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1 down, 2 to go.
After an early start the going was tough. 
Seems like the visitors did´nt really want to get into it. 
The stand participants all a little slow, as if it was their first time. Half not even there.









The first meeting was with the ever charming Thomas Behr, SOM New York, armed the an iPad, tooth brush and an AMEX card has high hopes and positive news from the middle east.


 

  






Leyla Burke from KPF, London, rotecting the fortress whilst the colleagues sunbath and lunch shows us the new design for the Hudson Yards.

Zorlu, ever present on bill boards and the daily press as sponsors of the opening cocktail in the evening. 

The complete family entourage on the set. Model, film and marketing material to confirm that this will be the jewel of Istanbul and that the Turkish architects will have nothing to fear when the EU opens it doors. This time they wo`nt wait at the gates of Vienna. The two contrahands Emré Arolat and Tabanlioglu, who joined forces to tackle this project and flew aledgedly in one plane, were often annonced but never appeared.    

Sighted: Lee Polisano from PLP, looking fit and agile as usual after his Kilimanjaro ascent earlier this year. Closely followed by Karin Cook, partner of Lee in PLP, who also was´nt wasting time. Check out their recently, relaunched home page. Clear simple and not messing around with graphics. What you see is what you get. 




`London calling´ . As usual the island is isolated and full of more than british architects and developers. A large wooden model of London in the middle and a bar on the terrace. England one again not really part of the EU.

Sighted: Boris Johnson, mayor of London, ever present, youthful, `pressing the flesh´ and doing what he commands, representing.
Sighted and met: the ever impressive Martha Schwartz wondering if her golden entrance ticket with a `G´ would get her drinks in the london club. No, but there were enough knights with the `order of the british empire´ that came to the rescue.











The opening gala surpassed the earlier years with an ornate and exquisite turkish buffet and absolutely dramatic Sufi dance solo and musicians from Istanbul. The beach promenade lit and setup with a turkish bar, cushions, waterpipes, tea and a spice bazaar.

Let´s see what tomorrow brings.