HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

⬐ andrewlynch

In the 90's there was a proposal to turn Ponte into a highrise prison. http://mg.co.za/article/2012-04-20-pontes-fourth-coming-an-u...

⬐ StavrosK

It's pretty well-suited as a panopticon, I guess.

⬐ mrweasel

I watched the same video a year or so ago and I wonder why anyone would design a doughnut shaped building that tall. It seems obvious that it would get pretty dark in the bottom of the building and I wouldn't expect the air to be all that fresh.

⬐ colinwilson

I was reading through the wikipedia page for the building and it mentions that when it was built there was a bylaw that required kitchens and bathrooms to have a window in them.

⬐ dsego

Let me guess, you've seen Chappie?

⬐ bumbledraven

Neat video on an eerie place. Vaguely reminds me of High Rise by J.G. Ballard.

⬐ s9ix

As a videographer, I'm curious as to what context this has with Hacker News? Very well shot and graded video though.

I've been fascinated by KWC since the first time I saw Bloodsport. I dug the depictions [1] in Gibson's bridge trilogy too.

There's something that draws me to that kind of organic human architecture whether it's Kowloon, Brazil's favelas [2], Torre David in Venezuela [3] or Ponte Tower [4] in Johannesburg.

1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idoru

2: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favela

3: http://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2014/feb/12/la-tor...

4: http://vimeo.com/51295174

⬐ psgbg

Also Villa 31. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_31

Villa is the equivalent of Favela. The villa 31 is the most prominent example in Argentina.

⬐ state

I imagine you would also appreciate the work of Lebbeus Woods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebbeus_Woods

⬐ oofabz

You can see some of his artwork here:

http://historyofourworld.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/lebbeus-wo...

http://architizer.com/blog/lebbeus-woods-sfmoma/

⬐ rsync

He had a blog, while he was alive, which is still up and running:

http://lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com/

Very, very interesting work and commentary.

NOTE: there is actually a lot more content on that blog than the (bad) navigation suggests. If you look at the right-hand "monthly archives" column, it looks like there is only 12 monthly headings going back to Sept. 2011 - but if you manually plug in a URL like:

http://lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com/2008/11/

... you can see there is a lot more content there...

⬐ ics

...and if you're in New York, tomorrow the tribute continues with discussions and a film screening:

http://cooper.edu/architecture/events/lebbeus-woods-celebrat...

⬐ alexqgb

"Rules of the Game" is among his best posts.

http://lebbeuswoods.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/the-design-game...

And if you have the money, New City is well worth the price.

http://www.amazon.com/The-New-City-Lebbeus-Woods/dp/06717681...

I got a used copy (softcover / not in super condition) for $70 several years ago and the price has only gone up. Astounded to see that pristine copies are now going for $800, with hardbacks north of $1,000.

⬐ Spearchucker

My friend's older brother had a flat (an apartment) in Ponte in the mid-80's. A lot of students from Wits Tek hung out there, which (to a wide-eyed teenager like me) made for parties more incredible than I could've imagined. At the time that flat seemed to epitomise the whole gothic rock thing I was into at the time. Fond memories.