Jonathan Biddle – Made in Taiwan

Tag: Built Environment

  • Expo Shanghai

    “China, meet World.  World, meet China.”

    It’s statement is pretty clear.

    World Fairs and Expositions are a chance for the nations of the world to trade ideas and peddle their cultural and industrial wares.  This year’s show, held in an emergent and increasingly confident Shanghai, seems to be less for the benefit of the global community, and rather a chance for the people of China to experience the world they are set to inherit.

    If the future is reflected between the pavilions and edifices, it is one full of Chinese people.  Over 52 million people have visited the fair thus far, and even though I chose a quiet Tuesday evening to attend, queues stretched around the (futurist) block.  After seeing the line-up for the British pavilion stretch past the two-hour marker, and similarly long lines for the other ‘blue chip’ countries, I decided not to enter any pavilions at all.  Nope – if someone asks me which countries I visited, I am not about to say ‘Belgium and The Philippines’; I would simply prefer to spend more time walking around and taking it all in.

    So, starting roughly in the middle with Europe (America is comically marginalised at the absolute extreme far end of the site), I began my international stroll.  The British pavilion, designed by Thomas Heatherwick, was a triumph; and possibly even more dramatic than the huge, Blade Runner-esque Chinese building.  People gawped (me included) at the explosion of rods, seemly frozen in time and hanging in mid-air, as if smoke.  Rounding it a couple of times, it was interesting to compare it to some of the adjacent sites which were lighter on drama and heavier on content.  Italy and Spain both seemed to be far more full of actual things to look at and do, and others were at least packed with restaurants; most of the Norway site was filled with its Salmon restaurant, and Belgium even featured a chip van parked out the front (I do admit to stopping their for a refuel).

    Rule Britannia … one thing I like about the design, is that it seems to accidentally mimic the Union flag.  What can I say – I guess it felt good to see the flag flying in front.

    Amorphous shape.

    On the fence.

    What must they think?

    Subtle commercial activities.

    Other blatant political messages dotted the site.  The aforementioned Taiwanese pavilion, themed like a sky lantern, was placed within arms reach of China, only slightly further away than Macao and Hong Kong.  And much like America, Japan was placed at the absolute far end of the site, keeping Kazakhstan and Vietnam company.  Meanwhile, Koreas North and South were separated by the major walkway linking the site together.  Laying out the plots must have been akin to organising a wedding banquet.

    Click to see who is on China’s Christmas card list this year.

    Plenty of eco-ness pervaded the event, but you can’t help but wonder about the amount of energy used to transform the site, and ferry the legions of people in.  While pavilions such as New Zealand made proud boasts about the amount of energy they were using, others (notably Taiwan) seemed to take it upon themselves to fuel those solar panels through the night with an wanton display of LED-showmanship.  2010 is clearly the coming-out party for the humble LED as an architectural element.

    And just as my feet were beginning to get tired, it suddenly struck me what the whole thing felt like.  It was like visiting a showroom for domestic and international airports, all clustered together in one site.  Without the airplanes, of course, but still with the faint feeling that you were just about to pick up your luggage.

    I actually attended the Hanover Expo, ten years previously, and I think I was left with the same impression; numbness.  Disney without the rides.  Airports without planes.  Experience, but without the understanding.

    Yep – even the UN gets their own pavilion.

    Spain’s was huge, and covered in door mats.

    People really enjoyed the fashion show outside Germany’s building.

    The Greek pavilion.

    Some areas of the world made more effort than others.

    The show, of course, was not really for international visitors; it was for the legions of Chinese, coming in from other cities and towns; it was amazing to see the variety of faces, and equally humbling to think about the reactions that they would be having to some of the more ‘challenging’ pavilions (like the UK), when they probably would have been perfectly happy with a fake castle.

    A light show from Taiwan… looking up to big brother on the other side of the walkway.

    Let’s hope your next project isn’t, well, Taiwan.

  • Land of the Rising Sun

    Well, it’s been a while, Shanghai, but it’s good to be back; a great night out with Gerhard and the Shanghai design mafia, and home in time to see the sunrise from the 49th floor.  I might regret this tomorrow!

    Before I head out.

    Macdonalds on the edge of Zhongshan park, punctuating the darkness.

  • Taikang Road

    So I am here in China for the first time in six months or so; at least since joining the Latitude design team.

    I am here during Expo, and I will be sure to take the chance to go and take a look at it in the next fortnight, hopefully finding a way to avoid some of the worst queues. But before I even step foot in the Expo, I can see the collateral effects that it is having on the city.

    Taikang Road (where I am sitting right now) was one of my favourite design spots in the city, always offering an easily-accessible good vibe, some interesting design, and all washed down with a good cappuccino.

    Now? Well there are still the design shops, but it’s been heavily cleaned up, and some of the more interesting businesses have made way for little more than tourist nick-nack outlets. Not unpleasant, exactly, but it’s certainly lost some of the pioneering atmosphere that it once had.

    I suppose every ex-pat had the same stories; “I remember when this place was authentic.”. At least it has not been demolished to make way for a shopping centre – though the street opposite has managed to sprout one in the last six months.

    What’s the next project for China after the Olympics and Expo? I asked the taxi driver this afternoon if China could just relax for a bit, and he laughed a knowing laugh of “no, our next project is the world.”

  • Kinmen Tales

    After six years, I finally made it to Kinmen (金門)!  Nikki and I decided to break for the border (well, almost) and book a long weekend away from Taipei; our first trip away together.

    Kinmen (pronounced ‘Jin-Men’), is a curious historical anomaly, situated as it is a mere 2100m away from the coast of mainland China.  Indeed, administratively, its official title is ‘Fujian Province, Republic of China’, demonstrating very clearly the attitude of previous administrations towards the islet; they possessed a small portion of the mainland, and one day they were coming back for the rest. (more…)

  • Shopping Taipei

    I really enjoy walking the back-streets of Taipei, away slightly from the main thoroughfares that sport Starbucks and MacDonalds and the rest.  In the back streets, you’ll find ‘single serving shops’, privately run and often staffed with the elder family members, seemingly set back about twenty years and invariably overstocked and focusing on one type of product.  Here, you’ll find a total blur between private and personal life, the spaces serving as both their work space and their living room.  This is a little project that I might continue.  ‘On my block’, perhaps?

  • Derelict Firing Range

    It was miserable weather up in the hills today.  Conditions were humid, rainy and chilly/hot in a way that only seems to happen around Taipei.  As a result of the extremely slippery conditions, Mark and I opted to take a different route.  We came across a derelict police firing range, and I obviously had to stop to take some photos … it’s been disused for some time, but you can still see its unique ‘patina’ of use, AKA bullet holes.  Not completely convinced it is a safe set-up for firing projectiles!

  • Taipei Flora Expo Preparation

    Even though China got the Olympics, I have to respect the effort that Taiwan put in to host the Deaflympics and World Games; no easy feat.  However, the fact that Shanghai is hosting the World Expo does not justify to me why Taiwan has to have its own tit-for-tat Exposition, in the form of the Taipei International Flora Exposition; an event I am not even sure has existed before.

    Construction is taking place at great pace across the city, making me question how serious they are about the themes of sustainability and eco-friendliness, let-alone the amount of aviation fuel they expect will be burnt if the six million expected visitors to make the trip successfully.  I am already tired of the event mascots, and am irritated that they opted to fill in perfectly good parkland when it would have been far more progressive to take over an area of brown-field industries that could kick-off urban renewal.

    Take a look at the web sites and tell me I am not being cynical.  Enjoy the mind-bending animation and music!

    Looks like they are making some permanent extensions to the Fina Arts Museum too…

    That’s a wrap!

  • Adaptable Architecture

    Taipei tries its best at erecting buildings that have some semblance of style, even if that style is generating a neo-Gothic Greek Revivalist Bali retreat.  But bless ’em, the local residents get to work modifying, adapting and extending their properties with scant regard for the outward appearance of a building.  It’s something I have written about before (Open-Source Architecture), but not seen built with that thought in mind at the outset.

    I was therefore rather pleased to be walking along Minsheng E Rd. yesterday, and happen across a housing development that at least seems to respect peoples’ wishes to augment their original purchase.  In a manner not too far removed from the iconic Barbican in London, geometric flourishes break up the surfaces of the structure, allowing some degree of freedom in treatment of windows, air-conditioning and sideways extensions.  It’s modern, certainly Asian, and I rather like it.

    From an alternative angle.

    Eric from ADC marvels at the trees, individually marked with species markers.

  • Kenting 2010

    Kenting – summed up in a single photo!

    Though the departure was a little more hectic than I was originally envisioning, it was my pleasure to jump on the HSR down south and join Michael and Tanja for a weekend of summer sun in Kenting – south Taiwan.

    The guys had come through to attend a wedding, and as such were accompanied by a group of 20 German holidaymakers – and all on the same weekend as the largest music festival in Taiwan; Spring Scream.  As a result of poor planning on my part, I was actually supposed to be staying some fifteen kilometers away in Hengchun, but M&T offered me their spare bed in the amazing, but less than charismatically-named, Kenting Youth Activity Center.  I love that place.

    Situated on a peninsular east of the main drag, it is – according to their website – a ‘traditional Fujen(a province in southern China, also called Min) style building with red gate, white wall and red tile roof, and is often reputed as the Museum of Southern Min Style Architecture.’  I wish they gave more of the history, with a bit more explanation of the layout, but no matter; I would probably discover it is made of concrete.

    Square clouds … I could just soak this in all day!

    Detail view.

    Shots of night of the wonderful lanterns, lighting up the courtyard.

    Tiles done properly. Almost.

    Doors.

    The local walk down to the rocky peninsular.

    Cable management.

    Silhouettes.

    Details, bathed in warm morning light.

    Birds of a feather.

    Little Georg makes a run for it.

    Of course, we didn’t have the place entirely to ourselves.  As host weekend of the largest music festival in Taiwan, there were some pretty odd sights, and a funny mixture of people.  Beginning with obligatory trips down to the local nightmarket (copy and pasted from Taipei?), we then began sinking drinks, seeing some of the outlying stages, and finally ending up on the beach for what was a very nice, chilled out session the last time I was here.  Nope – not this time… a huge, thumping sound system, massive crowd and despite signs urging restraint, a barrage of fireworks arcing up into the sky (as well as other places).  I must at this moment apologise to all the people with car alarms that we set off, when some enterprising vendor sold us a box of mortars, at 4:30 in the morning.  Only in Kenting.

    Beer emergency.

    Walking the dog.

    Little Georg checking the icecreams – it was fun playing with them, though I wished my German had not corroded so far!

    Peugeot 106 … waffles.

    It was quite a culture shock to land from Texas, and dive head-first into full intensity Taiwan during ‘Spring Break’, all the while accompanied by German family members!  Absolutely fantastic to see the Helds on top form though.  See you guys again soon!

    Taiwanese cowboys – summing up my cultural transition?

  • Cat Burglars

    The door was locked.

    The cats, beyond the door sounded like they had just knocked something over. “Silly cats.” Taking out the key and turning it in the lock, I didn’t get the usual three-stage series of weighted clicks; instead just a solitary single rotation, signifying a flatmate was home.

    “Hello!”

    No answer, I walk into my room, but catch a glance of Abe’s. “He must be doing washing.” Clothes everywhere. Cupboards open. Something is not right. Thoughts of Abe or his girlfriend in a frenzied argument wander through my brain, as I pass into my room and see a symmetrical display of laundry. Something is definitely not right.

    The penny drops at about the same speed as my jaw as I glance round my room. Lenses and camera intact. Passport strewn on the bed. Computer accounted for. I run back into Abe’s room; again I see his camera equipment and computer, and am even more confused. The trifecta of laundry-themed rooms ends in Armando’s, as I run past on the way to the living room, and awaiting brand-new Macbook Pro. What is going on?

    Abe. No reply. A quick word with Armando, and he cuts short dinner to run home. Obviously avoiding touching anything at all, I do a quick second sweep of the rooms – the only stuff missing seems to be Abe’s computer and our beloved three-legged cat, Tripod, who is likely hiding in a dark corner somewhere. Armando arrives – pennies and jaws dropping all around.

    “What’s the number for emergency services in Taiwan? … 012?”

    I try Abe again. No response, so I call Natasha and ruin one more evening.

    Time to dive into emergency Chinese, and I dial. The guy on the end of the phone is calm and positive, and he dispatches a policeman to arrive in the next few minutes. Just before hanging up, he compliments me on my Chinese; and even under such stress my ego still pauses to be stroked before I shake myself out of it. Meanwhile, Armando is doing his own sweep of the house, shocked that he had only left home an hour previously at 6:50. We play out the scenario – the door, the lights, the stuff left lying around – nothing quite making sense. I grab the camera, take some shots of each room, and run a video around while narrating what I remember.


    Laundry


    My dirty laundry


    Armando’s

    Abe one more time. Or maybe two. His phone is clearly off.

    The first cop arrives, and I rattle off what happened to him. This shit clearly happens all the time, and he calmly listens to our story while he wanders around and takes photos of the most pertinent details. He sits me down and I sign some forms that seem to allow detectives to come in and do a formal inspection. Switching between his Nokia cell phone and radio, he radios for backup, and Armando and I look up to see the househould Hulk cookie jar, well, ajar; it’s head and shoulders telling the story of a very polite burglar taking a peek inside and returning the lid.

    The phone rings. A conversation completely out of context is difficult enough to grasp at the best of times, and it was only after a minute that I realised it was the police call centre asking to see if I was ‘satisfied’ with the timely service so far? Satisfied? What… yeah sure. Thanks. Slightly knocked sideways, it seemed all the more natural to strike up a conversation about our cats, while watching the policeman edging towards Datou. A few photos are collected on his official camera; and in mild disbelief I watch as he takes out his cell phone and adds a couple for himself. Are we looking for a cat burglar here?


    Datou has a new friend.

    More police begin arriving, and questions begin to be asked of the likely location of the other keys. Abe is out of contact, Natasha is on the way, and I don’t even have the cell phone of the landlord. Raised eyebrows, inspection of ID card etc etc. This is getting a bit frustrating.

    The CSI dude turns up, and he begins inspecting the main door lock. No joy. Then, his eye wanders over to the window opening into the living room; a brief flash of the light and it’s clear that’s where they came in. Bars block the windows of most houses in Taiwan, and ours is no exception. The only surprise is how easily they prised the bars – with an adjustable spanner, no less. So, let me ask you – if you can get through the bars with such a crude tool, and the bars themselves work as a ladder, what is the freaking point. Strike one for Taiwan. Not in our favour is the fact that we often leave that window open to allow air in, and it was unlikely that it was locked – lesson learnt.


    Clueso


    Breaking and entering

    Prints are taken on the window, and … Hulk. Gloves. They came and went through the same place, which probably explains the scuffling sound when I arrived. We chat briefly about what to do, and his advice sounds like it is coming from a man that has seen this way, way too often. The adrenaline starts to fade as he leaves, and we assess the damage. Tasha arrives, slightly breathless.


    Yes – Hulk. Please take him in for more questioning, by all means…

    It’s quite clear straight off the bat that we got away amazingly lightly. A few hundred dollars in American cash, and all the expensive equipment and travel documents are still intact, as far as we can see. But still one cat missing.

    Tripod is timid cat at the best of times, but she was not to be found in any of her typical hiding places. I shine a light quickly outside, and nothing. I go and get my camera, and set the flash on, hoping to capture some reflective eyes; nothing. Did they really steal her?

    Another shot with the torch, and the other guys hear a loud “meow”. Tripod, except for Gizmo-like sound effects simply does not meow, ever, and I am in disbelief that it is her. Datou, on the other hand, makes a bolt for the window, clearly in distress – what a hero! Some more flash photographs taken down the alleyway, and sure enough it is her, lurking behind an air conditioning unit. I grab a torch, throw on some shoes and run out of the door, with Natasha in hot pursuit.


    Safe!

    The rear of the apartment building is dark, dim, and not easy to access. I catch sight of her, and she scampers off (with three legs it’s hard to do much else), and I worry that we are about to start a bizarre game of mouse and cat. But I corner her, and manage to pick her shivering body up. Safe. And I pass her up to Armando, manhandling herself up the bars and into the warm light of the apartment.

    Covered in the muck of a million scooters, I head back to join Natasha and walk back around to the apartment entrance. Call Abe a dozen or more times. Talk at length about what the hell just happened, and wait for his arrival. And it was about this point that we realised just ho
    w hungry we were. The adrenalin surge comes to an abrupt stop.

    We didn’t need to wait to long for Abe to come back. Without wanting to get too dramatic, we walked him through the house, and it was clear that he was as shocked as the rest of us. Turns out his phone had run out of power. It’s at times like this that I realise my daily Chinese skills have definite limits – vocabulary that Abe is talented and dedicated enough to learn. Still, we got through, and in the end what more is there to say? We were amazingly lucky.

    We’ll be lodging the full report with the police tomorrow, but until then I have rather an important gathering to attend – the departure of Nick Chaney from Taiwan. But I’ll leave that for the next post.

    The story of a British Industrial Designer in Taiwan…