated the significance of original entrances on all sides of the building and cleared out the clutter of commercial units. The refurbishment of the fabric of the foyers, replacement of original 1950s carpets and reintroduction of original strong colours used on the walls, with the addition of new lighting, has revived the vibrancy of the spaces.
Paddington Station, London, 12 November 2009
The station was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in association with the architect Matthew Digby Wyatt and was completed in 1854. One of the most important 19th century industrial buildings in the world: a station that has been in constant but changing use since its completion. A station whose history is still evident in its rich architectural and engineering fabric and for those with a little time to investigate, in its fixtures, fittings and features.
Loy Krathong Light and Candle Fesitval Sukhothai Historical Park, Thailand, November 2009 Due to Doreen’s travels the drawing group in Amsterdam was put on hold. Here you see Doreen sketching during a ceremony at dawn at the Sukhothai Historical Park Loy Krathong Light & Candle Festival 2009.
The Royal Opera House, London, UK, 27 October 2009
The Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden is home to The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. We were again very lucky to gain access to the Opera’s rehearsal room, where were drew the set for The Tsarina’s Slippers and build area, where the stage set for Carmen was being dismantled.
Frieze Art Fair, The Sculpture Park, English Garden, Regent’s Park, London, UK, 17 October 2009
The Sculpture Park at Frieze Art Fair was located in the beautiful surroundings of the English Garden. It was within a three-minute walk of the main Fair site and exhibited new works by both established and emerging artists represented by Frieze Art Fair exhibitors. Curator David Thorp was responsible for the selection and placement of the works in the Sculpture Park.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009, Kensington Gardens, London, 21 September 2009
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2009 has been designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of leading Japanese architecture practice SANAA. Describing their structure the architects say: ‘The Pavilion is floating aluminium, drifting freely between the trees like smoke. The reflective canopy undulates across the site, expanding the park and sky. Its appearance changes according to the weather, allowing it to melt into the surroundings. It works as a field of activity with no walls, allowing uninterrupted view across the park and encouraging access from all sides. It is a sheltered extension of the park where people can read, relax and enjoy lovely summer days.’
Canal Boat Tour Amsterdam, Amsterdam, August 8, 2009
For a very unique perspective of the city we had a boat tour around the canals of Amsterdam (courtesy of artist and friend Todd Phillips).
Parade Theater Festival, Rotterdam, Summer 2009
Every summer the mobile theatre festival De Parade visits Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Amsterdam, transforming parks and squares into temporary cultural streets lined with dozens of colourful theatre tents. Doreen had the opportunity to tour around with De Parade in the summer of 2009, visiting three different city locations.
With its theatre and dance performances, films, music, catering establishments and attractions such as an antique whirligig and a miniature wheel, it has something to please everyone’s tastes. There is also a special Children’s Parade every day of the festival.
The performances are staged several times each evening. Walking throughout the site, performers tempt visitors to attend their shows by giving a taste of their acts. Many of the performances are made specifically for De Parade and last at most thirty minutes.
Opening of the Hermitage, Amsterdam, June 20, 2009
Hermitage Amsterdam is a dependency of the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg on the Amstel river in Amsterdam. The dependency is located at the former Amstelhof, a classical style building from 1681. The dependency has been displaying small exhibitions in a side building next to the Amstelhof since 24 February 2004. The full museum was opened on 19 June 2009.
It is currently the largest dependency of the Hermitage Museum, with the total area of the building numbering 12,846 square metres (138,270 sq ft), and the exhibition area 2,172 square metres (23,380 sq ft) (two big exhibition halls and exhibition rooms).
National Monument Dam Square, Amsterdam, March 21, 2009
Dam Square lies in the historical center of Amsterdam, approximately 750 meters south of the main transportation hub, Centraal Station. It is roughly rectangular in shape, stretching about 200 meters from west to east and about 100 meters from north to south. It links the streets Damrak and Rokin, which run along the original course of the Amstel River from Centraal Station to Muntplein (Mint Square) and Munttoren. The Dam also marks the endpoint of other well-traveled streets, Nieuwendijk, Kalverstraat and Damstraat. A short distance beyond the northeast corner lies the main red-light district, de Wallen.
On the west end of the square is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which served as the city hall from 1655 until its conversion to a royal residence in 1808. Beside it are the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and the Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. The National Monument, a white stone pillar designed by J.J.P. Oud and erected in 1956 to memorialize the victims of World War II, dominates the opposite side of the square. Also overlooking the plaza are the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the upscale department store De Bijenkorf. These various attractions have turned the Dam into a tourist zone. The square abounds with city pigeons, popular for birdfeeding.
Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam, February 28, 2009
The Allard Pierson Museum is the archaeological museum of the University of Amsterdam. It is situated at the Oude Turfmarkt 127 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Artifacts from the ancient civilizations of ancient Egypt, the Near East, the Greek World, Etruria, and the Roman Empire are curated and exhibited in this museum.
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 26 February 2009
We were lucky to gain access to the Opera’s build area, where the set for Swan Lake was assembled. We were also able to draw from a first floor, glass walled bridge that looks into Bow Street.
War and Medicine, Wellcome Collection, London, 5 February 2009
Wellcome Collection is a unique mix of galleries, events, and meeting, reading and eating places where you can consider what it means to be human. On this visit we drew the War and Medicine exhibition which explored the increasingly sophisticated weaponry humankind has developed which to harm its enemies, and how medicine has had to adapt to cope with the volume and the changing nature of resulting casualties.
Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, November 29, 2008
The Tropenmuseum (English: Museum of the Tropics) is an anthropological museum located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and established in 1864.
One of the largest museums in Amsterdam, the museum accommodates eight permanent exhibitions and an ongoing series of temporary exhibitions, including both modern and traditional visual arts and photographic works. The Tropenmuseum is owned and operated by the Royal Tropical Institute, a foundation that sponsors the study of tropical cultures around the world. The museum had 176,000 visitors in 2009.[2]
Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, November 2008
During a visit to Canada, Doreen held an impromptu drawing session with artist/friend Chris Arnoldin spending the afternoon at the ROM. The Royal Ontario Museum, commonly known as the ROM, is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada’s largest museum of world culture and natural history. The ROM is the fifth largest museum in North America, containing more than six million items and over 40 galleries. It has notable collections of dinosaurs, Near Eastern and African art, East Asian art, European history, and Canadian history. It contains the world’s largest collection of fossils from the Burgess Shale with more than 150,000 specimens. It has also hosted many travelling exhibits.
The museum is located at the corner of Bloor Street and Avenue Road, north of Queen’s Park and on the east side of Philosopher’s Walk in the University of Toronto. Established as the Museum of Natural History and Fine Arts in 1857 at the Toronto Normal School, the museum’s current incarnation began in 1912 with the enactment of the Royal Ontario Museum Act by the provincial government. Operated by the University of Toronto until 1968, the museum is now an independent institution but still maintains close relations with the university, often sharing expertise and resources.
The National Gallery, London, 29 October 2008
The National Gallery houses the national collection of Western European painting from the 13th to the 19th centuries.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2008, Kensington Gardens, London, 4 August 2008
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2008 was the first built project in England by legendary architect Frank Gehry. The spectacular structure designed and engineered in collaboration with Arup was anchored by four massive steel columns and was comprised of large timber planks and a complex network of overlapping glass planes that created a dramatic, multi-dimensional space. Gehry and his team took inspiration for the Pavilion from a fascinating variety of sources including the elaborate wooden catapults designed by Leonardo da Vinci as well as the striped walls of summer beach huts.
Royal Opera House, Amphi Al Fresco Restaurant, overlooking Covent Garden, London, 14 July 2008
The terrace of the Amphitheatre Restaurant offers a perfect al fresco dining setting in the heart of Covent Garden. It boasts a peaceful ambience with a view of the busy yet, entertaining Covent Garden piazza below.
British Museum, London, June 2008
Doreen was in town for a work session with Ilga and joined the London Drawing Group at the British Museum- a museum of human history and culture. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its beginning to the present.
The British Museum was established in 1753, largely based on the collections of the physician and scientist Sir Hans Sloane. The museum first opened to the public on 15 January 1759 in Montagu House in Bloomsbury, on the site of the current museum building. Its expansion over the following two and a half centuries was largely a result of expanding British colonial footprint and has resulted in the creation of several branch institutions, the first being the British Museum (Natural History) in South Kensington in 1887. Some objects in the collection, most notably the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon, are the objects of intense controversy and calls for restitution to their countries of origin.
Until 1997, when the British Library (previously centred on the Round Reading Room) moved to a new site, the British Museum was unique in that it housed both a national museum of antiquities and a national library in the same building. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and as with all other national museums in the United Kingdom it charges no admission fee. Since 2002 the director of the museum has been Neil MacGregor.
Open Tuin Dagen / Open Garden Days, Amsterdam, June 20-22, 2008
In the third weekend of June some 30 most private gardens will be open to the public, some of them for the first time. The theme for 2008 is Art in the Canal House Garden. The gardens behind the stately homes along the Amsterdam canals used to be meant mainly for viewing in winter, when the families stayed in town. Not surprisingly, art played an important part in the decoration of the gardens. During the Open Garden Days 2008, three centuries of art will be presented: from an 18th century statue by Jan van Logteren at the Museum Willet-Holthuysen, to ‘THERE 2000’ by Ram Katzir at the Museum Van Loon, from ‘Apocalyps’; specially created by Martie van der Loo for the Biblical Museum, to a collection of modern art at the ING bank building.Various artists will present their work in the gardens during the Open Garden Days. The Open Garden Days are an excellent opportunity to enjoy art inspired by Classical Antiquity, Commerce, and the gardens themselves.
St John’s Lodge Gardens, The Regent’s Park, London, 17 June 2008
The Regent’s Park is the largest grass area for sports in Central London and offers a wide variety of activities. Henry VIII appropriated The Regent’s Park for use as a hunting ground, which he considered to be an invigorating ride from Whitehall Palace. Of the buildings and monuments within the park, only two villas, St John’s Lodge and The Holme, remain from John Nash’s original conception of the park.
Kunstvlaai, Amsterdam, May, 18 2008
History of de Kunstvlaai: It all started in 1997. Besides the KunstRai, where you can find a yearly overview of commercial galleries, the Sandberg Institute wanted to create an art fair showing other kinds of art i.e. non established art. The KunstRai did not approve of this idea, prohibiting the initial title ‘Not the KunstRai’ which thus instead became, ‘Niet de Kunstvlaai’ – ‘Not the Art Pie’, taking its place not in the Rai but in the Westergasfabriek.
It was here artist initiatives from the Netherlands were invited to represent themselves with their best work. At the same time postgraduate studies similar to the Sandberg Institute joined in. This collaboration resulted in a lively, well attended art fair showing upcoming art; art not yet institutionalized, art looking for new ways. According to the response from the public and press, ‘Niet de Kunstvlaai’ was an unexpected success. It functioned as a spontaneous market: exhibiting artists were introduced to other initiatives and as a result could exhibit their work throughout the country. This enabled relatively isolated artist initiatives to gain more attention.
For the second edition the name changed to ‘De Kunstvlaai.’ Every edition since, De Kunstvlaai has been marked by something extra. For the second, Dutch contributors were invited to introduce a foreign colleague next to their own presentation. Around twenty foreign initiatives ranging from Belgium to Indonesia were present. In its third edition, De Kunstvlaai highlighted the work of young artists who recently received a stipendium from the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts, Design and Architecture (Fonds BKVB). The fourth became a platform for the first One Minutes exhibition and The One Minutes Awards ceremony.
Due to the increase of participants and its fame since the second edition, it became inevitable that De Kunstvlaai used more spaces within the Westergasfabriek as well as the public space around the building.
Initially starting out with 8000 visitors, numbers grew to 12000 for De Kunstvlaai 2000. Between 2001 and 2003 there were no editions of De Kunstvlaai organised due to the renovation of the Westergasfabriek site. However in 2004, De Kunstvlaai returned with over 50 initiatives and MFA courses, all showing their best. In addition to this was a large selection of work by young artists gathered by the Netherlands Foundation for Visual Arts as well as and 35 public space projects.
De Kunstvlaai edition 6 took place in May 2006. Here the focus shifted to international MFA courses and hence increased the amount of young international participants, with around 15 international schools being represented.
The international orientation of the Kunstvlaai is now at its core strength. Different countries have come to request advice on the organisation of their own Kunstvlaai: Art Pie International (A.P.I.).
Leadenhall Market, London, 8 May 2008
In the heart of the City, Leadenhall Market’s Victorian arcades, cobbled walkways and glass roof are perfect for practicing perspective and measuring techniques or zooming in on architectural details.
OBA, Centrale Bibliotheek, Amsterdam Public Library, Amsterdam, April 20, 2008
The Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (Public Library Amsterdam) is a collective name for all public libraries in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The first library opened in 1919 at the Keizersgracht. As of 2007, there are 28 public libraries and 43 lending points, such as in hospitals.
The largest of these libraries, the Centrale Bibliotheek, moved to the Prinsengracht in 1977 and 30 years later, on 7 July 2007 (070707), to the Oosterdokseiland, just east of Central Station. It is now the largest public library in Europe. It has a floor surface of 28,500 m2, spread over 10 floors, 1200 seats, of which 600 with Internet-connected computers and a staff of 200. Also included are an auditorium, an exposition room, the Library Museum, the Gerard Reve Museum and 2000 parking spaces for bicycles. On the seventh floor is a V&D La Place self-service restaurant with a south-facing terrace. It cost 80 million euro to build. The building was designed by Jo Coenen, the former state architect of the Netherlands, who also designed the nearby KNSM island and the Central Library of Maastricht and renovated the distinctive Glaspaleis in Heerlen, which houses that city’s Central Library.
The Central Library is open 7 days per week from 10.00 to 22.00 and the lending and returning of books is fully automated.
Silver Galleries, V&A Museum, London, 20 April 2008
The beauty, lustre and intrinsic value of silver have made it an object of admiration and aspiration for centuries. The Victoria and Albert Museum has more English silver and a greater range of objects than any other public collection worldwide.
Vondelpark, Amsterdam, March 29, 2008
Vondelpark is a public urban park of 47 hectares (120 acres) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is located in the stadsdeel Amsterdam Oud-Zuid, west from the Leidseplein and the Museumplein. The park was opened in 1865 and originally named the “Nieuwe Park”, but later renamed to “Vondelpark”, after the 17th century author Joost van den Vondel. Yearly, the park has around 10 million visitors. In the park there is a film museum, an open air theatre, a playground, and several horeca facilities.
Architecture Gallery, V&A, Museum, London, 13 January 2008
A selection from the collections is on show in the Architecture gallery at the V&A. Opened in 2004, this is the first museum gallery in the country dedicated to architecture in the UK. It provides an accessible and engaging introduction to the art, use and practice of architecture. On display are models, drawings and designs, and samples of materials, as well as photographs and fragments of buildings. Interpretation includes audio commentaries, interactive style guides, videos and touch objects.
Tate Modern, London, 7 December 2007
Created in the year 2000 from a disused power station in the heart of London, Tate Modern displays the national collection of international modern art. This is defined as art since 1900. On this visit we drew Louise Bourgeois’ Spider on the riverfront and sketched from the top floors and galleries
The British Museum, in Lycia: Nereid Monument 390-380 BC,London, 15 November 2007
The Nereid Monument takes its name from the Nereids, sea-nymphs whose statues were placed between the columns of this monumental tomb. It was built for Erbinna (Greek Arbinas), ruler of Lycian Xanthos, south-west Turkey. Although he was not Greek, Erbinna chose to be buried in a tomb that resembles a Greek temple of the Ionic order. The monument is much influenced by the Ionic temples of the Acropolis of Athens and its lavish decorative sculpture, which can be seen reconstructed and displayed around the walls of Room 17, is a mixture of Greek and Lycian style and iconography.
Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2007, Kensington Gardens, London, 19 October 2007
The first London group date, the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2007 was designed by the internationally acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson and the award-winning Norwegian architect Kjetil Thorsen, of the architectural practice Snøhetta. This timberclad structure resembles a spinning top and brings a dramatic vertical dimension to the traditional single-level pavilion. A wide spiralling ramp makes two complete turns, allowing visitors to ascend from the Gallery lawn to the highest point for views across Kensington Gardens as well as a bird’s eye view of the chamber below
Battersea Park, Russell Page Garden, London, 13 and 15 June 2007
Russell Page (1906-1985) was one of the 20 century’s great landscape architects. He designed gardens throughout Europe and America. In 1950 Page, who was working in Belgium and France, returned to England to direct and design the Festival Gardens for the 1951 Festival of Britain. It took him eighteen months of extremely hard work to source and organise the ‘tens of thousands’ of bedding plants and shrubs required. The purpose of the Festival Gardens was to make a dazzling break from the bleak rationed world of post-war Britain. The Friends contributed £9000 towards the restoration of the Festival Gardens as part of the major restoration works which were opened by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 2004.
Dulwich Park, London, 11 June 2007
An early inspiration for this project was Phyllis Pearsall, the artist and business woman who single-handedly mapped out London and published the first “A-Z Atlas” in 1936. Pearsall encountered difficulty finding the addresses of her clients for portrait commissions, and decided to solve the problem herself, using her commissions’ income to fund the map making. On our very first day out, we visited Phyllis Pearsall’s house in Dulwich and the adjacent Dulwich Park, which was created in 1890, the Park started it’s life as farmland and a group of meadows known as ‘five fields’ and many of the ancient boundary oaks survive today.