Washington DC [Union Station]

Washington DC..
Only two days, [July 4 & 5, 2011] of which..
Day One, was exclusively for the 4th of July parade and fire-works..
Day Two, was a bus-tour [Washington DC Hop-On-Hop-Off Open-Top Double-Decker Bus Tour].. and a whole lot of time was spent in trip to the
US Capitol Bldg., click here.. However, I did stop at the Union Station, knowing it was by "make-no-little-plan" Daniel Burnham, so was a must-see.. [He made the "Plan of Chicago" and also designed Chicago Union Station click here..] Washington DC Union Station is designated a National Historic Landmark [NHL].

Washington DC Union Station..
Opened: 1907
Architect: Daniel Burnham, assisted by Pierce Anderson..
Outstanding features include..

• Massive scale..


• Great vaulted loggia..


• Main Hall or Waiting Room with gilded coffered ceiling, marble, gold leaf, and white granite


• 26 centurions sculptures by Louis St. Gaudens, in the main hall..


• Facade with The Triumphal Arch [The Central Section of the Station]
  
• 6 sculptures, titled, "The Progess of Railraoding" by Louis St. Gaudens, atop the cornice of the central section of the facade..




• Louis St. Gaudens was the brother of renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Louis changed the spelling of his name to St. Gaudens to differentiate himself from his well-known brother.




• Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain, by Lorado Taft....

The vaulted loggia..

Union Station: Main Hall, or waiting space..

Few of the 26 centurions for the station's main hall.

The East Hall..

The Progress of Railroading.. by Louis St. Gaudens. Just above the main cornice of the central block, are six colossal statues, representing Fire, Electricity, Freedom, Imagination, Agriculture and Mechanics. The statues are of Prometheus (for Fire), Thales (for Electricity), Themis (for Freedom and Justice), Apollo (for Imagination and Inspiration), Ceres (for Agriculture) and Archimedes (for Mechanics). St. Gaudens also created the 26 centurions for the station's main hall.

Thales [Electricity] and Themis [Freedom or Justice] The stone inscription reads.. Fire. The greatest os discoverie. Enabling man to live in all climates. Use many foods. And compel the forces of nature to do his work.. Electricity: Carrier of light and power. Devourer of time and space. Bearer of human speech over land and sea. Greatest servant of man. Itself unknown.

The Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain by Lorado Taft..

RELATED LINKS..

• Two Weeks Summer Vacation [Trip to New York City, Washington DC, New Jersey and Philadelphia]..
  


• 
  The Christopher Columbus Memorial Fountain by Lorado Taft..

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A Long Absence..

June 26 - to - July 9, 2011..
A two-weeks vacation.. to..
New York City, Washington DC, New Jersey and Philadelphia..
Images from the trip to follow..

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Chicago Riverwalk: Fish Hotel

Fish Hotel..
Chicago Riverwalk just east of the Dearborn Street bridge.
The Fish Hotel opened in 2005, at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue bridge [now DuSable bridge]. With the construction of Michigan Avenue underbridge, it was moved to the Dearborn Street Bridge, in 2008. It was started as a pilot project by Friends of Chicago River, a non-profit organization.

The hotel is a combination of floating and submerged islands anchored to the steel walls lining the river. Islands are planted with wetland vegetation that will provide shelter and attract insects and other food for a variety of fish species..
- Monifa Thomas, staff reporter of Chicago Sun Times..
READ MORE..
Hotel hopes to lure fish back to downtown, click here..
Friends of Chicago River website, click here..

There are floating islands, submerged islands, submerged fish-cribs, floating water logs, poultry netting to prevent plant predation by water-fowl.. Click on the image below to see enlarged version of what lies beneath..

What lies beneath.. click to enlarge..

RELATED LINKS:
# Chicago Riverwalk, click here..
# Hotelhhopes to lure fish back to downtown, click here..
# Friends of Chicago River website, click here..

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Lincoln Park Zoo [Nature Broadwalk: An Urban Oasis]

Nature Boardwalk around the South Pond, of Lincooln Park Zoo, was opened to the public on June 24, 2010. It's home to native fish, birds, dragonflies, turtles and more. The shoreline features wetland grasses and prairie vegetation.

Originally, the 14-acre South Pond was built in 1876 for recreational purposes. It was too shallow for wildlife to survive in winter months. Over the years, many non-native species of fish made pond their home. This was endangering the native species. In 2003, the Park District decided to turn the pond into an outdoor wilderness classroom. The Park District asked the nonprofit Lincoln Park Zoological Society to raise $12 million and the district pitched in $2.5 million. After a long renovation, the Nature Broadwalk opened in June, 2010. The formerly shallow pond is now 20-foot deep ensuring the survival of wildlife in winter season and is home to many native species of wildlife.
Check out the website..
Nature Broadwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo..

The Old South Pond Boardwalk [Image taken August, 2007]
Gone is the concrete and steel boardwalk around the Zoo's South Pond. It was too shallow to house wildlife. The old wooden paddleboat shaped like swans are gone too..

The New Nature Boardwalk [Image taken, June 7, 2011]
The South Pond is now 20-foot deep and house to many native species like Black Crowned Heron, Blanding Turtle, Painted Turtle, Bluegill, Large Mouth Bass and more..

Which heron is this?
The Nature Boardwalk website talks about increasing population of black-crowned night herons, click here..

As a part of the renovation, the Lester E. Fisher bridge has also been renovated. It provides a beautiful view of the cityscape, as seen in the image below.

A marker on the bridge reads..
A Green Oasis in the Heart of the City..
Skyscraper Towers in the background. Buses arrive bearing tourists from the Loop. The cars on the Lake Shore Drive zoom or sit [depending on the traffic]. And in the center of it all sits a beautiful green oasis with walkway, native plant and wildlife offering a refuge in the heart of the city.
Like the zoo itself, Nature Broadwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo is intimately linked to the great city that surrounds it. Both zoo and broadwalk provides a welcome break from business and bustle, giving visitors a chance to pause, relax and connect with wildlife.

Peoples Gas Education Pavilion..
A wooden structure on the east of the pond..

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Chicago: Summer in the city!

Summer in the city!

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Chicago Cultural Center [Sidney R. Yates Gallery]

Sidney R Yates Gallery..
Chicago Cultural Center..
Originally the library's main reading room. This gallery is named for Illinois Congressman Sidney R. Yates [1909-2000], tireless advocate for the arts.
The hall was "likely" designed by Robert Spencer of the lead architects of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge.

The interior surfaces were created by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company. The deeply recessed coffered ceiling and rich Renaissance ornamentation encrusting the tall pilasters were originally finished in layers of translucent paint that reflected light from a shimmering plaster skin, while the walls were rubbed with layers of pigment. The bold saturated red of the walls, possibly a reference to the late 19th century excavations at Pompeii where the red interior walls characterized the ancient site, alarmed and excited the original Victorian visitors
[Reference: Tour guide leaflet at the Chicago Cultural Center]

Latin words "Lux et Veritas" are repeated on green and silver pilasters, meaning, "light and Truth".

Coffered Ceiling details..

Details..

RELATED LINKS:
# Chicago Cultural Center..

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Chicago Cultural Centern [Coffered Ceiling]

Preston Bradley Hall..

Randolph Lobby..

GAR Hall..

Sidney R. Yates Hall..

3rd Floor ceiling [Washington Street]

5th Floor ceilking [Washington Street]

5th Floor ceiling [Randolph Street]

5th Floor ceiling [Randolph Street]

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