Architecture of density
Michael Wolf, a German born American photographer, has lived in Hong Kong since 1995. His work explores the ways city-dwellers in China and Hong Kong shape their surroundings in an ‘organic metropolis’. His series — Architecture of Density — has some breathtaking images of Hong Kong’s apartment buildings.
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Also by SNELL
This house has many facets that make it an intriguing example. First of all, it is a very aesthetically pleasing project with the use of light horizontal timbers and a clean pitched roof. Designed by MOS, an interesting design collective based in America, the secret to the Floating House is that it floats on a structure of steel pontoons. The house rises and falls with the changing waters and is frozen in place depending on the season. The steel pontoons were constructed first and towed to the lake outside the contractor’s factory and then the house was built atop of it. When finished it was towed to its position, anchored and enjoyed in its unique position. Finally, it forms a bridge between the land and an island. Wonderful!
Dutch uber-firm OMA, headed by Rem Koolhaas, has created this concept in Mexico City to symbolize the coming two hundred years of Mexico’s independence. There are many layers of symbolism in this building, from Mayan pyramids to which part of the building controls the park and which part controls the city, to the fact that the bulge of the building is below the centre height, and that it all happens on a relatively small footprint. Most of all, in this building there is a barely contained energy that seems near to release and it may be that this is what Torre Bicentenario represents.
The Danes are renowned for their considered and subtle design. However, in these times of change, they must feel they need something with this selection of a bridge building as the winner of a recent architectural competition in Denmark. The American architect Steven Holl designed this building with a pedestrian bridge that links two sides of the harbour in the distinctly low-rise Copenhagen. Read more
YOU'RE SAYING (4)
Zolton said | 20 June, 2007
My experiences in Hong Kong lead me to think that much of the real action of city is hidden from view, sitting on the rooftops which form an imposing vision when flying in low over them. This photo really highlights just how impregnable these structures are.
Snell said | 20 June, 2007
There is something about this photo, a green organicism is growing up the building. The scaffholding seems to be part of this greeness that has overtaken. Apocolyptic somehow. Each penetration is a life, a home, a best effort in the HK metropolis.
Francis said | 22 June, 2007
that is an incredible shot – shows one half of the schizophrenic personality of hong kong. weird place
HAVE YOUR SAY
If you haven’t heard of illustrative designer Zeptonn, then you should have. He’s the creative force uniting a group of talented designers who operate on the brilliant design site Black Rock Collective. Read more
There’s a world-weariness about Two Gallants frontman Adam Stephens. It reveals itself in the Tom Waits-like raspiness that permeates his gin house drawl and in the talkin’ blues narratives that he weaves around his simple acoustic fingerpicking. They are the new superstars of the West Coast scene, majestic showmen in homespun rags.
Listen to the Two Gallants track, The hand that held you down.
Legend has it that Paul McCartney hated the line from Hey Jude – ‘the movement you need is on your shoulder’ – so much that he was going to scrap it until his partner in grime John Lennon told him it was the best part of the song. So it stuck. Read more
The strategy based architectural firm Popular Architecture has created a scheme that takes on the spread of cities. Based on the estimation that London will need to provide housing for 100,000 new people each year up until 2016, this building houses 100,000 in one hit. Read more
I remember the first time I saw a Mark Rothko piece at the Art Institute in Chicago. I’d only seen reproductions until that point, and I never understood why people considered the late painter so important. Read more
Highly unwearable but aesthetically riveting, Nova Dando is making killer waves in the notoriously hard to crack London fashion scene. Perhaps the reason she is so visible is that her collections are consistently outrageous, exceptional and innovative showstoppers. Read more
Good Magazine is all about ideas, connecting people and claiming back the media airwaves that have evaporated our creativity and momentum to see change made on our own terms. Read more
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1970s and 80s Soviet Union buildings
Cambodian born photographer Frederic Chaubin is the editor of French magazine Citizen K. His photo series on bizarre buildings built in the former Soviet Union during the 1970s and 80s is absolutely fascinating. Read more
Wheeeeee! This game is so freaking fun! You move your cursor over each dot to make them split into four smaller dots ad infinitum.
Our celebrity-saturated culture makes many of us irrationally hateful of the faces we see on our TV screens and magazine pages. Good thing there’s Celebrity PunchOut to let off some of that steam.
I live the upbeat, feel good tempo of the new single — A Hundred Hearts — from Philly group, The Swimmers. Off their latest album, People Are Soft, this song is a strangely fitting anthem for the blustery day outside.
Wolfmother. Rock n roll. Mystical lyrics. Heavy riffs. They have a new album out, Cosmic Egg, and we have five copies to giveaway, along with their debut album. To enter, tell us your favorite Wolfmother song and the city you live in. Yo! Two fingered salute. Read more
Warning at Work is a silkscreen mini-print from Sussex based illustrator Andy Smith which comes in a limited edition of just 50. Dimensions are 20cm x 15cm. We have them available through the Lost At E Minor store.
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Zac said | 20 June, 2007
What a great image – it took me a while to realise it was a photo. I’ve tried to capture images like this in Hong Kong, but never like this. Great find.