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Faceted Facade: Crystaline Hotel Shaped Like Amethyst Geode

06 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

gemstone shaped hotel

Grand or gaudy, brilliant or just big, this giant-sized, crystal-styled structure is to be the first in a series of gemstone-inspired hotels in which guest rooms are tucked behind colorful glazing – even its designers at NL Architects concede the scheme is at least “slightly insane.”

geode inspired rock hotel

rock cut open atrium

rock hotel entry space

Dubbed the Amethyst Hotel, this project draws on a long history of cultural associations with this crystal: “The violet-coloured quartz stone has been the subject of numerous myths through history – in Greece it was believed to prevent drunkenness, while medieval soldiers used it for protection during battle, and others thought it could strengthen the immune system or prevent nightmares.”

rock guest room space

rock faceted facade glazing

geode shaped amythist hotel

Kamiel Klaasse and Pieter Bannenberg also drew inspiration from the long-standing tradition of having huge atrium spaces at the heart of hotel designs, seen in major chains like Hyatt and Marriott in the United States and around the world.

rock building at night

rock building in context

rock building site model

Instead of constructing the whole building around an central atrium, however, this approach conceptually slices the structure through its center, just as a geode is cut open to reveal the inner cavity and its hidden crystals.

rock building floor plan

rock building side elevation

rock building front elevation

Set to be built on an artificial island in China (though shown here in various theoretical settings), the design is already arguably serving part of its purpose simply by having been proposed: it is being discussed, debated, critiqued and commented upon by architects and designers around the world and as they say: all press is good press.

[ By WebUrbanist in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

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World’s First Public Streetlight Network Powered by Sun & Wind

06 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

solar wind light

Unveiled in Spain and planned for the streets of several towns and cities, these grid-free street lighting units are completely energy-autonomous, powered by solar and wind energy without needing to be networked with primary electricity grids.

light post prototype models

While other examples of self-sufficient streetlights exist as prototypes and installation art pieces, this system is set to be the first on the planet to be installed at scale for public use.

light post real life copy

Ramon Bargalló of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Barcelona College of Industrial Engineering (EUETIB) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) has been working with Eolgreen, a private company, to engineer the system.

light post early prototyp

At roughly 30 feet tall, the posts feature leafy solar panels and turbines as well as built-in batteries for energy storage – relatively little wind or light are required to make the system work. Over 700 are set to be created in 2015, but the man and company behind their design are still working on increasingly efficient models for future deployment, testing and building as they proceed.

press release lamp post

From their press release: “This system, developed after four years of research, is designed for inter-urban roads, motorways, urban parks and other public areas. It is unique in the world and reduces the cost by 20% compared with conventional public lighting systems. The turbine runs at a speed of 10 to 200 revolutions per minute (rpm) and has a maximum output of 400 watts (W). An electronic control system manages the flow of energy between the solar panel, the wind turbine, the battery and the light. “

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

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Rustic Swiss Structure Hides Modern Underground Home

05 Feb

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

hidden modern home 1

Set into a landscape of grassy hills and deteriorating stone walls, a rustic 200-year-old wood and stone structure hides a wholly unexpected modern residence. The renovation in Linescio, Switzerland by Buchner Bründler Architekten adapts an existing country home that had fallen into ruin, setting the new concrete shell into a hillside so that it’s partially subterranean. From the outside, a few streamlined concrete elements are the only signs hinting at a modernized interior.

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All new elements are made of concrete, including the recessed bathtub, open fireplace, basins and the kitchen counter. The architects wanted to leave as much of the existing fabric of the historical structures as possible, adding minimalist complementary elements that don’t fight the aging textures for attention.

hidden modern home 5

High, folding wood shutters cover the original front windows, which have partially lost their glass, while a new glass door leads out to the garden. The concrete was brought in layer by layer and still bears the marks of the formwork. The existing walls act as an extra layer of insulation, though the home is only meant for use in the summer.

hidden modern home 3

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“The plastic, evocative qualities of the exposed concrete intensify the archaic character and the calm atmosphere of this stone house,” say the architects.

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Classical Art in Modern Contexts: 25+ Clever Art Remixes

05 Feb

[ By Steph in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

classical art modern graphics main

Renaissance angels cling to each other in front of a graffitied wall, hellish medieval imagery is splashed across a pair of Doc Marten boots and God has met Facebook’s friend request limit in this collection of works re-contextualizing classical art for the modern world. The original imagery is removed from its cultural and historical context and inserted into urban settings or mixed with contemporary elements to breathe new life into it and bring it to new audiences. See 26 more modern takes on historical paintings.

Modern Media Graphics X Classical Paintings

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classical art modern graphics 1

In a series called Emoji Nation, artist Nastya Nudnik inserts graphics from modern gadgets and media on top of classic paintings, like warning messages from the Windows operating system, Facebook buttons, emoticons and sad little indications that the user has zero followers on Instagram. One even visualizes Bosch’s ever-popular Garden of Earthly Delights as an explorable location on Google Maps. If only.

Street Art Mixed with Classical Paintings by Marco Battaglini

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Artist Marco Battaglini mixes street art with classical paintings from the Renaissance in his own work, contrasting classicist figures with heavily graffitied walls. The artist aims to highlight the “intrinsic contradictions of the human condition” through the juxtaposition of traditional art with its connotation of elitism and the popular culture of the masses. The new aesthetic, according to the artist, reflects “the eclecticism and fragmentation that are hallmarks of post-modernism.”

3D Sidewalk Chalk Masterpieces by Kurt Wenner

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Master of 3D sidewalk chalk illusions, Kurt Wenner, makes classic imagery spring to life in the streets of cities around the world. Initially employed by NASA as an illustrator to create conceptual paintings of future space projects, Wenner moved to Italy to study classic Renaissance art and spent the rest of his career up to this point exploring how that style can be preserved in contemporary society.

European Paintings on Surfboard & Skateboard Triptychs

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classic art skateboards 1

classic art skateboard 2

Skateboard company Boom-Art teamed up with UWL Surfboard to create a series of limited-edition surfboards referencing European art history. Two triptychs with classic designs include ‘The Lady and the Unicorn’ and ‘The Garden of Earthly Delight’ by Heironymous Bosch. Each is handmade and individually numbered in an edition of just ten per design. The same designs are available as skateboards, as well.

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Classical Art In Modern Contexts 25 Clever Art Remixes

[ By Steph in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

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Exocomet Express: How to Hitch Intersellar Rides on Comets

04 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

comet runner space concept

Gravitationally unbound to any star, resource-rich extrasolar comets could be the key to manned space flight beyond our solar system, providing a way for resourceful astronauts to hitch rides, mine supplies and ultimately travel far beyond the heliosphere.

exocomet material resource harvesting

Inspired by the Rosetta mission and drawing on images from the NASA, Caltech and the European Space Agency, this Comet Runner concept explores the idea of tethering expeditions to comets and using their materials to support long-distance journeys. The idea also dovetails with research by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory into the possibilities of leveraging comet momentum to propel or potentially slow down spacecrafts.

exocomet exploration mining architecture

Indeed, “many contain compounds such as water, methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide — which can be converted to things useful for a long distance space mission, such as fuel, oxygen, plastics, refrigerant and fertilizer.”

exocomet astronaut image

The proposed system from Clouds AO, a New York City architecture firm, involves a modular space station carrying with it the means to sort, process, store and build from raw materials mined from a given comet, 3D-printing from surface dust and inducing artificial gravity by augmenting the object’s natural axial rotation.

exocomet tethered architectural idea

Just like a reluctant space vehicle (or Sandworm from Dune), inertia could be fought and adjustments could be made to the trajectory, providing the means for directional control or at least minor course corrections.

exocomet modular space station

Comets would be screened for suitability in terms of composition and stability before being boarded, as it were. Billions of comets are hypothesized to exist in the Oort cloud surrounding our solar system are estimated to be miles in diameter, “some of which are nudged into long-period orbits through the inner solar system, while many others are ejected from our solar system through gravitational scattering caused by passing stars and the galactic tide.”

comet runner orbital paths

Of course, this is just a thought experiment and design concept for now, but the constituent elements are there: comets abound, rich in materials and tracing all kinds of paths through and beyond our solar system – the question is not whether but when we might be able to harness them to suit our ends, or perhaps whether we will find better means in the meantime.

[ By WebUrbanist in Conceptual & Futuristic & Technology. ]

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London Approves Europe’s First City-Spanning Bike Superhighway

04 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

london transit

Catering to some of the 170,000 cyclists that ride across London every day, this segregated bicycle lane will stretch from west to east, pass through the heart of the city and span 18 miles when completed. Approved by mayor Boris Johnson, a second route will also eventually span perpendicular to this first one, reaching south to north and crossing the first in the middle of the city.

london separated bicycle pathway

Allocating bikers lane space on par with that given to cars and separated by safety curbs, this plan represents a huge shift in how London treats cyclists and the largest such endeavor of its kind to date. Few long bike paths on the planet can boast such separation for bikers from city traffic, a move that makes bike lanes much more accessible to bikers of all ages and abilities.

london dedicated bike paths

As The Guardian‘s Peter Walker describes, “The effect is humanizing, civilizing, relaxing, enchanting. It makes the city immediately more appealing. Beyond all that it also rebuts the perennial complaint that the push for London bike routes is the niche hobby horse of a small coterie of middle-class, male cyclists. The whole point is that if you create safer cycling you necessarily create more inclusive cycling.”

bike path lanes

Building on a series original-but-modified proposals shown directly above and below, the new path with pass along the Victoria Embankment to connect Tower Hill and Paddington, re-purposing existing lanes used by motorists and linking up with a north-south route that would connect King’s Cross with Elephant and Castle.

bike path city

While the removal of motorized vehicular space has drawn complaints from some, it fits London’s larger vision of reducing car traffic in and through the city (dovetailing with existing strategies including a hefty congestion tax).

bike path urban

Other cities will be looking to the results of this radical change, which could have significant global influence on urban design strategies around city cycling for years and decades to come.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

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Kinetic Desk Rises to Nudge You Into a Standing Position

03 Feb

[ By Steph in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

kinetic desk 1

Ready or not, it’s time to stand up when this kinetic desk starts to rise on its own, ensuring that you don’t spend too much time in an unhealthy seated position as you work. Studies have shown that parking ourselves in chairs for eight hours or more per day can lead to organ damage, foggy brain, a strained neck, muscle degeneration and other negative effects. Experts recommend alternating between sitting and standing – and now there’s a high-tech desk that will help you do just that.

kinetic desk 2

The Stir Kinetic Desk gently raises and lowers itself at pre-set intervals, to custom heights of your choice. A built-in touch screen on the desk surface enables you to check your daily stats, telling you how long you’ve spent in each position and when your next adjustment should be.

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kinetic desk 4

You just double-tap the home screen to move the desk to its next position when desired, using a slider to create your desk height presets. A function called ‘Whisperbreath’ creates a gentle one-inch rise and fall of the desk surface to signal you that it’s time to stand up so you don’t have to stop what you’re doing.

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The creator calls it a “non-wearable wearable,” i.e. a fitness-tracking gadget that works in a similar way to smart watches and Fitbits. You can also synch other fitness tech to track how many calories you burn while standing. The cost of “the world’s most advanced desk” clocks in at $ 2,990.

[ By Steph in Design & Furniture & Decor. ]

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See Through Stone: 13 Aging Structures with Glass Extensions

03 Feb

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

modern ruins sant francesc 1

The crumbling stone ruins of churches, farmhouses and barns are integrated into new structures that preserve and display their historic character while adding playful modern elements, like glass additions that adjoin disparate buildings or fill in damaged areas. These 13 renovations to historic architecture include examples of when the process is done right – honoring the original structure’s heritage – as well as cases where the changes are less than welcome.

Convent de Sant Francesc by David Closes

sant francesc

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A gaping hole created during the demolition of an adjacent convent was filled in with a geometric modern glass addition at the Sant Francesc church in Santpedor, Spain, a stone building dating back to 1721. The renovation added contemporary elements to both the interior and exterior while leaving the evidence of the building’s decay over time in place, creating skylights where the ceilings had caved in.

Contemporary Studio Extension to Historic Church

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A historic brick church in Hoboken, New Jersey in use as a studio for Marchetto Higgins Stieve Architects is extended with an unusual glass canopy, curving down from the upper portion of the existing structure to the ground.

Two Stone Cottages Connected by a Glass Staircase

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A pair of dilapidated stone farmhouses in Ireland are now connected via a transparent, glass-enclosed staircase. Architect Peter Legge maintained the rustic character of the rural buildings but added the glass atrium to unite them, as well as a transparent dining area with folding doors.

Modern Addition to a Historic Farmhouse

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ODOS Architects transformed a collection of 18th century stone farm buildings in Ireland with a new single-story wing made of glass and timber. The new wing unites the trio of existing buildings to create a courtyard and enables views to the adjacent woodlands with large expanses of frameless glazing.

Glass Extension to a Private Farmhouse in Gloucester

gloucester

Having absorbed “changes and layers of occupation from the 17th century onwards,” this farmhouse in Gloucester has now evolved into a contemporary home with the removal of incongruous additions from previous eras and the addition of a modern glass structure. The award-winning renovation encloses and extends a portion of the living area, bridging a gap between the two original buildings.

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See Through Stone 13 Aging Structures With Glass Extensions

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Groundscrapers: Survivalist Condos in Converted Missile Silos

02 Feb

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

luxury condo exterior entry

Located in a converted subterranean silo near Concordia, Kansas, the first complex of these high-end survival accommodations is already sold out and their creators are working on a second nuke-proof silo transformation project for eager buyers. Many silo homes exist already, but few are designed for multi-family living and many remain semi-theoretical as yet – this one is luxurious and fully realized.

luxury condo floor plan

luxury underground living complex

Luxury Survival Condos boasts both the nuts and bolts, “physical protection, redundant infrastructure for power, water, air, and food,” as well as a surprising array of amenities: facilities for “cross training, aquaponic farming, medical support” including a “community swimming pool, dog walking park, rock climbing wall, theater and general store” as well as a jail for anyone who misbehaves.

luxury subterranean underground condoes

The eye-popping prices are compared by founder Larry Hall to Manhattan residences, but seem steep even by New York City metrics: $ 1.5 million for a half-floor unit just under 1,000 square feet, $ 3 million for a full floor and $ 4.5 million for a “penthouse” (two floors). For those who can afford it, the company also offers their services for transforming whole silos into single-family survival retreats.

missile silo montage

The first space was purchased in 2008 and features seven floors of living spaces, able to accommodate up to 75 occupants. The various areas are connected by elevators (to be powered by green off-grid sources in an emergency) as well as stairs for redundancy. Each resident is allocated a 5-year supply of freeze-dried food in addition to the vegetables and fish grown and bred underground. Water and air treatment are addressed as well, with a 750,000-gallon reserve of drinking water as well as filtering systems. Generators and wind turbines feed into a battery bank to store up at least some level of power reserves as needed.

luxury silo climbing wall

luxury silo facilities power

luxury silo split level

Given how much people pay to buy these units one has to wonder if they ever bother to use them under normal conditions, perhaps to get a sense of what life would really be like should they end up living there in a real end-of-world scenario. Of course, the standard problems apply: if others know where this is, what is to keep the hordes from attempting to overwhelm it were a global disaster ever to unfold?

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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Chapter 11: Eleven Eerie Closed & Abandoned Libraries

02 Feb

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Better dead than read? Though the librarians’ shushing days are long past, you still won’t find many places quieter than these 11 abandoned libraries.

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When the Soviet Union finally fell, it fell hard… just like the uncountable number of books, pamphlets and manuals at this abandoned scientific and technical library somewhere in Russia. While a case may be made for tech manuals being out of date and thus superfluous, there’s still something to be said about the terrible waste of knowledge almost completely covering the former library’s floors. The above images were taken in March of 2008 by jst-ru.

Stitched Panorama

Our valiant photo-documentarian returned to the abandoned library in February of 2011 only to witness an unbelievable sight: every last trashed book had been removed and the floors swept so clean they could practically be eaten off of! Who could have done this and what happened to all of those books? Somehow one doubts the literature was salvaged and donated to other libraries; instead we’re guessing someone in the neighborhood enjoyed a warmer winter than usual.

Outta Cass

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abandoned library 1a

Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan opened in 1917, and twenty-five years later the eight-story brick & limestone edifice was the largest high school in the state with 4,200 students attending. Among the school’s more noteworthy alumni are singer Diana Ross and musician Jack White, both of whom no doubt visited the school’s well-stocked library to research their projects.

abandoned library 1d

abandoned library 1b

In 2005, however, Cass Tech moved to a new building leaving quite a lot behind in the old one. Are those metal detectors just inside the library’s doors? These incredible “Now and Then” images from Detroiturbex superimpose the Cass’s vibrant past onto its sorry present.

It’s Miller Time!

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“The Miller Avenue Library in Oakland has been abandoned for a few years, it seems”, according to Flickr user aaron.michels, who captured the above images on May 22nd of 2008. One clue alluding to the time of its abandonment is the discarded library card of a presumed twenty-something born in 1955. Pornstache FTW!

360Photography

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Faceted Facade: Crystaline Hotel Shaped Like Amethyst Geode

World’s First Public Streetlight Network Powered by Sun & Wind

Rustic Swiss Structure Hides Modern Underground Home

Classical Art in Modern Contexts: 25+ Clever Art Remixes

Modern Media Graphics X Classical Paintings

Street Art Mixed with Classical Paintings by Marco Battaglini

3D Sidewalk Chalk Masterpieces by Kurt Wenner

European Paintings on Surfboard & Skateboard Triptychs

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Classical Art In Modern Contexts 25 Clever Art Remixes

Exocomet Express: How to Hitch Intersellar Rides on Comets

London Approves Europe’s First City-Spanning Bike Superhighway

Kinetic Desk Rises to Nudge You Into a Standing Position