Past Programs
Travel and Tourism - 2008
In conversation: food snobs
30/08/2008
This week a conversation with Tania Cammerano, editor of the on-line food site taste.com.au, about food snobbery There's a lot of it about, but what exactly is it? It's not just a serious interest in food.
A food snob used to be sort of person you'd catch tucking into caviar or truffles, but is there now a new breed of food snobs, who believe that you have to travel the world to explore and eat peasant food in situ and whose interests include the environment, maintaining diversity, fair trade ideas, organics and animal welfare, sustainability etc
The search for authenticity is their holy grail, though it is mostly unattainable, even with all the appellations in the world. E.g., camembert was originally blue, many traditions are invented to help tourism.
Beijing Bubbles: the Water Cube
23/02/2008
Australian-based designers and engineers are behind the inspiration and collaboration that delivered the innovative Bejing Olympics swimming centre, knows as the Water Cube. Next on By Design meet two of the key players -- Arup engineer Tristram Carfrae, and architect John Bilmon, managing director of PTW. John led the creative architectural and planning team responsible for the Water Cube. Arup and PTW worked in partnership with China-based firm, China Construction Design Institute (CCDI).
Portmeirion
02/02/2008
Portmeirion is a remarkable Italianate village, located not in Italy but Wales. And although you might never have visited it yourself, if you were a fan of Patrick McGoohan's cult television series The Prisoner it will be very familiar to you.
The Times called Portmeirion 'the last folly of the western world', while The Guardian saw it as 'a giant gnomes village'. But for its creator, Clough Williams-Ellis, it was an exercise in designing a resort where tourism could enhance rather than damage the environment.
