Tag Archives: belle isle

May3

the soul of the building.

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built by albert kahn and george mason in 1904, one of my favorite places to visit is this lovely glass structure, filled with botanical wonders. during world war II, the anna scripps whitcomb conservatory was responsible for saving endangered cypripedium (greek ‘the shoe of Venus”) orchids, housing them during the bombing of london.

the conservatory has recently been undergoing renovations for last 5 months, and is slated to reopen later in may on it’s 120th birthday. the conservatory/aquarium site had been an old baseball field and remains the oldest conservatory in the united states.

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*The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is a greenhouse and a botanical garden located on Belle Isle, a 982-acre island park located on the Detroit River within Detroit, Michigan. While located near the Canada–United States border, the island is entirely within the U.S. (wiki)

 

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“an old building is like a show. you smell the soul of the building. and the building tells you how to redo it.”

-sir cameron mackintosh

 

 

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photo credit: belle isle photography, mark gade

Sep18

creature comfort.

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one of the many beautiful and curious creatures at the belle isle aquarium

The Belle Isle Aquarium was designed by famed Detroit architect, Albert Kahn, and opened in August, 1904. It is the oldest aquarium in the country and has served the Detroit community as a beloved attraction for generations. In 2005, the city of Detroit announced that the Aquarium was to be closed due to lean economic times for the city. The building remained closed to the public until the Belle Isle Conservancy reopened it on September 15, 2012. Since its reopening, the aquarium has exploded in popularity, evident by the attendance numbers that have soared over the course of the last decade. “Momentum” is truly the best term for what is happening in this historic building. A work-in-progress, the aquarium continues to grow and flourish as new exhibits and fish are added, tanks are restored, and history is preserved for generations to come.

“the universe is full of the lives of perfect creatures.”

-konstantin tsiokovsky 

Oct17

inside out and outside in.

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 entering the anna scripps whitcomb conservatory

designed by albert kahn and george mason in 1904

on belle isle, in detroit, michigan

you realize what an amazing vision of the world they had

“architecture is not such a knowledge form, but a form of knowledge.”

-bernard tschumi

 

Aug3

small enough.

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swimming off of belle isle in the detroit river

with the city keeping watch in the background

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belle isle is the country’s largest city island park; at approximately 948 acres, it is larger than new york city’s central park. both were designed by famed landscape architect frederick law olmstead. the island officially opened in1845, when it became known as belle isle. in 2014, it became michigan’s newest state park and is being lovingly restored to it’s original splendor. 

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“detroit is big enough to matter in the world

and small enough for you to matter in it.”

― jeanette pierce

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https://www.belleisleconservancy.org