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Gerrit Van Arkel
Gerrit A. van Arkel (April 3, 1858 in Loenen aan de Vecht – July 11, 1918 in Abcoude) was a Dutch architect who designed many of Amsterdam's most prominent Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) buildings. He moved to Amsterdam in 1883 to become an architect. His designs initially mixed Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance styles but, from about 1894, he adopted a sobre version of Jugendstil (Art Nouveau). This sobre style of Jugendstil, influenced by the work of H. P. Berlage, was known as the ''Nieuwe Stijl'' ("New Style"). Van Arkel designs are characterized by the frequent use of bay windows and loggias, as well as asymmetrically placed balconies, towers and domes. His design for the Helios building won third prize at the architectural competition of the 1900 World's Fair in Paris. Twelve of his buildings in Amsterdam were designated national monuments in 2001. The Asscher diamond factory has also been nominated for national monument status, and another 17 buildings in Amsterdam have been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Architect Gerrit Van Arkel, 1906
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that have human occupancy or use as their principal purpose. Etymologically, the term architect derives from the Latin ''architectus'', which derives from the Greek (''arkhi-'', chief + ''tekton'', builder), i.e., chief builder. The professional requirements for architects vary from place to place. An architect's decisions affect public safety, and thus the architect must undergo specialized training consisting of advanced education and a ''practicum'' (or internship) for practical experience to earn a license to practice architecture. Practical, technical, and academic requirements for becoming an architect vary by jurisdiction, though the formal study of architecture in academic institutions has played a pivotal role in the development of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Art Nouveau Architects
Art is a diverse range of human behavior, human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imagination, imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of what constitutes art, and its interpretation has varied greatly throughout history and across cultures. In the Western tradition, the three classical branches of visual art are painting, sculpture, and architecture. Theatre, dance, and other performing arts, as well as literature, music, film and other media such as interactive media, are included in a broader definition of the arts. Until the 17th century, ''art'' referred to any skill or mastery and was not differentiated from crafts or sciences. In modern usage after the 17th century, where aesthetic considerations are paramount, the fine arts are separated and distinguished from acquired skills in general, such as the decorative arts, decorative or applied arts. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1918 Deaths
This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – 1918 flu pandemic: The "Spanish flu" (influenza) is first observed in Haskell County, Kansas. * January 4 – The Finnish Declaration of Independence is recognized by Soviet Russia, Sweden, Germany and France. * January 9 – Battle of Bear Valley: U.S. troops engage Yaqui Native American warriors in a minor skirmish in Arizona, and one of the last battles of the American Indian Wars between the United States and Native Americans. * January 15 ** The keel of is laid in Britain, the first purpose-designed aircraft carrier to be laid down. ** The Red Army (The Workers and Peasants Red Army) is formed in the Russian SFSR and Soviet Union. * January 18 - The Historic Concert ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1858 Births
Events January–March * January – ** Benito Juárez (1806–1872) becomes Liberal President of Mexico. At the same time, conservatives install Félix María Zuloaga (1813–1898) as president. ** William I of Prussia becomes regent for his brother, Frederick William IV, who had suffered a stroke. * January 9 ** British forces finally defeat Rajab Ali Khan of Chittagong ** Anson Jones, the last president of the Republic of Texas, commits suicide. * January 14 – Orsini affair: Felice Orsini and his accomplices fail to assassinate Napoleon III in Paris, but their bombs kill eight and wound 142 people. Because of the involvement of French émigrés living in Britain, there is a brief anti-British feeling in France, but the emperor refuses to support it. * January 25 – The '' Wedding March'' by Felix Mendelssohn becomes a popular wedding recessional, after it is played on this day at the marriage of Queen Victoria's daughter Victoria, Princess Roy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spuistraat
The Spuistraat in downtown Amsterdam connects the Hekelveld to the Spui. It runs roughly north to south, parallel to the Singel and the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal. At the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, the Spuistraat crosses the Raadhuisstraat and Paleisstraat. Originally the Spuistraat was a canal, the Nieuwezijds Achterburgwal. The canal was filled in in 1867, and the street renamed then. History Nieuwezijds Achterburgwal The Nieuwezijds Achterburgwal (New Side Behind Bastion Wall) is a former canal in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. From around 1380 to 1450 it was part of the town's defenses, forming the western limit of the medieval city of Amsterdam. Until about the 14th century, the river Amstel divided the city in two roughly equal parts--the Oudezijde with the Oude Kerk and the Nieuwezijde with the Nieuwe Kerk. In 1342 a simple earthen embankment was raised to protect the small town of Amsterdam, with a narrow canal in front of it where the Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Nieuw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rokin
The Rokin is a canal and major street in the centre of Amsterdam. The street runs from Muntplein square to Dam square. The Rokin canal used to run from Muntplein square to Dam Square, but in 1936, the part between Spui square and Dam Square was filled in. Canal boats are now moored on the remaining part of the water, from the Amstel to Grimburgwal. History Originally the Rokin was a section of the river Amstel, and was known then as ''Ruck-in'' (from 'inrukken', which means 'to withdraw', as some of the houses on the Amstel had to be shortened to construct the quays there in the 16th century). Amsterdam's first commodities exchange was built in 1608-1609 at the corner of the Rokin and Dam Square. The commodities exchange, designed by Hendrick de Keyser, played a key part in the economic success of the city during the Dutch Golden Age. The building was demolished in 1835. During the ongoing construction of the North-South line, a new metro line, archeologists dug down to a d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keizersgracht
The Keizersgracht (; "Emperor's canal") is a canal in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is the second of the three main Amsterdam canals that together form the Grachtengordel, or canal belt, and lies between the inner Herengracht and outer Prinsengracht. History The first part of the Keizersgracht, between Brouwersgracht and (approximately) the current Leidsegracht, was dug in the summer of 1615 at the initiative of mayor Frans Hendricksz. Oetgens, city carpenter Hendrick Jacobsz Staets and city surveyor Lucas Jansz Sinck. The Keizersgracht was named after Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. It is the widest canal in the center of Amsterdam, namely one hundred Amsterdam feet, that is . The Keizersgracht is the second of the three main canals to have been dug; the Prinsengracht was dug in 1614. In September 1614 there arose an intention to turn the Keizersgracht into a chic boulevard without water, following the example of Lange Voorhout in The Hague. This idea was abandoned for a num ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astoria, Amsterdam
Astoria is a Jugendstil office building at Keizersgracht 174-176 in Amsterdam, built in 1904-1905 as the headquarters of the Eerste Hollandsche Levensverzekerings Bank insurance company. The building, at the intersection of the Keizersgracht and Leliegracht canals, served as the international headquarters of Greenpeace for 15 years. In 2001, it gained ''rijksmonument'' (national monument) status. Description With six floors and a maximum height of 37 metres, the Astoria building was one of the first office towers in the Netherlands. The building was a design by H.H. Baanders and Gerrit van Arkel, two architects who designed many buildings in Amsterdam in a sobre version of Jugendstil which later came to be known as ''Nieuwe Kunst'' ("New Art"). The Astoria building has a copper-plated roof with a small tower and decorative cast-iron fencing with EHLB (for Eerste Hollandsche Levensverzekerings Bank) in gold lettering. The mosaic on the Keizersgracht facade shows a guardian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spui (Amsterdam)
The Spui (. In Old Dutch written as ''Spuy'') is a square in the centre of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. The Spui was originally a body of water that formed the southern limit of the city until the 1420s, when the Singel canal was dug as an outer moat around the city. A spui is a lockable water discharge. The word is related to the Dutch verbs ''spuiten'' and ''spuwen'', cognates of the English word ''spewing''. Spui could therefore be translated as ''Spew''. In 1882 the Spui was filled in and became the square that we know today. In 1996 the square was renovated and is now largely car-free. The Spui is hosts a weekly book market on Fridays and a variety of bookstores on or near the square, including two shops dedicated to English-language literature (the American Book Center relocated to the Spui in October 2006). There is also a weekly Sunday art market. The Spui provides entry to the Begijnhof, a Medieval courtyard. Tram lines 1 and 2 stop at Spui on Nieuwezijds ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cullinan Diamond
The Cullinan Diamond is the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found,Scarratt and Shor, p. 120. weighing (1 lb 5.92 oz), discovered at the Premier No.2 mine in Cullinan, South Africa, on 26 January 1905. It was named after Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the mine. In April 1905, it was put on sale in London, but despite considerable interest, it was still unsold after two years. In 1907, the Transvaal Colony government bought the Cullinan and Prime Minister Louis Botha presented it to Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom, who had it cut by Joseph Asscher & Co. in Amsterdam. Cullinan produced stones of various cuts and sizes, the largest of which is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at (3.74 ounces) it is the largest clear cut diamond in the world. The stone is mounted in the head of the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross. The second-largest is Cullinan II or the Second Star of Africa, weighing , mounted in the Imperial State Crown. Both a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
