The Voortrekker Monument. Pretoria, South Africa.

The Voortrekker Monument, designed by architect Gerhard Moerdijk was inaugurated on the 16th December 1949. The building commemorates the Voortrekkers who left the cape colony in the early- to mid 19th Century.

The building itself consists of three seperate spaces - the central space (known as the Hall of Heroes), the basement level and the roof terrace. The Hall of Heroes (seen above) where one first enters the building has a viewing portal in the its centre that looks down into the basement level where a cenotaph stands.

The cenotaph is the focus of the monument - it is enscribed, "Ons vir jou Suid-Afrika," which means "we for you South Africa". These words are illuminated each year at 12 o'clock on the 16th December when the sun lines up with a small hole in the top of the dome.

Above is a view from the top of the dome, looking down into the Hall of Heroes, and then down again into the basement level where the Cenotaph stands. The floors and walls of both the Hall of Heroes and the basement level are clad in different colours of marble - all sourced from different regions of South Africa.

The white mable freize, which runs around the Hall of Heroes tells the story of the Voortrekkers. The sculptor was Hennie Potgieter and the final, full size, freize was executed by a team in Italy.

More information on the monument can be found here.

In Detail: Majestic Doors in East London. London, UK.

 

Maison Landemaine. Montmartre, Paris.

La Basilique du Sacre Cœur. Montmartre, Paris

 

The Sacre Cœur is undoubtedly one of Paris's best known monuments. It was designed by Paul Abadie, and was built between 1875 and 1914 out of Travertine stone. The building's style can be described as a loose interpretation of Byzantine Architecture.

Monuments: Paul Kruger Monument, Kerk Plein. Pretoria, South Africa.

A tribute to Paul Kruger in the centre of Kerk Plein (Church Square), Pretoria. The sculptures were done by Anton van Vouw and casting was done in Italy. The base of the monument was completed in 1899, but the statues didn't come until much later as they were delayed due to the Anglo-Boer War. The statues of the four sentries were removed to England by Lord Kitchener after the Anglo-Boer War, so that the statue of Kruger was unveiled in 1913 without its sentries. The four sentries were later returned to South Africa, and in 1925 the complete monument was finally unveiled. The monument was then moved in 1954 from its original site in Prince's Park to its current site in Kerk Plein.

More information on the monument can be found here.

A Beautiful Vernacular. Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne, France.

 

A lovely building in a beautiful village.

Le Chateau de Duras. Duras, Aquitaine, France.

The Chateau of Duras, originally erected in the 12th century, was fortified in the 14th century with the support of the Pope Clement V. The chateau was a key position in the hundred years' war, and as such it was captured and lost numerous times - passing through the hands of the Duke of Aquitaine, the King of England and the King of France. In the 17th Century the castle took on a less defensive roll as the seat of the Duke of the Duras region. As such, the castle was transformed from a fortress into a 'demeure de plaisance' - a place to entertain important guests complete with ballroom, large kitchens and pleasure gardens. The Chateau was mostly destroyed during the French revolution and was left for over a century to ruin. In the 1960's it was bought by the people of the village and has since been slowly restored.

The large front court, as seen from the terrace for the Chateau.

The 'Salle de la Charpente', in the roof of the castle, with its large timber trusses and its twelve fireplaces was often used as a ballroom in the time of the Duke.

One of the two wells of the chateau.


More information on the Chateau de Duras can be found here.

In Detail: Les Galeries Lafayette. Paris, France.

In Detail: Nedbank Building Doors. Church Square, Pretoria.

 

I wasn't able to take any decent photos of the interior of this building (designed by Norman Eaton and built between 1952 and 1953) due to security issues, but I was at least able to get a few shots of these beautifully designed doors and doorhandles. These were designed and commissioned by Eaton for the Nedbank building with a deliberate mix of European and African motives.

 

A Beautiful Vernacular. Lichtenburg, South Africa.

A Beautiful Vernacular. Sarlat-la-Canéda, Dordogne, France.

A beautiful half-timbered house in Sarlat-la-Canéda. 

Notre Dame de Paris. Paris, France

The Notre Dame Basilica of Paris is a true Gothic Style church at the heart of Paris's Ile de La cité. The foundation stone was laid in 1163 in the presence of Pope Alexander III, and since then the building has gone through numerous additions, changes and renovations done by some of the best architects of the time, among them Soufflot and Eugene Viollet-le-Duc.

One of Notre Dame's famous rose windows.

 

The front façade of the Basilica.

More information on the Notre Dame can be found here.



In Detail: Doors in Sarlat-la-Canéda. Dordogne, France

Just some beautiful old doors and door accessories I photographed in the town of Sarlat-la-Canéda.