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Terminal Velocity: 10 Abandoned Intercity Bus Stations

08 Mar

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

abandoned bus station terminal Evansville 1
Long distance bus transportation has been in decline for decades, leaving countless abandoned bus stations to watch time and potential passengers pass them by.

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abandoned bus station terminal Evansville 3

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The old abandoned Greyhound Bus Terminal at the corner of Third and Sycamore streets in Evansville, Indiana opened in 1938 and dazzled Depression-weary commuters with its cheerful sky blue exterior and sleek Streamline Moderne styling. Flickr user cmh2315fl captured the old terminal on a sunny April day in 2012.

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Though abandoned for many years, the terminal cost just $ 150,000 to build so Greyhound definitely got their money’s worth. In 1992 the terminal was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 2012 it was renovated, restored and adapted for use as office and community space at one corner of Evansville’s Bicentennial Park.

Going, Going, Ghana

abandoned bus station terminal Cape Coast 2

abandoned bus station terminal Cape Coast 2c

abandoned bus station terminal Cape Coast 2b

Flickr user Sarah (lotor-matic) snapped the above shots of a disused STC bus terminal while visiting Ghana’s Cape Coast in October of 2008. The terminal must have been quite a sight back in the day but now its exposed roof beams make it look more like a beached and bleached whale skeleton than a former transportation hub.

Sad State Of The Union

abandoned bus station terminal Union Oklahoma City1

abandoned bus station terminal Oklahoma City sign 2

If we’re talking about the old Union Bus Station in downtown Oklahoma City, then one might say its state is… terminal? The station operated from 1940 through 2013 and the building was (and still is) distinguished by a blue vitrolite front facade that’s proved to be as durable as it is beautiful. At one point destined for demolition, the property has been bought by a local developer who has pledged to preserve the building’s Art Deco attributes and striking signage through the course of redevelopment.

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Terminal Velocity 10 Abandoned Intercity Bus Stations

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Brutal but Beautiful: Book of 88 WWII Coastal Military Ruins

08 Mar

[ By WebUrbanist in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

world war eerie images

Traveling 23,000 miles over 4 years, photographer Marc Wilson has amassed an amazing collection of images spanning bunkers, gun emplacements, observation posts, command centres and other wartime infrastructure around Europe.

wwii coastal war ruins

war time bunker remnants

In his book, The Last Stand, 86 of the resulting images are arrayed to tell a complex story of different times and places. More than merely photographing these haunting remnants of war, however, Wilson also provides highly articulate reflections on everything from their site-specific purposes and aesthetics to their broader places in military and architectural histories.

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world war remnant architecture

“Composed of copious quantities of poured concrete,” many of these structures “defy and eschew any established aesthetic sensibilities: no hint of the classical, the gothic or the baroque here. Their geometries, purely contingent, were designed to resist the effects of the latest developments in projectile technology, their profiles shaped to deflect such missiles and avoid any direct percussive explosions on their structures.”

orld war brutalist remains

world war encampments

world war concrete bunker

His shots are carefully composed and timed, often taking place in the early hours of the morning when eerie mists and dim lights grant the subjects a surrealistic atmosphere. There is a dreaminess and dreariness to his work that manages to make the objects captured seem both ordinary and otherworldly. Prints of many of the pieces featured in the book can be purchased as well.

world war castle tower

world war winter imagery

world war water barrier

Unlike even the most pragmatic warehouse of the time, “there was nothing speculative or arbitrary about the bulwarks of their sometimes bizarre and often ungainly forms: they were purely functional. While far from being graceful or classically proportioned, there is something visually appealing about the alien (and sometimes sinister) forms of those bunkers. Novelty does not quite describe this appeal: more surprise perhaps – a surprise that courts the sublime.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

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Hovering Home: Near-Invisible Mirrored Forest Residence

07 Mar

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

hovering home 1

A white box seems to hover in mid-air in the middle of the forest, with no visible supports suspending it from adjacent trees. This structure isn’t a treehouse at all, and it’s actually at least twice the size it appears. It virtually disappears into its natural environment thanks to the mirrors covering most of its bottom story, reflecting nearby trees and the forest floor.

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Izabelin House by Reform Architekt is a woodland retreat outside Warsaw, Poland, designed as a tranquil getaway that blends into the forest, becoming a part of it. Approaching the two-story dwelling from the street side, it doesn’t appear out of the ordinary. It’s when you step to the side or the back that the illusion comes into play.

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The white upper story is the only thing that gives the home away from certain angles – otherwise, it might be near-invisible. Other mirrored structures employ reflective panels on the entire exterior surface, or alternate them with wood for an effect that’s extra-surreal. Another approach covers the entire outside of a forest home with images of trees as camouflage.

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Backsplash: Deflective “Peeback” Walls Fight Public Urination

06 Mar

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

walls that pee back

Bouncing waste liquid back at the impolite and intoxicated bar crawlers who treat the streets as their bathroom, the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, Germany, has given fair warning about its water-repellent surfaces with signs that read (translated): “Do not pee here – we pee back.”

water reflective surfaces

The St. Pauli Pees Back project is a response to the shortcomings of other approaches – with 20,000,000 visitors per year, the area has not had much success with signs and fines and fines alone.

Naturally, the locals complain about the smell and sight of this happening on their city’s streets. People getting pissed is one thing, but pissing publicly is quite another.

we pee back campaign

st pauli pees back

A super-hydrophobic paint was applied to some of the most popular non-potties in the neighborhood, making sure “it reaches the target demographic” – many locations are marked but some are not, designed to deter people from peeing regardless of notices posted. As one of its organizers put it in German (sounding even better in English translation): “It’s peeback time.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Design & Guerilla Ads & Marketing. ]

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Unconstructed: 25 Visionary Works by World-Famous Architects

06 Mar

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

unbuilt architecture

Some were conceived of as storytelling devices or futuristic concepts, while others were intended for actual construction before the plans were scrapped, but each of these buildings tells a unique story about a time, a place and an architect.

frank lloyd wright unbuilt plan

Compiled by Rubberbond, a UK construction company that has seen more than a few ambitious projects get cancelled, this inforgraphic contains works by abstract visionaries like Buckminster Fuller and contemporary practitioners including Jean Nouvel.

famous mies skyscraper prototype

One skyscraper concept in particular, by Modernist minimalist like Mies van der Rohe, portended a huge shift in direction – futuristic at the time, it became the basis for an entire system of building construction in the century that followed. Gaudi, Wright and Foster are also on the list of similar influencers – often, the virtues of their built works generated interest in their unfinished projects, too.

hyperbulilding by oma

Still other works, like the hyperbuilding concept by OMA, were never intended to be built but were instead created to test a hypothesis or explore an idea – in this case: the self-contained city.

famous unbuilt architect buildings

“Unbuilt buildings represent the forgotten dreams of architects; projects that could have defined a community’s identity. At best the drawings and blueprints will now be displayed in museums, though that’s small consolation to the architects who stayed up late at night scribbling, while envisaging a skyline that would proudly display their signature style.”

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

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London Bridge: 12 Contenders Including ‘Flaming Mouth of Hades’

05 Mar

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

london bridge 008

Some of the concepts submitted for the new Nine Elms to Pimlico pedestrian bridge in London are rather – well – pedestrian, while others are so out-there they’ve been nicknamed ‘The Flaming Mouth of Hades.’ Spanning the Thames River, the bridge will link two very different parts of the city, and must be “technically rigorous and beautiful,” cyclist-friendly and well-engineered while providing headroom for river traffic.

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The competition to design the bridge has drawn dozens of entries from around the world, with a shortlist set to be announced later this month and a winner unveiled in July. The design brief notes that “how the bridge looks from afar, as it bestrides the Thames, what it feels like to cross and how it touches land on either shore – and the places that it creates around each landing point – will be critical to its success.”

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Thus far, there’s only a gallery of images to look at, without any supporting information on each design, so it’s hard to tell just what we’re looking at in some cases. The City Metric called most of the entries ‘ridiculous,’ pointing out “the one which is definitely not a bridge,” “the one like a nightmarish Escher painting” and “the one that’s a spoon.”

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london bridge hades

It’s clear enough why the word Hades was invoked to describe the strange violet-and-orange creation pictured above, and it’s unclear how this design would actually function as a bridge. You have to wonder whether some of the entrants are just trolling. But some of the designs are actually quite beautiful, like the one featuring a perforated undulating canopy over a network of paths planted with greenery. However will the judges choose?

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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Aerodynamic Avian Architecture: 12 Bird-Inspired Buildings

05 Mar

[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

bird architecture quadracci main

From a massive kinetic museum structure that flaps its wings to indicate a new exhibit to an internet-famous church in Florida accidentally resembling an Angry Bird, these avian-inspired buildings seem like they’re ready to take off.

Zoomlion Headquarters Exhibition Center, China

bird buildings zoomlion 1

bird buildings zoomlion 2

The giant wings on the facade of this ‘transformer building’ in China actually flap, changing the look of the exterior. The hinged steel and glass panels are mounted on hydraulic arms, opening up the interior spaces to the outdoors during appropriate weather. Designed by Californian architects amphibianArc, the structure will serve as an exhibition and display center for Chinese machinery company Zoomlion.

Bird-Shaped House, Czech Republic

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This house in the Beskydy Mountains of the Czech Republic looks like it’s ready to take off, with a titanium-plated room in the shape of a bird’s head and wings. Atelier Simona Group applied their “organic architecture” philosophy to the project, looking to the natural surroundings of the site to guide them in creating a shape that would satisfy the client’s desire for something truly unique.

Mashhad City Entrance, Iran

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Visitors entering the city of Mashhad in Iran could be greeted by this massive bird-like structure, a gateway that “has been designed so that entry and exit of any vehicle will cause changes in the structure.” The weight of vehicles passing over a speed bump causes a movement in the structure’s wings, making it appear to fly. The busier the entrance, the more active the flying movements become.

Santiago Calatrava’s Quadracci Pavilion, Milwaukee

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Architect Santiago Calatrava’s contribution fo the Milwaukee Art Museum looms over a ship-shaped building, its louvers opening and closing like the wings of a monstrously oversized bird. The kinetic structure also incorporates a cabled pedestrian bridge with a mast inspired by sailboats, and a wave-like galleria. When the louvres are open, they act as a signal indicating that a new exhibition has arrived.

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Aerodynamic Avian Architecture 12 Bird Inspired Buildings

[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

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Augmented Showroom: Projections Compliment Physical Products

04 Mar

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]

projected furniture accessory showroom

Offering more than a traditional storefront space or conventional shopping website could individually, this hybrid showroom allows shoppers to experiment with different combinations of furnishings and fixtures both physically and virtually.

projected lamp example object

Created by London studio Bureau de Change for Made.com, the space is designed with a series of screens as backdrops for various sets of staged furniture and fixtures, allowing accessory items to be projected alongside for shoppers to compare and evaluate in relation to physically-present pieces.

projected living room accessories

“The projections provide a true, adaptable representation of the products, at the right scale, in the right place. Without them, the room sets feel unfinished, so for us they were the missing link to achieving a flexibility you can normally only achieve online,” say the designers.

projected showroom hybrid digital

Again bridging the physical and digital, various displays have sample swatches that can be taken by would-be buyers but others also have tablets that will let people peruse related items or rearrange potential settings.

projected interior shop space

Like a gallery or work of installation art, the idea was to create something interactive that also made maximum use of limited and very expense London commercial real estate, drawing people in, serving a function but also engaging them beyond their past or expected shopping experiences.

projected room showcase design

projected interior space setup

“This is such a bustling street, with so many stores vying for your attention, we wanted to produce something unexpected – an idea that would set it apart from the traditional format of lots of products in a display. The space was designed on a tight budget and timeframe but [the designers] brought a lot of ingenuity and flair and turned an old rundown bookstore into a crisp, spacious and inviting design for our customers”

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]

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Cyberpunk City: Reframing Tokyo as a Futuristic Wonderland

04 Mar

[ By WebUrbanist in Culture & History & Travel. ]

PhokusSelect_10

With a background and interests in skateboarding, anime and architecture, this photographer brings both a youthful imagination and an outsider’s eye to an area of the world famous for speculative fiction-worthy landscapes and high-tech cityscapes.

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Sam Pritchard‘s interest in architecture evolved alongside his interest in Japanese cities and culture, which in turn helped inspire his recent Phokus Archives remodel (years in the making and with audio accompaniment by Reso). The child of an architect, he grew up seeing the built environment through the lens of a skateboarder and urban explorer in England. Meanwhile, he developed fascination with futuristic cityscapes through (often Japanese) video games and movies, from Sega, Nintendo and Atari to Akira and Ghost in the Shell.

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architecture japanese bridge infrastructure

After spending time as an architectural photographer in London, Pritchard moved to Japan to follow up on his childhood fascinations and see what structures are really like in the fabled land of futuristic tech. The results were surprising: “Since living in Japan the reality of day-to-day life in isn’t really any more tech or futuristic than it is in any other developed city or country. But in my photography, I try to create the illusion that it is some kind of digital future world that lives up to my childhood expectation of the place.”

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Cyberpunk City Reframing Tokyo As A Futuristic Wonderland

[ By WebUrbanist in Culture & History & Travel. ]

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Geodesic Housing for the Homeless: Dome Made of Umbrellas

03 Mar

[ By Steph in Drawing & Digital. ]

earth lander 1

Could a low-cost, lightweight geodesic dome made from umbrellas, garbage bags and a space blanket provide a real life-saving solution for people forced to sleep on the streets? ‘Earth Lander’ reclaims common materials in totally unexpected ways for a visual result that looks just as its name suggests, and it’s thermally efficient, providing a warm space that’s also resistant to water and wind.

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Umbrella frames were altered to make them more structurally secure, and combined with waterproof umbrella fabric to create the outer structure. Air-filled garbage bags, cellulose wool and a space blanket provide insulation.

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The umbrellas were assembled to create a geodesic dome that Bucky Fuller would be proud of. The transparent trash bags act as inflatable windows so the inhabitant can peer outside, and the octagonal door is secured with ties.

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It’s an intriguing idea that could help save the lives of countless homeless people who die from exposure each year during the harsh winter months, and keep them dry in other seasons. Check out 14 more innovative ideas for homeless housing, from similar short-term survival shelters to long-term transitional living spaces.

360Photography

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Terminal Velocity: 10 Abandoned Intercity Bus Stations

Going, Going, Ghana

Sad State Of The Union

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Terminal Velocity 10 Abandoned Intercity Bus Stations

Brutal but Beautiful: Book of 88 WWII Coastal Military Ruins

Hovering Home: Near-Invisible Mirrored Forest Residence

Backsplash: Deflective “Peeback” Walls Fight Public Urination

Unconstructed: 25 Visionary Works by World-Famous Architects

London Bridge: 12 Contenders Including ‘Flaming Mouth of Hades’

Aerodynamic Avian Architecture: 12 Bird-Inspired Buildings

Zoomlion Headquarters Exhibition Center, China

Bird-Shaped House, Czech Republic

Mashhad City Entrance, Iran

Santiago Calatrava’s Quadracci Pavilion, Milwaukee

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Aerodynamic Avian Architecture 12 Bird Inspired Buildings

Augmented Showroom: Projections Compliment Physical Products

Cyberpunk City: Reframing Tokyo as a Futuristic Wonderland

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Cyberpunk City Reframing Tokyo As A Futuristic Wonderland

Geodesic Housing for the Homeless: Dome Made of Umbrellas

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Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Going, Going, Ghana

Sad State Of The Union

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Terminal Velocity 10 Abandoned Intercity Bus Stations

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6 Abandoned Railroads, Subways, Trains & Transit Stations

Commercial Break: 8 Abandoned TV Stations & Studios

Tuned Out: 11 Off-The-Air & Abandoned Radio Stations

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Ruins Of War: 15 Places Abandoned Due to Military Turmoil

Empty Spaces: Photo Book Documents Eerie Urban Ruins

Documenting Decay: Urban Atrophy’s Breathtaking New Book

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Form Follows Footprint: Forest Retreat Just Fits Local Codes

Deceptively Reflective: 12 Mirrored Buildings Trick the Eye

Rural Urbanism: Forest Community of One-Pole Tree Houses

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A Smashing Idea: Fight Club Lets You Kill Your TV

Guerilla for Good: 3 Subversive Projects to Save the Planet

Public Camouflage: Make-Up Artist Makes Models Invisible

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Garden Bridge: Lush River-Spanning High Line for London

Apostrophe-Shaped Bridge Doubles as a Ride for Pedestrians

Bridge in Paris: Inflatable, Jumpable Urban Playground

Zoomlion Headquarters Exhibition Center, China

Bird-Shaped House, Czech Republic

Mashhad City Entrance, Iran

Santiago Calatrava’s Quadracci Pavilion, Milwaukee

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Aerodynamic Avian Architecture 12 Bird Inspired Buildings

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Architecture as Landscape: 15 Terrain-Inspired Buildings

Origami-Inspired Architecture: 14 Geometric Structures

Gold Metal Architecture: Olympic Stadiums, 1896 – 2012

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Virtual Interior Design: Augmented Reality IKEA 2014 Catalog

Just Your Type: Kooky, Real & Physical Typography & Fonts

Rendering the Digital Physical: 10 Bitcoin Designs & Ideas

Next Page – Click Below to Read More: Cyberpunk City Reframing Tokyo As A Futuristic Wonderland

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Nomadic Urbanism: Futuristic ‘Walking City’ Draws on History

Dial it Down: Noise-Cancelling Device for City Street Sounds

Herringbone House: Tiny Tokyo Residence Split into 7 Levels

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Housing for the Homeless: 14 Smart & Sensitive Solutions

Lightweight ‘Airbeams’ Frame Inflatable Geodesic Dome Tent

Parasite Tent Pods: Vertical Urban Wall Homes for Homeless

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Terminal Velocity 10 Abandoned Intercity Bus Stations

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Aerodynamic Avian Architecture 12 Bird Inspired Buildings

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Cyberpunk City Reframing Tokyo As A Futuristic Wonderland