back in japan, 24 hours.. still, riches in scent, scene, density and intensity discovered.
- roof timber coding stamp – tokyo restaurant
ravens echo their ancient reverberations between buildings, in a layered soundscape – people, cars, buses, horns – the raven call so tied to my memories of time here
- shibuya streetscape – tokyo
and the layers of scent – humidity acting on the landscape and materials – waves of smoke, exhaust from trucks, sewers, and cooking vents
- shibuya streetscape 2 – tokyo
the most people in an urban center in the world – and the richest choreography of a city
onward, then – too quickly, to seoul – the sister, in density, intensity, energy and creativity – another too short 24 hours..
- seoul streetscape – korea
creative energy spilling over the architecture and into the streets
- seoul alley stair – korea
and in the shoes..
- shoe obsession – seoul, korea
vibrant colors, celebrations on the streets, loving the fun of life..
- cute pop – seoul, korea
on again, to the largest city proper in the world – shanghai! buzzing intensity, the high wattage energy of this city
- blue-lit underpass – shanghai, china
everyone is working hard here, night and day
- dumpling shop – shanghai, china
making things, selling things – mom and pop retail is still alive, while the encroaching developments transform city blocks overnight
- extruded steel shop – shanghai, china
oasis of quiet can be found, if you look carefully
- urbn hotel – shanghai, china
- urbn hotel lobby – shanghai, china
and beauty found even in the working industrial facilities
- furniture makers warehouse – shanghai, china
and in the re-purposed old industrial buildings
- 1933 – shanghai, china
this old slaughterhouse in hongkou district is a stunning piece of architecture, and now filling up with shops and cafes
- restaurant at 1933 – shanghai, china
cast concrete forms – raw reminders of the building history – give this place a powerful energy
- entry columns at 1933 – shanghai, china
another re-purposed district, shanghai sculpture space – a large park, filled with installations and surrounded by old buildings now full of galleries, shops and cafes
- shanghai sculpture space – shanghai, china
- shanghai sculpture space gallery – shanghai, china
- sculpture and bench – shanghai sculpture space
- in the galleries of shanghai sculpture space
- shanghai sculpture space entry
still there are a few untouched residential districts, living.. while others have been converted into shopping districts
- street scene – shanghai, china
and thankfully, the communists do drink coffee..
- commune coffee shop – shanghai, china
modern artists like their babies – in sculpture and painting, everywhere
- red babies – shanghai, china
- shop stair – shanghai, china
- shop girls – shanghai, china
there are beautiful old shikumen houses converted into specialty boutiques in tian zi fang
- tree binding – at the dunhill mansion – shanghai, china
and, as always – endless beauty in the care and support in tree binding
- street trees – shanghai, china
and creative electrical wiring schemes – an endless series of artistic compositions
onward, again – the last landing, hong kong. more striking that before – the density, this small perch for millions – between the harbor and the mountains. so unique in geography and urban development — impossibly narrow and tall buildings, densely packed against the strikingly green hills
- harbor sunrise – hong kong
wandering up the hills in a deluge, finding amazing surprises on the way – in colors, tree roots growing out of walls, and the unique compression of buildings against the vertical rise of the landscape, all in the layered urbanity of millions
- hill wandering – hong kong
small buddhist temples found, surrounded by shops, restaurants and residences
- street-side temple offering – hong kong
- retaining wall tree perch – hong kong
- street sign layers – hong kong
- doors – old and new – hong kong
- bamboo scaffolding – hong kong
construction continues, and continuous repair as the intensity of the climate wears away at buildings, streets, and the landscape. the incredible complex layering of this city is magnetic – drawing me deeply, again..
until the next time
- hong kong street scene
