the murdered jews...

maybe due to the kind of media exposed to, or never have been to one of the built works, or indifference to his architectural philosophy in relation to the complexity theory, never particularly liked Peter Eisenman's works.

after visiting the memorial of murdered jews in Berlin, however, have somehow changed my attitude towards his work.

there's a certain delicate treatment to the seemingly unimaginative rows of upright concrete slab. from a distance, it was overwheming due to its sheer size, and monumental solemness. but it's only when you enter this concrete maze, then you realize it's more than what one could anticipate...

leading to nowhere...

there was a whole lot of architecture to be seen close to the Brandengurger Tor, and any attempt to see all in one day would simply spoil the marvels. it was a hot day, and we were dying for a drink, walked past this building, not knowing what it was, but could see a bookshop, a bar and some funny looking installation through the curtain wall on the front. unlike some of the buildings nearby (as it was already 5 in the afternoon), the doors were unlocked, we entered, and found out this was actually the akademie der kunste. not that we didn't know it exist before hand, but our main objective after visting the Brandengurger Tor was actually the Memorial to the Murdererd Jews. so discovering the akademie was a pleasant surprise.

there was an exhibition going on with large scale installations, some rather interesting works. but it was this staircase which caught my attention most...

of this building, everything seems to be very architectural of the contemporary era, steel staircase, angled glass, white walls, self-leveled flooring, slanted furniture...and suddenly, saw a staircase which was totally unsimilar to any of its surroundings, something from another moment in history...made me wonder was this all that remains from its previous incarnation, or was it a replica of somewhere inserted into this space?

took the steps, heard sound from above, anticipating an encounter of of an unusal kind...

Brandengurger Tor

what once stood in East Germany and overlooking the many events happened before the removal of the Berlin Wall, this Neo-classical structure, modelled after the Athenian Propylaea, with Victoria, the goddess of victory, driving the Quadriga.

located at the end of Unter den Linden.

there was a very useful tourist information centre just by the side of the gate which has ample information on architecture, but watch out for the date when it is closed!

light & transparency

the massive mirror fixture, apart from giving some very nice reflections through its tilted angle fixings and becoming the central focus of the enclosure, serves another purpose of bringing in the natural day light through to the assembly hall below.

the glazed roof of the hall, which is transparent for the public to look into, perhaps symbolize the transparency of the government...but while you can see inside, you can't really hear what's going on inside, a bit ironic...

while expecting the details to be hinged of joints, and allow the fixings to a certain degree of movement, was surprised to see most are welded joints...

Reichstag, New German Parliament

designed by Foster and Partners of United Kingdom, this piece of architecture easily top the list of must visit site in Berlin. it's free of charge to get in, but due to all the security check, expect to queue outside for a bit before you are eventually admitted into the premises.

once inside, the elevator will take you to the roof of where the iconic copola is. there is plenty of information regarding the background of this project listed in the architect's homepage.

the day when we visited was at the height of summer, and this glass structure was in fact not air-conditioned but relying on stack effect and natural ventilation through the openings on the screen. was it effective? of course not as comfortable as a fully air-conditioned building, but comparing to the heat on the street, this was not so bad.

2 parallel running ramps encircle the inside skin of this architecture and can take you all the way to the top, which is opened to the sky, uncovered! quite a surprise.

this place deserves another entry to talk about.

Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus

while the taxi in Berlin is of reasonable rate, and the S-bahn and U-bahn are both efficiently run, it is expected of the general public that plenty of travelling are to be done on foot, and it often has signs saying 400m to Point A, 300m to Point B...etc. which is good for urban dwellers who are so lack of moderate exercise anyway.

on the way to the Reichstag, there's a route which took one along side the river Spree. Clean, institutional architecture set the backdrop for the walk.



we had some difficulty in identifying this project as not many books or literature covered it. apparently it housed the library and reference section for the Chancellery nearby.

architect for the project is Stephan Braunfels.

Fernsehturm in the distance

one of the landmark in Berlin, the Fernsehturm in the Mitte area.

my first thought was that any spy movies must have a go at this TV Tower especially in the 70s, as it does give a certain aura of that time. The mainbody has the look of a football, most probably 3M stickers being put on for the 2006 WorldCup.

incidentally, the TV tower was built between 1965 to 1969 by the GDR (German Democratic Republic), or better known as, East Germany.

and that certainly gives you another motive to visit it.

this picture was taken when we just got off the S-Bahn Friedrichstr station on our way to Reichstag.

from Leipzig to Berlin

the journey lasted for about an hour.

once out of the station, either side of the train opened up to a vast field of greens. occasionally came in to view were the wind turbines.

as common to the very essence of daily life, Germany is meticulously conscious on the energy efficiency and green issues: escalators come into life only when a person approaches; lights dimmed down or switched off when no one is in the corridor, actuated most probably by motion sensor and dimmable energy efficient T-5 fluorescent tubes; parking meters are operating on solar energy. the people as well as the country are well aware of energy saving issues and utilizing alternative energy other than fossil fuels.

in contrast, while claiming as World City, Hong Kong is quite backward in energy concerned issues, just how many buildings were designed to tackle the punishing heat of the summer sun other than using an even more powerful air conditioner to cool down the air? the excessive light shows, which are burning the valuable fuels everynight, to signal that the city is prosperous, advanced, that we bring light to darkness, water to the desert, what cost there is to the environment?

China is catching up in an extremely fast pace in terms of car ownership, and is in the process in striking a new deal with the Venezuelan government on the supply of petroleum...

are we heading the right directions?

the lighted window

the weather changes according to different seasons, mirco climates, radiation of the Sun, reaction forces between planets, or as far fetched to the vibration of a pair of butterfly wings.

can it be accurately predicted, presumably yes in theory, if you have a way to store in all the data that is happening in the universe, from Time-Zero to the moment you want to know the result. But if we accept that the universe is infinitely large, then things happened at all corners (or will there actually be corners?) of the universe needs to be recorded on a machine that has infinite capacity...

"tempermental as weather", that's how we describe the mood of a person which is unpredictable.
the question is, is a person's mood really unpredictable?

many years ago, saw a documentary by QED of England, citing a person was charged with murder, but defense claimed that the man on trial was subjected to a chemical spillage, and the chemicals he inhaled affected his brain, therefore, his decisions and subsequent actions. guilty or not was a legal issue, but suppose we understand the effect of such chemicals and how it will affect a person's mind, can we then, theoretically, predict the mood of a person if we understand all circumstances, actions affecting that person before he/ she swings into a certain mood?

why am i writing this?

affected by the picture in front of me.

why was there someone still working at the height of the WorldCup fever?

thousands of possibilities were already crawling towards the window...

one of final pictures we took the night before we leave Leipzig the next day.

after the storm

once again, the universal rule of duality that exists. if you have not experienced the fury of the storm, how could you appreciate the calmness that comes after? if there is no darkness, how could there be light?

for knowing the sweet taste of victory, one must have fallen in countless battles before...
Nature operates the antagonistic yet symbiotic duality like clockwork, so how could we expect our life could escape from this universal rule?

if you are not prepared to get hurt, how could you ever gained the experience you need and search for that Holy Grail in your life?

slightly off topic, but am just annoyed by individuals who moaned all day in their armchairs, complaining that their talents were not recognized, or that opportunities never knocked on their doors, when in fact, they ought to get up, fist tightened, and go out to battle in the storm...

blackness engulfing the land

no wonder Germany is filled with so many fairy tales...
the skyline was transformed within minutes, storm gathering from the east, spreading like wildfire through the forest, and turned the sky into pitch black in the blink of an eye...

City Hochhaus

for individuals who are used to life in the cities, especially Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York...etc, the city high rise did not strike too much of an impression. however, located at the top of the building is the Panorama Restaurant serving quality fine dining and literally provides a panoramic view of the city. and it is exactly because there is a lack of highrise nearby, the expansive views at the top was simply breathtaking.

quite ironic...

we witnessed the dramatic changes of weather like those described in a fairy tale. will talk about it in the next post.

Petersbogen, time travel

a new piece of construction, claimed to be "...Leipzig's most architecturally modern passage..." according to the City Guide.

while Petersbogen was indeed quite different from its surroundings, its architecture was not unfamiliar, lined with shops on either side, the walk was less captivating than the Madler Passage UNTIL one reached the end with the Neues Rathus suddenly towering in front.
it felt as if we were inside a time travelling machine, arrived at a time of ancient romance, ready for an adventure once stepped outside...

Maggi Kochstudio at Petersbogen

Madler Passage

located along in an unconspicuos spot the Grimmaische Strabe just off the Markt lies the fully covered shopping arcade, most likely built pre-war, but just how long ago? need to find some more info on this.

the interesting bar Mephisto and restaurant Auerbach’s Keller are both worth visiting.

legend also has it that touching the foot of Faust's statue at the entrance of the passage can bring good luck...but at what cost? like that in the legend of Faust and Mephistopheles?

the Markt, a momentary pause

maps folded in hand, we were exploring the area in an unplanned sequence. venturing into areas which attracted our attention. in contrary to city like Berlin, Leipzig has retained almost in a complete package buildings of similar era. if it were not the presence of the amount of tourists on the streets, one could have catapulted back to a time centuries ago.

...

could hear faint music resulted from the tender hands on a seasoned piano. i looked up, could not find where exactly the music was from, but it appeared that it must have been the top floors as while all windows were shut, there was one which was slightly opened, as if to let the music to escape from the dark interior.

there was no more noise on the pavement, not a single soul to be seen, all was quiet, not even the clouds were moving, the scene was frozen in that instant.

the melancholy melody continued to flow through the air.

i hesitated and wondered if i was meant to venture to the heart of where the music was and greet this mysterious figure in the dark...

Leipzig museum der bildenden künste

huge museum for arts, and an intricately designed building facade.
but mark these words even if you never thought you need to know the German language:

Montag geschlossen.

meaning, Monday closed.

well, that provided us with another reason to return to Leipzig in the future.

Zentral Stadion, Leipzig

quite a piece of stunning architecture. this stadium was integrated into the former stadium, and to reach it, one must travel across a vast piece of greens, climb the steps over the hill, and then, there it was, like a piece of alien spaceship landed on a crater.

the red devils in Leipzig

though not exactly the most exciting match of the tournament, it did show that one moment of carelessness, victory slipped away.
the Korean supporters (a.k.a. RED DEVILS)were possibly one of the most popular football crowds from asia. with the heart pounding drums, coherent chants, and always supportive gestures, its a view to hehold even if you are not a Korean.
the match ended at 1-1 between France and South Korea, and it was rumoured that Zidane, after receiving his yellow card, and sawing his team leveled at the final minutes after being subsituted, kicked a hole in a locker door in the changing room...

velvet, chiffon & caviar

booked through the internet for two nights at the Radisson SAS hotel, Leipzig, a town in the Saxony area, an important centre for the publishing community and book trade.
checked in, hunger striked. went down to the lobby lounge and ordered some quick food. simple sandwiches, refreshingly tasty.
lying back on the velvet cushions, glancing out towards the large viewing windows towards the town centre, the contrast between hasty crowd and the light music, wrapped around with chiffon finished interior, was simply too comforting.
on the manual in the restaurant next door, they have salmon, truffles and caviar, suggested to be accompanied with wines of a specific brand and vintage...all without a price!
i thought the air dried beef sandwich was enough to keep me happy for the day.

wind sculpture

these metal profiles became animated objects whenever there's a breeze.
wind, something you can't see, but you can feel its presence.
small intervention, dramatic effect.

Leipzig, HBF

was the largest Railway station in Germany before the opening of the Berlin HBF. finely decorated with immense level of detailng.
with light luggages, we were preparing to take a taxi to the hotel we were going to stay, the SAS Raddison. Upon presenting the address to the driver, she replied that the distance was so close that she advised it's better off for us to travel there on foot, especially under such a lovely day.

it took us some 20 mins to get there from HBF.unusal for people who live in Hong Kong, getting used to sheltered walkways, and air conditioned space. but itwas a healthy walk, and good to breathe some fresh air.

HBF, Berlin

DB, HBF, abbreviations that one will see when travelling form city to city in Germany. Deutsche Bahn, the German railway network, is probably one of the most efficient system on Earth (maybe at a neck to neck tie with the JR Japan Rail). During our trip, we need to make a journey from Berlin to Leipzig, a former East German city, and what's better than travelling on a train running at over 180 km/h yet enjoying over a glass of Pilsner !! what's more important was that you can actually book your ticket in advance with DISCOUNTS! reserve your seats, and even print out your own tickets!!! comparing that we still need to pay extra (about 10% more) here in Hong Kong when you book tickets to the movie thru the internet, you know there is something seriously wrong with the city here in Hong Kong.

DB has a really helpful website in English which can guide you thru step by step.

as for the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, which was just recently opened in time for the WorldCup 2006, its scale was simply ...massive! with the dozens of platforms interweaving in all directions, the skylight above, and the numerous shops lining either side on different levels, it just felt like inside a huge robotic castle, expecting to see androids, cyborgs everywhere.

will post more photos on this later.

btw, a day to remember! we finally have more than 1000 viewings since opening!

the red glows...

on stepping out of the liftcar, what was visible was none other than a faint glow of red light, subdued music of pure instrumentals broadcasting in the background. the only clue that we have reached the designated floor was thru the illuminated digital number on the call panel inside the lift.

turning our heads and checking our orientation, we noticed that all walls were painted in white, no extra inch of cosmectic decoration, the only colour was coming from the thickly woven carpet in red under our feet.

the instant we made a further step, the corridor suddenly came alive, as if inside the intestine of a gigantic dormant creature, woken up by adventurers venturing in. panels affixed to walls started to glow until the entire windowless corridor was filled with an intense crimson red.

we made our way past the corner and arrived at the door, pulling out a small, black twig from my pocket, given to us by the tall, charming blonde a moment ago, and placed it near the door handle, without touching, a click was sounded, and the little indicator lamp on the door turned from red to green.

we turned the handle and entered...

yes, the hotel we were staying for the night....
it's name?
Hotel Q!

German cuisine - Lubitsch

located at no.47 Bleibtreustrabe, we did not stumble onto this restaurant accidentally.
didn't have a clue as to which restaurant to go to for our first dinner in Berlin, we decided to consult the highly informative "Style City - Berlin". Being in Charlottenburg the whole day, in order not to travel too far, we had a few choices, finally we picked the Lubitsch, not only for its reputation, but also because one of the owner is an art dealer, Volker Diehl...to kill two birds in one stone.
the place was not difficult to find at all, located in a quiet neighbourhood, the warm, soothing interior lights announced its presence.



not a large restaurant at all, accommodating maybe a dozen tables. finely decorated interior with a team of friendly and reassuring staff. the chef, Florian Maria Schymczky, has a strings of famous fans, including Prince Charles and the late Helmut Newton.



picked the chilled tomato soup as a starter...refreshing and simply delicious!

Swiss Hotel, the statues

not far away from Kranzlereck, still on Ku'damm...

Kranzlereck - Helmut Jahn

In Kurfurstendamm, we came across a number of unique buildings, and one which stood out from the rest was definitely the Kranzlereck (Kurfurstendamm 18-21). the sharpness at the wedge shaped definitely caught the wandering eyes.

the curious thing was that the most outstanding part of the building did not serve a specific function, like a decorative architectural feature. not very German, the thought crossed my mind...

the building was designed by Helmut Jahn, a German architect, studied under Mies Van de Rohe, and later settled in Chicago in the 60s.

the church in blue

next to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtnis-Kirche is this octagonal concrete church, designed by Architect Egon Eiermann. it presented itself as a stark contrast to the original church, while its modernist appearance might not appeal to all, due to its lack of transparency on the outside (to be more precise, the external wall is in fact fitted with thousands of patterned blue stained glass, but it just doesn't reveal to you what's inside), it possess a mysterious attraction to curious eyes.

once inside, the setting was simply overwhelming! right in front is a golden figure of Christ, created by Karl Hemmeter, in a background of glowing blue grid.

we have today all the technology on LED to create special lighting effects, but this piece of architecture relies on nothing but the natural light and the stained glass facade, and yet its effect is one of the most stunning in terms of a contemporary interior of a religious building.

to create such effect, the artificial lighting in the interior is dimmed to the minimum, for without darkness, one can not feel the presence of light. the antagonistic duality exist, one can not live without the other.

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtnis-Kirche

at the cross section of Ku'damm & Kurfurstenstrabe stands this church monumnet. after walking on Ku'damm for a whlie, this monumnent basically becomes a beacon that beckons you. the church was destroyed by bomb during the 2nd World War, and to remind the people of the War, it was decided the church not to be rebuilt and to erect a new octagonal church in blue glass next to it.

last night, Germany lost to Italy in the WorldCup, but they displayed the quality of a future champion!
France vs Portugal tonight, difficult to call which one will proceed to the final...

clarity. when time stood still

"we will never get out of here."
3 hours since arriving at Berlin, we were still in the Charlottenburg area, not far from Savignyplatz. Although the area was probably nothing more than a quiet, residential area with finely decorated restaurants on the street level here and there, there seemed to be endless stories behind every windows, curtains, doorways and corners.

as we walked along one such side street, suddenly felt the absence of irritable noise, no engines revving, only the occasional whispers of birds in a considerate octave. the clouds above, high in heaven, moved in slow motion, one can not resist to raise one's head to marvel at the slow moving, white fluffy cotton.

then eyes were fixed onto a scene, a solitary tree, rested on awhite background, the facade of the 5, maybe 6 stories building lost its details, exist there perhaps only to compliment the presence of the tree.

it suddenly occurred to me that the same scene, same setting, must have crossed the minds of countless individuals at this very spot, only at a very different time and perhaps under very different circumstances...

as if time stood still, all was quiet, all surroundings faded into a blur...

Italian in Berlin

the most popular food in Berlin, we later found out, is not Bratwurst or all other forms of sausages but is italian food. and there's a handful of Italian restaurants in the Ku'damm area.
Italy vs Germany next week in the semi-final of Worldcup 2006. hard to tell who will come out as the victor...

under the bridge

quite different from when you were walking under a railway bridge in say, London, it doesn't smell of ammonia... have to readjust my attitude towards Berlin completely.

here is the sidewalk right below the U-bahn train to the Savignyplatz station. a handful of small shops, cafe, and restaurants lined the side streets and tucked inside nicely underneath the bridge.

Ku-Damm (Kufurstendamm) !

where do i begin? the flight took altogether 14 hours to reach Berlin, and by the time we checked into the hotel, it's still in the morning. so after dumping the bags, went out immediately to grab some food and have a quick tour around the area.

Kufurstendamm is the main street in the area and apparently it housed some of the most fashionable stores and retails outlets in Berlin.
yes...nice cars parked on the sidewalks and even saw a Ferrari Enzo speeding past! too fast to take a photo!

was told by a friend before the trip that Berlin is a city rich in art & culture, but the streets sometimes tend to be a bit dirt filled, just like many other major cities... sorry, this wasn't my impression at all, the city was very neat and tidy, not a single piece of litter was in sight (well, not quite true, there's a piece of litter just captured by the photo above, but that's all, really.) was it because of the district i was in? or was it because that Germany was the host to the biggest event on Earth - the WORLDCUP 2006? many questions crossed my mind...

my image of Berlin before the trip was somewhat different: torn walls, littered streets, Neo-Nazis demonstrating, military uniform, barbed wires, remnants of the cold war, grey colour everywhere.... wake up!!! most of those images were of the 80s, this is the 21 st Century!!!

pavements were wide, the trees lined up both sides of Ku-Damm, and people sitting out on those fashionable sidewalk cafe, sipping down iced-coffee with scoop of chocolate ice cream, or downing 0.5l of Berliner Pilsner while bicyles were drifting past under the shaded trees...

taking a break

we took a flight from Hong Kong to Berlin via Paris on the 16th June 2006. for some rest & relaxation, the city, the architecture, and YES! the WorldCup 2006!!!!

a shot i took on the morning flight departing from Charles de Gaulle airport.

a serene landscape filled with what looks like fluffy cotton.
what was on the mind of the person who took the first flight, escaping that 9.8m/s2 pull from earth, shooting above the clouds, and seeing the unending azure land for the first time...

Gundam - the war continues...

RX-178 Gundam Mk. II in the Z-Gundam series

"Amuro, ikimasu!"
the sound of such would undoubtedly bring back familiar scenes of Gundam with Amuro Ray, seated inside Mobile Suit Gundam, code named RX-78, prepared to be sent into battle in the epic war between the Earth Federation and the Zeon Repulic.

after more than 25 years, when you step inside a hobby shops today, you will see some of the most popular merchandise are still, yes, Gundam! or designs from its sequels, side stories, spin offs...etc

personally, i like the story as well as the mecha design very much, though i still fail to understand why these mobile suits need to have 5 fingers on each hand? what i found worth exploring also is how can a series developed almost over 3 decades ago can still conjure up such magic? and why is there no replacement all these years? we saw the Patlabor, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Macross, and each were good in their respect, but never quite reach the same status as the Gundam fever...

what would Bandai do without Gundam?


MSZ-006 Z-Gundam, 1st fully transformable Gundam first appeared in the Z-Gundam series.

the gate

light is something that is all around us, yet to capture it is something easier said than done. we see lines radiating from the source of light, yet these lines are visible only through the translation of the lens of a camera.

so, do these lines really exist?

picture taken from the lens of Motorola A1200 2Megapixel PDA phone at the former Central Police Station.

Happy Valley - 02

As local people would know, Happy Valley is largely a residential area, tucked away from the noise and people of densely populated retail district like Causeway Bay. Geographically, it is a valley, flanked on three sides with hills and plenty of greens.
why it was named as "Happy" Valley, am still trying to dig it out, but legend has it that when the British first took over the island, British soldiers tried to camp at this valley, which used to be a marsh land, and little did they know then that a lot of toxic gas was emitted from the swamps, huge casualties! eventually, the marshland was cleared and settlements were built and in order to wipe off the memory of the incidience, the place was named as "Happy Valley".
nowadays, the swamps were all gone, and thks to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Happy Valley is perhaps the only district on this island that has a vast open space with sports fields, garden, jogging trails, occupying the area circumscribed by the horse racing tracks.
plenty of nice restaturants too, and the recently opened Jockey, a Pub close to the tram station is a nice, comfortable place where you can have your brunch leisurely, enjoying over a pint, and lazily watching people walking by...

life in a Universe

it was a mid summer night, on a rare occasion that i had the opportunity to spend sometime with my grandfather one evening.
"how big is the universe?" i asked.
didn't get a response for a long time, then he finally said. "...that's a difficult question..." seems like that was also the first time that a question of this kind has crossed his minds.

many years passed, and learned that there's the discovery of atom, then electron, neutrons, followed by quarks and leptons, and they even say that there is a possibility of substructure within these tiny particles.

if we can't determine how small the world can reach, how could we determine how big the universe is...

my father, when i was still in my teens, has once asked me a seemingly innocent question, " if i give you a piece of paper, and cut it in half, then pick up one half and repeat the same steps, how small will that piece of paper eventually become?"

i still have no answer to that question, and probably never will. but little did i know then that this question has opened my mind in how to see things...

reflection - organic

it has been raining for days, and was unable to get out to take any photos. so when you can't look afar, you have to look close.
a rather interesting object, a piece of polished metal, randomly dented. though apparently static and stable, it never appears the same twice because it is simply reflecting what's relative to it.

perhaps anything with a reflective surface has such quality, but if 2 buildings were built according to the same plan, and both have reflective surfaces, one can still say they are identical twins despite reflecting different environment.

but for a solid piece of metal like this, would it be the same?

the duality intrigues, a solid metal, yet so liquid it appears.

a question of perception...

Happy Valley - 01

spoke to the structural engineer responsible for the projects at the centre of the photograph (the "HighCliff" and "Summit"), and this is one example which overseas engineers came to Hong Kong to study as a precedent. the technical difficulties it encoutered during site formation and the construction of the foundation works were good case study.

on the other hand, how it actually dwarfed the houses and building in front, that' s something else worth discussing. should the government impose stricter control on the development of buildings to control the compatibility of built forms? or should it allow the developer/ architect to develop the piece of land to its full potential in the spirit of free economy, capitalist state?

another point worth noting is that these 2 towers are actually residential buildings with externally cladded curtain wall system, meaning the residents are not expected to open the windows normally. due to its high altitude, since the moisture and the gust will be difficult to control without proper measures, that implies that the space will be air-conditioned 24 hrs a day and 7 days a week. an essentially energy intensive environment.

the wind is quite strong at such location, and the air is supposed to be cleaner and fresher, shouldn't we be looking into opportunity to harness the wind power for such developments?

Nature's design

unless the weather changes drastically, the chance that Hong Kong will have snow is still very remote. snow we might not have, but have something else that's equally pleasing. the ripening of the cotton flowers - 木棉花（Bonbax ceiba）.
the whole sky is filled with these soft, white, fluffy, light weight floaters, each carrying a seed to propagate its presence.
the design is simple, yet very effective. when looking at our own complicated design on machines, tools...etc. can't help but wonder the beauty in nature's own design.

the pull of Gravity

we have seen dozen of films and read tons of books on journey to the outer space. yet, other than sci-fi movies and japanese animation, we are still firmly on the ground, looking up to the sky occasionally and pondering the depth of the universe.
since childhood, has been dreaming about being on board of an intergalatic cruiser in search of alien civiliaztion or finding new hope for the dying earth.

the alien civilization is still very elusive, yet there are signs that our earth is dying...we thought our advancement in technology has made us the master of the planet, which in contrary, is only acting as the executioner of our own death. always believe the temporal peaceful times and stable economy is our last chance in preparing ourselves before reaching that inevitable critical threshold.

the preparation - bamboo works

design works normally take place at the office, and when hundreds of drawings are produced after endless nights, they will then be given to the contractor for materializing what's on paper.

easy task? never!

for a finished product, tons of effort from all parties involved were put into the project. formworks, frames, scaffoldings, moulds...etc. each of them are actually a well respected craft in itself, without such, the final product will never see the light.

a tribute to the bamboo scaffolding, which is perhaps still one of the most amazing trade in the city!

MAM - Macau Musuem of Art - 02

exhibition: Depth of Shadow
Sculptures by Korean Artist Lee, Yong Deok

now until 30th July 2006.

some quite stunning installations especially the work "Salute & Farewell". sorry, don't want to spoil the surprise, you simply have to be there and see it, you will become part of the work!