The AWI is located in the building also known as Institut du Monde Arabe, on Rue des Fossés Saint Bernard in Paris, France, constructed from 1981 to 1987 with a floor space of 181,850 square feet (16,894 m2). Jean Nouvel, together with Architecture-Studio, won the 1981 design competition with a project that proposed risk-taking solutions that, over the course of the years, have proven themselves.

The building acts as a buffer zone between the Jussieu Campus, in large rationalist blocks, and the Seine. The river facade follows the curve of the waterway and helps reduce the hardness of a rectangular block, adapting itself to the view from the Sully Bridge. At the same time the building also appears to fold itself back in the direction of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district.

In contrast, the opposite facade is uncompromisingly rectangular. Facing it is a large square public space that opens out toward the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame. Above the glass-clad storefront, a metallic screen unfolds with moving geometric motifs. The motifs are actually 240 motor-controlled apertures, which open and close every hour. They act as brise soleil to control the light entering the building. The mechanism creates interior spaces with filtered light — an effect often used in Islamic architecture with its climate-oriented strategies. This building catapulted Nouvel to fame and is one of the cultural reference points of Paris. It is also noted for receiving the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

The building houses a museum, library, auditorium, restaurant, and offices.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_World_Institute

Estádio do Dragão  is a football stadium located in Porto,Portugal, with an all-seated capacity of 50,399.Inaugurated on November 16, 2003, it is the current home ground of F.C. Porto, having replaced the club’s old venue, the Estádio das Antas. It is a certified UEFA category four stadium, and was one of the venues of the UEFA Euro 2004.

The stadium’s name is derived from the presence of a dragon on the club’s crest, which is composed of an old stitched leather football under the city’s coat of arms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=LAxUMR58iP4

A 3D light show with fireworks will be held at the Bund as midnight approaches. Shanghai landmarks and natural scenes will be reflected in a three-dimensional way on the exterior walls of the classic constructions on the Bund. Starting from 11:45pm, the show will last for about seven minutes. But authorities may limit the volume of people if huge crowds swarm to the Bund.

If you’re lucky enough to be inParisto usher in the New Year, the city of light offers plenty of ways to say Bonne Annee!Parisis one of the most colorful and exciting places to celebrate New Year’s Eve, whether your preferred style is clubbing the night away, top-notch dining, or a simple glass of champagne shared with a small group of friends or loved ones.

Hotels, restaurants, bars, night clubs and residential buildings dot the promenade.

CopacabanaBeachplays host to millions of revellers during the annual New Year’s Eve celebrations and, in most years, has been the official venue of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copacabana_(Rio_de_Janeiro)

The Bund ( 外滩 ) is a waterfront area in central Shanghai. The area runs along the western bank of the HuangpuRiver, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District. The Bund usually refers to the buildings and wharves on this section of the road, as well as some adjacent areas. It is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai. Building heights are restricted in this area.

Huangpu River is not only the mother river of Shanghai, which divides the city into east and west parts, but also assembles the splendid tourist attractions of the city. Situated on the east bank of the Huangpu River, the Bund is the symbol of Shanghai. New finance and commercial houses as well as grand buildings built in 1930s in the European architectural styles cluster along the Bund. At night bright lights add to the happy atmosphere as people stroll along the wide riverside promenade.

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shanghai/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bund

The Frederick C. Robie House is a U.S. National  Historic Landmark in the Chicago, Illinois neighbourhood of Hyde Park at5757 S. Woodlawn Avenue on the South Side. It was designed and built between 1908 and 1910 by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and is renowned as the greatest example of his Prairie style, the first architectural style that was uniquely American. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on November 27, 1963 and was on the very first National Register of Historic Places list of October 15, 1966.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robie_House

Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement ofParis, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais. It was designed in the style of high-tech architecture.

It houses the Bibliothèque publique d’information, a vast public library, the Musée National d’Art Moderne which is the largest museum for modern art inEurope, and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research. Because of its location, the Centre is known locally as the Beaubourg . It is named after Georges Pompidou, the President of France from 1969 to 1974 who decided its creation, and was officially opened on 31 January 1977 by President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. The Centre Pompidou has had over 150 million visitors since 1977.

The Centre was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, the British architect couple Richard Rogers and Su Rogers,Gianfranco Franchini, the British structural engineer Edmund Happold, and Irish structural engineer Peter Rice. The project was awarded to this team in an architectural design competition, whose results were announced in 1971. Reporting on Rogers’ winning the Pritzker Prize in 2007, The New York Times noted that the design of the Centre “turned the architecture world upside down” and that “Mr. Rogers earned a reputation as a high-tech iconoclast with the completion of the 1977 Pompidou Centre, with its exposed skeleton of brightly colored tubes for mechanical systems. The Pritzker jury said the Pompidou “revolutionized museums, transforming what had once been elite monuments into popular places of social and cultural exchange, woven into the heart of the city.”

Initially, all of the functional structural elements of the building were color-coded: green pipes are plumbing, blue ducts are for climate control, electrical wires are encased in yellow, and circulation elements and devices for safety (e.g., fire extinguishers) are red. However, recent visits suggests that this color coding has been partially removed, and many of the elements are simply painted white.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centre_Georges_Pompidou

http://www.centrepompidou.fr/

Portugal’s most famous cafés are naturally in its capital, but while Lisbon’s Café A Brasileira and Versailles certainly have beautiful interiors, it is in the country’s second city that we find the most stunning of all cafés in the nation and one of the most attractive in the world. From its façade to its interior, Café Majestic remains a beautiful setting for cultural events, making it more than just a tourist attraction. It continues to live up to its name with a wonderful Belle Epoque atmosphere in its main room and attractive winter garden which have guaranteed it a spot in every café-themed coffeetable book.

http://www.360cities.net/image/cafe-majestic-portugal#263.53,6.21,90.0

www.cafemajestic.com

Inspired by the grand European cafés, Confeitaria Colombo was the place to be inRio at the turn of the 20th century. It hosted fancy balls and cultural events, and was the site of much gossip during the afternoon teas of the city’s upper-class. Its huge stained glass, tiled, and mirrored interior features materials from France, Portugal, and Belgium, all creating an opulent art nouveau space for classic Brazilian and Iberian cuisine, delicious pastries, or simply a cup of tea or the famous Brazilian coffee.

WWW.CONFEITARIACOLOMBO.COM.BR