After all, the world’s smallest escalator still involves travel. As usual, there’s an unrelated backstory involved. While studying abroad in Hong Kong in 2005, I used to walk around Kowloon Walled City Park. The park was built on the foundation of the infamous Kowloon Walled City, which was entirely demolished in 1994. Then, after having […]
Architecture
Chinatown Around the World
As a child, I used to think that the Manhattan Chinatown was one of the coolest neighborhoods to wander around. Whether it was the detailed writing system, the food, or the history, I was enthralled. But how would it compare with other Chinatowns around the world? After starting to travel, I realized that New York […]
Manhattan’s Newest Beach
I present to you, Manhattan’s newest beach: Fine, the official title of Manhattan’s newest beach is Gansevoort Peninsula. And if you thought it was the first beach in Manhattan, well … it’s the first public beach. You see, there’s a small patch of flotsam and debris way up north on the island, near Spuyten Duyvil […]
Architectural Tourism
Architectural tourism is one of my priorities when traveling. However, there are undoubtedly some controversies involved in how certain structures are maintained. One of the most controversial topics is façadism. In the simplest terms, façadism – also known as facadism – refers to when the front-facing exterior (façade) of a building is preserved. This is […]
Hotel du Lac, Tunis, Tunisia
Hotel du Lac (Hôtel du Lac), located in Tunis, Tunisia, was built between 1970 and 1973 by Italian architect Raffaele Contigiani. The hotel reaches up to 10 stories, and supposedly has ~416 rooms … although it has been vacant since 2000. In 2013, the Libyan Arab Foreign Investment Company (LAFICO) purchased the site, ostensibly intending […]
The Leaning Tower of Niles
Did you know that the Leaning Tower was actually completed in 1934 as a way to conceal a water tank for swimming pools? If you didn’t, then you’re not alone. To be fair, I’m talking about the Leaning Tower of Niles, located in in the Illinois suburbs of Chicago. In the 1920s, Robert Ilg, owner […]
Peru’s Most Famous Attraction Reopens for Tourism
Closed to visitors since 21 January, one of the world’s most famous archeological sites has finally reopened. On 15 February, Machu Picchu reopened to tourists. Having been constructed around 1450, the UNESCO site — which means “old mountain” or “old peak” in the native Quechua language — is located around 7972 feet above sea level […]
Kansas City, Missouri’s New Airport Terminal is Opening This Month
Way back in 2013, with the goal of trying to eat as much KC barbeque as possible, I flew to Kansas City, MO’s international airport (MCI). After a long weekend of trying local staples such as Arthur Bryant’s and Gates Bar-B-Q, I headed back to the airport. Indeed, when MCI opened in 1972, the idea […]
