one-north is a 200 hectare business park and live-work-play-learn precinct developed by the Singapore government to house a mix of high-value-added service industries, including biomedical and pharmaceuticals, media and infocomm technology, design and creative industries, and tertiary / post-tertiary education and training.  Strategically situated beside the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Science Park, it probably has one of the highest concentrations of Very Brainy People from all over the world, which made for a very lively and cosmopolitan mix of friends and neighbours when I lived there more than two years ago.

Map of one-north (www.one-north.sg) – I hadn’t realised this before but the cluster was actually masterplanned by Zaha Hadid Architects, which explains the very fluid, organic feel to how the multiple sector-specific sub-clusters adhere together into a super-cluster. While it was launched in 2001, it is only half-completed now, and is slated to be completed in a decade’s time. This post provides a brief glimpse into the complexity inherent within this very small space, and the zeal with which Singaporeans go about their precinct-planning.

A)  The Polises – Industry-specific Business Parks

The most well-known – or infamous, rather – aspects of one-north, are the “Polises” – the sector-specific business parks.  “Polis” literally means city in Greek, and is often translated as “city-state”, which probably explains why the Singaporean authorities have applied this term so liberally to the industry-specific business parks in the precinct.  (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polis)

Biopolis – This was what started it all. Phase I of Biopolis was the first component of one-north to be developed – the first cog in the wheel. It is dedicated to biomedical companies and biomedical research, and probably has the island’s greatest concentration of PhD researchers. The folks who cloned Dolly the Sheep famously relocated their research here (briefly anyway) due to Singapore’s comparatively lax laws on human stem cell research.  Phase I was so successful that Phase II is currently being constructed.

Building Names – All the buildings in Biopolis (as well as in Fusionopolis) have oh-so-earnest scientific names like “Synapse,” “Genome,” “Symbiosis,” “Ambios,” “Chronos” and so on. While the naming policy must have been decided upon – in typical Singaporean fashion – with great seriousness and solemnity, surely someone up there must realize how silly it all is. This building, “Matrix,” is in Biopolis, overlooking the site for Phase II.

Fusionopolis – These stark, futuristic towers constitute the second “Polis” to see the light of day. As the name suggests, this one caters to just about anything and everything. It houses the Singapore Government’s Media Development Authority and its Agency for Science, Technology and Research, amongst other media, IT and scientific research companies. It also houses luxury serviced apartments, a gym with a stunning roof-top pool and even a rather out-of-place performance space in the globular structure that sits between the three towers. This was where I went to work out regularly when I lived in one-north.

Fusionopolis Phase II & Solaris – Across the street is the upcoming Phase II development for Fusionopolis. Looming in the distance like a space-aged cruise ship is Solaris – the cluster for engineering, information and communications technology, media and most notably (which explains its name) clean-tech research.  The landscape here is what I would call post-post-apocalyptic – i.e. decades after the end of the apocalypse, we are finally getting our act together and picking up the pieces.  Suffused within all the developments is a sense that a sheer determination to get things done is behind all of this. It’s a bit scary.

Pixel – This facility is catered to specialist schools that support the information and communications technology and digital media industries (i.e. animation, gaming, mobile apps, etc). Just so you can’t possibly mistake it for anything else, it’s named “Pixel.”

Mediapolis – The final “Polis” in the precinct, for now. It is meant to house…well, media companies, offices, film and recording studios and soundstages – everything and anything in support of film, music, digital production, digital R & D, broadcasting, education, IP and rights management. Everything, that is, to impress the intrepid wanderer as he takes in this view of nothingness and attempts to envision a “Living Laboratory” where the world’s media professionals may “live-work-play-learn.”  I moved out just as the military camp that used to sit here was demolished to make way for this new business park. Again, it all smacks of sheer and ruthless determination.

B)   Education and Talent Development “Hub”

one-north is also slated to be the cluster for high-value-added training and educational services.  Situated right beside the National University of Singapore and a handful of good Elementary and High Schools in the vicinity (like Anglo-Chinese Junior College, Fairfield Methodist Secondary School, Singapore Polytechnic, etc), the precinct itself also currently contains prestigious educational institutions, and is slated to house an entire Leadership Training and HR Services Cluster.

INSEAD – The Singapore campus of the prestigious French business school, one of the first tenants in one-north, is located right beside Fusionopolis, accounting for the droves of young, starry-eyed foreign business-school types that patronise the food court and supermarket in the latter building’s basement. INSEAD’ partnership with Singapore has been wildly successful and so its likely to remain in one-north for some time to come.

Tanglin Trust School – Further down the road sits the Elementary and High School equivalent to INSEAD (of sorts). This is a very expensive, very exclusive private international school where very privileged children of wealthy expatriates are sent to get an international education. The grounds are extensive, including a running track and football field (not shown) for the very white young persons. In the distance, one sees Fusionopolis and Solaris.

Nepal Hill – This cluster of merely 16 colonial-era bungalows for military officers in the British Army is “set to anchor Singapore as a global hub for leadership training and talent development.” It will house “business schools, corporate universities and professional service companies in the talent development space.” Already, big names like Unilever and the Human Capital Leadership Institute have signed up to be in the idyllic cluster just across from Fusionopolis. I shudder with eager anticipation.

NTU Alumni Club – With the National University of Singapore pretty much flanking one-north, Singapore’s second university, the Nanyang Technological University probably felt like it needed to also get in on the act. Its Alumni Club thus occupies a prime spot on a small knoll, presiding over all of one-north like a grand old dame, and ensuring that it keeps a firm overview of and sends out its members to partake in the intellectualising and networking that takes place between the Very Brainy People in the precinct.

Ministry of Education, Singapore – As if to further emphasize the point that one-north is Singapore’s answer to a global education and talent development hub, the MOE Building (to the right) also sits within the precinct, at the edge of Biopolis, where it can observe and evaluate, and make policies that impact Singapore’s educational landscape. One of the first building to go up in the precinct, it has watched everything around it shift and morph through the years.

C)  Commercial, Residential and Lifestyle Exchange

one-north wouldn’t be complete without a commercial, residential and lifestyle cluster. Where would the people go to entertain themselves otherwise.  Enter Vista Exchange – “the corporate and business support cluster in one-north” which “will house high-rise offices, a business hotel, retail-cum-entertainment centres and quality residential developments.” Vista Exchange is also the transport hub for one-north, making for a highly multi-tasking, multi-disciplinary, multi-everything sort of high-achieving and value-maximized space, naturally.

The Rochester – It doesn’t look like anything much right now but be forewarned that this will house a new mall, hotel and luxury condominium development. Looking very much like the non-place – i.e. with very little relationship to the history and natural environment of its immediate vicinity – it was planned to be, the huge complex aims to bring hordes of new consumers to the precinct. Because a new mall-cum-hotel-cum-luxury-condo complex is just exactly what Singapore needs to make it more unique.

The Metropolis – Another luxury condominium development in Vista Exchange, right beside the MOE Building, and with a rather apt but loaded name. Did the developers not know that Metropolis also describes an urban dystopia of the future where wealthy intellectuals rule from vast tower complexes, oppressing workers who live in the dark depths below?

Rochester Park – A cluster of heritage black-and-white colonial bungalows, refurbished to house high-end restaurants, bars and spas. One of the earliest heritage clusters to be refurbished in one-north, it’s extremely popular with the expatriate and yuppie set, being a place to see and be seen.  I have personally been to not a few of the establishments in this park and can attest to their popularity. 20 more bungalows in the area are slated for development into serviced villas, F & B outlets or other lifestyle use.

The Civic, Cultural and Retail Complex – In case we forget that one-north is meant to be a fully-functioning and holistic precinct: Ta-dah!! This Civic, Cultural and Retail Complex, as yet un-named, is its crowning glory, housing a huge 5000-seater performance venue alongside other smaller performance spaces and retail spaces. Interestingly, the entire complex will be paid for jointly by the Singapore-Government-linked property giant CapitaLand and a church-linked company, Rock Productions, with the large performance space being regularly used for massive church services. The $660m building is designed by Artec Consultants, the same folks that designed the stunning Esplanade Theatres.  Only goes to show what a consummate marriage between Church and State can achieve.

(For more details and an artist mock-up of the development, see: http://1north.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/660-million-lifestyle-hub-to-go-up-at-buona-vista-5000-seat-theatre-shops-part-of-rock-productions-capitaland-project/)

one-north Park – Across from Vista Exchange is one-north Park, basically a green spine that glues together the various polises and industry clusters. Scattered along the park are outdoor sculptures that are in keeping with the style of the precinct. If anything, it makes for a pleasant stroll, if you even notice that its there.

one-north Residences – One of the older luxury condo developments in one-north, built to cater to professionals that work at Biopolis and Fusionopolis. Not really in Vista Exchange, and as such slightly lacking in retail and other amenities to spur consumption. That said, it is the kind of quiet and understated type of development that I could envision living in, particularly since it is situated in a stunning location surrounded by forest.

D)  Arts, Heritage and Creative Quarter – Wessex Estate

In stark contrast to the towers of steel and glass, Wessex Estate sits in its own anachronistic little patch of countryside at the edge of one-north. Once, it housed military barracks and yet another cluster of bungalows built for British Army Officials. Up till a year or so ago, it was designated an arts and creative industries cluster, offering live-work loft spaces for artists and creative industries professionals that loved the quiet and tranquil surroundings. These days, priority for residency in the estate has also been extended to the engineers and scientists that work in one-north.

I lived here for two years, two years ago, alongside a thriving community of artists, gallerists, designers, theatre professionals and other creative types. The entire precinct felt like it hadn’t changed since the early 1900s and it is truly one of the most unique places I’ve ever seen in Singapore.  It’s a pity that Wessex Estate is almost certain to be slated for further development. Though I keep my fingers crossed that the authorities would keep things as they are for just a while longer. It’s so achingly beautiful.

The Path to Wessex Estate from Fusionopolis - the approach to Wessex Estate is suffused with drama. You walk through 10 minutes of towering trees and wayside jungle, turn a corner (in the distance here) and suddenly you see them – the bungalows and barracks tucked here and there in the greenery. 

Typical Bungalows in Wessex Estate – These are scattered all over the estate, and house local and expatriate families who desire a more laid-back style of living in hyper-modern Singapore. The streets are named after places from the English countryside – Wilton, Weymouth, Westbourne, Woking.  Highly evocative.

Almost Rural Landscape – Alongside the bungalows were almost 30 three-storey military barracks, converted into residential apartments and live-work lofts. They sat in a beautiful, verdant expanse of greenery.  Many of them are situated on small knolls over-looking views such as this one above.

KTM Railway – The Estate is steeped in heritage. Snaking alongside it is the former KTM Railway line, now decommissioned. While I was still living there, I would hear the trains’ foghorns as they brought passengers and cargo into Singapore.  The KTM Railway line also separates Wessex Estate from Commonwealth Public Housing Estate – a whole different universe. A well-trodden informal path leads from one estate to the other, across the Railway track. The photo above shows children crossing over to the other side.

View up the KTM Railway Line – Passing through a permeable barrier of foliage, one emerges in this in-between space separating Wessex from Commonwealth. The KTM railway used to trundle along here, down railway tracks that have since been removed, leaving a Green Corridor that bisects Singapore. The fate of the Green Corridor is also uncertain, with the Authorities wishing to “develop” large tracts of it in to retail and lifestyle spaces, naturally.

Live-Work Lofts – This is a close-up of one of the former military barrack buildings, now converted into 6 live-work lofts.  Each of the buildings are named after a battle the English fought and won: Arabia, Tangier, Montreal, Pegu, Plassey, Aden, Waterloo. Again, highly evocative.

Live-Work Lofts – Another example of a live-work-loft, this one contained an art gallery, photographers’ studios, a cooking school and print studio.

Tangier – This was the building I stayed in. My apartment was the top-most one to the right. My neighbours included a web strategist, media studio, fashion designer, film- professor, architect, columnist and interior decorator. They were local, European and Japanese.

Centre Stage – The building just behind mine. The entire building had been converted into a drama and arts school for kids (mostly expatriate). The School sits directly across the street from Tanglin Trust School, from which, naturally, it draws most of its young clients.

Art Walk@Wessex – An ad that provides a sense of the number of art studios clustered in the area.  Since I left, quite a few art / design studios have also moved on. In its heyday, there were more than 20 participating units in the Art Walk.

Colbar – An institution in its own right. Formerly the canteen for military officials in the colonial period, it was slated for demolition to make way for a new highway. Residents in Wessex Estate lobbied and the entire bar was taken apart brick by brick and moved to its present location. It is still hugely popular with the residents of Wessex Estate, and with other Singaporean residents that come from elsewhere to partake of the casual, no-nonsense air of a military canteen that it still retains.

Conclusion – Revisiting this precinct again two years after I left it, the hairs on my arm stood on end as the full extent of the Singapore Government’s plan began to take shape.  While it is undoubtedly amazing and absolutely laudable that the Government is able to plan and build on such a scale so quickly, so neatly and so efficiently, I can’t help feeling that everything seems just a little too too neat, too stark and too fiercely and scarily efficient.

The feeling one gets with all the sharp angles and shiny towers is that there is little space for error – this is a project that MUST SUCCEED because so much resources and willpower have been thrown into making it so.  This is ironic, given that the precinct is dedicated to research and development and innovation-centred industries (digital media, clean tech, ICT, tertiary education, etc) for which experimentation, creativity and failure must come into play.

With all the developments happening so quickly, things will get very soul-less very fast. The solution, as I see it, is to leave some parts of the precinct as they are – Wessex Estate for example, should be left as little developed as possible, to “place” the precinct – give it a little bit more of a human touch and link it more closely with the unique history of its immediate vicinity. It’s a pity that Nepal Hill and Rochester Hill are already slated for further development. Leaving them as residential clusters would have allowed a little more breathing space for the Very Brainy People amidst all the hermetically sealed towers closely-stacked against one another.

But I suppose, as the pragmatic Singaporean officials would say: in land-strapped Singapore, one does what one must to maximise the value of the land. It’s just too bad value is always defined in monetary terms first.

For more details on one-north, see the Singapore Government’s Official Website for it: http://www.jtc.gov.sg/RealEstateSolutions/one-north/Pages/default.aspx.

I hadn’t set out to explore urban rejuvenation in D.C. What I had wanted to do was see the cherry blossoms and walk along the National Mall, to see how one of the greatest public spaces in the world had changed in the 12 years since I had last been to D.C. As it was, the Mall was undergoing major refurbishment while I was there. There appeared to be construction work happening on the Mall itself, while the reflecting pool before the Lincoln Memorial had been drained of water. That didn’t seem to distract visitors from still taking to the Mall in droves.  I did some research later on and found out that in fact, since last September, architects and designers had been submitting concept plans for the overhaul of some of the more neglected areas of the Mall – specifically the areas around the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument and Constitution Gardens.

Later that day, on our walk back to the train station, my friend and I literally “stumbled” upon Penn Quarter, which is a rejuvenated city centre precinct about 3 blocks off the National Mall. The change in the urban landscape as we entered the precinct was very obvious. Everything was shiny and new. The requisite ingredients – luxury condominium and refurbished loft developments; theatre and gallery spaces; cafes and restaurants; yuppie people – were there.  I took a couple of pictures and went home to find out more about this interesting area.

This photo-journal, the 5th installment in the NUP series, is an account of a random stumbling upon urban change and renewal in the capital of the free world.

Cherry Blossom Season – A classic view of the Washington Memorial, surrounded by blossoming cherry trees.

Cherry Blossom Season – An alternate view of cherry blossoms, channeling Japan in D.C. and serving as a reminder that globalisation was well on its way in the 1910s.

Cherry Blossom Season – A popular one with the tourists and residents alike, transforming every inch of the National Mall area with the cherry trees into one big picnic.  It was beautiful and people were surprisingly very very civil.

Construction on the National Mall – You can just about see the construction beyond the line of parked cars. I had been disappointed at not being able to take a shot of the Mall in its pristine glory. But news about the overhaul more than made up for that.  Apparently there are plans for “Lakeside gardens, dining rooms hovering over water, grassy new amphitheaters and underground pavilions at the foot of the Washington Monument.” Proposed designs will went on display 10 days ago at the Smithsonian Castle and National Museum of American History.  (Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/09/national-mall-redesign-plans_n_1411809.html).

National Public Space – Construction on the Mall didn’t seem to deter the crowds. Here was a carousel just across from the Smithsonian Castle.

National Public Space – And another view of the Mall, towards the Museum of American History. Unfortunately, large tracts of the Mall was indeed in need of re-turfing. But I suppose that’s a happy problem since it shows just how much it is used by the public and visitors.

Lincoln Memorial – The reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial had being drained for  scheduled maintenance (so it appeared). Which was a pity since I had really wanted to take a shot of the Washington Memorial, reflected.

Lincoln Memorial – Again, that didn’t stop the crowds from thronging the steps of the Memorial to take in the view.

Penn Quarter – From the National Mall, we transitioned into Penn Quarter, a neighborhood north of Pennsylvania Avenue (which is where it gets its name from) extending “East of the White House and West of the Capitol” and along and around E and F streets.  The Map above locates Penn Quarter in relation to the three iconic attractions of D.C.  Note that Penn Quarter itself is a recent name and the area was previously known as the East End of Downtown D.C.

Revitalisation of a Historic District-  Since the ’80s the precinct has been subject to revitalization efforts by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation, and now boasts a high concentration of entertainment and lifestyle establishments including museums, theaters, restaurants, bars, and contemporary art galleries. This is a shot of a luxury condominum complex.

Luxury Mixed Use Commercial and Residential Developments – Another shot of spanking new luxury condominiums. There was row after row of these and it was hard not to notice that one was in the midst of a rejuvenated city center.

Thriving Lifestyle and Entertainment Quarter – Yet another shot of luxury condos atop refurbished historic buildings.  Besides the fact that the Quarter was actually just off the National Mall (a less than 10 minute walk), there were also a huge number of museums and galleries within the quarter itself – these included the American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, the National Building Museum, the National Academy of Sciences, and more quirky museums like the International Spy Museum and the Newseum – an interactive museum of news and journalism. The immense Verizon Centre also played host to major sports and entertainment events in the precinct.

Unfortunately, as we were on the way to catch a train back to New York, I didn’t have time to properly explore the precinct. So here are a few scattered views of the arts and entertainment amenities in the precinct.

Ford Theatre – A historic theatre, in operation since 1860 (barring a brief interlude as a warehouse and office building. It was the site where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.

Shakespeare Theatre Company – This is one of the company’s two venues, located at the purpose-built Lansburgh Theatre, in the restored former Lansburgh Department Store flagship store, built in the 1880s.

Science Museum – View of the interactive Koshland Science Museum, which sits in another rejuvenated historic building that has now become a mixed commercial and residential development.

List of Attractions – Also a sign that marked the end of Penn Quarter. At the edge, you can see a young professional couple walking their dogs – a ubiquitous sight in these new urban precincts.

Conclusion – It seems to me, at least at first glance, that Penn Quarter is a successful attempt at urban revitalization.  There was a palpable buzz in the area, and unlike many of the major American cities, the whole precinct was eminently walkable, no doubt due to the unique nature of Washington D.C. as the Federal Capital, with the highest concentration of public spaces and institutions of all of America’s cities.

I thoroughly enjoyed walking through this precinct, and I would really like to have been able to spend more time soaking in the atmosphere and popping into some of the museums and galleries there.  As it is, I’ll just have to wait for another opportunity sometime in the future to revisit this very new urban precinct in one of American’s oldest cities.

Interestingly, there is a regular news and info website operational since Feb 2006 – Penn Quarter Living (www.pqliving.com) – focused on events, lifestyle and urban developments (eg. construction of new buildings) in the District, a sign again, at least to me, that this has been a reasonably successful place-making effort.

I sign off with a shot of the Willard Intercontinental Washington, a historic Beaux-Arts hotel at the very edge of Penn Quarter, where I happened to have a very pleasant afternoon of drinks and fresh mussels with a good friend. The revitalization of Penn Quarter started here, with the renovation of this hotel in the mid-’80s.

In my mind, HafenCity is probably one of the most impressive examples of New Urban Precinct development on a monumental scale  (the other example being Marina Bay in Singapore, which I will get to in this NUP series as well). It’s impressive in terms of scale and ambition – apparently the largest scale development in Europe! – though as far as the uniqueness of the project goes, it’s really just “keeping up with the Joneses,” so to speak.  I mean…Canary Wharf, anyone?  Dubai and Abu Dhabi also spring to mind (and not for a good reason).

Here is a photo-journal of some of the key features of the precinct, and my thoughts on them.

Map of HafenCity – relative to the City Center

The HafenCity Infocenter – Naturally housed in a refurbished post-industrial Boiler House complex. It includes an exhibition area, cafe, as well as a small outdoor performance space.

HafenCity Model – This shot shows the newly completed areas of HafenCity, which I strolled around in. To the left is the Concert Hall by Herzog and de Meuron (they crop up frequently in this NUP series).

Note that the completed area represents only perhaps 10% of the total area to be developed – about 157 hectares of space – which will increase the total space of Hamburg City by a whopping 40%!  I was and still am slightly sceptical.  After all, Hamburg only has 1.78 m people, Greater Hamburg 4.3 m.  That makes the development strategy a supply-driven one: build and they (as in the WORLD) will come.  The HafenCity Marketing pamphlets are appropriately in a range of languages, most notably Chinese.

HafenCity Branding – My friend was very excited about the branding for HafenCity – how it was being positioned as a one-of-a-kind lifestyle-oriented precinct marrying contemporary and traditional architecture, with beautiful waterfront public spaces, opportunities for creative industries, an international flair, etc, etc.   Well… almost all such waterfront developments all around the world these days are being positioned as “unique lifestyle precincts” aren’t they?  I told my friend (rather ungratefully) that HafenCity qualified as a Non-place – generic, with very little “sense of place”; a development the likes of which could be found in most cities of the world these days.

Residential Apartment – As if to prove my point, we observed and critiqued the striking but context-less contemporary architecture of the residential apartments on the Am Sandtorkai / Dalmannkai quarter – the first quarter to be fully completed and apparently, fully occupied.  This building is lovely, in a stark way, but if you look at it, you wouldn’t think you were in Hamburg. You could be anywhere really – Berlin, London, Singapore, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Dubai, Khartoum…

Public Space – In the Am Sandtorkai / Dalmannkai quarter. Great conversion of previous ship-berth into private residential and public space. It looks lovely but I again I had an fleeting sense that I was in Barcelona, or Canary Wharf in London.

Strandkai – A quick glimpse of the adjacent quarter, Strandkai.  Not quite completed yet. To the left is one of the first buildings constructed, the Marco Polo Towers – which apparently caused some controversy for its architecture when it first appeared. It is also famously occupied by some of the most wealthy residents of Hamburg.

Cruise Center – Also in the Strandkai quarter is the Cruise Center, where the Queen Mary II, a transatlantic (New York – Hamburg) cruise ship is moored.  The Cruise Centre will add an “international flair” to the precinct, apparently. Though “international” is probably a byword for placeless, faceless, functional.

Office / Residential Space – View of office and residential buildings in the adjacent Am Sandtorpark / Grasbrook quarter. These were newer than in Am Santorkai / Dalmannkai, but did not have a similar waterfront view.  The quarter was being marketed more as a “green” mixed-used residential and office precinct centred around a park. Again, this could be a view onto Singapore, Shanghai, or Nairobi.

With a surfeit of generic-ness, there are three tried and tested solutions for injecting a sense of place:

1. Preserve and re-use historic sites and monuments in the area
2. Develop a performing arts centre or museum designed by a superstar architect.
3. Seed arts and community activities at strategic points / public spaces.

HafenCity has pretty much gone by the book.

Constrast in Styles – Just behind the residential apartments in Am Sandtorkai / Dalmannkai peeks the 18th century facade of Speicherstadt (or warehouse district), one of the world’s oldest warehouse districts, built in the late 1800s.

Historic Quarter – Another view of the stunning Speicherstadt, reminding one of Venice, particularly at night, when the entire district of red-brick warehouses and canals is eeriely lit with spotlights.  They are still largely used as warehouses, though they also contain a few of Hamburg’s major tourist attractions – the Miniature Wonderland and Hamburg Dungeon, etc – and are themselves attractions in their own right.

Superstar Architecture – Just a block from Speicherstadt is the surreal Elbphilharmonic Concert Hall, evoking the waves of the Elbe.  Messrs Herzog & de Meuron have ingeniously plonked the entire concert hall – encased in a very post-modern steel and glass fixture that is fiendishly difficult to construct and has caused multiple delays – atop a former warehouse that is now the multi-storey carpark.

Hamburg Skyline – The Concert Hall will transform and dominate the Hamburg skyline, previously defined by its many church steeples and by the Port of Hamburg. Clearly, the objective of these developments is to let world know that Hamburg is HERE!  LOOK AT US!  WE’RE HERE!! WE’VE ARRIVED!!

As you can probably tell, I’m not a fan of such “iconic star-chitecture.” I see it as the preserve of third world cities with paternalistic and authoritarian Governments – Beijing, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Riyadh, Astana (Kazakhstan) – seeking to “place themselves on the world map” and to impart artificial “meaning to [their] meaningless existence” (courtesy of Slavoj Zizek, Living in the End Times) by whatever means possible.  I find it a little crass and sad that Hamburg – such an elegant and beautiful city with a long and illustrious history – feels it has to condescend to such a mad scramble for meaning and international attention.

Knowledge Quarter – Slightly further away, the Maritime Museum marries historic architecture with the need for place-specific cultural institutions.  Situated in the Elbtorquartier, it will be part of HafenCity’s “Knowledge Quarter,” also housing a new university and another starchitect-helmed (Rem Koolhaas) Science Museum.

Outdoor Markets -  The endless boardwalk in HafenCity was probably the highlight of the precinct. The crowd certainly seemed to agree.  While the design wasn’t anything groundbreaking, the outdoor markets (selling German crafts and food) and the permanently moored German yachts evoked Hamburg’s very specific maritime past and added a very slight sense of place to the otherwise disorienting non-placeness of the whole area.

Place-specific Performing Arts – Not far away, right by the HafenCity Information Centre, an outdoor performance space plays host to a hugely popular theatrical performance called Jedermann (Everyman), based on an ancient morality play about a merchant who sells his soul to Death.  The performance, which takes place a few times each week in the evenings, uses the stark, eerie warehouse setting of the Speicherstadt as its backdrop and is a remarkably successful example of place-specific performing arts.  At one point, Death arrives on set floating on a gondola along the canals.  Rain or shine, the show is consistently booked out.

A Network of Elevated Walkways – Another ingenious public amenity in the precinct is a series of public elevated walkways and pedestrian bridges that not only link Speicherstadt to Am Sandtorkai / Dalmannkai, but also link all the residential buildings in the latter precinct, affording the visitor a great view of the contrast in architectural styles and also of the waterfront. As evening fell on HafenCity, I took a stroll along its buildings.  The whole area was deserted except for half a dozen restaurants and pubs.

I assume most night-time entertainment options would be associated with the yet-to-be-opened Concert Hall. That is slightly worrying since a good public performing arts venue really also requires an ecology of pre-show and post-show leisure options around it. Otherwise it risks being an artificial, isolated island of activity.

The other inhabitants of HafenCity – As night fell, the entire precinct became over-run with spiders – thousands of them. Apparently when the precinct was designed (so my friend told me) they didn’t think to include trees and other options for birds to roost and nest. What ensued was a precinct devoid of any sort of bird-life. Without a natural predator, spiders have thrived, turning HafenCity at night into a kind of spectral ghost town.  They pretty much constitute the night-life here.

Conclusion – Personally, I didn’t like HafenCity at all. I thought it too manufactured, too slick, too sterile, too Singapore.  Its carefully-curated but inadvertent characterless-ness catered to a class of newly wealthy and young (international) urban professionals who were transient and not likely to invest emotions into the city.   The project just seemed like a variation on Canary Wharf, but at a much larger scale.

Granted, Canary Wharf’s success makes it somewhat of a model to emulate. However, with a long history of finding its own path of economic development, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg could have imposed its own individual, pragmatic character onto the development, rather than schlep around in the red ocean (to borrow a term used in Blue-Ocean Strategy) of “star-chitects” and consumption-driven lifestyles .

The next time I visit, I’m sticking resolutely to the Old City, perhaps descending down to HafenCity for a weekend stroll to check out the waterfront.  There just isn’t enough to see or do there, just yet.  Though, I have to say, even if I were ever to live in Hamburg, I would not consider HafenCity.  The environment is simply too alienating.  If I were only a temporary resident, I wouldn’t want to make the mistake of living in my own little bubble at the city’s periphery. I’d want to be in the thick of it all.

Some ideas:

• Build what has been planned (if there is demand, of course), but hire German, preferably Hamburg architects for the showcase pieces, so that the project could also support capability development and promotion of local talent.
• Seed more evening-time leisure options and small, independent businesses. While the precinct is primarily residential and noise levels could be a problem; what’s lacking now is a sense of organic community and cosiness that corner shops and independent cafe-bar-restaurants in the city center provide. The chain restaurants and big swanky bars won’t do it.
• Think about building some public housing and related amenities in the precinct. Diversity in residential profile adds to the precinct’s colour, and can support a wider range of businesses and options. More public housing would also bring more everyday Hamburgers into the precinct to live, not just to visit.  I’m sure a good proportion of the yuppie-set wouldn’t mind a little more authenticity in the vicinity, and a wider range of prices for basic necessities.

Finally, I couldn’t resist but end on a few more iconic and reassuring views of Hamburg.

On the Elbe River

The Binnenalster, towards Jungfernstieg (the main shopping drag)

Chilling by the old Town Square – my favorite spot in all Hamburg.

In my other project, 100 Ways To See… A Street (www.100waystosee.com), I take apart one street in Williamsburg – Wythe Ave – and present it visually from 100 different perspectives, revealing its complexity. It seems I chose my street well as Wythe Ave is also one of the fastest gentrifying street in Williamsburg.

It’s rather shocking.

In three months alone, more than half a dozen new “luxury condominium developments” have taken shape on a 15 block stretch on Wythe Ave.  Some of the post-industrial buildings or empty plots I photographed in January are now gone, encircled by scaffolding.  These upcoming developments join almost three dozen existing developments within that small area bounded by Wythe and Berry Avenues.

The Williamsburg that endures in people’s minds – an artist and hipster colony; a bohemian paradise – has almost gone.  In its place is a “new” urban village, colonised by cosmopolitan, designer-toting, upper middle-classed yuppies, and their brood.  It’s become New York’s version of Shoreditch, in East London.

Here’s a photo-journal of this “new” Williamsburg, which merely brushes the surface of the complex dynamics of urban change that are taking place on a daily basis in this fascinating once-peripheral-now-central part of the Big Apple.  I hope it provides a glimpse of how diverse and exciting the landscape is.

Where Williamsburg is (circled), in relation to Manhattan (to the left).  By subway, there are two options to get there – the L train to Bedford Ave, or the M / J trains across the Williamsburg Bridge to Marcy Ave.  The immediate vicinity around the Bedford Av station feels a universe away from that around Marcy Av.

Historic Landmarks – The two most significant landmarks in Williamsburg are the Williamsburg Bridge, and the iconic Domino Sugar Factory, waiting expectantly to be transformed into yet another luxury condominium development on the Brooklyn Waterfront.

Historic Landmarks – The ornate Williamsburg Savings Bank, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  It was previously owned and used by HSBC group, though now it’s being refurbished for future use as an events space.  Despite more than a year of refurbishment works, however, there’s still no sign of when the project will be completed.

Post-industrial Landscape – Williamsburg is a classic gentrification case.  Disused post-industrial buildings like these on N 4th St and Wythe Ave get transformed first into artist loft-studios, and then finally into luxury residential lofts.  Increasingly, developers are leapfrogging the “artist” phase and going straight into the “luxury.”  This particular intersection is unique for having 3 out of its 4 street corners occupied by hulking derelict industrial buildings.  As this post goes live, one of the buildings has been demolished completely, while another (the one to the right of the picture) is in the process of being converted into lofts.

Loft Living (first described by NY sociologist Sharon Zukin) – Here’s the best example of a converted loft development, located just one block away on N 3rd St and Wythe Ave. This intersection was described by Brooklyn-centric The L Magazine as “Gentrification at its Best.”  I have to agree. It’s an absolute, self-contained bubble of yuppie family-dom, replete with cafes, yoga shack, specialty chocolatier, book shop, uber-expensive hair-dressers, ceramic studio for kids, artisanal deli and more.

Bedford Ave (flaneur central) – The main thoroughfare and heart of Williamsburg. People come from all over the world to see and be seen here.  The everyday is a spectacle of gorgeous, uber-hip, vintage-clad hipsters strolling with their dogs, and the yuppie out-of-Burg-ers that come toting their DSLR cameras to populate the many twee cafes, restaurants and specialty shops that line this street.  There is a distinctly quaint, European, village-y feel, which is further enhanced by the many European (many French) expatriates that choose to make Williamsburg home.

“Hipster” Cafe – This cafe (on Grand and Havermeyer) is typical Williamsburg. At any time of the day, there are always a dozen creative types tapping away on their portable computers, almost always a Macbook. They work on screenplays, business companies, or run their Tech companies from this makeshift office.  The cafe serves great food too. Organic, of course.

Haute Cuisine – Williamsburg has a surfeit of excellent restaurants using artisanal or locally-sourced produce.  Many of them are owned and run by hipster-looking founders, and feature hipster-ish wait-staff.  But don’t let that fool you. The food is excellent, and not cheap.  Just off Bedford and Broadway are two of the top-end options, Michelin-starred Dressler (top right) and Peter Luger’s, serving affluent Manhattanites, who flock in every evening and for weekend brunches.

Low-income, Ethnic Communities – About six blocks from Dressler is Marcy Ave, where the low-income, “ethnic” section of Williamsburg begins.   The contrast in lifestyles and architecture is rather stark.  Most people who visit Williamsburg come via the “L” train, rather than the “M” train (pictured here), and so tend to completely miss the more edgy, interesting bits of the Burg.

Hasidic Jewish Community – Marcy Ave and Broadway border on of the largest communities of Hasidic Jews outside of Israel.  They live in their own hermetically sealed world of religious doctrines and rituals, in which men and women are segregated, and the women shave their hair off upon being married and don wigs.

Hispanic Pentecostal Communities – There is also a large and very patriotic community of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans living amidst the yuppies and the hipsters.  Again, they appear to live in their own separate world circumscribed by family and religion. Most of them are Pentecostals, making Williamsburg an area with one of the highest concentrations of Pentecostal churches outside of Latin America.

Condos: Gretsch Building – One of the pioneer condo conversions in Williamsburg, previously a musical instruments manufacturing building.

Condos: Wythe Confectionary – A former candy factory, now luxury lofts with “a part-time attendant, private gym, bike storage, indoor parking (additional) and a roof deck with spectacular city and bridge views. Interior finishes to satisfy even the most discerning renter, with stainless steel appliances, caesar stone countertops and spacious bathrooms. In-apartment washer/dryers and a large central laundry room.”  (From streeteasy.com)

Condos: 80 Metropolitan – “The amenities are unsurpassed. The building includes a Full Time Doorman, Swimming Pool, Zen Garden, Fitness Center, Media Lounge, Roof Terrace, Bicycle Room, Refrigerated Storage, Live-in Resident Manager, Parking and Private Roof Top Cabanas – all with a 25 Year Tax Abatement. 80 Metropolitan homes feature 10 foot ceilings(approximate), Lapacho Hardwood Floors and luxurious kitchens. They also include built-in Liebherr refrigerators, Miele ovens and cooktops, Bosch dishwashers, marble finishes, polished Caesarstone countertops, Lacquer and Glass Cabinetry with Wenge details, ample closets, a garbage disposal and a washer and dryer. MasterBaths include Glass Showers with Marble Benches and Grohe Rainwater Showerheads, and custom Wenge Vanities.” (From streeteasy.com)   Right.

Condos: The Louver House – Interesting architecture, but somewhat forbidding.  Maybe that’s why most of the units seem unoccupied.

Condos: The Two Towers – This next set of three photos provides a visual account of on-going gentrification. This is the view towards the waterfront on N 4th (a previous photo showed you a view away from the water).  This was a shot taken in January.

Condos: The Two Towers – This is the same view as the above, shot in early March. Only a skeletal frame remains of the industrial building.

Condos: The Two Towers – This is a shot taken in April. The industrial building is gone, soon to be replaced by another luxury condominium project.

New Condo Development – One of the many new condominium developments on Wythe Ave, this one is on N 6th St (this photo was shot in March).

Art Gallery – Picture Farm, one of the many independent galleries dotting Williamsburg.

Book Thug Nation – Second Hand Bookstore on N 3rd St.

Hair Salon – Super-expensive, super-hip salon catering to only the most discerning of hipster / creative-types.  Apparently to be found also in London.  Hmm…

Murals – Williamsburg is still home to many artists and to a proliferation of street art of all kinds.  From the quirky and colourful…

Murals – To the socially-aware and -oriented.

Murals – To the international (this by ROA, a Belgian street artist).

Screw Rent – Finally, a picture that sums up the contrast in lifestyles and the everyday dynamics here in Williamsburg.  I live in the building to the left.

The abstract for this paper, which was my Master’s Thesis at Goldsmiths College in London is as follows:

“Adopting an ethnographic and heuristic approach, my study uncovers the everyday pleasures, frustrations and constraints young mobile professionals experience in moving to and making a new home in six global cities – London, New York, Paris, Dubai, Shanghai and Singapore; and how their sense of home and other associated invariables such as belonging, identity, community, place and people relationships have been impacted as a result.  It demonstrates that for these persons, home is not a singular concept but a complex and multifarious phenomenon. 

My presentation shall consider home a) as a gentrified but generic living space (Home is a Non-place); b) as the often insurmountable challenge of home-making or -configuring (Home is an In-between Place); c) as a loose collection of material possessions (Home is a Bricolage of Ordinary E/Affects); d) as the mechanical but not in the least mundane set of practices involved in securing and maintaining a base of operations (Home is a State of Emergency); e) as people and relationships (Home is a Strong Network of Weak Ties); and finally, f) as a new cutting-edge phenomenon in user-centric communications technology (Home is a Cloud). “

By all counts, Shanghai is probably one of the biggest metropolitan areas in today’s world, surpassing London.  Sitting in a cab heading towards Shanghai’s biggest metropolitan park – the Shanghai Forest Park in what is equivalent to Zone 6 in London – I couldn’t help but wonder at this endless city that is becoming a simulacrum (albeit a little more polluted) of another endless city that fascinates and disgusts in equal measure – Tokyo.

This time I took the opportunity (while not spending time with my family) to check out the newly gentrifying art district of Moganshan – touted as Shanghai’s answer to the 798 Art District in Beijing – that once-edgy-but-now-totally-gentrified-and-commercialised contemporary art cluster.  Quite sadly, Moganshan appeared to me to be going the same path as 798, if it hasn’t already. Which I suppose, is completely in keeping with Shanghai’s identity as a commercial centre for art, rather than Beijing’s centre of art creation.

Here is a photo-journal of the area around the precinct.

Map of the District (B) in relation to the world-famous Shanghai Bund (A)

The Endless City – It takes almost an hour by cab dashing at breakneck speed through Shanghai to get to Pudong International Airport, much longer than the time it takes to London Heathrow. Along the way, there are nothing but high-rises, nondescript, self-replicating, soul-less.

A Contrast in Lifestyles – there are still a few pockets of traditional housing precariously clinging onto existence in the city centre. This is where I stayed. The contrast between somewhat-old and new is stark.

Hustle and Bustle – As a Mega-city, the hustle and bustle is never far away. Where I lived, one could hear traffic all day and night long. I was a little exasperated those first evenings at my brother’s.

A Moment of Respite – Surprisingly, within the city centre, there were still spaces and moments of respite for its residents, which somehow humanised the city and made it a little more approachable. This is a view down the courtyard of the compound my brother lived in. I loved this tender moment between the elderly couple, though I recognised that it felt VERY out of place.

Shanghai Gongqing Forest Park (上海共青森林公园) – for the space-starved denizens of the city, the nearest real park is miles away, in the Zone-6 equivalent of metropolitan Shanghai. Yet, it is immensely popular and thronged with locals.  Which makes me think: clearly Shanghai really needs more parks in the city centre. If only the Capitalist-communist Government would pay attention to what it’s people need.

Moganshan Art District – the rather nondescript entrance to the cluster.

A View over Some Galleries in the District

Another View of Galleries

Art in the Public Spaces

A Contemporary Art (当代艺术) Manifesto – “Contemporary Art as a Career provides people with a sense of hopelessness. We need to drag in other kinds of artistes as audiences, in order to be able to achieve a sense of playfulness in what we do. But then even this is not easy. Everyone these days is an artist and doesn’t have the skill to be an audience anymore. In addition, our demands on the audience are becoming unreasonable. To be a qualified audience, one first needs to be an artist.  The crisis of artists, is actually due to a shortage of audiences.”

Graffiti: Bruce Lee and Lung Fu Panda – it was very refreshing to find actual instances of street art in Shanghai, some of which was very radical.

Graffiti: A Farting Anteater - There was an entire wall of graffiti, reminiscent of Berlin’s East Side Gallery (more in another post). This is simply a small glimpse of the richness of street art.

Graffiti: “Stay Strong, Shanghai” and R.I.P. Mao – Wow.

Graffiti: Some kind of Messianical Figure?

Luxury Condominium Developments within sight of the street art and Moganshan

Luxury Condominium Developments literally surrounding Moganshan

Luxury Condominium Developments – This one was meant to be SOHO (Small Office Home Office). Hmmm… looked just like any other condominium to me. Located just across from Moganshan.

Traditional Housing – Last vestiges right bu Moganshan, fallen into disrepair and clearly slated for demolition.

Another View of Traditional Buildings – Chinese script reads “Car Wash”

New Condominium Developments alongside existing ones, with rather interesting graffiti on the scaffolding (not shown here).

Graffiti: A Comment on Rampant Materialism? – This was on the scaffolding of the new development.

Another View of Graffiti – I couldn’t resist. Reads “Made in China.” An ironic commentary?

Another View of the New Development by an art gallery, and with another intrepid photo-journalist.

The Rhino-like Resilience of Chinese Capitalism and the Capitalist Art Marketplace - Also known as goodbye, Moganshan.

Note that new urban precincts are characterised (in my view) by the following:

• A contrast in lifestyles and incomes
• Ethnic diversity encroached upon by a often predominantly white or white-acting middle-classed “yuppie”community
• Strong historical linkages to the city’s development
• The co-location / co-incidence of arts and cultural activities, institutions and clusters
• A marketing approach that stresses lifestyle, luxury, creativity, community
• Often includes a waterfront living aspect
• Rapid development of mixed-use residential complexes with pseudo-public spaces
• Support from the city authorities, who often designate these areas as special development zones and provide some degree of funding or (tax) incentives to developers.

The first destination profiled is Deptford, straddled between the Lewisham and Greenwich boroughs in Southeast London; a rapidly gentrifying area and a place I called home for six months in late 2010-early 2011.

Map of Deptford. While the geographical boundary between Deptford and Greenwich is Deptford Creek, the purple line represents the administrative border between the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham (across which Deptford is straddled). [MAP UPDATED.]

A Stark Contrast in Lifestyles - Yuppie vs Lower-income

Ethnic Diversity - Caribbean, Persian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Nigerian, etc.

Historic Landscapes – The ancient church of St Nicholas

Waterfront Living - where the Deptford Creek meets the Thames

Gated Luxury Residential Communities facing the Mother Lode – Canary Wharf

Student Housing, also a Gated Community.
I lived here and while I was here, there was a gang-rape in the compound and two of my immediate neighbours’ rooms were broken into and robbed by someone with the keys. The company will not admit it, of course.  I moved out.

CCTV Cameras - ubiquitous symbols of a progressive modernity

New “Luxury” Development - Greenwich Creekside

Another New Luxury Development - Theatro

Yet Another New Luxury Development on its way (and this is just a sample).

Council Housing Estates – actually quite lovely architecturally, in my opinion.

Public Playground by the Council Housing Estates

Deptford High Street - a thriving, diverse ethnic community. This is Deptford Market.

Deptford Station - on Deptford High Street, again site of multiple crimes, though it was rapidly improving and gentrifying even when I lived there.

Island Buka Caribbean African Restaurant - a congregating place for the large Afro-Caribbean African community on Deptford High Street

LABAN Conservatory of Dance - designed by Herzog & de Meuron to be stunning and completely out-of-place, though it looks slightly out-of-place. 

Arts as the Gentrification Juggernaut – Creekside Artists

Arts as the Vanguards of Gentrification – Cockpit Arts

Arts as Gentrification’s Fore-runner – APT Gallery

Street Art Sort of “street art”

The Deptford Project - a community-run cafe on Deptford High Street, with lovely brunches catering to the hipster Goldsmiths College crowd.

The beautiful and tranquil churchyard of St Paul’s in Deptford, Spring

[Afternote on Marketing for North Deptford Developments:

• "Bespoke, luxury, waterside living"
• Proximity to the arts, with little reference to the area's deep historical links as London's historic shipyards from during the time of Elizabeth I Henry VIII.
• Marketed as "Greenwich," even though it is North Deptford, in order to avoid association with ethnic, lower-income Deptford that is adjacent to it and unavoidable
• Total disregard for high levels of crime in the area.]

It all began with the interviews I did during my Thesis Therapy Tour, when not a few of my interviewees actually rather explicitly and sentimentally described how their lives and homes changed after the acquisition of a DOG or CAT.  Here are some sound bites:

Me: Ok, my last question is: if there was a particular image, or phrase, or thing, that could describe what home means to you, what would it be?         A in Paris: For me it’s J (my wife) and B (my dog).

R (& T) in London: Ideally I would like a slightly bigger apartment. T: With a bigger kitchen and spare bedroom.  R: Also a garden or a terrace, with plants. T: An outside area where we can have barbecues.  R: And so that we can also get a cat.  Me: Pets?  R: No, not pets. Just one pet. A cat.

J in Shanghai: And somehow or other, this little chap, T, came into my life too, so now my puppy is also part of my home; what constitutes home.

I got thinking about why a pet so was so important to a good half of my interviewees.

At one level, the dog or cat is simply a companion, a way to make Home more “homely” – so to speak – particularly for those who are single, or for home-makers (like myself). The pet becomes a kind of totem or guardian spirit – 家神, reassuring you that your Home still exists even when you’re not in it, and welcoming you Home with a wag or a meow when you return from a long day at the office.

At another more existential level, getting a pet is a sign that one is a step closer to settling down.  A pet is kind of an experiment in a different sort of lifestyle that is less “life”-oriented – going out, partying, dinners, people – and more “home”-based and family-centred, with family being the Wife / Partner and/or the Dog/Cat.  I mean, you can’t party all night cos the cat or dog needs to be fed and walked, right?

Finally, the pet is also part of the fabric and personality of Home itself.  Let me explain what I mean with a final extract from an interview I did with J at (our) Home in Brooklyn:

J in New York: I’m very very sensitive to space and how things are; how place is; how its proportioned; how it’s laid out and so partly because of this, I’m not feeling the place I’m in right now feels like home.  And I feel like, network or no network, its gonna be hard for me to come to a point where I feel like this physical location, this physical space that I’m in is gonna be home. I feel I need another move. (Sound of cat scratching a footstool vigorously.) Not country, but another move within New York to a different apartment before I really feel comfortable. (Cat stops scratching the footstool).

In the middle of the interview, our cat leaps onto an upholstered footstool, and starts vigorously scratching at it as though it were a scratching pole. What ensues is a rich and evocative sound (for lack of a better word) that struck me, while I was transcribing the interview, as an indication of how homes resonate with a life of their own – how they have a voice: the rhythmic, low frequency strumming of claw against fabric; how they have a texture: the rough, red upholstery, the soft, white fur and the hard enamel of nails evoked by the sound; and how they have a use (and a value) that was completely independent of humans (in that Home is not defined in relation to humans alone, it could also be defined in relation to pets; how the cat experiences, uses or conceives of our living space is completely different than how WE would experience, use and conceive of it!) 

In addition, while the scratching sound was captured in my recording, what could not be captured was the bemused and affectionate look J and I had on our faces while we continued talking, and the sudden change in J’s tone of voice.  While J was ostensibly talking about how uncomfortable he was in his current New York apartment, outwardly he became more relaxed and comfortable, sinking into his sofa with an inadvertent smile on his face, once the cat started clawing away at his expensive custom-upholstered footstool.

Home, it appears, is an extension of the cat.  Let me revise that. It might as well be the cat, since only through the cat is one able to appreciate the presence of home, both in terms of being aware of the home’s independent materiality; as well as being more appreciative of the more warm, fuzzy, “homely” aspects of the living space, like the sofa, cushions – and I am being disingenuous here – the cat (or dog).

My Home / Cat

A Friend’s Home / Dog

Over the weekend, just before my stint at the AAG Conference, I had friends over and we spent one Saturday afternoon making jam and scones.  Turns out it’s a remarkably easy thing to do. While doing it, we pottered around the apartment, chatted, and I got to thinking about the word “home-made” and its root, “home-making.”  Funny how they sort of imply different sides of the same coin.

“Home-made” means something was created in one’s private domicile and implies comfort and effort being lovingly expended in the process, as opposed to the harsh, machine-dependent mass-production that “factory-made” suggests.  The object is something once considered the domain of the home and home-maker – like bread and jam – brought outside of the home post industrial revolution, and brought back again to its point of origin.

“Home-making” on the other hand, means doing up the home – the object is the home itself.  It means creating a new home, cleaning up the home, making the home gezellig. It implies domesticity, comfort, but it also – these days at least, where productivity and profit are the reasons for doing anything – has a negative connotation of being unemployed. Because if you really are talented and driven enough, you should, or would be slaving away at a job instead of taking care of the home right?

Well, I’ve been a home-maker for almost a year now (in between studying for a Master’s across the Atlantic) and I must say that I find it actually rather rewarding. I have time to explore my neighborhood and take beautiful photos of the wealth of surprising details that proliferate around me; I get to experience what it means to live simply and away from the material- rather than aspiration- driven way of life that has taken over most of the civilised world; I get to read books and visit exhibitions at museums in the middle of the day when there is no one there.  Best of all, I get to make home-made jam from fresh blueberries and loganberries, and scones from nothing more than egg, flour, milk and lots of delicate sifting and finger-pinching.

Home-making, as far as I can see it, is an art.  A fine art.