BusinessMagazin

Tag: lifestyle

  • 10.000 euro, cel mai scump parfum din Romania

    Parfumul Quartz apartine colectiei XJ 17/17 si este creat de
    casa italiana Xerjoff. Sticluta in care este stocata esenta este
    creata din cuartz si inscriptionata cu aur de 18 karate.

    “Parfumurile de nisa sunt editii limitate deaorece necesita
    materie prima atat de rara si de greu de prelucrat, incat face ca
    productia sa fie limitata”, spune Sergio Momo, nasul care a creat
    parfumul.

    Tot procedeul de fabricare al parfumului, dar si al ambalajului,
    este realizat manual, cu materii prime rare, cum ar fi lemnul negru
    din Africa de Sud. Crearea colectiilor de parfumuri a durat mai
    bine de 2 ani.

    Quartz detroneaza MDCI, cel mai scump parfum adus in Romania
    pana in prezent, al carui pret se ridica la 4.000 euro, aflat tot
    in portofoliul Elysee Concept.

    Cititi aici mai multe despre cele mai scumpe
    parfumuri vandute in Romania

  • Vedeti cum arata apartamentul in care sta Madonna la Bucuresti

    Situat la etajul 7, apartamentul costa nici mai mult nici mai putin de 5.000 de euro pe noapte si are peste 260 de metri patrati, cat 3 apartamente de trei camere de la bloc.

    Vedeti apartamentul in care sta Madonna pe www.zf.ro.

     

     

  • Ce au in comun cafenelele si cultura – VIDEO

    La cafeneaua literara de la Casa Capsa sau in cafeneaua Kübler, prin fumul gros al tigarilor, vorbele de duh ale personalitatilor erau parte a unui spectacol cu actori precum Ion Minulescu sau George Calinescu. Atunci, cafenelele culturale erau una dintre atractiile unui Bucuresti boem, unde viata sociala era conturata in jurul literaturii si al spectacolelor de teatru.

    Tendinta, desi a hibernat apoi cateva zeci de ani, a revenit in ultima perioada, inspirand tot mai multi investitori privati. Daca ar fi sa numaram, numai in ultimele doua luni cel putin zece lansari au avut legatura cu divertismentul cultural. De exemplu, la libraria Humanitas-Kretzulescu a debutat stagiunea de teatru in vitrina. Cu alte cuvinte, scena pe care actorii Raluca Urea si Stefan Ruxanda au jucat personajele din nuvela lui Milan Kundera, “Falsul autostop”, a fost chiar vitrina librariei. Iar saptamana trecuta s-a redeschis, pentru o luna, teatrul de vara Capitol.

    Cat despre nisa cafenelelor culturale, doi dintre cei mai importanti jucatori de pe piata librariilor au deschis in cursul lunii iulie localuri care mizeaza pe acest mix. La libraria Carturesti de pe strada Arthur Verona, cafeaua are aroma de cultura in doua spatii: sub_Carturesti, subsolul librariei unde se organizau expozitii, a fost transformat in Cafe Verona, o cafenea cu 100 de locuri, iar gradina interioara a fost extinsa la 500 de locuri. “Investitia a presupus doua etape – prima si cea mai complicata a inceput acum doi ani, cand am renovat subsolul, iar a doua etapa a fost anul acesta, cand am definitivat cafeneaua (barul, scaunele, mesele). In total am investit in ambele etape aproximativ 150.000 de euro”, declara Alina Jijau, PR & events manager la librariile Carturesti.

    Interiorul spatiului, realizat de atelierul arhitectilor Doina si Serban Sturdza, a fost gandit astfel incat cultura sa fie vedeta – minimalist, cu materiale naturale si obiecte de mobilier concepute special pentru proiect. Cafeneaua s-a deschis cu expozitia “Understanding History”, semnata Dragos Burlacu. “Aici vor fi organizate in continuare lansari de carte, concerte, ateliere de creatie sau diferite evenimente”, afirma Jijau, adaugand ca profilul clientilor este similar cu al celor care vin la librarie. “Sunt persoane interesate de dezvoltarea personala si profesionala continua, cu spirit critic, deschisi, de la care primim multe recomandari si de la care Carturesti invata si afla mai multe decat din cercetari de marketing”, spune Alina Jijau, care estimeaza ca pana la finalul anului se vor obtine venituri de 100.000 de euro de pe urma noilor spatii.

    Previziunile se bazeaza si pe succesul inregistrat de ceainaria Carturesti, care are lunar aproximativ 1.200 de clienti si despre care reprezentantii librariilor spun ca nu a fost afectata de criza. “Pentru spatiul ceainariei exista in prezent o cerere mai mare pentru desfasurarea de evenimente decat era la inceput, cand s-a deschis, si am observat ca a devenit intre timp, mai cunoscuta in randul strainilor, expati sau turisti”, adauga Alina Jijau. Si in ceainarie va continua seria evenimentelor culturale care au consacrat-o. “Intentionam sa reluam din toamna diminetile de
    , sa diversificam termatica atelierelor de creatie, sa gazduim cateva concerte, dezbateri pe teme de urbanism si arhitectura, dar si evenimente de business.” La randul sau, grupul Diverta a adus aroma de cafea la sala Dalles, unul dintre locurile cele mai cunoscute din Capitala pentru amatorii de cultura. “Conceptul pune in valoare intr-un mod neconventional alaturarea dintre arta si spatiul dedicat relaxarii si suetelor intelectuale”, spune Elena Platon, event manager la Dalles Revolution.

  • Digital Revolution in Cinemas

    Soon, Romania will also benefit from the new technology that allows Christian Bale to plunge into the audience, and fans to shake Bono’s hand at a U2 concert. At the end of last year, the first 3D film featured on Romanian screens, ”Journey to the Center of the Earth” became the most profitable movie of all time on the Romanian market, collecting almost 2 million RON at the box office, although critics on the international market deemed the movie as mediocre.

    So, critics concluded, it was technology that made the difference, not the love story on the most famous boat in history. Cinema operators, inspired by the unexpected success of the start of the digital revolution in Romania, now compete in the field of technology. ”Our experience tells us that in Central and Eastern Europe, whenever a significant infrastructure was created, the number of annual visits per capita approached those in Western Europe, and we think the same will happen on the Romanian market,” says Corina Gonteanu, marketing manager of Cinema City, a part of Cinema City International, the largest multiplex network in Central and Eastern Europe.

    According to company data, Romania ranks last in Europe in terms of the average number of cinema visits per capita, with 0.2 visits a year. That compares with 0.3 visits in Bulgaria, 1.5 in Hungary, 0.9 in the Czech Republic, whilst Ireland is at the top of the ranking, with 4.5 visits. ”Romania could easily reach 0.7-1 if the infrastructure is developed, and the number of tickets could rise five-fold. In Warsaw, for instance, where there are 8-9 multiplexes, the ratio of visits exceeds 3,” says Moshe Greidinger, CEO of Cinema City International. In this context, Cinema City will open the first IMAX (Image MAXimum) within the AFIPalace Cotroceni mall in October.

    The IMAX will be part of a 21-screen, 4,300-seat megaplex. IMAX, considered to be the largest cinema in the world, actually amounts to a three-dimensional experience lived on a large scale. The screen, which is the size of an eightfloor building (18 metres high and 24 metres wide) is curbed in order to fill the peripheral vision of everyone in the audience. ”The investment in the IMAX system is worth around 1,8 million euros,” says Greidinger. The IMAX in Bucharest, a 400-seat cinema, will feature both 40-50 minute-long documentaries, and Hollywood productions.

    Traducere de Loredana Fratila-Cristescu si Daniela Stoican

  • Watchmakers Sail their Way into the Past

    This trend appears to have become common among watchmakers, too, which are getting involved in events meant to consolidate the link between the history of the brand and the technologydriven present. Officine Panerai has been sponsoring the Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge for 5 years, a regatta which includes vintage and classic boats, and has been involved in one of the most extensive restoration projects aimed at a vintage boat, Eilean. The Breguet manufacturer has not forgotten that its founder was also Marie Antoinette’s watchmaker, and has sponsored the restoration of the Petit Trianon, the queen’s favourite place.

    For its part, Parmigiani Fleurier has not allowed the success of its new collections to become too overwhelming, and instead became involved in restoration of historic clocks, declared ”dead” by the rest of the specialists. The Vauban harbour, close to the Saint Jaume bastion in Antibes, on the Côte d’Azur, became for 4 days in June the scene of one stage of the Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge. It was in fact a genuine historical parade, because each of the boats (some more than one hundred years old) has over time collected stories that would not be out of place in a Hollywood movie script.

    Moonbeam IV from 1914, a 33 metre-long aurica cutter, where Prince Rainier of Monaco and Grace Kelly spent their honeymoon was one of last year’s winners. Each of this year’s winners, among which Rowdy, from 1916, which won in the over 15-metre Vintage, category and Chaplin, declared a winner of the under 15- metre Classic category, received a Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta Rattrapante. Available in a limited edition of 500, the watch is a split-seconds chronograph, accompanied by a chronometer certificate, and indicates the final 5 minutes preceding the starting signal of a regatta. The new model preserves the Luminor 1950’s 44- mm case, but its look is different due to its special, DLC (Diamond-Like-Carbon) coating, which gives the watch a black colour and more resistance to corrosion.

  • At the Travel Exchange

    When Ziarul Financiar announced in March that TAROM (Romania’s flag carrier airline) had launched a shock offer – 50 euros for a return ticket (no taxes included) and 24 euros for domestic flights, the article became one of the most read stories, with the online version alone recording 24,000 hits. TAROM changed its marketing policy, which, in business terms, was interpreted as an attempt to attract more clients and increase the occupancy degree, while for passengers it meant lower-priced tickets than the airline had ever had in its offer.

    For instance, a Bucharest-Rome return ticket costs 145 euros (all fees included) at TAROM (50 euros – airport charges excluded), while for a flight of low-cost operator Wizz Air departing on April 26th and returning on April 28th, the ticket cost 116 euros – all taxes included.In fact, lately, price offers for aeroplane tickets and travel packages have become very common, with most of the airlines and travel agencies joining in with low-price offers. Representatives of the Eurolines group say most aeroplane ticket offers are for England, France, Spain and Italy. For instance, in May, Air France launched a special promotion for Paris -167 euros – all taxes included (for online booking). For Amsterdam, KLM had a 199-euro offer under the same conditions.

    German operator Lufthansa sells aeroplane tickets to Milan, Frankfurt, München and Düsseldorf, with prices starting from 99 euro – all taxes included. London, considered to be one of the most expensive destinations in Europe, became more affordable in the April 7th – 28th period, due to the British Airways offer – 118 euros for a one-way ticket. ”In the current European financial context, competition among airlines has made this a good time for travelling, with many providers choosing to cut prices in order to attract as many passengers as possible,” says Emil Delibashev, commercial manager of British Airways for the Balkans.

  • Art Cinemas

    Although their budgets at best compete with the price of a Ferrari, they boast awards at the Cannes or Berlin film festival, and their storylines observe all the rules of the cinematographic art. Up until recently, the only Bucharest stage for art films was the Romanian Cinematheque, with its two halls, but more such places have appeared lately. The latest project of this kind is that of the Romanian Peasant’s Museum (MTR), which launched the ”The New Cinema Hall of Romanian Directors” in April, featuring films awarded in festivals, documentaries and cartoons, either in an outdoor location or in the Horia Bernea studio.

    The idea for the project emerged last year, after the museum hosted the European Film Festival, which featured film projections in its inner court. ”From the very start, we thought of it as an art cinema, which could feature films of the young generation of Romanian and European directors,” says Mihai Gheorghiu, who is in charge of cultural management at the MTR. From Tuesday to Sunday, films chosen by a ”jury” formed of ten Romanian directors are shown. ”Each month one of the directors selects a list of films,” explains Gheorghiu.

    The director in charge of the May films, Radu Munteanu, has proposed a selection of Cannes festival winners of the 2005 – 2008 editions, such as ”Lorna’s Silence”, for which the Dardenne brothers won the best screenplay category in 2008, ”Three Monkeys”, which earned N.B. Ceylan the award for best director last year, and ”Gomorra,” which won the Grand Prix in 2008. ”There is an audience for such films, this was proven by the fact that the festival drew large crowds (The European Film Festival i.e.). It was attended by around 4,000 viewers,” says Gheorghiu, adding that amateurs of art films are knowledgeable about films, know what is new and have high expectations.

    According to him, the largest number of viewers has been attracted by films within the festival, such as ”Three Monkeys,” ”Lorna’s Silence,” and by Romanian films. The initiators of the project give assurances to art film buffs that the cinema will not be just a summer project, but a ”long-term one, among other cultural projects of the MTR, which intends to prove itself also as a cultural centre, and not just as a museum.” As for the future, the representative of the museum targets films awarded in festivals, including productions receiving accolades this year, a ”best of” TIFF (Transilvania International Film Festival) retrospective, and documentary films, which will be shown in partnership with foreign cultural centres in Bucharest.

    Traducere de Loredana Fratila-Cristescu si Daniela Stoican

  • The Year of Spas

    This year alone 10 million euros have been invested in Romania in opening new spa facilities, with players on the market announcing they will continue to allocate money for developing the existing locations. May appears to be the month of spa businesses, considering that the record for the largest spa on the Romanian market has been broken twice in a week’s time. At the beginning of the month Eden Spa announced a 4 millioneuro investment in The Spa within the future Hilton Sibiu hotel, a 2,000 square-metre location.

    One week later, the Cocor Turism group launched Cocor Spa in Neptun Black Sea coast resort, a 6 million-euro investment in a 3,000 square-metre area, which has become the largest such centre in Romania. ”The spa covers the 3 floors of a newly-built area and occupies 3,000 square metres, whilst services include four different segments – clinique medical spa, wellness aging, spa suite and thermarium & pool,” says Lacramioara Moroianu, general manager of Cocor Spa.

    The spa, the only Romanian spa affiliated to the International Spa Association, occupies 3 floors of a newly-built wing, and is part of the 18 million-euro investment in renovating the hotel. The former 2-star Galati hotel has been turned into the 4-star Cocor hotel. As for the spa, it offers spa services, traditional treatments, facial therapies, exfoliations and wraps. The third floor accommodates the pool that overlooks the sea, a jacuzzi, showers and saunas. Representatives of the spa say they target 25 to 60 year-olds with higher education, average and above average incomes looking for health, relaxation and wellness services. Additionally, they want to turn Romanians using spa services into clients of the Neptun spa, and also make foreign tourists perceive Romania as a potential destination for a spa holiday.

    Apart from Cocor Spa, the Cocor hotel also includes an underground two-level club, Club Vision, a 350-seat conference hall and a restaurant that can accommodate 500 people. ”We plan to expand Cocor Spa in Bucharest with a Day Spa on the 3rd floor of Cocor Luxury Store, which will open on November 15th 2009,” the general manager concluded. The other investment, officially launched in May is in Sibiu – the future Hilton Sibiu hotel has seen the opening of The Spa, managed by Eden Spa, which also operates a spa in Bucharest, after closing down the one in Monte Carlo Palace. The relaxation offer includes hot stone and essential oil massages, milk and honey baths, rose, lavender and honey wraps, facial treatment with organic ingredients, Finnish and steam sauna. The Spa is part of a five-star complex with 115 rooms and apartments, four restaurants, a bar, five conference rooms and an executive lounge.

  • Arhitectura de criza

     

    In Londra, panorama City-ului, centrul financiar vechi al orasului, este dominata de o constructie din otel si sticla, cu o forma inconfundabila. Gherkin (Castraveciorul), asa cum este alintata de localnici cladirea unde s-a aflat sediul Swiss Re (pe care compania l-a vandut in 2007 pentru 600 de milioane de lire sterline), poarta semnatura arhitectului Norman Foster si a devenit unul dintre personajele principale in fotografiile turistilor sositi in capitala britanica. Daca te aventurezi mai departe pe strazile inguste din City descoperi o alta cladire inclusa in ghiduri turistice – sediul companiei de asigurari Lloyd’s, o investitie de 163 de milioane de lire finalizata in 1987, dupa un proiect al casei de arhitectura Richard Rogers. Cladirea are sase turnuri si este o combinatie intre metal si sticla care nu trece neobservata, semanand mai curand cu o intreprindere industriala din viitor.
     
    In Barcelona, una dintre cele mai cunoscute cladiri de locuinte este complexul Walden 7, un bloc de 14 etaje grupat in jurul a cinci gradini interioare, cu o fatada inspirata de cea a unei fortarete din trecut. Constructia poarta semnatura lui Ricardo Bofill. Bofill a proiectat si portul Praski din Varsovia, care s-a transformat intr-una dintre principalele atractii din capitala Poloniei. La Praga, multi turisti raman cu amintirea Podului Carol, dar si a “cladirilor care danseaza” – doua cladiri moderne proiectate de Frank Gehry, alintate de localnici Fred si Ginger: cea din beton sprijina dansatoarea ce isi unduieste silueta din otel si sticla.
     
    Majoritatea oraselor din Europa se lauda cu monumente de arhitectura moderna, pe cat de laudate de promotori si dezvoltatori ca posibile surse de venituri din exploatarea lor propriu-zisa si deopotriva din turism, pe atat de criticate de opozantii modernismului in arhitectura, considerat impersonal, rece si stricator al peisajului urban traditional. Evident, arhitectii se straduiesc sa-si apere viziunea, convinsi ca numai cladirile imaginate de ei pot ridica din punct de vedere urbanistic orasele europene, mai ales cele din tarile foste socialiste, grevate de mostenirea blocurilor de beton. Ricardo Bofill, unul dintre asa-numitii “starchitects” (arhitecti-vedete adepti ai inovatiei radicale si ai personalitatii in arhitectura), din categoria lui Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Norman Foster sau Richard Rogers), a vorbit in exclusivitate cu BUSINESS Magazin despre ce ar trebui sa faca Bucurestiul pentru a-si depasi propria sa mostenire de blocuri socialiste, dar si despre schimbarile aduse de criza economica intr-o industrie dominata de mega-proiecte.
     
    “Pentru ca Bucurestiul sa se poata mandri cu un simbol de arhitectura moderna este esential sa se creeze o tendinta. In Barcelona si in Spania, in general, s-a creat o concurenta intre planurile urbanistice, iar partidele politice au mizat pe astfel de teme. Initial, mega-proiectele s-au lansat in Barcelona, iar apoi si celelalte orase au inceput sa ceara cladiri proiectate de arhitecti faimosi”, afirma Bofill. Arhitectul considera ca tocmai criza este cel mai bun moment pentru a face planuri, care pot fi lansate dupa depasirea perioadei dificile din economie.
    Ricardo Bofill are 40 de ani de experienta ca arhitect, avand in portofoliu proiecte de design urbanistic si infrastructura, cladiri culturale, sportive, rezidentiale sau design de mobilier. Arhitectul conduce Taller de Arquitectura (Atelierul de Arhitectura), care a dezvoltat printre altele La Place de l’Europe din Luxemburg, cartierul Nova Karlin din Madrid sau NanSha din Guangzhou.
     
    Bofill si-a pus amprenta si pe proiecte publice de mare amploare, precum Aeroportul din Barcelona, Teatrul National din Catalonia, Barcelona sau Palatul Congreselor din Madrid. Arhitectul a proiectat si sediile firmelor Christian Dior si Cartier din Paris, al Shiseido din Tokio sau al JP Morgan din Chicago. In zona proiectelor rezidentiale de mare amploare, catalanul are experienta unor mega-cartiere din Paris – Espaces d’Abraxas, in Marne-la-Vallée, o constructie in coloane de proportii gigantice, les Arcades du Lac, in apropiere de Versailles, sau Echelles du Baroques din cartierul Montparnasse. 
     
    La Bucuresti, Bofill a proiectat pentru compania spaniola Avantia, pe un teren de 12 hectare cu deschidere la Lacul Morii din Bucuresti, un complex de birouri, zone comerciale si cladiri rezidentiale, in total o suprafata de 590.000 metri patrati cu constructii care ar urma sa faca parte din proiectele pe termen lung ale companiei. Terenul este cel mai mare din portofoliul companiei, care pana acum a investit 67 de milioane de euro in terenuri.
     
    Bofill sustine ca numele unui arhitect celebru poate aduce succesul unui proiect, indiferent daca este sau nu criza economica, desi parerea lui e ca in epoci precum cea de acum, un dezvoltator poate avea un avantaj la finantare daca propune un proiect al unui “starchitect”: “Numele unui arhitect care face parte din <star sistemul> international da incredere si faciliteaza acordarea finantarilor de catre banci, mai ales intr-o asemenea perioada”.

     

  • The African Queen

    Under the circumstances, Africa is now the queen of spring and summer collections of major designers. One of the most successful products of African inspiration on the market has been the spring/summer collection created by Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton.

    To add flavour to the shoe line (called Spicy), the designer has included elements usually associated with Africa – snakeskin, feathers and semi-precious stones. The collection is dedicated to Josephine Baker, the famous singer and dancer from the 1920’s Paris, whose exotic features conquered the City of Lights. The shoes now lead the African fashion caravan and, despite the crisis, are selling like hot cakes.

    Chloë Sevigny is a Hollywood star who appeared on the red carpet wearing a pair of Vuitton Spicy, and has sparked a craze for this model among celebrities. Demand is high, all the more since every pair is different, suggesting the idea of unique, handmade objects, something that Africa excels in.

    Traducere de Loredana Fratila-Cristescu si Daniela Stoican