Korea visit

太太 Lolita's Weekend in Korea

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Parametricism is the new style of the 21st century. It is all about adaptation, differentiation and correlation. The design in DDP embodies these principles to create landscape that encompasses both exterior in interior spaces. 

For example, the park flows around building, it sweeps up over the building, funnels through it and even scoops under it. The park also flows into the building. The parametric variability and thus adaptability facilitates the building to accommodate diversity of simultaneous events.

  

The Dongdaemum Design Plaza (the "DDP") by Zaha Hadid as Milestone of Parametricism replacing modernism as the style of the 20th Century!

Parametricism is needed for Hong Kong and of course China when land is at a premium.

Zaha Hadid - Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku

• Chanel launch SS 2015 here

Hail in Hong Kong

Giant hailstones batter Hong Kong as the Observatory hoists Black Rainstorm warning

Violent hail storms struck Hong Kong late on Sunday shattering windows at a Kowloon Tong shopping mall as the Observatory raised the first black rainstorm warning of the year

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Giant hailstones that struck Tsuen Wan during Sunday night's storm. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Giant hailstones pounded parts of Hong Kong tonight as thunderstorms echoed around the city and the Black Rainstorm warning was issued for just the second time in two years.

Hailstones the size of golfballs were reported in Tsuen Wan as festivities to mark the end of the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens were washed out.

Thunderstorms were accompanied by near constant flashes of lightning as the Observatory stated that more than 70 millimetres of rain had fallen in some parts in less than an hour.

Rain pours through shattered windows at the Festival Walk shopping mall in Kowloon Tong during the storm. Photo: SCMP Pictures

The Observatory calculated that lightning had struck a total of 2,041 times in just one hour from 9pm, including 482 hits on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

Windows at the Festival Walk shopping mall in Kowloon Tong were smashed by the hail, causing widespread flooding inside the mall.

Video of Festival Walk

A stack of more than 20 cargo containers collapsed at the container terminal in Kwai Chung. 

Flooding was reported in areas including Cheung Chau, Tuen Mun, Mong Kok and Sheung Shui, while a landslide was reported in Sai Kung.

MTR stations at Kowloon Tong and Wong Tai Sin also reported flooding.

A stack of more than 20 cargo containers collapsed at the container terminal in Kwai Chung.

Flights were disrupted, with 65 departures delayed and nine inbound flights diverted to other airports in China and Macau.

"Heavy rain is affecting the northern part of the New Territories, especially in Yuen Long, Pat Heung and Kam Tim areas. More than 70 millimetres have been recorded in the past one hour," the Observatory said.

"Hail was reported at Wong Tai Sin at around 8.30pm," the Observatory added, saying that gusts reaching 100kmh had been reported.

The last Black Rainstorm warning was issued in May 2013.

A lorry is crushed beneath containers at Kwai Chung.The bad weather came a day after the first big storms of the year soaked crowds at the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens.

Black clouds darkened the stadium before lunchtime Saturday, forcing organisers to switch on floodlights and leading to sodden conditions.

The Observatory said earlier this month that up to seven typhoons were expected to hit the city this year.

It added that as climate change progresses, Hong Kong would see more extreme weather in the future.

PzFeed Top News @PzFeed

South China Morning Post

Hailstone havoc

Qi Luo and Eddie LukMonday, March 31, 2014


Hailstones the size of golf balls battered several areas of Hong Kong last night causing extensive damage and forcing the Hong Kong Observatory to hoist the first black storm warning of the year.

Though this was lowered after two hours, the damage was heavy with torrents of rain cascading through shattered window panes at the glitzy Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong.
Elsewhere, more than 20 containers collapsed at Kwai Chung terminal, scores of trees were uprooted and there was extensive flooding in several areas, especially the northwest New Territories where farmers said crops were ruined.

The amber rainstorm warning was raised at 7.45pm before intensifying to red at 8.15pm. Shortly after 8.30pm the black signal was raised together with a warning that rainfall in excess of 100mm an hour was expected in several areas.

By 8pm, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun and Wong Tai Sin all reported heavy rain and flooding. Hail hit Wong Tai Sin, Yuen Long, Tsing Yi, Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Kowloon Tong and North District.

At Tsz Wan Shan the hailstorm lasted for more than five minutes. At Sham Tseng, Lok Fu and San Po Kong the hailstones measured about 3cm across.

Flooding was also reported in Wong Tai Sin and Kowloon Tong MTR stations forcing commuters to roll up their trousers or pick up their skirts.

Train service was also temporarily disrupted due to heavy rains affecting services at Kowloon Tong MTR station. Trains ran at 12-minute intervals between Hung Hom and Tai Wai at one poi nt, and at eight-minute intervals between Tai Wai and Lo Wu.

Curtains of rain poured through the glass ceiling of the seven-story Festival Walk as staff fought to block the water from entering their shops and restaurants.

Workers were later kept busy mopping up with shoppers taking pictures.

More than 130 flights were either diverted or postponed at Hong Kong International Airport. The Education Bureau asked schools and tuition centers not to release students until it was safe.

Though the black signal was lowered at 10.30pm the observatory said the thunderstorm warning would remain in force for several hours. The downpour was blamed on a trough of low pressure that brought thunderstorms, hail and heavy rain to the coastal areas of Guangdong. In addition, a fresh to strong easterly airstream is affecting the coast of southeastern China.

The observatory said the skies will remain cloudy today with rain which will be heavy at times with squally thunderstorms. Temperatures will range between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius with the weather remaining unsettled for a few days.

Feng shui consultant Mak Ling-ling said hail in large areas generally means a warning of an upcoming bad economic or unstable political environment.

"Hong Kong has seen hail many times in history. But hailstorms in large areas, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong are rare," she said. "It could be a case of people's complaints not being heard."

Hong Kong Standard

• Festival Walk slammed for poor maintenance after flooding - the project was developed by Swire with CITIC

Air Travel

PUBLISHED MAY 10, 2014

TRAVEL

Mile-high luxury

In their increasingly competitive industry, airlines looking to differentiate themselves from rivals are raising the wow factor in premium offerings to stand out. By Tay Suan Chiang

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LAP OF COMFORT
(Above) The Residence by Etihad comes with its own living room, a separate bedroom and en suite shower room. - PHOTO: ETIHAD AIRWAYS

FLYING from point A to point B by private jet? That's so last year. The latest way to jetset in style for the well-heeled traveller is on The Residence by Etihad. United Arab Emirates' national carrier, Etihad Airways, recently unveiled The Residence, the world's most luxurious living space in the air.

The Residence, onboard an A380 aircraft, comes with its own living room, a separate bedroom and en suite shower room. Guests will also have their own dedicated, Savoy Butler Academy-trained butler.

The Residence will debut in January 2015 from Abu Dhabi to London, and will subsequently expand to other routes by end-2015.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, says: "As a fast-growing Mideast luxury airline, well-known for its luxury travel offerings, Etihad Airways is looking to set itself apart from the rest of the industry with products unparalleled in style and quality to cater to the individual tastes of every VIP traveller."

Private Museum

Private Museums : flavor of the month

Private museums in the mainland seem to have been the craze over the past year, with one springing up every few months across the country's leading cities.

Indeed, in 2009, culture was elevated by the State Council to the status of a strategic industry, with a five-year plan starting from 2011 that dictates culture as the "spirit and soul of the nation," a core industry constituting 5 percent of GDP.

But one has to remember this trend is a new one, relative to the cultural history in Europe and the Americas, with the likes of Tate, Rockefeller and Guggenheim household names for any traveler.
In Beijing, there is now the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, set up by collectors Guy and Myriam Ullens; in Shanghai, Yuz, by Chinese-Indonesian agriculture magnate Budi Tek; and The Long Museum by power collector couple Liu Yiqian and his wife Wang Wei.

In Nanjing, there is the recent news topper Sifang Art Museum, part of a much larger project by real estate developer Lu Jun and his son Lu Xun; and in Xian, OCAT, the first major contemporary art museum in the western part of the city.

These are only a tiny fraction of the ongoing private museum building activity. Whether they are merely vanity projects, depositories, or hold a more coherent vision to benefit the public, there still remains a lot of software problems that require time and knowledge to address.

Another problem is finding the professional teams to manage and curate the museums up to world-class standards; ensuring sustainability in terms of collections, as well as how the map of China fits in with the world - how to create cross-cultural dialogues; and the implementation of successful educational programs that aim to nurture a truly cultural and passionate next generation.

Only time will tell whether this boom will be long-lasting, and the fundamental effects of private art museums felt.   --    Hong Kong Standard

Legacy

PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 12, 2014

Family foundations let rich leave legacy

Non-profit foundations are increasing with more affluent families instilling right values in rich heirs

BY

KERRY HANNON

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From success to significance: Stephanie Cordes, a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, stands with her father Ron (far left) and mother Marty at their home in New York. Ms Cordes quit her job as an advertising sales assistant at Conde Nast to work full- time for the Cordes Foundation, the nonprofit family foundation her father created, following in his footsteps to one day become his legacy. - PHOTO: NYT

STEPHANIE Cordes, a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, has a present from her father, Ron, that she treasures. It's a handmade pink scrapbook, titled, "5 Life Lessons From Dad." Inside are whimsical photos of her with friends and family alongside typed pages containing his simple guidance. The chapters are: "Seek your passion." "Do your best." "Good enough is never good enough." "No excuses." "Make a difference." "Go for it." She was moved. But what really touched her was a letter he wrote to her last fall, which concluded with: "You are my legacy." And she is, in more ways than one.

In mid-January, Ms Cordes, 24, quit what she had called her dream job, working at Conde Nast as an advertising sales assistant, to work full-time for the Cordes Foundation, the non-profit family foundation her father created when he and his two partners sold their firm, AssetMark Investment Services, to Genworth Financial in 2006 for US$230 million.

"I am going to be the legacy of the foundation," said Ms Cordes, who is an only child. "It is really important that I am involved because it is going to be mine eventually." According to the most recent statistics, the number of family foundations like the Cordes Foundation has exploded since 2001. There are now more than 40,000 family foundations in the US, making grants totalling more than US$21.3 billion a year, up from about 3,200 family foundations doling out US$6.8 billion in 2001, according to the Foundation Center in Washington.

These non-profits are on the upswing for several reasons. First, friendly tax breaks make the charitable vehicle appealing. And it offers philanthropists who want more control over their giving a way to give with fewer restrictions than would come with a donor-advised fund or writing a cheque to an established charity.