architecture

"Gazprom, get your phallus out of St Petersburg"

Sophie Team Observers — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:50:09 +0200

Thousands of St Petersburg residents took to the streets on Saturday to protest plans to build a 400-metre skyscraper in the historic centre of the city. Despite widespread opposition however, the future home of Russian energy giant Gazprom is already being built.

The 77-storey, €1.6 billion project, was given the green light by St Petersburg mayor Valentina Matviyenko on October 6, despite a warning from Unesco in September that the building could cross the former capital off the list of World Heritage Sites. The Okhta was also criticised by Russian rock star Boris Grebenschikov, who labelled it "the devil's spit". Meanwhile architects Norman Foster, Rafael Viñoly and Kisho Kurokawa, who were invited to judge the project at a meeting held by the organisers, walked out in protest of the plans. According to a poll conducted by non-governmental civil rights organisation EKOM on September 28, only 19.9% of city residents support the project, whereas 66.4% oppose it.

The building, designed by Scottish architects RMJM, also goes against the city's construction regulations, which impose a height maximum of 42 metres - ten times shorter than what's been dubbed the ‘Gazscraper'. And to top it off, archaeologists last year discovered a mine of incredible finds, including remains of the ancient Swedish town of Nyenschantz, two fortresses, and a Neolithic settlement - right below the area where the Okhta is being built. On September 30 the city council announced that the archaeologists would have until the spring to finish their work, when construction would take hold of the entire site.

Saudi Arabia’s hidden city

Team Observers — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:07:08 +0200

The region of Qasr al-Bint in the city of Mada’in Saleh. Photo: Emmanuel Guyetand.

The grandiose Jordanian city of Petra, carved out of pink rock, is a first-rate tourist destination. So why has its twin city, in the Saudi desert, been forgotten for so long? Because it is said to be under an ancient curse.

This site, in the north-west of Saudi Arabia, is known in the West as Mada'in Saleh, or the towns of Saleh, from the name of the prophet who, according to the Koran, tried long before Mohammed to convert the Thamud tribe to the religion of one God. The town was however not built by the Thamudis, whose presence at this site is not proven archaeologically, but by the Nabateans. Mada'in Saleh constituted the southern point of their kingdom which prospered between the third century BC and the fourth century AD and stretched from the south of Jordan to the north of the Arabian peninsula. The Nabateans also built Petra, their political capital.

The region of Al-Khuraymat in the city of Mada'in Saleh. Photo: Emmanuel Guyetand.

Another view of Al-Khuraymat. Photo: Emmanuel Guyetand.

It was only at the start of the 20^th century that the exploration of this site began. However, very little work was undertaken until 2001, when a Franco-Saudi archaeological mission was given the task of carrying out digs and documenting the site. Mada'in Saleh was listed in July 2008 as a UNESCO World Heritage site, becoming the first Saudi site to feature.

Façade of a tomb. The monumental tombs were no doubt reserved for the notables of the town. Photo taken at Al-Khuraymat by Emmanuel Guyetand.

Funerary rock architecture at Al-Khuraymat. Photo: Emmanuel Guyetand.

Walled cities of the world

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:57:22 +0200

Aerial views of Heusden and Naarden, both in Netherlands.

It would be so nice if it were true, but the fact is it isn't: the first settlements - before the Bronze Age, before the Iron Age, probably even prior to the Stone Age - didn't happen because folks liked each other's company. As the old saying goes: safety in numbers ... and fortifications.

This post was written by American blogger Avi Abrams. His blog: "Dark Roasted Blend".

The walled city of Shibam, Yemen - more info and images here.

If you have any doubt about how wood - and then stone, and later even, steel - walls helped shape human civilisation, all you need to do is take a closer look at most of our cities, especially the older ones.

Map of Utrecht from "Toonneel der Steden", published in 1652 - Via.

Sometimes it's easy to see where the boundaries between 'Us In Here And You Out There' once lay. Just look at the lovely city of Utrecht, in the Netherlands: a picture postcard of lovely homes, sparkling waterways, brilliantly green parks, and meandering walkways - a true jewel of civilisation. Except that Utrecht, and a huge number of other cities throughout Europe, were built as walled fortresses. In the case of Utrecht, that's pretty obvious when you look at the city from either the air or at the old city plans.

The original Roman wall, recently excavated - Via (left). "The Oudegracht With A View Of The Old Town Hall And The Dom Tower Beyond", old painting - Via (right).

Map of Brugge, Belgium, 1563 (left) - Poertoren ("Powder Tower") tower in Brugge, Via (right).

In other cities such as London and Paris, urban growth has completely overrun the original walls and fortifications - though they're there if you look hard enough.

Cheers to construction shortcuts in China!

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:38:03 +0200

Nine people were crushed to death and 16 seriously injured when 200 metres of motorway collapsed in the Hunan province of China on May 17. The local media says that the company charged with demolishing the construction is who's at fault for the catastrophe.

The three kilometre flyover was built in 1995 and was in the process of being demolished. The operation was supposed to be dealt with by demolition giant "Nanling Civil Explosion" (NCE). But the company had chosen to contract the work out to a smaller company, which was under-qualified for the job at hand. According to the Chinese media, the entirely illegal scheme would have allowed the NCE to profit from the deal by paying the under-qualified - and therefore cheaper - company to do the work.

Traffic was stopped from using that section of the road on May 5. Driving underneath the flyover however, was still allowed.

On May 15 the subcontracted company began carrying out tests in order to evaluate the amount of explosives needed for the job. Two days later, workers were drilling holes into the supporting columns when 200m of the road gave way onto passing traffic.

Nine people have been arrested, including the managers of the companies involved. Three high officials have also been dismissed from their posts.

Singapore, an urban model for the French suburbs?

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 15:13:37 +0100

One of our Observers in Singapore wonders if the urban set-up there — which he says preserves an almost crime-free society — could also work in the French suburbs.

Gautier describes himself on his profile page as "a Frenchman in Asia; a tolerant traveller but not without values".

In Singapore, 81% of the population lives in "HDB", social housing which is similar to what's known in France as HLM (housing at moderated rates), although in Singapore the flats can not only be rented but also bought with aid from the state. There are 23 HDB zones, each of which houses between 50,000 and 230,000 people (on average 150,000). A one bedroom flat is around 45 square metres and is rented at €536 per month, and a four bedroom is 110 square metres with rent of €976.

Singapore is a country with a low crime rate: 715 offences per 100,000 residents in 2007 (in France for example, there were 3,600 per 100,000, and that included only crimes against property). There were only 19 murders and 750 robberies reported by the city state in 2007, while the population, 25% of which are immigrants, is 4.8 million. It's an interesting statistic in a country where, while the majority of people are of Chinese origin, there's a strong Malaysian and Indian minority (42.5% people are Buddhist and 14.9% Muslim). There are four official languages (and eight commonly spoken).

So how does it work? I live in Bishan, a relatively small HDB zone (67,400 residents). Letterboxes are intact, there's no graffiti on the walls, no burnt-out cars, no security guards in the supermarkets. This peace and quiet is a big part of the local landscape.

Next to tall buildings, there are grassy islets. There are plenty of small businesses nearby, rather than being grouped in big shopping centres, although they also exist. Everything you need is on your doorstep — the doctor's surgery, pharmacy, bank, library, leisure centre, mosque and temple. The police station (which has two or three officers) closes for the night between 10 pm and 6 am. But the "zero tolerance" principle is not forgotten — every criminal act faces punishment."

Would you like to contribute to the France 24 Observers too?

Shanghai's real "Pig Cage Stronghold"

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:18:12 +0100

While most Chinese cities have seen their communal housing buildings disappear one by one over the past half century, Shanghai's Pig Cage Stronghold is still standing, and the vibrant home to hundreds of people.

These massive concrete structures were built to house university lecturers in the 1950s. Today, they're home to state employees. Christened Tongzilou (tube-shaped), these ramshackle dwellings are formed of long tubular corridors, connecting family-sized bedrooms, shared bathrooms and kitchens, and balconies that double as thoroughfares.

There's little privacy to be had in these communal lodgings, where generation is stacked upon generation. Families have two rooms to share; those still unmarried, the luxury of one. You can't speak of "apartments" in the Tongzilous, as the bathrooms and kitchens are shared. The toilet is permanently busy. In these conditions, it's hard to ignore your neighbours. Everyone knows what you're eating for dinner, who your guests are, the shopping you've done, the music you like...

It seems like a shambles. But living in such close quarters requires some unspoken rules. Each daily task, like hanging out your clothes or placing your potted plant on the balcony - it's all done with a bit of tact.

Many buildings like these have been demolished in recent years. Most of them follow a residents' vote, with the majority of people agreeing to the idea of a more private, and normal, space.

This series of photos gives us a glimpse into the real "Pig Cage Stronghold" of Longchang Road. A building that homes a rudimentary way of life; a place cut off from the rest of the world. And yet a famous place: the estate inspired a set in Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle.

Post written with the help of Fauna via China Smack.

Satellite view of 362 Longchang Road from Google Earth.

Ghardaia, a city under mud

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:07:06 +0200

A cluster of towns in Algeria endured over a week of catastrophic and fatal flash floods after the banks of the Oued M'Zab burst, leaving nearby buildings buried under thick sludge. Our Observer in the area filmed the extent of the damage on his mobile phone.

Torrential rains started to fall in the region on the morning of 1 October, also the last day of Ramadan, when Muslims break their fast and celebrate Eid. In just a few days, the Ghardaia palm grove and the rest of the valley were covered in a layer of mud.

Although barely reported in the press, the catastrophe killed 34 people and injured 89. From the nine towns labelled disaster areas by the authorities, ten thousand buildings were washed away in the floods. Although the main roads into the towns have been reopened, people are denouncing the government for a delayed rescue reaction. The authorities say that it was because of the force of the water, and blamed the extent of the damage on the city's haphazard construction.

Posted on 2 October by "adeloul18".

Taiwan’s deserted "UFO houses"

Ségolène Team Observers — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:51:57 +0200

Built in the early eighties, these extraordinary sea-view homes are known as the "UFO houses" by the Taiwanese. Just 15 kilometres from the capital, the deserted residences have been left abandoned for the past three decades. Now they face imminent demolition.

The constructors who launched the project, which was never completed, announced two months ago that the structures would be bulldozed in order to build a "more normal" hotel complex. This, however, didn't go down well with the Taiwanese blogosphere. A debate over why the decision had been taken so suddenly spiralled into an excited dispute over paranormal activity. The more rational web users pointed out that high winds and large windows led to shattered glass and over-heating, while others said that the project had in fact been abandoned because ghosts haunted the grounded spaceships.

Floating cities in the pipeline for climate refugees

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:09:00 +0200

Climatologists around the world agree that sea levels will continue to rise throughout the 21^st century. Countries with low-lying coastal areas like Vietnam and Bangladesh could see more floods and the loss of land, and some Pacific Islands could one day end up completely submerged. But not to worry - a Belgian architect has come up with a solution. He's designed "amphibian towns" to house the future refugees.

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) predicts a sea level increase of between 20 and 90 centimetres by 2050. On the scale of the planet, each metre gained will see the forced exodus of around 50 million people. To offer a solution to those left homeless, Franco-Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has come up with the "Lilypad" project. The young architect, known for his futuristic designs, describes his latest project as durable, ecological, and most importantly, unsinkable.

These marine cities, inspired by water lilies, would run entirely on renewable energies and therefore create no pollution. The environment would also be biometric - which means that the town's planning would make technological systems integral with ecosystems. It's emblematic of a new generation of architecture that emphasises the importance of ecology when it comes to aesthetic innovation.

The new face of Moscow

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:57:51 +0200

Just ten years ago there were barely a dozen skyscrapers in Moscow. Today soaring towers dominate the skyline and the city boasts Europe's tallest building. Our Observers in Moscow wonder how the rapid changes will affect the capital.

Increasingly tall constructions stand hundreds of metres above Moscow's once-grand Soviet buildings, which pale in comparison. Only in the last ten years the tallest tower in Europe, the Naberezhnaya Tower, grew out of the Moscow skyline at 268 metres. But in 2011 it will be dwarfed by an even bigger giant: at 612 metres, Russia Tower will be the second tallest building in the world. That will be followed by an enormous transparent tipi-shaped structure scheduled to go up by the Moskva River soon after. These developments do have a downside, however: some of the capital's historic (and crumbling) facades been destroyed to make way for the new landmarks.

Material compiled by one of our Observers for Russia, Ostap Karmodi.