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    2007-02-28

    Renzo Piano Works II

    Tjibaou Cultural Centre
    尊重还是讽刺?

    原本是原住民为了抵御大自然创造的简单结构,在现代化的后来者的演绎下,成为直插天际的庞然大物,毫不留情地炫耀着。

    撇开这些不说,单就建筑而言,Tjibaou Centre加入了两个重要的改进,利用钢结构提高木柱的稳定性,在木屏风后引入现代的建筑风格。

    不过在这里,木结构已不起到主要支架的作用,而充当了一种结构精妙,自成一体的稳定外饰,一种符号化的尊重。只是过分尊重,某种意义上,意味着过时。

    但如果把它作为一个建筑个体来看,又有不同层面的意义。

    建筑进化到今天,物资和技术的充分进步,反而让建筑屡屡成为单纯的垃圾堆砌,限制条件的放宽不仅没有有助接近到全局最优,情况反而更糟。正如每个建筑学生都要学习如何用一张纸搭建最大承重的结构一样,这个简单的现代仿古结构,或许也包含一部分这类意义。

    2007-02-27

    Renzo Piano Works I

    Georges Pompidou National Centre

    现代主义的艺术作品?莫若看作功能主义的突出

    巨大的支撑钢柱加上横架的钢梁,辅以三角结构的固定,坚固的骨架成形后是外面包裹的脉络管道,这些原本隐藏在实用空间后的幕后角色直白地裸露在建筑物的外围,显示出一副强硬的挑衅姿态,然后就是把过去的主角,实用空间,舒服的安排在钢筋铁骨的里面。

    这种颠倒的过程显示了一种对于建筑的深刻理解,而颇具后现代意味的表达方式完全超越了一般人眼所能接受的美感的信息量,对称?似乎,然而复杂程度足以破坏眼睛提取对称信息的耐心。不过精巧的结构设计弥补了这部分的缺憾,三角结构,巧妙的走道,这应该是来自意大利的Piano最擅长的。内部的空间并没有受到影响,甚至可以说是得到了更好的保护和实现,“败絮”其外,金玉其中。

    不仅建筑如此,很多情况下,构建的形式在后期会掩盖支撑形式的功能,正如一个团队走到后来,往往为形式所禁锢而不能发挥个体的潜力。

    注:和Piano合作还有几名建筑师,其中Richard Rogers也是很有特点的一位。

    Symmetry and Asymmetry

    the topic itself seems to be a symmetric pair. a Russell paradox?

    longtime i wonder what is art and how it has some magical power on human. another area i am interested in is architecture. previously i prefer Gaudi, but later, as aging, i turn to Renzo Piano who seems more engineering style.

    the first thing to clarify is the concept of symmetry and asymmetry. by symmetry, we are not meaning the traditional mirror or simple 2-D transitions. it has more broad meaning to incorporate such as fractal or some drawings like the one on the cover of book "design patterns", etc.

    in one words, symmetry means some form which can be compressed into highly concise information. while asymmetry is the opposite.

    the world prefers symmetry not because the God likes it. it adopts mostly because such form is most suitable for the world to explode. by the same rule, something can evolve into a small grass or a skyscrape tree.

    asymmetry is the opposite. it appears not because the God wants the world more colorful. it's unsteady, rich of information, energetic. just as the simple symmetric rule lying in the heart of universe, there is some asymmetric power existing at the same time.

    everything is similar, but not exactly the same.

    the combination and undividedness of symmetry and asymmetry is easy to explain, just like even with 0,1, we can form rational and irrational numbers at the same time. the world could be simple and complex, depending on how you look at it.

    people are trying to decode asymmetry, in the small, by some research topics like PR, IR, signal processing, in the large, all areas like math. however, the basic problem is our logic world is built on some strictly symmetric blocks, it's impossible for us to simulation the real world even it seems we can imagine very asymmetric things.

    in one words, our "asymmetry" is based on recording history and non-repeat. and in real world, asymmetry is real asymmetry, sort of distributed.

    currently the only asymmetry we can generate is by borrowing seeds from real world and put them through our symmetric tunnels.

    to get out of this dilemma, the first thing to do is to break traditional binary logic which is the foundation of modern AI. this is the heart of the universe and makes the game less funny.

    another possible place to change is to make the whole system more distributed and autonomous.

    i will come back to this topic later.

    2007-02-01

    Apple

    What happened in the recent one month seems to prove the efficient market theory. After rallying to near $100 due to the release of iPhone and iTV at Macworld, AAPL now has fallen back to $85. Efficient market curse appears, even on this American brand.

    Although all analysts are bullish on it, the unsure near-term prospect still attracts many bets on its down side. Even we are expecting a "short squeeze", such hope is quite airy.

    Confidence should come from fundamental but not technical reasons.

    The release of iTV in Feb could be a short-term catalyst for another round of rally. iPhone is still too far to give the stock a solid support while iTV could prove something. Apple is strong because of its brand power. It's the only player in its own market. That's why even everyone feels iPod's price is far out of the way, it still works quite fine. If iTV or iPhone could continue the tradition, bear would be blown away in no time.

    One big difference between Apple and other giants like Google, Cisco, is Apple doesn't make acquisitions throughout its development. This, in one hand, reinforces its unique role in the market, and in the other hand, becomes part of Apple Philosophy which many doubt won't last for long. Looking back, we may find some similarities and dissimilarities. Apple was not a forerunner in mp3 player area either and it directly entered the high-end market. However, mobile equipment seems more mature than mp3 player right now, and it's really hard this time to create a private "Apple market".

    The mobile phone competition is very keen and one weapon Apple could rely on is still its iPod stuff. And the problem is, if can't make big difference, iPhone creates a direct competition with the old money generator: iPod. From this angle, iTV might be a real potential star rather than iPhone.

    After long waited iPhone and iTV, Apple may not rush into another innovation before new guys get proven in market. However, this time, the acceptance from market may not come naturally. And I just wonder whether $85 includes this.

    Apple is a fantastic brand that few doubt. But don't forget it was once leader at the beginning of IT era and was a great brand since then. And it just turned around from the bottom by successful combination blows in recent years. For those iPhone zealots, they believe history repeats. However, we don't know how long the period is.