Steamy Steampunk Buildings

[morozow]

The tea House on Myasnitskaya (Perlov's Tea Shop) is a three—storey building used from 1893 to 1917 as a tea shop and an apartment building. It was built in 1893 by architect Roman Klein and belonged to merchant Sergei Vasilyevich Perlov.

In 1895, it became known about the arrival of the extraordinary Ambassador and Chancellor of the Chinese Empire Li Hongzhang at the coronation of Nicholas II. Hoping to attract the attention of a high-ranking guest and conclude exclusive contracts for the supply of tea, Sergey Perlov decided to rebuild his own house in Oriental style. The entrepreneur turned to the young architect Karl Gippius.


The bright and unusual building immediately attracted the attention of Muscovites, however, upon arriving in the city, Li Hongzhang preferred to visit representatives of the older branch of the trading house. He visited the estate of Semyon Perlov, who at that time was in charge of the enterprise "V. Perlov and Sons". Nevertheless, the architectural features of the house in the pseudo-Chinese style became a successful advertising move and the store was popular. The brothers managed to withstand competition due to a competent marketing policy: Semyon Perlov offered a mass product, while the establishment on Myasnitskaya was visited mainly by representatives of the aristocracy and the merchant guild. It was Sergey Perlov who first started selling tea in tin cans, and the goods were presented to honorary customers in crystal caskets

Spoiler: ShowHide

[J. Wilhelm]

The tea House on Myasnitskaya (Perlov's Tea Shop) is a three—storey building used from 1893 to 1917 as a tea shop and an apartment building. It was built in 1893 by architect Roman Klein and belonged to merchant Sergei Vasilyevich Perlov.

In 1895, it became known about the arrival of the extraordinary Ambassador and Chancellor of the Chinese Empire Li Hongzhang at the coronation of Nicholas II. Hoping to attract the attention of a high-ranking guest and conclude exclusive contracts for the supply of tea, Sergey Perlov decided to rebuild his own house in Oriental style. The entrepreneur turned to the young architect Karl Gippius.


The bright and unusual building immediately attracted the attention of Muscovites, however, upon arriving in the city, Li Hongzhang preferred to visit representatives of the older branch of the trading house. He visited the estate of Semyon Perlov, who at that time was in charge of the enterprise "V. Perlov and Sons". Nevertheless, the architectural features of the house in the pseudo-Chinese style became a successful advertising move and the store was popular. The brothers managed to withstand competition due to a competent marketing policy: Semyon Perlov offered a mass product, while the establishment on Myasnitskaya was visited mainly by representatives of the aristocracy and the merchant guild. It was Sergey Perlov who first started selling tea in tin cans, and the goods were presented to honorary customers in crystal caskets

Spoiler: ShowHide

That's a truly unique 19th Century interpretation of Asian architecture. Very interesting project and the motivation for it. It certainly would have called the attention of Muscovites, even if it wasn't looked at by the ambassador.

It reminds me of the Chinese ambassador's private house in Mexico City in the mid 70s.  His house was a couple of blockw away from ours. It was a mix of 1970s contemporary architecture and Oriental/ pagoda styled roofs.

[RJBowman]

It looks like the old buildings in Chinatowns in American cities, but better.

[J. Wilhelm]

Ha!

Remembering a name of a place that had rolled off your tongue many years ago and which you were sure existed, because you were there, but which you couldn't find again.


It's still there, in spite of everything. It's a hole in the wall type of restaurant called Danubio (Danube) which transports you to another continent.

Restaurante Danubio, Mexico City. Founded 1936. Not Victorian, but it pretends to be very well.

[Mercury Wells]

Livraria Lello Bookstore. Portugal.





More photos of the interior here

[J. Wilhelm]

Livraria Lello Bookstore. Portugal.





More photos of the interior here

Better than most libraries, save the jewels like the Palafox Library

I saw this a couple of days ago in my Twitter feed. I think I may have shown this interior many moons ago, but it's the colonial era "Biblioteca Palafoxiana" in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Founded in 1646, it's actually the oldest public library in the Americas. Not Steampunk, per se, and not Victorian. But what is Steampunk without a good library full of obscure tomes spanning the ages?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5_P63KbO3IA&feature=youtu.be#

[Mercury Wells]

I saw this a couple of days ago in my Twitter feed. I think I may have shown this interior many moons ago, but it's the colonial era "Biblioteca Palafoxiana" in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Founded in 1646, it's actually the oldest public library in the Americas. Not Steampunk, per se, and not Victorian. But what is Steampunk without a good library full of obscure tomes spanning the ages?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5_P63KbO3IA&feature=youtu.be#

[Nth edit]Very nice library, for some reason the woodwork on the 1st & 2nd (UK) floor railings/balustrades doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's the style of uprights. They look similar to the "Shaker Style"[/Nthedit]

I really do dislike doing re-edits again & again.  (  )

[J. Wilhelm]

I saw this a couple of days ago in my Twitter feed. I think I may have shown this interior many moons ago, but it's the colonial era "Biblioteca Palafoxiana" in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Founded in 1646, it's actually the oldest public library in the Americas. Not Steampunk, per se, and not Victorian. But what is Steampunk without a good library full of obscure tomes spanning the ages?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5_P63KbO3IA&feature=youtu.be#

[Nth edit]Very nice library, for some reason the woodwork on the 2nd & 3rd floor railings/balustrades doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's the style of uprights. They look similar to the "Shaker Style"[/Nthedit]

The style of balusters and double columns? They do have a profile, but they're intentionally slim. Not classical proportions.  Perhaps, with a more modern sensibility, one can imagine wrought iron balusters and railing instead. Everything else, including the tile seems appropriately Spanish.

[Mercury Wells]

I saw this a couple of days ago in my Twitter feed. I think I may have shown this interior many moons ago, but it's the colonial era "Biblioteca Palafoxiana" in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Founded in 1646, it's actually the oldest public library in the Americas. Not Steampunk, per se, and not Victorian. But what is Steampunk without a good library full of obscure tomes spanning the ages?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5_P63KbO3IA&feature=youtu.be#

[Nth edit]Very nice library, for some reason the woodwork on the 2nd & 3rd floor railings/balustrades doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's the style of uprights. They look similar to the "Shaker Style"[/Nthedit]

The style of balusters and double columns? They do have a profile, but they're intentionally slim. Not classical proportions.  Perhaps, with a more modern sensibility, one can imagine wrought iron balusters and railing instead. Everything else, including the tile seems appropriately Spanish.

I think I know why, I don't like the staircases & the railings. There is nothing to link all 3 floors.


Anyway, I'll come back here, sometime in the future to continue this conversation.

[Sir Henry]

The tea House on Myasnitskaya (Perlov's Tea Shop) is a three—storey building used from 1893 to 1917 as a tea shop and an apartment building. It was built in 1893 by architect Roman Klein and belonged to merchant Sergei Vasilyevich Perlov.

In 1895, it became known about the arrival of the extraordinary Ambassador and Chancellor of the Chinese Empire Li Hongzhang at the coronation of Nicholas II. Hoping to attract the attention of a high-ranking guest and conclude exclusive contracts for the supply of tea, Sergey Perlov decided to rebuild his own house in Oriental style. The entrepreneur turned to the young architect Karl Gippius.


The bright and unusual building immediately attracted the attention of Muscovites, however, upon arriving in the city, Li Hongzhang preferred to visit representatives of the older branch of the trading house. He visited the estate of Semyon Perlov, who at that time was in charge of the enterprise "V. Perlov and Sons". Nevertheless, the architectural features of the house in the pseudo-Chinese style became a successful advertising move and the store was popular. The brothers managed to withstand competition due to a competent marketing policy: Semyon Perlov offered a mass product, while the establishment on Myasnitskaya was visited mainly by representatives of the aristocracy and the merchant guild. It was Sergey Perlov who first started selling tea in tin cans, and the goods were presented to honorary customers in crystal caskets

Spoiler: ShowHide

For me, having been a printer and typeface designer, the standout on that building is the lettering. I've never seen Cyrillic written in a fake Chinese style before - it's wonderful!

[J. Wilhelm]

I saw this a couple of days ago in my Twitter feed. I think I may have shown this interior many moons ago, but it's the colonial era "Biblioteca Palafoxiana" in the city of Puebla, Mexico. Founded in 1646, it's actually the oldest public library in the Americas. Not Steampunk, per se, and not Victorian. But what is Steampunk without a good library full of obscure tomes spanning the ages?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=5_P63KbO3IA&feature=youtu.be#

[Nth edit]Very nice library, for some reason the woodwork on the 2nd & 3rd floor railings/balustrades doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's the style of uprights. They look similar to the "Shaker Style"[/Nthedit]

The style of balusters and double columns? They do have a profile, but they're intentionally slim. Not classical proportions.  Perhaps, with a more modern sensibility, one can imagine wrought iron balusters and railing instead. Everything else, including the tile seems appropriately Spanish.

I think I know why, I don't like the staircases & the railings. There is nothing to link all 3 floors.


Anyway, I'll come back here, sometime in the future to continue this conversation.

I think access to the three levels is at the end of the hall, besides the altarpiece of the Virgin and Jesus. But photos aren't clear. Here's a website with better photos and a view of the exterior

https://www.wmf.org/project/palafoxiana-library

[J. Wilhelm]

París shot found online. Source unknown.

[Mercury Wells]

Acquired these through not so nefarious means  :-

Libraries around the world (includes some notso-steamy styles)


The George Peabody Library

Reminiscent of the Bradbury Building, in a way.

[J. Wilhelm]

Acquired these through not so nefarious means  :-

Libraries around the world (includes some notso-steamy styles)


The George Peabody Library

Reminiscent of the Bradbury Building, in a way.

Oh yrs. Very nice. Definitely gives the same vibes. Glass canopies over a large atrium were very popular

[RJBowman]

Doors to the C.D. Peacock jewelry store in Chicago, designed by Tiffany in 1923.

[Mercury Wells]

Very, very nice. 

[Sir Henry]

Doors to the C.D. Peacock jewelry store in Chicago, designed by Tiffany in 1923.

Yes, very nice indeed!

[quoted just to get more of that beauty on the page. )

[RJBowman]

Doors to the C.D. Peacock jewelry store in Chicago, designed by Tiffany in 1923.

Yes, very nice indeed!

[quoted just to get more of that beauty on the page. )

Aren't you glad someone didn't decide to "modernize" that building in the 1950's?

[J. Wilhelm]

Carson Mansion, Old Town, Eureka,

[Mercury Wells]

Carson Mansion, Old Town, Eureka,

A bit fussy, but I like it.

Any chance of changing the title to..."WE rate all steamy buildings, Bront"?   

[chironex]

Cairns, QLD.

[RJBowman]

Some rare good news about a historic home in Detroit:

Before and After of the James Scott Mansion built in 1887 in Detroit, MI, photo by @breathing_timemachine

The old house was neglected and finally fell to fire like thousands of stately homes in Detroit, but this was was restored.

[J. Wilhelm]

Some rare good news about a historic home in Detroit:

Before and After of the James Scott Mansion built in 1887 in Detroit, MI, photo by @breathing_timemachine

The old house was neglected and finally fell to fire like thousands of stately homes in Detroit, but this was was restored.

Wonderful example. Has all the aptitude required for an academy of some sort, but it was renovated for residential rental.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2019/02/21/castle-james-scott-mansion-renovated-joel-landy-midtown/2926855002/

It only took $6 million to renovate the building and convert into apartments according to the article. To me that sounds ridiculously low, considering the size of the building and the condition of the priority prior to renovation.

The project developer, Joel Landy, is channeling Mark Twain it seems!

[yereverluvinunclebert]

The same happened around here: Wyfold Court was once a private residence, then a residential home or what they used to call a lunatic asylum. Abandoned for a while then resurrected into a series of very high quality apartments.









Right click and View Image to see larger versions of these pictures.

[J. Wilhelm]

The same happened around here: Wyfold Court was once a private residence, then a residential home or what they used to call a lunatic asylum. Abandoned for a while then resurrected into a series of very high quality apartments.









Right click and View Image to see larger versions of these pictures.

Indeed. A lovely place to live.

In other news, I just snapped a couple of semi decent photos of the Texas State Capitol Building in Austin. The photos are deceiving; it's much larger in person. The cupola is truly massive.

The building is the seat of power for the state. It houses the offices of the legislature, the upper and lower Texas Congress chambers (House of Parliament, in British parlance), as well as the offices of the Governor of the state.