Debi's Postcard From Italy

I have been lucky enough to have just spent a week in Italy, visiting the Amalfi Coast and all the sights it has to offer.  Here is a snapshot of two places that really stood out to me architecturally.

 

Amalfi Cathedral - Duomo di Sant'Andrea

The Cloister of Paradise is one of the highlights of the Amalfi Cathedral.  Built between 1266-68 to house the tombs of Amalfi's wealthy merchants, it features slender double columns and Moorish-style arcades made of pure white marble.  In the centre is a Mediterranean garden.




Cloister of Paradise

The Crypt of St Andrew is decorated with beautiful Baroque murals from 1660.



Baroque Murals

Herculaneum

Located in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town destroyed by the volcanic eruption of 79 AD, which can now be seen in almost its original splendour.  Unlike Pompeii, it was mainly affected by pyroclastic flows, thus preserving the wooden objects such as roof tops, building beams, beds, doors and even food.  Moreover, Herculaneum was a wealthier town than Pompeii, possessing an extraordinary density of fine houses and far more lavish use of coloured marble cladding.

 

Roman Columns

 Among the ruins is a Collegial Shrine with elaborate wall paintings identified as that maintained by the local Augustales (an order of Roman priests).  This building is remarkably well preserved and you can even see the carbonised wooden beams and the detail of how the building was constructed.

 

Wall Paintings



Carbonised Wood & Construction

Vita Crosshall, Liverpool - Steel Frame System

Here's a further update on the Vita project at Liverpool.

The photo below shows the right hand side of the Crosshall Building when viewed from Preston Street.  You will notice that the five storey party wall to the right hand side remains in position.  The crane is positioned in what will be the internal lightwell through the height of building, from the basement up to roof level.

The following photo shows the Steel Frame System (SFS) infill floor, the SFS walls in the foreground lying flat pre installation.  Once these are installed, the next floor level will then be installed on top of this.  The off-site manufactured en-suite pods will be dropped into each unit before the next floor goes on top.

The last photo shows the left hand side of the Crosshall Building when viewed from Preston Street.  The wall to the right hand side is the Chapel Building (see previous Blog posts).  The two specialist SFS workmen are erecting and guiding the SFS into position with the crane driver overhead.