70. Indoor Condensers

These are not photoshopped images and your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Yes, those are ac condensers behind windows and no, we don't know how this works...

69. AC Inhabitants

Just around Metro Manila, we noticed a strange phenomena of a newer AC inhabiting the bodies of a much older generation.

The configurations are just remote occurrences. What's interesting is that the images are not exclusive to a particular neighborhood but taken from different spots in Metro Manila.

68. A Robot in Manila

This could have been one of the rejected designs for 80's version of the Transformers.

I passed by this building for years, oblivious to its presence. One day it just decided to show itself.

67. Ghost AC ledges, Shanghai

We found this building during our recent ac pilgrimage in Shanghai. It is believed that those ledges on the facade are planned location of condensers, however, the emergence of ac facade phenomenon is self-organised and out of control.

66. All black in Kyoto, Japan

Black AC's spotted on this Japanese Antiques store in Kyoto, Japan. The two different shaped vents provide a wonderful contrast, while blending with the charred wood backdrop.

I know it's stereotypical, but this reminds me of ninjas.

65. AC Goes Old School - Part 2

A recent visit to a university in Manila provided an opportunity to see how modern necessities have caught up with old buildings.(designed in various eras, 20's, 50's 80's)

Part 2: The Window type AC

Some of the AC's were probably installed when having air-conditioned classrooms were something new. It's apparent with the use of the window-type, which was a popular choice back then. The split-type AC would have been more energy efficient because it is better at handling prolonged usage.

Nested in the niches, this one is arranged neatly.

64. AC Goes Old School Part 1

A recent visit to a university in Manila provided an opportunity to see how modern necessities have caught up with old buildings. (designed in various eras, 20's, 50's 80's)

Part 1: Adaptation technique - Placing the AC in the pedestrian area.

We are not sure why this is, but the AC's have been placed as part of the pedestrian landscape. It's quite difficult to conclude what the reason for the location is,but it's definitely strange.

AC's are placed near pedestrian areas and it has become normal, despite the stark contrast to it's backdrop. The other side of the building has a very similar situation.

63. All lined up

These arrangement of AC's caught my eye during a weekend drive in Metro Manila.

62. AC facade Hong Kong

Once again, Hong Kong is AC facade paradise. I will keep the write up short on this one as the pictures mostly speak for themselves:

Commercial AC facade on bonham strand

The new kids on the block are segregated.

"Piggy back"

AC facade: it's everywhere in Hong Kong

61. The struggle for facade space in old quarters Hanoi, Vietnam

Space is tight in the old quarters of Hanoi, Vietnam. Over the years, small shop houses struggle to accommodate increasing families and businesses that sprout within their walls. This is highly evident from the competition for space on their facades

As commercial signage is highly important to the livelihood of hanoians, they have had to find solutions to keep their shops cool during hot summers, while at the same time maximising commercial presence. Hence outdoor units are seen installed behind signage!

It seems like the owners are not overly concerned about the loss of efficiency of the air conditioning units. However, some are more concerned than others. This green shop signage has a vent slot incorporated to allow for adequate ventilation ( just to the right of the word "garden").

60. Drying your clothes in Hanoi, Vietnam

As with our previous post 52, where heat energy from outdoor units is harnessed to dry  shoes and clothes, we spotted the same occurring in the old quarters of Hanoi, Vietnam. It's not too easy to spot, but there is an AC condensor sitting on the balcony above the sign "Minh Thong". A collection of personal clothing sit out to dry in front of it.

59. Blue AC

Previous posts Candy Colored AC's and Black AC of Seoul have discussed the idea of painting condensers.

Just to add some more examples, this one is spotted on a main thoroughfare in Manila.

It is possible.

58. Living in the Past

Thematic developments like to evoke a feeling from a specific period in the past or bring in architecture from a foreign land. These buildings in Metro Manila are not reused...they are relatively new in comparison the style they convey (If my memory serves me right, they were built somewhere in the late 90's).

The designs may have emulated too much of the past when the A/C's did not exist yet. Thus...

This one, at least, had an A/C ledge, while it is obvious that the intention was for a horizontal arrangement, the A/C's said: "No. We go upwards."

57. Hot Facade - Metro Manila

A wall of condensers spotted in a development somewhere in Metro Manila, Philippines.

and it goes farther... (click on image)

It looks like the condensers were deliberately designed to be at the sides. It would be better though if a nice rhythm was observed in the arrangement, and if the tops of the condensers didn't peak through the window. A similar situation can be found in Jakarta.

56. More ghosts in Lisbon, Portugal

Our correspondent, Sara Grosse was in Lisbon, Portugal, and sent us these pictures. It appears that some residents have moved out, along with their AC condensers. Building management could not quite match the original paint colour of the apartment block, leaving traces of the past, much like our previous metro Manila report.

55. Hidden in plain sight

AC's are usually very blunt in how they just stand out on a facade. While I was driving around in a small neighborhood in the Metro Manila area, I saw this pet food store.

In many places here, there is very little options where one can place the AC unit, that's why most are just left exposed without a care or above a signage, this was a clever way to add more impact to the branding while hiding the AC.

Let's welcome Timothy Wong

We are pleased to announce a new addition to the AC Facade team. Timothy Wong is an architect based in the Philippines that shares our interest in all things AC related. We look forward to more contributions from his side of the world!!

54. Skeletons of lives gone by

Our correspondent Tim Wong has documented some images of apartment blocks in Manila, where like many other cities, features many examples of AC facade. He made a very interesting social observation as he snapped these pictures, noting that there are some apartment units that have upgraded AC condensers, while some have older ones and some do not even have AC at all. He postulates:

 " it is quite a common site here in Metro Manila since people are very unlikely to move out of places because land value growth is not as fast as there in Singapore. These tenants would then slowly upgrade their space and personalize it, a bit too much sometimes. Unaware of how they slowly create a disorder in the facade."

I also noticed that there were some empty condensor brackets on the facade as well, leaving behind traces of past occupancy. Thus the phenomenon of AC facade on these blocks are almost like an archaeological expression of human urban occupation. New AC condensers are a show of upward mobility, while empty brackets are skeletons of lives past.

Below: AC facade in metro Manila showing disused AC brackets leaving behind a reminder of past occupants

53. Drying your shoes in Manila

AC condensers work to cool interior spaces, but in doing so, a substantial amount of heat is released. Our contributor Timothy Wong observed that some people in metro Manila have figured this out and used the heat to dry their shoes. As AC condensers are ubiquitous throughout the world, it does make sense to harness this otherwise wasted energy. Meanwhile in Singapore, many new public housing flats have clothes drying racks that extend above AC condensers. Whether this is a design decision or coincidence, is certainly food for thought. 

Shoes drying on an AC condenser in Manila

Many built in drying racks in Singapore public housing extend over AC condensers

52.ACNY

Manhattan is a hot spot for AC facade. Even the new buildings integrate outdoor units into their facade design. Older buildings retain the ad hoc "hung outside solution.

51. I guess LC did not plan for AC

We had the opportunity to visit Chandigarh, the city in India so famously planned by Le corbusier, the great 20th century architect. Part of our itinerary was to check out some of his iconic buildings such as the secretariat building and assembly building. We found that over the last 50 odd years, the users of his buildings have adapted it to their needs and are now using the brise soliel facade as support for air con outdoor condensers. A bit of irony as the facade designed to naturally cool the building has become an integral part of an ad hoc air conditioning system.

50. The Omani Cases

We recently travelled to muscat, oman and we noticed that outdoor units on this historical city were clad in covers which had Islamic inspired patterns on them.