Marble is one of the most popular materials used in sculpture due to its translucency and durability. These are the reasons that it has been made the medium of choice for all the most remarkable sculptors, including artists like Myron, Phidias, Polykleitos, and Praxiteles, as well as their successors Donatello, Michelangelo, Bernini, Canova, and Rodin. […]
Category Archives: Architecture
16
May
May
Der Palast des Hauses Braganza – das in der portugiesischen Monarchie von 1640 bis 1910 herrschte – in Vila Viçosa (etwa 150km östlich von Lissabon) ist ein imposantes Beispiel portugiesischer (Renaissance-)Architektur. Der Bau begann im frühen 16. Jahrhundert und nahm gut 100 Jahre in Anspruch. Bis zum Jahre 1640 blieb es der Hauptsitz des Hauses […]
03
May
May
Architectural Style: Venetian Gothic Location: Venice, Italy Construction started: 1428Construction stopped: 1430Material: Brick, Marble Standing on the northern bank of Venice’s Grand Canal is The Palazzo Santa Sofia or the Ca D’Oro (House of Gold), whose intricately carved marble façade only gives a glimpse of its original glory. This house is one of the most notable examples of late Venetian Gothic architecture, […]
19
Apr
Apr
We all know Verona has a lot more to offer than “just” natural stone. The famous city on the Adiger river is one of the main cultural centres in the north/northeast of Italy. We will take a quick glimpse at 2 spectacular buildings: The Scaligero (also: Castelvecchio) Bridge, and the Arco dei Gavi. The bridge […]
05
Apr
Apr
Location: Oslo, Norway Architects: Snøhetta Typology: Opera House Area: 38,500 m2 Year: 2007 The Oslo Opera House (Operahuset in Norwegian) is renowned worldwide as the building shaped like it is emerging from within the water. Located at the head of the Oslofjord, on the tip of the Bjørvika peninsula, it was inaugurated in 2008 after seven […]
21
Mar
Mar
Jeder kennt sie, die Akropolis in Athen – jene monumentale Burg, die auf einem der Hügel Athens gelegen, seit Jahrtausenden die darunter liegende Stadt überschaut. Der Großteil der Gebäude wurde aus Holz und – wenig überraschend – Stein gebaut. Was den Stein angeht, kam vielerorts Kalkstein und Marmor zum Einsatz, wie die nachfolgenden Beispiele zeigen […]
Architecture, Basalt, Marble, Onyx, Travertine, Tuff, Vratsa
Physical and mechanical characteristics of natural stone
30
Nov
Nov
Natural stone has various physical and mechanical parameters that differ from stone to stone. Let’s have a look at some of them that are most commonly used. Weight per unit of volume = the ratio between the weight and the apparent volume of the stone which corresponds to its actual weight. This also includes the holes […]
15
Jun
Jun
Date built: 1372Height: 55.8mOriginal use: Churches bell towerUse during history: Supposedly by Galileo Galilei for his free fall experiments; during WW II Germans used it as an observation post Use nowadays: As a tourist attractionMaterial: Marble and limestone The tower of Pisa is amongst the four structures that make up the cathedral complex of Pisa, […]
04
Nov
Nov
Date opened: 9 BC Location: Rome, Italy Architectural style: Ancient Roman Architecture Material: Marble Ara Pacis, which is also known as Ara Pacis Augustae (Latin for “Altar of the Augustan Peace”) is a shrine consisting of a marble altar which is enclosed by walls. This was erected on January 30th, 9 BC in Rome’s Campus […]
07
Oct
Oct
Date built: 1935 Location: Washington, D.C. Architect: Cass Gilbert Built under: Chief Justice Hughes Material: Marble The United States Supreme Court building also referred to as the ‘Marble Palace’ by John P. Frank, was designed based on the Roman temple form. The tall Corinthian columns that are reached by a grand flight of stairs gives […]