Tattooing is the most misunderstood art form in Japan today. Looked down upon for centuries and rarely discussed in social circles, people with tattoos are outcasts in this country, banned from most public spaces such as beaches, bathhouses, and even gyms. Tattoos have an extensive history in Japan, and to truly understand the stigma behind them it is essential to be aware of their significance. The first records of tattoos...
Read MoreBERLIN, POSSIBLY THE GREEN CAPITAL OF EUROPE, is rife with stellar examples of sustainable design and ‘green’ architecture. TGS students enjoyed a brief tour of just some of these sites given by NICHE Berlin, a group that boasts to “show you Berlin’s art and architecture off the beaten track”.
NICHE Berlin writes in their portfolio:
Berlin’s architectural landscape is unique. Its distinctive character was shaped especially in the last decades when the city went from being a beating heart of industrialization to the destroyed and rebuilt capital it is today. That process is still visible in abandoned sites and vacant spaces. The creative re-contextualisation of these structures leads to an astonishing and intelligent mix of architecture, triggered also by the city’s constant lack of liquidity, which requires inventive, cost- effective solutions and unconventional techniques. This permanent transition makes the capital’s urban layout so distinctive.
Our students were able to see various examples of buildings utilizing innovative energy conservation techniques, a hot topic in this term’s science program. Green architecture is a blossoming industry that will soon become the norm in everyone’s host country, as sustainable development becomes less of a misused commercial label and more of an earnest way of living around the world.
Photography by Lindsay Clark.
