Barbican Blur

A bit of a blurry few months. Here's some images I took from a visit to the Barbican at gweilo New Year that pretty much sum up my world for now. Some more optimism on it's way in time for the upcoming year of the Goat!

Tom's XCR

This build started from the archives of our late departed ColinR. In amongst the treasure trove of bike parts we were tasked with selling off to generate some funds for Colin's son was this unused custom built XCR frame. The geometry is a bit unusual in that it needs someone with long legs relative to their body, and obviously they need to be tall. I managed to find a buyer close to home in my brother in law, for whom I completed the build with a new 10 speed Dura-Ace / Ultegra mix, some used Easton wheels and white Cinelli finishing kit. The result is a nice understated bling look that should be gracing the streets of London any week now. May the spirit live free.

Londinium

Shades of Po Kong village here... Chances are it'll be scrapped once the Quantity Surveyor gets his hands on it, but we can dream. Let's hope it works in the rain also ;-)

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2014/jan/02/norman-foster-skycycle-elevated-bike-routes-london

Thames

All hail Industrial Romantic.

http://gizmodo.com/a-photographic-journey-down-the-old-industrial-banks-of-1471225736

Colossi DS

Think old Citroens, not new team managers. Nice to have a Colossi on London's streets.

Chimney

From when Hampstead was full of opium smoking 30's style hipsters.

2 Willow Rd.

Despite living in London as a student for 3 years and visiting on countless occasions since, there's never any shortage of new things to go and have a look at. Of course, being pop-up town central, things move almost as fast as out here in HK. Conversely, a lot of things really don't change, and as such it was a real joy to be thrown into the early 20th century capsule that is Erno Goldfinger's house in Hampstead. Now owned by the National Trust, this house is a real joy to look around. My photos may not fully capture the spirit of this house (they are a little unofficial), but if anything does, it's the tools on the wall in the study adjacent to the dining room. A man after my heart!

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/2-willow-road/

Unbuilt Wren

Quasi laptop presenting / faux research aside, I've been quite enjoying the BBC series on 'Unbuilt Britain', available on cheeky VPN for another day or two? Of particular note was the man Mr Chris Wren's Masterplan after the great fire of London. The BBC compared it to Robert Bruce's Glasgow, and whilst the comparison is interesting and valid, a point the BBC missed was that Bruce, like Corbusier in Paris, was essentially provocative in his radicalism. Of course Bruce & Corb both knew that they were never going to be allowed to knock down the key historical monuments in their respective cities, but by suggesting so they caused a stir and added credence to their campaigns.

The context of Wren was quite different- in 1666 there existed a genuine opportunity to radically improve London's streetscape & infrastructure. Any monuments were destroyed in the fire and essentially it was only British short termist parochialism that prevented this plan materialising. And so London lives on with it's Medieval haphazard planning. Yes, it has its moments, but if you ever want to get anywhere it can't half be annoying.

http://www.architecture.com/LibraryDrawingsAndPhotographs/OnlineWorkshops/UrbanAdventures/01Wren.aspx#.UiXsFmSSD0A

Rams

Dieter meet Paul.

http://www.paulsmith.co.uk/uk-en/paul-smith-world/exhibition/dieter-rams-paul-smith

Serpentine '13

Forgive the dezeen obviousness, but this is pretty off the chart.

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/06/04/serpentine-gallery-pavilion-2013-by-sou-fujimoto/

Rothschic

One of the nicer buildings to have been completed in London during these past 5 years of Western financial meltdown has to be the Rothschild HQ in the City by OMA. It's refined understated tastlefulfess and dignity are only marred by the distastefulness of opening such a building during a financial crisis. The Guardian has a nice critique below:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/nov/27/new-court-rothschild-koolhaas-oma-review

Shard

Having been pretty much off-line from here of late, I thought I'd do a quick post on having actually seen the Shard close up, albeit briefly, during my UK visit a few weeks back. Coming from Hong Kong, the immediate height is not quite so startling as it might be to those less used to living with these sorts of buildings. But what I did find interesting, and what got me thinking a bit, was the whole way in which the tower touches the ground.

If you take a typical Hong Kong skyscraper, they tend to be quite public at their lower levels- typically linking into a very public podium, containing shops, restaurants, the MTR etc. The way they meet the actual street is another issue, typically less important (or in the case of the Bank of China, just disappointing), and more alienating to the pedestrian than all important podium level. Obviously this links into a greater podium / raised walkway urban strategy, that isn't how I believe cities as a whole should be designed, but it does have it's merits. The buildings may be tall monuments to capitalism that prey to the Gods of Mall culture, but they are accessible and they do tend to contribute to very efficient dense city living where cars are superfluous and public transport rules. Cyclists- well, you're just weird.

By contrast, the Shard has all the same adjacent components to say, IFC or ICC. It has London Bridge next door, shops and restaurants all around, and it houses, or will house, big financial institutions and a hotel at the top. But somehow, at street level, it is a very alienating building with security guards keeping you out of the lobby. You pass by to the Underground on a wind swept plaza, before battling your way past pigeons and crisp packets trying to reach the South Bank. A lot of change has happened all around, but somehow that European ideal of 'street' seems to have met it's match when confronted with such a tall building. It's impressive, but it doesn't seem to 'contribute'. It'll be interesting to see how it fares once at full operational capacity, and if that perspective changes if and when the hotel opens itself up to the public to order a Blackberry Mojito looking over London.

I'm not so sure there is such a thing as a touchy feely all encompassing mega tall skyscraper that will please everyone. The UK as a society is more used to preaching globally than to be preached at, and I'll be the first to defend the importance of street. But perhaps there are lessons to be learned from how other cities do these things- be that Hong Kong, New York, Dubai or Shanghai. I'm not saying London Bridge missed an opportunity to become the new Shibuya, but somehow it feels like it missed the opportunity to either embrace that streetscape ideal, or shunt it all together and provide an urban link away from the pigeons.

Inside the Pringle

Even the Daily Mail thinks it's the bee's knees. While the Guardian lets you spin 360. And best of all are the Brit trackies riding the Pringle who kill every French / Ozzie / German / Trinidad & Tobasco rider who stands in their way!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2182923/Inside-Pringle-A-stifling-82F-airless-cauldron-sound-fury-ultimate-sporting-venue.html

Flames

The world could do with some more Olympic cauldron experts- step forward Constantino Manias. Stepping up the artistic tree a little, Thomas Picklewickle did not disappoint for Danny Boy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PON7VJtJ4g

Bont Art = Bart?

I'm pretty glad my Bont shoes don't look like this. But wouldn't it be hipstertastic if they did! Donated by the Bradley Wiggins Foundation, these Bonts are up for auction as part of an exhibition on Le Tour happening right now in London town. Speaking of Wiggins, with just a few days remaining till the Grande Depart, how excited am I about the prospect of a Briton actually going into the Tour as a genuine contender??? With no Contador or Schleck it really is a case of now or never for Wiggins- go Brad!

http://www.snapgalleries.com/news/bradley-wiggins-foundation-modifications-auction/

Haptic

There's mountain lodges, and there's mountain lodges. This is a mountain lodge.

http://www.hapticarchitects.co.uk/2012/06/mountain-lodge-sognefjorden.html

A Room for London

This little hoose propped up on the South Bank is a welcome fun addition to the Big Smoke it would seem...

http://www.dezeen.com/2012/01/13/a-room-for-london-by-david-kohn-and-fiona-banner-2/#more-185619

Past Present Future

A nice book on Condor, and a new blog to add to the list.
http://in-the-saddle.com/2011/10/09/condor-past-present-future/

King's X

A rather stunning site photo from John McAslan's new King's Cross redevelopment in London village.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/aug/12/constructive-criticism-architecture-kings-cross

Selfridges Roof

Lakes on roof. Nice.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/travel/news/selfridges-store-in-london-installs-green-lake-on-its-roof/story-e6frg8ro-1226099705162