Design Post Update

One of my favorite buildings to visit on my walks around the city is the Hotel de Salm home to the Legion of Honour Museum next to the Musee d'Orsay along the banks of the Seine. I've never been inside however despite a rather fascinating collection and renowned building. There are simply always more pressing things to do or it's just too lovely of a day to spend inside.

The entry court probably looks familiar to you as it has been copied in many forms in public buildings around the world.

 I've always admired the 1920s quiet beaux-arts entry to the museum which faces the d'Orsay.
The interiors are quite spectacular and date to the rebuilding of the structure in 1871 when it was burned during the Commune. How  I would have loved to have seen the original! What is it with the French burning their heritage every few decades?
The main salon seen in the image above and below is the center of the river facade, obviously with water views.
The image below taken after the Commune shows the burned shell. In the background you can see the opulent Palais d'Orsay which was also burned during the Commune and eventually replaced with the train station which now houses the famous art museum.  The burned palace sat unused for 30 years, a daily reminder of the civil war.
The Hotel de Salm may be relatively obscure to the common tourist but has inspired many of our most beloved public buildings and been nearly replicated many times, most notably at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco, seen below and at my previous post HERE, and also at the Chateau de Rochefort en Yvelines (a few images below).  It was one of Thomas Jefferson's favorite buildings, aspects of which he incorporated into his own home at Monticello.
The odd thing to me about the Legion of Honor in San Francisco is that the main facade of the original in Paris which faces the Seine and is most widely known, is actually the back of the museum in San Francisco which no one ever sees (below).
The museum should really provide a more landscaped courtyard to the rear of the museum to take advantage of the beautiful structure.
One really senses the similarity of the buildings most through these aerial views (the Chateau de Rochefort en Yvelines seen below).
The French book L'hotel de Salm published by Monelle Hayot further details the existing building and opulent interiors should you be interested.
Most images are not my own.  To see accreditation please refer to the image file names.

I recently paid a visit to the National Cathedral and was reminded of how beautiful stained glass really can be, particularly in this crisp winter light.
The windows soar towards the ceiling at a staggering 100'. The light still makes it down to the floor however, and to marvelous effect.
I posted some exterior photos a few years ago during a much warmer visit HERE (with a real camera instead of my iphone)
These sacred spaces really are special; thanks to artisans, architects, and perhaps a divine presence.

It's been one of those weeks where you just need a little pretty.  Luckily I have my penpal to supply me with beautiful photographs from his travels. One gem that caught my eye is the Teatro Municipal in Rio de Janiero, Brazil (which I can never think of without humming a little Fred Astaire, I love that song of his about Rio!).
The Opera house, designed by French architect Albert Guilbert, was heavily based on the Palais Garnier or Paris Opera House (See my post on that storied building HERE) and completed in 1909. A later addition to the concert hall dates to 1934 with an adjunct being added just 20 years ago.
 The grand staircase could almost be seen as an exact copy!
 Is it any wonder that anyone would want to copy this great, impressive building?
 The ceiling features a beautiful stained glass skylight.
Just as in Paris the top of the stair holds various gathering spaces for intermissions. They are slightly less ornate but no less grand.
 The similarities are so stunning that one expects to stop onto the balcony to view Paris!
 The stained glass is very much of the time of this theater though, 1909.
 Why do modern theaters lack this attention to detail?
 But lets step into the auditorium and see the main attraction.
Does anyone ever use these grand boxes which flank theater stages? I frequently see them and they're always empty!
The large seating capacity dates to the 1934 addition -still very similar to the Paris example only missing the ceiling by Chagall (see that in this post HERE).
Elsewhere in the building is this intriguingly eclectic space which I can only say seems very Brazilian to me which seems to operate as a banquet hall.
 Notice the bulls as column capitals.

 Elsewhere in the room column bases are no less unusual.
 Notice the intriguing tiling and sconces which also feature more bulls.
 I think this dose of pretty much wraps up the week for me, don't you agree?

Numerous courtyards contain different gardens and water features.
Each are slightly different reflecting the tastes of each ruler and the style of the day but all followed the rule of  making a 'paradise on earth'.
On this cold snowy day I could imagine spending a lot of time in Southern Spain!
The striking thing about each section are the numerous patterns and decoration employed.
The earliest patterns were Arabic inscriptions which morphed into geometric patterns.

No interior surface was left unadorned. Imagine the crews of artisans required to create all of this!
No two rooms are alike, no two ceilings are even the same shape!
Bright colors were also orginally used and many still survive.

Tilework is also a common decoration found throughout the Alhambra as well as most of Spain.
Glazed and painted or else laid into patterns.
I love the colorful herringbone floor above which appears to be laid with common subway tile nearly; so modern!
The complex lay abandoned for centuries, full of squatters and vandals. Renewed interest led to rehabilitation in the 19th century.
While this level of detail isn't something we aspire today I think we could learn a lot from the attention to detail.