Spiral Staircase Adds New Twist in Migrant Story
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Tuesday, July 23, 2019 C7 LIFE TRAVEL DESIGN SPIRAL STAIRCASE ADDS NEW TWIST IN MIGRANT STORY Beijing architect Ma Yansong to help rebuild creation of Rotterdam’s answer to New York’s Ellis Island museum – links between old Chinatown and Rotterdam in a place that tells the “universal and timeless story” of migration. his atrium project for first migration museum “The Fenix will be a symbol for the city of Rotterdam, a city of mi- reported – says the commission grants today, but from where an Tamara Thiessen came out of a chance meeting in estimated 3 million people left for [email protected] Berlin last year with Dutch art the New World,” says Pijbes, who historian, Wim Pijbes. found it strange that a country Why has a Chinese architect been For Pijbes, managing director where migrants make up about a chosen to put a spiral staircase in of the Droom en Daad (Dream & fifth of the population had no the Netherlands’ first migration Do) foundation behind the reno- such showcase. The US$6.4m museum? Because the Fenix – a vation, Ma was the natural choice renovation of the warehouse historic harbourside warehouse because of Katendrecht’s Chinese seeks to honour their legacy. that will house the museum – migration history. After seven years at the helm of stands in one of Europe’s oldest The sprawling 12,000 square Amsterdam’s famous fine arts Chinatowns. metre red brick building was museum, the Rijksmuseum, Beijing-based Ma Yansong, inaugurated in 1923 as the largest Pijbes is helping Droom en Daad founder of MAD Architects, will warehouse in the world. Remark- invest in art and cultural projects add a coup de théâtre to the ably, two railway lines cut through in Rotterdam. Landverhuizersmuseum in the original 360 metre-long That the project has Ma work- Rotterdam with a “theatrical stair- complex and are still apparent ing in the former Chinatown has Sunrise above the rocky terrain of Malaysian Borneo’s Mount Kinabalu on the hike down from Low’s Peak. Photos: Nam Cheah case” eddying through the centre today. no personal relevance to him, of the building to a rooftop although “it is important cultur- observation deck. ally for my work as an architect”. Today the old storehouse sits “It was here on the Katen- among the dockland cafes and drecht that one could find opium Rise to the challenge of Mount Kinabalu bars of the Katendrecht, a hip kits, and the first Chinese restau- post-industrial area on the rant in the Netherlands, possibly southern banks of Rotterdam’s in Europe,” he says. Two-day trek takes hikers up through the lush jungles of Sabah in Borneo 3,700 metres above sea level. We harbour. Rehabilitation of the He also feels the transforma- had to reach this checkpoint be- once desolate waterfront area – tion of the old factory into a muse- fore 5.30am otherwise we would ravaged by fire and war – began in um, will see “this forgotten part of not be allowed to summit because 2007, and will continue with the history brought to life once more”. Nam Cheah of time constraints: we need to Fenix’s restoration. “It is important to remember [email protected] hike back down to base camp and Having taken the West by the people and the events of our retrace our steps on the 6km trail storm with innovative buildings past … and we wanted to create “Grab the rope,” my guide says, as we covered on day one. such as Toronto’s gyrating Abso- something that elevated the expe- I take a deep breath and pull on The last stretch feels long, but lute Towers (nicknamed the Mari- We wanted to rience of moving through the my gloves after adjusting my head we are rewarded with a view of lyn Monroe for their hourglass space and taking in those stories, torch. It is not every day you are predawn colours across the sky as curves), and the in-construction create something as well as provide points of con- asked to scramble up what looks we clamber our way up to the top Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, in templation and reflection into our like a 45-degree rock cliff at 4am. of the peak. The rising sun spreads Los Angeles, for film director that is visually design,” he adds. And we have not even reached the across Mount Kinabalu, its warm George Lucas, MAD Architects dynamic and Pijbes says he wanted to lend via ferrata, an assisted climbing glow transforming it from a dark will be undertaking its first public some wow-factor “fun” to the route on the steepest part of our hell of endless inclines to a land cultural project in Europe. animates the museum through MAD’s involve- climb. straight out of legend. Ma describes his vision for the ment. And that, Ma achieves, with We are ascending Mount We did not stay long to enjoy future museum, which will historic building his vortex-like staircase, “possibly Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo, Breathtaking views from Mount Kinabalu in the early morning. the view so as to make it to the via morph out of the Fenix over the WIM PIJBES, DUTCH ART HISTORIAN built from carbon fibre”. the highest mountain in the coun- ferrata – two assisted climbing next three years. “We wanted to create some- try, and the highest in Southeast routes that feature steel cables “The staircase draws on the thing that is visually dynamic and Asia outside the Himalayan range. Hikers stay overnight at Panal- The first day is comparatively fixed to the rock, ladders, suspen- formation of a tornado, and has Its history ties in with the animates the historic building, There are two legends relating aban Base Camp, at 3,272 metres easy, with the 6km hike taking six sion bridges and zip wires. The several landings that provide arrival and departure of while trying to preserve as much to its name. One says it comes above sea level. A 6.0 magnitude hours to complete. The starting Low’s Peak Circuit is the highest access to the different gallery thousands of transatlantic pas- of the original structure as possi- from Aki Nabalu in the indige- earthquake in 2015 destroyed point is 1,866 metres above sea walkway in the world, and Walk spaces. It gives visitors the sengers from the surrounding ble – and keeping the number of nous Kadazan-Dusun culture, much of the accommodation. level, so some 1,400 metres of the Torq is a shorter alternative. opportunity to meander and ex- riverbank embarkation points supports to a minimum, so that whose people believe the moun- The newly reopened huts offer vertical ascent is involved; we The Low’s Peak Circuit is per- plore the museum from different around this time. Among them they are not visible – to make the tain is where the spirits of their luxurious amenities considering climb what seems to be an endless fect for adrenaline junkies and perspectives and concludes were hundreds of Chinese sailors tornado appear as if it is ‘float- ancestors go after death. the location. Showers and run- flight of stairs through the jungle. takes four hours. I overcome my above the rooftop as a panoramic working on the steamships of big ing’,” he says. The other is the story of a ning water are available, as are Shrouded in mist, the hike is fear of heights and cross a five- lookout point offering views of the shipping companies. In the 1920s, A city still in the making – with Chinese prince who defeated a beds with pillows and duvets. monotonous, our only distrac- metre tightrope over a canyon be- riverside and city beyond.” some 2,500 Chinese, mostly sea- a hyper modern look owing to ex- dragon atop the mountain and As a rule, climbing to the tions being the hikers on the way fore pulling myself up a 10-metre- Not only will he create the farers and their families, lived in tensive World War II bombard- married a local woman, but even- summit and back down again down wishing us luck, the wild long hanging ladder. The Walk the staircase and viewing platform, Katendrecht, underpinning its ment – Rotterdam will benefit tually returned to his parents in takes 32 hours; hikers make their nepenthes (a carnivorous plant) Torq route is less dramatic – no but also a public atrium connect- budding Chinatown district. from the addition of a dynamic China in the 15th century. His wife way up to Panalaban Base Camp along the way, and the sign telling cliff walk or suspension bridge – ing the ground and first floors of “We could choose who we public landmark, Ma says waited for him on the peak and on day one, then reach the hikers they have only another 500 but is a good choice as the summit the museum with the rooftop. liked; that was our luxury,” Pijbes “New ideas need old build- turned to stone – now St John’s summit on day two and descend. metres to go until base camp. climb takes a lot of energy. Ma – China’s “starchitect” and says. “But here there was a ings,” Pijbes adds, “to give a sense Peak – earning the name Cina We start our hike at 9.30am, The next morning is the climax “the first to conquer the West” as Chinese connection.” of place. Monuments can offer in- Balu, Chinese widow. meeting our mountain guide at of our trip: the three-hour trek Getting there one Dutch paper recently Ma will help Pijbes realise the spiration for future generations.” Mount Kinabalu rises to 4,095 Kinabalu Park, where we are from Panalaban to the top of Most tour companies offer trans- metres above sea level and the transferred to Timpohon Gate via Mount Kinabalu.