David Chipperfield, Am Kupfergraben, Berlin. During a recent trip to Berlin, Germany, I made a point to revisit the Gallerie Am Kupfergraben (Berlin Mitte district), completed between 2003-2007 by British architect Sir David Chipperfield. This was not the first time that I had paid a visit to the building—both for the inside and outside architectural qualities. Disappointingly, the Gallery was closed the day of my visit this time.
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Murals at Hong Kong Central station. One of my favorite pastimes in a city is losing myself by walking streets and alleys, gardens and parks, and through public spaces such as urban plazas. This is true for most cities I visit, but Hong Kong’s urban streetscape has always offered something even more tantalizing: from glimpses of contradictory views and lush green pockets with century old trees to fabulous bakeries and shops selling traditional medicinal products, not to mention the shopping mall meccas that bring shame to even the most luxurious American mall.
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Hong Kong trams, a way to travel. When strolling in Hong Kong, it barely takes a moment to encounter one of the iconic trams that travel up and down the island’s northern coastline along the main arteries of Des Voeux, Queensway, and Hennessy Roads.
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Dubulti train station at Jürmala, Latvia: Part 2. Continuing my thoughts on train stations and arriving now to the one in Jürmala. By the time of my visit to Jürmala (meaning seashore in Latvian), the station was of the Soviet era.
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Dubulti train station at Jürmala, Latvia: Part 1. Growing up in Europe, traveling by train was part of my childhood memories. Especially in Switzerland where I lived, trains served to connect major cities, towns, and villages seamlessly linking urban and rural landscapes.
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Resting pods at Lisbon airport. Traveling by train or by air remain my favorite modes of transportation, and this despite that I am scared to death to fly. Ironically, I love to see airplanes land and take off and during my wait time at most airports, I am an avid flaneur.
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Light tower, Verkehrskanzel, Berlin. When visiting European cities I am always much more aware of the urban realm than when I am at home. Perhaps this is because of my European upbringing, coupled with growing up in cities. This early initiation gave me a foundation to better understand the richness of cities and, in particular, the ceremonial spaces of the seat of the Habsburgs in Vienna, were I lived between the ages of five and twelve.
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Architectural sketching and how do I sketch. This second blog of the series Architectural sketching is a compendium and illustration of conceptual thoughts offered in the previous blog of a similar title. The examples for this blog are taken from my own sketchbooks that span over several decades. Each example illustrates a particular architectural preoccupation through sketching.
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Architectural sketching and why is it important.?This blog is part one of three on sketching architecture. This one introduces aspects about my own sketching techniques and their origins, and how sketches and architectural drawings were seen as works of art.
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Lower deck lavatory: A340-600. I have been fortunate to travel in many parts of the world since the age of nine. Although trains remains my favorite mode of ground transportation—especially in Europe where I grew up and during a day’s ride you can see the panoramic landscape transform in front of your eyes—taking an airplane is a must when speedy travel overseas is essential, of course, if you have time, a slower voyage across the Atlantic with the Queen Mary 2 is memorable.
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