I just posted the info below to the events calendar. A local artist in Indianapolis has been given permission to do a "performance piece" during the topping off ceremony of the new Conrad hotel building downtown this Thursday.
For those who might not know, in the US contractors typically celebrate the installation of the final piece of strutural steel to the frame of a building with a topping off ceremony. The final beam is painted white or another color, and usually a tree is attached to the beam as it is lifted into place. My recollection is that this tradition started in one of the Scandinavian countries, and I don't know if other countries have also adopted it.
Am I the only architect with a soft spot in my heart for this tradition? To me it speaks to the community activity of building, and the celebration of a team's work and achievement. I love seeing those little trees up on towers. Has anyone else heard of fun topping off ceremonies, or can you describe other buidling-related ceremonial traditions outside the US?
For any Indy archinecters, I'll be there Thursday, and will try to get pictures.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crescendo
By Greg Hull, artist and professor at the Herron School of Art, Indianapolis
16 June 2005, 9:45 - 11:00 AM, corner of Washington and Illinois Streets
During the topping off ceremony of the new Conrad Indianapolis building in downtown Indianapolis, artist and Herron School of Art professor Greg Hull will make the under-construction building come to life with Crescendo, a piece that combines kinetics and fabric using a pattern of motion to produce the illusion that the 23-story tower is “breathing.”
Close to 50 art students scattered through the building will participate, using the open-close movement of red umbrellas to celebrate the traditional "topping off" ceremony, when the final piece of structural steel is placed on the new downtown tower.
"...'Hussar' was a term used on the Kentucky frontier for people who were public nuisances. According to local tradition, hussars were hard drinking carousers. This theory carries the implication that a large share of such folks came from Indiana."
See, there's so many possible explanations, how can any one of them be true? Vado's explanation can't be it, the highest hill in Indianapolis seems to be about 20 feet. cu archi, the cabinet came after the word was already established.
Maybe I'll rename myself "Indianan" since according to wikipedia that tern is only used by outsiders!
congrats hoosiermama what neighborhood are you in? by the by , the mean elevation of indiana is +700' above sea level. highest point? you got it, Hoosier Hill, 1257' above sea level.
Thanks vado. Broad Ripple o' course, is there any other neighborhood?! Close to the Monon Trail and canal path for biking, can walk into Broad Ripple's little commercial strip - I'm still seeking an "urban" walking lifestyle.
Sadly after growing up in Phoenix and living in Philly I just stare at my new front lawn in total ignorance - what the hell do I do to get it green and pretty like all my neighbors? I have to buy a lawnmoser?!? Life is a constant learning process.
Since I imagine most people reading this thread are in or interested in Indy, tomorrow is also the opening of an installation by Herron students in Military Park next to the new art school building downtown. Twelve sculptures hanging from the trees - they look pretty cool and represent a significant effort on the part of students dealing for the first time with a public installation of art. And the bronze Wim Delvoye sculpture installed behind the Herron building is awesome and worth every bit of controversy it is stirring up.
your lawn needs patience, not chemicals. weeds come with the territory - we let them stay. besides, i like buttercups, clover, and those funny little purple flowers. be that neighbor with the scrappy yard > it can be your quirk.
if it's not very large (usually true in the nifty old neighborhoods like broad ripple), we've had good luck with both an electric mower and a manual rotary. our yard takes about 15 minutes to mow.
cool thing is that someone had given us their old gas mower and then the city, in their efforts to clean our air, started a program where you turn in your gas mower, buy an electric or manual, and they cut you a check for $100. we got our electric for about net $75 by the time it was over.
the houses along our block have privet hedges between them, so we've got them on each side of our front yard. we've found that, if we wait long enough, the neighbors on either side will trim these. actually one neighbor likes them all to look the same so sometimes he'll just take care of the whole row.
No chemicals here, Steven, especially with my two-year-old playing on it. Next door neighbors are avid gardeners so I'm sure they'll be helpful. My husband thinks a manual push mower is for us, I defer to his Michigan upbringing to make that decision.
Well, liberty bell, when you start calling green peppers "mangoes," then we'll know you're a *real* hoosier. Until then...give some thought to which side you're going to support in the Indiana v. Purdue rivalry.
Jun 16, 05 10:06 am ·
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topping off ceremony in Indianapolis
I just posted the info below to the events calendar. A local artist in Indianapolis has been given permission to do a "performance piece" during the topping off ceremony of the new Conrad hotel building downtown this Thursday.
For those who might not know, in the US contractors typically celebrate the installation of the final piece of strutural steel to the frame of a building with a topping off ceremony. The final beam is painted white or another color, and usually a tree is attached to the beam as it is lifted into place. My recollection is that this tradition started in one of the Scandinavian countries, and I don't know if other countries have also adopted it.
Am I the only architect with a soft spot in my heart for this tradition? To me it speaks to the community activity of building, and the celebration of a team's work and achievement. I love seeing those little trees up on towers. Has anyone else heard of fun topping off ceremonies, or can you describe other buidling-related ceremonial traditions outside the US?
For any Indy archinecters, I'll be there Thursday, and will try to get pictures.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crescendo
By Greg Hull, artist and professor at the Herron School of Art, Indianapolis
16 June 2005, 9:45 - 11:00 AM, corner of Washington and Illinois Streets
During the topping off ceremony of the new Conrad Indianapolis building in downtown Indianapolis, artist and Herron School of Art professor Greg Hull will make the under-construction building come to life with Crescendo, a piece that combines kinetics and fabric using a pattern of motion to produce the illusion that the 23-story tower is “breathing.”
Close to 50 art students scattered through the building will participate, using the open-close movement of red umbrellas to celebrate the traditional "topping off" ceremony, when the final piece of structural steel is placed on the new downtown tower.
Liberty- since you are now a member of america's heartland you really need to get yourself a handle reflective of this change.
how bout
Hoosiermama?
oh yeah.
When someone can adequately explain to me what in hell a "hoosier" is I'll consider it.
its a cumberland dialect of old english "hoozer" meaning high hills.
i particularly like this one:
"...'Hussar' was a term used on the Kentucky frontier for people who were public nuisances. According to local tradition, hussars were hard drinking carousers. This theory carries the implication that a large share of such folks came from Indiana."
a hoosier is also a type of cabinet that was almost exclusively produced in indiana.
http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker/articles/199912/main/
yes hoozer came to signify oafish louts
See, there's so many possible explanations, how can any one of them be true? Vado's explanation can't be it, the highest hill in Indianapolis seems to be about 20 feet. cu archi, the cabinet came after the word was already established.
Maybe I'll rename myself "Indianan" since according to wikipedia that tern is only used by outsiders!
where did prince charles spend his first honeymoon?
in diana. get it?
Just closed on a house in Indy this morning wahoo! Guess I really am an Indianan .....er, uuuh, I mean a Hoosier....now!!
Now I start tearing out bad ceramic tile and Home Depot sink vanities. Aaah life is good.
congrats hoosiermama what neighborhood are you in? by the by , the mean elevation of indiana is +700' above sea level. highest point? you got it, Hoosier Hill, 1257' above sea level.
Thanks vado. Broad Ripple o' course, is there any other neighborhood?! Close to the Monon Trail and canal path for biking, can walk into Broad Ripple's little commercial strip - I'm still seeking an "urban" walking lifestyle.
Sadly after growing up in Phoenix and living in Philly I just stare at my new front lawn in total ignorance - what the hell do I do to get it green and pretty like all my neighbors? I have to buy a lawnmoser?!? Life is a constant learning process.
Since I imagine most people reading this thread are in or interested in Indy, tomorrow is also the opening of an installation by Herron students in Military Park next to the new art school building downtown. Twelve sculptures hanging from the trees - they look pretty cool and represent a significant effort on the part of students dealing for the first time with a public installation of art. And the bronze Wim Delvoye sculpture installed behind the Herron building is awesome and worth every bit of controversy it is stirring up.
your lawn needs patience, not chemicals. weeds come with the territory - we let them stay. besides, i like buttercups, clover, and those funny little purple flowers. be that neighbor with the scrappy yard > it can be your quirk.
if it's not very large (usually true in the nifty old neighborhoods like broad ripple), we've had good luck with both an electric mower and a manual rotary. our yard takes about 15 minutes to mow.
cool thing is that someone had given us their old gas mower and then the city, in their efforts to clean our air, started a program where you turn in your gas mower, buy an electric or manual, and they cut you a check for $100. we got our electric for about net $75 by the time it was over.
the houses along our block have privet hedges between them, so we've got them on each side of our front yard. we've found that, if we wait long enough, the neighbors on either side will trim these. actually one neighbor likes them all to look the same so sometimes he'll just take care of the whole row.
No chemicals here, Steven, especially with my two-year-old playing on it. Next door neighbors are avid gardeners so I'm sure they'll be helpful. My husband thinks a manual push mower is for us, I defer to his Michigan upbringing to make that decision.
do you have a car up on blocks in the yard yet? always a nice touch. i may be down in indy in a week or two. prolly at the old point.
Well, liberty bell, when you start calling green peppers "mangoes," then we'll know you're a *real* hoosier. Until then...give some thought to which side you're going to support in the Indiana v. Purdue rivalry.
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