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Woods Bagot Architects: Practice Information

Woods Bagot Architects Melbourne, Australia Architecture Practice, Office

Woods Bagot Architects Practice

Australian Architecture Studio – Design Offices News & Information

post updated 8 Oct 2020

Woods Bagot Architects News

Woods Bagot Architects News, chronological:

Sydney’s streets as car-free market gardens

Could there be a $2.9 billion positive impact by reducing cars in Sydney? Join this Committee for Sydney live event.

From Barcelona to Bogotá, blueprints for carless cities are emerging. What could Sydney’s strategy be to reduce car usage and retain the quieter streets we’ve come to enjoy as a result of Covid-19?

ERA-co has analysed the impact on family spending and wellbeing of reducing traffic on main thoroughfares or turning quiet community streets into more parks and market gardens – which could provide life satisfaction benefits valued at $2.9 billion.

Join head of impact valuation at ERA-co, Meg Bartholomew, and Woods Bagot principal John Prentice for the Committee for Sydney launch of ERA-co’s report Streets Ahead: A New State of Wellness and a discussion on the positive economic impact of these compelling scenarios.

Live Event: Sydney’s streets as car-free market gardens Thursday October 15, 2020 4 -5 pm

Hosted by Eamon Waterford, Deputy CEO & Director of Policy, Committee for Sydney

About the Speakers

MEG BARTHOLOMEW

Architect and Engineer – Head of Impact Valuation, ERA-co

An architect and an engineer with a master’s degree in city making for social outcomes, Meg spends most of her time thinking about how to make our cities better places for everyone. Her passion is for understanding how intangible qualities can be more transparently valued in development feasibility and for the true social costs and benefits of planning to factor in decision making and underpin responsible investment in cities.

ERA-co is an experience consultancy that applies evidence-based thinking to create transformative places.

JOHN PRENTICE

Principal and Regional Transport Leader (A&NZ), Woods Bagot

John’s approach to architecture and urban design conveys a strong sensitivity to human experience, and he thrives on making places great through considered and sustainable design. Currently leading Woods Bagot’s architectural teams on the design of new metro stations at Sydney’s historic Central Station and Crows Nest, John was also instrumental in the design of Wynyard Walk, a pedestrian link that cuts walking time between Wynyard Station and the Barangaroo waterfront to just six minutes and makes public transport a much more attractive option.

Woods Bagot is a global architecture and consultancy studio spanning design, research, data, and performance to create People Architecture.

28 Jun 2018 Woods Bagot Architects WAF Shortlisted Buildings

Seven Woods Bagot projects – three future projects and four completed buildings – are finalists in this year’s World Architecture Festival (WAF) Awards – the world’s largest, live architectural award program – and its sister program, the INSIDE World Festival of Interiors.

Woods Bagot Architects WAF Shortlisted Buildings

16 Jan 2018 Woods Bagot Expands Senior Design Team

The London studio of Woods Bagot, an international design practice, has made two senior appointments as their expansion continues, appointing Chris Crombie as the new Transport Leader for Europe and Debby Ray as Associate Principal to build on recent wins in all sectors.

Chris Crombie

image courtesy of architects

With 15 years of global experience, Chris’s career has focused on winning, developing and delivering world-class transportation projects for both aviation and rail, including: Heathrow Terminal 2B and the world’s largest single terminal at the New Istanbul Airport. In addition, Chris also played a pivotal role on the multi-award winning Pulkovo Airport Terminal 1 project in St Petersburg, which included not only the design and construction of a new 17m pax international facility with landside car parking, but also an international hotel and provision for a new heavy rail connection to the city centre.

Chris’s extensive rail experience includes leading roles on numerous high-profile projects such as Crossrail and High Speed 2, where he led the design for the New London Terminus at Euston. He has worked internationally on the development proposals for new stations in Delhi and Mumbai in India and metro systems in Australia. Chris will lead Woods Bagot’s European transport sector.

Debby Ray

Debby’s flair for design is matched only by her passion for sustainability. She is registered in both the UK and the US, and joins Woods Bagot’s London team with 25 years of experience leading high-profile and award-winning projects both locally and internationally. Having honed her skills with Alsop, AHMM and Perkins & Will across the education, residential, commercial and masterplanning sectors, some of her notable successes include 150 Holborn, Wood Wharf, Manchester’s New Islington and the Stirling Prizenominated Westminster Academy.

Debby’s projects have won RIBA, AIA, Civic Trust and WAF awards. Throughout her professional career she has remained actively involved with universities and has been a guest critic at the Bartlett School of Architecture and the University of Westminster.

Woods Bagot’s CEO Nik Karalis said: “Debby and Chris join us with impressive credentials and a huge amount of knowledge and expertise. Our London Studio already boasts an innovative built portfolio and the combined experience of Debby and Chris reinforces our offering to clients and reaffirms our position as a premier practice. We’re thrilled that they have both joined our London team and we’re excited to continue to build upon the studio’s success in 2018.”

8 Nov 2017 Woods Bagot’s London studio advice

Woods Bagot’s London studio advises Australian residential market on Build to Rent

Principal Jonathan Clarke and Associate Principal Simon Saint from Woods Bagot’s London residential team have completed a two-week tour of Australia sharing their knowledge of the build-to-rent (BTR) market in the UK. Earmarked as the next global location to adopt the rental model with an estimated $300 billion investment forecasted, the London team visited two of Australia’s largest cities, Melbourne and Sydney to educate key players in the Australian property market and decision makers.

Key to Woods Bagot’s success in the BTR market in the UK is their commitment to people focused design and this was a key message during their time in Australia. A relatively new phenomenon in the UK, Build to Rent is creating 95,918 new homes and has changed the landscape for urban cities, supporting a global shift in people’s views on home ownership. Jonathan comments on the change in approach for citymakers and developers: “This is a new model for city living which demands a new approach to marketing, funding and management; BTR operators need to think of their portfolio as a brand and something that people will want to come and be a part of”.

In addition to end user based design, Jonathan and Simon argued that amenities are integral to the success of BTR schemes. Jonathan comments on the importance of flexibility; “It is essential for end users and the durability of BTR that these homes provide personality and flexible amenities that contribute to the community. Developers need to create flexible space which can be modified with the emergence of new trends and they need to understand their tenants’ mindsets to keep them from jumping ship to another scheme”.

Simon argued that this end user focus needs to stretch to every generation; “Build to rent schemes shouldn’t just be for the younger communities. In the UK, retirement living has also seen a big change in mindset and the housing market is needing to adapt to this quickly. Retirees no longer want to be miles away from a city and in their own little bubble, they want to enjoy being part of a community and live the same lifestyle they have been accustomed to. Creating communities that can interact with one another is also key to Build to Rent schemes”.

In addition to meeting with State Government agencies, Jonathan and Simon met with Western Australia’s Minister for Housing, the Honourable Peter Tinley AM MLA, the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, as well as speaking at the build-to-rent Property Council of Australia Business Lunch in Sydney.

Woods Bagot London designed projects for both Quintain and Essential Living and conducted extensive research into the rental model. For further information, visit the following link – https://ift.tt/2GNCmpo.

2 Aug 2017 Woods Bagot relocates Workplace Interiors leader to London Studio

Woods Bagot is further strengthening its Workplace Interiors team in London by relocating Senior Associate Colin Devereaux, to the London studio. Colin originally joined Woods Bagot in 2008, and has previously worked in the practice’s Sydney and San Francisco offices.

Colin has 20 years of Workplace Interiors experience, working on some of Google’s international headquarters, including Moffett Place in California and offices in Sydney, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. His understanding of the UK property market comes from his involvement in some of the city’s most notable workplace schemes, including Cisco’s City of London office and Allen and Overy Headquarters.

Colin’s career at Woods Bagot started at the London studio, before moving to Sydney in 2009 and San Francisco in 2015. This global experience has enabled Colin to work on a wide range of projects, from boutique to large scale headquarter fit-outs along with multi-residential schemes, in the US, UK and Australia. In addition, Colin has been instrumental in leading environmentally-friendly schemes, delivering one of the first LEED v4 ID+C:CI certified projects outside of the US for Google Australia in Sydney.

Colin comments on his return to the London studio: “It’s our common belief at Woods Bagot that buildings should be designed from the inside out and it is crucial workplace in London is designed around this ethos. Our London studio is leading the charge in Workplace Interiors and I am looking forward to re-joining the team, bringing with me my global learnings.”

Jonathan Clarke, Global Residential sector leader and Chair of the London Studio, said: “Colin’s global experience and most notably, understanding of leading technology giants’ will be of great benefit to the London Studio. It is crucial that as a practice we share our global talent and we’re thrilled to have Colin re-join the London team.”

16 Jan 2017 Woods Bagot named seventh ‘Most Admired Architect’

Global design practice maintains top ten ranking in Building Design’s 2017 World Architecture Top 100

Global architecture and consulting firm Woods Bagot has ranked in the top 10 global practices for the third consecutive year, according to Building Design magazine’s 2017 World Architecture Top 100 list, an annual survey of the world’s largest companies ranked by the number of fee-earning architects employed.

This year, Woods Bagot ranked overall #7 – down one place from #6 last year. The practice is once again the only Australian firm in top 10. The global studio was honoured to be listed as one of the world’s ‘Most Admired Architects’, ranking equal seventh with Kohn Pederson Fox, Nikken Sekkei, UN Studio and Zaha Hadid Architects. Foster + Partners topped this list for the 11th consecutive year.

Woods Bagot ranked #2 (by fee income) in the Australasia region. Breaking down market sectors and specialisms, Woods Bagot claimed #7 In Offices, #7 in Residential, #8 in Retail, #9 in Interior Design and equal #7 in Planning.

Woods Bagot’s Chief Executive Officer Nik Karalis said the 2017 WA100 rankings reflected the company’s year of consolidation and expansion, with recent teams being added in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Auckland.

“This year, Woods Bagot has maintained a vigorous global presence in 17 studios worldwide,” Karalis said.

“We have strengthened our alliances with local partners, established key relationships and explored new ventures in Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and North America, and we have engaged with thought leaders in these regions to bring design and innovation to the next level.”

“Delivering results in the transformation of cities means having a presence in these cities of opportunities and responding to the changing needs of the business,” he said. “We foresee the convergence of physical and digital communities creating limitless user experiences that reflect the ways people want to live, work and play.

In early December of 2016, Woods Bagot relaunched its website with a broader social and ecological purpose of bringing clients engaging enterprises which includes UrbanSystems—The Way We Live; SuperSpace—Analysing The Way We Live; and BrandStudio—Narrating The Way We Live. There is a strong focus on editorialised visual content tailored to maximise visitors’ online experience in this digital era.

“The culmination of their development over the past six months is now revealed in a new format—a website that presents projects in a more conversational and personal manner, revealing a practice that is at the forefront of the new role and responsibility of urbanism architecture and interiors.”

“As we move forward, we expect an array of current and potential work prospects with revenue to increase throughout 2017 and 2018. With the unwavering dedication of our leaders, 59 shareholders/ principals, 11 associate principals and staff members, we remain resolute in delivering excellence to our practice.”

Woods Bagot Global Development Officer Mark Mitcheson-Low reported Woods Bagot’s opportunities continued to be strong in Australasia, North America and Europe.

“As architects and designers, we have a rare opportunity to spearhead the world in implementing the key drivers of change by tapping into conversations around the future of cities, places and people,”

“At Woods Bagot we are deeply committed to not only opening the dialogue on economic, ecological, social and liveability in large metropolitan areas but also in providing practical solutions that will have a positive impact on people in our global cities.”

Woods Bagot’s most significant projects in 2016 include: Christchurch Convention Centre, New Zealand; Adelaide Convention Centre, Australia; 1 William Street, Australia; University of Sydney Business School, Australia; Wynyard Walk, Australia; Chongqing Tower, China, Jay Street residences, North America, One Journal Square, North America; 108 Chambers Street, North America; Sunshine Insurance HQ, China; Farpoint Mega Kuningan, Indonesia; Telkom Tower, Indonesia; Collins Arch, Australia; Leicester Square Hotel, England; Virgin Domestic Terminal 1, Perth Airport, Australia; New Quality Quay Central, Australia; and Ten Trinity Square, England.

For the full report and breakdown please visit: https://ift.tt/1cRn7pM

6 Dec 2016 Woods Bagot reveals a new website direction

Woods Bagot Reveals a New Website Direction A strong focus on editorialised visual content to create a more personal online experience

6th of December 2016 – Woods Bagot launches its new website that redefines an architectural practice web-based interface with a broader social and ecological purpose of bringing new client engaging enterprises:

1) UrbanSystems—The Way We Live; 2) SuperSpace—Analysing The Way We Live; and 3) BrandStudio—Narrating The Way We Live.

“The culmination of their development over the past six months is now revealed in a new format—a website that presents projects in a more conversational and personal manner,” said Nik Karalis, Chief Executive Officer.

“This engaging display reveals a practice that is at the forefront of the new role and responsibility of urbanism architecture and interiors.”

The new website deploys both computational and emotional strategies to create experiences that provide value and relevancy to Woods Bagot clients in this digital era. There is a strong focus on editorialised visual content tailored to maximise visitors’ online experience.

The centrepiece of thought leadership and the execution of People Architecture is Sector Futures with an endless permutation of projects created by the confluence of collaboration between Woods Bagot partners, thought leaders and disciplines.

“We’re offering our clients an engaging insight into thought leadership beyond an image repertoire,” said Karalis.

“It’s about bringing what’s relevant to our industry, our sectors and disciplines front and centre for our clients to access with ease and simplicity, allowing them to gain an understanding of our vision of People Architecture and exploring our human-centric design methodologies.”

With more than 1,000 experts across the globe, Woods Bagot redefines the notion of a global community across both physical and digital channels, relying on cross collaboration and collective intelligence to deliver excellence. Designed with the concept of storytelling, the website uses different formats to communicate the narratives. The aim is to provide an ultimate user-friendly experience with the website’s much improved navigation and functionality.

photo : Trevor Mein Photography

Its new features allow users to access:

Woods Bagot’s expansive portfolio of detailed case studies • “Enterprise” section where users can learn about the agile culture of smart creatives, supported by three new Enterprise Functions: UrbanSystems, SuperSpace and BrandStudio • “Talks” – a new series that encompasses a global conversation, including In(di)visible Cities, FIRSTPASS interviews and other rich online content across a wide range of sectors and disciplines • “Ideas” section where thought leaders share their latest innovations and experiences • Direct link into the human behaviour analysis SuperSpace Agency

According to Woods Bagot Brand Studio Leader Garrett Miller, the approach to the new website showcases architectural work in a more conversational tone. “This is an amazing opportunity to connect our clients with the compelling narratives and stories of existing and future Woods Bagot projects, and the website has been distinctively designed to reflect this strategy.”

Miller has been engaged in the development of the new website from start to finish, working with key stakeholders and leaders across the company to articulate the vision from a graphical perspective. The new website aims to bring clients’ brands to life through architectural expression and digital storytelling. It allows clients to stay informed with recent news about projects and people. The “News” section features events coverage, speaking engagements, stories on groundbreaking project wins and best practices.

“Feedback is important to us,” said Karalis. “Talking to our clients help us find enterprising creative solutions to all our projects and services.”

For more, visit Website: www.woodsbagot.com

Woods Bagot Architecture

18 Oct 2013

Woods Bagot News

Adaptive knowledge approach recognised for the fifth time

Korea, 17 October 2013 – Woods Bagot today announced that for the fifth time the firm has been recognised as a winner at the World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, Korea, as a 2013 Asian Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise (MAKE).

The global design firm has been has recognized for management of its enterprise-wide collaborative knowledge sharing and is the only architecture firm acknowledged in the awards.

Woods Bagot Beijing Studio: image : Woods Bagot

“A decade ago we realised that to remain competitive we needed to accelerate the delivery of design intelligence on projects by tapping into the collective knowledge of our projects and our people,” said Ross Donaldson, Group Managing Director.

Embarking on a research journey over eight years ago, Woods Bagot implemented an aligned knowledge strategy that focused on mobilising knowledge beyond regions, growing knowledge capabilities and driving a knowledge innovation culture.

“How we manage our knowledge globally and then apply that intelligence to projects is what differentiates Woods Bagot from our peers,” continued Ross.

“Our vision is ‘one global studio’ which is about building a culture of knowledge across the whole firm. To our clients this means that we collaborate locally and globally to deliver incomparable design. To knowledge, it means we have no boundaries to capturing, sharing and applying our experiences, ideas and intelligence. Our design methodology and how we operate as a business is built on this philosophy and it is humbling to see we have again been acknowledged as a Most Admired Knowledge Enterprise,” said Ross.

Building Woods Bagot’s knowledge framework has been a dynamic process for the firm.

“Our knowledge strategy maintains an ‘edge of chaos’ equilibrium to remain responsive to new knowledge, communications and technology approaches,” said Felicity McNish, Global Knowledge Manager.

“We sustain this equilibrium with continuous horizon watching, testing, evaluation and adaptation of our knowledge tools and platforms. Our knowledge framework is an ongoing journey.”

The firm’s commitment to knowledge extends to a research driven design methodology; using a tailored design portal for each project to harness knowledge and connect across borders; creating a global intranet community; investing in industry based knowledge forums; and communicating pertinent thought leadership to clients and peers.

Recent outcomes of Woods Bagot’s research and knowledge approach include design of the new $200 million South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI); China Southern Airport City, Guangzhou; Telkom Landmark Tower, Jakarta; National Australia Bank Docklands, Melbourne, Australia; and the ZERO-E modelling tool for zero emission buildings developed jointly with Buro Happold.

About Woods Bagot

Woods Bagot is a global design and consulting firm, with a team of over 850 people working across Australia, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.

The firm’s unique ‘One Global Studio’ philosophy drives unprecedented knowledge sharing and true collaboration across time zones, producing innovative, inspired and functional design solutions.

Underpinning Woods Bagot’s knowledge culture is Public, the firm’s research arm, created in collaboration with leading thinkers and academics.

Specialising in five key sectors – Aviation and Transport; Education, Science and Health; Lifestyle; Sport; and Workplace – Woods Bagot’s diverse portfolio spans more than 140 years, a legacy of design excellence. The firm’s high-profile projects include: Shijiazhuang International Exhibition and Convention Centre, China; 100 Bishopsgate [London], Qatar Science and Technology Park, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre [in joint venture with NHArchitecture], Ivy, Sydney [in collaboration with Merivale, Cornwell Design, Hecker Guthrie], Sunshine Insurance Group HQ [Beijing], Delhi One [Noida, India] and WAF 2013 shortlisted project Knox Innovation Opportunity and Sustainability Centre [KIOSC, Australia].

Disciplines: Architecture, Consulting, Interior Design, Urban Design, Master Planning

2 Oct 2013

Woods Bagot Singapore

Woods Bagot announce the launch of a Singapore studio. The studio, a joint venture between Woods Bagot and award-winning local practice Forum Architects, means that Woods Bagot now has an on-the-ground presence in 17 cities globally and in all the crucial regional business hubs – London, New York, Sydney, Dubai, Hong Kong and now, Singapore.

Woods Bagot Singapore

14 Aug 2013

Architect Tim Narey joins Woods Bagot London

London — Woods Bagot announced that leading transport and infrastructure architect Tim Narey, has joined the firm’s London Studio. Tim will lead a new Transport and Infrastructure Group for Europe and the Middle East, working closely with the Global Head of Aviation and Transport, James Berry.

Architect Tim Narey joins Woods Bagot London Studio: photo from Woods Bagot, architects

Tim joins Woods Bagot from Aedas where he was a Divisional Director and led a variety of major transportation projects across Europe, Asia and North America. His most notable career projects include the Emirates Air-Line and the Eden Project as well as the new Highway407 Station in Toronto which is under construction.

Jonathan French, Regional Executive Chairman for Europe and Middle East commented: “Woods Bagot is already world-renowned as a transportation sector specialist, demonstrated through our work for the aviation industry which has contributed to our shaping the airports of tomorrow. We are now seeing a surge in major transport – and particularly rail-related – projects across Europe and the Middle East. Tim’s appointment will further enhance our expertise in the design and delivery of these important and socially beneficial projects.”

Tim Narey commented: “Transportation affects us all on a day-to-day basis and these unique projects provide architects with a chance to enhance the lives of millions, making a positive impact on society whilst supporting economic prosperity. I am delighted to be joining Woods Bagot and I welcome the chance of working with Jonathan and James to build on the recent successes of the Studio.”

The global transport team at Woods Bagot is currently involved in projects in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York, and recently won the design competition for the first stage of the AUD$1billion “Project Switch” at Sydney airport which includes a new international terminal at the T2 / T3 campus. Other projects include the AUD$2 billion expansion of Perth Airport in Australia and the new international terminal for the capital of Azerbaijan in Baku.

30 May 2013

Jonathan French joins Woods Bagot as Regional Executive Chair for Europe

Global architects Woods Bagot today announced the appointment of Jonathan French as Regional Executive Chair for Europe.

A Chartered Architect and MBA, French has over 25 years’ international experience across a number of highly respected practices, including David Chipperfield Architects, Ove Arup and EC Harris. Jonathan has worked for a range of blue-chip clients, including Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline and IBM and has built practices in the UK and internationally. Recently he was Managing Director of David Chipperfield Architects, where he was responsible for all management, HR and commercial issues, the successful leadership of which resulted in the achievement of tangibly improved revenues and profitability over a four-year tenure.

Jonathan French, Woods Bagot as Regional Executive Chair for Europe: photo from Woods Bagot, architects

Ross Donaldson, Group Managing Director, Woods Bagot said:

“Jonathan has the ability to combine excellence in architecture with strong commercial acumen and management, and he has done this in a diverse range of international locations. Europe has have been and will continue to be, integral to our global success. We have ambitious plans for the growth of Woods Bagot and believe that Jonathan is the right person to carry us through the next phase of development. I look forward to welcoming him to the studio.”

Jonathan French said:

“Woods Bagot has a proven track record of international success. The firm’s global reach, combined with its specialist sector focus puts it in a strong position to exploit market opportunities. I am excited to join such a talented team and look forward to helping the practice thrive.”

28 Mar 2013

Woods Bagot shortlisted for three Australian Interior Design Awards

Woods Bagot has three projects shortlisted in this year’s Australian Interior Design Awards.

The Awards, co-presented by the Design Institute of Australia, DesignEX and Artichoke magazine, will be announced on 31 May 2013 in a ten-year anniversary event at Melbourne’s historic Plaza Ballroom.

Woods Bagot’s Sydney studio and their design of Mirvac’s workplace in Melbourne were shortlisted in the Workplace category, while their design for Pony restaurant in Brisbane was shortlisted as part of the Hospitality category.

Woods Bagot Sydney Studio (Workplace) photo from Woods Bagot, architects

Woods Bagot’s global studio is a 24/7 agile team. Designed to be warm and liveable, Woods Bagot’s Sydney studio embodies a continual commentary on design, agile teams, model making and material research, resulting in a dynamic workplace for architectural research.

Woods Bagot – Mirvac (Workplace) photo from Woods Bagot, architects

Mirvac is well known for high end residential developments, so when Woods Bagot set about designing their new workplace it was natural to look at high end domestic interiors for inspiration. Through conducting a series of workshops to extract the new vision workspace, a series of recommendations were created.

Woods Bagot – Pony restaurant (Hospitality) photo from Woods Bagot, architects

Brisbane’s new Pony restaurant is about indulging the senses and the theatrical staging of food preparation for the charcoal grill. The design narrative is built around the ‘farrier’ or blacksmithing, incorporating raw materials and featuring a two-metre steel ribbon winds that through the space, implying metal that can forged.

21 Mar 2013

Glowing orb to be made from construction cones for Vivid Sydney 2013

A team of designers from Woods Bagot’s Sydney studio introduces Planet Under Construction – or PUC

PUC (Planet Under Construction), a light installation by a team from Woods Bagot’s Sydney studio, has been selected as part of this year’s Vivid Sydney: the Southern Hemisphere’s largest annual festival of light, music and ideas with an estimated half a million attendees.

Planet Under Construction – or PUC: image : Woods Bagot, architects

Made of orange construction cones to symbolise our architectural work, Planet Under Construction – or PUC – is a spherical lighting sculpture that mimics a planet. This celestial body features orange peaks as “volcanoes” that speak of energy and renewal.

Lights at its core will escape through cracks and holes in the structure, reacting to the sound of the passing train, and lighting patterns will be triggered by sensors around its base, creating a public interactive element.

PUC is situated near the corner of George and Alfred Street under the Cahill Expressway in Circular Quay, making it an important marker near the point of entrance to the event for visitors coming from the train station and the city.

Vivid Sydney runs from 24 May – 10 June 2013. To find out more visit www.vividsydney.com Find out more about PUC: https://ift.tt/19xsSo2

Thank you to PUC’s partners and supporters: Structural Engineer: Partridge Builder: Paul King PTY LTD Electrical consultant: Medland Metropolis Technology Integration by: MySmartCTI Lighting Integration by: Xenian

More Woods Bagot projects online soon

Woods Bagot Architecture Office – practice info archive

Location: London, England, UK

Architecture Practice Information

Woods Bagot Architects

Australian Architects

International design practice, Woods Bagot provides its clients with innovative design solutions that are both functional and inspiring. This is demonstrated by the successful delivery of a range of high profile projects within the commercial workplace, hospitality, mixed-use, education and science sectors.

Established in 2001, Woods Bagot’s London studio has a dynamic team of 85 professionals. Since its inception, its young, integrated team has developed a diverse portfolio of significant projects including:

– Piccadilly Tower, Manchester – Liverpool Central Village – Multiplex headquarters, London – Rolls building, London – Eversheds LLP new London headquarters

Woods Bagot Shanghai : New Studio – Dec 2009 image from architecture office

Architecture Studios

Practice offices in Australia Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Practice offices in Asia Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai

Practice office in Europe London

Practice offices in Middle East Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Sydney Architects

Office Buildings

Australian Institute of Architects Awards

Qatari Science and Technology Park

Buildings / photos for the Woods Bagot Architects page welcome

Website: www.woodsbagot.com

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gokul2181 · 4 years ago

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Lewis Hamilton: F1 steps into brave new world as Lewis Hamilton eyes Michael Schumacher's record | Racing News

New Post has been published on https://jordarnews.in/lewis-hamilton-f1-steps-into-brave-new-world-as-lewis-hamilton-eyes-michael-schumachers-record-racing-news/

Lewis Hamilton: F1 steps into brave new world as Lewis Hamilton eyes Michael Schumacher's record | Racing News

LONDON: Seven months after they last competed in earnest, the Formula One circus will push a post-lockdown reset button to open the 2020 season in Austria on Sunday. The event at Spielberg is being held on its original calendar date, but is not the once-anticipated 11th round of the championship, but the first – a season-opener delayed by the global coronavirus pandemic. More than three months after the Australian Grand Prix was abandoned on the eve of opening practice in Melbourne, the race in the Styrian Alps will be run behind closed doors, without fans, sponsors’ agents and guests and only a handful of reporters restricted to the media centre. The usual high-rise motor homes will be replaced by tents and awnings while the teams, cut to 80 members and all in protective gear, will operate in sanitised “bubbles within bubbles” in a paddock bereft of human contact and the usual swell of rumour and speculation. For all involved, who are tested four days before the event and five days later, it will be an unprecedented and unique experience. Yet, despite all the change and the surreal atmosphere it is expected that the action, when it begins, will deliver the same likely story. Lewis Hamilton, powered by the all-conquering Mercedes, goes in search of a seventh drivers’ title to equal the record of Michael Schumacher. “It has been unbearable – I have missed the racing and the competition so much, so it will be great to be back,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

Even during lockdown, drivers moves for next year took place, Ferrari announcing the release of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, to be succeeded by Carlos Sainz of McLaren and Daniel Ricciardo signing to leave Renault and be the Spaniard’s replacement at the cash-starved outfit so badly hit by the pandemic. Those 2021 moves will not affect this year’s line-ups, but may affect relationships between departing drivers and teams anxious not to allow unique operational and performance intelligence to leave with them. If anywhere, this is likely to have most effect at Ferrari as the Italian team strives to avoid open conflict between rising star Charles Leclerc and Vettel, who is a free agent and a potential target for not only Renault, but also Mercedes. The pair, who were intense rivals last year, tested in Italy last week ahead of the opening “double-header” with two successive races at Austria’s Red Bull Ring circuit before a third race in Hungary. “I have no experience of heading back to the same track and having a second race, but I’ve been around for a while,” said Vettel. “I guess the level of perfection will be higher the second weekend – the level of errors will be even smaller. “It will be a chance to review strategy just seven days afterwards so that’s a first and let’s see how we tackle that challenge.” The opening three races form just part of an intensive spell of eight European races in 10 weeks, which may become nine in 11 if a round at Mugello, in Italy, is added. Vettel added that he “can’t imagine what it will be like to race without any fans,” especially at the sweeping circuit where Max Verstappen was roared to victory by a huge orange wave of Dutch supporters last year. Verstappen and Red Bull are expected to challenge Mercedes, with Ferrari and Racing Point, newly dubbed “the pink Mercedes” team after copying the champions’ cars, in close pursuit in the opening events where it will be intriguing to see if Hamilton’s focus has been affected by his active and vocal support for the current anti-racism protests. Last week, just days after launching the Hamilton Commission to boost diversity in motorsport, he slammed remarks made by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone as “ignorant and uneducated” before calling for the restoration of Grand Prix in Africa. “It’s a really weird time in the world and the biggest challenge in my mind is not about the championship necessarily,” he said. “It’s not a normal year.”

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chrissyglikesbooks · 6 years ago

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88 Crazy Things You Probably Didn't Know About Australia

1. Australia is as wide as the distance between London to Moscow.

2. The biggest property in Australia is bigger than Belgium.

3. More than 85% of Australians live within 50km of the coast.

4. In 1880, Melbourne was the richest city in the world.

5. Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest woman, earns $1 million every half hour, or $598 every second.

6. In 1892, a group of 200 Australians unhappy with the government tried to start an offshoot colony in Paraguay to be called 'New Australia'.

7. The first photos from the 1969 moon landing were beamed to the rest of the world from Honeysuckle Tracking Station, near Canberra.

8. Australia was the second country in the world to allow women to vote (New Zealand was first).

9. Each week, 70 tourists overstay their visas.

10. In 1856, stonemasons took action to ensure a standard of 8-hour working days, which then became recognised worldwide.

11. Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke set a world record for sculling 2.5 pints of beer in 11 seconds. Hawke later suggested that this was the reason for his great political success.

12. The world's oldest fossil, which is about 3.4 billion years old, was found in Australia.

13. Australia is very sparsely populated: The UK has 248.25 persons per square kilometre, while Australia has only 2.66 persons per square kilometre.

14. Australia's first police force was made up of the most well-behaved convicts.

15. Australia has the highest electricity prices in the world.

16. There were over one million feral camels in outback Australia, until the government launched the $19m Feral Camel Management Program, which aims to keep the pest problem under control.

17. Saudi Arabia imports camels from Australia (mostly for meat production).

18. Qantas once powered an interstate flight with cooking oil.

19. Per capita, Australians spend more money on gambling than any other nation.

20. In 1832, 300 female convicts mooned the governor of Tasmania. It was said that in a "rare moment of collusion with the Convict women, the ladies in the Governor's party could not control their laughter."

21. Australia is home to the longest fence in the world. It is 5,614 km long, and was originally built to keep dingoes away from fertile land.

22. Australia was one of the founding members of the United Nations.

23. Melbourne is considered the sporting capital of the world, as it has more top level sport available for its citizens than anywhere else.

24. Before the arrival of humans, Australia was home to mega fauna: three metre tall kangaroos, seven metre long goannas, horse-sized ducks, and a marsupial lion the size of a leopard.

25. Kangaroos and emus cannot walk backward, one of the reasons that they're on the Australian coat of arms.

26. Speaking of, Australia is one of the only countries where we eat the animals on our coat of arms.

27. If you visited one new beach in Australia every day, it would take over 27 years to see them all.

28. Melbourne has the world's largest Greek population outside of Athens.

29. The Great Barrier Reef is the planet's largest living structure.

30. And it has it's own postbox!

31. The male platypus has strong enough venom to kill a small dog.

32. And when the platypus was first sent to England, it was believed the Australians had played a joke by sewing the bill of a duck onto a rat.

33. Before 1902, it was illegal to swim at the beach during the day.

34. A retired cavalry officer, Francis De Groot stole the show when the Sydney Harbour Bridge officially opened. Just as the Premier was about to cut the ribbon, De Groot charged forward on his horse and cut it himself, with his sword. The ribbon had to be retied, and De Groot was carted off to a mental hospital. He was later charged for the cost of one ribbon.

35. Australia has 3.3x more sheep than people.

36. Prime Minister Harold Holt went for a swim at Cheviot Beach, and was never seen again.

37. Australia's national anthem was 'God Save The King/Queen' until 1984.

38. Wombat poop is cube shaped! This helps it mark its territory.

39. European settlers in Australia drank more alcohol per capita than any other society in history.

40. The Australian Alps receive more snowfall than Switzerland.

41. A kangaroo is only one centimetre long when it is born.

42. Sir John Robertson, a five-time premier of NSW in the 1800s, began every morning with half a pint of rum. He said: "None of the men who in this country have left footprints behind them have been cold water men."

43. The Box jellyfish has killed more people in Australia than stonefish, sharks and crocodiles combined.

44. Tasmania has the cleanest air in the world.

45. The average Aussie drinks 96 litres of beer per year.

46. 63% of Australians are overweight.

47. Australia is ranked second on the Human Development Index (based on life expectancy, income and education).

48. In 2005, security guards at Canberra's Parliament House were banned from calling people 'mate'. It lasted one day.

49. In Australia, it is illegal to walk on the right-hand side of a footpath.

50. Australia is the only continent in the world without an active volcano.

51. Aussie Rules footy was originally designed to help cricketers to keep fit in the off-season.

52. The name 'Kylie' came from an Aboriginal hunting stick, similar to the boomerang.

53. 91% of the country is covered by native vegetation.

54. The largest-ever victory in an international football match was when Australia beat American Samoa 31-0 in 2001.

55. There are 60 designated wine regions in Australia.

56. Melbourne has been ranked the world's most liveable city for the past three years.

57. If all the sails of the Opera House roof were combined, they would create a perfect sphere. The architect was inspired while eating an orange.

58. Australia is home to 20% of the world's poker machines.

59. Half of these are found in New South Wales.

60. Moomba, Australia's largest free festival, held in Melbourne, means 'up your bum' in many Aboriginal languages.

61. No native Australian animals have hooves.

62. The performance by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the 2000 Olympics opening ceremony was actually a prerecording- of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

63. The wine cask (goon sack) is an Australian invention

64. So is the selfie.

65. Durack, Australia's biggest electorate, is larger in size than Mongolia.

66. The world's first compulsory seat belt law was put into place in Victoria in 1970.

67. Each year, Brisbane hosts the world championships of cockroach racing.

68. In 1932, the Australian military waged war on the emu population of Western Australia. Embarrassingly, they lost.

69. Canberra was created in 1908 as a compromise when Sydney and Melbourne both wanted to be the capital city.

70. A gay bar in Melbourne won the right to ban women from the premises, because they made the men uncomfortable.

71. In 1992, an Australian gambling syndicate bought almost all the number combinations in a Virginia lottery, and won. They turned a $5m purchase into a $27m win.

72. Eucalyptus oil is highly flammable, meaning gum trees may explode if ignited, or in bushfires.

73. In 1975, Australia had a government shutdown, which ended with the Queen firing everyone and the government starting again.

74. A bearded Australian was removed from a darts match in the UK, after the audience started chanting 'Jesus!' at him, distracting the players.

75. There have been instances of wallabies getting high after breaking into opium crops, then running around and making what look like crop circles.

76. An Australian man once tried to sell New Zealand on eBay.

77. In 1940, two aircraft collided in midair, in NSW. Instead of crashing, the two planes became stuck together and made a safe landing.

78. The male lyrebird, which is native to Australia, can mimic the calls of over 20 other birds. If that's not impressive enough, he can also perfectly imitate the sound of a camera, chainsaw and car alarm.

79. Some shopping centres and restaurants play classical music in their car park to deter teenagers from loitering at night.

80. Despite sharing the same verbal language, Australian, British and American sign language are all completely different languages.

81. In 1979, debris from NASA's space station 'Skylab' crashed in Esperance, WA. The town then fined NASA $400 for littering.

82. There have been no deaths in Australia from a spider bite since 1979.

83. There currently a chlamydia outbreak among koala species, which has led to a 15% drop in koala populations.

84. In NSW, there is a coal fire beneath the ground which has been burning for 5,500 years.

85. An Australian election TV debate was rescheduled so it didn't conflict with the finale of reality cooking show Masterchef.

86. Chinese explorers travelled to Australia long before Europeans arrived. As early as the 1400s, sailors and fisherman came to Australia for sea-cucumbers and to trade with Indigenous peoples.

87. The first European to visit Australia was Dutch explorer Willem Janszoon, in 1606. More Dutch explorers visited the country over the next hundred years, plotting maps and naming it 'New Holland'.

88. Captain James Cook first landed on Australia's east coast in 1770. In 1788, the British returned with eleven ships to establish a penal colony. Within days of The First Fleet's arrival and the raising of the British flag, two French ships arrived, just too late to claim Australia for France.

#No littering!#even if you’re NASA #littering is bad!#yes these are all true #yes all our politicians prior to to 2000s were known for drinking #yes some of these I- an Australian- didn’t know #yes this country is batshit crazy sometimes #No I don’t know why melbourne is the most liveable city when I still can’t get a job #not fandom #Australia #we also invented wifi by accident #thank you CSIRO for your contibution to our internet addicions #tip: the number 1 way to break up a bar fight between Australians is to yell #Aussie Aussie Aussie #and they will imediately stop what they’re doing and yell #Oi Oi Oi!#actual facts #post stolen from facebook

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eurocentreautomotive · 11 months ago

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Skoda Fixed Price Servicing Australia - Affordable & Reliable Car Maintenance

Discover the convenience of Skoda fixed price servicing Australia. Keep your car in top condition with our reliable and affordable maintenance solutions. Trust our expert team for hassle-free service experiences. Book now for peace of mind!

#Skoda fixed price servicing Australia

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ridleymartin · 6 years ago

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Volvo Service Melbourne

Book your next Volvo Service Melbourne online with JS prestige European Car Service. Our experienced engineers are specialized in Brake, Clutch, Suspension, tires, Engine Repairs, Servicing and much more. So Visit at our European Mechanical Repairs Centre Now!

#Volvo Service Melbourne #bmw service malvern #bmw service oakleigh #bmw service glen waverley

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exoticlifestyles-blog1 · 6 years ago

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HOLIDAYS IN VICTORIA WITH EXOTIC LIFESTYLES

Embracing the tip of Australia's east drift, Victoria is Australia's second-littlest state, covering 227,600 square kilometres - generally the extent of the British Isles. An abundance of assorted areas and attractions are stuffed into this conservative zone, with clearing coastlines, unblemished shorelines and national stops and woodlands abounding with untamed life, in addition to wineries, lakes and mountains offering skiing, ascending and climbing. The best part is that a significant number of Victoria's one of a kind and shifted scene are effectively come to as day trips from Melbourne. Victoria is known as a place for education. Universities, colleges, vocational training centres and institutions for professional studies have been established long back and are proving vital for giving quality education. Melbourne Melbourne is the seaside capital of the southeastern Australian territory of Victoria. At the downtown area's is the cutting-edge Federation Square advancement with courts, bars, and eateries by the Yarra River. In the Southbank territory, the Melbourne Arts Precinct is the site of Arts Centre Melbourne - a performing expression and the National Gallery of Victoria with Australian and indigenous workmanship. Melbourne Museum and the Royal Exhibition Building investigate city history and culture. The Immigration Museum and the Chinese Museum give varying social points of view on nearby settlement, while Old Melbourne Gaol offers knowledge into nineteenth century jail life. A noteworthy shopping goal is Queen Victoria Market, a Victorian-time working with nourishment slows down. The city's nineteenth century "laneways" and shopping arcades are fixed with bistros, exhibitions and boutiques. The riverside Royal Botanic Gardens protect 10,000 or more plant species and Yarra Park is home to the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Phillip Island Phillip Island, a famous day trip from Melbourne, lies simply off Australia's southern drift. At Summerland Beach, onlookers assemble every day at dusk to watch the Penguin Parade, when penguins come aground in gatherings. The Nobbies outcrop is the review site for Seal Rocks, home to an extensive settlement of Australian hide seals. If you explore, you may see koalas dozingand you can have breath taking glimpses of wild life. Phillip Island Circuit annually hosts festival of motorsports events like Moto GP, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and World Super Bikes Championship. It is the largest historic meet in southern hemisphere attracting awe-inspiring cars and motor bikes from Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the world for races. Cowes, the island's principle town and convenience centre point, has protected north drift shorelines. Adjacent to it, the Koala Conservation Centre is a haven for nothing meandering koalas and wallabies with a lifted footpath and treetop perception focuses. Toward the east, Rhyll Inlet is a wetland save with swimming flying creatures and footpaths going through mangroves. A short extension prompts Churchill Island, a nineteenth century cultivating settlement with conventional patio nurseries. Sticking beyond any confining influence sea, tough Cape Woolamai is home to a settlement of short-followed shearwaters. Appended to the cape, Woolamai Beach is a piece of the Phillip Island National Surfing Reserve. Yarra Valley The rich Yarra Valley is Victoria's chief wine district and end of the week escape - mostly for its nearness to Melbourne, yet essentially for the 80 or more wineries, brilliant eateries, national parks and natural life. This is the place to ascend at first light in a tourist balloon over interwoven fields and vineyards and to kick back with a pinot noir at world-class wineries. The Yarra River begins its voyage in the upper spans of the Yarra Ranges National Park, going through Warburton and near Healesville before twisting into Greater Melbourne and discharging into Port Phillip Bay close Williamstown. Coldstream is viewed as the entryway to the Yarra Valley winery locale, and most of the wineries are found inside the triangle bound by Coldstream, Healesville and Yarra Glen. Further southeast, Warburton is the portal to the Upper Yarra Valley area. There's another bunch of wineries around Wandin and Seville along the Warburton Hwy. The Great Ocean Road The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia's most well-known street visiting courses. It takes explorers past world-class surfing breaks, through pockets of rainforest and quiet ocean side towns and under koala-filled tree overhangs. It flaunts transparent limestone precipices, dairy ranches and heath lands and gets you very close with the slamming floods of the Southern Ocean. Chase out the separated shorelines and beacons in the middle of the towns and the thick eucalyptus woodlands in the Otway hinterlands to truly get away from the groups. As opposed to going to the Great Ocean Road, a byway at Geelong can take you the long, lackadaisical path there, through the Bellarine Peninsula with visits to enchanting Queens cliff and wineries in transit. GOLD FIELDS It was the discovery of gold mines at various sites and locations in Victoria in the year 1851 that caused a major movement of the people from European countries to settle here and so called Gold Rush brought wealth to the nation. The digging of gold fields and extraction of gold from mines brought prosperity and the wealth thus secured was used for construction of monumental buildings, roads, bridges, railways, trade centres, custom house etc. As amazing as Ballarat and Bendigo seem to be, you have to get out and investigate the nation towns and previous gold-mining relics that make up focal Victoria to truly value this piece of the world. Visiting any semblance of Castlemaine, Kyneton, Maryborough and Maldon will give you a decent comprehension of the extraordinary development and inescapable decay of the gold towns, however you'll additionally go through perfect wide open and an undeniably prospering (and popular) wine and sustenance locale. Food & Wine Victoria adores its sustenance. An energy for road sustenance and exploratory high-end food has been joined onto a long-standing multicultural culinary scene that has few friends. Territorial Victoria is not the slightest bit playing second fiddle to this - its luxurious accreditations keep on soaring in little nation towns, for example, Kyneton, Beechworth, Birregurra and Red Hill. It additionally accompanies heaps of regarded wine areas, from the Yarra Valley to the King Valley, Mornington Peninsula to the Bellarine Peninsula and Rutherglen. There's additionally an index of boutique distilleries and espresso roasters to round it out. The quality wine with a select flavour and distinct aroma is the popular product from Victoria and its superiority is acknowledged worldwide as the wine from Yarra Valley Vineyards. Sea food is another speciality of Victoria and it is prepared from fresh catch of variety of fish and other sea creatures. There are plenty of options for restaurants in Victoria but Melbourne is foodie capital of Australia where your culinary tastes are appeased with variety of food & gourmet dishes.

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brisbanecollection-blog · 6 years ago

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Morning Update: Friday January 18

Former World No.1Lleyton Hewitt says Bernard Tomic has attempted to blackmail him and made physical threats against him and his family, as the fallout over Tomic's threat to not play Davis Cup escalates. "I just think threats that Ive received for me and my family that Ive had for a year and a half now I dont think that anyone would reach out to a person that speaks like that," Hewitt said. Falling home loans point to further drop in house prices The number of loans taken out to buy a new house or apartment has tumbled nationally by 18.7 per cent in the last year, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It is the fastest rate of fall since 2010. "The fall in approvals over the past year and a half points to further falls in dwelling prices ahead," Commonwealth Bank economist Kristina Clifton said.

Prince Philip was involved in a car crash near Sandringham Estate on Thursday.Credit:AP Prince Philip involved in acar accident near Sandringham Estate The prince has been involved in a car crash, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. The Duke saw a doctor at Sandringham after the crash, but a palace spokesman said Prince Philip was not seriously hurt. Roads melt as temperatures break records across NSW Temperature records across NSW continue to be broken with new highs recorded at 27 sites in NSW and the ACT this week. The conditions were so extreme that the bitumen on the Oxley Highway near Port Macquarie began melting on Thursday.

A heatwave continues to grip NSW.Credit:Kate Geraghty Sydney woman with $100m Powerball windfall The woman in her 40s made Australian lottery history winning as the biggest individual prize winner. The regular player, who wished to remain anonymous, said she initially thought she had won $107,000. "Wait are you telling me I've won $107 million? Oh my God! That is just so much money," she told The Lott. 'Absolutely horrific': Police hunt random, opportunistic killer after the brutal murder of Israeli student Victorian police are desperately appealing to the public for information after the murder of 21-year-old Israeli student Aiia Maasarwe. Her body was found on Wednesday morning in a patch of grass outside a shopping centre in north Melbourne. It is believed the La Trobe University business student may have been speaking to her sister on the phone when she was attacked.

Australians Alexei Popyrin and Alex Bolt have charged into the Open's third round.Credit:Eddie Jim Bolts from the blue at Australian Open Two Australian wildcards have advanced to the third round after upsetting seeded European opponents. Alex Bolt produced a five-set win over Frenchman Gilles Simon, while teenager Alexei Popyrin toppled seventh seed Dominic Thiem - the Austrian retired hurt after going down two sets and a break to the No.149 ranked Australian. It means five Australians, afterAlex de Minaur, Ashleigh Barty and Kimberly Birrell all won, are in the third round for the first time since 2004. Rudy Giuliani: 'I never said there was no collusion' between Trump campaign and Russia The former New York mayor and now Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani has claimed he never said there was no collusion between US President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, in a remarkable interview with CNN. "I never said there was no collusion between the campaign, or between people in the campaign," Mr Giuliani said. Ben is a journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald. Most Viewed in National Loading https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/nsw/morning-update-friday-january-18-20190118-p50s3g.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

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mymelbourne-blog1 · 7 years ago

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Why I Love Melbourne

By Peter Dragicevich, Writer

It was on a night of solo bar-hopping while researching for Lonely Planet that I had an epiphany of sorts. I have visited Melbourne dozens of times and spent lengthy periods here over the years, so the thought shouldn't have come as a surprise. However, I was in my sixth effortlessly hip bar in a row when it suddenly occurred to me that Melbourne is the coolest city of any I've visited, anywhere. I know it's a big call, but there's something about its progressive, multicultural, gritty-chic, food-obsessed nature that just works. Shame about the weather!

Neighbourhoods

Melbourne is best experienced as a local would, with its character largely reliant upon its diverse collection of inner-city neighbourhoods. Despite a long-standing north–south divide (flashy South Yarra versus hipster Fitzroy), there’s a coolness about its bars, cafes, restaurants, festivals and people that transcends the borders. Ethnic communities have gravitated together in some areas, and Melburnians know to head to Victoria St in Richmond for Vietnamese food, Lygon St in Carlton for old-school Italian, Balaclava for Jewish bakeries, Brunswick for Middle Eastern, Footscray for African and Chinatown for all manner of Asian cuisines.

Sport

It's not the high-rises and bridges that strike you when you first visit Melbourne but the vast sporting edifices that fringe the city centre. Melburnians are passionate about AFL football ('footy'), cricket and horse racing, while grand-slam tennis and Formula One car racing draw visitors in droves. Sport is a crucial part of the social fabric, taking on something of a religious aspect here. In fact, sporting events have nearly as many public holidays allotted to them as religion – everyone gets the day off for the Melbourne Cup horse race and the Friday before the AFL Grand Final!

Deep Reserves of Cool

Melbourne was 'hipster' before the word was ever attached to bearded 20-something Bon Iver fans. It's long had an artsy, liberal, bohemian and progressive strand to its subculture, and coffee and food have been obsessions here for decades. Word spreads about interesting new eateries and, before you know it, queues are forming outside. The international trend for faux-speakeasy bars is redundant in Melbourne as the city has had edgy places hidden down laneways and on warehouse rooftops for many years. Melbourne doesn't have to try hard – it just is.

Within the Grid

It's long been commented that Melbourne's inner city is the most European of any in Australia; the leafy eastern section of Collins St was dubbed the 'Paris end' in the 1950s. There's a bit of New York in the mix as well, thanks to the city's well-ordered grid and scattering of art-deco high-rises. But Melbourne is uniquely Melbourne and a lot of that's down to the more than 230 laneways that penetrate into the heart of the city blocks. It's here that the inner city's true nature resides, crammed into narrow lanes concealing world-beating restaurants, bars and street art.

#melbourne #australia #visit

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hsrsports · 4 years ago

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F1 steps into brave new world as Hamilton eyes Schumi record - Click on link to subscribe my channel https://ift.tt/34vXvMA Facebook - https://ift.tt/2Vjiyz6 Twitter - https://twitter.com/HsrSports Pinterest - https://ift.tt/2ywdZIH Tumblr - https://ift.tt/2z5qwmL Blog - https://ift.tt/2VlBDRu #Sports #SportsNews #Tournament LONDON: Seven months after they last competed in earnest, the Formula One circus will push a post-lockdown reset button to open the 2020 season in Austria on Sunday. The event at Spielberg is being held on its original calendar date, but is not the once-anticipated 11th round of the championship, but the first - a season-opener delayed by the global coronavirus pandemic. More than three months after the Australian Grand Prix was abandoned on the eve of opening practice in Melbourne, the race in the Styrian Alps will be run behind closed doors, without fans, sponsors' agents and guests and only a handful of reporters restricted to the media centre. The usual high-rise motor homes will be replaced by tents and awnings while the teams, cut to 80 members and all in protective gear, will operate in sanitised "bubbles within bubbles" in a paddock bereft of human contact and the usual swell of rumour and speculation. For all involved, who are tested four days before the event and five days later, it will be an unprecedented and unique experience. Yet, despite all the change and the surreal atmosphere it is expected that the action, when it begins, will deliver the same likely story. Lewis Hamilton, powered by the all-conquering Mercedes, goes in search of a seventh drivers' title to equal the record of Michael Schumacher. "It has been unbearable - I have missed the racing and the competition so much, so it will be great to be back," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. Even during lockdown, drivers moves for next year took place, Ferrari announcing the release of four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, to be succeeded by Carlos Sainz of McLaren and Daniel Ricciardo signing to leave Renault and be the Spaniard's replacement at the cash-starved outfit so badly hit by the pandemic. Those 2021 moves will not affect this year's line-ups, but may affect relationships between departing drivers and teams anxious not to allow unique operational and performance intelligence to leave with them. If anywhere, this is likely to have most effect at Ferrari as the Italian team strives to avoid open conflict between rising star Charles Leclerc and Vettel, who is a free agent and a potential target for not only Renault, but also Mercedes. The pair, who were intense rivals last year, tested in Italy last week ahead of the opening "double-header" with two successive races at Austria's Red Bull Ring circuit before a third race in Hungary. "I have no experience of heading back to the same track and having a second race, but I've been around for a while," said Vettel. "I guess the level of perfection will be higher the second weekend - the level of errors will be even smaller. "It will be a chance to review strategy just seven days afterwards so that's a first and let's see how we tackle that challenge." The opening three races form just part of an intensive spell of eight European races in 10 weeks, which may become nine in 11 if a round at Mugello, in Italy, is added. Vettel added that he "can't imagine what it will be like to race without any fans," especially at the sweeping circuit where Max Verstappen was roared to victory by a huge orange wave of Dutch supporters last year. Verstappen and Red Bull are expected to challenge Mercedes, with Ferrari and Racing Point, newly dubbed "the pink Mercedes" team after copying the champions' cars, in close pursuit in the opening events where it will be intriguing to see if Hamilton's focus has been affected by his active and vocal support for the current anti-racism protests. Last week, just days after launching the Hamilton Commission to boost diversity in motorsport, he slammed remarks made by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone as "ignorant and uneducated" before calling for the restoration of Grand Prix in Africa. "It's a really weird time in the world and the biggest challenge in my mind is not about the championship necessarily," he said. "It's not a normal year."

#Sports

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chrysaliseuro2019 · 5 years ago

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A Different sort of Mystras

We decided a leisurely start to the day was required prior to our visit to Mystras Old Town. Breakfast was delivered to our door in baskets. We had put our order in the night before. Liz with healthy muesli and yoghourt, me with more basic - omelette, smoked pork and grilled bread. Pretty tasty and quite filling washed down with freshly squeezed OJ and a cuppa of course. We loaded up and around 11.00 set off for the nearby town of Mystras which is a medieval town. A fortress was built here in 1249 and it later became the capital of the Byzantine empire. Storied history with capture by the Turks in 1460 and progressive decline then captured by the Venetians and a revival in fortunes in 1687 with population of 40000 then recapture by the Turks in 1715 and burned later by the Russians 1770 and Albanians 1780 with its final demise via torching in 1825. Having said that people still lived in the town until 1953. Mystras is set on a very steep hill with a fortress at the top and many buildings including a palace, monasteries, a convent (which is still functioning with nuns in residence - the only remaining residents in town) churches and domestic houses on site. Some of these are quite well preserved given their age. In the Middle Ages people flocked here for safety from various marauders and given the steepness of slope we could see why. We started at the top visiting a church (Agia Sofia) with some fading frescoes. Also saw the the Byzantine palace which was nearby but which unfortunately was not open to visitors though impressive from the outside. The site is split into two with the fortress and palace and Agia Sofia at the top and other buildings in the lower half further down the hill. We were advised to drive down to the lower gate and re-commence our visit from there. This was music to our ears as the temp was in the early 30s. We also met an American guy who was returning from the fortress at the top of the hill (looking like he had jumped out of the bath fully clothed so sweaty was he) and he convinced us (it didn't take much) that it was not worth visiting. Mainly because (so he said ) it was not that big or impressive. As we mulled over our next move, two Aussie ladies rolled up and we passed on the American's advice which they were very happy to hear too. We chatted to them for the next 10 mins or so and it turned out they had been where we were next heading down the peninsula visiting beach after beach. Apparently you just follow any sign which says "beach"off the main road and chances are there will be something divine at the end of it. One of them was very livewire and said that in some of the more remote beaches she felt on Pommie Watch as there might just be two or three non swimming poms taking on the waves (probably need her when I enter the water). She was quite over the top and would have been fun to have a drink with. We drove down and re- commenced our exploration of Mystras. Now walking uphill and via a number of stone steps. Undoubtedly the highlights were the convent and a monastery where the frescoes were still very well preserved. The convent also had some offerings below the icon of the Virgin which represented people's fears and concerns and need for assistance with various aspects of their daily life and the hope that divine intervention might assist. So these gold and silver plated "trinkets or tablets" might display children, ears, eyes, wives, husbands - whatever was troubling the parishioner. The whole walk around was completed in 33+ degree heat and it was up and down some serious steps. You got a very good feel for how the city was laid out in terms of streets and it was fascinating given they were perched on this very steep hill. Some of the old ruins of houses were still in enough shape to give a feel for how they would have looked. Signage was pretty good also explaining about buildings etc. We were amused at the historic "council" rules or views which indicated that people opposing development because they might be overlooked could be troublemakers. Also that if you wanted to put a sewerage pipe in from your residence it was not allowed to encroach on your neighbour's land. Amazing how much thought was put into things 500/600 years ago. They also had sewers though you could run your own cesspit if you wished. The glamour side of these sites is always great but it's also good to hear how they dealt with the more mundane stuff. How did they shift all that waste off the mountain? We really enjoyed our visit apart from the heat and Mystras is interesting and well worth a visit. Time to move on and it was great to get back in the car and turn that aircon on. One of the recommendations from Teresa who Liz had met in Oz (and who runs tours in the Peloppenese) was to visit Limeni Village near the town of Areopoli. 65kms or so drive but it was time for some lunch. We stopped at a small taverna in the foothills of Mystras for shared Greek salad and bread. Relaxed place as ever and we sat outside under the trees. Had a mini walk around the town post lunch and the local fountain had mountain water coming out which Liz of course guzzled. They could not present me with a certificate from the local council certifying purity of the water so I passed on this one. Off we set, now around 3.45 for the trip around the usual windy roads. Stopping for petrol we had one of those amazing coincidences. We drove past several petrol stations in the town we had come to and opted for the BP one. I jumped out and the attendant had seen the Hertz sticker on the car and asked me where I was from. As soon as I said Australia a broad grin came on his face and he stuck his hand out for a shake. Aussie/ Greek who had decided to come home and run his dad's petrol station. He had lived in Preston and invited us into his little office and gave us a couple of waters. We had a brief chat. He actually reminded us of our friend Lewis in Melbourne both in manner - he was effervescent, and looks. Yes if you are reading this Lew that's hard to believe I know. Two handsome identical looking blokes. Perhaps you have some Greek in you. You could be Lewos or Lewas. Limeni village which is not particularly large is right beside the sea in a picturesque bay. Arriving around 5.30 we fell in love immediately. We needed accommodation. The recommended hotel from Teresa was full. The village operates on a one way system, you drive down the hill via various switchbacks and drive through the one way street with cars parked on one side and the usual narrow passage to get through. Liz was as usual scrolling rapidly through booking.com as we drove through town trying to identify liked prospects to no avail. We pulled up outside a building a couple of hundred metres past the centre of town so that Liz could probe prospects on line a little more easily. Various options including back up in Areopoli but that was 3kms away up the hill. Some places v pricey. At that point we noticed that the building we had pulled up outside of had rooms available. It was a hotel/pension. I walked in to ask for availability and yes they had a couple of rooms one with big balcony directly facing the sea and the other, smaller with good sea views but to the side of the building. Both reasonably priced though and we lashed out the extra 10 euros and had the balcony facing the sea. What a good decision. The room and bathroom was nothing flash though clean and tidy but the view and ambience on the balcony with also a direct view into town was fabulous". $60 room. $200 view. We were hot though as it was still 30+ so we immediately headed for the water. The hotel had its own steps into the crystal clear sea and we both enjoyed a refreshing swim. After that, showers and we sat on the balcony to take it all in. The hotel had a restaurant and bar which unfortunately had vodka but no tonic (though 50 varieties of ouzo if you wanted it). Easily solved, I nipped down the street to the local cocktail bar and got a vodka and tonic take away for Liz while I had the travelling beer which we had carried for several days (we had chilled it). Great hour or so sitting on the balcony enjoying the view and we then headed for dinner. This was at Takis a fish restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet. Right in the centre of town so a two minute walk. No booking and it was crowded so we were offered a table not right by the water but one in from the front. Pretty warm as the sea breeze wasn't quite penetrating. Liz shot back to the hotel to get some cooler gear. I ordered a beer and pretty simultaneously struck up a conversation with the friendly Aussies at the table beside us - Lesley and Grant. They were from Bundaberg and had recently moved to Noosa, were sailing their own cat and were away from Australia for around 6 months doing just that. They now do the same each year in the European summer. Liz returned and we had a whale of a time chatting to Lesley and Grant with plenty of laughs, stories and just interesting conversations about what was going on in our and their lives and of course on hols. They were interesting, interested and great company. The fish was good though we forgot to ask for it to be cooked closed up on the coals so was a little drier than we normally like. However we had a bottle of rose which was very good and Liz survived without a headache the following day. I seemed to have a a bit of a headache but it may have been the couple of extra beers Grant and I downed. We booked a table by the water for the next day though Grant and Lesley were leaving for Olympia so would not be joining us.

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