Tag Archives: Carmine D’Alessandro

Country House, City House: Menokin Exhibit Opens at The Octagon House November 4, 2014

October 30, 2014 Menokin 3 Comments

Exhibit runs November 6, 2014 until April, 2015

Menokin and The Octagon House are linked across
the centuries through historic events, a family and a love of architecture. Step inside their history and be immersed in an exhibit of revolutionary plans for their future in the Country House, City House exhibition.

The AIA Foundation (which operates The Octagon House) and The Menokin Foundation share a common mission: to encourage and educate the public and the architecture profession about the preservation of great design of the past, and the creation of great design for the future. That mission is made tangible through this collaborative exhibit.

The exhibit is comprised of three parts:

Menokin: Re-imagining A Ruin A visual overview of the history, rehabilitation and future of Menokin. — **Menokin: Re-imagining A Ruin**
A visual overview of the history, rehabilitation and future of Menokin.

Through Their Eyes: A Photographic Journey Take an artistic journey through the camera lenses of two photographers — Frances Benjamin Johnston and Hullihen Williams Moore. This collection spans over eight decades of Menokin’s history, as well as the changes in technique and the advancements in photo-technology from 1930 to 2014. — **Through Their Eyes: A Photographic Journey**
Take an artistic journey through the camera lenses of two photographers — Frances Benjamin Johnston and Hullihen Williams Moore. This collection spans over eight decades of Menokin’s history, as well as the changes in technique and the advancements in photo-technology from 1930 to 2014.

Menokin Revealed This exhibition is a curated collection of the imaginations and visions of the students of architect, Jorge Silvetti, from his 2013 studio course at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. — **Menokin Revealed**
This exhibition is a curated collection of the imaginations and
visions of the students of architect, Jorge Silvetti, from his 2013 studio course at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

Exhibit Hours:

Self-guided tours:
Thursday – Saturday, 1-4pm
Admission: FREE

Private guided tours are available during other times by appointment. Tours last approximately one hour, and are $10/adults and $5/students.

The Northern Neck and Beyond

Ruins, Memory, and The Imagination: Menokin Revealed

January 9, 2014 Menokin 4 Comments

An Exhibition of the
Harvard Graduate School of Design Projects
at the Virginia Center for Architecture

In the spring of 2013, architecture professor Jorge Silvetti led twelve Harvard Graduate School of Design students through an exploration of the complex design and interpretive questions surrounding the c. 1769 Menokin site.

Discover the students’ innovative solutions for the evocative crumbling ruins and surrounding landscape at this 500-acre site in Virginia’s Northern Neck.

This exhibit will feature images of the final concept presentations of the students of the spring studio course. Curated by Jorge Silvetti, the show will feature graphics designed by Carmine D’Alessandro and custom exhibit panels designed and produced by Forrest French.

Visitors will be introduced to the exhibition with an overview of The Menokin Project, putting the work of the students into context of the revolutionary thinking that Menokin inspires. It’s easy to understand that inspiration when reading the observations of the students during their time here…

From the presentation of Carmine D’Alessandro

Bios of the students and descriptions of the Design Program at Harvard in which they participate will also be highlighted.

The exhibit will run from January 30th until April 27th at the Virginia Center for Architecture in Richmond, VA.

The House

The Reveal

July 29, 2013 Menokin 4 Comments

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the progress of The Menokin Project model as it has evolved from a sketch to a finished piece of art.

Harvard Graduate School of Design students Carmine D’Alessandro and Alex Jacobson, and Machado and Silvetti Project Manager Jayne Kang – under the supervision of lead architect, Jorge Silvetti – have delivered a masterpiece of model making that will undoubtedly help The Menokin Foundation take this project to the next level.

We would like to once again express our boundless appreciation to Union First Market Bank for their generous gift that made this all possible.

With no further ado, may I present to you……………….The Model.

A beautiful addition to the Martin Kirwan King Visitor’s Center.

The Menokin Project Model sits on a base of white oak, which is drilled to a topographical accuracy of within .003 of an inch.

The lighting of the model helps illustrate how the interior systems of The Menokin Project work together.

Carmine and Alex demonstrate how to VERY CAREFULLY lift off the cover. DO NOT try this at home.

The three smaller models in the front indicate (from left to right) what currently remains of the original structure, the steel armature, and the interior glass liner.

Additional views of the small models.

A proud moment for the model makers, Alex Jacobson and Carmine D’Alessandro.

The glass on the front of the house is opaque and gradually becomes more transparent as visitors move through the house.

Close up view reveals that we already have visitors in the house!

An interesting juxtaposition: a copy of the original presentation drawing of Menokin done in 1769 (on the bottom right) next to the rehabilitated structure on the left.

The happy culmination of many years of hard work for Executive Director Sarah Pope and Board of Trustees President, Tayloe Murphy.

The House, The Northern Neck and Beyond

Drum Roll, Please

July 26, 2013 Menokin Leave a comment

The model is finished.

!!!!

It was delivered to Menokin this morning by Alex Jacobson and Carmine D’Alessandro, the Harvard Graduate School of Design students, who constructed it under the supervision of Jorge Silvetti. They drove it down, under the cover of darkness, from Boston arriving late last night in Tappahannock.

Here is a sneak peak. But you’ll have to wait until next week to see the model. Why? Because I’m mean. And I want you to salivate!