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Kengo Kuma sets in stone an impressive stereotomic-inspired cathedral intervention in Western France

2021-10-28T19:17:00-04:00

Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) has begun construction on a much-needed cathedral addition that will add a contemporary feel in "harmonious dialogue" with a 12th-century structure set on the edge of the historic Loire Valley in France.

The cathedral is host to several important polychromatic sculptures from the Middle Ages which will be protected by the new intervention.

With preservation in mind, KKAA’s design will transform the western portal of the Cathédrale Saint-Maurice in Angers into an improved entrance that presents the stone relics in an open gallery with sculptural archways and improved wayfinding from the outside into the bifurcated portal.

Viewed from the western entrance, the addition presents an astounding visual symmetry with the 900-year-old rebuilt Gothic cathedral. The grooved rectangular intervention is a few meters removed from the original structure, cast using stonework processes that...

Portals in Lithuania and Poland allow people to connect with each other in real time

2021-06-08T17:33:00-04:00

Physical “portals” are up and running, allowing residents of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius and Lublin, Poland to connect in real-time. The two cities are the first to connect through PORTAL, a non-profit initiative by Go Vilnius, the capital’s development agency. The project aims to construct visual bridges across the world in order to bring people of different cultures together.

A portal in Lublin, Poland displaying the image of a man in Vilnius, Lithuania. Photo: Go Vilnius

The first portals were installed on May 26th, one outside the Vilnius Railway Station and the other 375 miles away in Lublin, Poland. The structures take the shape of circular windows that are equipped with large screens and cameras that broadcast live views between the two cities. According to its organizers, PORTAL is meant to encourage people to rethink the feeling and meaning of unity.

Photo: Go Vilnius

“Humanity is facing a lot of potentially deadly challenges, be it social polarization, climate change,...

New York 'Tunnel' to London

2008-05-26T10:05:00-04:00

At the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, people are communicating directly with people on London's South Bank.

The two 'Telectroscopes' are the creation of artist, Paul St George using a fibre optic link up between the two cities. BBC