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Profile: Centre Culturel Suédois
Posted by Hilary M. in Paris » Attractions on 26/Dec/2008
Centre Culturel SuédoisTucked along the narrow and muted streets of the Marais is a lively hub where citizens drop by to enjoy cultural food and thought-provoking artistic offerings.

However, there are no croissants or impressionists to be found; instead, you'll find doughy cinnamon buns and glossy photographs of Borås, Västergötland in western Sweden. Bienvenue to the Centre Culturel Suédois or the Swedish Cultural Center...

Read the rest of: "Centre Culturel Suédois


Freccia Rossa TrainA host of Italian politicians and businessmen became on Saturday the first passengers of the newly launched high-speed Milan-Bologna line dubbed Frecciarossa (red arrow). The inaugural crowd (which consisted, as would be expected, almost entirely of middle-aged men in suits) talked cheerfully to journalists and didn't even try to contain their excitement. "The country's longest subway line" was just one hyperbole coined during that amicable chatter.

One can easily understand the reasons for their enthusiasm. After 99 months of work and almost 7 billion euros of investments, the high-speed Milan-Bologna line is operational and they are probably going to be its most loyal customers. The new line promises to radically improve travel times between Italy's industrial centers..

Read the rest of: "Milan to Bologna in One Hour with High-Speed Train


Renzo Piano (2 buildings)Renzo Piano's name sounds as harmonious and striking as his architectural works. The Italian architect is perhaps best known for his design of the Centre Georges Pompidou, the unmistakable cultural center in the heart of Paris, and thirty years after its construction, Piano uses similar techniques in the new New York Times Building, but to a different end...

Read the rest of: "From Le Marais to Midtown in 30 Years


Waldorf Astoria - ChicagoThe Waldorf=Astoria brand seems to be on a roll, financial crisis be damned. It was only a few months ago that we announced the planned Waldorf=Astoria hotel in Montreal and now we're adding Chicago to the list of lucky cities.

The hotel tower, designed by DeStefano & Partners is projected to reach 1,100 feet (that's over 100 floors!), but unlike certain other landmarks planned for Chicago, it will not surpass the height of the Sears Tower...

Read the rest of: "Waldorf=Astoria Hotel Comes To Chicago


University Village (IMPei & Associates)Any architecturally curious visitor to Downtown Manhattan would probably remember three buff-colored high-rise towers occupying the southern fringes of Central Greenwich Village, just above Houston Street. They are University Village (also known as Silver Towers) - a residential complex designed by James Ingo Freed (I.M.Pei & Associates) and owned by New York University. And they've just been landmarked, protecting them from future alterations or modifications...

Read the rest of: "I.M.Pei-Designed Apartment Buildings Landmarked


104: New Modern Art Center
Posted by Gromco in Paris » Attractions on 10/Nov/2008
104After more than two years of reconstruction, a former funeral parlor in the 19th arrondissement of Paris reopened in its new incarnation as the city's newest modern arts center christened "104" (Centquatre)...

Co-directed by Robert Cantarella and Frédéric Fisbach, the center, at 104 rue d'Aubervilliers was green-lighted by Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoë in 2005. More than two years and 100M euros later, Centquatre opened to the public in October.

Read the rest of: "104: New Modern Art Center


Mama Shelter RoomAffordable design and even 'affordable luxury' is not an oxymoron. Well, not exactly, anyway... In fact, it's a trend that's been sweeping the hotel industry in recent years. Using modern construction methods in combination with innovative cost-cutting techniques and choosing slightly off-prime locations, a handful of hoteliers have attempted to reshape the industry by providing low-cost designer hotel experience for the younger, tech-savvy crowd.

Mama Shelter is the latest example of the trend. (De)signed by Philippe Starck, this modern hotel on Rue Bagnolet in the 20th Arrondissement of Paris opened just a couple of weeks ago....

Read the rest of: "Mama Shelter Hotel Aims for Affordable Design Experience


on Montreal MetroA bewildered American tourist who vacationed in Montreal this summer recently wrote a letter to the Gazette, the local anglophone daily, wondering why announcements on the métro are delivered only in French.

The newspaper's response and the quotes it extracted from various officials highlighted an interesting contrast in policies between Montreal and Paris public transportation services. While in Paris, announcements are routinely delivered in three languages (French, English and a rotating third major language), Montreal metro will only play a pre-recorded bilingual tape in an emergency situation ("fire! get out!"). "Routine" messages such as announcements of delays are delivered only in French as a matter of policy...

Read the rest of: "Montreal Métro Passengers Lost With No Translation


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