Bee Grade

It's A Hive Of Activity

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Looks menacing, doesn't it? A giant golden bee looking down over a Melbourne building could spell trouble for everyone. Is it a spelling bee? No. It's one of a giant swarm ....



On the side of the building, it looks as though they have taken over the entire premises. Should we ring for the emergency services? Each bee is about nine feet long. Officer, this could be an eleborate sting.



Naaaah, relax. A couple of days ago, the giant golden bees were hoisted into place above the main entrance to Eureka Towers - by crane, naturally. They are part of an outstanding art installation commissioned by the building's architect, Nonda Katsalidis.

It's All About Perspective, Innit?

Here's A Pictorial Challenge For You

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Here's a challenge. You have five seconds to try and figure out what this picture depicts. Okay, your time is up! Sure, you would have realised that the image shows three buildings reflected in the bonnet (hood, for some of my readers) of a parked vehicle. They're not just any buildings. The most prominent one is the gigantic Eureka Towers here in Melbourne, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere. To get a different perspective on this shot, go to the post Tall Story dated 16 February, when I posed a not-so-simple challenge.

Chattanooga Shoe Shoe

So, Is This The Way To Boot Camp?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This was a photograph I couldn't resist. Some of you might recognise this building as Eureka Towers in Melbourne, the 300m high apartment block that is apparently the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere. And below if is just a normal street sign for a pedestrian crossing. I reckon it made a nice juxtaposition of images, especially if you enjoy a bit of a chuckle as I do.

FOOTNOTE: The boot must have been on the other foot.

Tall Story

Test Your Eyes With This Picture

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Here's a simple challenge. Which is the tallest of the three buildings in this photograph that I shot at Southbank, Melbourne? While you're looking at the picture, I'll just give you a little background to the shot. We've had scorching weather here this week, and the mercury will hover around 38 Celsius for the weekend, so you could basically fry an egg on the pavement. I wanted to post a shot that showed the sun against the Melbourne skyline and then I looked up and thought this would be perfect, because it's an unusual perspective and you can see the sun's rays as well.
On the right is the Langham Hotel (formerly the Sheraton). On the left is the IBM building. And in the centre is the Eureka Towers apartment building. Are you looking carefully?
And the answer is (drum roll, please, maestro) Eureka Towers, the one in the middle. It is 300m tall and if I'm not mistaken it is the world’s tallest apartment building. The slim-line, sculptural tower has the tag ``vertical city''. It has 92 storeys and 554 apartments, while the Skydeck on Level 88 is said to be the highest public vantage point in the Southern Hemisphere.

FOOTNOTE: So, which building did you pick? Leave me a comment with your answer!