Latest news with #UniversalExhibition
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Boston Globe
It's theater season on the Cape, plus Art Deco dreams in Rome
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Bettoja Hotels' Hotel Mediterraneo in Rome, a masterpiece of Art Deco architecture, transports one to an earlier era of sophisticated hospitality. Bettoja Hotels Advertisement THERE: ART DECO DREAMING IN ROME Those making a pilgrimage to Rome this Jubilee year (or any year) will want to consider staying at Bettoja Hotels' Hotel Mediterraneo, where simply stepping inside transports one to an earlier era of sophisticated hospitality. A masterpiece of Art Deco architecture, designed by architect Mario Loreti for the 1942 Universal Exhibition in Rome, the building's rich history is on display in preserved original furnishings, including chandeliers designed by Gio Ponti, polished wood check-in desk, and colorful mosaics above the lobby elevators. The 242 spacious and bright rooms sport a high-class and retro style, mixing original Art Deco style wood furnishings and marble bathrooms with modern comforts such as plush robes and slippers, air conditioning, minibar, flat screen TV, and soundproof windows. Advertisement An ideal basecamp for exploring the Eternal City, Bettoja Hotels' Hotel Mediterraneo is within walking distance from historic landmarks. Bettoja Hotels An ideal basecamp for exploring the Eternal City, the hotel is within walking distance from historic landmarks including the Colosseum, Opera House, Forum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. Located steps from Termini rail station, the quickest way to arrive from the airport, means you don't need a cab to reach the hotel. On-site facilities include the Roof Garden Restaurant and Ligea Lounge Bar, a terrace with spectacular views of the capital and its surrounding hills, and Bar 21, serving a variety of fine cocktails and snacks in an elegant Art Deco atmosphere. Ristorante Massimo d'Azeglio, located at nearby sister property Hotel Massimo d'Azeglio, offers a menu mixing Piedmontese culinary tradition with Roman and Italian cuisine; and the Bettoja Cellar, a wine cellar located in Hotel Massimo d'Azeglio's basement, is perfect for private dinners and tastings. Bettoja Hotels' third hotel in the neighborhood, Hotel Atlantico, rounds out their Rome collection. Classic Deco room rates from $306, includes breakfast. +39-06-488-4051, Advertisement La Sportiva's Akyra II is the perfect shoe for packing when you're planning trail hikes one day and exploring cities with cobblestone streets the next. La Sportiva EVERYWHERE: STYLISH AND RUGGED SHOES FOR CITY AND MOUNTAIN When a sneaker or walking shoe isn't enough, and trekking boots are too much, there's La Sportiva's Akyra II. The perfect shoe for packing when you're planning trail hikes one day and exploring cities with cobblestone streets the next. Lightweight, rugged and durable, Akyra II features include 3-D Grid exoskeleton and mesh uppers to provide structure and breathability; shock absorbing MEMlex EVA midsole to cushion stride; Trail Rocker2 outsole to promote natural pronation support while hiking; and aggressive lugs combined with FriXion Rubber and Trail Bite Heels for all-terrain traction and maximum grip. Eco-friendly and washable insoles are made from breathable and durable PU foam cells and recycled rubber. Crafted without animal-derived materials. The company's state-of-the-art, 250-person factory is located in Ziano di Fiemme, a mountain village in the heart of the Italian Dolomites, continuing a tradition and heritage of handmade footwear in this picturesque alpine valley. Available for men and women. The company offers additional footwear geared for climbing, hiking, running, mountaineering, and more. $149. NECEE REGIS Necee Regis can be reached at
Time Out
15-05-2025
- Time Out
Seven museums have been named the most beautiful in the world
Museums are designed to house intricate artefacts, fascinating objects from throughout history, and beautiful works of art, but the buildings themselves are often worth an ogle, too. Prix Versailles, a prestigious architecture and design award, has just recognised seven of the most beautiful new openings or freshly renovated spaces from all over the world. The selection jury said each inclusion is 'the product of meticulous, long-term work based on a rigorous, artistic design that was developed at the initiative and in service of an authentic approach focused on heritage and scenery.' One of these is the Grand Palais in Paris, the dazzling capital that recently topped Time Out's list of the best cities in the world for culture. The building has an ornate glass dome ceiling and was originally constructed for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. It reopened in 2021 after four years of renovation. 'Inside, the upper gallery running around the entire interior has been preserved and enhanced,' reads Prix Versailles's report. 'That walkway serves as a real promenade that establishes a striking link between the building's past, present and future, simply by means of its architecture which can be admired there down to the last detail, giving visitors an educational vision of the history of Paris.' The Saka Museum, a spiritual space that guides visitors through various Balinese cultural practices and expressions, is also included. We named it one of the best new museums last year, so it's safe to say we agree. Elsewhere on the list is Kunstsilo, an art museum perched on the quayside in Kristiansand, Norway, which was formerly a grains mill. These are the world's most beautiful museums Grand Palais, Paris Saka Museum, Bali Audeum, Seoul Kunstsilo, Kristiansand Diriyah Art Futures, Riyadh Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha
Gulf Today
06-02-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
France pitches AI summit as wake-up call for Europe
France hosts top tech players next week at an artificial intelligence summit meant as a 'wake-up call' for Europe as it struggles with AI challenges from the United States and China. Players from across the sector and representatives from 80 nations will gather in the French capital on Feb.10 and 11 in the sumptuous Grand Palais, built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. In the run-up, President Emmanuel Macron on February 4 visited research centres applying AI to science and health, before hosting scientists and Nobel Prize winners at his Elysee Palace residence. A wider science conference will be held at the Polytechnique engineering school on Thursday and Friday. 'The summit comes at exactly the right time for this wake-up call for France and Europe, and to show we are in position' to take advantage of the technology, an official in Macron's office told reporters. In recent weeks, Washington's announcement of $500 billion in investment to build up AI infrastructure and the release of a frugal but powerful generative AI model by Chinese firm DeepSeek have focussed minds in Europe. France must 'not let this revolution pass it by', Macron's office said. Attendees at the summit will include Sam Altman, head of OpenAI — the firm that brought generative models to public consciousness in 2022 with the launch of ChatGPT. Google boss Sundar Pichai and Nobel Prize winner Demis Hassabis, who leads the company's DeepMind AI research unit, will also come, alongside Arthur Mensch, founder of French AI developer Mistral. The Elysee has said there are 'talks' on hosting DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng, and has yet to clarify whether X owner Elon Musk — who has his own generative initiative, xAI — has accepted an invitation. Nor is it clear who will attend from the United States and China, with the French presidency saying only 'very high level' representatives will come. Confirmed guests from Europe include European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The tone of the AI summit will be 'neither catastrophizing, nor naive,' Macron's AI envoy Anne Bouverot told AFP. Hosting the conference is also an opportunity for Paris to show off its own AI ecosystem, which numbers around 750 companies. Macron's office has said the summit would see the announcement of 'massive' investments along the lines of his annual 'Choose France' business conference, at which 15 billion euros ($15.4 billion) of inward investment were pledged in 2024. Beyond the economic opportunities, AI's impact on culture including artistic creativity and news production will be discussed in a side-event over the weekend. Debates open to the public, such as that one, are aimed at showing off 'positive use cases for AI' to 'stoke confidence and speed up adoption' of the technology, said France's digital minister Clara Chappaz. For now the French public is sceptical of AI, with 79 percent of respondents telling pollsters Ifop they were 'concerned' about the technology in a recent survey. Paris says it also hopes the summit can help kick off its vision of a more ethical and accessible and less resource-intensive AI. At present, 'the AI under development is pushed by a few large players from a few countries', Bouverot said, whereas France wants 'to promote more inclusive development'. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to co-host the Paris summit, in a push to bring governments on board. One of the summit's aims is the establishment of a public-interest foundation for which Paris aims to raise 2.5 billion euros over five years. The effort would be 'a public-private partnership between various governments, businesses and philanthropic foundations from different countries', Macron's office said. Paris hopes at the summit to chart different efforts at AI governance around the world and gather commitments for environmentally sustainable AI — although no binding mechanism is planned for now. 'There are lots of big principles emerging around responsible, trustworthy AI, but it's not clear or easy to implement for the engineers in technical terms,' said Laure de Roucy-Rochegonde, director of the geopolitical technology centre at the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI). Agence France-Presse
