Place to visit and upcoming events
London's King's Cross station juxtaposes Victorian charm with modern vision.
Off The Grid
The next time you're headed to Paris from London on a train, stop for a moment to catch a glimpse of the art above your head. After five years of work and an astounding investment of 500m, King's Cross station, a pivotal junction in London's rail network, is now complete. Even more incredibly, the renovation project went on all this time without causing a single disturbance to the fully-functioning station. And there's plenty for Network Rail, the operators of the station to be proud of. For one, they've been able to preserve King's Cross's historic Victorian facade.
Simultaneously, the interior has come alive with the unveiling of a stunning modern ceiling: a fan-like matrix of white steel springing from a single plume. Architects have achieved a major design feat by creating the diagrid roof spanning 150m without a visible bolt or column to break the flow of the structure. Soon, there will be more additions. Among them, an elevated second storey with cafes, shops and also the biggest pub in any railway station around the world. All of these will be tucked away in peace and quiet, to help the consumer escape the rush. Good 'ol Blighty sure knows how to transform the mundane into a work of art.
BT MORE NEW RELEASES
The Dictator, (dir.) Larry Charles
Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris and John C. Reilly. A satirical tale of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy will never prevail in his oppressed country.
Moonrise Kingdom, (dir.) Wes Anderson
Starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton. A new-age fairytale about two 12-yearolds who fall in love, form a pact, and decide to run away into the wilderness.
Norah Jones, Little Broken Hearts
Described as a concept album examining a difficult breakup, this fifth studio album by the Grammy-winning star has been produced and co-written by Brian Burton.
John Mayer, Born and Raised
The singer-songwriter's fifth studio solo album has been long delayed and marks a new direction for him. The lyrics and chords blend to maintain an artful simplicity.
In One Person, John Irving
The author's first novel told in first person since A Prayer for Owen Meany. One Person, is the story of a 60-year-old bisexual man looking for a way to make his existence worthwhile.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
After years at the top of the culinary pyramid, chef Rene Redzepi's eatery Noma, seems to have not impressed one reviewer. Elite Traveler, a magazine for the world's wealthiest, recently published its first ranking of the world's Top 20 restaurants. Shockingly, Noma isn't even on it. Taking this Copenhagen eatery's widelyaccepted spot at the top is chef Grant Achatz's Alinea in Chicago. The restaurant was praised for its 'hypermodern, emotional approach to dining.' Following in second place is Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck, which is noted for pushing the boundaries with its experimental menu. Chef Thomas Keller's New York restaurant Per Se took third place while his flagship eatery in California, The French Laundry ranked 14th. This earned Keller the honour of being the only chef with two restaurants on the list. Eat your way through the world with this comprehensive check-list.
Yellow Submarine
After setting up Virgin Galactic to take ordinary people into space, Richard Branson is now plotting ways to master the seas. He wants to go to the deepest point of the Atlantic, the Puerto Rico Trench. Given that the man has commercialised space travel and indulges in extreme sports and hot air ballooning, it's hardly surprising that his next endeavour involves submerging himself miles below the ocean. Although private submarine owners comprise a tiny group of billionaires, co-founder of submarine builder SEAmagine, Charles Kohnen, claims the trend has boomed in the last 16 years and is steadily rising.
THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH
Camden Crawl
Britain's legendary pub crawl is back this year and will be held on a bank holiday weekend from May 4 to 6. Spread over a two mile stretch of historic pubs and venues, crawlers get to sample new talent for over 30 hours across more than 50 venues. Featuring an impresive and extensive line-up of acts, don't miss this three-day party. Website TheCamdenCrawl.com
MOUNT ABU SUMMER FESTIVAL
Known for its serene lakes, picturesque locations and pleasant climate, Mount Abu in Rajasthan attracts thousands of tourists every year for its summer festival. Featuring ballads, folk dances, sport and a display of fireworks to close the ceremony on its last day, it will be held from May 4 to 6. Website FestivalOfIndia.in
INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2012
The 2012 IPL season will be the fifth edition of the competition established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Both the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in Chennai, home ground of the reigning champions, the Chennai Super Kings. This year's tournament lasts from April 4 to May 27. Website IPL20.com
LADY ANTEBELLUM CONCERT
Having become a global success with the release of hit tracks like Need You Now and Our Kind of Love, the trio is all set to storm New York city. With a concert scheduled on May 3 and 4 at Radio City Music Hall, the band continues its tour that started in April and lasts until June. Get your tickets online before they're sold out.
Website LadyAntebellum.com
The next time you're headed to Paris from London on a train, stop for a moment to catch a glimpse of the art above your head. After five years of work and an astounding investment of 500m, King's Cross station, a pivotal junction in London's rail network, is now complete. Even more incredibly, the renovation project went on all this time without causing a single disturbance to the fully-functioning station. And there's plenty for Network Rail, the operators of the station to be proud of. For one, they've been able to preserve King's Cross's historic Victorian facade.
Simultaneously, the interior has come alive with the unveiling of a stunning modern ceiling: a fan-like matrix of white steel springing from a single plume. Architects have achieved a major design feat by creating the diagrid roof spanning 150m without a visible bolt or column to break the flow of the structure. Soon, there will be more additions. Among them, an elevated second storey with cafes, shops and also the biggest pub in any railway station around the world. All of these will be tucked away in peace and quiet, to help the consumer escape the rush. Good 'ol Blighty sure knows how to transform the mundane into a work of art.
BT MORE NEW RELEASES
Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris and John C. Reilly. A satirical tale of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy will never prevail in his oppressed country.
Starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton. A new-age fairytale about two 12-yearolds who fall in love, form a pact, and decide to run away into the wilderness.
Described as a concept album examining a difficult breakup, this fifth studio album by the Grammy-winning star has been produced and co-written by Brian Burton.
The singer-songwriter's fifth studio solo album has been long delayed and marks a new direction for him. The lyrics and chords blend to maintain an artful simplicity.
The author's first novel told in first person since A Prayer for Owen Meany. One Person, is the story of a 60-year-old bisexual man looking for a way to make his existence worthwhile.
After years at the top of the culinary pyramid, chef Rene Redzepi's eatery Noma, seems to have not impressed one reviewer. Elite Traveler, a magazine for the world's wealthiest, recently published its first ranking of the world's Top 20 restaurants. Shockingly, Noma isn't even on it. Taking this Copenhagen eatery's widelyaccepted spot at the top is chef Grant Achatz's Alinea in Chicago. The restaurant was praised for its 'hypermodern, emotional approach to dining.' Following in second place is Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck, which is noted for pushing the boundaries with its experimental menu. Chef Thomas Keller's New York restaurant Per Se took third place while his flagship eatery in California, The French Laundry ranked 14th. This earned Keller the honour of being the only chef with two restaurants on the list. Eat your way through the world with this comprehensive check-list.
Yellow Submarine
After setting up Virgin Galactic to take ordinary people into space, Richard Branson is now plotting ways to master the seas. He wants to go to the deepest point of the Atlantic, the Puerto Rico Trench. Given that the man has commercialised space travel and indulges in extreme sports and hot air ballooning, it's hardly surprising that his next endeavour involves submerging himself miles below the ocean. Although private submarine owners comprise a tiny group of billionaires, co-founder of submarine builder SEAmagine, Charles Kohnen, claims the trend has boomed in the last 16 years and is steadily rising.
THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH
Britain's legendary pub crawl is back this year and will be held on a bank holiday weekend from May 4 to 6. Spread over a two mile stretch of historic pubs and venues, crawlers get to sample new talent for over 30 hours across more than 50 venues. Featuring an impresive and extensive line-up of acts, don't miss this three-day party. Website TheCamdenCrawl.com
Known for its serene lakes, picturesque locations and pleasant climate, Mount Abu in Rajasthan attracts thousands of tourists every year for its summer festival. Featuring ballads, folk dances, sport and a display of fireworks to close the ceremony on its last day, it will be held from May 4 to 6. Website FestivalOfIndia.in
INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2012
The 2012 IPL season will be the fifth edition of the competition established by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Both the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in Chennai, home ground of the reigning champions, the Chennai Super Kings. This year's tournament lasts from April 4 to May 27. Website IPL20.com
Having become a global success with the release of hit tracks like Need You Now and Our Kind of Love, the trio is all set to storm New York city. With a concert scheduled on May 3 and 4 at Radio City Music Hall, the band continues its tour that started in April and lasts until June. Get your tickets online before they're sold out.
Website LadyAntebellum.com
