Santos Museum of Economic Botany

Sometimes museums which might sound rather dull (to design aficionados such as myself) can be held in the most astonishingly beautiful buildings. Such is the case with the Santos Museum of Economic Botany at the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, Australia which my penpal recently sent to me.

This little classical gem of a building from 1879 was just extensively and sensitively renovated. The structure wasn't built as the Greek temple it resembles but rather as the science museum it remains.

The ceiling is a good example of how the Victorians were able to meld together decorative detailing with highly detailed and rather commercial looking steel structure. I love the gilded mechanical vent. If you can't hide it -make a feature of it!

The collections themselves are just as decorative as the building - these rather amazing Victorian models of mushrooms above are entirely made of wax! I remember even as a child going to the Buhl Planetarium in Pittsburgh which at the time was the science museum (now the Children's museum of Pittsburgh) and being more interested in the beautiful building than in the exhibits themselves. Design inspiration can come from the most surprising places, no?

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Unknown Architect, Australian, history, images, Interiors, penpal, photography, pittsburgh

Palazzo Madama: a grand stair

Many of us have heard of the Palazzo Madama and its famous stair but how many of us have visited? My Australian penpal made a beeline for Turin and the palace while in Italy recently.

He wrote that the stair did not disappoint and even took his breath away. The stair has been copied around the world and for good reason: just look at it!

While the palace dates to the 1st century BC (seriously old) the stair was the last addition done to the complex in the early 18th century. The work was supposed to be a part of an enormous new baroque palace taking the place of the old castle designed by the Italian architect Filippo Juvarra.

 Only this stair and some interior renovations were completed thanks to numerous wars.

 Despite this there is still much to see; it's a large castle turned fascinating museum with something for everyone.

 The stair is seen above on the piano nobile plan at the bottom center in gray with the Hall of the Senate located in light blue in the center.

This grand and impressive hall was built atop a medieval courtyard with Roman excavations which is accessible from the ground level. I love the picture above with the group of people enjoying a snack in the corner of the grand space.

The collections include art of the Italian Piedmont region with everything from an impressive collection of pottery and china (still in their same location from a 1950s reorganization), fine arts, furniture, and sculpture.

 I wish this was my butler's pantry!

Below you see a painting and model of the immense Palace planned for the site by Juvarra of which only the stair was realized.

 The baroque interiors shimmer with gold and shine under colorful silks and beautiful paintings.

The baroque period was one in which the arts delighted the senses - who can't help but feel overwhelmed and awed by this beauty?

Either Neil is a patient man or the museum is unfortunately under-populated; all of these immense empty rooms with so much to see and no people!

The Italians did tend to over do things. One's eye has nowhere to pause in the image above; maybe not so much of a delight as an inundation of the senses. Bling Bling Bling!

I think I could spend an entire day in the museum though browsing the collections, maybe a trip to Turin is in my future?

 From the gardens one can see the earlier parts of the castle.

 They look particularly lush and green in the springtime and certainly well cared for!

 I love the little fountain in the image above.

Such orderly vegetable gardens in raised beds, I'm sure Martha Stewart would call it a good thing!

I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of the Palazzo Madama as much as me!

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Unknown Architect, Australian, design, history, Interiors, museums, penpal, photography, travel

Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti

Located along the Grand Canal in Venice is the Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti. Now housing the Venetian Institute of science, letters and arts, the palace started life in 1565 with many renovations since.

Like many of the palaces facing the Grand Canal, the main rooms are on the upper floors facing the canal providing beautiful views, seen in the room above. Notice the Venetian glass chandelier.

The palace is most known for is grand stairway built for Baron Franchetti in the 1880s by architect Camillo Boito. Boito was one of the preeminent architectural historians and restorationists of the day, chartering the modern historic restoration movement.While the Australian (who was kind enough to share these pictures) was in Venice, the Bienalli was taking place and the palace housed the glass exhibition, seen in part in the stairway above.

Designed in rich Venetian Gothic style, the house is characteristically rather over the top and ornamental: what we expect most in Venetian style.

As in all Venetian Palazzo's, the house fronts the canal with a courtyard or garden behind. I love this ornamental grille work.The palace has a rare side garden facing the canal which during the Bienalli housed a strange house called the Narrow House.Designed by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm as a reconstruction of his childhood house but squished to scale to only 1 meter wide to reflect the crowded conditions in Venice and the tricks our mind plays on our memory.

And I'm showing this because it's just amazing the detail that Wurm went to, but I promise you it's the only toilet you will ever see on ArchitectDesign!

Top photo of the Palazzo from Wikipedia, all others from the Australian.

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Unknown Architect, artists, Australian, houses, Interiors, travel, venice