鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
Thissummer,IhavetakenahouseinVeneto.ThisistheareaaroundVenicetowherethedogesandthegentryrepairedinthesummerintheolddays,whenthecitybecametoohot.Actually,it'snotjustahouse,butaPalladianvilla.Palladio,whoserealnamewasAndreadePietrodellaGondola,wasanoutstandingarchitectofthe16thcentury.Hisworkswereasgrandastheycouldbeimagined,evokingthepathosofRomewhichhebroughttoVeniceandVeneto.Iknowofnootherarchitectwhoseeveryworkseemstometobeamasterpiece.Hisstylehasofcoursebeencopiedforcenturies,butwhilstalotofimitationsnevergettheirproportionsanddesignsquiteright,Palladiowasperfectionpersonified.WhenIseepatheticexamplesofPalladianvillasinHongKong,andtherearequiteafew,Iinvariablyburstoutlaughingbecausethosebuilders(Iwouldn'tcallthemarchitects)getthemsocompletelywrong!IfPalladioweretobealive,IwouldhavenodoubthewouldhaveprofferedsomethingunquestionablyoutstandingforourTamarsite-insteadofthehideousdesignwearebeingaskedtostomach.Andwhatisthepointofsummoningajuryofarchitects（andawriter）tojudgethedesign?Alltheseacademicsandpractitionersarescarcelygoingtoguaranteeasuperbdesign.LookaroundthewholeofVeniceorVeneto,andyouwillinstantlyseethatvirtuallynoneofthebuildings,andtherearesomemightilybeautifulones,arebuiltfromjuries.Rather,oneindividualwasinvariablythepatronwhopaidforeverythingandcommissionedoneexceptionalarchitectorartisttobuildordesign.
AsIstrolledacrossStMark'sSquarelastnightinawondrouseveningbeneaththestarssurroundedbyrowsofglitteringlightsandhalf-lights,againstthesilhouettesofthegaspingDoges'PalaceandtheBasilicawhosemosaicshavebeenmeticulouslyrestoredandlit,Icouldn'tfailtowonderthebeautyofthatcitywhichindividualdogesmouldedintothemostrhapsodicplaceonearth.WeinHongKonghavetycoons,theequivalentoftheVenetiandoges,yetdowebelievethatwhatevertheybuildwillstandthetestoftime?Willtheirbuildingsstillbearoundandadmiredin400or500years'time?Itwouldbetotallylaughabletothinkso.Buildingstheybuiltandre-builtwithinthelast50yearshavealmostallbeenpulleddownalready.Andnowonder,asmostofthemcouldonlybecrasslydescribedas"crap",ifyouwillpardontheexpression.AddtothisalamentablelackoftasteandstyleoftheparvenusofHongKong,andwepoorinhabitantsareleftwithacommunityofsoaringsorethumbs!
TheonlypossiblecomfortonemightdrawfromthesorrowfulstateofaffairsisthatthisprivationofeleganceandstylishnessisnotpeculiartoHongKong.LookatmostofthecitiesinSouthEastAsia,andfurthermoretheMiddleEast,andweseeagainandagaintheutterappallingoutputofinsipidmonumentswhichwillnevereverstandthetestoftime-theacidtestofgenius.It'sallanindictmentonhowthemodernmanfailstoseeandfeel-andintheEast,ablindandpatheticfollowingofwhatmostoftheso-calledprofessionalsregardaseitheranimitationorevolutionofthetrulygreatarchitectsintheWest.Iamhappytosay,however,thatI.M.Peiisanexceptiontotherule.Thisman,notonlyaperfectgentleman,isageniuswhoreallyappreciatesstyleandwhatamountstocuttingedge.IfIhadanysayonTamar,IwouldcommissionMrPeiwithinanano-secondtobuildHongKongatrulywonderfulgovernmentbuilding-andinstantlydisbandthebusybodiesofjury.Ofcoursethegovernmentiscertaintolaughatthissuggestionfortheywouldregardsuchanappointmentasundemocratic.Atthispoint,Ishouldalsolaughandremindthosehalf-witswhowishtobehalf-witsthatanydemocraticselectionhasnever,Irepeatnever,inhistory,everchosenanythinggreat.Whenwethinkofgreatmonuments,wethinkofgreatindividualbuilders,notgreatbigjuriesorcommittees!
ButenoughofallthistearfulreminderofwhatHongKongCOULDhavebeen.IhavereturnedtomytemporaryPalladianvillainVeneto,theVillaEmo,andforthenexttwoweeks,IshalllanguishinsplendourandtakeineverydetailofthosestupendousCorinthiancolumnsandtheperfectlyproportionedstairsandeachofthevaultedroomsamongstaformalgardenthatremindsusallofthebeautyofsymmetry.IcountmyselfchokinglyluckyforbeingabletoexperiencethisephemeralblissinthelanguidheatoftheVeneto,surroundedbydistinctprotectinghillsandtheluxuryofvisitingnearbyVenice,thatisfannedbytheromanticsiroccothatneverfailstobringmagictooursouls.Thankfully,mywifeandmytwochildrenwhoarewithmefeelthesame!
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