of Dempsey Hill

Dempsey Hill

On a site that used to be the former British army barracks, Dempsey presents a certain aura of tranquility that is a perfect hideout from the bustling city centre. As much as I praise its effort at rejuvenating the area, I felt that it had a target group of users in mind in carrying out the plans, that the social hierarchy comes into place, which is quite saddening to me. Conservation projects are still going on and I can't wait to see what it looks like at the end of it, but with that luxury tag associated with the refurbished product, I might not be able to peep into it unless I fork out a week's expenditure on a cuppa tea.
I wonder whether they'll do anything to this hut-like shelter here.

Of Old Police Headquarters

Reflection, originally uploaded by jonolist.

in Hong Kong. Its a really interesting building with all the old intergation rooms and kitchens. Before its get redeveloped by Herzog and de Mueron for the Hong Kong jockey club, it's now being used as the main exhibition space for the Hong Kong Shenzhen Architectural Biennale.

Entrance into the Biennale, originally uploaded by jonolist.

Made of the stuff often used in hong kong construction sites.

Fantastic use of Bamboo!

more pictures soon!

of Malacca

Malacca #5 cover photo for Triple-M (Malaysian Mensa Society Monthly Magazine) Sept 2007 issue

Excerpt from Malacca, Voices from the Street by Lim Huck Chin & Fernando Jorge
"We began by listening to the voices of ordinary Malaccans. We listened to the city's streets, as we searched out hidden corners and abandoned alleyways. Listened to houses and temples, ruins and cemetries. Even to the murmurs and whispers of empty spaces. We listened at every turn, at every step. To the living and the dead. The past and the present. In the hope the story of extraordinary place and its people would be told. And we heard them speak. "

Nope, I haven't read this book despite having bought it during my last trip to Malacca. Hopefully in this spirit of listening to what history, be it for the sake of aesthetic remembrance or the value that lies in the heritage of the city, or perhaps just the street or alley, one can appreciate the beauty of it in itself.

Of Tiong Bahru SIT Flats

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you in"
Robert Frost









These are some photos I presented last Wednesday evening at the National Museum . Its was after a public lecture by Prof Karin Kircsh on modern architecture in the 1920s, something all young architecture students are required to study for. Dr Erwin Viray and I selected photos of the SIT flats in Tiong Bahru as a way to end the lecture and to thank Prof Kirsh for bringing her wonderful exhibit to Singapore. I thought i would be nice to share some of them here on pronservation too.

It all happened in the midst of submission week, the slides were prepared from a 15 minute lunch break while making my model,

A rushed cab ride to the museum, change of a shirt (with a pair of jeans that was still attached to my legs for two days) and suddenly Dr Erwin requested to me talk about my photos instead of him just sharing it, somehow it ended up being "the second half of the lecture"....very unexpected for someone who hasn't had proper sleep for the last two weeks to deliver a mini presentation to a packed crowd. Thankfully no boo-boos where heard, nothing screwed up and the lecturer and audience enjoyed it. Though if i had more time i wished i could do a entire presentation of housing projects in Singapore, that would be way cooler.

Muse @ National Museum Singapore

Muse @ National Museum Singapore

Converted from what used to be the Raffles Libary, it's now a bar and night chill out spot at the National Musuem of Singapore.
What say you?

Of Emerald Hill In The Night

“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.” ~Vincent Van Gogh

Emerald hill by moonlight, originally uploaded by jonolist.

Emerald Hill: Hidden, originally uploaded by jonolist.

Emerald Hill : a row of shophouses, originally uploaded by jonolist.

Emerald Hill by night,

Long exposure shots on a tripod,
it really was very dark tonight despite the full moon.
So the lighting here is really artificial and very dim. Thus long over exposed photos reveal the building in a different way as compared to the day, painting and peeling different layers at the same time.

Proconservation is currently busy with final submissions and other end of semester projects but will try as hard as they can to post more things worth conserving.
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Thanks for your support!

Conservation?

“An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs.
You would never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign,
just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.”
Mitch Hedberg

Conservation?, originally uploaded by jonolist.