Jonathan Biddle – Made in Taiwan

Tag: Architecture

  • Sutro Tower

    Sutro Tower

    With the Indian Summer drawing to a close, Allegra and I opted to strap on our hiking boots / flip-flops, walk out the back door, and head for the summit of Twin Peaks. One of those little to-dos that has been on my list since I arrived, we could have not have chosen a better day to do it – music from the Bluegrass festival floating up through the trees and the golden light flirting with us through the trees of Mt Sutro Open Space Preserve … a place that you can actually mountain bike inside the city limits!

    Sutro_2
    Sutro Tower basks in the sunshine (for once)
    Sutro_3
    The view down to downtown
    Sutro catches the last of the rays
    Sutro catches the last of the rays

     

  • The Eames House

    The Eames House

    The approach, bathed in light

    Lauryn and I swapped one California city for another over Thanksgiving, and headed down to LA to celebrate with her family in a marginally warmer climate. I was delighted to discover that the Eames’ Case Study House No. 8 was in the neighbourhood, so we headed over before the lunch was finished. In the past, the grounds of the house were open for anyone to just romp around. Sadly, no longer – they were advertised as ‘closed for the holidays’. That didn’t stop a pair of intrepid mid-century adventurers though – we jumped the gate and had the place to ourselves, autumnal sun pouring through the trees.

    Situated amid a grove of Eucalyptus trees, and in a thoroughly lived-in state, you could not help yourself imagining living life behind the windows, amid classic pieces of modern furniture (that you designed yourself) and artefacts gathered from a lifetime travelling the world. Rather inspirational.

    A lovely balance of natural and man-made geometry. I could not help but think of my previous trips to Japan; no doubt a lot of influence came from the East.
    Lauryn gets some interior design tips
    “I’ll take it!”

    The back of the house, brightened with some splashes of colour
    Reflecting the surroundings
    The rear elevation
    Intersections
    Rather a nice experience, all in all. It makes me realise that while LA is a suburban hellhole compared to San Francisco, it reaches higher heights with regards architectural quality. This makes little sense to me, given my adopted home city’s reputation for design and innovation.
    Goodbye for now.

    It wasn’t only all about mid-century architecture, we also had a mini tour of the city, taking in the Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry. While not situated as tantalisingly as the Bilbao prototype, and with ideas which initially seem derivative, the surfaces sang in the Californian sunshine. Before I had seen it with my own eyes, I was a little sceptical, but it worked better than I expected, and certainly provides a focal point for downtown and the orchestras contained within.

    Sunlight screams out the geometry
    … but it’s in the shadows that the real drama lies.

  • Marin County Civic Center

    Marin County Civic Center

    Circles

    I have been driving past this strange building on the 101 for almost a year now, on the way to mountain biking in Marin, or other outdoorsy activities. I suspected it was a Mosque (unlikely though), a stadium, or perhaps some sort of edifice to Scientology. But I was wrong; in fact, it’s the Marin County Civic Center, and the final commission from Frank Lloyd Wright; at the time aged 90.

    Composed of sets of circles, I am reminded of an enormous Mexican hacienda landed from space, completed with Arabic detailing. I can’t help but imagine that this is what municipal buildings are like in Brazilia and other emergent South American nations. In short, the design left me a bit confused, and slightly put-off by the 2D-like projection of the shapes on the side of the building.

    What was more of a pleasure was peering through the windows to the still-working offices and meeting rooms. Spaces filled with mid-century furniture and desks still unadorned with computers, this place is a bit of a time-warp. While grubby and a bit worn out, I would still love to see the place when properly open to the public.

    Details work well from a medium distance, but seem a little tacked together.
    Lauryn, sneaking past the security cordon to go check out the offices.
    I found the forms more pleasing on the internal structures
    View from one of the landscaped hills that surround the building.
    The quasi-religious spire at the southern end of the complex
    Pleasing details
    Origami folds
    Geometric details
    Circles repeated everywhere

     

  • New York New York

    New York New York

    Taking advantage of the extended Memorial Day weekend, I tacked on an extra day and winged it away from the West Coast for a weekend in New York City. What a place; I had visited in my early twenties, but it makes a major difference when you have local friends to visit and, crucially, a credit card.

    First impression: the people are far more friendly and polite than I realised. Ticket collectors forgave my mistakes on the trains, strangers waved me towards the correct subway stop, people held doors open for me and random acts of kindness and humour caught me off-guard. The combination of awe-inspiring vertical scale, surprisingly large horizontal distances needed to traverse the place and warped sense of horizon and perspective, combined with these little bits of humane magic, make for an addictive combination.

    I managed to spend a solid chunk of time with some great people. Yes, people, I have New York friends; Mia and Brian of San Francisco fame, and then Matt Landman, who I know through Ken in Taiwan, and had only ever met once in an evening of insane metal and rock.

    Highlights: getting caught on the ferry in the rain and walking up Manhattan using the freeways as shelter, an evening on top of ’30 Rock’ – The Rockefeller Center, and wandering through Brooklyn, fire hydrants opened up to drench the local kids with cooling water. Did I mention how hot the weather was?

    Since New York is about half way back to London (insane, no?), I can imagine I will be back here soon.

    View from Brian's apartment to the streets below
    Brian displaying his perma-Sartorialist.com abilities
    The sense of perspective in this space is wonderfully warped
    Standard issue taxi cab shot
    New York feels simultaneously more American, and European at the same time, compared to San Francisco
    V22 Osprey Tiltrotor Crazycopters were circling Manhattan for the whole time – I thought they had been decommissioned for safety reasons
    Modesty (Instagram)
    Sheltering from the rain (Instagram)
    Brunch at Freemans … and as it turns out the same chain as where I get my hair cut in SF
    The skyline – never anything less than amazing
    Williamsburg – hipster central. I swear I did not pose this shot. Ridiculous.
    5th Avenue
    I was obsessed with what people were wearing; so much more stylish than San Francisco or Taipei
    Public artwork more common than in California
    41 Cooper Square – by Thom Mayne
    Shadows of Train Tracks
    Catching up with Mr. Matt Landman
    Mia rocks the graf
    Delighted to see fire hydrants opened up everywhere in Brooklyn for impromptu street parties – I thought this only happened in the movies. I was expecting the Sesame Street cast to walk past at any moment.
  • Checking Out the Neighbourhood

    Checking Out the Neighbourhood

    The rental market in San Francisco is notoriously challenging. Estate agent advertising is virtually non-existent, and people rely on what should be a relic; Craigslist. It came as a bit of a shock, then, to be presented with a place almost perfectly matching our needs after a mere day and half of searching. It’s a modestly-sized, renovated Victorian apartment in the south of Noe Valley – the location balances access to the freeway, public transport downtown and while it is not quite as close to the beating heart of some of the areas like Potrero and Mission, that is probably not such a bad thing; we are but a walk away to Mexican food and more cosmopolitan entertainment. Noe Valley could be compared to Notting Hill … but with more Labradors and baby strollers.

    A short walk to the more exciting areas of Mission – here you will find the fixie bikes, hipsters and yoga, but also Mexican murals and awesome food from down south
    I am really excited by the food options – local, independent butchers, fruit and veg on the corner, any number of delicatessens … oh and online delivery for Safeway. No excuses not to cook now!
    Superb cafes within a stone's throw
    Super access to public transport … downtown only 15 minutes away on the new J-Line that runs by at the bottom of our street
    Our street – soon to be called home!
    And our home … not perhaps the most beautiful example of Victorian style, but it still means we have a little slice of San Francisco living.
  • Protected: Meeting I

    Protected: Meeting I

    This content is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

  • Freitag I’m In Love

    Freitag I’m In Love

    Final step on our super-quick European tour was Zurich, where our airplane was going to be leaving from, and where we had to return the rental car to. I had visited Switzerland a couple of times as a kid, but never as an adult, and never any of the cities.

    As a place to drop into for 24 hours, it was absolutely perfect. Hook up with a local for some recommendations, strap on the boots and the camera, and prepare yourself for some preposterously cute little streets and deftly attired people in bijou cafes.

    Getting brunch in Zurich institution, Sprüngli. Feeling like Tyler Brûlée selecting our coffees, we sat and enjoyed watching sartorial old ladies and gentlemen come and go; and then watch young people seemingly wearing the same clothes do the same thing. Expensive – but dead nice.
    I have a policy of climbing the tallest things I can find in a new city. From Fraumunster, it was possible to see just how absurdly small the place is – like a little chocolate box of lanes and little eateries. The streets had a slightly similar feel to Paris, I thought.
    Patterns of use
    Drinks at Cabaret Voltaire; home of the Dadaist movement.
    Public transport
    Catching up with old friend Phil was a pleasure – an old colleague from DEM, now living it up in Zurich!
    Potential energy
    Even though the exchange rate is exorbitant right now, I still had to visit the Freitag store and get myself a replacement for my previous one, which was virtually falling apart.
    Climbing to the top, naturally.
    The last of our Swiss Francs were spent in the Jules Verne observatory – a fabulously kitsch bar with a working observatory on the roof – hilarious!
  • The Mighty, Mighty Glasgow

    The Mighty, Mighty Glasgow

    I had four of the best years of my life in Glasgow. Which is why I left and never went back!

    I feel immense affection for this city that I called home during my university years. It was (at the time) a long way away from home, pretty close to being a foreign city (depending on who you ask), and the trips up there were likely formative in encouraging me to continue my wanderings.

    I made some great friends there, now distributed nicely around the world. I was most looking forward to seeing Craig again though; flatmate and course compatriot. Too many stories, for sure.

    It also gave me a chance to catch up with the old girl, the Glasgow School of Art. A deeply fabulous building that will soon be host to a new Steven Holl design department, replacing the venerable Foulis building. They are even keeping the facade to the old Vic bar; scene to countless good nights out and home to some of the best techno and house music in the UK.

    I also took the opportunity to head over to the temporary teaching spaces and spend some time with the students. This was the first time I had done this, and it was as rewarding as it was exhausting.

    Even on the most overcast of days (i.e.: most days) the enormous north-facing windows gulp up the pure northern light.
    A Charles Rennie Mackintosh artwork … that is still a real, functioning building. It's a miracle that it is still possible.
    God is in the details.
    My favourite aspect of the building are the huge slabs of rock facing the street, like some scene from Gotham at night time.
    The new will make-way for the newer.
    Goodbye to the Foulis building – my seat used to be in the very top left – right in the corner window.
    The old Vic
    …. and down to the West End we go, which is ever more packed with organic haggis shops and little eateries. It was nice to see the place doing well, but it was clear the impact of the economic downturn on the centre of town were not so good – many shops boarded up, or replaced with the ubiquitous 'Pound Stretcher' crap.
    One of my favourite old pubs – The Ubiquitous Chip. Good food had at home with Craig, and again at Stravagin .. the memories came flooding back almost as quickly as the Deuchers.
    A change of pace, and the new Riverside Museum by Zaha Hadid. I was quite taken with the renderings that I had seen on the web, but the proof is in the pudding.
    I liked the references to the old ship yards, and I thought the dynamic shapes were fun – at least when viewed from above, allowing them to sweep across the quay. The dark glass was extremely dramatic from a distance.
    … sadly the overcast weather here will likely rarely allow light to puncture through to the toys inside.
    Typical Zaha contours must have been fun to build.
    The grey walls matched the grey sky well.
    Reflecting the Science Centre and BBC buildings opposite.
    Other views captured a past history (where apparently 30% of the world's ships used to be made!)
    The glorious architecture on the other side of the Clyde.
    The off-green of the interior again was cool, but gave the place an odd laboratory feel – not quite right when looking at classic transport.
    These old beauties just could not compete with the building, sadly.
    Some awesome bikes on display from Graem Obree
    Overall, a great architectural statement, but one that does not meet the brief.
    And to round it off, more great food and coffees at Cafe Gandolfi with Craig.
  • Bali Conclusion

    Bali Conclusion

    Perfectly sandwiching my arrival at Dell three and a half years prior, Yuyin and I decided to swap one Pacific island for another.

    Ostensibly to celebrate the wedding of Nelson and Christina, it was also a great opportunity to catch up with old friend Rich and plot some serious R&R time. Opting to stay in the heart of teeming Seminyak, it landed us within striking distance of some fantastic beaches, beautiful tourist spots and great food.

    Anyway, here are some of my highlights:

    Splish splash – no complaints about the pool in our villa
    Ken calls from Taiwan and I make sure proceedings are interrupted for a quick call.
    Standard issue Aviator shot
    A blow-out on the ride up to Bedegul meant an emergency tyre swap – and this was after running out of fuel earlier on in the journey!
    Easy rider (s)
    Sadly, this was the view for much of the trip around the local area – traffic and overcrowding.

     

    Potato Head

    This trip to Bali was a professional inspiration for two reasons; one, an eye-opening trip to the extravagant new bar ‘Potato Head Beach Club’, and second a trip to the motorcycle custom shop, Deus Ex Machina (more of that later).

    Utilising authentically used shutters from around the island, they have constructed an egg-shaped cocoon structure, wrapping up a little slice of Malibu from the other side of the Pacific ocean. Locating ourselves at the back, huge waves were framed by the building on the sides, and an infinity pool at the base. The sense of occasion upon arrival was matched well with the prices of the drinks – we opted for a ‘cocktail to share’ and could barely scrape ourselves off the sofa by the time we reached the bottom of the glass.

    Blue skies
    Windows
    The entrance gangway up the side of the building
    Tremedous view of the ocean, punctuated by palm trees and beautiful people
    The start of our destruction
    A very handsome-looking communal dining area
    The infinity pool (keeping the great unwashed at bay, beyond)
    Shutters lining the roof inside

    A very nicely executed aesthetic (which looked fabulous at night, by the way) but amazingly only sporting a single set of toilets for the entire bar, and apparently everyone gets wet when it rains; not so cool.

    Sign of the times, their website is ‘on progress’ while their Facebook page is clearly thriving.

    Padang Padang Beach

    Away from the main tourist drag in Kuta and Seminyak, there are some fabulous beaches. Jimbaran to the south is littered with the things and we pretty much had to flip a coin to pick one. Padang Padang won out, and after a little while looking for it, it revealed itself as a charming little cove with light surf, tucked away at the base of a cliff and beyond a dramatic walk down via a seam in the rock.

    The entrance route could not have been better designed
    Prepping our equipment
    My view for much of the day
    I have been using a Sony Reader of late and enjoyed being able to take a stack of books with me to the beach.
    I would not want to do this with an iPad
    Yuyin clearly enjoying herself!
    Panoramic view – click for more details
    … and one from the other angle
    Tools of the trade
    Surfs up at the end of the day

     

    Menega Cafe

    Some of my most memorable food on my last trip here with Rich, was at Menega Cafe, down in Jimbaran. Clams and shrimp doused in a deliciously tangy sauce were washed down perfectly with a couple of Bintangs, another gorgeous sunset, and gawping at the tourists taking embarrassing photographs of each other.

    A long-suffering husband followed his wife up and down the beach, looking for the perfect shot
    It was all we could do to contain our laughter
    Yuyin expressing her love for Spongebob
    Wicked, wicked food
    One interesting thing was plotting the rise of Chinese tourists to Bali. Simplified Chinese had knocked out traditional script, and hopeful streetfood sellers were daubing their flag over their carts in hope of attracting their business.
    The tasty carcinogen zone

    Tanah Lot Temple

    Since both Yuyin and I had been to Bali before and ticked off many of the main tourist tick boxes, we were able to focus on some lesser-known attractions. One that had escaped my net last time was Tanah Lot – an extraordinary outcrop of rock populated with decorations and religious ornament. While fully detached at high-tide, at low tide one is able to wander around it with hundreds of other like-minded individuals. As is often the case though, step a few metres away from the obvious main path, and you are rewarded with near solitude.

    The temple from above
    Yuyin taking photos of me taking photos
    Caught in the act
    Interesting rock formations
    Returning back to civilisation
    Happy!
    One of the nearby outcrops, with a refreshing lack of safety equipment between visitors and the rocks below
    Bali roof details

     

    Deus Ex Machina

    There was no struggle. They caught me hook, line and sinker. Custom motorbikes. Custom surf and skateboards. Custom bicycles. Great food. Cute girls. Fantastic architecture. Impeccable story. I stood no hope, and bought what Deus Ex Machina really wanted my there for; their booming t-shirt and clothing business. But my oh my, such fantastic concept and execution. Please let me work here. I want to be you.

    Started in Australia, expanding to the USA, it makes perfect sense to have a location metres away from the pro-surf hot spot of Indonesia. I stood no chance.
    The starting point; some utterly stock Yamaha sports bikes.
    What you end up with – a slice of attitude. Sign me up.
    While also working over British classics and American slabs of iron, I appreciated the fact that they had no qualms working with more modest local starting points.
    What you can expect if you drop a little more cash; Dues Ex Machina – 'The Mono'
    Touring the facilities.
    Panel bashing – I wonder if the company owners have more ergonomic chairs.
    Ideas for my future tool shed

    And on to their surf boards and other toys…

    Birth
    Impeccable graphics and choice of colours and materials
    Almost ready for its first test drive
    Yes, they have their own fully kitted-out photography studio
    The real reason we were all here today
    The collection of buildings near Canggu beach

    Canggu Beach

    Canggu beach makes for a more rugged experience than most of the other locations. Bigger surf, more aggressive waves in-shore and less cover meant it was limited to us, some pro-surfers, and some local horse riders. No trinket peddlers and a more raw atmosphere was a refreshing change from the manicured spots on the rest of the island.

    Surf's up
    Sunset on horseback

    So that’s it … came, saw … and bought the t-shirt (willingly I might add).

    Cheers!
  • D’Hiver de Paris

    D’Hiver de Paris


    “Moi?”

    It’s quite likely that I have been to France in the region of thirty times. I have canoed the Ardeche, the Tarn, the Loire. I have frolicked on the beaches of Normandy, of Bordeaux, and of the Mediterranean. I have carved snow in Corchevel, Meribel, Tignes, Val D’Isere, amongst others. I have taken in vantage points from the Massif Central, the Alps and the Pyrennes. But while I have seen the Eiffel Tower many times drifting by on our extended family car journeys, I have never been to Paris.

    My Dad decided that 2010 was the year to rectify this injustice, celebrating my Mother’s 60th birthday with the whole family, and giving our Baby Ben (‘BB’) his first trip abroad. The idea of arriving at Gard du Nord on Eurostar, likely mildly hammered on cheap Champagne, ticks all the right Eurocrat boxes, but when we discovered Easyjet was exactly half the price of the train we obviously opted to tolerate a ride with the shit-munchers and save the money for opulent feasts in the city’s eateries.

    Mum was delighted! Especially as she actually turns 59 this year.

    Notre Dame

    Our unashamedly ‘touristique’ weekend started with the short walk from our hotel to the religious heart of the capital; Notre Dame.  While disappointed there were no mad people swinging from belfries, it was amazing to see a place in the flesh that you knew so well.  The movies clearly use wide-angle lenses, for while the towers were tall, they lacked any intimidating. doom-laden silhouette I was looking forward to seeing.  But that could have been the icy wind talking; no-one was really motivated to stick around too long, and we made a bee-line for the Louvre.

    “The bells, the bells!”

    Subtle lighting inside was inspiring...

    Sensitive treatment of the roof...

    … and some bloody great big plasma screens.

    Warming up on the way to the Louvre – Hot Chocolate went down a treat.

    Mild bemusement.

    Gazing outside

    You can really see Dave’s chin!

    <a href=”https://heresjonny.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_1995.jpg”><img class=”alignnone size-large wp-image-1308″ title=”IMG_1995″ src=”https://heresjonny.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/IMG_1995-585×390.jpg” alt=”” width=”585″ height=”390″ /></a>

    Braving the elements again!


    The Louvre

    Local lads flirting with giggling hoards of visiting Japanese girls, armed with overpriced souvenirs.  It must be easy pickings.

    Focus of the first day of visits was really The Louvre.  The promise of warmth and dryness underfoot was balanced with a healthy interest in some of the vast collection of fine art.  And ‘vast’ is the word; we picked Flemish and Dutch masters, and barely managed to scratch the surface of the subject, merely taking in some of the more well-known masters like Rembrandt,Van Icke, Vermeer and then a whole hall full of ‘Rubenses’.  We left the French and Italian masters for the Japanese tourists, and did not have the will-power to attempt a run at the Mona Lisa.  I already know what that one looks like anyway.

    I must say, the scale and range of what was on offer was mesmerising, but I was left a little exhausted.  I am far from being an expert in any of these subjects, and I appreciated it when you were able to see the artists’ sketches or process, or when they grouped different painters together to give a degree of context.  I suppose, I would have just appreciated a little more curation, and less density in the way that the paintings were hung.  I feel like you could spend a fortnight in there; in London you would simply visit a different gallery in a different part of the city to see the range on offer.

    Deeply impressive, but a little intimidating.  Although Benjamin didn’t seem to feel the same pressure!

    Business class travel, down to the basement lobby area.

    Arriving in style!

    Snow gathering on the roof, we were happy to be inside!

    Views through the mini-pyramids

    Waving to a long-lost friend

    Pensive

    Brrr!

    Tracks in the snow

    Benjamin appreciates the Rubens hall.

    Benjamin’s first snowball fight.

    Run away!


    The Eiffel Tower

    No trip to Paris would be complete without a trip to the Eiffel Tower.  A sunny, icy, clear day held promise for being able to see the edges of the city, and we duly queued-up for the elevator to the first level.  Sadly, it slowly dawned on us that they were not going beyond the first level, and this was confirmed when we were told ‘ice on the tracks’ made the ascent too dangerous.  Never mind, it was still a pleasure to see the fabulous structure, and get a feeling for the layout of the city from up-high.  We were even treated to a very memorable display of public art in the grounds of the tower.

    The fantastic subway.

    The approach.

    Greeting other visitors

    The space created under the arches is truly breathtaking.

    Over-engineered?

    Intricate details.

    A very public art show!

    On our way to the restaurant for lunch, the ice really made negotiating some of the walkways difficult!

    A very memorable lunch, taking in scenes of Christmas through the glass of the bar.


    Other Stuff

    If you ask me, it’s the ‘other stuff’ that makes Paris so pleasant; the moseying along the streets, the hanging out in the cafe, the buying the bread. Paris is almost uniform in its prettiness, as opposed to the highs and lows of London; 60s high-rise sat alongside Greek revivalist edifice, opposite the ultra-modern statement.  It almost reminded me of Japan, with its shops, eateries and gorgeous little details popping out now and again.  It’s certainly a place I should return to.

    Sartorialistes Parisiennes!.

    Art Nouveau (very reminiscent of Charles Rennie Mackintosh) up on Montmartre.  Especially love the spider’s web!

    More Art Nouveau on the Metro.

    Art ‘Even More Nouveau’ on the streets … Invader‘s art (as featured in the Banksy movie ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop‘)

    And one more.

    Views out across the city from Montmartre.

    Looking out towards the Pompidou Centre (definitely need to tick that one off the next time I go).

    Touring the streets.

    Some buildings I once saw in the Tour de France.

    Even the road-markings are interesting.

    Baby Ben

    But the star of the show, naturally, was Baby Ben.  He held up very well in the cold weather, and did very well facing delays at the airport in both directions.  I shall miss you, wee man!

    Gazing in wonder

    Looking very pleased with himself.

    Wait for it …

    Peepo!