Jonathan Biddle – Made in Taiwan

Tag: Built Environment

  • 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.
  • Alcatraz in the Sun

    Alcatraz in the Sun

    Leaving the Rock, and thinking of the ROC

    I am lucky enough to have my parents visiting at the moment; here for a few days before heading down to San Diego, and taking a leisurely drive up the coast. While the first Saturday was a wash-out, the sun came out to play on Sunday, and we counted ourselves lucky to have such a pleasant day to visit one of the most famous tourist destinations in America; Alcatraz.

    It certainly is a tourist trap, but the constricted numbers (book ahead in the summer, folks) and unbelievable location make it a must-see attraction. The audio tour – usual a gimmick – adds tremendous depth and atmosphere to the experience … very much recommended, and even better followed-up with hot clam chowder.

    STOP
    Mum, in the spotlight
    Beautiful decay on the old buildings; it's just a shame so many of them were being left to rot. Sea air, concrete, and steel are not a good mix.
    Jail birds
    The audio tour exceeded my expectations … I am looking forward to going back to do the tour at night next time I have visitors.
    What must it have been like, to look out and see this? Apparently, if the wind was right, you could hear the sounds of party revellers in San Francisco wafted across on the breeze.
    Thoughtful moments
    The sun was pouring in through the windows; I am glad we went on Sunday, instead of the rather wetter and colder Saturday.
    Atmospherics
    Looking across at my adopted home
    Zebra doors
    There are swimming races each year, but the of legends inmates not being able to swim across alive stand.
    Original signage, combined with the 1969 Indian protester signs, during the Nixon era.
    Bird on the breeze
    I wonder as well how long the piers are going to last – the concrete pillars not looking too strong at the moment.
    Shutters, and back on dry land we are.
  • London Graf

    London Graf

    A quick 48 hours in London to catch up with some old friends and reacquaint ourselves with the old city.

    Walking from the V&A Post-Modernism exhibition to central London.
    View down the Thames – the city scape evolving. Would be good to hire someone without Foster or Rogers for once, eh?
    Reflecting, as usual.

    Tacita Dean @ Tate Modern

    Man I wish I had made it to see Fiona Banner at Tate Britain though.

    Tacita Dean filling the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern … not quite as arresting or immediately accessible as previous years, but I was happy to see motion media being employed.
    Twisting and distorting film by hand
    This is what I call a real art space – one that kids can run through and enjoy
    View from behind
    Stairs
    Ai Weiwei … would have loved to have seen the original piece, but they had a few million on display for the visitors.
    Too cool for art

    Brick Lane Graffiti

    Enjoying the street art along Brick Lane.
    Space Invader!
    Locals also enjoying it.
    Characters
    Old geezers – hey was that the same guy?
    HUH?
    I wonder how much the local authorities tolerate / encourage the work?
    Bright colours
    Seems that portraits are pretty edgy right now.
  • 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.
  • Cloudgate – Annual Outdoor Performance

    Cloudgate – Annual Outdoor Performance

    Cloudgate – and our sunshine account in the red

    Cloudgate (雲門舞集) are an institution in Taiwan; and one of its most treasured cultural exports. Combining traditional Asian and Chinese motifs, they combine them in extraordinary ways, mixing digital media, human-scale calligraphy, old folk tales and contemporary dance. It’s always a challenge to get seats for their performances in Taiwan, since they are so often on the road abroad, but they have an annual open-air performance; this year at least in the grounds of Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, and in the shadow of the National Theatre.

    Seats were first-come-first-serve, so Yuyin and I wandered over a couple of hours early, camping mat in hand and laid out a pretty good plot for our friends that were planning on joining later. Taipei for once served up a rather splendid sunset, and we enjoyed hanging out in an unusual environment with kids running around and old people bisecting the audience loaded with shopping bags on their way home – hilarious.

    With the clock counting down, Abe, Lin and Steve arrived packing fizzy wines, cheeses, hams and a plethora of treats; if we were going to do this, we were going to do this in style! We were certainly the only ones I saw drinking out of about 10,000 people, quaffing out of champagne glasses and getting increasingly giddy as the evening progressed.

    The dance? I give the troupe full respect for not holding back, and not pandering to the lowest common denominator; the accompanying audio and performance were challenging, and at moments poignant and beautiful. The strength, stamina and control on display were extraordinary – and that for us just sitting still on a camping mat for two hours.

    Sitting in the shadow of Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
    Yuyin at work!
    The girl with the sun in her hair
    Sugar wouldn't melt in her mouth
    Enjoying an afternoon in the sun

    Abe arrives with a basket of style
    Team CULTURE!
    The warmup was hilarious – 10,000 people doing stretches; try this in the UK and you would get beer cans full of piss thrown at the stage – only half joking.
    Captivated
    Looking down at the amphitheatre down below
    Steve inspects the door … need one of these in my next place

    Video

    Check out this video here which introduces the performance we saw:

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  • Tongli – Water Town

    Tongli – Water Town

    Escaping Shanghai is always a challenge, but as I have highlighted in previous posts, the HSR service heading out to Nanjing is opening up the entire Yangtze corridor.

    This time with my manager, Paul, in tow, we headed out on Sunday to Suzhou station, and a cab to take us out to Tongli, a so-called ‘water town‘. While I supposed it would be similar to Zhouzhuang, which I visited last year, I enjoyed that trip enough to warrant another try.

    Claiming 1000 years of history, the town is criss-crossed with canals and viaducts. It does not claim to be the largest or most famous of the water towns, and as a result the level of tourism does not quite meet the levels of Zhouzhuang, at least when I visited. And while there are no doubt touristic areas, it’s striking how many people still live and work in the town; it naturally gives the place a different vibe. Unlike many places in China, there seemed to be an uncanny amount of cleaning going on; after a few minutes of shooting photographs, I realised that almost all my photos featured mops or brooms somewhere in the background. Sipping a beer by the banks of the river, we also amused ourselves as we watched old ladies sweep fallen leaves into the river, and then the men fishing them out again to be disposed of.

    First of a series of photos I call the 'Mop Project'
    As I have said before, I am a sucker for all graffiti in China and Asia.
    At first, I thought the piles of wood outside the shops might be for sale, but then I realised these were the shop shutters; rather more charming than electric roller shutters that will no doubt replace them some day.
    I call this 'Mops & Shutters'
    Afforementioned shutters, before a store opens.
    A very fancy blue bike.
    Waiting for the end of the day.
    Organisation
    Mops were hung, cantilevered, and propped up in all manner of ways.
    I really did take a lot of photos of shutters. I like that there are both Chinese and Roman numerals on these boards.
    Several times, groups of giggling local girls asked for our photos (convinced we were brothers); we naturally obliged, but not without taking some 'meta photos' first.
    Running back to Mamma.
    Roofs, augmentation, nice building materials.
    I couldn't resist this one. How kind to choose a completely non-matching piece of fabric to patch the hole.
    More mops; modern this time.
    Waiting for … something.
    Shoes stored neatly away.
    I rather liked this non-recycle sign.
    Restaurants lined the canals. Perhaps as a result of the cool, sunny weather, I was rather taken with this place.
    Back passage.
    Umbrellas provide shade in the summer.
    If I had been a bit quicker, I would have caught this policeman handling a plastic gun. Next time.
    The town was definitely a bit sleepy, but all the more pleasant for it. I wonder if their children, no doubt working in Shanghai now, will return here any day.
    Grumpy.
    This guy was terribly proud of his bird collection, and was delighted that I might take a photo of them.
    One more for the road.
    One of the local boats, plying their trade on the river.

    So that was it – a great escape from Shanghai!

    Getting To Tongli

    [mappress mapid=”4″]

    Basically, take the HSR out to Suzhou (about 40 RMB, 24 minutes), run past the hawkers trying to sell trips to the sights in Suzhou, wait in the line for a taxi, take the 30 ish minute trip out to Tongli (about 90 – 100 RMB) and enjoy. We also did not have any problems getting back.

  • Lipstick on a Pig – Taipei Floral Expo 2011

    Lipstick on a Pig – Taipei Floral Expo 2011

    I had deep reservations with the Taipei Flora Expo, even before getting the tickets.

    China gets the Olympics; Taiwan gets the Deaflympics and World Games. Shanghai gets the World Expo; Taipei makes a ‘Flora Expo’ for itself. I don’t see anything more than a cynical distraction from real issues, and a vote-grabbing exercise; ‘lipstick on a pig’. Rather than actually fixing the environmental, architectural and pollution problems of Taipei, just put on a 400 million US$ flower show. And then tell the people in Taiwan it’s an ‘international’ event.

    Despite the claims of corruption and environmental destruction, vast queues have regularly formed both inside and outside the event for the last few months. So, instead of just sitting in my apartment all cynical, I popped along with Yuyin to check it out.

    Welcome, one and all!

    The exterior of the Future Pavilion

    … the outside, formed from recycled plastics, is likely to stick around after the event.

    Yuyin, and the best colour of leather ever.

    The Taiwan Pavilion (joking, joking!) … although wouldn’t it be cool if it was; I think the government takes itself too seriously for that to ever happen.

    Roof detail of the Taiwan pavilion. Made from basket-like materials, for some reason.

    Some level of coherence in the public building structures …

    … reflected in the details of the drainage. Rather nice, I thought.

    Different varieties of plants on display.

    I think I actually want to make a clock, after seeing these fake clocks made from security mirrors

    I think it’s great that Taiwan is making an effort to become progressive, innovative and ‘green’, but I think there are more authentic, effective ways than this. Let’s hope there is at least some legacy.

  • 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!

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    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!

  • Shanghai Trendspotting

    Shanghai is a huge, vibrant, emergent city that has had the world’s gaze upon it for at least the last five years.  I might argue, however, that there has not been a any cultural development coming out of the city that has really influenced the rest of the world; and ‘modern Chinese style’ doesn’t count – I think it just as likely that this fad is being spun by foreign design agencies eyeing Shanghai.  No, there is not yet a Harajuku, Carnaby Street or South Compton that is setting the world’s imagination alight, and no youth culture, musical or style trends that have had any meaningful effect outside of China.

    But that is not to say it won’t happen.

    This trip, far more than any previous visit, I was struck by the sophistication of the young people on the trains, buses, and on the street.  They were dressing more cohesively, colouring their hair, flaunting their iPods and demonstrating the embers of individuality that a large city like Shanghai should be driving.  The general manner of people (ie: selfish and rude) also suggests to me a capacity for individualistic, independent thought; probably more-so than what I see in Taiwan.  I could be entirely wrong about that though; who knows what a Quasi-Communist education does to you.

    But no, this trip I saw people dressed in some tasteful clothes, expressively vulgar clothes, and a whole host of trying their best to piece together a ‘look’.  It will be interesting to see how this evolves since the media is so restricted.

    A local lad stands proudly, showing off his purple mane.

    The other thing I couldn’t help noticing were the number of Sony PSPs and Nintendo DSs on display during underground train rides.  It’s perfectly possible that these were fakes, and simple movie players instead of bona-fide games units, but it was interesting none the less.  What I found more surprising were the sheer number of female players; clearly the macho game scene of the west is translated a bit differently here.

    Indeed, on my last day, I came across a Nintendo demonstration area in the mall beneath the hotel.  A hoard of girls were demonstrating the things you could do with the DS to a delighted crowd of females and children; boyfriends and fathers in tow.  There were tables showing-off make-up games, cameras and games … I have heard of female purchasers being persuaded by tangible benefits rather than brutal features, and it was interesting to see this demonstrated.

    Make-up apps.  Isn’t it funny that I now say ‘app’.

    Other stands welcoming a stream of visitors.

    But this is still China, and demonstrations of wealth still rule the school.  Ferraris and Porsches were everywhere, and there were as many Bentleys and Rolls Royces as you could shake a stick at.  Best of all was this modified Buick (a premium brand in China, bizarrely!) … smooth.

    Gin & Juice

    But as I have said before, I maintain that what makes Beijing cool is the Chinese (the rock music, the art …), what drives Shanghai are the foreigners.  Tony and Kelly took me to a British-style gastropub called The Waterhouse.  Serving hearty, modern food in a distressed warehouse atmosphere, it offered the perfect vantage point for looking out at Pudong and the amazing developments happening there.

    New York’s scene is, by definition, driven by immigrants and foreigners.  And maybe Shanghai’s will be in a generation’s time, blurring the line between what ‘foreign’ and domestic Chinese trends mean.

    View from The Waterhouse restaurant roof bar (avoid the cocktails, though).

  • 474m, 100 Floors, 500 Posts

    And what better way to mark it than with an introduction to the skywalk in the Shanghai World Finance Center? While I had been there before, I had not had the chance to experience a death-defying encounter with a 474m drop, in the world’s highest observation deck (higher, even than the Burj). All I can say is ‘sweaty palms’; I was not in very good shape, and all my natural instincts to ‘fight or flight’ kicked in at the same moment. Humans, I am convinced, are not supposed to walk on glass floors, half a mile in the sky …

    Just a normal day at work – wave at the funny foreigner with the camera.

    Nothing can phase those guys.

    My hotel – the Renaissance at Zhongshan Park – is the building at the middle-top.

    A split personality.

    Just watching the world go by.

    I was really pooing myself.

    An impressive sight!

    Window cleaners.

    What made it even scarier were all the mirrors everywhere … when I walked in, I was actually a little disorientated to know what was floor, and what was glass.

    Said mirrors.

    Exit at the junction.

    Silhouettes.

    I think this captures all the main buildings!

    Quite a view …

    The first punchline …

    … the second punchline is that they sell a bottle opener of the building in the shape of a bottle opener!  Sadly, it was huge, metal and about thirty quid!  Get me a fake, please.