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Content

Architecture


Architecture



ITALIAN CATHEDRALS: THE HEART OF FLORENCE

The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower, the central cathedral of Florence, was constructed over eight centuries. Under the supervision and funding of the Wool Merchants' Guild, generations of Florentine artists and architects dedicated their lives to the project, setting in stone changes in the aesthetic ideals of the time and advances in engineering. The biography of Filippo Brunelleschi, the brilliant self-taught master who introduced the technique of one-point perspective, designed the cathedral's dome as well as machinery necessary for its construction is intertwined with the story of the cathedral and the city itself, his career, which was full of professional rivalry and inspiration to future artists and engineers. Restoration workshops still follow the traditional techniques of the master sculptors who adorned the cathedral's interior and fa?ade.

DVD / 2011 / (Senior High - College) / 52 minutes

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ITALIAN CATHEDRALS: THE SOUL OF VENICE

After the Fall of the Roman Empire, an Eastern Roman province of Venetia survived the conquest by the Franks. It gradually grew to become a crucial trade center between the Byzantine Empire and Europe. Saint Mark's Basilica was built in place of an older church and from the very start, became a symbol of the economic and political power of Venice. The design, a mix of Eastern and Western basilica, its ornaments¡Xan imposing display of Byzantine mosaics and altar pieces, Gothic sculptures and lavish treasures stripped off the buildings of the old empire. The famous bronze Horses taken from Constantinople's Hippodrome stood for centuries as symbols of Venice's unruly defiance, and a legend of empires falling whenever they were moved, grew around the monumental sculptures. The Most Serene Republic of Venice fell to Napoleon's conquest, and the Basilica has had to face the challenges of age, negligence and tourism.

DVD / 2011 / (Senior High - College) / 52 minutes

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GREEN-OVATING: HOME RENOVATIONS FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD - THINKING GREEN, BUILDING SMART

The fundamental difference between a green approach to building and remodeling and a conventional approach is the thinking that guides the project. This program explores the thought process at the core of green architectural design and construction as it takes viewers behind the scenes of an architectural firm specializing in sustainable design, a remodeler who has built a green construction business, a supplier of eco -friendly building materials, and a homeowner who has remodeled his house from the ground up using green materials, technologies, and practices.

DVD / 2010 / 30 minutes

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I.M. PEI: BUILDING CHINA MODERN

Directed by Anne Makepeace

Architect I.M. Pei returns to his home city of Suzhou, China to build a modern museum that complements the architecture of the 2,500 year-old city and sets a course for modern Chinese architecture.

I.M. Pei has been called the most important living modern architect, defining the landscapes of some of the world's greatest cities. A monumental figure in his field and a laureate of the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize, Pei is the senior statesman of modernism and last surviving link to such great early architects as Le Corbusier, Gropius, and Mies van der Rohe.

Entering into the twilight of his career and well into his eighties when the project began, Pei returns to his ancestral home of Suzhou, China to work on his most personal project to date. He is commissioned to build a modern museum in the city's oldest neighborhood which is populated by classical structures from the Ming and Qing dynasties. For the architect who placed the pyramid at the Louvre, the test to integrate the new with the old is familiar but still difficult. The enormous task is to help advance China architecturally without compromising its heritage. In the end, what began as his greatest challenge and a labor of sentiment, says Pei, ultimately becomes "my biography."

Reviews
  • "A moving and intimate portrayal of I.M. Pei's lifelong quest to define modern architecture that is true to its cultural roots. Building China Modern follows I.M. Pei's eight year journey and his challenges to define Chinese modern architecture in the Suzhou Museum--to make it, in his Chinese words, 'Su he xin,' meaning 'Suzhou yet new.'" - Shirley Young, Governor and founding member, Committee of 100

  • "Striving to balance architectural advancement with respect for the grandeur of China's heritage, Pei works on his most challenging--and most personal--task yet...Highly recommended." - The Midwest Book Review

  • "Its real subject is the rapid change sweeping China and the tensions between modernity concomitant with change...The filmmakers could not have found a better subject than Pei through which to tell this story of how one reconciles such tensions...[The film is] a loving tribute to a second-generation modernist." - Sharon McHugh, World Architecture News

    Award
  • CINE Golden Eagle Award

    DVD / 2010 / (Grades 10-12, College, Adult) / 53 minutes

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    BIRD'S NEST, THE

    Experience the birth of the "Bird's Nest," Beijing's iconic National Stadium which played host to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Swedish designer, Thomas Herzog, conceptualized this marvel, which is not only functional, but architectural and cultural. Explore the creation of this magnificent structure from the beginning stages through the construction and completion. You'll hear from the designers, architects and welders who each played a part. The Bird's Nest stands apart from any other stadium as a one of a kind structure unique in its design and social significance. Like humans, buildings have life. The Bird's Nest will forever be a piece of Beijing's history and Chinese culture

    DVD / 2009 / (Senior High - College) / 51 minutes

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    SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE WORLD CHALLENGE - CHINA: SUSTAINABLE HOMEBUILDING

    Having overtaken the U.S. as the world's biggest polluter, China is now responsible for 11 percent of all greenhouse gas production. Can the country reduce its carbon footprint without slowing its unprecedented economic growth? This program shows how that question is playing out in the Chinese construction industry, highlighting the creation and practical application of new homebuilding standards. Collaboration between French and Chinese experts has led to groundbreaking insulation techniques¡Xillustrated here in conversations with architects, site managers, building residents, and instructors in the sustainable development program at the Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

    Note: Only available in the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Ireland and Malta.


    DVD / 2009 / 27 minutes

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    WORLD'S DREAM STAGE, THE

    Beijing, the capital of China, has rapidly grown into a city of architectural genius. With the opening of the National Center for Performing Arts designed by world famous French architect Paul Andreu, (Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport,) Beijing now hosts the largest ellipsoid in the world at over 6 million square feet.

    Complimenting "The Bird's Nest, Beijing's Olympic Stadium, the silver dome-shaped grand theatre is affectionately dubbed "The Egg," and is covered with 2000 titanium panels and 1000 pieces of shining glass. It is strategically built on Beijing's Chang-an Avenue, an area filled with architectural history spanning 600 years. This "Dream Stage" is surrounded by a magnificent clear sky and a man-made lake. The highly sophisticated Center seats 6,500 people and is made up of three performance halls: the Opera Hall, Concert Hall and Theatre Hall. No only is it an architectural marvel, but also a landscape wonder with pleasant gardens, and expertly designed engineering. From sound engineering to structural engineering. "The World's Dream Stage" will take you on a personal tour and in-depth presentation of this magnificent landmark in the capital city of China


    DVD / 2009 / (Senior High - College) / 54 minutes

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    GLORIES OF ISLAMIC ART PART 1: UNMAYYADS AND THEIR CAPITAL DAMASCUS

    Presenter: Akbar Ahmed

    The first program in the series looks at the achievements of the first Islamic dynasty, the Umayyads, who established their capital at Damascus. Their regime spread throughout greater Syria and they left a rich architectural heritage. This includes two of the great surviving Islamic buildings, the Great Mosque of Damascus and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The program emphasises how the early Islamic builders and architects used ideas and materials inherited from their Byzantine predecessors ¡V for instance columns and capitals are clearly "borrowed" from earlier buildings and earlier ages. In just the same way, Islam inherited a strong Christian tradition in the Middle East and adapted Christian tenets and beliefs within their new faith. Christianity may have been to a large extent superseded in the Middle East ¡V it was still respected. For instance, in the middle of the prayer hall of the Damascus mosque stands the burial shrine of St. John the Baptist. Umayyad achievement is seen also in Spain, where the family's descendants ruled long after they had lost power in Syria. In Spain too they left the great legacy of Andalusia ¡V al-Andalus. Akbar Ahmed goes on to talk about the influence of Salah-al-Din, Saladin, the revered warrior who defeated the Crusaders. He is remembered in the region as much for his piety and integrity as his prowess in battle. Saladin and his successors started their own regime, the Ayyubids, which left its own architectural influence on the face of the region. This program does not just deal with mosque or religious architecture. At Jericho we see the remains of one of the Arab conquerors' luxurious desert palaces, with its famous gazelle mosaic that has become an icon of Islamic visual art. From the Ayyubid period we see the mighty citadel of Aleppo, only really conquered by Tamerlane himself.


    DVD / 2007 / (Senior High - College) / 45 minutes

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    GLORIES OF ISLAMIC ART PART 2: TWO ISLAMIC REGIMES IN CAIRO

    Presenter: Akbar Ahmed

    This episode moves on to Cairo, the cockpit of the early Islamic struggles between Sunni and Shi'a faiths. Cairo displays the glories of two of the great Islamic regimes ¡V the Shi'ite Fatimids who swept in from the North African desert ¡V and the Mamluks, slave soldiers who overthrew their masters to set up their own Sunni dynasty. Both have left behind impressive evidence of their strength. The programme introduces a colourful cast of characters. The rebel governor Ibn Tulun spent all his tax takings on building one of the earliest and finest mosques, named after him, instead of passing them on to his masters in Baghdad; the caliph Hakim won widespread Shi'ite admiration despite his cruel and despotic rule. This included whimsical decrees such as ordering his subjects to wear summer clothes in winter and vice versa. In contrast Sultan Hassan was a little known ruler whose reign ended in a pathetic inter-Mamluk squabble. Even his body was lost in the fighting ¡V yet he left behind a magnificent mosque complex, the design of which has influenced modern Chicago. One building was specially holy to both lines of Islam ¡V albeit at different times. This was the Al-Azhar Mosque, built by the Fatimids but today a pillar of Sunni orthodoxy. But Al-Azhar in many ways transcends these divisions ¡V it is renowned throughout Islam as the world's oldest university. It is still regarded as a major guardian of religious knowledge and wisdom, whose opinions are respected all over. This introduces a main theme of the programme ¡V how Islam, for centuries, has held a special respect for knowledge and learning ¡V "ilm" in Arabic. Professor Ahmed argues that it was when this respect for learning was weakened, so was the force of the whole religion. He finds cause for optimism in the huge modern library built at Alexandria, on the site of the old Hellenic library. It is a magnificent building where the most sophisticated computer data-banks go sit near precious manuscripts of medieval poets. Cairo was also a centre for glassware and ceramics. The city's influence spread throughout ¡V even modern Sicily displays evidence of the time when the Fatimids ruled the island


    DVD / 2007 / (Senior High - College) / 45 minutes

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    GLORIES OF ISLAMIC ART PART 3: THE OTTOMANS AND THEIR CAPITAL ISTANBUL

    Presenter: Akbar Ahmed

    The final programme of the three deals with the last great Islamic dynasty, the Ottomans, and their great capital at Istanbul. The Ottomans continued the theme of borrowing from, or adapting, the work of their Byzantine predecessors. The two dominating buildings of historic Istanbul are the Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia. The latter is a converted Christian cathedral, still containing the images of Jesus and Mary alongside the motifs of the early caliphs. The man mainly responsible for the conversion was the pre-eminent architect of Islam, Sinan. He was lucky enough to win the patronage of Suleiman the Magnificent, among the richest and the most powerful of Ottoman rulers. Sinan built and built... through all the Islamic world. He was the main developer and exponent of the cascading domes which glorify traditional Turkish religious architecture. But Sinan's mark was not just on religious buildings. He designed the harem, the secretive inner court buildings within the beautiful Topkapi Palace. The palace itself shows off the marvellous and colourful Iznik tilework ¡V the trademark of the Islamic middle ages. This episode also looks at calligraphy, the peculiarly Islamic artform which grew out of the careful copying of the word of God. Akbar Ahmed also considers Sufism, a warm and attractive branch of Islam which focuses on meditation, inner strength and religious passion. There is something of a revival of Sufism in Turkey; in Istanbul the dances of the whirling dervishes often first bring this gentle and thoughtful movement to the tourist's attention. The influence of Sufism can be found too in modern Turkish painting: some of today's artists are trying to reconcile traditional religious themes with difficult concepts such as homo-eroticism.


    DVD / 2007 / (Senior High - College) / 45 minutes

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    GREENING OF SOUTHIE, THE

    The story of Boston's first LEED-certified residential green building, and the people who made it possible.

    Directed by Ian Cheney

    In the traditionally Irish-American working-class neighborhood of South Boston, MA, a new kind of building has taken shape. From wheatboard cabinetry to recycled steel, bamboo flooring to dual-flush toilets, the Macallen building is something different: a leader in the emerging field of environmentally friendly design.

    But Boston's steel-toed union workers aren't sure they like it. And when things on the building start to go wrong, the young developer has to keep the project from unraveling.

    Building Boston's first LEED Gold-certified building turns out to be harder than anyone thought. Yet among the I-beams and brickwork emerges a small cadre of unlikely environmentalists who come to connect their work with the future of their children

    Reviews
  • "I cannot recommend this film enough to anyone who is or wants to be a part of green building." - Joel Bittle, GreenBuildingElements.com

  • "This inspiring film...argues for widespread adoption of green building practices, while still presenting the contradictions and quandaries...and revels in the greening of southern Boston's construction workers, born skeptics who rise to the occasion." - True/False Film Fest Program

  • "A balanced but incisive look at a complex issue that affects us all." - Bostonist

  • "An engaging documentary that offers an exciting glimpse into the future of Earth-friendly construction...Literally a globetrotting affair that forcuses on the materials and personnel involved in the design and construction of the Macallen building...Recommended." - Video Librarian

  • "Recommended for those interested in the environmental aspects of city planning." - Library Journal

    DVD (Color, Closed Captioned) / 2007 / ( Grades 7-12, College, Adult) / 72 minutes

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    TOWERS: SYMBOLS AND EMBLEMS OF MODERNITY

    At the crossroads where architecture, urbanism, economics and sociology meet, this film profiles some of the most well known skyscrapers in the world and provides commentaries and analysis from their engineers and some of the world's greatest contemporary architects such as Norman Fisher, Jean Nouvel, Christina de Partzamparc and Paul Andreu.

    Creating the tallest structure is the culmination of an ancient dream, from the mythical tower of Babel to the Eiffel Tower. For over two centuries, these skyscrapers have defined the cityscapes of New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and other great cities. Today in Asia, towers are now shattering previous height records. A building nearly a mile high is being planned in Malaysia. Far from going out of fashion, this architectural challenge has become essential in the planning of contemporary urban landscapes; especially in cities where land is extremely scarce.

    Towers all over the world symbolize economic growth and success. In Paris or New York, towers crowd the business districts. In Dubai and Shanghai these concrete and steel giants have radically transformed their cityscapes.

    Everywhere, architects rival each other in originality, and all have their special place in the field of modern architecture.


    DVD / 2007 / (Senior High - College) / 52 minutes

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    WALKS WITH AN ARCHITECT - BARCELONA

    Within its walls Barcelona encloses architectural treasurers of which the greatest curiosity is the Church of the Sagrada Familia.

    DVD / 2006 / (Senior High, College) / 26 minutes

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    WALKS WITH AN ARCHITECT - BRASILIA

    The Experience of a capital created from nothing forty years ago on a desert plateau in Brazil.

    DVD / 2006 / (Senior High, College) / 26 minutes

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    WALKS WITH AN ARCHITECT - DUBAI, MANAMA, DOHA

    Along the Persian Gulf flourishes a chain of tourists cities with futuristic architecture heralding the look of the 21st century.

    DVD / 2006 / (Senior High, College) / 26 minutes

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    WALKS WITH AN ARCHITECT - LONDON

    The rediscovery of a city that cares more about the art of living than its monuments.

    DVD / 2006 / (Senior High, College) / 26 minutes

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    WALKS WITH AN ARCHITECT - MANHATTAN

    Around Central Park, discovering the city that is the most representative of the architecture of the 20th century

    DVD / 2006 / (Senior High, College) / 26 minutes

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    WALKS WITH AN ARCHITECT - PARIS

    Paris, a capital playing on the contrast between tiny popular streets unknown to tourists and the beautiful buildings along the Seine.

    DVD / 2006 / (Senior High, College) / 26 minutes

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    WALKS WITH AN ARCHITECT - RIO DE JANEIRO

    The most agreeable city in Brazil was also the site of the most successful architectural creations of the 20th century.

    DVD / 2006 / (Senior High, College) / 26 minutes

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    WALKS WITH AN ARCHITECT - SHANGHAI

    In the new China open to the West, Shanghai is developing apace in a 21st century architectural style

    DVD / 2006 / (Senior High, College) / 26 minutes

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    ARTISTS OF THE WORLD: HENRY MOORE - A NEVER-ENDING DISCOVERY (MOORE IN CHINA)

    Narrated by Janet Suzman, this rare and beautiful documentary explores the life and artistic vision of Henry Moore. The grandeur of his work, with its feel for natural forms and its essential humanity, is magnificently captured on film as viewers see in China one of the largest exhibitions of the great sculptor's works ever assembled. Featuring works that span the artist's 60-year career, the exhibition of 106 sculptures was hailed by leading art experts as the most important showing of Western art in China since the Revolution of 1949. As well as unique footage of Moore's life and work, the film includes contributions from Chinese scholars, contemporary artists Phillip King and Cornelia Parker, the Ashmolean Museum and the Morris Singer Foundry. Also, in Beijing's Beihai Park, the former Imperial Gardens adjacent to the Forbidden City, twelve monumental bronzes were sited around the lake among spectacular Ming Dynasty settings.

    Reviews
  • "Highly Recommended. An insightful view of Henry Moore¡¦s interest in universal themes and of the harmonious blend created when modern sculpture is placed in an ancient landscape. Moore enjoyed having his sculpture exhibited abroad because he was influenced by other cultures. This film completes the circle." -EMR Online

  • "Recommended. A stunning documentary on the man whose sculptures have been placed in more public places throughout the world than any other sculptor in history." -Art World Review

    Awards
  • Grand Award and Gold Award -The Questar Awards
  • Certificate of Creative Excellence -US International Film & Video Festival

    DVD / 2004 / (Junior High, Senior High, College, Adult) / 52 minutes

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    CELESTIAL EMPIRE, THE: PATH OF THE DRAGON - PART 18: ARCHITECTURE OF CHINA

    Architecture is usually a function of the raw materials available, geology and social standards. Architcture and design have undergone many changes in China, but have always been categorized into four classes: palaces, temples, residential houses and pavilions. This program covers the 7000 year evolution and variances of Chinese archetecture throughout time, place and function.

    DVD / 2002 / (Senior High, College) / 26 minutes

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    DESIGN IN OUR LIVES: BUSINESS MEETS AESTHETICS

    Take a look around you. Almost everything you see started out as an idea in someone's mind. In today's fast paced and constantly changing world the process of designing and the role of designers is being redefined. How to make objects and space around us more engaging and maximize their inherent meaning is the job of today's designers. This program looks into the studio environments of three internationally known Canadian designers - Bruce Mau, Karim Rashid and Frank Gehry - where there is a crossover of disciplines. In these highly charged studios, anything can be designed - spaces, objects, sounds, products, cinema - and the possibilities are endless. The designs are about clarity and accessibility, but business savvy is as important to the job as aesthetics.

    DVD / 2000 / (Grades 10-12, Post Secondary, Adult Education) / Approx. 17 minutes

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    SUSTAINABLE DESIGN: SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

    Explore planning and design; basic building design; embodied energy and resource use in buildings; heating, cooling and ventilation; lighting; infrastructures; and a holistic, or complete, view of the whole building and design process. This program has interviews with Robert & Diane Gilman, Amory Lovins of Rocky Mountain Institute and Mike & Judy Corbett of Village Homes. You'll also hear from professors of Vernacular Architecture, Sustainable Design and Community Planning, an Indoor Environmental Quality Specialist, two Solar Architects, a General Building Contractor, a Landscape Architect and two other Architecture Professors.

    DVD / 1994 / 38 minutes

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    FRANK GEHRY: ARCHITECTURE IN MOTION

    Visionary architect Frank Gehry, Canadian born, Los Angeles based, and world renowned, is the subject of this inspiring documentary. An iconoclast with great reverence for the past, Gehry is constantly breaking new ground. Experimenting with new and non-traditional materials, he has changed the vernacular of architecture and furniture design. Symbolism, emotion and spirit invigorate the many exciting international projects which artists, architects, critics and Gehry himself discuss in this retrospective.

    DVD / 1993 / (Grades 7-12, Post Secondary, Adult Education) / 50 minutes

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    INTRODUCTION TO LANDSCAPE DESIGN, AN

    A short history of landscaping, basic design concepts, common residential styles, site analysis, design program, drawing a plan, making a budget, and more
  • Applies the entire design process to a home landscape

    Awards
  • 2003 Winner Aegis Awards
  • Award of Distinction 2003 Communicator Awards

    DVD

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    LANDSCAPING: AN INTRODUCTION TO LANDSCAPE DESIGN

    A short history of landscaping, basic design concepts, common residential styles, site analysis, design program, drawing a plan, making a budget, and more. Applies the entire design process to a home landscape. Features a visit to the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden.

    Note: With Public Performance Rights

    Reviews
  • "...an excellent introduction to residential landscaping...Highly recommended..." - Library Journal

  • "...solid introduction to the world of landscape design...Recommended..." - Video Librarian Awards
  • Aegis Award Winner
  • Communicator Award of Distinction

    DVD / Approx. 31 minutes

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