London Underground | Digging the Serpentine Pavilion - New York Times Blogs
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion has, over the last 13 years, established itself as a must-see architectural event of the London summer season, not only for its experimental structures — which have allowed A-list architects like Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry and Jean Nouvel to realize their first built projects in this city — but also for the glitzy parties and intellectually rigorous event marathons that accompany the structures.
The latest pavilion, which opens to the public tomorrow, responds to the history of previous pavilions on the site (a lawn adjacent to the gallery, in Kensington Gardens) and imagines an archaeological dig through the remnants of structures past to reach groundwater, celebrating the unseen natural water level below the city. Humble but daring, this romantic approach is the result of a collaboration between the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and the Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, who are known for their design of the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games. (While this is not, in fact, Herzog & de Meuron’s first completed work in London — their Tate Modern opened in 2000 — it is Ai’s first building project there.)
The landscape created by the dig — the interior of the pavilion, which contains seating for visitors and events — is lined in cork to create a soft, surreal environment shaped by the “ghosts” of pavilions past. Eleven columns, each of which represents a previous pavilion (there was no pavilion in 2004), and one that represents the new structure, support the roof, a floating platform with a circular pool of water that reflects the sky (and which can be drained for special events). As in past years, the pavilion will be the site of Park Nights, the gallery’s public events program, as well as its annual Serpentine Marathon, a series conceived by the gallery’s co-director Hans-Ulrich Obrist. A new twist, however, is that the gallery, which has sold past pavilions to recoup the costs of their construction but has never publicly identified the buyers, announced that this year’s pavilion has been purchased by the billionaire Indian steel magnate Lakshmi N. Mittal and his wife, Usha.
The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012 will be on view through Oct. 14.
London 2012 Olympics: The businessmen backing Team GB - Daily Telegraph
David Ross, the co-founder of Carphone Warehouse and BOA non-executive, says the £20m is like the “cream at the top of milk”. Given that at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, four of Great Britain’s golds were won by a total of just 0.87 seconds, this cream could be pivotal.
“If someone gave us £50m, we could spend it in 60 days,” says Pinsent.
The appeal has attracted support from Visa, adidas and Deloitte but is being anchored by 30 donors, 30 ambassadors and six patrons – the highest rank of supporter of whom only two are named, Lord Fink and Patel.
“We are being very British about sharing the stadiums,” says Lord Fink. “We are being entirely fair so we need to find fair ways to gain an advantage.”
Lord Fink was introduced to the Team 2012 Appeal by Patel and decided to donate following his experiences at previous Olympics. He attended the 2000 Sydney Olympics with a close friend who later died suddenly, and then had to watch the 2004 Olympics in Athens from a hospital bed after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.
Robert Swannell, the chairman of Marks & Spencer, is an ambassador, The former Schroders investment banker says he has always been “extremely interested” in the Olympics because of his family history – his grandfather competed in the 1924 and 1928 Olympics.
“I understand that success and failure is separated by fractions of a second, so I wanted to give what help I could,” he explained.
Rex Woods, Mr Swannell’s grandfather, competed in the shot-put for Great Britain in Paris and Amsterdam while also practising as a doctor. “He was a remarkable man,” says the M&S chair.
Donating to the London 2012 team has allowed Swannell to get close to the modern-day Olympians. The supporters are invited to watch training days, attend dinners, and go to sporting events with the athletes.
“They are risking all of their life for a very short period of time, you can’t help but be on their side,” he adds. “If you see them train and what they put themselves through it is astonishing.”
Swannell says a key part of the programme has been getting athletes to talk to staff at Marks & Spencer, which also donated as a company. “The message is that if you are sufficiently determined you can achieve what you want,” Swannell adds.
John Ayton, the founder of Links of London with his wife Annoushka, says the programme has led to modern pentathlete Katy Livingston and women’s handball player Britt Goodwin addressing staff at his new luxury jewellery business Annoushka, named after his wife.
“This [hosting the Olympics] could set a tone for the new generation,” he explains.
Ayton is now keenly following the progress of Mo Farah, the 5,000m and 10,000m runner, and Tina Cook, the event rider ahead of the Olympics.
The funds raised by the Team 2012 Appeal mean Cook, who has two young children, has been able to afford a nanny and spend more time with her horse before competing.
Ayton and the contributors to the appeal have no say over which sport or which athlete receives their funds – that is determined by the BOA and other sporting bodies – but their involvement in the programme has led to them developing attachments with certain sports.
“Through Team 2012 I feel I have played some small part and I’m sure our athletes will really do us proud this summer,” says Sir Stuart Rose.
“You should have heard me screaming at the curling in Vancouver [for the 2010 Winter Olympics],” Chai Patel adds. “If Vancouver is anything to go by the celebrations for even one medal is great.”
One of the reasons Patel became involved in the programme is that he believes success at London 2012 for British athletes will be a huge boost to the UK.
“As a nation we are a bit lost in a competitive sense,” he says. “We can’t do the 'Rule Britannia’ thing anymore and people find inspiration in difference ways these days. Sport acts as a great catalyst. It is not a substitute for education, but it represents a set of core values.”
With just weeks to go until the Olympics, success for Britain and the contributors to the appeal is fourth place in the Olympic medal table and more golds than the 19 won in 2008. Pinsent says the £18m raised so far is a “good job”, but is still targeting £20m to help achieve that goal. “Look at this pencil,” he says in the BOA offices. “It says Team GB, Better Never Stops.”
For further information on the Team 2012 Appeal contact appeal@teamgb.com or visit www.team-2012.com
Made in London: the city's local entrepreneurs in profile - Daily Telegraph
Jon Penn, 32; Creative Design Products
Jon is the director and co-founder of Spinning Hat, a London-based company that designs gifts and toys, and of recently launched Goodfibres, a company that prints T-shirts with designs chosen by members of its online community. His first success came after he designed the Bottle Spy, a bottle opener with an electronic dial that logs the number of bottles it has opened. It won the eco-friendly Gift of the Year award in 2008 and Jon has been designing products ever since. Spinning Hat's products have been made available in over 30 countries; major stockists include Next, John Lewis and Paul Smith. Penn now has offices in Hong Kong and the US, as well as a main base at the Silicon Roundabout at Old Street. He attributes part of his companies’ success to their London base: “It’s certainly good for creativity; it’s very much the place to be for creative minds. It’s a buzzing place at the moment.” Global sales for Spinning Hat are this year forecast at over £3.5 million.
Preston Benson, 31; Real Estate
A business studies graduate of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, American Preston Benson quit his unfulfilling job at a Chicago accountancy firm to move to London and pursue a career in real estate. Without any contacts, he began working directly with individual families and concentrated on negotiating high-end property deals. He ultimately developed Go Native, a company that provides temporary housing solutions to businesses operating internationally; it turns over more than £29m annually. Preston is now commercial director of Bursha Holdings, a property investment company with a portfolio estimated at around £60m. Preston’s entrepreneurial drive began at the age of six. His parents were strict with pocket money and so he set up his first business “literally the cliché of selling lemonade on the street in America”. He links his success as an adult to his childhood desire to earn enough money for “that WWF action figure”.
Yuvraj Jatania, 25, and Virraj Jatania, 23; Discount and Cashback Card Business
Virraj Jatania, left, and Yuvraj Jatania.
Brothers Yuvraj and Virraj Jatania are co-founders and managing directors of Pockit, the first prepaid card provider, which enables users to make savings on household essentials in high-street stores by providing discount codes and cashback on purchases. Virraj began the business directly after leaving university and his elder brother left Ernst & Young to join him. Together, they took six months to put together a business plan and Pockit launched officially in November 2011. They currently have approximately 2,000 cardholders and expect to have around 40,000 members by the end of the year. They have already secured discount deals from companies such as Aviva, TalkTalk and M&S. The recession has proved a blessing of sorts for the brothers. It has meant that consumers are looking for new ways to save money and the company is securing large numbers of new members every day, Virraj is optimistic about Pockit’s future: “it’s very exciting times.”
Smruti Sriram, 25, Charity Student Award Scheme
Smruti founded the Wings of Hope achievement award in 2004 when she was 18 and on a gap year. The award scheme assists school students in setting up businesses that make contributions to good causes; it earns proceeds from these businesses and corporate sponsors. Smruti pitched the idea to countless head teachers and the project was accepted by 25 schools. It is now active in 400 schools and 20,000 students have participated in the programme over the course of five years. Current corporate sponsors include PWC, and Wings of Hope workshops have been led by individuals such as the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi. Students are allowed free rein in the types of endeavours they undertake and the structure of the scheme has been redeveloped to take the participants’ ages and interests into account: “When we used to get dropouts of different schools participating in the scheme, we had to really analyse, because students can be quite fickle, and can’t be bothered if they don’t see quick wins”.
Alexander Amosu, 36; Luxury Products
Alexander is the founder of Amosu Luxury Ltd, a company that sells high-end bespoke exclusive products for “the elite”. It is most famous for making the world’s most expensive suit at £70,000 and a diamond-encrusted mobile phone costing £125,000. He has also recently ventured into Africa with a company called Kamson Luxury Group, which is introducing established brands into the African market. It is currently involved in the Nigerian launch of OK! magazine. Alexander moved with his family to the UK from Nigeria when he was three years old and grew up on a council estate in Kilburn. Aged 18, he set up a cleaning company for pregnant women. It generated revenues of £3,500 a month and provided him with capital for his next enterprise, R&B Ringtones. He founded the company after he learned how to compose ringtones on his mobile phone at the age of 21. Selling ringtones that resembled popular songs, the company earned £6.6m over four years and was sold for £9m in 2004. Alexander was a millionaire by the time he was 25.
In conversation: read about the group's thoughts on why London is an exciting place to do business and what makes a successful entrepreneur here.
RFU Championship final: London Welsh 29-20 Cornish Pirates - BBC News
London Welsh sealed the Championship title and a chance of securing a Premiership place after beating Cornish Pirates 66-41 over two legs.
Welsh are now expected to take legal action over the Rugby Football Union's ruling that they are not eligible for promotion to the top flight.
Matt Evans went over for Pirates but Alex Davies' fifth penalty put Welsh ahead before Hudson Tonga'uiha's try.
Ryan Storer reduced the deficit but Jack Moates rounded off Welsh's win.
An RFU report said the Exiles had not achieved the minimum standards criteria to go up but the Richmond-based side are expeted to explore "all possible avenues" to gain promotion after seeing off Pirates in the final.
Having proposed to play their matches next season at Oxford United's Kassam Stadium, where the second leg of the final was played, an RFU statement said that not having primacy of tenure at their chosen ground was one of "various failures" in Welsh's promotion bid.
Three Premiership sides share grounds with football clubs; London Irish with Reading, London Wasps with Wycombe and Saracens with Watford, while Sale will share with Super League side Salford City Reds next season.
On Wednesday club president John Dawes said chairman Bleddyn Phillips would take the "ultimate" action to ensure Welsh do go up .
Having won at Pirates 37-21 last week , Welsh fought back from a seven-point deficit which threatened their first-leg advantage, to secure the Championship title having finished the regular season in fourth place.
Aaron Penberthy's drop goal had put Pirates ahead, Alex Davies then levelled for Welsh before Rob Cook's penalty and a second from Davies made it 6-6.
Evans gave Pirates a clear lead with the opening try of the match, picking up on a loose ball after Cook's punt forward bounced into open space deep in the Exiles' half.
Cook then added the extras before Davies failed with a penalty attempt on the stroke of half-time.
The Exiles fly-half was successful with his next two attempts with the boot after the break, closing the gap to one point and putting the hosts nine points ahead on aggregate.
Davies added a fifth penalty before Tonga'uiha, who had scored in the first leg, broke through the Pirates defence to touch down and Davies then added his first of two conversions.
Pirates responded with a consolation try as replacement prop Ryan Storer forced his way over after a scramble on the line before Cook added the extras.
But Welsh were not yet done as a fine move saw Ed Jackson feed the ball to Jack Moates, who crossed over to add the gloss to their victory.
LINE-UPS
London Welsh: A. Davies, Ajuwa, J. Lewis, Tonga'uiha, Scott, Ross, R. Lewis, Lahiff, George, Tideswell, Mills, Corker, Beach, Denbee, Jackson.
Replacements: Ma'asi, Moss, Bateman, Purdy, Russell, Moates, Jewell.
Cornish Pirates: Cook, Evans, Pointer, Locke, D. Doherty, Penberthy, Cattle, Rimmer, Ward, Paver, McGolone, Nimmo, D. Ewers, Burgess, Maidment.
Replacements: Storer, Elloway, Myerscough, Marriott, Kebsel, Cooper, McAtee.
Referee: David Rose (RFU)
The England team welcomed fans to the Vauxhall BBQ on Wednesday - FA.com
The England team welcomed fans to the Vauxhall BBQ on Wednesday
On Wednesday evening, following their afternoon on the golf course with journalists and members of the media, the Three Lions ended a relaxing day at the team hotel in Hertfordshire at the Vauxhall England BBQ.
The informal event organised by The FA and Vauxhall, a week before the team departs for Euro 2012, brought together coaching staff and players, along with sponsors, fans, competition winners and selected members of the media, as they prepared for the meeting with Belgium.
"We've talked about The FA and England being a more inclusive, more confident organisation, good tourists and so on," said FA Chairman David Bernstein at the BBQ.
"Today epitomises that. It has been fantastic to see everyone together, the media, the sponsors and others with the players. It's been relaxed. A fabulous day."
Duncan Aldred, Managing Director of England Team Sponsor Vauxhall added: "Best wishes to the whole team. We're all fans, so come on Engalnd and let's have a great tournament."
Check out the video above for a behind the scenes look at the BBQ...
England take on Belgium on Saturday in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium giving them a perfect send-off to Euro 2012. For fans not able to be at the game, you can watch it live on ITV1 or follow our updates right here on TheFA.com or via @thefadotcom on Twitter.
Hammersmith Apollo in London sold by HMV to Stage C - BBC News
Entertainment venue Hammersmith Apollo which has held concerts by bands from The Beatles to Queen, has been sold by its owner HMV.
HMV agreed to sell the west London art deco venue to American-German joint venture Stage C for £32m.
The 9,000-capacity venue was taken over by entertainment retailer HMV in 2010.
HMV chief Simon Fox said: "The Hammersmith Apollo is an iconic London venue and it has been a privilege to own it over the last three years."
The venue opened in 1932 as the Gaumont Palace cinema, as part of a wider turnaround.
It has played host to many famous performances, including David Bowie's last concert as alter-ego Ziggy Stardust in 1973.
It is also the eponymous venue in the BBC stand-up comedy series Live at the Apollo.
Stage C is jointly owned by London's indigO2 operator Ansco Music Club, a subsidiary of US company Anschutz Entertainment, and a subsidiary of Munich-based CTS Eventim.
The sale is conditional on banking approvals, shareholder approval and Stage C securing regulatory approvals.
With 252 stores in the UK, HMV said the sale allowed it to focus on its core retail business, while the proceeds from the disposal would be used to reduce the group's outstanding debt.
The sale follows a decision to place its HMV Live division, which runs 13 venues and a number of festivals including Lovebox in London and Global Gathering near Stratford-upon-Avon, under review.
The entertainment retailer recently surprised the City by forecasting a return to profit in 2013 despite estimated losses of about £19m for the past financial year.
Quick-up truck: Vauxhall's Aussie-inspired Maloo hits UK shores - Daily Mirror
YOU’VE got to love this car for its name alone: Maloo. Or to give it its full name, the Vauxhall VXR Maloo.
The Maloo is what Australians call a ute or utility vehicle, and it is the most splendidly over-the-top vehicle that I’ve driven for years.
In Oz it’s badged as a Holden but Vauxhall, in a glorious burst of humour, has decided to import the vehicle into the UK and sell it through half a dozen specialist dealers.
Under the bonnet of the Maloo sits the same 6.2-litre V8 motor that you’ll find under the bonnet of a Corvette, Camaro and Vauxhall’s own VXR8 saloon (which is also a Holden).
The motor kicks out 425bhp which is enough to propel your garden clippings to the local recycling centre at 155mph.
Or accelerate them from rest to 60mph in 5.3sec.
The cabin is just like a car’s or, to be more accurate, like the VXR8’s.
Leather bucket seats, lots of comfort and plenty of equipment.
In the 1960s Chevrolet in America made a half pick-up half car called the El Camino and Ford made a rival called the Ranchero.
Both, like the Maloo, came with seriously powerful V8 engines.
You don’t use a £51,500 pick-up truck for hauling building materials.
Besides, with fuel consumption ranging from single figures to high twenties at best, you’ll soon bankrupt your business using a Maloo for everyday work.
It’s for posing or taking a few surfboards down to the beach (it doesn’t matter if you don’t surf, of course).
The Maloo could do with some slightly louder exhausts, which I’m sure would be possible to add later.
With the standard exhaust the V8 sounds a bit neutered, with more open, fatter pipes the Maloo would make a proper roar.
The Maloo feels remarkably civilised, the six-speed gearbox needs a positive shove of the hand and the clutch a strong left leg but it all works nice and smoothly.
The steering is remarkably accurate and the handling not at all like a pick-up.
You could take a Maloo on a track day and have a lot of fun with it.
You can fit 1,208 litres of stuff into the load bay at the back of the Maloo which isn’t an awful lot for a pick-up truck.
The bay is covered by a gigantic lid that also serves a purpose as a mobile gym because it weighs a ton.
Presumably you can remove it if you want to carry a jet ski or something equally suitable for the Maloo image.
I can’t imagine that Vauxhall will sell many Maloos here.
But I’m glad that in among the electric cars and hybrids being fired at us there’s still a daft, pointless and truly outrageous motor that comes along once in a while.
Suit drama on as London nears - Omaha World-Herald
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Olympic gold medalists and U.S. Swim Trials veterans Ryan Lochte, left, and Michael Phelps model Speedo's new Fastskin 3 swimsuit during a press conference in New York.
SWIMMING
Suit drama on as London nears
With the London Olympics less than two months away, there's more chaos in the swimsuit department.
When aquatic leaders decided to ban rubberized bodysuits three years ago, it was thought that it would put an end to the technological arms race roiling the waters. And, indeed, there's not nearly as much focus on what everyone is wearing or how many world records will be broken at these games.
“The suit does matter, it does help,” said Bob Bowman, the coach of 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. “But it just gives them a little sharpness. It doesn't completely change them as a swimmer.”
Still, mirroring the anarchy that seemingly ruled at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2009 world championships, swimmers are now shedding suits provided by their sponsors to wear apparel perceived to be faster. Teams are jockeying to make sure their athletes have the best suits available — no matter who their official supplier is.
This time, the roles are reversed for two of the main manufacturers.
Whereas Speedo's LZR Racer was all the rage at the last Olympics, Arena's Powerskin Carbon-Pro appears to have the edge this time.
“Four years ago, the performance difference was much larger,” said Giuseppe Musciacchio, Arena's general manager for brand development. “We're not talking about seconds now, but tenths can also make a difference in an Olympic race.”
Speedo unveiled its 2012 products, the Fastskin3 Racing System, at elaborate presentations in November featuring Phelps in New York and Rebecca Adlington in London. Besides the suit itself, the system features wide, angular goggles that allow for peripheral vision, plus a new cap that is designed to reduce resistance even more in the pool.
But neither the suit nor the system has caught on.
“The new suit is horrible,” said Netherlands coach Titus Mennen at last week's European Championship at Debrecen, Hungary. “It gets very heavy and it's difficult for the women to put it on, pulling the (straps) over their heads. Then it bunches up in the water. That's something Speedo has to work on.”
Not this year. According to the rules put in place by governing body FINA in 2009, all suits being used this year had to be submitted for approval last July 1 and be on the market by the first day of this year.
So, many athletes are still wearing Speedo's 2010 suit, the LZR Racer Elite, which was introduced after FINA limited men to jammers covering only the waist to the knees, and women to suits covering shoulders to knees — both made from textiles only.
The powerful U.S. squad allows its athletes to wear any suit they want, though the team is sponsored by Speedo. The situation is the same for three other leading teams: the Australians, the Dutch and the British, who are eager to make a big splash at their home games.
There were some suit switches at the British Trials, held in March at the London Olympic pool.
“What still frustrates me is everybody is just now coming out with their suits,” Britain coach Dennis Pursley said. “Yes, it's a step in the right direction to change the rules as far as the materials and design, but the suit manufacturers wait until the 11th hour to roll their suits out, and then the athletes have to find opportunities to race in the different suits and determine which one works best for them.”
When Italy's Filippo Magnini won the 100-meter freestyle at the Euros, he wore a Jaked suit with the logo blacked out. He is sponsored by Speedo.
But Speedo said Phelps and teammate Ryan Lochte, the two leading medal contenders heading into London, are using the new apparel.
World-record holder Jessica Hardy is among those using the 2010 suit. She hasn't had time to get used to the new Speedo goggles, either.
“The depth perception is really different and I can see more than I would like to see in them,” she said. “I think I'm just going to try it later, after the summer.”
The suit rule changes put in place at the beginning of 2010 set the swimming clock back several years. A staggering 43 world records were set at the 2009 world championships in Rome at the height of the supersuit era, while two were broken at last year's worlds in Shanghai — one by Lochte in the 200 individual medley and another by China's Sun Yang in the 1,500 free.
“I'm very, very happy the suit thing is not as distracting as it once was,” said U.S. star Natalie Coughlin, who didn't compete in Rome but is back to go for her third Olympics.
Still, there are swimmers who complain about missing out on bonuses for breaking records, while manufacturers are clamoring for FINA to conform men's suits with the women's suits, which would allow for more sponsor space on the chest and higher prices.
“I don't see any great change coming down yet,” British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes said. “I sense now with the coaches and the federations and the sponsors, the feeling is we probably just need some stability now. I don't think there will be a big move to change things. But maybe that will change after London, you just don't know.”
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved.
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GM's Vauxhall announces new Astra at UK plant - Yahoo Finance
LONDON (AP) -- General Motors' Vauxhall plant in northern England will build the company's top-selling Astra vehicles, the automaker said Thursday — a relief for U.K. politicians who had lobbied its American owner to keep the plant open.
The announcement comes after workers at the Ellesmere Port plant, near Liverpool, overwhelmingly backed a job deal which turned the factory into a 24-hour-a-day operation, a key cost-cutting measure pursued by parent company GM Europe.
GM Europe lost $700 million in 2011 and has been struggling to turn around its Opel and Vauxhall brands. It had been feared the company would close the Ellesmere Port facility in favor of consolidating production elsewhere — such as its headquarters in Ruesselsheim in Germany or Gliwice in Poland.
In a separate announcement, Opel said that the Ruesselsheim plant would switch to producing other models.
GM's announcement — which comes with a 125 million pound (nearly $200 million) investment and 700 extra jobs — is a break for leaders such as British Business Secretary Vince Cable, who fought to keep the British plant open.
Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking from the northern city of Manchester, called the decision "a fantastic vote of confidence."
"The U.K. government gave this its full backing. The unions supported the necessary changes. The workforce has responded magnificently. It is a British success story," he said.
Cable, who at one point traveled to the U.S. to plead the plant's case, told BBC television that no financial inducements were offered to General Motors Corp. to keep the U.K. facility open, saying the move underlined that Britain is "a good business environment for the motor industry."
Production of the new car is due to begin in 2015, with at least 160,000 vehicles scheduled to be produced every year.
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