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‘Writing about a massacre was a struggle. I’m a person who feels pain when you throw meat on a fire’ Han Kang.

The Vegetarian

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"It's like an entire country run by Jeffrey Katzenberg," the producer had said, "under the motto 'Be happy or I'll kill you.'"

http://www.wired.com/1993/04/gibson-2/

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Zeitgeist

Stardust has gone from ashes to ashes.... 

I see he is coming back in his way of resurrection!

I wanted to be like David Bowie and I know I couldn’t. I still want to live like him, want to get old like him and want to have something like his way to say good bye to the world.

“When people are growing up they’re generally looking for something in the culture that reflects their subconscious yearnings. Bowie certainly did that for my generation.” from Grayson Perry

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Grayson Perry’s Donaldson Lecture

http://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture/news/Grayson-perry-launches-Bartlett-175-celebrations-donaldson-lecture

Looking forward to see his lecture next year at the Bartlett!

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Cant help loving’ that man

Frederica Von Stade, 

I really can't help loving this lovely Mezzo soprano

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RIBA Stirling Prize lecture 2016

https://www.architecture.com/StirlingPrize/RIBAStirlingPrize2015.aspxToday, I went to 66 Portland street to see AHMM’s RIBA Stirling Prize lecture 2016. Four of them met the Bartlett school of architecture and establisheded their practice in 1990s. They started their business with doing commercial buildings. And at the same time they have done good state school design which made huge impact on British education and  architecture. Their school projects are now a perfect example how good design can help young people to get inspired and motivated. State school pupils should have better educational environment as public schools have. 

Extra Ordinary

As Simon Alford mentioned, they do ordinary buildings, commercial office buildings, schools, NHS, university buildings. These ordinary buildings are transformed into extra ordinary with exquisite design and detail which make the user’s everyday life unique. Their beautiful colour and exuberant spaces become background for its user’s everyday life. 

I am just really jealous of their 30 years friendship and their attitude keeping their humble approach to architecture. Last but not least, their positive contribution to our profession! The current climate of British architecture industry seems not quite bright and positive to young architects. AHMM’s success shows our profession still can make success and make a positive impact on our society!

https://www.architecture.com/StirlingPrize/RIBAStirlingPrize2015.aspx

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Love and Patience

I finished reading ‘On Chesil Beach’ by Ian McEwan last week. It’s short novel and easy to read, not quite comfortable, could find it strange However, eventually it’s exquisite reading!

When I first finished this reading, I found Edward was so poor and thought it was not his problem, he just got normal ambition to have wife, sex, children, what’s wrong with his ambition. It’s all fine. we should not blame his life, his ambition and his decision. I thought I understood him more than Florence. 

However, there is a thing. Florence was only his real love that he wanted to keep his memories with her forever in his lifetime. It could have been different if he had made some time like a week or even a day to think their relationship rather than just letting her go one the beach. 

I liked McEwan’s way of bringing the physical character of the landscape. The shore line of the Chesil beach is famous for its amazing horizontal landscape with endless one line peddle paved shore. When Florence passed by him and was walking down the beach towards the hotel, Edward could have caught her in a line between him and her. Amazingly on the Chesil beach they were alway in a line from the hotel and where she and he faced each other last. We think the relationship of love is complex, but it is probably very simple like On the Chesil beach, one line relationship. One line Chesil beach seems like a time line that you could change your future and your love in future.  All we need to know is love is accompanied and retained by patience. It is beautiful metaphor of our relationship that  McEwan created.

To be honest, On Chesil Beach reminded me of my previous love and I was wondering whether I dealt with my love like Edward, believed to be uncompromising for my love but for my selfish sake of my self-respect. 

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Voi che sapete

Frederica is my favourite Cherubino all time!

Her acting as Cherubino in the marriage of Figaro at the Glyndebourne in 1973 is probably the best performance ever! She looks like very shy young boy who loves the countess. 

Line ups of The Glyndebourne in 1973 was fantastic, in particular three female singers, Federica Von Stade, Kiri Te Kanawa and Ileana Cortobas they were all age 26-28 at the time in 1973. Now they are legends! 

Cant wait to have Glyndebouren next year!

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I just found these great series of posters. 

Eddie Merckx, Bradley Wiggins, Graeham Obree and Chirs Boardman! 

My all time cyclist heroes! 

The posters have their one hour record and information about it. 

I think these posters would be one of the best christmas present for myself!

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Kate Bush

I just came across this amazing and beautiful video of Kate Bush’s Wuthering Heights. She was 19 years old in 1979 and it was first female artist’s UK No 1 song in history!

Such a talent and such a original of her song and video and dance!

These days I have thought what makes original of my work? 

I have worked on architecture over 10 years. Where is my originality?

I really do not know where I am going.....

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The great wave, by Katsushika Hokusai

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le peloton

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Caruso St Johns

lucky enough to get a free ticket for a lecture by Caruso St Johns at RIBA. 

https://www.architecture.com/WhatsOn/November2015/CarusoStJohn-25years,25projects,4themes.aspx

I knew them since I worked for MARU in Seoul. They had a reputation of modern contemporary architecture in South Korea. They were a kind of ‘London-met, Florian Beigel”ish architects. 

I am not a massive fan of their architecture, but there were considerable thoughts that I want to keep in mind tonight!

1. London. 

It is great city. I love living in a big city like London. And I want to be a part of the city and play with it! I want to do my architecture within the context of London. It is important to define how to deal with our environment within a city. There are significant energy and facts that determine what a build should be in a certain urban condition. 

2. Lewerentz

They mentions Lewerentz, Swedish architect. one of hero to London-met architecture field. I have not been Sweden and I just have an excuse to visit there to see Lewerentz next year.

3. Abstraction

4. The North 

Adam Caruso mentioned Ruskin, “ Gothic is true architecture of Northern European countries. 

5. Chicago / Milan

6. Greece and Rome

7. Art & Practice

8. Typology 

I think it is important to investigate more about typology.

Alto Rossi.

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La ci darem la mano

I wish I could sing 

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Cullinan’s 62 Camden Mews

Cullinan’s iconic house which They still live in..

I can see another example of how Japanese architecture has influenced on the British architecture! 

http://edwardcullinanarchitects.co.uk/projects/cmews.html

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Northampton Cycle Company poster by Edward Penfield from c 1895

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Killing Creativity

“The Cosy condition, long accepted, is that the American Ivy League is the only gateway for the ambitious, that only the Germans and the Swiss really know about making buildings, and that architectural studies are not being taken seriously enough by the business world, so we had better smarten up and all get good degrees. Much of the present scenery of architectural education has grown up with these uncomfortable myths - sad, because the American way allows a few enthusiasts to experiments, to make things, dream, construct, think ‘outside the box’ and then, knowingly, encourages the best of them to take a master’s degree in a famous place where the performance will need to be intense, impeccably referenced and take the party line of the chosen course. Then the individuals are good meat for the cohesion of a corporate office”

“Sinister is the urge for the creative designer-teacher to feel almost forced to dig in for a PhD, subscribing to the conspiracy that worked ideas have to be pedantically laundered by written justification and as many philosophical/historical/ethical/referential words as can fit into a heavy tome with endless footnotes. Five years of this and the chances are you’ve lost the will to creatively speculate”

“Most Ivy League schools interpret the digital in a rather dry way, ignore the originality of European work and trade on the avid desire of Asian students to have one of its master’s degrees”

From ‘Architectural Review’ October, 2015 by Sir Peter Cook

drawing Daniel Libeskind’s Collage, The Cooper Union