Thames barrier - 'high wall defence' from WWZ

Thames barrier is the second largest movable flood barriers in the world. Operational since 1982, its purpose is to prevent the floodplain of all but the easternmost boroughs of Greater London from being flooded by exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the North Sea. When needed, it is closed (raised) during high tide; at low tide it can be opened to enhance the river's flow towards the sea. 

London is vulnerable to flooding and from heavy tides closing in. A storm surge generated by low pressure in the Atlantic Ocean sometimes tracks eastwards past the north of Scotland and may then be driven into the shallow waters of the North Sea. The surge tide is funnelled down the North Sea which narrows towards theEnglish Channel and the Thames Estuary. If the storm surge coincides with a spring tide, dangerously high water levels can occur in the Thames Estuary. This situation combined with downstream flows in the Thames provides the triggers for flood defence operations.

Built across a 520-metre wide stretch of the river, the barrier divides the river into four 61-metre and two, approximately 30 metre navigable spans. There are also four smaller non-navigable channels between nine concrete piers and two abutments. The flood gates across the openings are circular segments in cross section, and they operate by rotating, raised to allow "underspill" to allow operators to control upstream levels and a complete 180 degree rotation for maintenance. 
All the gates are hollow and made of steel up to 40 millimetres (1.6 in) thick. The gates are filled with water when submerged and empty as they emerge from the river. The four large central gates are 20.1 metres (66 ft) high and weigh 3,700 tonnes.^[6] Four radial gates by the riverbanks, also about 30 metres (100 ft) wide, can be lowered. These gate openings, unlike the main six, are non-navigable.

Diagram explained how does the barrier work:

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This barrier also reminded me of the "high wall" has been built to protect the city resident from zombie's attaction in Israel from the film World War Z. However, it has been destroyed by host of zombie attacked all together at the same time: layer upon layer of zombie climb on to the wall and then crossed the wall to got inside the city. A whole city fall to zombie's occupation. The reason was people who inside the wall thought they all safe and celebrated all together used microphone.Zombie had been attraced by loud noices from out side the wall.

                                ALL THE SCREENSHOT FROM <WWZ>


Think back to the thames barriers which are protecting the whole city from flood by rasing the gates up. But what if one day, the flood could not be bear anymore? What if the maintenance work make a mistake? Actually, all the barriers/ defence seems so weak and horrible when their  opponent is the nature. We never know what will happend but we just try the best to do the defence job. And wish all of them can protect us from all kinds of disaster.

Plan images of wapping project

Plan images for the Wapping Hydraulic Power Station interior structure:

                                 

A Refuge: Wapping project.

It was a occasional chance for me to visit the Wapping project in Wapping wall, East London. As this is a site for my friend who is studying Set design in Wimbledon college. Before I went to the place, I only read some very simple instruction from the website but without seeing any images:

Wapping Project is a centre for the arts in East London located in the historic Wapping Hydraulic Power Station. Built in 1890 and originally used to power machinery using stream and later electricity, the unique space of The Wapping Project is now a thriving centre for the arts. After its closure as a pumping station in 1977, it emerged as a multi -purpose exhibition and performance space.

It wasn't easy to find the place after we came out from the wapping station due to the surrounding areas were so attractive in its unique style compared to the buildings in central London (Nearby the wharf and Thames River,that was why all the buildings have been designed like sea boat style and all with waves shape decoration). After around 15-20mins walk, you hardly to realized you already stood in the front of Wapping Hydraulic Power Station.

This photo found on another website due to the better lightning can show the exterior more clearly.

A restaurant and bar are also open in the Engine and Turbine Houses(just behind the doors), while the historic pub the Prospect of Whitby can be found on the other side of the road.

                                      Kitchen
                   

"The combination of concrete, soaring ceilings and cracked tiles with iconic modernist furniture can render even the jaded restaurant-goer temporarily speechless. Vast hooks on chains dangle from the ceiling. And, in the evening, abandoned machinery, its peeling paint mottled with rust, twinkles with candles, a bit like draping Godzilla in fairylights." -http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/sep/28/wapping-food-restaurant-review-london

More good photos during the daylight can show the interior more clearly:

Behind the restaurant through the small iron door is the way to get into the boiler house: Bathed in atmospheric pools of natural light, pressure pipes, rusty chains, huge hooks, valves and bare brick walls form the backdrop for changing exhibitions of paintings, photographs and performances. The Original square boiler house, with its cracked, crumbling walls makes a refreshingly real gallery space.

I went there during the night, although there are some big windows by the side of the space, due to the darkness outside, you hardly can see anything when you in the space. The only light resources were from the top which used for illuminated the art work on the wall.

Inside the space, it was cold, dark and a little bit scary if you are the only one inside. But I feel safe, I feel like it is a space no one will notice from outside or even when you in the restaurant at the front. This kind of feeling gave me a thought of "Refuge". A perfect place to hide, to alive and to escape. 


By looking at the map, you can see the house also sited on a perfect place: just beside the river and hided at the back of the residential area.

Refuge: Underground Bunker/shelter

The Road

The Road is a 2006 novel by American writer Cormac McCarthy. It is a post-apocalyptic tale of a journey of a father and his young son over a period of several months, across a landscape blasted by an unspecified cataclysm that has destroyed most of civilization and, in the intervening years, almost all life on Earth.

An unnamed father and his young son journey across a grim post-apocalyptic landscape, some years after a major unexplained cataclysm has destroyed civilization and most life on Earth. The land is filled with ash and devoid of living animals and vegetation. Many of the remaining human survivors have resorted to cannibalism, scavenging the detritus of city and country alike for flesh.

Realizing that they cannot survive the oncoming winter where they are, the father takes the boy south, along empty roads towards the sea, carrying their meager possessions in their knapsacks and in a supermarket cart.

As they are near death from starvation, the man finds an unlooted hidden underground bunker filled with food, new clothes and other supplies. However, it is too exposed, so they only stay a few days.

In the face of these obstacles, the man repeatedly reassures the boy that they are "the good guys" who are "carrying the fire".
One of the scenarios involved survivors turning to cannibalism:"when everything's gone, the only thing left to eat is each other."

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In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, McCarthy said that the inspiration for the book came during a 2003 visit to El Paso, Texas, with his young son. Imaging what the city might look like 50 to 100 years into the future, he pictured "fires on the hill" and thought about his son.

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In this film, I most interested in and pay attention on the was the survival kit; what are the necessary things when the Earth has been destroyed:
Water, Fire, Warm clothes, knapsacks, supermarket cart, knife, gun, bullet and carrying the fire in your heart.

Moreover, the unlooted hidden underground bunker was such a brilliant inspirational point for me, all the things you need for survive for about one month or even more. I captured some screenshot to see how people can use it and where people put it: