After the podcast with Adrian on architecture and film, as well as being a 35mm analogue enthusiast, my friend and I found ourselves on a weeknight sardined among eager film enthusiasts (or HK enthusiasts) to watch the critically acclaimed In the Mood for Love (2000). A quick synopsis: In The Mood For Love is about two characters Su Li-zhen (played elegantly by Maggie Cheung) and Chow Mo-wan (played by Tony Leung, very handsome might I add) who have come together after discovering their respective partners are having an affair with each other. Already a well-known film and being partially aware of the ending (heck they already give you written spoilers at the very beginning), I wasn’t confident in how I would feel about watching two isolated souls would make me feel. My friend, who also shared a similar sentiment decided that we would become each other’s anchor throughout the narrative.
Read MoreA few weeks ago, on my 25th Birthday, I stepped forward with a mic to host a public event.
It’s been a while since I’ve found myself speaking publicly in front of an audience, not to mention standing on my own and chairing a conversation. Even though I’ve been through the process of coordination of events - this was the first time where I was able to take ownership of a subject I’ve cared deeply about for a long time…
Read MoreComing back for another discussion, Dini and I share some of our favourite photographs while sharing our thoughts through the art and architectural lenses.
Read MoreI’m sure everyone at some point has fantasised the taste of being famous - randomly belting out songs hoping that you would be scouted by a talent agent (likewise with acting), otherwise train your way for that glorious Olympic dream. Indeed, the glamourous life does have its perks - slightly easier access to the VIP invitations, better quality of life and being a great role model for others.
Offering a taste of that ‘what-if’ lifestyle is Daniela Kresnadi’s tongue-in-cheek Reputation: Game of Fame. Drawing inspiration from the classic life-simulation game Sims’s expansion pack Road to Fame/ Get Famous as well as the pesky but addictive nature of pop-culture gossip, this card game offers two to six players an insight to the ups and downs of celebrity culture.
Read MoreIn an industry that heavily depends on visuals, aesthetics and appearances, it would be an understatement to say that Korean Pop Music (aka K-Pop) industry is very extra. Although I’m not a hardcore enthusiast of the K-Pop music industry, I still find myself drawn to their efforts. There have been many times when dinner table conversations at a Korean restaurant have been interrupted by captivating images of their music video on the television hanging by the corner. K-Pop somehow embodies some of those fantastical elements that may be kitsch yet enticing. Not to mention, the ensemble of staging, storyline and styling has offered a window of escape into an alternative form of architecture appreciation when I need a break from reality.
And so, I thought it would be fitting to highlight some of my favourite music K-Pop music videos that I enjoy revisiting for various reasons.
Read MoreArchitecture media greatly impacts the way we design, the way we learn and also the public’s perception of our industry. Not to mention, given that social media and traditional media now carry a co-dependent relationship, it brings up a lot of questions about how we want architecture media to be portrayed and approached.
Last week, I’ve invited Emma Berton and Jake Wilson (co-founders, SCHEMA) to discuss the approachability of architecture media. What we like about it, what we would like to see in the future, and our unpopular opinions of the Australian architecture media.
Read MoreDear Louise Bourgeois,
I’ve been dying to invite you to my dinner table - where it will be just the two of us within a humble kitchen. We would feast on stories about memories of heartbreak, grief and family conflict while enjoying the food magically prepared before us.
Whether it’d be a letter, an email or a video introduction, I have always wanted to write to you in many ways. Whenever I come across the trivial question “Who would you like to have dinner with?” without a doubt, you would always be the very first guest.
Read MoreLast year in December, I embarked on my first solo trip to Japan. I visited Osaka's Expo 70 site. Yes, I saw the sizeable child-star statue (I did not realise that the figure had another face at the back!). I went to the lone standing pavilion (Pavilion of Technology, I believe) and saw a collection of all the exhibits and items that were displayed in the exhibition. When I saw Australia's artefact, my heart broke at the preserved Corals from the Great Barrier Reef. Given the state of it now, who would have thought that we could be so destructive to our landscape?
Read MoreDear Le Corbusier,
I have been meaning to tell you… you are a frustrating architect I cannot escape from.
It all started in first-year of architecture school when our communications teacher assigned us a building to rebuild with Rhino. Guess what I’ve got: your infamous Villa Savoye.
I know. I know. I was fortunate in getting that building – that my friends and I could rebuild it with ease. While I was rebuilding Villa Savoye, what were your clients thinking when they were forced to compromise with living in an experimental house? How did they feel about the ramps and the spiral staircase (which was a pain to remodel)? What did they think of the bathtub (the photos make the bathroom look tiny)? Just how did they cope?
Read MoreA few evenings ago, I attended a MUPSS discussion on ‘Planning for Pandemics’. While the conversation opened up a floodgate of talking points, I am finding myself overwhelmed by topics that have surfaced in the face of this crisis.
I’ve tried many times to pen an entry to this, however, the result left me writing a two-meter long mind dump on a list of things that I wanted to say and common threads that have been mentioned in the news, conversations, and social media. Below is condensation and an overview of what I’ve written.
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