Costa Rica is setting the benchmark for the rest of the world!

In what is quite a remarkable achievement but has largely gone unnoticed, is Costa Rica’s use of renewable energy. Costa Rica is currently on an 88 day streak of using 100% renewable energy, showing that the world that it is indeed possible to function without fossil fuels. This 88 day streak is however not a sudden emergence, it brings the total days in 2016 to over 150, which although impressive, means they are going to struggle to beat their incredible record of 299 days in 2015.

It is important to point out that Costa Rica does have a considerable smaller size and population than a number of the world’s countries, in addition to their industries being very much agricultural and tourism based, as opposed to many other countries in the world that rely on high energy based industries. However, it cannot be argued that Costa Rica are performing admirably and setting the benchmarks for other countries to target.
It’s a satisfying thought to think that in the not too distant future, it’s likely that Costa Rica will be able to function annually on just the use of renewable energy.

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METAL MAGIC – FROM THE SCRAP HEAP TO MASTERPIECE

Metal is an extremely versatile medium for art and New Mexico artist Chris Turri has taken it to all new heights.

Not only are his pieces composed of metal, b he specifically uses old metal.

In his interview with KRQE News, he revealed that he sources metal from unconventional places such as old pipes, the side of streets and from old cars.

Chris’ work can be viewed on his personal site and in galleries.

We’d love to hear more about artists using metal in creative ways! Send us a message telling us your favorites!

 

 

MoMA’s “Latin America in Construction: Architecture 1955-1980”

Today we are excited to bring you to New York into the famous Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). This famous museum has been important in developing and collecting modernist art and is often considered as one of the most influential museum of modern art in the world. You can discover various collections about architecture & design, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, etc.

The Museum of Modern Art – New York. Photo from blog.artsnapper.com

Wondering what’s happening right now in MoMA? From March 29 through July 19 2015, the museum documents a dynamic period in Latin American architecture between 1955 and 1980 – Latin America in Construction: Architecture 1955-1980. In 1955, MoMA staged Latin American Architecture since 1945 and now is the 60th anniversary of that important show!

“This period of self-questioning, exploration, and complex political shifts also saw the emergence of the notion of Latin America as a landscape of development, one in which all aspects of cultural life were colored in one way or another by this new attitude to what emerged as the “Third World.” The 1955 exhibition featured the result of a single photographic campaign, but Latin America in Construction: Architecture 1955–1980 brings together a wealth of original materials that have never before been brought together and, for the most part, are rarely exhibited even in their home countries.”
(Quated from MoMA)

As mentioned in a review from The New York Times, from Cuba to Chile, Mexico to Argentina, cities in the region boomed. The task of providing everybody with homes ultimately proved unmanageable: proliferating slums outpaced new construction; poverty rose. Even so, what got built through the 1970s in places like Havana and Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Lima included some of the most inspired architecture of the modern age.

The Bank of London and South America in Buenos Aires. Photo from Metropolis.

The National School of Plastic Arts in Havana. Photo from Metropolis

Plaza of the Three Powers in Brasilia. Photo from architectmagazine

Miguel Rodrigo Mazuré’s project for a hotel in Machu Picchu (1969). Photo from Metropolis

Torres del Parque Residencial Complex, Colombia. Photo from Metalocus.

The exhibition’s goal, said curator Barry Bergdoll, is to “reinsert Latin America into our history of modernism and modernization in architecture.”

The collection covers every aspect of Modernism – diagrid skycrapers, abstract landscapes, megastructures, cities of slabs and we can admire a broad range of works, including urban planning, innovations in housing (both individual and multi-unit), university design, and civic and public spaces. More than 500 original works are on display—many shown for the first time—and include drawings, models, archival films, and photographs.

Model of Headquarters for the Banco de Londres y América del Sur, Buenos Aires (1966) by Clorinda Testa and SEPRA Arquitectos. Photo from Archidose.

Model of Edificio Altolar, Caracas (1966) by Jimmy Alcock. Photo from Archidose.

Project for the first city in Antarctica (1980-83) by Amancio Williams. Photo from Archidose

As one of the leading manufacturer and supplier in the production of metal products, Shanghai Metal Corporation provides first class products and services in building materials. Check out our main products such as container houses, fasteners, steel grating, roofing materials and steel building.  Feel free to contact us for any question, our English-speaking staff will be more than glad to help you. Don’t forget to follow us on social media to get the latest update of our products and offers.

Sources : The New York Times, Archdaily, Architect Magazine, MoMA, Metalocus, Architectural Record

    

Ayu P.//SMC Editor

Miss Liberty Chopped Up and Found All Over NYC

It may sound absurd but it’s true. Pieces of the Miss Liberty’s body can be found scattered across two boroughs in NYC. But don’t worry! This is only a replica of the Statue of Liberty as the original one still stands untouched on its very Liberty Island since given as a gift by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi in 1886.

Creator of ‘We the people’ collection, Vietnamese artist Danh Vo spent the last four years recreating the statue in 250 full-scale individual pieces. “I wanted to do something that everyone had a relationship to, and make it a bit unfamiliar. It’s kind of like creating a Frankenstein that gets its own life”, says Vo.

Using the same fabrication techniques and copper material as the original Lady Liberty, the artwork was “conceived in Germany, fabricated in Shanghai, supported by his French gallery, collections and art institutions worldwide, and dispersed to exhibition venues in more than 15 countries”, explains Vo.

“When Bartholdi created the Statue of Liberty…he created an image and a political agenda,” adds Vo. “What I’m doing with it is a shift of scale and shift of meaning.” He added that his work “is more a project that should evoke discussion in the place that it is exhibited. And we’ll have to wait to see what that will be”.

In collaboration with Public Art Fund 53 colossal fragments of Liberty can be found at Brooklyn Bridge Park and City Hall Park until December 5^th 2014. ‘We the people’ collection presents nearly a fifth of Vo’s project and comprises body parts of the Miss Liberty such as the statue’s right sleeve, the one that covers her right bearing arm, the ear of the statue placed beneath the cornerstone of the historic building, and links of the chain found at the feet.

“When you’re looking at a massive piece of copper that you have a very intimate relationship [with] right in front of you,” says Andira Hickey, the Public Art Fund’s associate curator, “and see it completely transformed into a full figure that you can recognize in the distance, it’s such an evocative metaphor for the multitude of perspectives you can have of an icon like that.”

If you are not a private collector this is a great opportunity to come very close to Miss Liberty and experience the magnificence of the statue. And if you look carefully enough you might be able to recognize the dismantled pieces of the Statue of Liberty as you know.

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide range of metals such as copper, widely used in artistic artifacts. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking professionals will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Source and photo credit: brooklynbridgepark.org, online.wsj.com, nytimes.com, hqdesktop.net

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

Read more articles by this author here.

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Use Galvanized Steel to Fight Raccoon Invasions!

As presented in the article on benefits of galvanized steel, galvanized steel offers the ultimate protective construction solutions in reasonably low long-term costs. If you consider the fact that galvanized steel lasts for a very long time, you will realize that by choosing galvanized steel you are spending very little money per year. Galvanized steel will protect e.g. your drains and roof from water, cold, heat, weather, as well as physical damage from impacts or debris, also from wild raccoons. The Canadian Federation of Human Societies has collected an article on how to tackle the problem of unwanted raccoon inhabitants with galvanized steel.

In Northern and Southern America, wild raccoons might set up a den on a rotten roof or uncapped chimney, or enter the attic from an opening. Raccoons are usually friendly but they might become violent in order to protect their young. Bright lights and excessive noise may scare them and make them flee. After ensuring that the raccoons have left, one should cover the hole with galvanized steel screening from the outside. The steel should be replaced so that it can be removed to check if the raccoon is still inside. Check the steel every day and if it stays unscratched for several days, you have been successful.

In the summer when attics and rooves become hot, raccoons may seek cooler shelter under decks and patios. In order to get them out, secure the perimeter of the deck with galvanized steel screen in an ‘L’ shape, leaving an opening for the animals to exit. Use the radio, lighting and place a bit of peanut butter to monitor when the animals have left.

In Shanghai Metal Corporation, we also offer premium galvanized steel products. To find out more, please visit our website. Follow us also on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

References: Advantages of Galvanized Steel Gutters, Canadian Federation of Human Societies

Tuomas P. // SMC Editor

Why is the Statue of Liberty Green?

If you ever traveled to the astounding New York City before you most likely went to see the Statue of Liberty from very close. If not face-to-face you might have seen it on TV or stamped on a travel magazine, andvery often Hollywood movies play a scene or two, romantic or not. From far or close everyone could recognize it, the symbol of freedom and democracy in the heart of NYC.

The Statue of Liberty was a special gift from France to the USA as a representation of friendship during the Revolutionary War. It arrived in New York Harbor on June 19, 1885. The statue came in 350 pieces and was assembled once got in America. The Statue of Liberty Represents the Roman goddess of freedom, Libertas, holding a torch in one hand and a tablet with the date of the Declaration of Independence in the other.

Built in France, the statue is made of hundreds of thin copper sheets assembled on a frame of steel support. The thickness of the copper outer layer is only 3/32 of an inch – the thickness of two pennies put together. Despite how thin it is, the copper is strong. The amount of copper in the Statue of Liberty could make 30 million pennies!

The statue’s original color was dull brown, reflecting the natural color of its copper plates. However, due to a natural weathering process, oxidation, air and water reacted with the copper plates, turning it slowly to the green color you see today. Although some people thought this process meant it was rotting, the weathering of the copper created a thin layer of copper carbonate, called a patina, which actually protects the copper underneath from further corrosion.

Shanghai Metal Corporation offers copper is varying types including foil, cable, tube, coil, busbar, sheet, plate, in varying fittings and sizes. SMC also produces enameled wires, PTFE wires, low voltage cables, fiberglass copper wires for the security, telecommunications, electrical, commercial, industrial, and automotive industries. To find out more, please visit our Website or send your inquiry here. Our English speaking personnel will be more than pleased to help you. Follow us on  LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Or you could try our new mobile app by scanning our QR code.

Source: wonderpolis.org, visualnews.com, nypost.com, controversialdocumentaries.blogspot.com, prweb.com, commons.wikimedia.org

Camilla G.//SMC Editor

Read more articles by this author here.

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Global Attitudes Towards China Changing

The Pew Research Centre, a US statistics agency, has recently published a highly revealing study on various nations’ views about China compared to the United States.

The central question of the report – ‘who is the world’s leading economic power?’ – showed that, since 2008, when only 20% of the world cited China, a large change in attitudes has taken place. Now, 34% believe China is the global economic leader, with only 41% believing America retains the top spot. Interestingly, the nations who saw China as the biggest player tended to be those furthest away from it – America, Canada and Europe – whilst the Asian, African and Latin American countries still saw the US as the dominant nation.

In the subcategory of Soft Power in the report, defined as ‘a persuasive approach to international relations, typically involving the use of economic or cultural influence’, China was also gaining ground. Previously, it was widely believed that America’s innovation and media power would allow them to maintain their position as the most potent international psychological power. Now though, it seems that in certain domains, such as scientific and technological advances, China and America were overall viewed as equal. Similarly, in the field of ideas and customs spreading, Latin American and Africans saw both nations as equally influential.

Lloyd P.//SMC Editor

Chocolate Bar Industry Trends Are Volatile While Aluminum Foil Industry Remains Steady

Chocolate bars were the first product to be wrapped in aluminum foil in 1910 by the Nestle Company and the trend caught on like wild fire. Fast forward more than 100 years, the candy industry in the United States has had its ups and downs. Chocolate and candy consumption has followed the movements in the economic cycle; decreasing when money is tight during a recession and increase when consumers have more disposable income during periods of expansion. At the current state of the US economy, chocolate consumption is growing because people are more willing and able to spend their money on indulgences but in order for candy companies to stay afloat, they will need to adjust to consumers changing tastes and buying habits.

There are a few barriers in the chocolate bar industry. First, leading producers in this industry collectively account for an estimated 67.7 percent of industry revenue. This stronghold on market power makes it difficult for small companies to enter the market. Mergers and acquisitions are becoming more common, adding to the muscle of the few. Second, Americans are showing growing health concerns shifting demand for white and milk chocolate to healthier alternatives such as reduced-fat, dark, and organic chocolate. Lastly, the price of sugar is expended to increase later in the year, posing a threat to the industry. Large firms will be able to pass the cost increase on to consumers but many small chocolate shops will not have the ability to do so.

While health trends have hampered demand for industry products, producers responded quickly by introducing new products that appeal to health-conscious Americans.

Luckily the aluminum foil industry has been less volatile than the chocolate bar industry. As producers become more creative with their packaging techniques, aluminum foil for flexible packaging has expanded into goods with steady demand indicators. Consumers are now looking for their food and beverage products to be transportable, convenient, and lightweight to accommodate their on the go lifestyles. Shanghai Metal Corporation offers a wide array of aluminum foil for flexible packaging options, for the full line of products visit our website here.

Be sure to join the discussion in SMC’s Linkedin group page, Facebook, and Aluminum specific twitter.

Kristie K.//SMC Editor