Latest news with #Niemeyer
CairoScene
5 days ago
- CairoScene
Middle Eastern Modernism: Sculpted Forms From Desert & Sea
Blending minimalist design with regional heritage, these landmarks exemplify modernist architecture across the Middle East, where streamlined forms meet cultural and environmental influences. Modernist architecture in the Middle East tells a story of contrast and continuity, where avant-garde forms meet deep-rooted traditions. From the silent grandeur of Niemeyer's fairgrounds in Tripoli to the luminous dome of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, these structures reflect ambition shaped by place, climate, and memory. Across deserts and coastlines, modernism takes on new character - emerging as libraries that unfold like landscapes, museums rooted in geology, and assemblies that echo Bedouin tents. Each project becomes a built narrative, where global ideas meet the rhythms of the region... National Museum of Qatar – Doha, Qatar In Doha, the National Museum of Qatar, designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel, stands as a radical reinterpretation of local geography and heritage. Drawing inspiration from the 'desert rose' mineral formation, the building unfolds as a network of interlocking concrete disks that propagate organically around a historic palace. This design merges with the landscape while creating shaded, walkable public spaces. The sand-coloured cladding harmonises with the surrounding environment, while the elliptical circulation route gently rises and falls, following the undulations of the Qatari terrain. 11 galleries trace Qatar's history, culminating in the restored palace, all set within a landscaped park featuring gardens inspired by sabkhas, oases and dunes. Tripoli International Fair (Rashid Karameh International Exhibition Center) – Tripoli, Lebanon At the Rashid Karameh International Exhibition Center in Tripoli, Lebanon, one encounters a striking testament to modernist ambition. Designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1963, the 70-hectare site contains 15 concrete structures, conceived as one of the world's largest exhibition centres. Construction was halted during the Lebanese civil war in 1975, leaving the site hauntingly unfinished. Recent efforts to restore parts of the project, notably the Niemeyer Guest House, signal a renewed appreciation for its innovative forms. The fragmented, sculptural structures echo a complex interplay of imagination, progress, and unfinished dreams, and the site now holds a place on UNESCO's World Heritage in Danger list. Louvre Abu Dhabi – Abu Dhabi, UAE Perched on the Gulf's coast, Jean Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi carves out a unique presence, envisioned as a 'museum city' resting in the sea. The project takes inspiration from traditional Arabic architectural culture. 55 white cubic buildings evoke the medina, topped by a monumental 180-metre-diameter double dome. Its layered steel and aluminium structure is perforated to filter daylight, creating a signature 'rain of light'. The dome appears to float, supported by only four hidden piers. The choreography of light, shadow, and reflection fosters a sanctuary-like environment, where the geometries of Arab heritage merge with modern construction ingenuity. Qatar National Library – Doha, Qatar Rem Koolhaas and OMA's design for the Qatar National Library is formed as a singular, open space,138 metres in length. Its plate-like structure is lifted at the edges to create terraced aisles for books, allowing uninterrupted visual connection across the space. Shelving in white marble merges with the flooring, and the infrastructure integrates lighting, ventilation, and return systems. The building accommodates over a million volumes and includes a prominent Heritage Collection at its core, accessible by a sunken patio and enveloped by beige travertine. Diffused natural light and reflective aluminium ceilings establish a calm reading atmosphere. The library stands at the heart of Doha's 'Education City'. Kuwait National Assembly Building – Kuwait City Jørn Utzon's National Assembly Building in Kuwait is as much a commentary on political identity as it is a celebration of modernist ideals. The design's prominent feature is a public colonnade with thin piers supporting a billowing concrete roof, recalling Bedouin tent structures. This dramatic canopy, composed of semi-circular shells on steel cables, exemplifies Utzon's mastery in making concrete appear as weightless as fabric. Behind the plaza, government functions are organised in a grid inspired by bazaars, with central courtyards and circulation spaces. The use of precast concrete forms and abstracted Arab ornamentation reveals both a nod to tradition and a distinctly modernist approach. Dubai Trade Centre – Dubai, UAE The Dubai Trade Centre, designed by John R Harris & Partners, was completed in 1979 as the city's first skyscraper. Standing 149 metres tall, it remained the tallest building in the Arab world for two decades. Its honeycomb-like precast-concrete façade offers sun protection and visual rhythm. The signature fluted concrete panels, originally exposed, were later painted white at the request of Sheikh Rashid. The tower introduced a stark, minimalist form that contrasted with the low-rise urban fabric of the time, marking a turning point in Dubai's architectural development.
Chicago Tribune
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Lake County election board refers Niemeyer concerns for attorney review
The Lake County Board of Elections asked its attorneys to review information presented by Lake County Republican Party Chairman Randy Niemeyer with two concerns. Niemeyer, who is also a Lake County Councilman, presented concerns Tuesday that Democratic employees set up for the party's caucus during work hours in February, and some poll workers were paid for training they allegedly didn't attend. In regard to the caucus, Niemeyer said that at least two Democratic employees were setting up for the caucus, which was held March 1 at the Lake County Government Center, during work hours on Friday, Feb. 28. During the May special Crown Point and Hobart school referendum elections, Niemeyer previously said he was concerned about inspectors and students being paid for training, which they have to attend by law, but records indicate that some didn't receive training. Niemeyer told the election board members that Indiana Code allows the board to adopt a waiver of election training if certain circumstances are met. 'The purpose of this presentation is not to go on some sort of a witch hunt or to look for problems where they don't exist. It's where we have procedural issues, we want them corrected,' Niemeyer said. 'The goal of this is not to see punitive measures taken against individuals. It's to correct a problem.' Board member Michael Mellon asked staff if the board's policy is that employees can't walk into a political, partisan situation during work hours. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Assistant Director Jessica Messler said the employee handbook states that is 'against the rules.' Lake County Clerk Michael Brown said the election board's attorneys should review the information Niemeyer submitted to the board to determine how the board should move forward before asking questions. 'I don't think this is an appropriate time to start questions and answers,' Brown said. 'We will make decisions based on what our attorney tells us and whatever we need to do to correct it, so it will be corrected, but it has to be done the right way. This is not the right way.' Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman previously said employees did not set up for the caucus during business hours. The voting machines and tables were delivered that Friday, she said, but all setup was done Saturday morning. Fajman previously said some employees could've walked into the auditorium to see if the equipment was in the room, ready to be set up the next day. Employees like to walk the government campus during their breaks, so it's possible some employees could've walked by the auditorium, she said, but no setup was done. Fajman said that special elections are paid for by the entity holding the election, so all payments of election workers would be paid for by the school districts. Initially, the money comes out of the county's general fund, and then the schools reimburse the county for the elections. Under Indiana law, clerks and judges can complete election training online or in person, Fajman said. Inspectors have to do training in person, she said. Further, Indiana law dictates that students have to attend a training, Fajman said, so they can pick in person or online. Fajman said when election workers go to training, they show their driver's license and check in on a poll pad against voter registration data. Because some students aren't old enough to vote yet, Fajman said they are checked in manually. To get paid, students on Election Day sign a pay claim and mark on the claim that they attend training. Inspectors could have a discrepancy in training attendance because there could be situations where an inspector had to back out of working the election, but remains on the record, and another inspector fills in, Fajman previously said. The election office has been working toward coming up with a system to better track attendance and payments, Fajman previously said, and hopes to launch it by the next general election. 'Right now, there's no foolproof method that we have, but we're looking into it right now,' Fajman previously said.
Chicago Tribune
08-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Lake County councilman outlines ways to buffer impact of Indiana's property tax changes
Lake County Councilman Randy Niemeyer proposed Tuesday eliminating 1% of the county's income tax by 2028 as the county braces for the impact of the state's changes to the property tax system. Senate Enrolled Act 1 was a property tax bill that will save two-thirds of taxpayers up to $300 on their 2026 property tax bill while local governments will lose $1.4 billion through 2028. Gov. Mike Braun signed the bill into law April 15 and called it a 'historic' plan to reduce property taxes for most Hoosier homeowners while limiting future tax hikes and making the tax system fairer and more transparent. The county will feel the fiscal impact of Senate Bill 1 in the 2028 budget year, Niemeyer said, as the county is projected to lose $30 million by 2028 and $50 million by 2030. Niemeyer, R-7th, said he reviewed the proposal with local elected officials and Lake County Finance Director Scott Schmal. Senate Bill 1 will eliminate the property tax replacement credit by Dec. 31, 2027, change the business personal property tax structure, eliminate the current local income tax expenditure rate by Dec. 31, 2027, and adopt annual local income tax rates after Dec. 31, 2030, Niemeyer said. The Lake County local income tax was adopted in 2013, and the state legislature mandated that the county use 1% of the local income tax for property tax relief, 0.25% for community economic development and 0.25% for public safety. The new property tax law removes the requirements, Niemeyer said. To achieve a 1% tax cut, Niemeyer said every department and service has to be modernized, every revenue source has to be used to move the county away from relying on property taxes levy and income taxes, and each spending request 'must be justified for the provision of the essential county government services.' 'We have more than enough, even cutting 1% of the LIT after 2027, to fund this government and to move it forward in a productive fashion,' Niemeyer said. 'I suspect that over the next decade we're going to continue to see the system of funding of local government move away from property tax levies and move more toward user fees, income taxes, sales taxes and the like. This is a great start for us to go in that direction.' When Niemeyer ran for the First Congressional District in 2024, he said he visited all three counties and he could 'count on one hand' the number of people who wanted to talk to him about property taxes. 'The narrative that local government is somehow hoarding cash and ripping off taxpayers is simply false,' Niemeyer said. 'Nonetheless, we are presented with a tax reform package that creates multiple challenges for local government.' As the council, the county's fiscal body, approaches the 2026 and 2027 budget years, Niemeyer proposed that the council conduct a detailed examination of all revenue sources and statutes to then determine which general fund expenditures could be shifted to non-levy funds. The council should use 2025 budgets as the baseline for 2026, Niemeyer said, with any raises or office reorganizations offset by fiscal cuts. The council should also look for possible reorganization or staff reduction in all departments as the Oracle system comes online, he said. To address staffing, Niemeyer said the council should look for instances where contractors and employees are doing the same or similar work. He'd also like the council to review all positions being paid supplemental pay from the general fund and miscellaneous funds, and to move those positions out of the general fund where possible and eliminate supplemental pay. Further, Niemeyer would like the council to meet the first Tuesday in September for a 'budget building day' in place of the common practice of budget presentations. The only department heads that would have to attend would be those who request an increase in their budget, he said. As the county addresses the 2028 budget, Niemeyer would like the county to eliminate 1% of its local income tax used to provide the expiring property tax replacement credit. With the remaining 0.5% of the local income tax, the county should allocate those funds for public safety to be distributed to townships for EMS and fire protection, he said. By the 2028 budget, the county can also consider adopting a local income tax based on county government needs, Niemeyer said. 'This year is an important year to set some new budget fundamentals that will help to guide us through these next three years,' Niemeyer said. 'These are just ideas. Everybody is free to agree, disagree. I did this work as a way just to … get this process moving.' Council President Christine Cid, D-5th, said she appreciated the hard work Niemeyer put into the outline. The council has asked department heads to stay within their 2025 budget as they prepare their 2026 budget, Cid said. Cid said she would support eliminating the 1% income tax 'to lessen the burden on our community who would pay these additional taxes, not receive property tax relief, and the increase of the cost of living in today's economic environment.' 'But, in order to eliminate the 1% income tax which currently offers property tax relief, the county would need to continue to collect property taxes,' Cid said. Councilman Ted Bilski, D-6th, said the council received Niemeyer's proposal ahead of the meeting, so he would review it closely in the coming days. But Bilski said he appreciated the hard work that Niemeyer put into the proposal. 'We're facing tough times. We have to do due diligence. Everything has to be considered,' Bilski said. The council also voted unanimously to approve an increase in the county's allowance for veteran's grave markers. Before the vote, the board voted to amend the ordinance to include a 2-year deadline, from the time of the veteran's death, to receive the allowance. The county's current burial allowance for a deceased veteran is $150, which would increase to $225 under the ordinance. The county's current burial allowance for the deceased veteran's spouse is $100, which would increase to $150 under the ordinance. The ordinance also increases the grave marker allowance for a veteran and the veteran's spouse from $60 to $90.
Chicago Tribune
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Lake County GOP chair alleges Dems set up for caucus during work hours
Lake County Republican Party Chairman and county councilman Randy Niemeyer raised concerns Tuesday about Democratic employees setting up for the party's caucus during work hours and paying student election workers for training they didn't attend. Lake County Board of Elections and Registration Director Michelle Fajman said the set-up for the caucus took place over the weekend, and that student election workers have a different training sign-in and payment process compared to other election workers. Niemeyer, R-Cedar Lake, said during the council's Tuesday meeting five or six Democratic employees spent three hours setting up for the county Democratic Party caucus, which was held Saturday, March 1, at the Lake County Government Center auditorium, during work hours Friday, February 28. The county's employee handbook says 'that activity is deemed improper,' Niemeyer said, so he'd like to look into why the employees set up the caucus during work hours, what has been done to correct the action, and who paid for the workers' time. 'That is not allowed to happen on government time even if there is someone else paying for it,' Niemeyer said. 'I don't think it's ever good practice for government workers to be participating in political work during their work hours.' Lake County has a history of employees doing political work in the office, Niemeyer said, like former Lake County Surveyor George Van Til who was convicted in federal court for using county resources to run his campaign. 'We've had situations here in the past where people have faced legal consequences for those sorts of things, and I sure as heck don't want to see another black eye on Lake County.' Employees did not spend three hours setting up for the caucus during business hours. The voting machines and tables were delivered that Friday, Fajman said, but all set up was done Saturday morning. Fajman said some employees could've walked into the auditorium to see if the equipment was in the room ready to be set up the next day. Employees like to walk the government campus during their breaks, so it's possible some employees could've walked by the auditorium, she said, but no set-up was done. During the May special Crown Point and Hobart school referendum elections, Niemeyer said he was concerned about inspectors and students being paid for training, which they have to attend by law, but records indicate that some didn't receive training. 'We've got some discrepancies there in processes and systems that need to be looked into,' Niemeyer said. Fajman said that special elections are paid for by the entity holding the election, so all payments of election workers would be paid for by the school districts. Initially, the money comes out of the county's general fund, and then the schools reimburse the county for the elections. Under Indiana law, clerks and judges can complete election training online or in person, Fajman said. Inspectors have to do training in person, she said. Further, Indiana law dictates that students have to attend training, Fajman said, so they can pick in person or online. Fajman said when election workers go to training, they show their driver's license and check in on a poll pad against voter registration data. Because some students aren't old enough to vote yet, Fajman said they are checked in manually. To get paid, students on Election Day sign a pay claim and mark on the claim that they attend training. Inspectors could have a discrepancy in training attendance because there could be situations where an inspector had to back out of working the election – but remains on the record – and another inspector fills in, Fajman said. The election office has been working toward coming up with a system to better track attendance and payments, Fajman said, and hopes to launch it by the next general election. 'Right now, there's no foolproof method that we have, but we're looking into it right now,' Fajman said. Ted Bilski, D-Hobart, said he supports Niemeyer raising questions about what occurred in the election office and during the special election. But there's 'agencies out there to police that,' Bilski said. Bilski said the situations should be looked into and see what the investigations find. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, said since Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, was in the audience of the meeting, maybe the legislature could look into election training criteria to make it more clear who can and can't do which type of training.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Appeals court rules in favor of NASCAR and overturns injunction for 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports
A federal appeals court ruled in favor of NASCAR on Thursday in the sanctioning body's ongoing legal battle with Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The Fourth Circuit of Appeals in North Carolina overturned an injunction that allowed the teams to race as chartered teams as their lawsuit against NASCAR proceeded. The teams won the injunction in December after they were the only two teams in NASCAR's Cup Series to not sign the current franchising agreement between NASCAR and its teams. 'In short, because we have found no support for the proposition that a business entity or person violates the antitrust laws by requiring a prospective participate to give a release for past conduct as a condition for doing business, we cannot conclude that the plaintiffs made a clear showing that they were likely to succeed on the merits of that theory," the decision stated. "And without satisfaction of the likelihood-of-success element, the plaintiffs were not entitled to a preliminary injunction.' Advertisement Front Row and 23XI had said that NASCAR was monopolistic in its antitrust suit filed in October. Chartered teams receive guaranteed entries into every Cup Series race and, most importantly, get a bigger share of purse money from the season-ending points fund. Per the terms of the decision, the teams have 14 days to ask for another hearing and the revocation of the charters — if it happened — wouldn't go into effect for another week after that 14-day deadline. There's still plenty of time for more legal machinations to happen before the teams' charters would get taken. Where everything stands now There were signs the teams' argument could be in trouble a month ago during a May hearing. The appeals court proceeding happened after NASCAR appealed the injunction in favor of the teams. A judge on the panel openly questioned the teams' argument that they should receive the benefits of the charter contract while not signing the contract. Advertisement From Sportsnaut: 'I had thought coming in and you can correct me, that the district court concluded that the (lawsuit release clause) was anticompetitive and therefore, to protect your antitrust claims, the court wanted you to be able to race but without a contract that included the release,' said Niemeyer, 'and my concern and I'll just lay it out there, I don't understand the Section 2 analysis, what we need to have is the exercise of monopoly power to exclude competition. 'I can't see why a release addresses competition in any sense. If you don't want the contract, you don't enter into it and you sue. But if you do want the contract, you enter into it, and you've given up past releases. But the Omega (a precedence case) is that you can't have you cake and eat it too.' The teams have been represented by famed antitrust lawyer Jeffrey Kessler. The 71-year-old has been on the winning side in previous high-profile sports cases like the NCAA's lifting of its cap on college athlete compensation, the United States Women's National Team's pay discrimination case and even Tom Brady's appeal of his four-game suspension as part of the "Deflategate" scandal. Neither 23XI or Front Row Appseem to be at risk of failing to qualify for any races if they lose their charter protections because no race since the Daytona 500 has featured more than 40 teams attempting to qualify for the 40 available starting spots. In fact, all but one race since the 500 has featured a full field. The money, however, is a much bigger factor. Cup Series teams rely heavily on purse and points fund money from NASCAR. With chartered teams getting a much larger share of that money than open teams, the budgets of both 23XI and Front Row Motorsports could be heavily impacted. Advertisement The decision could also lead to a fascinating dilemma. Both Front Row and 23XI expanded from two cars to three over the offseason by purchasing charters from the now defunct Stewart-Haas Racing team that closed at the end of the season. NASCAR would assumably take over the ownership of the charters since SHR no longer exists and other chartered teams could end up getting larger shares of the money designated for chartered teams. Front Row currently fields cars for Todd Gilliland, Noah Gragson and Zane Smith, while 23XI Racing has cars for Riley Herbst, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace.
