maemarch

Hama-rikyu Gardens | Chuo, Tokyo

Before being the public park that it is now, this landscape began as a Shogun garden during the Edo period. Back then it also served as a naval defense facility, with gun-batteries installed on the grounds facing the sea.

The original tea houses here were for entertaining distinguished guests of past Shoguns; the current huts are restored versions after having suffered damages from the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and World War II bombing. There's one by the lake that sells traditional matcha, with tatami floors and a wide balcony to soak in scenic views. Gave me a break from all the walking.

I must share this here!

Project: Tokyo International Forum Architect: Rafael Viñoly

I'm pleasantly surprised to know through this video that the building form was heavily influenced by user movement and approach in relation to contextual realities around the site.

My initial intention when I visited the building was to check its exhibition spaces because my work is currently involved in a similar project. After spending hours going around, I wondered why the building is split the way it is, and realized how clever it positioned its open space above the convention center below ground. Seeing Viñoly's sketch from the video put a lot of sense to how I experienced the building especially in terms of circulation.

Project: The Grand Ring Architect: Suo Fujimoto Location: Expo 2025, Yumeshima Island, Osaka, Japan Guinness World Record holder of the largest wooden architectural structure [measuring 61,035.55 sq.m]

Boasting Japan's mastery of woodwork, the Grand Ring is a clever multi-level circulation tool for exploring the Expo. At ground level, it's an arcade with generous seating areas, dotted with several souvenir shops and dining options from various international cuisines. At roof level, it's a deck that offers sweeping views of the pavilions below.

I have deep respect for clients who see value not only in comfort and style but in understanding the impact of their project beyond themselves. Such people are mindful about their choices, and in this case the owners opted to use local materials and incorporate green design elements into their house.

How I'd love to get infected with the bamboo craze and be bambuang, too. All I can think of every time I see bundled bamboo on the posts and beams is "Are they structural?"

Project: The Imprint / Club Chroma Architect: MVRDV Location: Incheon, South Korea

The building's mass may look like a simple block of white and gold, except that this rigidity is disrupted by the fabric-like void at the center. This mirror-clad tunnel serves as the entrance to the club, and is conceptualized to look like a curtain lifted to peek through the exciting atmosphere inside.

Shame I wasn't able to see the lighting at night, but even with the afternoon sun allowing me snaps of those warped lines and whimsical reflections my heart is already full ❤️

I just gotta have this on my page! It's been decades and it's unbelievable how the band keeps achieving amazing material such as this. God, I hope they'd do an Asian tour soooon.

When asked about how he felt about how the courtscraper VIA 57 WEST turned out, he replied, "The only thing you can see is all the battles you lost, all the compromises you made, the f*ck ups that couldn't be fixed."

Project: Galleria Department Store Architect: OMA / GANSAM (local) Location: Suwon, South Korea

Large retails usually have limited walls to punch their facade with windows at the upper levels. F&Bs and circulation areas can be opportunities, and this new branch of Galleria in Gwanggyo is a design example I want to remember for that.

| interiors |

The cinematic theme of Studio City brought into W Macau's interiors boasts opulence as any proper luxurious development does.

But what I remember distinct about it is the illumination. It was dramatically dim in most areas, as if muting the extravagance in the furnishings, until the reflections from all the metals and glaze and the lighting from decorative fixtures make you realize otherwise. It stayed consistent with the project's design concept.