level

SInce the first Portuguese trading and missionary outposts sprang up there in the late 1500’s, Macau has been known for it’s church architecture. On every postcard, every travel guide, every map, there’s the famed facade of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Actually, the flamed facade is probably a more apt description as it seems this edifice is all that remains after a devastatingly spectacular fire in 1835 .

The Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral 1854 by Wilhelm Heine

More recently, Macau’s other houses of worship have undergone their own transformation creating a new explosion of coloured lights across the night sky. Huge casino franchises from Las Vegas and Australia have built enormous gambling palaces which since 2007, have raked in more revenue annually than the entire Las Vegas Strip.

Literally standing out from the crowd, not only because it doesn’t have a casino, is the newly opened Mandarin Oriental Macau, part of the One Central mixed use development designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox.

With subtly angled bay windows scattered across the facade, the passing clouds emulate the broken reflections dancing on the rippled  lake, set in motion by the wakes of a dozen distant dragon boats warming up for the afternoon’s tournament.

Usually wishing for less clouds in the Asian skies, I found myself that evening in the the perplexing position of wanting just a few more to bring a certain spontaneity to the unfolding scene. Evidently, the local deities were all too busy with requests for guidance from the blackjack tables to intervene on my behalf. The wind dropped, the surface of the lake turned to glass and well, I guess I can live with that….

If the notion of a civilized society is one that seeks to provide an esoteric platform, intellectual or otherwise, from which one can clearly view and appreciate the world at large, then the appearance of yet another window cleaning rig must surely be the portent for a brighter future.

An early call time in Houston required a certain energy boost that even the biggest LEED Platinum rated building in the nation couldn’t supply.

But we’d found just the thing…  and having spied this place the previous evening, we were keen to return and start the day right.

Sadly for y’all, it was not to be.

Now that the madness surrounding the movie industry’s awards season has well and truly subsided, there’s time for all those golden statues to take a break, go hang by the pool and work on their chiseled physiques. These guys, seen cavorting around the fountains of the Dubai Mall, were clearly in need of time at the tanning salon before reporting back to work.

“Would you like a high floor?” the front desk clerk politely asked.

“Erm… is that a question” I replied, puzzled by the idea that anyone would prefer the lower option.

After all, I’d chosen this particular hotel in Hong Kong for the sole reason that it offered a rather splendid view down the fragrant harbour towards two of my favourite charges. The International Finance Centre by Pelli Clarke Pelli in Central and across in Kowloon, Kohn Pedersen Fox’s International Commerce Centre.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t quite what I had hoped but rather mundanely, more what I had expected. Still, a little ray of sunshine managed to creep down along the waterfront, shifting the tones in my favour on an otherwise gloomy outlook.

On the three hour flight from Beijing to Hong Kong, I’m always spellbound by the ever changing landscape 10,000 metres below. The flat dry plains of the north give way to more mountainous terrain, leveling out again with agricultural communities as far as the eye can see. All the more enjoyable with a little Brian Eno accompanying on the iPod.

And it seems I’m not alone in my aerial pursuits.

Now that the dust has settled on reconstruction along the Bund, the local lads are out in force again with their kites, catching the early morning breeze off the Huangpu.

The refurbishment of the promenade, undertaken by NBBJ and partner firm Chan Krieger Sieniewicz was completed in time for the opening of the Shanghai World Expo on May 1st. As the day progresses, the Bund promenade becomes a major drawcard for tourists and local alike.

At dusk, the lights on the classic facades of the Bund provide a stoic balance to the brash sleekness of the glass and steel towers of Pudong.

Having gazed across the mighty Huangpu over the past decade or so watching the skyline of Pudong emerge from the fields, it has been most interesting to see what was once a bizarre anomaly, slowly approach the very definition of normality.

Of course, the iconic Oriental Pearl Tower completed in 1995, could never be considered normal so is appropriately, still out there on it’s own after all these years.

Dramatically redefining the developing skyline of Singapore, the urban garden linking across the three 55 story hotel towers of the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort is taking shape.

Running a quick poll among today’s taxi drivers, it seemed the most popular description of the project was “the banana split”. Word has it that a few voices on the design review board were of the same opinion but lost out to Singapore’s growing appetite for the sweet things in life.

Combing the back streets of downtown for a vantage point on WOHA Designs’ The Met, we got a taste of the real Bangkok. I’m always intrigued by the stunning visual contrasts between the new and old ways of life in developing cities. With no multi story buildings to access, peering above fences provided the only opportunity for the views we needed. This particular spot came with the added potential for on-site catering from a street vendor selling fresh fried chicken. At least it looked like chicken and I’m sure the oil was only a few weeks old.

We passed on lunch for a variety of reasons. One could elaborate but that might involve letting the cat out of the bag.