A Drive Through Bunker Hill and Downtown Los Angeles, ca. 1940s
The first two minutes of this footage is the background process plate for Douglas Sirk’s film “Shockproof”, 1949. This is from scene when parole officer Griff Marat (Cornel Wilde) rides with Jenny Marsh (Patricia Knight) from her house to him.
Day and Night photos of the famous Shilin Night Market.
In front of the Shilin Movie Theater.
This is one of Taipei’s most famous night markets. It’s located in a dense, urban area of Shilin, between the Jiantan and Shilin Metro Stations. Most people are lured to the market for both its cheap and ubiquitous shopping stands and also its fragrant food carts. But for me, I’m always fascinated by the amount of people and commerce that is exchanged, all crammed within the winding and narrow streets of the neighborhood. So much can happen in so little space.
On this last trip to Taipei, I was really intrigued by the various soaring infrastructure of bridges and overpasses that accommodate pedestrians, scooters, and cars. Because of it, the city, which also experiences earthquakes and typhoons, has a much more layered and three-dimensional feel to its urban fabric than Los Angeles. For example, pedestrian bridges are placed at busy intersections.
Freeway Bridges.
Spaces underneath the raised freeways are utilized as a parking structure.
Pedestrian accommodations - under the freeway.
In a public park.
Scooter-Only Freeway On-Ramp.
Spaces underneath the raised subway tracks.
The Shilin Subway Station.
My mother grew up next to the Wanhua Train Station in Taipei. The unit that her parents and 3 other siblings shared was single-storey, 2-bedroom, wood framed house within a courtyard complex of 3 similar units, previously Japanese police officers’ quarters. The last time I visited the house in February 2009, the complex was still standing, though many of the units were already vacated, and notices of demolition were pasted on doors. When I went to visit the housing complex this past November 2012, the units had been demolished, and the empty lot lay behind a chainlink fence.
I’m not sure what the plans are for the piece of land. It’s in a centrally located, bustling part of town, next to the Longshan Temple. A similar neighboring lot, which contained a 3-storey building, was also demolished. In its place is a new park. That’s promising for this dense, park-poor area of the city.
Spent a week in Taipei for my cousin’s wedding. I always forget how great of a city Taipei is. The city strikes a balance between density, open space, public amenities, and livability. And food. Lots of food. Everywhere.
My grandma and my uncle live in the Shilin District of Taipei, the traditionally residential neighborhood north and over the river from Taipei city center. My mom grew up in this neighborhood, and a lot of the architecture popped up in the post-war era when the urban population swelled as the nationalists escaped communist China. Recently, Taipei has been going through a modern facelift with projects like Taipei 101. But you still find a lot of that post-war, concrete charm. Such as at the Shilin Elementary School.
A typical sidewalk in Taipei, with a shopping arcade, scooter parking, pedestrians, and bus stop all crammed together.
Zhongshan Creative Hub URS21, Zhongshan.
Ximen, Shopping District. The Shibuya of Taipei.
Sugar-Apple or Buddha Head Fruit.
Cicheng Temple, Shilin.
Flower girl.
In traditional Chinese banquets, the serving staff will begin serving the food with a usually big, elaborate, choreographed presentation. This one had a light show!
Grandma.
Grandmas.
Taipei Subway. Efficient, clean, and frequent.
Bus stop.
Trash night. Trash collection in Taipei is so interesting. The city implements a “Per Bag Trash Collection Fee”. All residents are required to purchase specially designated garbage bags, which are available at 24-hour convenience stores like 7-Eleven. This scheme encourages usage of recyclable packaging, as those do not need a special bag and are disposed free of charge. As a result Taipei’s waste volume is down 35.08%, and recycling has increased 2.6-fold from 1999. In addition, residents are required to throw their trash bags into the trash trucks themselves, which run 5 days a week in the evenings. Trash never sits out on the sidewalk by itself, attracting vermon or odors. Plus, it’s a great community activity.
The Taipei Biennial 2012 @ the The Paper Mill. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum reused an old, brick paper mill warehouse next to where my mom grew up as a second venue for their biennial. The neighborhood, which used to be low-income housing and commercial warehouses, is now dotted with new residential high-rises.
Ri Xing Typography Shop - house of the last complete set of traditional Chinese character molds for lead-type casting in the world.
Halloween Subway Ride
Zhongshan Meishu Park, Yongshan.
Grandmas on bikes.
Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch (2006) by Bio-Architecture Formosana. The library is notable as being constructed to be an eco-friendly green building
Beitou Hot Springs, New Beitou.
Treasure Hill Artist Village, Gonguan.
Jiantan Station, Shilin. Site of the future OMA designed Taipei Performing Arts Centre.
Visited Roy Choi’s A-Frame in Culver City. Aside from the great interiors, we went for the all-you-can-eat Krispy Buttermilk Friend Chicken, with bottomless Hite.
The restaurant is a renovated IHOP with it’s iconic A-frame roof. Knibb Design designed the interior with curved wood, sandblasted ceilings, lots of light, and benches.
Overall, it was pretty good. Except when Donald got sick, and threw it all up. The risk you take.
As part of Materials & Applications’ 10-Year Anniversary celebration, Brian Janeczko of Bikehaus lead a special architecture ride around the reservoir and adjacent called “In Search of Silver Lake Modern”.
Brian: “In celebration of M&A’s anniversary we’ve devised a SilverLake themed ride, ‘In Search of SilverLake Modern’ which will highlight Silver Lake and discuss why this small downtown-adjacent neighborhood has had such a pivotal role in helping shape and inform the culture of creativity in Los Angeles.”
Koblick House by Richard Neutra. 1938. 1818 Silverwood Terrace.
From “The Architecture Of Richard Neutra: From International Style to California Modern” by Arthur Drexler / Thomas S. Hines, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1982.
Ross House by Eric Lloyd Wright (Grandson of Frank). 1957. 2371 Cove Ave.
Akai House by Richard Neutra. 1962. 2200 Neutra Place.
Ohara House by Richard Neutra. 1961. 2210 Neutra Place.
Some nice neighbors, Nils and Sarah, who live in the addition above the garage of the Reunion House let us up to see their little “treehouse”. By Richard Neutra, 1949. Remodeled by Dion Neutra, 1966. 2440 Neutra Place.
The Van der Leeuw (VDL) Research House, 1932. March 27, 1963: the house is almost completely destroyed by a fire. It is rebuilt by Richard and Dion Neutra in 1966. 2300 Silver Lake Blvd.
Corralitas Red Car Line viaduct footings and retaining walls at Fletcher and Riverside Dr. Public staircase up to Waverly.
Bubeshko Apartments by R. M. Schindler. 1938. 2036 Griffith Park Blvd.
Music Box Staircase, as featured in Laurel and Hardy’s 1932 film, The Music Box.
After the 4 hour ride, we returned to M&A at 1619 Silver Lake Blvd. for their anniversary gala. The evening centered around a “Cake-Off”: birthday cakes designed by local architects and designers.
Josh workin at Coolhaus.
The best part of M&A: the Failure File.
Good times, M&A. To even more success in the coming future.
I got to spend a week in Boston and Cambridge after attending the weekend, Philly wedding. It also happened to coincide with the end of the school year for many of my friends who have been attending masters programs in Cambridge who I had yet to visit.
Monday _ Of course, the first stop was Harvard’s Graduate School of Design (GSD).
Le Corbusier’s only United States building, the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Addition by Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Boston Central Public Library @ the Johnson Building by Philip Johnson.
Tuesday _
Sushmita’s apartment, Somerville.
The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, Jamaica Plain, Boston. Designed by Frederick Olmstead. Trip w/ Sushmita’s Kennedy School of Government classmates.
Candlepin Bowling @ Sacco’s Bowl Haven, Davis Square, Sommerville w/ Jared. He won.
Wednesday _
MIT Media Lab designed by Fumihiko Maki. Geek heaven.
Ray and Maria Stata Center @ MIT by Frank Gehry.
Simmons Hall @ MIT by Steven Holl
Final Master of Artchitecture thesis review @ Harvard GSD.
Karina! Showing me her studio space for the past year. Karina, my old roommate, just finished her first year of Master of Landscape Architecture at GSD.
Thursday _
Boston Harbor Islands day with Sushmita and her Harvard Kennedy School of Government cohorts. First ferry stop: Fort Warren on Georges Island for a picnic and hiking.
Boston bike share: Hubway!
The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) by Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Gourmet Dumpling House, Chinatown Boston. We ordered too much.
Hot Mess Express all over the Red line.
Friday _
Clambake for long-time (preschool through college) friend, Jamilah at Tufts Fletcher School. Only fitting that I should be there at the start and end of her formal education.
Saturday _
Somerville PorchFest. Celebrating and utilizing an underused, public venue: the Porch! Houses all through Somerville hosted bands and acts to liven up the street scape all day. Dancing, BBQing, and falling-on-faces ensued.
Sunday _
Congratulations to Jamilah.
On the way to Logan Airport via the Big Dig!
Visited SF for a weekend. Hung out with my friend, William. He likes to make smoothies with beets, kale, carrots, celery, ginger, bananas, and soy milk.
de Young Museum observation deck
New baby cousin, Leah w/ Byron in the Sunset.
Amelia!
Sightglass Coffee Roasters in SOMA.
California Street Line Cable Car
Hyatt Regency @ 5 Embarcadero Center
Ravi’s Office @ 2 Embarcadero Center
Tartine Bakery & Cafe, the Mission
