After two years of construction and a cost of $4,801,200, “The Lady of the North,” an enormous sculpture of a naked woman, has opened to the public at the former Northumberland coalmine in England.
The 1,200-foot piece of art, with breasts rising almost 100 feet, is carved into the landscape, with the goal being to compete with the Angel of the North, a contemporary angel sculpture, and earn over £1million (about $1,600,400) each year. Visitors can now stroll along a four-mile system of paths along the woman’s curves to various viewing platforms on her face, breasts, hip, knee and ankle.
Originally intended as a gift to the public to atone for the mine’s disruption, The Banks Group, the mining company that extracted the coal, worked with Viscount Ridley, who owns the estate, and American artist Charles Jencks to create the masterpiece. However, the sculpture is causing controversy from people who think it’s ridiculous and demeaning to women.
“I don’t believe it is demeaning to women, men or the human species as a whole, in fact it celebrates all of that,” Jencks told the Daily Mail. “… I profoundly believe that, given time, people will not find any offense in this, and will grow to love her.”
China is well known for innovative architecture, like their rooftop bike club, The Piano House and the China Central Television Headquarters. Their newest endeavor, however, takes novelty to a new level, being touted as one of the world’s strangest skyscrapers. Costing $700 million, the Gate to the East skyscraper in Suzhou is being ridiculed for resembling an enormous pair of pants.
According to news.com.au, the 74-story building was meant to look like an dramatic archway, with hopes of it becoming an “iconic gateway to the East.” In fact, the creators of the building, architectural firm RMJM, said the arch was designed to “represent the significance of China in the world today.”
Thus far, it seems as though most people are seeing the iconic masterpiece as a joke.
On China’s blogging website Weibo, one user commented, “This should be called the Pants of the East, not the Gate of the East.”
The Shanghai Daily also questioned the structure, asking, “Is it an arch or just plain pants?”
The skyscraper is set to be completed by the end of the year.
According to the BBC, the Kenyan government has approved a proposal to construct an electric fence around the country’s tallest mountain, the 5199-meter (17,057-foot) Mt. Kenya. The plan, which is backed by several conservation groups, was developed to help keep wild animals from straying onto farmland and destroying crops there.
The project is a collaboration between Rhino Ark, an organization dedicated to conservation in Kenya, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenya Forest Service. The three groups feel that the electrified fence will not only protect the crops but the animals as well. When wildlife strays onto farmland, it often comes into conflict with the farmers that live there. The fence will help prevent those kinds of interactions, saving the lives of animals in the process.
When completed, the fence will stretch for more than 250 miles and surround about 772 square miles. It’ll stand 2 meters in height and extend another meter into the ground, just to ensure that especially determined critters are kept at bay. Construction started this past week with the first segment expected to be finished in early 2014. The entire project will wrap up in about five years at a total cost of $11.8 million.
Lest this seem like an overly ambitious endeavor it should be pointed out that Rhino Ark has completed a similar project in the past. The organization spent 12 years fencing in the Aberdare Mountains, the source of the clean water supply for Nairobi.
Greetings from Toronto, where we’re visiting our fair neighbor to the north during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, for short). There is much to be enjoyed in this bustling capital, where hotels like the new Shangri-La, Trump, Ritz-Carlton (can you believe that’s what has opened only in the last year?) and soon-to-launch Four Seasons are dominating the luxury hotel scene, and buzzy up-and-comers like ALT near Pearson Airport and boutique-chic The Drake (no relation to the Chicago property), which rocks on in Ace Hotel-like hipster fashion on the trendy Queen Street West.
But enough about Canada, as there’s plenty of hotel news to be had around the world this week. Welcome to the first fall edition of “Hotel News We Noted.” As always, send us a note if you have tips, comments or suggestions.
Viral Video: Ritz-Carlton Showcases “The Art of the Craft”
Ritz-Carlton is showcasing their commitment to service and their “staff as family” approach with a new YouTube series that goes behind-the-scenes to highlight the work of hotel staffers. From shoe shiners to housekeepers, the videos showcase the level of commitment that each staffer has for their jobs. We love how employees at every level within the company take such a sense of pride in their job and the organization as a whole. Hotel Openings: Four Seasons Baku and Pudong
The Four Seasons has had a big week with the opening of two new properties, Four Seasons Hotel Baku, the brand’s first in Azerbaijan, as well as the second property in Shanghai, Four Seasons Pudong. Once a well-kept secret among oil industry executives, Baku, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is attracting interest of a much broader range of travelers, especially with its rich cultural history, vibrant art scene, designer shopping and developing wine industry. The Shanghai property is primed for business success, located in the newly built, 55-story 21st Century Tower. Is anyone heading that way who will report back on how these hotels look in person?
Hotel Revamp: Peninsula Hotels
YouTube videos must be all the rage this week, as Peninsula has also launched their own series, dubbed “Peninsula Moments,” offering a more film-like approach to what it looks like to go behind-the-scenes at the hotel. Part of a new brand campaign and revamp for their flagship Hong Kong property (to the tune of a cool $450 million), here’s what else you can expect:
Cool new city guides from LUXE, designed exclusively for the hotels.
The re-launch of the Hong Kong property, which features the same designer as the Getty, new rooms and suites, and upgraded technology and design enhancements. These include touch screen tablets pre-set in one of five languages offering full control of all room technology, complimentary long-distance VOIP phone calls from guest rooms and, from the hotel’s Rolls-Royce fleet, upgraded in-room technology including memory-card readers and the now ubiquitous in-mirror bathroom TVs.
Hot Amenity: Find Your Chi At Palace Resorts
This change alone is enough to let us book a stay at a Palace Resort (an all-inclusive brand located throughout Mexico) – they’ve added Chi amenities to all of their rooms. Not a woman? This means the industry’s best hair dryers (plus flat irons) in all rooms, as well as the brand’s own line of amenities. Looking good while traveling AND keeping our suitcase from going over the required weight limit? We’re all about it.
Sleeping Beauties: Westin and Diamond Resorts
People have long loved their hotel beds, and many brands, both luxury and mid-range, sell their sleeping products online so that you can enjoy the same comforts at home. If you’re a Westin fan, snag their signature “Heavenly Bed” online through September 22 for 20% off. If you’re not in the market (or the budget) to replace your mattress, we’d suggest a stay at a Diamond resort, which just launched the heaviest pillow in the hotel industry, a 51-ounce pillow that feels more like a memory foam than the typical “must fluff all night long for a good night’s sleep” variety. At just $27 on the hotel site, they won’t break the bank, either.
Last week we told you about an outbreak of the Hantavirus in Yosemite National Park that resulted in the deaths of two people with a possible exposure to hundreds more. Now the true scope of that exposure is becoming more clear as the National Park Service has warned that as many as ten thousand people may be at risk. Worse yet, the NPS says that 2500 of those could be from up to 39 different countries around the globe.
The first cases of the virus, which is carried by mice, squirrels and other rodents, were traced back to Yosemite’s Curry Village, a camp ground of sorts that featured a number of tent cabins. The initial health warning for the disease went out to 3100 people who stayed in those tents between June 10 and August 24 of this year. The letter urged anyone who felt ill with flu-like symptoms to seek immediate medical attention. So far there have been six confirmed cases including the two fatalities.
Park officials are now blaming the exposure to the virus on a design flaw in the tent cabins they use at Curry Village. That flaw allowed mice to get inside the walls of shelters where they would leave droppings and other waste. The disease spreads through exposure to those droppings, as well as saliva and urine from the infected rodent, and can take anywhere from one to six weeks for the first symptoms to manifest. There is no cure for the Hantavirus, although early detection greatly increases the chance of survival.
The National Park Service continues to maintain a help line for anyone who has concerns regarding the Hantavirus. They can be reached at 209-372-0822 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily.