sey059

Siège du Parti Communiste Français. Photo ©Darren Bradley While in Paris, I occasionally stop by the French Communist Party (PCF) headquarters building to see famed architect Oscar Niemeyer's most celebrated work in Paris.  The entrance is through the underground passage beneath the canopy. Photo ©Darren Bradley Why did Brazil's most celebrated architect design the French Communist Party headquarters? Well, he was already in Paris, for one thing. In 1964, Brazil's government was overthrown by a right-wing military junta. Niemeyer, who was an outspoken leftist, soon decided to leave the country for self-imposed exile in France. Niemeyer set up an office on the Champs-Elysées in Paris and began doing projects around Europe.  Niemeyer also designed the concrete sculpture. Photo ©Darren Bradley While Niemeyer is most well known for his extensive use of sculptural concrete, mosaics, and other artwork, his effort for the PCF is rather subdued.  Postcard of a maquette showi...

Entrance to the Fondation Louis Vuitton by Frank Gehry. Photo ©Darren Bradley Gehry's new contribution to the Paris skyline has made quite an impact on the arts and architecture scene worldwide, as would be expected when one of the world's most celebrated architects designs a project of this scale in a city like Paris. And after visiting the project, it seems quite clear that making an impact was the primary goal of both the architect and the man who commissioned it - the Chairman of Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH), Bernard Arnault. Fondation Louis Vuitton. Photo ©Darren Bradley Many people don't realize that this is actually Gehry's second project in the City of Light. His first building was designed for the American Center on the other side of Paris, next to the Bercy stadium. I remember that building opening while I lived in Paris, in 1994. It was panned by some critics then as lacking the boldness they'd hoped from a Gehry design. In any case, the American Ce...

For the 1889 World's Fair, Paris got the Eiffel Tower. For the 1958 World's Fair, Brussels got the Atomium. For the 1962 World's Fair, Seattle got the Space Needle. And for the 2015 World's Fair, Milan got... This. The Tree of Life, as it's called, is intended as the symbol of the Milan International Exposition. Not sure it will have the same broad impact or longevity as the some of the other symbols, but it's certainly in keeping with Milan's more low key approach. Photo ©Darren Bradley It's hard to believe that it's already been five years since Expo 2010 in Shanghai. I was lucky enough to be able to attend that event, and it completely blew me away. The sights, the sounds, the architecture, the people, the city... It was sensory overload, and I loved every second of it. So I was very excited when I learned that the next Expo would be in Milan in 2015 (International Expos are held every five years, with smaller events held in the interim, on occasi...