Excursion part9 - LONDON

19th September - our fourth day in London started with hostel breakfast, which was still the same since first day we stayed there.
*inner groans*

Breakfast time pattern each days.

After that was the most-waited destination for me - King's Cross station! Harry Potter fans should know this place right? It's famous for the Platform 9 3/4!

Me when Ms. Sharmila briefed us that we were going to
King's Cross station.

The reason why I re-watched Harry Potter movies
during the flight -
to get the feelings back! I know I would visit this place!
I knew it!

There is a handcart installation on the wall beside the Harry Potter shop in the King's Cross station, attracting people to queue just to take photo. I didn't queue though, just took the installation photo beside and I can photoshop myself inside anytime.

And yea...SHOP! ERMAHGAWD ALL THE MERCHANDISES! COLLECTIBLES! *screams internally*

Long queue to take photo with the "trolley".

The "trolley"... I saw Hedwig!!

Yeah excited excited EXCITED!!

Items sold in the shop.

Nice but expensive collections. Can look but cannot
buy... *sobs*

Tempted to buy this sweets!

Interior design of the shop.

From wearable souvenirs such as t-shirt, mugs, phone cases,
etc. to collectibles like wands, train tickets, jewellery and
prop replicas, the magical and fantasy shop is selling
various Harry Potter merchandises, but not as many as
Warner Bros Studio, a planned-to-go-but-unsuccessful
 place located outside London city. *hugs merchandises bought in shop sobs silently*

By metro, we were going to Emirates Stadium,
which is the home football stadium for Arsenal football club,
 located in Holloway.

I wondered why it's named Emirates. After I searching for its history, I found that it was named Emirates Stadium because Emirates Airline signed a 15-year contract with Arsenal on 2004 and the group secured naming rights to the stadium.

As the stadium tour was charging, only a few people stayed there and continued exploring the stadium, while the rest proceeded to Tate Modern - a modern building housing exhibitions and galleries of contemporary art. It is a must-visit spot for design students like us!

Facade of Tate Modern.

Donation box could be found in any spaces as the entry is free
 and the organization needs donation to operate the museum.
A museum map costed a pound but it is not compulsory
and forced to pay, instead a donation box is attached to map display rack.

Empty space after the entrance.

Want to know more about Tate Modern? Here's
digital information booth.

Simple and plain. Comfortable and cozy.

The Tate Modern building itself is already an artpiece - the harmony fusion of old and new elements; implementation of minimalism and simplicity into the previously industrial space of brownish face bricks and steel structures impressed me deeply.

It is accessible for disabled folks too with ramps.

Everyone can be an artist!
This is a fun area for visitors to draw anything
and the drawing will be shown on the screen!
I didn't join as I had no mood due to stomach pain...
(I zoomed to this guy because
he was so concentrated on his drawing while others just
simply doodling)

The drawing bar description.

Exhibition of propaganda posters
which would be helpful for our
design project. (but the project has past...)

The exhibitions started from second floor, with access at the center of the rectangular floor and exhibition areas at both sides. One of the exhibitions is permanent with theme Poetry and Dream (surrealism and realism artworks), while the permanent one is an exhibition of Sigma Polke, a German painter and photographer.

The third floor consists of a charged temporary exhibition of Kazimir Malevich, a Russian painter famous with his cubism painting, and a permanent exhibition themed Transformed Vision (the Second World War-based artworks).

The fourth floor has two permanent exhibition areas, which are Structure and Clarity (early 20th century abstract art) and Energy and Process (arte povera, a radical Italian art movement from 1960 to 1970).

The fifth floor is a member room while the sixth floor consists of a restaurant.

Was taking photo in between two columns with
"fashionable" pose and this is what happened that time.

It was interesting to explore the souvenir shop at first floor with many uncommon toys, souvenirs, stationery and books.

Tempted to buy some books...It's so interesting!

Books for design and how-to-draw.

Saw this performer on the way going to
Tower of London and many people was like
"WOW OH MY GOD AMAZING
HE'S FLOATING HOW HE DID IT"
But not me, I know the trick
*evil-smiles*

It should be like this LOL

Street view where we dabao (take away in Mandarin)
fish 'n' chips for lunch. Many visitors were attracted to
the reflective balls.

Even the water fountain is stylish...

Yea it's Tower of London.
I WOWED LOUDLY FOR THIS VIEW. SERIOUSLY.
I came in the correct timing!

Since it was a defensive fortress during First World War,
a major artistic installation project 'Blood Swept Lands and
Seas of Red' was carried out for memorial and
remembrance of sacrificed British military.

Description of the meanings of the installation project.

888,246 red hand-made porcelain poppies are installed
 in the tower and the view is soooooo brilliant and stunning.

After the Tower... Tower Bridge across the River Thames. 

Footsteps.

The Victorian Gothic style bridge is unique
 because it will raise and lift sometimes for
tall ships pass under then.

My luck to see the road lifted up!!

Next, Royal Festival Hall.

There was a food market outside the Southbank centre selling various

 local and foreign foods and beverages such as crepes, sandwiches, beers,

 roti naan, etc. It was somehow similar to our country's night market

 but just all stalls were selling foods and drinks.

*inner voice: FOOD. FOOOOODDDD.*

View inside the Royal Festival Hall. Seems that an event
would be carried out soon.

Before we went back to hostel, some of us went to walk around the city and shop for souvenirs, as it was the last night we stayed in London. Didn't buy anything though.