Latest news with #WikiCommons
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
'Unacceptable': Hundreds of tītī killed in trawler catch
The native tītī or sooty shearwater is native to New Zealand and classified as at risk/declining. Photo: Wiki Commons More than 200 seabirds were accidentally caught and killed by a fishing trawler in Te Waewae Bay in Southland earlier this year. Forest & Bird is demanding more information from the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) about the 207 deaths, published in MPI's quarterly bycatch report for January to March. The birds were adult tītī sooty shearwaters, which are native to New Zealand and classified as at risk/declining. Forest & Bird's regional conservation manager for Otago and Southland Chelsea McGaw said the birds were likely to have been foraging at sea to feed their chicks, which likely starved to death. "The scale of bycatch is unacceptable and right now, it's failing our wildlife," she said. "It is a sobering thought that catches like this are not illegal, as long as they are reported." Forest & Bird said it wanted to know what the ministry and commercial trawl fisheries were doing to prevent a repeat of similar deaths in future. McGaw said it should be considered a warning sign. "A trawler that can kill this many tītī in one go could easily wipe out other threatened or at-risk seabirds, like the toroa Antipodean albatross. We need mandatory, enforceable rules that include effective bird scaring devices and fish waste management," she said. MPI's bycatch quarterly report showed 1083 seabirds and protected marine species accidentally were captured by fishing vessels between January to March. Of those, 771 died. In other instances, 18 leatherback turtles were killed by a vessel off the coast of Auckland, 17 fur seals were killed by a boat in the Southeast region, and 45 "unidentified" petrels, prions or shearwaters were killed in one instance off the coast of Auckland.
Tatler Asia
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Mother's Day 2025: Mother's home through the eyes of architects' children
Rose Seidler House by Harry Seidler Above Rose Seidler House by Harry Seidler (photo: Rory Hyde/WikiCommons) The year 1950 marked a defining moment for Harry Seidler, whose bold debut in Australia came in the form of Rose Seidler House—a home built to reflect his mother Rose's wishes. A former student of Bauhaus pioneer Walter Gropius, Seidler introduced an uncompromising modernist vision to Sydney's quiet suburbs. The house sparked instant fascination, with design elements that broke away entirely from conventional Australian dwellings. Skylights bathed the bathroom in natural light, interior murals added vivid flair, and multiple doors lent the space an unexpected openness, all influenced by his time in Brazil. These features bewildered the building inspector, yet won the public's admiration. More than just an architectural milestone, Rose Seidler House gave Seidler a reason to remain in Australia, where he would go on to shape the nation's contemporary aesthetic. Today, the house belongs to the Historic Houses Trust and serves as a museum, a vibrant testament to modern design and a son's love made architectural. Charles Gwathmey's Gwathmey House and Studio Above Gwathmey Residence and Studio by Charles Gwathmey (photo: @haus_oft/Instagram) Raised in a family steeped in the arts, Charles Gwathmey embarked on his first architectural project in 1965 with heartfelt dedication to his parents. Taking cues from Le Corbusier, he crafted a modernist retreat in Amagansett, New York, defined by its geometric clarity, sculptural forms, modestly sized windows and a masterful use of natural light. Far more than just a holiday home, the house became a deeply personal statement—a quiet yet confident declaration of Gwathmey's emerging architectural voice. Completed in 1967, the project quickly gained attention and cemented his presence on New York's design scene. In the years that followed, his clientele would come to include names like Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. Though his portfolio expanded considerably, the house he designed for his parents continues to be regarded as his most pivotal creation. Recently restored, the residence is now valued at $9.25 million and remains a powerful expression of his architectural beginnings. See more: The future of architecture: 5 sustainable buildings changing the skyline Vanna Venturi House by Robert Venturi Above Vanna Venturi House by Robert Venturi (photo: Smallbones/ WikiCommons) Finished in 1964, the Vanna Venturi House in Philadelphia stands as a milestone in Robert Venturi's career and a beacon of postmodern design. Created for his mother, the house confidently rejected the architectural norms of the time. Its asymmetrical facade, irregular windows and split gable roof challenged conventional expectations. Inside, Venturi replaced formal corridors and enclosed rooms with fluid spaces and pared-back divisions, an approach made possible by the creative freedom his mother afforded him. As both client and inspiration, Mrs Vanna Venturi enabled her son to explore bold, unconventional ideas. She lived on the ground floor, as she preferred, while Venturi continued his work in the studio above until his marriage to fellow architect Denise Scott Brown in 1967. The house has since become an icon of 20th-century design. 22 Parkside (Wimbledon House) by Richard Rogers Photo 1 of 3 The open-plan living space of 22 Parkside House exemplifies high-tech architecture and Rogers' innovative residential design for his mother (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Photo 2 of 3 Night view of 22 Parkside with illuminated interior and transparent façade showcasing the seamless connection between indoor living and the surrounding garden (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Photo 3 of 3 Exterior garden view of Richard Rogers' 22 Parkside House in Wimbledon with a modernist glass façade and yellow steel frame blending harmoniously with the lush landscape (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Designed by Richard Rogers and his then wife Su Rogers in the late 1960s, the house at 22 Parkside, Wimbledon, London was a tribute to his parents and a milestone in the development of high-tech architecture in Britain. This low-slung, single-storey home is framed in vibrant yellow steel and anchored by expansive floor-to-ceiling glass panels at either end, filling the interior with natural light and softening the boundary between the interior and the garden beyond. Movable partitions allow for a flexible arrangement of rooms, while solid side walls provide a reassuring sense of enclosure. At the heart of the layout is a private courtyard, around which Rogers positioned his mother's flat and her own pottery studio. Photo 1 of 3 The interior of Richard Rogers' 22 Parkside House in Wimbledon, London, features iconic yellow cabinetry, minimalist modern furniture, and floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the garden (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Photo 2 of 3 Flexible open-plan bedroom and dining area inside Richard Rogers' Wimbledon House, designed for his parents (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Photo 3 of 3 22 Parkside House in Wimbledon, London, courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP Originally conceived as a prototype for affordable prefabricated housing, the house was designed with industrial materials and modular construction in mind. These themes would echo through Rogers' later masterpieces, including the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Today, 22 Parkside is listed at Grade II for its architectural significance. Thoughtfully restored, the house now serves a new purpose housing graduate students from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. See also: 11 breathtaking movie home interiors we wish we could live in Jerome & Carolyn Meier House by Richard Meier Above Exterior view of Richard Meier's Essex Fells House in New Jersey, designed for his parents (photo: Courtesy of Richard Meier) Architect Richard Meier's first private commission marked more than the start of a distinguished career. It was a personal gift to his parents, Jerome and Carolyn Meier. Designed as a single-storey modernist home in Essex Fells, New Jersey, the house carries both emotional weight and early design promise. Meier once described the structure as 'a brick building in the spirit of Mies van der Rohe, beneath a roof reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright.' It reflects his signature use of clean lines and geometric precision, tempered by the warmth of domestic life. Above Inside the Essex Fells home designed by Richard Meier for his parents, with open spaces, lots of natural light and minimalist details (photo: Courtesy of Richard Meier) Completed in 1964, the house is defined by curved brick walls that wrap gently around its core, while large panes of glass look out to a neighbouring golf course. A sheltered courtyard adds tranquillity, and a concealed rooftop garden sits quietly above, almost hidden from view. Every element, from the integrated cabinetry to the polished concrete floors, speaks to Meier's fastidious attention to form and function. Though the family parted with the home in 1980, it remains remarkably unchanged,a lasting imprint of a future Pritzker Prize laureate in his formative years. NOW READ Vietnamese female architects and their outstanding works in the international arena Architect Jimmy Lim Cheok Siang on career, heritage, and staying young at heart Architect Tran Le Quoc Binh and the connection with sustainable natural architecture Credits
Tatler Asia
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
5 iconic hotels in film: Where architecture becomes the star
Above Looking up into the soaring atrium of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, where architecture evokes futuristic dystopias—a key visual setting for The Hunger Games and Loki (Photo: WikiCommons/Connors) Above Atlanta Marriott Marquis atrium – Striking futuristic architecture featured as the tributes' quarters in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Photo: WikiCommons/Slosh415) More recently, Marvel's Loki series transformed the same interiors into the Time Variance Authority's headquarters. That a 1985 building still convincingly represents a futuristic setting is a testament to Portman's vision: dynamic, expressive, and trend-resistant, his architecture continues to lend itself to stories set in worlds yet to come. See also: 7 iconic cantilever chairs that shaped modern furniture 2. St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel: Gothic Magic Made Manifest Above St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel: A Victorian Gothic Revival icon featured in "Harry Potter," renowned for its dramatic spires and ornate brickwork (Photo: WikiCommongs/LepoRello) Sir George Gilbert Scott's St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel is Gothic Revival at its most theatrical. Opened in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel, it remains a showstopper with its red-brick façade, whimsical spires and showstopping staircase—a Victorian triumph of engineering and artistry. It is no wonder that Harry Potter's filmmakers chose this building to stand in for King's Cross Station. Though not the real station, the hotel's richly detailed façade better captured the magical threshold between the mundane and the mystical. Its use on screen reshaped global perception: for millions, this has become the definitive visual for the gateway to Hogwarts. Don't miss: Embracing warm minimalism: Beyond austerity in interior design 3. Hotel Cala di Volpe: Mediterranean Poetry in Built Form Photo 1 of 3 Hotel Cala di Volpe waterfront, Sardinia – Iconic arched facades and lush gardens featured in James Bond's The Spy Who Loved Me (Photo: Marriott) Photo 2 of 3 Hotel Cala di Volpe exterior, Sardinia – Distinctive architecture and film history as seen in The Spy Who Loved Me (Photo: Marriott) Photo 3 of 3 Hotel Cala di Volpe entrance, Costa Smeralda, Sardinia – Famous for its Mediterranean architecture and as a filming location in The Spy Who Loved Me (Photo: Marriott) Designed in the 1960s by French architect Jacques Couëlle, Hotel Cala di Volpe is a vision of Mediterranean storytelling. Rather than pursue monumental luxury, Couëlle—a self-described sculptor of houses—created a dreamlike composition that evokes a timeworn Sardinian village. With flowing forms, soft arches and whitewashed walls that blend into the coastline, the hotel exemplifies what critics call 'discreet, sophisticated luxury.' Recent renovations have sensitively preserved its original spirit, allowing a new generation to experience its timeless elegance. The hotel starred in The Spy Who Loved Me, offering a more organic take on Bond's typical settings. Read more: Private islands and wealth: How 6 tech and business leaders built their secluded domains 4. Fontainebleau Miami Beach: Architecture as Social Theatre Above Aerial view of Fontainebleau Miami Beach – Legendary Miami hotel known for its curving design and film appearances, including Scarface and Goldfinger (Photo: Fontainebleau Miami Beach) Architect Morris Lapidus' 1954 masterpiece, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, is unapologetically theatrical. A defining work of Miami Modern (MiMo) style, it was conceived as a stage for glamour, play, and performance. From its iconic Staircase to Nowhere to the whimsical bow-tie motif in the marble floor, every detail was designed to delight. Lapidus called it an 'architecture of joy'—and his exuberant curves and expansive public spaces still capture the imagination. Above Fontainebleau Miami Beach poolside view – Iconic luxury hotel with modernist architecture, featured in movies like Goldfinger (Photo: Fontainebleau Miami Beach) Its cinematic credentials are as storied as the building itself. Goldfinger used the Fontainebleau's poolside for its opening scenes, instantly conjuring 1960s opulence. Decades later, Scarface captured Tony Montana amid the hotel's glossy, high-octane luxury. In both films, the Fontainebleau's flamboyance became a visual shorthand for excess, aspiration and danger. See also: Home tour: A tropical modernist Miami home with stunning art deco influences 5. Park Hyatt Tokyo: Isolation in Glass and Light Above New York Bar at Park Hyatt Tokyo – Iconic skyline views and contemporary design, as seen in Lost in Translation (Photo: Park Hyatt Tokyo ) Currently closed for renovation, Kenzo Tange's Park Hyatt Tokyo remains a cinematic icon. Occupying the top fourteen floors of the Shinjuku Park Tower, the hotel offered a rarefied experience, physically and emotionally removed from the frenetic pace of the city below. Its restrained minimalism and panoramic views made it the ideal stage for emotional disconnection. In Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola transformed this architectural quietude into a powerful metaphor. The New York Bar's floor-to-ceiling windows created a space that felt simultaneously intimate and detached—a visual expression of the characters' shared sense of dislocation. Through architecture, the film distilled themes of connection and solitude into a single, unforgettable setting. NOW READ 5 female patrons who revolutionised modern architecture 7 distinctive mid-century modern hotels in Asia for design lovers Inside the world's most extraordinary art homes: 5 residences where architecture serves priceless collections Credits This article was created with the assistance of AI tools Best of Tatler Asia video highlights Featured videos from around Tatler Asia: Get exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the interviews we do, the events we attend, the shoots we produce, and the incredibly important people who are part of our community
Local Germany
30-04-2025
- General
- Local Germany
German word of the Day: Walpurgisnacht
In Germany you may hear about plans for Waplurgisnacht festivities as the end of April approaches. 'Walpurgis' here refers to Saint Walburga, who was canonised (or made a saint) on May 1st in the year 870. So Walpurgisnacht is perhaps best translated as St. Walpurga's Day Eve, but since the tradition is not well known in English speaking countries, you may as well just stick to the German Walpurgisnacht . What's the story behind Walpurgishnacht ? Walpurgisnacht is also sometimes called Hexenbrennen, or 'the burning of witches', which is what the tradition is thought to have evolved from. Going back to medieval Europe, there was a push by the Catholic church to rid the region of pagan traditions and convert communities to Christianity. Enter Walpurga, an English nun who came to Germany on a mission to Christianise the Saxons. Despite facing many of the tremendous challenges of the time (like rabies and whooping cough), Walpurga was largely credited at having accomplished her mission – therefore she became the saint that Christians would pray to for protection from witchcraft. READ ALSO: Are you ready for Walpurgisnacht, Germany's night of witches? But while Christianity grew in popularity and influence, pagan and folk beliefs and traditions lived on in various aspects of life for Germanic peoples, especially in more remote regions like the Harz Mountains. Advertisement Then around the 16th and 17th centuries, a further Christian-led push to rid Europe of paganism created a hysterical backlash to all things intepreted as witchcraft. Legend spread that witches' covens were held around Brocken Mountain, and communities in the region saw widespread witch hunts that claimed thousands of lives . Around this time villagers would gather on this evening to light bonfires and make loud noises – both of which were thought to scare away witches and evil spirits. 'Walpurgis night' by Luis Ricardo Falero, 1878. Image by WikiCommons How is Walpurgisnacht celebrated today? Later, starting in the 18th to 19th centuries, superstition around witchcraft was replaced by a more playful and curious appreciation of it by Romantic-era artists who began coming to the Brocken to engage in Walpurgisnacht celebrations. These were a step closer to the modern traditions. Advertisement Today Walpurgisnacht is often celebrated with bonfires and dancing late into the night (sometimes also in witch costumes). The tradition lives on in parts of Germany (and especially in the Harz Mountains) as well as other parts of eastern and northern Europe – like Sweden, where it's called 'Valborg' . Use it like this: Ich muss mein Hexenkostüm für die Walpurgisnacht kaufen. I need to buy my witch costume for Walpurgisnacht. Komm, es ist Walpurgisnacht, wir müssen mit den Hexen tanzen! Come, it's Walpurgisnacht so we must dance with the witches!
Local Germany
25-04-2025
- Local Germany
German word of the day: Wanderlust
Why do I need to know Wanderlust ? Even if you've heard this term before and have an inkling of what it might mean, it's always helpful to know the original translation of words that make their way into the English language. In this case, Wanderlust in German tends be used a little differently from how it's used these days in English. If you manage to use it in the right way, you can impress your friends with your knowledge of German idioms and cultural history, as well as expressing perfectly that 'itchy feet' feeling that can hit you at certain times of year. What does it mean? Die Wanderlust is a combination of the German noun Lust , meaning desire, and the verb wandern , meaning to hike. Taken together, Wanderlust is the desire to get out and go walking in nature. The phrase dates back to German Romanticism - an artistic movement in the 19th century that valorised intense spiritual connections with nature and the self. In countless works of art produced at the time, poets and painters would valorise the capacity for deep reflection they felt while out in the wilderness. Perhaps the most famous depiction of this is in the Casper David Friedrich painting, Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer (The Wanderer Over a Sea of Fog). In it, a young man stands on a rocky verge peering out over the mountain mists, lost in contemplation. Caspar David Friedrich's 'Wanderer Over a Sea of Fog'. Photo: Wiki Commons These days, when you hear a German talking about Wanderlust, they're likely to mean that they're excited to don their hiking boots and head to the great outdoors. In English, the term has become much broader, denoting a lust for adventure and travel - usually in foreign lands. Germany does have a term for precisely this feeling, but interestingly enough, it's not Wanderlust . If you want to talk about your desire to get out of your current surroundings and head to more exotic climes, the word you need is Fernweh . READ ALSO: German Word of the Day - Das Fernweh Advertisement Use it like this: Nach einer langen Arbeitswoche verspüre ich große Wanderlust - ich will einfach raus in die Natur. After a long work week, I feel a strong desire to go hiking - I just want to get out into nature. Das schöne Frühlingswetter macht richtig Lust auf Wandern. The nice spring weather really makes me want to go hiking.
