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power to the people

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Two smoking barrels

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Flaws are beautiful

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Up the ladder

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The mighty monster

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Interior

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High-end dim sum at Yauatcha Cafe

Some years ago I was sitting in HY's car as he drove me to some part of London. This was the first time I spotted this huge monster sitting by the road and river; it is hard not to notice the Battersea Power Station even in the evening. Its four white chimneys and mass size, and the fact that its near surroundings seemed empty added to its loneliness. I like this iconic building; perhaps London is rightfully called 'the Smoke' because of the power station. Looking from afar, we were talking about ways to use this derelict site: HY suggested converting it into a nightclub. This month the old power station was finally opened to the public for the first time. For the business-minded Chinese, what could be a wonderful and easy way to cash in some money? Easy! Let's invite some artists to display their work, set up a Michelin starred dim sum restaurant and sell entry tickets to a mysterious wreckage. People will come pouring in, for it's all about money under a veneer of art and citizen pride. Of course we happily gave in, and took a bunch of up close photos. I'd say this place could house at least fifty nightclubs, instead of one. The short film in the building depicted a promising landscape of concert halls, swimming pools, mega shopping plazas, apartments, restaurants, hotels, meeting rooms and lots more! Yesterday's power station is today's monument of consumerism.

Posted by Rachel on October 15, 2006 09:49 AM |