A Spanish precious metals trading company bought the world's largest gold coin Record Ever for £2.68 million, its exact material worth, from the estate of an insolvent investment firm at a rare auction in Vienna on Friday.

The 220.5 lb piece, one of only five Canadian $1,000,000 Maple Leaf coins the Royal Canadian Mint has ever produced, was snapped up immediately in a written bid from ORO direct, a gold trading company based in Madrid.

There were no counter offers in an auction room packed with more journalists than potential buyers. It sold for the catalogue sum, the coin's pure gold value based on Friday's market price. This was four times its face value.

Auction workers present the largest gold coin in the world - a 100kg Canadian $1,000,000 Maple Leaf - during its auction in Vienna

The auction was ordered by the administrator of Austrian investment group AvW Invest, which filed for insolvency in May after its owner and chief executive was arrested on suspicion of fraud, breach of trust and other charges.

AvW had acquired the coin in 2007, joining an exclusive club of owners including Queen Elizabeth, who is also displayed on one side of the coin, two unidentified investors in Dubai and one who is so reclusive even his or her residence is unknown.

AvW had lent its coin, 21 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick, to Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum where it had been on display as part of its coin collection.

Its purity is 99.999 percent, the purest type in the market.

The Royal Canadian Mint launched the coin in 2007 to showcase its production facilities and steal the entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the world's biggest gold coin.

That title had previously been held by the Austrian mint, who in 2004 produced fifteen 100,000-euro coins weighing 1,000 troy ounces to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its best-selling Philharmonics coin.




Source :- Business Standard

The Aqua Tower is an 82-story mixed-use residential skyscraper in the Lakeshore East development in downtown Chicago. The building's height of 819 ft (250 m), includes six levels of parking below ground. The building's eight-story, 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) base is topped by a 82,550 sq ft (7,669 m2) terrace with gardens, gazebos, pools, hot tubs, a walking/running track and fire pit. Each floor will cover approximately 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m

Aqua is designed by Jeanne Gang, principal and founder of Studio Gang Architects, and it is her first skyscraper project. This is the largest project ever awarded to an American firm headed by a woman. Loewenberg & Associates are the architects of record, led by James Loewenberg.

The Aqua Tower is located on the 200 block of North Columbus Drive, and is surrounded by high-rises. To capture views of nearby landmarks for Aqua's residents, Gang stretched its balconies outward by as much as 12 feet (3.7 meters). The result is a building composed of irregularly shaped concrete floor slabs which lend the facade an undulating, sculptural quality. Gang cites the striated limestone outcroppings that are a common topographic feature of the Great Lakes region as inspiration for these slabs.

The building will contain 55,000 square feet (5,100 square meters) of retail and office space, in addition to 215 hotel rooms (floors 1-18), 476 rental residential units (floors 19-52), and 263 condominium units & Penthouses (floors 53-80). Aqua will also be the first downtown building to combine condos, apartments and a hotel. Strategic Hotels & Resorts had agreed to acquire the first 15 floors of hotel space upon completion of the building, but terminated its $84 million contract for the space in August 2008, citing significant changes in the economic environment. On May 12, 2010, it was announced that Carlson Hotels Worldwide agreed to spend $125 million to open the first Radisson Blu hotel in the United States on 18 vacant floors of the highrise.

The name 'Aqua' was assigned to the building by Magellan Development Group LLC. It fits the nautical theme of the other buildings in the Lakeshore East development, and is derived from the wave-like forms of the balconies; the tower's proximity to nearby Lake Michigan also influenced the name.

Sustainability was also an important factor in Aqua's design. Gang and her team refined the terrace extensions to maximize solar shading, and other sustainable features will include rainwater collection systems and energy-efficient lighting. The green roof on top of the tower base will be the largest in Chicago. The tower will seek LEED certification.




















Source:- Wikipedia

Presidential palaces are usually one of a city's most impressive aesthetic highlights for both citizens and tourists alike. In cases like Buenos Aires' Casa Rosada, they served as the backdrop for some of their country's most memorable historic events, whereas others, such as the Golden Jubilee House in Accra, Ghana, were inaugurated a mere two years ago.

Contrary to popular belief, many countries do not refer to their president's residences as a presidential palace, often bestowing that regal title to the location of the head of state's executive offices instead.

Whether acting as the seat of the government, the head of state's home or, in some cases, as both, presidential palaces represent a stunning melange of architectural styles, from Baroque to neoclassical to merely modern.

Argentina

Juan and Evita Peron gave their iconic speeches from the balconies of the Casa Rosada, or "Pink House," in Buenos Aires.

Brazil

Brazil's Palácio do Planalto was designed to project "an image of simplicity."

Finland

Helsinki's Presidential Palace is built on the site of a former salt storehouse.

France

The Élysée Palace remains a fine example of French classical style.

Ghana

The Golden Jubilee Palace in Accra was just inaugurated in 2008.

India

Delhi's Rashtrapati Bhavan is the largest head of state residence in the world.

Italy

Rome's Quirinal Palace has housed popes, kings and now Giorgio Napolitano, the President of Italy.

Korea

Korea's Cheongwadae literally translates to "Pavilions of the Blue Roof Tiles."

Lithuania

Vilnius' Presidential Palace dates back to the 14th century.

Pakistan

The Aiwan-e-Sadr is both the home and workplace of Pakistan's president.

Taiwan

Taipei's Presidential Office Building was designed during the Japanese rule of Taiwan in 1912.

Vietnam

Hanoi's Presidential Palace was originally built to house the French Governor-General of Indochina.

Source:- Huffington Post

After 11 hours and five absorbing minutes on court, John Isner wrote his name into the record books as the winner of the sport's longest ever battle when the giant American finally clinched the epic three-day, 183-game thriller 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-3), 70-68.

After the two men resumed on Thursday at 59-59 in the fifth set with exactly 10 hours on the clock, the conclusion came an hour and five minutes into the third day when Isner threaded a backhand pass up the line. The final shot of the match handed the 23rd seed what had proved an elusive break of serve that finally brought to an end an eight-hour, 11-minute final set.

The last break of serve had come two days earlier when Mahut had taken Isner's serve (to love!) in the second game of the second set early on Tuesday afternoon. That meant the two gladiators had held serve for an astounding 168 games before Isner collapsed to the turf after converting his fifth match point.

As the two men embraced after the final, 980th point of the match fans, media and players rose as one to applaud their heroic effort.

For the record, the match eclipsed the previous longest - a 2004 French Open duel between Frenchmen Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement - by a massive four hours and 32 minutes. The combined ace tally stood at 215, with Isner hammering down 112, just nine more than his opponent on 103.

As the crowd waited for part three of this absorbing battle, there was a buzz of anticipation in the air. All those involved were ready. Swedish umpire Mohamed Lahyani was back refreshed, as were John McEnroe and Tracy Austin, both courtside to witness the drama. Even the scoreboard was in better shape, patched up and back in working order after conking out at 50-all on Wednesday night.

The first key moment came after only a couple of minutes as Isner delivered his 100th ace on his way to holding for 60-59. Fifteen minutes later Mahut matched the statistic as he held to bring the scores back to 62-62.

The match clock ticked over the 11-hour mark just as Isner made it 69-68, and in the next game the match was decided. A miscued drop shot from the Frenchman left him at 15-30, and although a brilliant serve and volley point made it30-all, the end was near.

An Isner forehand pass took him to 40-30 and his fifth match point, and a laser-like backhand that left the Frenchman rooted to the spot brought down the final curtain.

Isner's reward is a second round meeting with Dutchman Thiemo De Bakker, himself the winner of a marathon first match when he beat Colombia's Santiago Giraldo 16-14 in the deciding set. Perhaps they should be made to play best of three sets.




Source:- Wimbledon

At first glance, these may look like your average hanging basket.

However, a closer look reveals the more inventive ways in which would-be gardeners are displaying their blooms.

Jill Thomas decided to grow melon plants in her old bras to send out a serious message about breast cancer.

The 42-year-old hairdresser said she wanted to make people smile as well as raising awareness about the disease.

Two of Mrs Thomas’s 34G bras are now hanging outside her house in Deeping St James, Lincolnshire, where she lives with retired police officer husband Richard, 52.

She said: ‘I wanted to send a message out that people should check their breasts regularly because of the risk of breast cancer.

‘I'm a hairdresser and I deal with lots of ladies who have had breast cancer and have gone through chemotherapy.

The mother-of-one was inspired by the East Midlands in Bloom competition which challenged villagers to find unusual containers.

The sewed a waterproof layer into the bottom of the cup before packing the plants in with soil.

Mrs Thomas said: ‘People stop outside the house and talk about them.

'They said they loved them and said they wished they had had the idea.’

And in Dartmouth, Devon, green-fingered police officers have created an arresting display of flowers – made in constable helmets.

The official items of uniform have been adapted into six suspended flower pots and are packed full of red geraniums.

Artist Laurel Roth made a set of peacock sculptures out of cosmetic supplies. The series is called “Birds of Paradise”,.These peacocks borrow human mating plumage, anthropomorphically showcasing our adaptations and natural orders as their own. They are made of fake fingernails, barrettes, nail polish, false eyelashes, and jewelry to represent the choices involved in biological processes that are unique to humankind.















Source :- loloro

how to make trash sculptures Artists from the city of Cluj Napoca in Transylvania, a historical region in Romania, are presenting their creations made from trash ideas at the Planet Report Environmental & Film Festival. The pedestrians are welcomed by a giant mobilephone and some scary looking fish skeletons.trash made into art Giant Cell Phone Sculpture Made From Trashed Cell Phones











































Source:- Neatorama Via Presurfer