On the banks of Charles

17th - 21st May, 2017

Our team from IIT Kharagpur was going to visit MIT which is in Cambridge, however, our bus tickets were up to Boston - I was highly puzzled at the very first. When I looked it up on the map and read about it, the puzzle was partially solved: Boston and Cambridge are two separate towns on opposite banks of Charles River. It reminded me of Howrah and Kolkata! Nevertheless, who doesn't remember reading about 'Boston Tea Party' in history books in school, despite of having faintly remembered what exactly it was if not, literally, a tea-party! Anyways, we were on-board a double-decker bus from New York City which took us to the South Station Terminus in Boston; and we reached for our designated accommodation with our Indian hosts (presently studying at MIT) in Cambridge by taking the 'subway'.

Looking back

A quick search on the internet revealed that Boston Harbor started as a trading post with colonial settlers in 1630s. Soon, it became the site of many events significant to the history of American Revolution. Harbor activity suffered a blow after the War of 1812 when Boston turned to manufacturing. As the population increased, Boston started filling up the marshes, mud-flats so as to expand its territory. Between 1630 and 1890, the city tripled its area by land reclamation. Even the crown of Beacon Hill was used to this effect! Today, almost 3/4th of the city sits on reclaimed land. Boston has few 'firsts' in the country: first public park (Boston Commons) in 1634, first public school in 1635, and first subway system (Tremont Street Subway) in 1897. In the late 19th Century, there were many attempts towards annexation of Cambridge to the City of Boston, though without success. Thus, Boston and Cambridge stand today as two different cities, probably as rivals, on opposite banks of Charles River.

Walking with History: Boston

A glimpse of the past (set of cards)

The most comprehensive way to get a feel of Boston's history is to take the trolley tour. Tickets were being arranged by the host department at MIT. The conducted tour took us around the historic city-core covering Faneuil Hall, Theater District, Boston Commons, Fenway Park, and even crossed the river to skirt through MIT Campus in Cambridge, only to return to Boston Harbor. Otherwise, 'Freedom Trail' is a walking route marked by red tiles connecting the landmarks spread throughout the historic core.

(from left) Old State House (1713), Custom House (1847), Boston City Hall (1962)

Let me describe few of the landmarks here. Built in 1713, Old State House was the seat of the State General Court till 1798. The 'Declaration of Independence' was proclaimed from this House. Now, the building has been dwarfed by high-rises surrounding it. Located nearby is the Custom House (built in 1847 and 1913) which has a clock tower and is fondly referred to as 'four faced liar' as none of the two faces tell the same time! Further along the 'Freedom Trail' is the heart of Boston - Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Faneuil Hall, built in 1742, has been a public platform which has earned its nickname - 'Cradle of Liberty', since it was from here that people have raised their voices from time to time, such as 'no taxation without representation' while protesting against the oppressive Sugar Act in 1764. Today, the Hall and the triad of three markets - Quincy Market, North and South Markets - together comprise of the most happening place in downtown Boston, particularly for the tourists. Food joints along the corridor inside Quincy Market offer cuisine across the globe, as it used to be when produce from far fetched regions used to be sold in this market years back. The place was crowded with tourists; and magicians and stunts-men presenting their skills.

Quincy Market (outdoors)

Quincy Market (indoors)

Boston Commons (Park)

Boston Commons is to Boston what Central Park is to New York City. Basically, its a city park, what Nehru Park and India Gate grounds is to Delhi. (I wish, Rabindra Sarobar (Dhakuria Lake) in Kolkata could also have earned such an identity for itself.)

The trolley passed through the relatively newer areas: Back Bay and Fenway Park - which have been built on reclaimed lands. A typical old residential building in Back Bay neighborhood will have a long continuous facade in brick with a series of rounded protrusions (Victorian brownstone).  

(From left) Back Bay Station; typical continuous facade; buildings in beige and terracotta

Architecturally, the old and the new live harmoniously in Boston. Glass surfaces in new buildings reflect the old classical architecture. At times, a new construction wrapped in glass will have the front facade capped with an old edifice. Whereas at places, glass and brick are seen to be sandwiched. Such interplay of glass and brick/stone - classical and modern - may be seen throughout the city.

(from left) New reflecting the Old; New capped with the Old; Glass and brick together

Being a city built with migrants, Boston has distinctive cultural quarters, like Italian one and China Town. We could visit the Italian quarter which is famous for its restaurants.

Italian Quarter

After the trolley-ride, we had taken a cruise along the Boston Harbor. The narrator had woven an interesting story-line of how Boston had evolved into its present shape.

Harbor Cruise: our team waiting for the sail; view of the waterfront from the cruise

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Beyond the trolley tour, I had been to Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on recommendation of Saranya-da. Since I had only an hour, I chose to skip the ancient arts section, and jumped to the 'Making Modern' Gallery. I liked the works of few modern American artistes like Charles Sheeler and Stuart Davis. In a painting titled 'On a Shaker Theme' (1956), Sheeler experimented with composite photography by overlaying two photographic negatives with one reversed and a degree smaller. Another painting titled 'View of New York' (1931) reveals Sheeler's move to set aside the identity of a photographer, depicted by an unlit lamp and a covered camera. The descriptive notes placed next to these paintings helped me understand them, and being able to do so, I loved them! Stuart Davis' works were influenced by European Avant Garde style and Cubism. He wrote:

"I don't want people to copy Matisse or Picasso, although it is entirely proper to admit their influence. I don't make paintings like theirs. I make paintings like mine."

(from left) 'On a Shaker Theme' (Sheeler, 1956); 'View of New York' (Sheeler, 1931); 'Apple and Jug' (Davis, 1923)

How to abstract? Sketches by Pablo Picasso over time, 'The Bull' (1945)

From this visit, I learnt how a museum engages with its visitors by constantly rediscovering itself. At the end of a new exhibition on the works of Henry Matisse, there was a shop selling souvenirs. Additionally, children were encouraged to participate in a still-life sketching exercise, inspired by the works which they have just come out seeing. The exhibition helped me get an insight into the life of an artist (Henry Matisse in this case): how he gets influenced by artefacts around him and his collections from places he did visit; and how he evolves over the journey called life.

How a Egyptian curtain finds its place in a painting by Matisse; the ongoing exhibition

Through the exhibition: Gallery; Shop; children sketching still-life at the end

On the way back to Cambridge

Coming out of the Museum, I walked along the streets of Boston; passed through the Symphony Hall, Berklee College of Music. While walking along the Boylston Street, I was thrilled to find a plaque on a shopping center building which read that this is where Rogers Building of MIT stood between 1864 till 1939, before the institute shifted to its present campus in Cambridge - across the river. Another interesting find was a banner put on the Old South Church at Copley Square which read "Love thy (Muslim) neighbor as thyself".  This was encouraging! However, curiously, the word 'Muslim' has been put between a pair of parentheses.

(from left) Trinity Church at Copley Square; Plaque indicating where MIT stood previously; banner on Old South Church

I was also happy to discover public art on the streets of Boston. I was quite thrilled having had identified the mural - 'Spaces of Hope' which I remember having seen in a newspaper article.

(from left) 'Spaces of Hope' mural at Dewey Square; a mural next to Boston Architecture College

It was getting dark, and was time for me to walk back to Cambridge. Cutting through the greens of Boston Commons, around the Lake where ducks were in plenty, walking down the stretch of Beacon Street which is lined up with multi-storied row houses (Brownstone residences), I reached at the foot of Harvard Bridge. Many were going up and down the bridge: few walking, rest taking an easy jog. Crossing over the dark waters, I was home to the land of MIT and Harvard.

Waters of Excellence: Cambridge

Having two World's most prestigious research institutes on its bank - Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, Cambridge posits itself as a concentration of  knowledge and wisdom. This probably lends Cambridge a ledge over Boston! 

(Tales from MIT have been compiled in a separate post titled "MIT: down the Infinity Corridor".)

Harvard Square

Harvard Square

Established in 1636, Harvard University is definitely a pilgrimage of higher learning. Ranu had suggested meeting for a breakfast at Harvard Square. While approaching the Square from the MIT end, its presence was being announced by shops selling souvenirs with 'Harvard' labels! Besides that, the node was dotted with numerous cafes - quite a popular destination indeed. Entering through one of the gates into the Old Yard, green lawn surrounded by red-brick buildings with pathways criss-crossing the greens reminded me of Princeton University Campus. It being a semester break, probably, this section of the University Campus seemed to be filled with visitors more than students and faculty. Commencement Ceremony (i.e. annual convocation) being just over in the past week, red flags carrying the University's logo had filled up the scene. On the steps of the Library, I found a fresh graduate posing for a photograph wearing the ceremonial robe, along with the red flag in the background. He was quite anxious to get the right pose. Meanwhile, a visitor-mother approached him if her daughter may stand next to him for a photo; and he was more than happy to pose - after all he is a hero today, in those robes!

Harvard Campus: green lawns and brick-buildings

(from left) Library at Harvard; Proud mother clicking a photo of her daughter with a Hero from Harvard!

Approaching Harvard Art Museum, we had stumbled upon the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts- the only work by master architect Le Corbusier in the USA. I remembered that I have been in love with the idea of a ramp cutting through a building so as to retain the original path used by passers-by crossing the site before the building had come up in 1963. (This is what I remember from a lecture in the undergraduate program; need to verify if this was the architect's intent.) Nonetheless, going up the ramp provides interesting play of light and shade. The ramp led us to the entrance of Harvard Art Museum which had undergone a major renovation under Renzo Piano, completed in 2014. I was amazed to find how beautifully has the architect clubbed both the parts: old and new; both having their distinctive features, yet sit in harmony when placed side by side. The renovated atrium hall clearly reveal the added floors and the roof-cover made in glass.

Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts (1963): model showing the ramp; the exterior

Harvard Art Museum: Old and the New; Atrium with added floors; Glass roof over the Atrium

Red and Green

Red and Green lines are the arteries which bind these two cities settled on the banks of Charles river. Similar to my experience with the subway system in New York City, metro railway in Boston-Cambridge, being very old, is highly 'modern' in appearance; though being indispensable. One way Charlie Ticket (named after a fictional character who gets trapped in Boston Subway) costs 2.75 USD across the network. Red Line trains follow the 'inbound and outbound' convention, with 'inbound' referring to trains headed for downtown in Boston; similar to the 'uptown and downtown' nomenclature followed in New York Subway system. Green Line subway runs underground as well as as a street-car or tram on a dedicated corridor along the road's median.

Red Line

Green Line

Apart from Red and Green, another arteries this university town (Cambridge) runs on are food and frolic joints which are open till late in the night. One of our favorite stops - Clover (an organic veggie gourmet cafe) was open for 24 hours! I was amazed to find this small university town to be awake and active even past midnight! It was much different from the sleepy university town of Darmstadt in Germany where I have lived before.

(from left) Meadhall Restaurant; Clover Cafe; Lafeyette Square filled with people at midnight!

Note: 

I was on a tour to MIT with a team from IIT Kharagpur as part of a joint collaborative planning studio over the Spring Semester in 2017. Thanks to Ashwin Raghavan who hosted us during our four days' stay in Cambridge; took us to places even at midnight! Big thanks to the team at MIT; particularly, Soumya for making the arrangements; Ranu, Cortni, Andrea, Jonars, and Linyi for helping us with the trolley tour.

Weather in Boston-Cambridge had been very funny during our visit. It was sunny the day we reached, and I was wearing only a half-sleeve shirt, even sweating a bit. And, in two days, there were strong winds, and I had to wear two layers of jackets!

Unlike New York City, masses in Boston-Cambridge didn't appear to be highly mixed. Obviously, owing to a large student population, there were pupils who have come across different corners of the World.

MIT: down the 'Infinity Corridor'

18th May 2017

MIT - a MIghTy name indeed!- that's what people say. Many of my friends and those in family had congratulated me upon learning that I would be visiting the campus to be part of a presentation there (may find details at the end of this note). However, just before starting the campus tour on a sunny morning in May, a little piece of information that the campus is spread over only 168 acres had robbed MIT of all its might for at least a minute for me! To build the contrast, I was visiting it from a 2,100-acre campus of IIT Kharagpur. However, me being stupid, I failed to realize that the size of an educational campus and its prestige are not correlated!

Despite the initial dig, what had still hold interest was the opportunity to visit an array of buildings designed by notable architects: Eero Sarinnen, Alvar Aalto, I. M. Pei, Charles Correa (the last two to have studied at MIT), and Frank Gehry. I was thrilled at the anticipation of witnessing some of their notable works which I have studied and sketched as an undergraduate student.

Part of MIT campus with notable architecture marked in red (Source: web.mit.edu, highlights by author)

When one approaches the premise, there is no monumental gate announcing that you are now entering the Institute Campus. Approaching from north on the Massachusetts Avenue (abbreviated as 'Mass-Av'), the first notable building is Building 7 - Rogers Building - with a high colonnaded facade, and one enters the lobby of Building-7, i.e. 'Lobby-7'. It functions as the main entrance to the 251 m long 'Infinite Corridor' and rest of the campus. Inscription on the frieze of the dome reads 'Established for Advancement and Development of Science its Application to Industry the Arts Agriculture and Commerce. Charter MDCCCLXI' (i.e. 1861 when MIT's charter was approved). When we had entered it, a group of freshmen had started singing, and the melody had filled the monumental space 'under the dome', creating goosebumps! '

(From left) Building 7, 77 Massachusetts Ave; Lobby-7 inscription

Moving ahead on a self-guided tour of the campus, assisted by a map, we found ourselves at the Killian Court - the nucleus of the first set of 'Maclaurin' buildings to have come up when the institute shifted to its present campus in 1916. Designed by William Welles Bosworth, Building-10 - the central piece in the set - has a 'Pantheon-esque' dome (i.e. a dome similar to the one of Pantheon in Rome) under which sits the Berker Engineering Library - with a striking monumentality. What a privilege to read a book under the Great Dome!

(from left) Building 10 and Killian Court; Under the Great Dome - Berker Engg. Library

Walking along the 'Infinite Corridor' one can find a pulsating environment! This is the main artery of MIT. Constantly, it is being crossed by students and faculty - rushing to their lectures and laboratories. The corridor reminded me of the one in the main building at IIT Kharagpur! Notice boards speak of the immense diversity of student community here. Spaces are reserved on the boards for various student-led societies: such as South Asian Association of Students (SAAS), Association of Taiwanese Students, Latinos in Science & Engineering!

Infinite Corridor

Next, we passed across few of the buildings designed by architect I. M. Pei - a graduate from MIT itself. Green Building (1962-64) is the tallest building in the campus. The fore court has a sculpture by Alexander Calder titled 'The Big Sail'. The wedge shaped Landau Building caught my attention.

(from left) Green Building and 'The Big Sail'; Landau Building at the center

Sticking true to his theme, Frank O. Gehry has once again created a signature 'Gehry' design with the Ray and Maria Stata Center for Computer, Information and Intelligence Sciences in 2004. As it was lunch time, we found people to have queued in front of a food-truck parked next to Stata Center. On our visit to Sloan School of Management, we grabbed something to eat at their canteen, While we were munching on our sandwiches, a lady announced that there were some free pastries available at the counter. This is supposedly common in American Universities, as I have learnt it, that left-over food from meetings get distributed as 'free food'. Liked it!

Ray & Maria Stata Center by Architect Frank O. Gehry (2004)

Finally, we were at the Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP) - where many from my academic circle would be interested in getting into for a degree program. The next day, we had a presentation in our mixed groups to a panel of invited experts, which did go well. Post-presentation, I had an opportunity to visit a typical architectural design studio at MIT. As expected, the studio was strewn with study models in every shape and size, exuding a sense of a vibrant active space. Fabrication Lab would engage students to carve out their design-models using advanced 3D printing machines and laser cutters.

DUSP: city's satellite image panel on staircase; lobby; active notice board

Just across the Building 7 on Mass-Av is Stratton Student Center with an interesting installation placed in front of it. The adjoining plaza has two significant works by architect Eero Saarinen to have come up in 1955: Kresge Auditorium and the non-denominational MIT Chapel. These works are human in scale and represent simplicity at their best.

MIT Chapel (on left) and Kresge Auditorium; inside the auditorium

Visiting MIT Chapel was a great experience. It was dark outside at 9:30 pm and I was alone. The chapel is a fairly small brick cylinder surrounded by a moat. I wasn't sure if the chapel will be open at that hour, and just ventured into through the open door of the connecting block and walked towards the inner chamber. It was dark inside the chapel and none could be seen; and the moment I entered the chapel, lights were on automatically - it was scary! A wide beam of light was filtering in above the altar as if it was raining. Basically, light on a hanging display of an array of small bell-metal plates had created that mystic effect. Light from the ceiling on undulating brick wall of the chapel had created a wavy effect. The chairs were placed in order, as if their occupants are soon to arrive. Before long, I decided to leave the place. On my way out I came across the plaque which read:

"The building gives embodiment to the responsibility of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to maintain an atmosphere of religious freedom wherein students may deepen their understanding of their own spiritual heritage, freely pursue their own religious interests, and worship God in their own way."

MIT Chapel (indoors)

Overall, the visit to MIT was great. I dud get to visit some 'starchitecture' (i.e. star architecture) from different decades. Missed visiting the building designed by Charles Correa and getting into the LIST Visual Arts Center. Basically, I realized that to connect to a place, one needs to associate with some of the activities there, being a part of it (i.e.attending a degree program or a workshop). This institute must have witnessed many seeds of innovation to germinate and have nurtured them to grow into brilliant ideas. The medley of intellect here, across batches, have given birth to numerous societies and think tanks. I am sure a Science and Technology enthusiast would love to be here. However, simply visiting it as an outsider won't really help in realizing the potential of this place, tap on the vibrancy of it. I hope MIT will give me an opportunity to become an insider - sooner or later!

Note:
As part of IIT-MIT India Practicum, student teams from both the Schools of Architecture and Planning from IIT Kharagpur in India (where I am currently pursuing doctoral research) and MIT in the USA had participated in a joint planning studio to study the dynamics of development in Santiniketan in West Bengal, India. The joint team had conducted a field visit to Santiniketan - the abode of peace - where Rabindranath Tagore had rooted the seeds of a university - 'Visva Bharati' - which is close to nature and humanistic studies. Over a semester, the student teams had interacted over the internet, and came up with proposals, which they did present to a panel of experts over a one-day colloquium held at MIT on May 19, 2017.

IIT-MIT team on the steps of Building-7 at 77, Massachusetts Aevenue

Time travel to Princeton University

16th May, 2017

I had come across the big repute of Princeton University, or simply put 'Princeton', while preparing for GRE and looking for universities in the USA to apply for doctoral programs; and I did not dare to apply to Princeton! Obviously, I had never dreamt of myself landing up there some day. Now, when my dear friend Roshmi -  a Fullbright fellow - is stationed at Princeton, and by chance I am visiting New York City; I didn't want to miss this opportunity to visit one of the oldest pioneering educational institutions in the States. The aura of Princeton almost made it look like a pilgrimage!

For those who care for facts, chartered in 1746 as College of New Jersey, later renamed as Princeton University in 1896, is the fourth oldest college in the USA. Besides its undergraduate and graduate programs, Princeton is reputed for being associated with a large army of Nobel laureates it has produced.

Spread across 500 acres, the campus is dotted with iconic buildings built across centuries. The initial set of buildings built in High Victorian Gothic and Romanesque Revival styles were largely been replaced by those in Collegiate Gothic style. Post-1960, a number of modern buildings have come up across the campus designed by architects like I. M. Pei, Robert Venturi, Frank Gehry and others.

Route taken around the University Campus (marked in red)

Journey
Princeton - a town New Jersey - is about 85 km from New York City (NYC). Trains by New Jersey Transit (one way fare is 17.75 USD) takes about an hour from Penn Station in NYC to reach Princeton Junction, where from you take the 'Dinky' shuttle-train to reach Princeton in another 10 min. Along the journey, mostly one would pass through medium-sized townships with small stations.

Campus
Roshmi was waiting for me at the station. She had already prepared a route-map following which we would move through the campus. The campus seemed to be very porous. Along the initial leg from the station, one would find roads lined up with single storied dwelling houses or bungalows with gabled roof. Little did I know if these were inside the campus or not, and this confusion irked me! Roshmi was keen in showing me the house on Mercer Street where Albert Einstein had stayed when he worked in Princeton; but I was not interested. In some time, we were on Nassau Street - the main artery north of the campus. The street was dotted with shops and restaurants; and people there did not look like university students either. Having had filled our stomachs with Shawarma wrap and Baklava, finally we entered the campus.

(from left) Squares with diagonal pathways; series of interconnected courtyards; Firestone Library

Nassau Hall - the first building in the campus to have come up in 1756 - didn't seem to function as the main administrative building (although it does), as it lacked activities around it. In fact, the campus itself seemed to have gone into hibernation over the semester-break. However, the series of interconnected courtyards within buildings, and a series of large green squares with criss-crossing diagonal pathways around them, had created a splendid flow of space.

Diagonal pathways criss-crossing the green squares and interconnecting them (Source: Google Earth)

Next, we were headed towards the iconic Blair Arch, passing in front of the Alexander Hall which housed the Richardson Auditorium built in 1894. The latter was a convention hall, later remodeled in 1984-85 as a concert hall. Blair Arch served as a gateway to the University for passengers disembarking from the train into the town.

(from left) Alexander Hall, Blair Arch, a green square

Next, dropping by the Chapel and looking at the Firestone Library (main library in the Campus) from a distance, we made a move to visit the University Art Museum which housed a good collection of fine arts and artefacts across all the eras: ancient, medieval, and contemporary.

Coming out of the cluster of traditional buildings in terracotta tones, a seemingly anomalous building in white, across the road - seated next to a pool of water, struck my view. It was the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs - a seat of intellect and leadership. Later I figured out that the building (Robertson Hall) was designed by renowned architect Minoru Yamasaki in 1965. The building dressed with tall and slender columns reaching the base as hanging roots of a Banyan tree (symbolizing wisdom!) definitely sits in contrast with its immediate surroundings. It is flanked by Scudder Plaza on one side with steps leading down to a water body at its center. At the center of the pool is 'Freedom Fountain' (erected in 1966) which is said to mimic natural patterns of wind and water erosion. A funny set of animal masks dot the entrance steps to the building. That's another installation titled 'Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads' created by Chinese artist and social activist Ai Weiwei in 2011.

Robertson Hall designed by Minoru Yamasaki (1965)

Getting around the Wilson School, we headed for another modern architecture - a more recent one by Frank Gehry in 2011 - Lewis Library. Being a signature 'Gehry' design, it followed the principles of fluid surfaces on the exterior, and broken spaces and solid colors indoors. Surprisingly, any visitor may enter the library without an university ID.

Lewis Library designed by Frank Gehry (2011)

Having caught a glimpse of the Architecture Lab, we headed for coffee at Small World Cafe where Roshmi is a regular. Sipping on New Orleans-style iced coffee (NOLA), I and Roshmi exchanged our stories. By the time, we reached Roshmi's desk in the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, it was five o'clock - time for me to head back to NYC.

Various installations across the Campus

Adieu Princeton

Definitely, I had been to a great place dotted with aesthetically nice looking buildings and them being woven in a serene landscape. The arrangement would easily have qualified for a royal complex! However, I missed the feeling of being in a campus which has produced 41 Nobel laureates and hundreds of scholars till date. But I question myself, how exactly I 'should' have felt? Which feelings were I anticipating? They say, 'it's in the air'. Did I miss breathing-in? Or, am I not qualified enough to extract the vibe which is there in the breath? With these hesitations, I bid adieu to Princeton University Campus.

Adieu Princeton

Empire State: "Up above the world so high..."

Undoubtedly, going up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building (ESB) is a must-to-do when you are in New York City (NYC). There are two decks: one on the 86th floor and the another on 102nd; and I had been to the lower one - still not so low!

Built in 1931 in Midtown-Manhattan, ESB has been the tallest building in NYC for about 40 years before it was superseded by the World Trade Center in the late 1970. Being a weekday, the queue wasn't inordinately long and within half an hour of entering the building, I found myself on the 80th floor which houses a gallery exhibiting panels presenting the story on how this famed sky-scrapper had come up.

Southern tip of Manhattan island may easily be identified if you can point out the tallest building in the city - One World Trade Center - with its glass facade strongly reflecting light from the setting-sun. Density of high-rise structures rises up across the length of Manhattan island as one's eyes travel southward up to the financial district. The urban fabric dotting the landscapes of Brooklyn on the West and Jersey City on the East (across the Hudson river) expanded the view. Everything put together, the panoramic view called for one of the densest human settlement across the globe.

Moving up to the 86th floor, strong wind and a crowded deck welcomed me out in the open. Besides the cityscape seen below, it was also interesting to watch how the onlookers were busy taking some quick selfies with the urban fabric as the background; whereas a few were patient in shooting a time-lapse video to capture the fast changing scene as lights were up on the streets and buildings, and the sky was getting darker. It helped me realize the innate desire of human race to freeze the moment; and its futility as time never stops for anyone. By now, the whole scene was shimmering with thousands specks of light.

Making way for others to witness the splendid scene, I left the building. The entrance foyer has been renovated in 2009 with re-establishing the art-deco styled interior-decor as a tribute to the Machine Age when the building had come up, i.e. in the 1930s.

Tips: Scheduling one's visit to ESB is important. I would recommend the twilight hours when the sun is setting and very soon the street-lights will be switched 'on' putting the city on a fire-grid!