pavillon of reflections, zurichPavillon of Reflections, Zurich, 2016

A team of thirty architecture students at ETH Zurich under the guidance of Tom Emerson Studio have designed and built a pavilion for Manifesta 11, the nomadic, European biennial of contemporary art.

"Floating in the lake against the backdrop of the city centre, the Pavillon of Reflections serves as the biennial’s public forum: as a meeting point, as a cinema for screening films produced as part of the biennial, reflected in the public swimming bath, open to the public during the day.

A timber island, arrange like a fragment of intimate urban space enclosed by five buildings: a tower, a tribune, a bar, a sun deck with changing cubicles below, a central pool with cinema screen above, and three generous sets of steps that lead into the lake. Together with the tower, the volumetric roofs over the bar are built up from a distinct profile of timber lattice roofs."

(www.divisare.com)

http://www.emerson.arch.ethz.ch/construction

The stories of these elephants are often heart-breaking. Many of the elephants are taken away from their mothers and families only a few days after birth so they can work in the street-begging business where tourists pay to get a picture.

Another reason why they are being separated when they need their mothers the most is because it is easier to break their spirit when they are still young which is also known as 'crushing'. The elephants are tied up in a cage where they cannot move - not even their trunk - and they are being tortured for several days with hooks, nails and all sort of tools. During this time they are not allowed to sleep and don't get any food until they lose their will to live. This is what is needed for all the elephants in order to control them so tourists can have a ride on their back or they can be used and trained for circus and other stupid entertaining events. Although the elephants seem big and strong their spine is just not made for carrying human beings or these bulky seats so as tourists feel more comfortable on top of them.

Other elephants are working in the logging industry where they have to pull heavy logs under disastrous conditions. Many of them were blinded with iron poles or wooden sticks so they cannot focus on other things than work or just as punishment.

Blinded, with broken legs or hips or with severe mental problems they are found by Lek and her team and brought to the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai where they get treatment and where they start living in freedom again. Free and in nature they start to build herds again and enjoy their new environment without punishment and work.

As weekly volunteers we were helping the team with the daily tasks like cutting corn on the field and bringing it back or unloading hundreds of pumpkins and watermelons and washing each one of them. Or cleaning their shelters. 

In this park we had the chance to witness how they behave when they are just themselves. We saw them running around and greeting each other, we saw them playing in the river or just having fun taking a mud bath. It was a great and eye-opening experience. 

If you are interested to know more about ENP or even to help as Volunteer you can find more information on their website (http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/) or on their FB site (www.facebook.com/TheElephantNaturePark/?fref=ts)

If someone is interested in purchasing some of the photographs I took there please click on the pictures or click HERE.

***ALL THE PROFIT WILL GO TO THE ELEPHANT NATURE PARK!***

(With a purchase of a photograph you are helping Lek and her team to find more elephants in need and buy them from their owners, make sure that they have the medicine and equipment they need, make sure that they can pay a good salary to the Mahouts which are with the elephants the whole day long, buying more land and enlarge the park and so much more...)

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...Herzog & de Meuron’s purpose built architecture plays a crucial role in shaping the exhibition, serving as the interstitial structure tying together a series of intimate experiences in the space of the Museum. The idea is not only focused on what happens in the exhibition, but also on what occurs around an exhibition. What interested the curators and the architects was the idea of opening up towards the outside, the creation of public spaces, and how it is possible to create such spaces."

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These pictures were taken during the dismantling of the Swiss Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

So many times I was crossing these big avenues in this beautiful sunlight reflecting from all the facades, warming up with a coffee to go and wondering where this smoke comes from... Yeah, that's the one!

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"The sun never new how wonderful it was," the architect Louis Kahn said, "until it fell on the wall of a building."

Recently I came across a very nice small book a dear photographer friend recommended to me: In praise of shadows by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki. Related to the japanese art of architecture and interior design Tanizaki leads us to admire the subtle and soft light coming through the matte paper of the japanese window but also shows us how beautiful and important darkness can be. And here is when we realize that light is most beautiful in relation with shadow. 

After reading the book I went out and found the world way too bright. Suddenly I found myself in a cathedral listening to sound of silence and praising shadow. Light and darkness are just beautiful when found in balance!

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Designed by Grimshaw Architects in collaboration with worldrenowned designer James Carpenter, who is known for his work with light and public space.

Here some impressions of the ceiling.

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New York is beautiful in sunlight and black and white!

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Although coming from Hong Kong - the most light-polluted place in the world - where the night and day melts into each other so the nights are even brighter than the days I must admit that I found the nights in NY relatively dark. And I liked it. Seeing a skyline which gets dark when the sun goes down lit only with warm tungsten light the city looks like a real city to me and not like Disneyland! Unfortunately they want to exchange all the nice warm colored street lanterns with LED's! Gosh!!!

I was even more impressed with the City's architecture. I don't say that I don't like futuristic designed skyscrapers but I was impressed by the mix of architectural styles in the City! Beautiful Gothic revival churches next to impressive Art Deco skyscrapers or the Beaux-Arts Grand Interiors on one side and elegant brownstone rowhouses on the other connected with gigantic steel-wire bridges in Gothic style. You really get the impression of a well built and solid City!

I am really very fortunate to have this opportunity of staying in NYC for three months and enjoying this amazing lifestyle which is so reach in culture and art!

All this wouldn't be possible without the support and trust of my wife who let me do this long journey and I want to thank her for this! You are truly great and I couldn't be happier having you in my life! Thank you!!!

Without any further explanations here some of my impressions of NYC!

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