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Putt Hurt: 12 More Abandoned Miniature Golf Courses

03 Aug

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Most miniature golf courses have 9 or 18 holes per course. These dozen abandoned courses, on the other hand, have more holes than Blackburn, Lancashire.

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Flickr user Tom Faulkner (tom faulkner photographs) has apparently done the impossible by turning an abandoned miniature golf course into an oasis of breathtaking beauty. The course is located somewhere in Maryland and though the artificial greens and fairways still reflect hints of their former verdant glory, the true glory of Faulkner’s images comes courtesy of Mother Nature in all her autumnal glory.

Pasture-ized

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It’s so annoying when a perfectly good miniature golf course closes its doors and drifts into deterioration and decay. In fact, one might say it really… gets our goat. Kudos to Flickr user Isaac Sachs, who snapped the currently “now serving as a goat pasture” status of the former Scappoose Mini Golf in September of 2013.

Eurotrashed

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Flickr user bertolino captured this baaadly overgrown and abandoned miniature golf course on May 2nd of 2009… hey, don’t they have goats in Europe?

Not Milwaukee’s Finest

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Dead Kennedys; D K; decay… coincidence? We think not! Flickr user Retinal Fetish brings us these post-apocalyptic images taken in 2006 and 2007 at Willow’s Miniature Golf in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The graffiti’d divider wall looks a little like swiss cheese – gray and moldy swiss cheese but hey, beggers can’t be choosers. Hopefully it won’t attract giant rats.

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Putt Hurt 12 More Abandoned Miniature Golf Courses

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Guerrilla Grammarians Fix Street Graffiti Spelling & Punctuation

02 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Calculated correctors, this team of vigilante street art fixers patrols for grammatical mistakes then regroups to decide on edits before hitting the streets of Quito, Ecuador, to deploy them.

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Known as Acción Ortográfica Quito, the group consists of a trio who share a strange set of common interests including street art copy editing. Like rogue professors, they use red to highlight their changes or suggestions, but their good intentions do not render their actions legal, hence their strictly maintained anonymity.

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“There’s a big difference in saying: ‘No quiero verte’ (I don’t want to see you) and ‘No, quiero verte’ (No, I want to see you),” notes one of the members in an interview with COLORS, “Many times, someone does not realize how a comma or an oversight can completely change the meaning of a sentence. It can change your life.”

fixing street art spelling

The task can be daunting – their first fix had thirteen errors in two lines of text. Whether serious or silly, they suggest “it’s a public service and a moral obligation. We’re against spelling vandalism and we won’t break nor give up until we see a society free of spelling mistakes.”

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Above, the phrase: “If in your kisses I met the essence of life, then not kissing you would be the worst sin I could commit,” for which these graffiti activists turned the verb into conditional, added and deleted commas, turned ellipsis into full stop and capital letter into lower case.

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The group is also broadening its scope and mandate over time; they are aiming to add a hotline where people can phone in mistakes they spot and have begun correcting grammar on Twitter posts as well. When time permits, they also leave their name stenciled at the scene in red, like a grader signing their work for students.

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Meanwhile, a similarly unconventional yet equally geeky German street artist is out to fix tags, turning them into tag clouds – it would seem this group is not alone in its quest to clean up yet preserve the essential meaning of everyday graffiti.

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Paint the Town: Massive Mural Transforms Mexican Neighborhood

31 Jul

[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Waves of rainbow color cascade down a hillside neighborhood in Mexico’s drug capital as a street art collective paints over 200 houses. ‘German Crew’ enlisted the help of youth living in Las Palmitas to transform the town, brightening the facades of almost every single building in continuous swoops of fuchsia, orange, yellow, green and blue.

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The muralists covered 20,000 square meters (225,280 square feet) with powerful pops of color. Commissioned by the Las Palmitas municipality, the project is five months in the making, and these photos only show completion of the first stage. The aim is to revitalize the town, which is located in the state of Sinaloa, where most of the country’s drug cartels are based.

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According to the German Crew Nuevo Muralismos of Mexico, the project involved the participation of 452 families, or 1,808 people living in the neighborhood. Keeping kids and teenagers busy painting all of those houses nearly eradicated violence among youths while it was in progress. Lots more photos can be found on the crew’s Facebook page and Instagram.

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Previously, street art duo Haas & Hahn transformed 34 buildings in a Rio de Janeiro favela (above), with the similar effect of creating jobs, bringing the community together and making a place that’s often feared by outsiders feel more welcoming. These large-scale mural projects can bring attention to under-served neighborhoods and help boost residents’ sense of pride.

[ By Steph in Art & Street Art & Graffiti. ]

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Rainbow Rail: 5,000 Neon Lights to Line Underside of Chicago “L”

31 Jul

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

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Designed to be suspended below Chicago’s elevated rail system, hovering above cars and pedestrians, this 5,000-tube neon lighting installation aims to bring bright colors to drab railway tracks, using illumination to bridge the dark gap formed by overhead infrastructure.

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A set of elevated rails forming a rounded rectangle in the heart of the city, the Chicago Loop defines the downtown experience. Physically, visually and audibly, this nexus of sometimes-subway lines creates a circuit of transit over and under which vast numbers of people travel each and every day. Despite its centrality and functionality, the Loop has little presence in terms of the city’s public image, at least it until The Wabash Lights came along.

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The main aim is to activate this shady pseudo-circular zone, turning it from an ignored void into a enjoyed space. The first phase of the project has already been successfully funded on Kickstarter and the next step will be a limited-scale test implementation of the technology. The lights are highly programmable and infinitely customizable, able to cycle through sets of colors and form complex patterns.

skys the limit art

It is hard to avoid drawing a comparison with another highly-visible and quite popular neon project in Chicago, namely: the neon light tunnel (Sky’s the Limit by Michael Hayden) connecting Concourses B and C at Terminal 1 in the O’Hare International Aiport, “a mile-long kinetic light sculpture composed of 466 neon tubes [reflected from above by] 23,600 square feet of mirror.”

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The duo behind the idea, Seth Unger and Jack C. Newell, are well-suited to the endeavor, with backgrounds in design, branding and creative strategy on the one hand, filmmaking and public art on the other. Together, they are looking to involve citizens from start to finish, looking to them for feedback as well as funding.

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More on the project from its creators, using “LED light tubes to transform an iconic piece of Chicago infrastructure into a canvas for a dynamic, interactive experience, serving as a catalyst for a re-energized Wabash Avenue. Working with the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Department of Transportation, and City Government, we have received approval to install a small section of lights on the Wabash Ave tracks to troubleshoot design, interactivity, and test how vibration from the “L”, temperature changes, and the wear and tear of the city affect our hardware.” (Hat tip to Chris B and James B).

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

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Creature Comforts: ARK Luxury Terminal for Animal Passengers

30 Jul

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]

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Swimming pools, private suites, flat-screen televisions, medical facilities and luxury lounges – all these amenities cannot be yours, but can be enjoyed by your pets (or pigs or horses) at the new AFK airport terminal just for animals.

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Opening next year alongside JFK international airport, over 70,000 animals of all kinds are expected to pass through ARK annually. This 50,000,000-dollar, 178,000-square-foot space will be the “world’s only privately owned animal terminal and USDA-approved, full-service, 24-hour, airport quarantine facility for import and export of horses, pets, birds and livestock.”

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Your best (canine) friend can enjoy more comforts than you can imagine, including pawdicures, massage therapy and even a swimming pool shaped like a dog bone, while you close feline companion climbs through dedicated jungle gyms or cat TV. Horses will enjoy food, water and rest while basking in daylit stalls that can be individually climate-controlled. You can also watch (and envy) your critters, large or small, via remote webcams on demand.

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All animals have access to a veterinary hospital equipped for general health, emergency care, advanced diagnostics and with surgery suites, providing healthcare but also helping to streamline checks and certifications required for overseas travel.

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The ARK will replace VetPort, a small 10,000-square-foot onsite facility (effectively a glorified kennel) with meager amenities that still requires a separate offsite quarantine system located miles away.

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If this sounds like a luxury affair from a front-of-house perspective, consider all of the work architecture firm Gensler has put in to make the place function, like cleaning up 5,000 pounds of waste produced by up to 180 head of cattle per day. Clever architectural solutions are needed to deal with the sheer volume of animals passing through as well as their species-specific needs.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]

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Lead Finger: Incredible Miniatures Carved Out of Pencil Tips

30 Jul

[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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Eagle feathers, the folds on Yoda’s robe and individual bricks on iconic buildings are among the impossibly tiny details captured in pencil lead by miniaturist Salivat Fidai. The Russian artist uses an X-acto knife to carefully scrape away minuscule shavings of graphite, revealing everything from realistic dinosaur heads to the Eiffel Tower.

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Sped-up videos on Fidai’s Instagram give us a look at the process, which starts with scraping away an inch or two of wood to reveal the graphite core. The artist creates the basic shape of each sculpture and then makes the refinements. This technique requires not just an eye for detail but a very light hand as well, to avoid putting too much pressure on the lead and snapping it.

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They’re all cool, but perhaps most impressive are the ones featuring little pieces that have been carefully separated from the main graphite core, like this lock. Many originals are up for sale at the artist’s Etsy shop.

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Another artist creating similar works is Dalton Ghetti, a carpenter by trade who uses sewing needles and razor blades to carve entire chains of graphite as well as other sculptures, all without the benefit of a magnifying glass.

[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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Creative Camping: 16 Out-There Open Air Accommodations

30 Jul

[ By Steph in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

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Dangle thousands of feet above the bottom of a canyon, take in the Pacific Ocean from a human nest, view the Northern Lights from a transparent igloo or spend the night in a giant purple sperm. These incredibly creative (and sometimes terrifying) campers, tents and other open-air accommodations are far from your typical hotel experience.

Urban Campsite: 6 Whimsical Capsules

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The ‘Urban Campsite’ in Amsterdam is an ‘art-sleep experience’ inviting guests to stay in 14 sculptural mobile camping pods on the beach, ranging from a sailboat-like modern white loft with spherical portholes to a lounge and sleep space built under a trampoline. The pods are all clustered together on the sand plains of Ijburg beside a communal kitchen and ‘tribal toilet tower.’ Some of the creations are more solid and permanent than others, like the wooden icosahedron structure by Boomhuttenfest or the bizarre bottle-shaped ‘Val Ross’ by MUD projects. A shrink-wrap house with a pallet stoop explores the value of waste materials, while the ‘Bedbug’ sits on adjustable legs to adapt to various urban camping environments. The pods can be booked on Air BNB.

Hanging Tree Beds in Bavaria

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The Waldseilgarten resort in the mountains of Pfronten, Germany requires you to be just a wee bit adventurous with a series of tent platforms perched on cliffs or dangling from trees. All guests receive rope climbing training before spending the night, especially since you’ll have to do some climbing in the dark if you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The tree platforms offer relatively easy access to the ground, but the cliff platforms can be up to 6,562 feet above the valley floor.

Transparent Igloo for Viewing the Northern Lights

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Maintain an uninterrupted view of the Northern Lights from the transparent ceiling of your igloo in Finland. The Kakslauttanen Hotel & Igloo Village boasts 40 igloos for two, each temperature-controlled and equipped with its own sauna. The complex is located near the Urho Kekkonen National Park, which has some of the Arctic Circle’s most impressive views of the Aurora Borealis.

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Creative Camping 16 Out There Open Air Accommodations

[ By Steph in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

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Modular Record: 3D-Printed Chinese Villa Assembled in 3 Hours

29 Jul

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

3d printed home fast

In this latest attempt at one-upmanship in the realm of rapid construction, a company in China has built a two-story villa from six modules, putting the 3D-printed pieces together on site with conventional equipment in under three hours.

3d printed villa design

In a country already boasting the world’s first 3D-printed apartment complex and 10 3D-printed houses assembled in a single day from scrap materials, this latest contender is located in the historical city of Xi’an. A product of the ZhuoDa group, the building boasts robust earthquake-proof construction and impressive affordability thanks in part to cost savings associated with the methods employed (around $ 40-50 per square foot). 90% of the construction is completed off-site, the components then shipped by truck to their destination.

3d printed home interior

Part of the strength of the structure is tied to its modular construction – each of the 6 constituent architectural subunits is structurally independent, able to survive stress and shifts relative to the whole.

3d printed house assembly

The core material used in the 3D-printing process has been kept secret, but the company has indicated this new custom composite is sourced from industrial and agricultural waste, is fireproof and waterproof, and is free from harmful substances such as formaldehyde, ammonia, and radon.

3d home rapid build

On the day of the build, the living room was put together, then the bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, all on the first floor. Next, the terrace, bedroom and utility rooms on the second floor were assembled. The result is a rapid construction process that reduces air and noise pollution for neighbors.

3d printed speed house

A prefabrication time of just 10 days for the core modules also compares favorably with typical on-site construction times ranging up to 6 months for a structure of comparable size, quality and durability (the estimated lifespan of the structures is 150 years). Variable finished looks will allow homebuyers to customize their individual houses, selecting mixtures for surfaces that simulate the textures and appearance of exotic and expensive materials including jade, wood, granite or marble.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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‘Death Ray’ Skyscraper Stands Accused of Blowing People Over

28 Jul

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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Already infamous for its curved facade that ignited fires in adjacent buildings and melted nearby cars basking in its reflected sunlight, the Walkie Talkie skyscraper in London is now being blamed for toppling signs, overturning food carts and even knocking passers-by off their feet. Dubbed ‘Walkie Scorchie’ as well as the ‘Death Ray’ during its last public debacle, critics may need a new name for this building more suited to its fresh source of infamy.

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Local business owners, employees and residents have reported a dramatic increase in downdraughts since the completion of the 36-story downtown structure, suggesting its completion coincides with an upsurge of urban wind tunnel effects on surrounding streets.

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A worker at a local retail outlet told The Times: “It has only really been windy since the Walkie Talkie has been here. When they were building it and there were the building works going on, it was fine. But ever since they’ve completed it, the wind really picked up.”

Walkie Talkie rips

A temporary screen erected at street level, eventually replaced with permanent shades hung from its concave side, solved the previous heat-generating problems tied to light reflection; it is unclear if something analogous can be done to address current wind-related concerns. For now, local food trolleys have been instructed to carry warning signs indicating they could tumble over and crush customers or pedestrians, a very incomplete and unsatisfactory solution for all potentially impacted parties.

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Meanwhile, officials suggest there will be stricter reviews for new construction. According to Gwyn Richards, the City of London Corporation’s head of design, “The wind outcome at street level experienced post-construction on a number of projects differs somewhat to the conditions we were expecting from the one outlined in the planning application wind assessments. This is why we are asking for an independent verification of the wind studies on a number of new schemes to ensure as rigorous and resilient an approach as possible.” (images via Matt Brown and Duncan H).

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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Past Preserved in Paper: Miniatures Document Gentrification

28 Jul

[ By Steph in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

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Today, that charming old brick building on the corner might be a market where you can still grab a six-pack at a decent price; within mere months, it could be knocked down for a gleaming high-income condominium tower. The shift in a city’s character can seem to occur in the blink of an eye as the look and usage of its architecture changes. As gentrification rapidly alters the face of the city around him, Philadelphia artist Drew Leshko documents and preserves building facades as they presently stand in miniatures made of paper and wood.

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Whatever your opinion may be about the onward march of modernization and urban progress, it’s hard to deny that too much ‘spiffing up’ without the careful preservation of historical details and the imprints of the people and cultures that have shaped them can make all cities look the same.

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Though cleaner and safer, New York City has become virtually unrecognizable within just a couple decades, replacing all of the independent businesses that once lined its streets with chain stores and sleek signage. The same is happening in cities around the world, much to the chagrin of people who have a sentimental attachment to what those places used to be.

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Leshko cycles around Philadelphia documenting interesting buildings to later recreate in his studio at a 1:12 scale. Details like bars on the windows, hand-painted banners, graffiti and uneven weathering are reproduced in three dimensions as a way of archiving their condition before they’re gone.

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Though they may still be a reflection of what Philadelphia really looks like, it won’t be long before these sculptures are mere nostalgia. No matter where you live, taking a close look at them might just prompt you to appreciate the current state of your own city a little bit more.

360Photography

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Putt Hurt: 12 More Abandoned Miniature Golf Courses

Pasture-ized

Eurotrashed

Not Milwaukee’s Finest

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Putt Hurt 12 More Abandoned Miniature Golf Courses

Guerrilla Grammarians Fix Street Graffiti Spelling & Punctuation

Paint the Town: Massive Mural Transforms Mexican Neighborhood

Rainbow Rail: 5,000 Neon Lights to Line Underside of Chicago “L”

Creature Comforts: ARK Luxury Terminal for Animal Passengers

Lead Finger: Incredible Miniatures Carved Out of Pencil Tips

Creative Camping: 16 Out-There Open Air Accommodations

Urban Campsite: 6 Whimsical Capsules

Hanging Tree Beds in Bavaria

Transparent Igloo for Viewing the Northern Lights

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Creative Camping 16 Out There Open Air Accommodations

Modular Record: 3D-Printed Chinese Villa Assembled in 3 Hours

‘Death Ray’ Skyscraper Stands Accused of Blowing People Over

Past Preserved in Paper: Miniatures Document Gentrification

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Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Pasture-ized

Eurotrashed

Not Milwaukee’s Finest

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Putt Hurt 12 More Abandoned Miniature Golf Courses

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Hole In None: 12 Abandoned Miniature Golf Courses

Course Correction: Deserted Golf Greens into Solar Power Plants

Mustard’s Last Stand: 10 Abandoned Hot Dog Kiosks

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Senior Citizen Street Art: Young Graffiti Artists Teach Elders

Tag Clouds & More: Geek Street Artist Remakes Messy Graffiti

Social Media + Street Graffiti = Stenciled Signs of Our Times

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Multi-Building Murals: Repainting a 100-Home Neighborhood

Industrial Silos to Public Art: Massive Mural for Vancouver

Towers Transformed: Massive Geometric Mural Collaboration

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High Line West: Chicago & LA on Track for Elevated Greenways

Trained Eye: Rail Art Plays Visual Tricks with Tracks & Ties

Time-Traveling Trams: 30,000 LED Lights Vanish Street Trains

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Terminal Velocity: 10 Abandoned Intercity Bus Stations

Futuristic Shenzen Airport Shaped Like a Manta Ray

Building for Billionaires: Luxury Tower with Car Elevators

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Zen-Like Artist Creates Intricate Pencil Tip Carvings

Scratch Art: U.S. Dollars Sculpted Into Incredible Works

Past Preserved in Paper: Miniatures Document Gentrification

Urban Campsite: 6 Whimsical Capsules

Hanging Tree Beds in Bavaria

Transparent Igloo for Viewing the Northern Lights

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Creative Camping 16 Out There Open Air Accommodations

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Car Tents to Times Square: Bold Acts of Urban Camping

Indoor Camping: Vintage RVs Reclaimed as Hostel Rooms

Bubble Hotels: Spacious Spherical Retreats Set in Nature

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10 in 1 Day: Chinese Homes 3D-Printed from Scraps Materials

Nest-Like 3D Printed House Will be Assembled in a Day

Made in China: World’s First 3D-Printed Apartment Complex

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Curved Skyscraper Melts Cars, Starts Fires with Heat of Sun

Curvaceous Skyscraper: Beyoncé Inspires High-Rise Down Under

Desperate Times: Abandoned Skyscraper Becomes Squatter Town

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Brutal London: Paper Miniatures of Concrete Architecture

Paper Architecture: Intricate 3D Sculptures by Ingrid Siliakus

Philadelphia City Hall: Tallest Masonry Building in the World

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Putt Hurt 12 More Abandoned Miniature Golf Courses

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Creative Camping 16 Out There Open Air Accommodations