#Architecture Committee Chair

[handeaux]

Cincinnati’s Fancy New Hotel Hired A Black Bartender In 1892. It Didn’t Go Well.

Cincinnati’s newspapers spared no superlatives describing the Atlas Hotel. They claimed it belonged among the Seven Wonders of the World. So it is curious that the place barely survived a year. The Atlas opened in the spring of 1892 and was located at the southeast corner of Richmond Street and Central Avenue, just a block from City Hall. Here is the Cincinnati Post [23 May 1892]:

“Leaving the vestibule, with its mosaic floor and granite walls and beautiful mirrors, one is confronted with a glittering splendor. The bar, with its massive columns of antique oak, its beautiful mirrors, and all of its accessories of latest architectural beauty, tables and chairs of the latest designs, all furnished by the well-known bar fixture artists, the Huss Bros. Company. Up broad steps carpeted with carpets from the best looms in the country – from the well-known houses of John Shillito & Co. and Alms & Doepke, the visitor finds himself in well-lighted halls, into which open 25 rooms, with electric bells and speaking tubes connecting each room with the office, furnished with new and elegant furniture from the well-known house of Kreimer Bros., with papering and decorating done in a truly elegant manner by Lewis Voight & Sons.”

Rooms, for gentlemen only, were offered at 50 cents, 75 cents and one dollar a night. The owners of this magnificent establishment were Gustav A. Benz and Frank Beck, who had made their reputations as saloonists at other locations. Frank’s bar on Sycamore and Gus’s, two blocks south of the Atlas at Central and Seventh, were of a decidedly different flavor than the new hotel. Both drew a rough clientele and were associated with illegal gambling.

In opening a high-class hotel so close to City Hall (or, as they put it in their opening announcement, “one square north of the new City Building”), Beck and Benz hoped to entice customers from the many men who had business with city officials. Council meetings often ran into the wee hours, as did the various committees and commissions and the Atlas Hotel stood ready to accommodate men “if you miss your car or train” according to their advertisements.

Just three months after opening their magnificent hotel, the owners dissolved their partnership. Gus Benz sold his shares to Beck, who became sole proprietor. Since Benz seemed to have provided most of the initial investment, this placed a significant burden on Beck.

Adding to Beck’s headaches, the Atlas Hotel also employed a lazy and dishonest bartender. Beck fired the miscreant and, looking for a quick replacement, promoted one of the hotel’s waiters, a very polished and hard-working fellow named Louis Deal. According to the Enquirer [24 March 1893]:

“The young man did so well, was so clean and polite and honest, according to the statement of Mr. Beck, that he decided to install him permanently in his bar as the barkeeper.”

Apparently Beck did not consider that Louis Deal’s race might be an issue. Deal was Black and, in Cincinnati in 1893, the color line was essentially impermeable. The Enquirer reported that Deal’s promotion brought an almost immediate response:

“The fact that Frank Beck had a colored barkeeper was soon nosed about, and it was not long before a number of people called upon him and demanded that Deal be discharged from the place. Beck refused to comply with the request. He said that Deal did his work better and was more satisfactory than any man who had ever held the place, and so long as he did his duty he intended to keep him where he was.”

Beck’s unwavering support for his employee incensed the other barkeepers throughout the city. Although it would be three or four years before Cincinnati’s publicans unionized, the very idea of an African American barkeep at the Atlas Hotel led to organized opposition. The white bartenders got together and elected George Bear of the Gibson Hotel as their spokesman. Bear called on Beck and, according to the Enquirer [28 March 1893] offered him two choices:

“He could either discharge Deal or the barkeepers of the city, or at least the more prominent ones, would issue 100,000 dodgers [flyers or handbills], which they would distribute around the city, calling attention to the fact that the Atlas Hotel was the only first-class establishment in the city that employed a colored man as a regular barkeeper.”

In the 1890s, “first-class establishment” was code for “whites only.” Beck, faced with a substantial loss of business, folded and reluctantly dismissed Louis Deal. George Bear told the Enquirer that Cincinnati’s saloons were not ready for integration:

“It might be true that there were colored barkeepers in other cities, but he did not think the people of Cincinnati were ready for it yet.”

In making his decision, Beck claimed that business had been far less lucrative than he could absorb, even without the threat of an organized protest. As it turned out, Beck was just weeks away from declaring bankruptcy. By the end of April, advertisements appeared for a sheriff’s sale of the building and furnishings of Frank Beck’s magnificent Atlas Hotel.

The white barkeepers celebrated, of course, but their treatment of Louis Deal came back to bite them as they attempted to enlarge their union. According to the Enquirer [17 December 1896]:

“The efforts of the local Waiters and Bartenders’ Union, which is composed exclusively of white men, to affiliate their colored brethren with the union which has been going on for some time, is not meeting with much success.”

The Atlas Hotel sold for just over $3000, less than a third of its market value, to a partnership comprised of a local contractor and a saloonist. The change in ownership radically shifted the clientele, as demonstrated by a brief item in the Cincinnati Post [16 March 1894]:

“Mrs. Belle Miller, the woman who tried to strangle Mrs. Rosina Wortman during a fight at the Atlas Hotel, on Central Avenue, and was prevented by Sergeant Kane from throwing her victim out of a fourth-story window, was remanded by Judge Gregg Friday, to await the result of the latter’s injuries.”

Frank Beck licked his wounds and went back to operating a dive bar, this time in partnership with his wife, Bertha. He did well enough that there are reports of him sponsoring prize fights and wrestling matches.

Louis Deal was arrested in September 1893, six months after being fired from the Atlas Hotel, for violating the midnight law. That was a charge usually filed against barkeepers, suggesting that he was tending bar someplace. Most subsequent city directories, however, list him as a waiter or porter at various restaurants. Deal died from consumption in 1903 and he is buried at the Union Baptist Cemetery in Price Hill.

[lboogie1906]

Dr. Yosef Ben-Jochannan (December 31, 1918 - March 19, 2015) was a historian whose work is focused mainly on the Black presence in ancient Egypt. He contends in his writings that the pharaohs came out of the heart of Africa that the original Jews were from Ethiopia and were Black Africans, and that the white Jews adopted the faith and customs.

He was born an only child to an Ethiopian father and an Afro-Puerto Rican Jewish mother in a Falasha community in Ethiopia. He attended schools in Brazil, Spain, Puerto Rico, and Cuba and earned degrees in Engineering and Anthropology. He continued his education at the University of Havana, where he earned an MS in Architectural Engineering. He earned a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the same school, and he attended the University of Barcelona, where he earned a Ph.D. in Moorish history.

He immigrated to the US in the early 1940s. He was appointed chairman of the African Studies Committee at UNESCO headquarters. He began teaching Egyptology at Malcolm King College and he taught at City College in New York. He was an adjunct professor at Cornell University. He has taught at Columbia University, Al-Azan University, and Rutgers. He led an archaeological dig in the Nubia region of Egypt and led an annual trip of Black people to Egypt.

He is a prolific author, penning 49 books, such as Black Man of the Nile and African Origins of Western Religions. The subject of most of his books is ancient Nile Valley civilizations. He wrote and co-wrote elementary and secondary school texts. He is the chair of the publishing house Alkebu-Lan Foundation and its subsidiary, Alkebu-Lan Books and Education Materials Associates. He donated his library of more than 35,000 volumes to the Nation of Islam in 2002. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[attorneysinphuket]

Thailand Board of Investment

1. Institutional Framework and Historical Context

1.1 Legal Foundations

Established under the Investment Promotion Act B.E. 2520 (1977)

Amended by Act No. 4 B.E. 2560 (2017) to accommodate Industry 4.0

Operates under the Office of the Prime Minister with quasi-ministerial authority

1.2 Governance Structure

BOI Board: Chaired by the Prime Minister

Investment Committee: 12-member expert panel

Secretariat: Professional staff of 300+ specialists across 8 divisions

1.3 Historical Evolution

Phase 1 (1960-1990): Import substitution industrialization

Phase 2 (1991-2015): Export-oriented manufacturing

Phase 3 (2016-present): Technology-driven "Thailand 4.0" initiative

2. Investment Promotion Strategy

2.1 Geographic Prioritization

Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC): Enhanced incentives

Southern Border Provinces: Special security concessions

20 Provinces: Tiered incentive structures

3. Incentive Architecture

3.1 Tax Privileges

Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Holidays:

5-8 years exemption

50% reduction for 5 subsequent years

Import Duty Exemptions:

Machinery: 100% relief

Raw materials: Partial relief based on local content

3.2 Non-Tax Incentives

Land Ownership Rights: Foreign freehold permitted

Work Permit Facilitation: Fast-track processing (7 days)

Foreign Expert Visa: Multiple-entry 4-year SMART Visa

3.3 Special Incentive Packages

EEC+ Package:

15-year CIT exemption

Personal income tax cap at 17%

Digital Park Thailand:

10-year tax holiday

Data center infrastructure subsidies

4. Application and Approval Process

4.1 Pre-Application Phase

Eligibility Assessment (30-day diagnostic)

Project Feasibility Study requirements:

Minimum 3-year financial projections

Technology transfer plan

Environmental impact assessment (for Category 3 projects)

4.2 Formal Submission

Documentation Requirements:

Corporate structure diagrams

Shareholder background checks

Detailed investment timeline

Filing Channels:

Online BOI e-Service portal

In-person at BOI One Start One Stop center

5. Compliance and Operational Requirements

5.1 Investment Implementation

Capital Deployment Schedule:

25% within 12 months

100% within 36 months (extensions possible)

Employment Ratios:

Minimum 1 Thai employee per THB 1M investment

Technology transfer obligations

5.2 Reporting Obligations

Annual Progress Reports: Detailed project updates

Tax Privilege Utilization Statements: Certified by auditor

Foreign Expert Tracking: Monthly work permit updates

6. Sector-Specific Considerations

6.1 Manufacturing Sector

Local Content Requirements: 40-60% depending on sector

Environmental Standards: Tiered compliance levels

6.2 Digital Economy

Data Localization Rules: Conditional exemptions

IP Protection: Enhanced safeguards for BOI projects

6.3 Renewable Energy

Feed-in Tariff Eligibility: BOI+EGAT coordination

Carbon Credit Monetization: Special provisions

7. Dispute Resolution and Appeals

7.1 Privilege Revocation Process

Grounds for Cancellation:

Failure to meet investment timelines

Violation of environmental regulations

Fraudulent application information

Appeal Mechanism: 60-day window to petition

7.2 Arbitration Framework

THAC-administered proceedings

Expedited process for BOI disputes

8. Emerging Trends and Future Directions

9.1 Policy Developments

Draft Amendment Act (2025): Proposed R&D requirements

Green Industry Incentives: Carbon neutrality targets

9.2 Technological Integration

Blockchain Verification: For document authentication

AI-assisted Application Processing: Pilot program

9.3 Global Value Chain Positioning

ASEAN+3 Supply Chain Initiatives

EU-Thailand FTA Preparations

9. Strategic Implementation Guide

10.1 For Multinational Corporations

Regional HQ Strategy: Leverage RHQ privileges

Tiered Investment Approach: Phased capital deployment

10.2 For SMEs

Cluster Development: Co-location benefits

Technology Partner Matching: BOI-facilitated pairings

10.3 Risk Management

Compliance Calendar: Critical date tracking

Contingency Planning: Alternative incentive structures

Key Resources:

BOI Official Website: www.boi.go.th

Investment Privileges Database: privilege.boi.go.th

EEC Special Regulations: eeco.or.th

[udonlawyers]

Thailand Permanent Residency

Thailand's permanent residency (PR) framework originates from the 1927 Alien Registration Act, with major reforms occurring in:

1950 Immigration Act (established modern categories)

1979 Immigration Act (current statutory basis)

2008 Nationality Act amendments (tightened naturalization pathways)

1.2 Jurisdictional Authorities

Primary Oversight: Ministry of Interior (Section 37 Immigration Act)

Implementation: Immigration Bureau (Division 1, Section 3)

Adjudication: Special Committee chaired by Permanent Secretary for Interior

1.3 Relevant International Obligations

While Thailand maintains strict immigration controls, certain bilateral agreements influence PR considerations:

ASEAN agreements on skilled labor mobility

US-Thai Treaty of Amity (limited PR implications)

Japan-Thai Economic Partnership (special professional categories)

2. Eligibility Matrix

2.2 Qualitative Assessments

Character Evaluation:

Police clearance from all countries of residence

Neighborhood certification (conduct verification)

Employer/associate testimonials

Integration Metrics:

Thai language proficiency (CEFR A1 minimum)

Cultural knowledge exam (80% pass mark)

Community participation evidence

3. Procedural Architecture

3.1 Document Preparation Protocol

Core Documentation:

Visa History: Certified copies of all visas + entry stamps

Financial Evidence:

Bank statements (6 months, certified)

Tax records (RD.90 forms)

Investment certificates (BOI/SEC approved)

Supporting Materials:

Property Documents: Chanote + household registration

Employment Verification:

Work permits (all versions)

Social fund records

Company financials (for business owners)

4. Financial and Tax Considerations

4.1 Cost Structure Analysis

Official Fees:

Application fee: THB 7,600

Approval fee: THB 191,400

Alien book: THB 800 (annual)

Re-entry permit: THB 3,800 (single), THB 9,800 (multiple)

Unofficial Costs:

Document procurement: THB 15,000-50,000

Legal representation: THB 100,000-500,000

Expediting services: Market rate THB 200,000+

4.2 Tax Implications

Pre-PR: Only Thai-sourced income taxable

Post-PR: Worldwide income potentially taxable (if remitted)

Wealth Tax: None currently, but property transfer taxes apply

5. Rights and Privileges

5.2 Occupational Restrictions

Registered Profession Requirement: Must work in field specified at application

Business Ownership: Permitted but requires MOI notification

Government Employment: Prohibited without special approval

6. Judicial and Administrative Review

6.1 Appeal Process

Rejection Appeals: 30 days to file with Immigration Commission

Judicial Review: Available at Administrative Court

Success Rates: <15% for appeals, <5% for judicial review

6.2 PR Revocation

Grounds include:

Criminal conviction (1+ year sentence)

Tax evasion findings

Extended overseas absence (5+ years)

National security concerns

7. Strategic Application Approaches

7.1 Category Optimization

Employment Track: Ideal for corporate executives (minimum THB 150k salary preferred)

Investment Route: Best for property developers (BOI projects favored)

Family Path: Most reliable for long-term married couples (10+ years marriage ideal)

7.2 Document Enhancement Strategies

Tax Augmentation: Voluntary additional tax payments to demonstrate commitment

Community Engagement: Documented volunteer work with registered charities

Language Certification: Official CU-TFL test scores preferred over immigration exam

8. Comparative Regional Analysis

8.2 Global Benchmarks

Processing Time: Thailand (3-5 yrs) vs Canada (1.5 yrs)

Cost: Thailand (~6K)vsUK( 6K)vsUK( 3K)

Success Rate: Thailand (8%) vs Australia (25%)

9. Emerging Trends and Reforms

9.1 Digital Transformation

E-Application Pilot: Limited testing in Bangkok

Blockchain Verification: For document authentication

Automated Background Checks: Integration with INTERPOL databases

9.2 Policy Shifts

Talent-Centric Quotas: Increasing STEM professional allocations

Retirement PR Pathway: Under consideration for high-net-worth retirees

Dual Citizenship Tolerance: Parliamentary study underway

10. Practical Challenges and Solutions

10.1 Common Obstacles

Document Procurement: Especially for older visa records

Bureaucratic Delays: Particularly at verification stage

Exam Preparation: Lack of standardized study materials

10.2 Mitigation Strategies

Early Retention: Engage immigration lawyer at least 2 years pre-application

Parallel Processing: Initiate document requests simultaneously

Mock Examinations: Utilize private language schools for test prep

11. Longitudinal Case Studies

11.1 Successful Applications

Tech Executive: Approved in 3.5 years via employment track

THB 250k monthly salary

Certified Thai language proficiency

BOI-company sponsorship

Investor: Approved in 4 years via property route

THB 25M Bangkok condo portfolio

Additional THB 5M government bonds

Documented charity contributions

11.2 Rejection Analysis

Common Factors:

Inconsistent tax payments (78% of failed cases)

Language test failures (62%)

Suspicious financial patterns (45%)

12. Future Outlook

12.1 Projected Reforms

Points-Based System: Under consideration (2026 target)

Premium Processing: THB 500k+ for expedited review

Regional PR Options: Special economic zone programs

12.2 Demographic Impacts

Current PR holder demographics:

Chinese: 32%

Japanese: 18%

Western: 22%

Other Asian: 28%

13. Conclusion: Strategic Imperatives

Thailand's PR system remains: ✔ Highly exclusive (0.03% approval rate) ✔ Process-intensive (1000+ document pages typical) ✔ Discretionary in nature (despite codified rules)

Critical success factors:

Early preparation (3-5 year horizon)

Comprehensive documentation

Professional guidance

Financial commitment

The program continues evolving toward:

Greater transparency in decision-making

Enhanced digital infrastructure

Strategic alignment with economic development goals

Prospective applicants should monitor:

Annual quota announcements (December)

Ministerial regulation changes

Judicial rulings on PR-related cases

[ptseti]

BORN ON THIS DAY IN 1918 ❤️🖤💚 Yosef Ben-Jochannan was an Afrocentric historian whose work focused mainly on the black presence in Ancient Egypt. He contends in his writings that the pharaohs came out of the heart of Africa and that the original Jews were from Ethiopia and were black Africans, and the white Jews adopted the faith and customs later. He has been accused of distorting history, and since his work contradicts the prevailing view of Egyptian and African history, it is controversial. Ben-Jochannan was born an only child to an Ethiopian father and an Afro-Puerto Rican Jewish mother in a Falasha community in Ethiopia. He attended schools in Brazil, Spain, Puerto Rico, and Cuba and earned degrees in engineering and anthropology. He continued his education at the University of Havana, Cuba, where he earned a Master’s degree in architectural engineering. He earned a doctoral degree in cultural anthropology from the same school. Finally, he attended the University of Barcelona, where he earned another doctoral degree in Moorish history. Ben-Jochannan immigrated to the United States in the early 1940s. He was appointed chairman of the African Studies Committee at UNESCO headquarters in 1945. He served in that position until 1970. Ben-Jochannan began teaching Egyptology at Malcolm King College in 1950, and then he taught at City College in New York. He was an adjunct professor at Cornell University from 1976 to 1987. He has also taught at Columbia University, Al-Azan University, and Rutgers. He led an archaeological dig in the Nubia region of Egypt in the 1990s and also led an annual trip of black people to Egypt. Ben-Jochannan is a prolific author, penning 49 books, such as Black Man of the Nile and African Origins of Western Religions. The subject of most of his books is ancient Nile Valley civilizations. He also wrote and co-wrote elementary and secondary school texts in the 1960s. He is the chair of the publishing house Alkebu-Lan Foundation and its subsidiary, Alkebu-Lan Books and Education Materials Associates. Dr. Yosef Ben-Jochannan died in Harlem, New York, on March 19, 2015, at the age of 96.

[beardedmrbean]

1. As good as it gets: Flanders approves highly contentious nitrogen decree

After months of negotiations, the Flemish Parliament has approved the amended nitrogen decree, which sets out limits on emissions of the gas. The agreement was called by the majority parties the "highest achievable" outcome. But farmers vow to take legal action against it. Read more.

2. Belgium's new tax regime for expats: What changes?

From this month, Belgium's former expatriate tax regime – available to foreign executives and researchers hired from abroad – no longer exists. This means that the approximately 27,000 expats affected will see significant changes in their financial and administrative situations. Read more.

3. Panoramic restaurant above Brucity will finally open its doors

The long-awaited opening of Brussels' panoramic restaurant has finally been announced, meaning the stunning skyline can soon be marvelled at every day, no matter the weather. Read more.

4. Belgian architecture and beer: Why ugly beats boring

In 2011, a photograph of a grey terraced house in Belgium with two incredibly pointed steeples – a house completely different from all the houses on the rest of the street – kicked off a project by media consultant Hannes Coudenys called Ugly Belgian Houses. Read more.

5. People are 'not ready': Investigation into Belgium's colonial past at a standstill

The Commission tasked with investigating Belgium's colonial past in 2020 never published a final report due to intense political disagreement. "Minds were not ready," committee chair Wouter De Vriendt (Groen) stated after another vote fell through on Monday. Read more.

6. Noise pollution: STIB to replace 1,000 'oval' wheels to stop vibrations in Brussels metro

For over two years, local residents on the routes of Brussels metro lines 1 and 5 have been complaining about persistent noise pollution. The cause of this noise – defective wheels – will gradually be resolved this year, public transport company STIB has announced. Read more.

7. Hidden Belgium: A bookcase toilet in Antwerp

The curious eighteenth-century Hofkamer lies hidden in the garden of a grand 18th-century Antwerp mansion called Den Wolsack. Abandoned for many years, the remarkable Hofkamer interior was finally restored and revealed to the public in 2017. Read more.

[alphabetsoup-blogposts]

Banks?

No, not much that occurs directly. There's the general funding and participation bit, of course, at the Crimson and the Old Lady but nothing much that occurs on a personal level. I'll let you know if that changes. Meanwhile, the closest it comes is probably that 2015 WG. But, again, I have rafts of notes that I am not up to sanitizing all at once. Here's a very brief impressionistic introduction and then something you might find vaguely amusing, I guess.

Eh? No....no-o-o-o-ooo!!!! I get that this is ancient history in the sense, perhaps, of a statute of limitations but don't let them rewrite that history. Don't let them for one second say "we had to set up a new regulatory architecture under pressure and in those circumstances we had to cut some corners and maybe find people who weren't top notch experts". Not. For. One. Second.

The Hogg Tendering Committee members were always going to accommodate the lead given by Treasury on this. That was asking for problems ab initio. The whole landscape called for rigorous and impartial independent expertise but it wasn't de facto available, even if the list of members is hugely impressive.

That, however, wouldn't have mattered if they hadn't (for reasons that are still unclear) pivoted at the very last minute to choose an administrator previously thought to be on long odds and then approved a personnel structure which created many layers of loyal and unquestioning support for the CEO. These layers involved the [hearsay] assurance by George Osborne that he would not any circumstances allow the asset to be lost to London despite saying the opposite in public.

The layers of protection also included the installation of a "tough guy" Chair who had zero technical knowledge of the subject but who came in (again, for reasons that are unclear) with a singular mandate to protect the CEO. And, it included the appointment (of course) of fiercely staff and the actuality of two or three very senior shadow directors in the conglomerate who effectively decided or endorsed all important issues but whom could not be reached by me and other local board members but only by F, A and E.

One of those shadow directors (tbc) was ex-FCA, and at the most senior possible level.

Even more importantly, the layers of protection included the bizarrely-conflicted support of several then-current FCA bods including a benchmark administrator recruited from the defunct AIG Financial Products who didn't understand the nature of his own Competition Act powers. (*Sigh* TLDR.)

The Hogg Committee approved a tender led by a CEO who was (and this is just a tiny, tiny piece of the puzzle) not only given to random, inarticulate monologuing, obfuscation, secrecy, dishonesty ("I didn't try to remove FS..."), volatile overreaction and self-aggrandizement but who also repeatedly said in public that he resented regulation and "saw no reason to comply with any of [the recommendations of international standards setters]."

I was there from the very beginning... in 2012. I convened a WG, working behind the scenes in a bunker when the whole thing was so top secret that we were not allowed to put the phone calls in our institutional diaries—long before anyone else that was subsequently thought to be part of the solution. But at no time after it became public and implementation was in full swing was that WG asked to offer any structural expertise whatsoever and...

If you remember, in or around Xmas/New Year 2013-2014, I was roundly attacked by officers at the FCA—who were themselves led by David L, ex-Committee—on my self-evident objections to the planned structure. As a result of that meeting, the supposedly "independent" role that I later briefly held was placed back firmly under the control of F and A. (And, if you think this sounds like unjustified, brittle grievance-blindness, I would just mention that it was yet another of those meetings at which a junior FCA person later tried to apologise sotto voce for the way I'd been treated.)

Anyway, those are not the kind of mistakes you make because you are in a rush. Those are mistakes that are made because fraud, cronyism and corruption have entered the system at some level, somewhere. If I had to guess (but NB it is only a guess): CMcC probably assured GO that "he's got this" and GO agreed that it seemed like a neat solution to those pesky American pot-stirrers, giving a steer to the Hogg Committee accordingly. In turn, CMcC was presumably assured by JS that F was the man for the job and persuaded by those assurances because... well, he was in no position to disagree. I suppose JS bet on F because F invested very heavily in lobbying JS, making important connections and generally maximising his chances, but also, perhaps, because F's great talent was a kind of charisma—of exactly the kind that can impress at a tendering interview—and JS saw an opportunity for profit. Perhaps JS also saw an opportunity satisfactorily to resolve an intra-institutional competition between F and DP , who had just been promoted to the job that (as everyone knew) F passionately wanted, without losing more talent to competitors. And, I assume, the FCA fell in line because... well, because CMcC...but also, clearly, because CMo was compromised somehow.

Also, if you remember, at the end of 2013, R asked me "how much money I'd need to stay in practice" (cf "asset value to you, Jo") and F offered me that sum within about 72 hrs. The game of luring someone in to an enterprise and then giving them absolutely no autonomy is a truly curious one… I run out of reliable theories at this point but note that R was the only person to know about GG (I had confessed in order to "chill" his Saturday habit of visiting me at work and talking about social questions). Perhaps, then, it's possible not only that there was a link from R through BB to CMcC and George Osborne but also that there was a fair amount of inappropriate gossip-sharing. If so, it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that I became a captive pawn for the better control of those pesky American pot-stirrers. (There are, however, other aspects that should be noted, including that both GG and I were from that point laboring under an irreconcilable conflict of interests which had the added "benefit" of keeping us incommunicado... socially/romantically and on topics such as my strong objections to ever entering the judiciary or the history of The Man of Talent vs The Man of Profile rivalry... a blanket of silence that I can imagine R holding in high regard.)

[miamartin22]

Mia Martin Palm Beach: Championing Heritage, Architecture, and Community

In the heart of Palm Beach, Florida, one name stands out in the world of heritage conservation and cultural advocacy: Mia Martin Palm Beach. With a distinguished background in fine arts, historical preservation, and genealogical research, Mia Martin has become a symbol of elegance, knowledge, and dedication to preserving America’s story.

Raised in Virginia’s historic Hunt Country, Mia Martin’s journey began at Foxcroft School in Middleburg. Not only did she graduate from this prestigious institution, but she later returned to serve as a Trustee and co-chaired the school's Centennial celebration. Her academic and professional journey continued across the U.S. and Europe, with studies in England, Italy, and Switzerland. She later earned a Fine Arts degree from American University after working with Sotheby’s in London—experiences that profoundly shaped her perspective on art and history.

Mia’s passion for preservation took root early and has flourished ever since. Her restoration efforts include a stunning Embassy Row mansion in Washington, D.C., now home to the Embassy of Estonia, as well as a historic Virginia farmhouse. These projects reflect her lifelong dedication to saving architectural treasures. Her leadership roles—such as co-chairing the “Restore America Gala” at the Library of Congress and serving on the Council of the National Trust for Historic Preservation—underscore her national influence.

In Palm Beach, Mia Martin is celebrated for her advocacy of preserving “Palm Beach Classic Regency” architecture, a timeless and elegant style she champions through writing and community involvement. Her contributions to the local cultural landscape were recently featured in NewsBreak, solidifying her role as a key voice in the region’s architectural conservation.

Mia Martin’s dedication also extends to genealogical heritage. She serves as the Recording Secretary of the Colonial Dames XVII Century and chairs its heraldry committee. Her memberships in the DAR, the Pilgrim Society, and the Society of Mayflower Descendants in Virginia reflect a deep respect for lineage and American legacy.

As an author, her book Dog Heraldry: The Official Collection of Canine Coat of Arms (Simon & Schuster) stands out as a unique blend of her love for animals, art, and history. Launched at the Westminster Kennel Club, the book continues to captivate readers interested in heraldry and canine lineage (Yahoo Finance article).

Mia Martin’s digital presence spans several platforms where she shares insights into her preservation work and artistic passions. Explore her story further on her official site, ArchDaily, About.me, Medium, Wix, Weebly, and WordPress.

Ultimately, Mia Martin Palm Beach exemplifies how one person’s passion for history, art, and culture can impact communities and preserve legacies for generations to come.

[apexart-journal]

Anna Louise Richardson in NYC, Day #4

Today I went downtown to City Hall for a Committee hearing on Immigration. After going to the wrong building and waiting in line to go through security for a Town Planning and Zoning hearing I realised I was in the wrong place and hustled over to the other building. The City Hall is an incredible piece of architecture, very grand and imposing, I really enjoyed looking at the ornate details of the ceiling and walls. There were inscriptions on the walls with quotes from previous presidents: "Government of the people for the people" Lincoln "Equal and exact justice to all men of whatever state or persuasion" Jefferson "Our commercial policy should hold and equal impartial hand" Washington It got me thinking how (although I know there were definitely faults with the social and humanitarian policies of these leaders) I cannot think of an outstanding quote equivalent from a Prime Minister or President in recent politics that upholds democracy. Nothing that would rouse a true following for goodness or could ever be enshrined on a council building 200 years from now. The hearing was chaired by Council Member Alexa Aviles, who I found very impressive, even more so when I looked up her track record. In the hearing she held the Mayor's office accountable in a direct but kind way. It is clear that whilst some in the Mayors office really recognised the needs of immigrants, asylum seekers and non citizens in NYC they appeared woefully underprepared to respond to questioning and many of their statements seemed to position them as helpless to do anything. Aviles pointed out that recognition does nothing to actualyl help anybody. The chair made it clear that no sanctuary laws had changed (I had to look this up and found that sanctuary policies are based on the idea that the federal government cannot compel jurisdictions to take part in immigration enforcement. This is really interesting to me, we do not have this in Australia but it makes the political differences between the states in the USA make more sense now). The chair talked about how real fear in the immigrant community is scaring people away from sending their kids to school, seeking medical care or calling 911 if need be because of the disjunction between state and federal policy and the bigoted rhetoric in the broken federal immigration system. At one point someone from the Mayor's office said something akin to 'No family is sleeping rough in NYC subways at the moment' which even I can see from 4 days here is not true. I found this session really interesting to hear about the history of seeking asylum in NYC, and it was heartening to see strong and clear leadership from within the council, and to witness it, as so often in politics (especially from an international lens) we only see the salacious, click baity or new commentary from leaders and much of that has been terrible. I stayed at the hearing as long as I could until I had to catch the subway back to the apartment for a webinar on breaking the glass ceiling in entrepreneurship. The presenter has an interesting story but I found this session a bit dull. It seems very tricky to present a 'how to' when so many of the things that make a business successful are case by case and the networks one has access to. The presenter did say something that I thought was a good mantra for business success though: "unhappy birds don't sing". I rested in the afternoon, as my sleep has been a bit all over the place, then went to a cardio class uptown at a recreation centre near Thomas Jefferson Park. The buildings were lower and felt like more of a residential area. The class was fun, with great beats and an energetic instructor who I struggled to hear over the music and being unused to his accent but the vibe in the room was fun and the class hard work! An hour of step and weights and cardio had us all sweating. I enjoyed watching the camaraderie and dance moves the other attendees busted out. Stepping out into the freezing cold cooled me down in no time and I caught the subway back to the apartment to make dinner.

[flowerfruitmountain]

Arthur Korn (4 June 1891 – 14 November 1978) was a German architect and urban planner who was a proponent of modernism in Germany and the UK.

Influenced by the pan European CIAM (Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne), the MARS (Modern Architectural Research) Group were interested in applying the ideas of the modernist movement in Britain, most notably in a post war plan for London. As chair of the plan's governing committee at MARS, Arthur Korn worked with what was described as a 'small and devoted' group including architects Arthur Ling and Maxwell Fry, the latter who worked as secretary, and fellow Jewish emigre, engineer Felix Samuely.[8] Korn is described as having been 'the main spring of the enterprise' and as providing an 'infectious enthusiasm' that drove the project forward.[8][9] Influenced by the Soviet urbanist Milyutin, the plan essentially conceived the centre of the city remaining much the same but with a series of linear forms or tongues extending from the Thames, described as like a herring bone, composed of social units and based around the rail network.[7][10] Habitation in each social unit was to consist mainly of flats and owed much to Le Corbusier's notion of the Unite d'Habitation.[10] Described as 'unworkable' by Dennis Sharp, in his 1971 essay on the plan, he concedes it 'was not a concrete scheme but a concept that would by its very nature produce interpretations'.[7] Marmaras and Sutcliffe argue the plan 'saw London almost entirely in terms of movement ...[being] presented primarily as a centre of exchange and communications'.[11] Moughtin and Shirley (1995) note that one of the aims of the plan was to promote public transport, where with railways integral to planning, the 'need for cars will be few'.[10][12]

Korn's initial chairmanship of the plan was interrupted by his 18-month internship in the Isle of Man from 1939, on account of his German citizenship and perceived Communist sympathies, the period during which work on the plan fissled out.[8] On his release, in 1941, work recommenced, an exhibition of the plan was organised and a 'description and analysis' was published under the joint authorship of Arthur Korn and Felix Samuely in the Architectural Association journal in 1942.[8][11]

Whilst praised for his passion and willingness to accept 'paper plans' and 'Utopian projects', he could sometimes be uncompromising and frank.[15] On a visit to a newly built block of flats in Portsmouth, he is known to have exclaimed to those present, many of whom were ex-students of his: 'You have built these chicken-coops, these rabbit hutches! You?'.[15]

—

He was an architecture professor and urban planner. Just very ideologically driven, moreso than other architects.

Honestly, I still think this book as nonfic is annoying and not too good, but all that is great. Explains why the latter half insistently mentioned funding.

[jcmarchi]

Hank Green to deliver MIT’s 2025 Commencement address

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/hank-green-to-deliver-mits-2025-commencement-address/

Hank Green to deliver MIT’s 2025 Commencement address

Hank Green, a prolific digital content creator and entrepreneur with the ethos “make things, learn stuff,” will deliver the address at the OneMIT Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 29.

Since the 1990s, Green has launched, built, and sustained a wide-ranging variety of projects, from videos to podcasts to novels, many featuring STEM-related topics and a signature enthusiasm for the natural world and the human experience. He often collaborates with his brother, author John Green.

The Greens’ educational media company, Complexly, produces content that is used in high schools across the U.S. and has been viewed more than 2 billion times. The company continues to grow its large number of YouTube channels, including SciShow, which investigates everything from the deepest hole on Earth to the weirdest kinds of lightning. Videos on other channels, such as CrashCourse, ask questions like “Where did democracy come from?” and “Why do we study art?” On his own platforms, Green takes on virtually any topic under the sun, including the weird science of tattoos and how ferrofluid speakers work.

Green has also launched platforms to help support other content creators, including VidCon, the world’s largest gathering that celebrates the community, craft, and industry of online video, which was acquired by Viacom in 2018. He also launched the crowdfunding platform Subbable, which was later acquired by Patreon. His latest book is the New York Times best-selling “A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor,” the sequel in a pair of novels that grapple with the implications of overnight fame, internet culture, and reality-shifting discoveries.

“Many of our students grew up captivated by the way Hank Green makes learning about complex science subjects accessible and fun — whether he’s describing climate change, electromagnetism, or the anatomy of a pelican,” says MIT President Sally Kornbluth. “Our students told us they wanted a Commencement speaker whose knowledge and insight are complemented by creativity, humor, and a sense of hope for the future. Hank and his endless curiosity more than fit the bill, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to join us in celebrating the Class of 2025.”

“I was just so honored to be invited,” Green says. “MIT has always represented the best of what happens when creativity meets rigorous inquiry, and I can’t wait to be part of this moment.”

Green has been a YouTube celebrity since starting a vlog with his brother in 2007, which led to the growth of a huge fanbase known as the NerdFighters and the Greens’ signature phrase “Don’t forget to be awesome.” Hank Green also writes songs and performs standup. Last summer he released a comedy special about his recent diagnosis and successful treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma.

“Hank Green shares our students’ boundless curiosity about how things work, and we’re excited to welcome such an enthusiastic educator to MIT. CrashCourse’s lucid, engaging videos have bolstered the efforts of millions of high-school students to master AP physical and social science curricula and have invited learners of all ages to better understand our universe, our planet and humanity,” says Les Norford, professor of architecture and chair of the Commencement Committee.

“Hank Green is an inspiration for those of us who want to make science and education accessible, and I’m eager to hear what words of wisdom he has for the graduating class. He embodies a pure and hopeful form of curiosity just like what I’ve observed across the MIT community,” says senior class president Megha Vemuri.

“As someone that has worked tirelessly to make science accessible to the public, Hank Green is an excellent choice for commencement speaker. He has commendably used his many skills to help improve the world,” says Teddy Warner, president of the Graduate Student Council.

Green joins notable recent MIT Commencement speakers including inventor and entrepreneur Noubar Afeyan (2024); YouTuber and inventor Mark Rober (2023); Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (2022); lawyer and social justice activist Bryan Stevenson (2021); retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral William McRaven (2020); and three-term New York City mayor and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg (2019). 

[utcampuslifeupdate]

An Award-Winning New Era for Hogg Memorial Auditorium

Campus Events+Entertainment’s Showtime Committee at the “Barbie” movie screening in November 2023

Hogg Memorial Auditorium’s transformation into a lively hub of student activity and destination for live music, performances and events has not gone unnoticed since reopening one year ago. The 91-year-old facility has garnered eight accolades from local, higher education and industry organizations for preserving its architectural and cultural heritage while bringing it into the 21st century.

But what’s happening with students inside the reimagined space is probably the most validating recognition. Longhorns are celebrating the new cutting-edge technology that enhances the audience and performer experience while expanding opportunities for hands-on learning that translates into meaningful careers and lives.

Students were the catalyst for initiating the renovation project in 2011 and worked with the Division of Student Affairs’ leadership to secure funding and develop a plan. Updates include state-of-the-art audio/visual and lighting systems, and stage and production equipment, which offer students a space to develop their skills in live performing arts and event planning.

Student group performance at the Hogg Memorial Auditorium Showcase in November 2023

“I am very fortunate that I get to learn with this technology. We have access to state-of-the-art equipment that you would not easily find, especially at a venue for students. This unique technology motivates us to learn more about our crafts,” shared Joy Williams, a University Unions' student employee who works as a lighting operator, board designer, technician, and stagehand and a sophomore theatre and dance major from Pharr, Texas.

Joy Williams in the renovated Hogg Memorial Auditorium production booth testing lighting designs.

For Williams, who is pursuing a career as a lighting operator, working with the auditorium's production team allows her to help produce premier University events. Williams operated the lighting during President Jay Hartzell’s State of the University address on Sept. 18, and noted how working with professional event planners is helping improve her communication skills.

“I am gaining a lot of skills that can transfer to my future career. I had never truly had the chance to interact with clients before this, so this job has given me the confidence to consult and deliver with different clients and their needs,” she added.

Campus Events+Entertainment Showtime Committee’s “Asteroid City” screening in November 2023

Academy-award winning director Wes Anderson is proof of the auditorium’s transformative atmosphere. He was a student projectionist with University Unions in the early 90s at UT Austin. Anderson recognized the auditorium’s impact on his career trajectory in a special video message played before the screening of his Asteroid City movie at the venue: “I watched a lot of movies in this room, and it’s one of my favorite cinemas in the world.”

Since reopening in October 2023, 65 events have taken place at the auditorium, with 27 of those events hosted by student organizations. Campus Events+Entertainment, the largest student programming organization on campus, hosted the annual Texas Revue, the University’s student talent show, and screened the Barbie! and Asteroid City movies.

“We are able to do much more with the new technology as well as offer an increased quality of events. It feels like a UT space – it enhances the student experience,” noted Thien Nguyen, the Showtime Committee chair and a junior management information systems major from Houston.

Gary Clark Jr. performs at Hogg Memorial Auditorium in October 2023

Keeping with the auditorium’s legacy dating back to 1933, some big names have taken the stage in the past year, especially during the grand reopening celebrations. The first event held was a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and blues-rock musician and Austin-native Gary Clark, Jr. headlined the first concert there.

Events of this scale show what is now possible following the $27.8 million renovation. University Unions collaborated with partners across campus, resulting in these recognitions that celebrate the innovative approach to preservation and energy-efficient design – ultimately putting students first.

Hogg Memorial Auditorium is the first renovated building at UT Austin to earn the United States Green Building Council’s Platinum certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

American School & University, Bronze Citation, Educational Interiors Showcase 2024

Associated General Contractors of Texas Building Branch (AGC-TBB) Outstanding Construction Awards for General Contractor, Historic Renovations, 2023

Associated General Contractors of Texas Building Branch (AGC-TBB) Outstanding Construction Award for Historical Renovations-Statewide, 2024

Austin Green Award (2024)

Learning By Design Architectural & Interior Design Awards of Excellence, Outstanding Renovation Project 2024

Preservation Award for Restoration, Preservation Austin Merit Awards 2024

Spaces4Learning, Grand Prize, Education Design Showcase, 2024

If you have not experienced the wonders of the renovated auditorium, make plans to attend a performance, which includes two holiday concerts featured on this list of upcoming events.

[egyptatours]

Bayt Al-Suhaymi :The Rich History and Cultural Significance

Bayt Al-Suhaymi :The Rich History and Cultural Significance

Bayt Al-Suhaymi is a living piece of wonder and happiness displayed as the finest Islamic architecture from the Ottoman era dating back some 370 years.

It is one of the most stunning and vibrant medieval Islamic buildings in Cairo, the finest non-monumental architecture found in the golden capital of Cairo that functions as a magical museum in the form of a traditional Islamic themed house displaying a rare form of impeccable skill and hypnotic charm. The artistic taste of this golden period. Everyone will witness the minds, artistic innovation and imagination of these amazing craftsmen.

This heavenly Islamic wonder is located in the Al-Darb Al-Asfar neighborhood in Al-Gamaliyya, branching off golden Al-Muizz Street, which is one of the most prestigious streets in the wonderful old capital of Cairo, filled with many palaces, mosques, buildings and shrines.

The first part of the Bayt Al-Suhaymi  tribal area was built in 1648 AD by Sheikh Bandar AL Trajan Abdel Wahab Al Tablawi  and the second in 1797 AD by Sheikh Bandar al-Trajan Ismail bin Ismail Shalabi, who also combined the two houses into one house. Big house. The house was owned by the sheikh of Turks’ Rawaq in Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, the scholar Muhammad Amin Al-Suhaimi, who was born and raised in Mecca, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, before settling in this house. His family remained for many generations in this wonderful home.

He is known for holding a Ramadan night, establishing a religious advisory area, and building a shelter for foreign travelers. He died in 1928 AD, and his house was transformed in 1931 AD when Al-Suhami sold this house for 6,000 pounds to the Committee for the Preservation of Arab Antiquities. The house was completely renovated in 1994 and is once again ready to receive visitors.

A number of excavations have proven that the house was built on the ruins of the Fatimid era. It has become a very charming artistic and cultural center that shows the Egyptian identity within the Egyptian Islamic heritage through a number of festivals that are held during the month of Ramadan by holding Shadow Fantasy, Al-Aragoz, and Tanoura shows.

Bayt Al-Suhaymi consists of a number of buildings overlooking a huge, picturesque courtyard, where the facades are filled with charming wooden grilled windows. It contains a large balcony for sitting and a furnished reception hall. It is located on an area of ​​2000 square meters and consists of two connected houses.

The house contains a number of rooms, including a birth chair, a bathroom, and some water wells. There is a waterwheel for irrigating the garden, an ox mill, and some pottery and stone vessels for preserving grain. It has a magical roof that spreads like a magnificent constellation. It contains a number of halls and rooms on each floor. At the heart of the house there is a wonderful fountain that acts as an air cooler.

The house was designed in the Islamic style, as it is divided into “Salamlek” on the first floor, which is designated for all male guests, the second floor, “Haramlek,” which is for the Sultan’s harem, and finally, Al-Muharram, designated for the Sultan’s harem. It attracts curious visitors and has some wonderful designs and decorations on the two floors. There are a number of beautiful Mashrabiya windows overlooking the garden, in addition to a beautiful marble floor, decorated ceiling, and wooden furniture.

When you go up from the first floor, you will notice that there are many rooms for the family, and you will find that these rooms are similar to the rooms on the ground floor, but these rooms differ because they have many windows, and these windows overlook the street. On your short Egypt tour packages, you will be surprised by the beauty of the first floor rooms covered in blue porcelain and beautiful floral decorations.

There are also dining utensils made of porcelain and decorated ceramic, and on the first floor there is a small room used to store crops. On this floor there is a wonderful bathroom covered in white marble and a wonderful dome-shaped ceiling. This bathroom has a stove to heat water, a sink carved from a single piece of marble, and a water tank.

There are also two parts in this house that you can explore during Egypt day tours, one in the front is a garden with a wooden couch and many trees, while in the back there is a water basin and a mill.

[kaimukiwahine]

Day one: Post graduation reflection

After leaving the arena and staying for the lei ceremony for a little while, my folks drove me home. Got to beat that traffic, you know.

Once home, I got out of my gown and hood, my formals, all of it. Put on the sleepwear I wore this morning, crawled into bed and just cried.

No one except my parents were there. No other family. None of my friends nor my professors I have known for years showed up. Granted, one of my friends from the uni server and my professor chair did show but it was long after I left. My folks and I just gave up thinking anyone would come to see me.

The past few years, I kept questioning was this all worth it. The time, money, energy for a degree I originally didn't plan for. Was roped in because my previous professor told me he will take me in to do it and I wouldn't have to pay for it. So I did. And he lied.

I known him for several years prior as an undergrad. Worked and studied then when time came to graduate he offered. But when I come to him ready, he wasn't. My family paid for my education while he kept putting up a facade of being the kind professor. He got me a job but it just soured as I was put into being basically a maid, far from what I was originally intended to work as.

The same summer I was let go, he let me go. I spent those hot summer months working on a project I tried to stay enthusiastic about. Only to be told I was incapable, much like the employer who let me go just a month prior. Because of one miscommunication. Even went to so go as far as holding a surprise meeting where he basically shamed me in front of three other people i never met, that I should consider dropping out. Leave grad school, the very same he told me to do when I didn't want it. All of this, just a week prior to the start of my second year. I survived just one year under him.

Luckily, another professor took me in. For thesis, you arrange a committee: one chairperson and your members. One of my members gladly took me in after explaining things. He didn't make any lofty promises, just what he has in mind and if I was interested. I took it.

So I would spend the next six years with him. It could have been shorter but I was so scared and hurt, I treaded with so much caution. Things that should have been done in the first year, it took three. Granted, the pandemic happened but it was no excuse. I didn't push myself. I didn't want to put in the work for it to be for nothing. Just like my time in architecture..

But here I am, I finished. But it just feels hollow. I met people, made some friends in person and through online. But where are they? Those who says they will be here.. Did I do something wrong? The promises made, are they all like my previous professor? Pretty words to draw me in only to take away.

I guess I'm just not worth it. Not worthy of the degree. Not worthy of having people proudly stand by me. Maybe not even worth being here. I don't know. I tried erasing myself a number of time this past year. A lot less compared to last year, you can give me that at least. But each time, someone stopped me.

But now, I'm alone. Only with memories of those pretty words that just rings hollow. Maybe I don't deserve anything. No celebration, no fun family or friend get together into the night or plans for the future, no anything.

Just me, my thoughts, and nothing.

[beardedmrbean]

As the Iowa State Fair opens, fairgoers' favorite food now has a new home befitting its status.

The Iowa Pork Tent, the food stand at the corner of East Grand Avenue and East 34th Street on the fairgrounds, will open for business Thursday, the first day of the Iowa State Fair, with a brighter, bolder look, including a wrap-around patio and spacious dining room. It retains the "tent" name though the pork producers long ago did away with it canvas predecessor.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa Pork Queen Elle Ploeger and representatives of the Iowa Pork Producers Association cut the ribbon for the new building in July. Since then, Des Moines Register readers, in a vote revealed Sunday, have chosen the pork tent's featured offering, the pork chop on a stick, as their favorite fair food.

“We encourage anybody that's traveling to come flip some pork chops and highlight how important this industry is to the state and agriculture overall,” Reynolds said at the ribbon cutting. “Absolutely nothing compares to the Iowa Pork Producers Pork Tent.”

New building has some familiar features

The fairgrounds see some new construction almost every year. In 2021, it was the Elwell Family Park, where fairgoers can enjoy tractor pulls, monster trucks meets, rodeos, barbecue competitions and other family-friendly events, as well as an expansion of the Iowa Craft Beer Tent.

Over the next three years, the livestock barns on the fairgrounds are slated for a $25 million makeover, with financial support from the Legislature's Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund. The cattle, horse, sheep, and swine barns have not had any major renovations since they were constructed about a century ago.

For this year, the Iowa Pork Tent is the star of the show. Its revamp was five years in the making; the previous structure was demolished shortly after the 2022 fair. The aging building, 35 years old, wasn't efficient enough to keep up with demand and foot traffic, and required substantial repairs and upkeep.

“I’ve been able to see, firsthand, the progress of this Iowa pork tent. This was not an overnight decision,” said Iowa Pork Tent Committee Chair Doug Rice. Rice's parents helped found the committee in 1985, and he has led it in an official capacity for the past eight years.

Rice said many of the features of the old tent are reimagined in the facility, including the outdoor grills, now on the east side of the building. A permanent walk-in cooler and expanded dining room area — under a roof now — are new additions.

But the red-and-white paint scheme continues, along with the familiar Iowa Pork Producers logo. And, of course, the tent will still offer pork, the nation's top hog producer.

"This new facility is a tribute to the hardworking pig farmers who keep the tradition serving of serving quality pork by the men and women who raise it alive," Rice said. "We're excited to welcome fairground goers to a brand-new facility at the 2023 Iowa State Fair, and continue to be everyone's favorite place sit down and get Iowa pork."

The past and present pork tent

The Iowa Pork Tent has been a must-visit destination during the Iowa State Fair for presidential hopefuls, dignitaries, and tens of thousands of fairgoers since at least the early 1980s. Over the past four decades, the Iowa Pork Producers Association has provided more than 2.25 million pork servings at the fair, more than 500,000 of which came from Iowa farms.

While the original Iowa Pork Tent at the fair was a large circus tent, it was retired in 1987 in favor of a permanent building.

Studio MELEE, a West Des Moines architecture firm, designed the new structure, making it taller and more prominent that its previous rendition. Architects Chris Wernimont and Jamie Malloy drew inspiration from modern farms and modeled the entryway after a loading chute on a hog barn.

MELEE also worked on Scenic Route Bakery in the East Village and the Findley Elementary School at the corner of Oxford Street and Hull Avenue in Des Moines.

Rice expressed his thanks to the studio for designing what he called a beautiful facility that "still gives a tribute to our industry."

Other fairground buildings to undergo updates

Donors to the project included QC Supply and Automated Production, which provided the elevated grain bin that stand next to the building and the sales counter. Hog Slat Inc. donated the feed bin and EPS Buildings made a “generous” cash donation to the project, according to Rice said.

The whole project cost a little over $1 million, Iowa Pork Producers Association spokesperson Kevin Hall said.