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Priceless: Banksy Shop in NYC Sells Art to Clueless Public

15 Oct

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

Banksy New York City Sale 1

A few lucky people had no idea what they were actually purchasing when they bought black-and-white graffiti works on canvas from a street stall in Central Park for sixty bucks a pop. Those works of art are worth thousands of dollars each – because they’re Banksy originals. The elusive street artist held an unannounced sale in New York City on the thirteenth day of his ‘Better Out Than In‘ residency, and most people failed to notice the incredible bargain right under their noses. But don’t bother coming back tomorrow: this was one a one-day-only sale, and you (and everyone else) just missed it.

Banksy New York City Sale 2

That’s not only because the stall was manned by a bored-looking old man who sat around for four hours before making a sale. Banksy knock-offs can be found all over the place, and these canvases hardly stood out as anything different. But they’re signed, original, 100% authentic works of art worth as much as $ 30,000 a piece.

Banksy New York City Sale 3

One guy, purchasing art for his Chicago apartment, walked away with four – we bet he’s happy about that decision today, if he even realizes what he has are originals (in which case one has to wonder why he did not buy more). Murals by the artist, removed from the urban settings in which they were painted, routinely fetch as much as half a million each, with one even netting $ 1.1 million.

Banksy New York City Sale 4

The clueless public who passed on these original Banksy canvases won’t get another chance – it was a one-time deal. Banksy will be in town for the rest of the month, adding to the stencils, installations and mixed media pieces he’s already put up during his time in the city. Those works include two mobile pieces, like a delivery truck converted into a garden, complete with a waterfall.

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

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Wild Water Crossings: 14 Bold & Crazy Bridge Concepts

14 Oct

[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

Concept Bridge Designs Main

Even ordinary bridges are complex structures, but add in multiple levels, undulating ribbons of steel, elements that dip into the water or roads that split into scissor-like blades and you’ve got quite a dynamic feat of engineering. Some of those potential feats are a little more achievable than others. These 14 (more!) bridge concepts include a few innovative designs that are actually going to be built, while others have been deemed ‘too crazy’ to ever be real.

Entwined Ribbon Bridge for China

Concept Bridge Designs Ribbon China

The competition this concept was shortlisted for has been canceled, so it may never be achieved in physical form. Denton Corker Marshall architects designed this bridge for Jinsha Lake in Hangzhou, with one ribbon offering a flat surface for cyclists, one rising into the air to offer various views, and a third decorative ribbon winding between the first two.

Tulip Bridge for Amsterdam

Bridge Concept Designs Tulip

The ‘petals’ of this wooden bridge blossom and unfold in various configurations throughout the day, variously allowing pedestrians to cross the water or, if they so desire, jump in. Designed by MLBS Architects, the Tulip Bridge functions as a symbolic landmark for Amsterdam. When all of its petals are flat, it makes up a large plaza with plenty of room for the flow of pedestrians, but when all of the petals are raised (except for one that allows entry) it can turn into an exhibition space.

Bay Bridge Tourist Park

Concept Bridge Designs Bay 1

Concept Bridge Designs Bay 2

The September 2nd, 2013 opening of the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge made the old one obsolete: so what to do with it? Some have called for it to be broken up and made into housing, others want to see it converted into a public park. Architects Rael San Fratello have a few tongue-in-cheek designs taking these ideas into consideration. How about bike paths, combing walls, outdoor cinemas, hotel rooms and a giant swimming pool? Together, these ideas may be a little over the top, but they present a few intriguing possibilities.

Habitable Bridge for Seville, Spain

Concept Bridge Designs Habitable Seville 1

Concept Bridge Designs Habitable Seville 2

A sinuous bridge mimicking the waves of the river below it could act as a cultural center of Seville, Spain. This concept incorporates two layers – a sunny, grassy surface on top, and a shaded area with stepped seating closer to the water. The proposal also incorporates an existing tobacco factory, renovating it into an auditorium with a ground level piazza.

Parametric Cloud Bridge

Concept Bridge Design Parametric Cloud 1

This design doesn’t exactly conform to the general idea of what a bridge is, and should be. Unusual and unexpected, ‘Cloudbridge’ by Arturo Tedeschi architects creates a non-linear path between two points. The shape was determined by an algorithm that produces a cloud-shaped grid balancing the asymmetric loads of the footbridge.

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Wild Water Crossings 14 Innovative Bridge Concepts

[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

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Bubble Hotels: Spacious Spherical Retreats Set in Nature

14 Oct

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

pod hotel on hill

Somewhere on the scale between tent and cabin lies the bubble hotel, an optionally transparent or opaque plastic retreat that is roomier than normal camping accommodations but more minimal than a traditional bed and breakfast.

pod hotel in context

pod hotel room interior

Attrap Rêves provides such pods in sizes up to 13 feet in diameter in the rural hills of Marseille, France. They are made to be lightweight, portable and low-impact solutions for ecologically-minded travelers wishing to be closely connected to the environment.

pod hotel furniture

pod plastic plus deck

Each unit comes furnished with nighttime essentials like a bed and nightstand as well as pair of chairs and table for sitting during the day. The opacity of the shell ranges from fully see-through to light-permitting depending on desired degree of privacy.

pod hotel all weather

Airlock-style entry passages allow for an extra layer of separation from the flora and fauna of the outside world, as well as a de facto mudroom for shedding shoes and wet clothes as needed. Some units also sport outdoor decks for additional lounge space.

pod hotel at night

A nearby lodge acts as restaurant, check-in counter and managerial center for the set of pods strewn about the fields, forest and hillsides of the area. Apparently, the pod is back in fashion, at or at least has revived a bit of French passion.

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

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Candy Corn-ucopia! 9 Sick Sweet Seasonal Snack Spinoffs

13 Oct

[ By Steve in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

candy corn flavored foods snacks
Ahh, Candy Corn… we can’t seem to get enough of it or get rid of it fast enough. Take (or give) these 9 pancreas-pulverizing variations on a sugary theme.

Archer Farms Candy Corn Coffee

Archer Farms candy corn coffee (image via: Yankee Candle Sisters)

Did you know that for a limited time only, you can enjoy “the sweet, fun flavor of your favorite Halloween treat” piping hot in your favorite mug as you dig into a plate of breakfast bacon & eggs or a bowl of Kellogg’s Candy Corn Pops, depending on your household? Yes indeed, friends and neighbors, Archer Farms Candy Corn light roast ground coffee adds a jolt of Halloween horror to your morning caffeine rush; it’s what we’d ALL be drinking if coffee was made & marketed by kids. Speaking of which, note the “Save The Children” logo/legend at the bottom of the bag… maybe rugrats really are running the show at Archer Farms.

M&Ms White Chocolate Candy Corn

M&M's White Chocolate Candy Corn (images via: Cre8tive Compass Magazine and Sean Weber’s SnackFixation)

Introduced in October of 2011, M&M’s White Chocolate Candy Corn promises a tantalizing mix of natural and artificial flavors (it says so right on the front of the bag) which begs the question: is the true flavor of candy corn natural or artificial? Maybe M&M’s is just covering all the angles because really, what else can you say about oversized white chocolate drops in orange, yellow and white candy shells?

M&M's White Chocolate Candy Corn (image via: Infinite Hollywood)

A sweet-toothed reviewer from Infinite Hollywood had a few things to say about M&M’s White Chocolate Candy Corn, none of them good. Newton, as he calls himself, soured on the concept before even biting into one – he’s peeved there are too few orange M&M’s in relation to the yellow and white ones. First world problems! Once he did bite the bullet, so to speak, Newton experienced a letdown of Great Pumpkin-esque proportions when he discovered the interiors of M&M’s White Chocolate Candy Corn, regardless of the color of their shells, tasted like run-of-the-mill white chocolate. Gee Newt, you say that like it’s a bad thing.

ACT II Candy Corn Popcorn

ACT II Candy Corn microwave popcorn (images via: X-Entertainment and Half-Assed Productions)

“I don’t see why people are taking the worst tasting Halloween Candy and making it into different products,” fumes Greg Muschong of Half-Assed Productions. A fed-up Muschong goes on to demand of everyone and no one in particular “Please, stop making candy corn products. Enough!!” Disparaging though he may be, Greg still took one for the team by microwaving and reviewing a mini-bag of ACT II Candy Corn Popcorn.

ACT II candy corn microwave popcorn (image via: X-Entertainment)

The verdict? According to Greg, “not horrible,” which seems to be the upper limit of praise when it comes to rating candy corn flavored foodstuffs. As Candy Corn Popcorn doesn’t appear in ACT II’s current online microwave popcorn lineup, Greg may have gotten his wish… at least as far as popcorn is concerned.

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Candy Corn Ucopia 9 Sick Sweet Seasonal Snack Spinoffs

[ By Steve in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

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Unbelievable Illusions: Adding a 3rd Dimension to 2D Surface

12 Oct

[ By Delana in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

projection mapping performance piece

This mesmerizing performance piece from Bot & Dolly blends reality and a technological fantasy world. Using 3D projection mapping, two large white surfaces and two talented robots, the artistic duo created a kind of dance that incorporates high technology and a helping human hand.

The piece is called simply “Box,” and it shows how current technology can be used to manipulate our perceptions of space. The projections create mind-bending optical illusions that look so amazingly real it’s hard to believe there has been no digital trickery involved.

As the making-of video above shows, however, it wasn’t trickery. It was simply amazing technology applied to a graceful and artistic purpose.

[ By Delana in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

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Indoor Camping: Vintage RVs Reclaimed as Hostel Rooms

11 Oct

[ By Steph in Boutique & Art Hotels & Global. ]

Indoor RV Campground Hostel 1

At Bonn’s Basecamp Young Hostel, travelers enjoy the quirky accommodations of cheerfully decorated vintage RVs, with views of the sea and an unchanging blue sky just beyond their windows. That sky will never go cloudy, nor will it rain, because this particular campground is actually located in a 600-square-meter industrial warehouse.

Indoor RV Campground Hostel 2

Each of the 15 RVs has been lovingly restored and transformed into its own individual getaway with a specific theme. For example, there’s a hunting cabin laden with antlers and furs, a seaside camper with a captain’s wheel and oars, and a British parlor ready for afternoon tea.

Indoor RV Campground Hostel 4

Indoor RV Campground Hostel 5

The campers have names like ‘Drag Queen,’ ‘Rockabilly,’ ‘Space Shuttle’ and ‘Zen.’ Guests at the hostel can choose which eccentric theme best fits their tastes. The interiors may not be luxurious, but they’re certainly fun.

Indoor RV Campground Hostel 6

The reclaimed RVs range from teardrop trailers with faux wood panels and authentic Airstreams to VW buses. Also on site are two railway cars from Deutsche Bahn trains, which offer space for small student groups. Rates start at just 54 euros per night.

[ By Steph in Boutique & Art Hotels & Global. ]

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144-Year Building: 3D Animation Completes Famous Basilica

11 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

famous finished building render

Started in 1882, the Sagrada Família basilica is one of the most famous buildings in the world, despite still remaining unfinished … at least for now. This amazing one-minute animation shows the final steps toward its near-future completion, officially slated for 2026.

famous basilica final steps

Designed by Antoni Gaudí and set in Barcelona, the structure has been in the works for generations, a process continued long after the death of its architect nearly 100 years ago. The animation itself features real aerial helicopter footage enhanced with dynamic digital modelling.

animation-finished-building

famous current structural state

The plan, in fact, is to celebrate its completion on that one-century anniversary of 1926. The project is scheduled to be finished under its new chief architect Jordi Faulí who is following in the plans and footsteps of Gaudí in finalizing this Gothic-inspired masterpiece.

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

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Edgy Art: Fore-Edge Paintings Hidden in Historical Books

11 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

book-edge-autumn

Invisible at a glance, artists have long hidden fore-edge artwork in plain sight, resulting in works that are sometimes first spotted decades or even centuries after their creation. What looks like a plain gold-gilt surface on the shelf can unfold to reveal a rich and colorful surprise.

book-edge-art-winter

book-edge-art-spring

book-edge-art-summer

Via Colossal, the above examples come from Colleen Theisen and the Special Collections & University Archives at the University of Iowa. They are from a series of four books titled after the seasons (Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer shown sequentially above) published in the 1800s by Robert Mudie.

autumn winter summer spring

The art of disappearing fore-edge painting dates back hundreds of years, but (visible) edge painting on closed books goes back over a thousand years. Sometimes the scenes are made to match content, contexts and characters from within the book. In other cases, they are more broadly relevant, meant to set the stage or tone for the reader.

fore edge art

The fore-edge (found on the opposite side of a book’s spine) can be painted directly on the closed book to create a drawing that is immediately visible. Alternatively, the pages can be splayed out and painted on the front or back of the edge. In some cases, both sides are painted to create a double fore-edge works that are entirely different depending on which way you splay the sheets. Triple fore-edge variants are also possible, with two patterns or scenes that disappear and a third that is visible when the book is closed.

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Drawing & Digital. ]

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Converted Clock Tower: Ultimate Urban Loft with a View

11 Oct

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

At the top of a former cardboard box factory built in 1915, within a clock tower overlooking Brooklyn and Manhattan, is one of New York City’s most remarkable residences. The pinnacle of the Clocktower Building is a three-story penthouse measuring over 6,800 feet, with four 14-foot glass clocks – one on every wall of the top floor.

The clocks offer massive, unparalleled views of the city in all directions. Additional windows provide a look at the Manhattan Bridge to the Statue of Liberty from a soaking tub. Or, simply go on the sky roof cabana and enjoy it in the open air.

Transformed from its industrial past, the penthouse features a ceiling that extends from 16 to 50 feet in height, as well as a glass-enclosed, three-story elevator running up the center of the space. It entered the market in 2009 for $ 25 million – the most expensive apartment on record in Brooklyn by far – and has now been lowered to $ 18 million.

For a while, as it went unsold, the clock tower penthouse was put up for rent for a mere $ 50,000 per month. It’s also been offered up for various special events while it sits on the market, including a dinner for Esquire Magazine.

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

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The City is a Playground: 15 Interactive Installations

11 Oct

[ By Steph in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

Interactive Urban Art Main
Art installations that invite or even dare passersby to join in on a fun activity transform even the most stiff and boring urban environments into public playgrounds. Musical swings on the sidewalks of Montreal, a giant red ear in South Korea, a massive Monopoly game in Chicago and a submarine erupting from the middle of Milan are among the cool interactive projects that bring out the kid in all of us.

Massive Submarine in the Middle of Milan

Interactive Urban Art Submarine Milan 1

Pedestrians in Milan were puzzled to see what looked like a massive deep-sea voyager bursting from the pavement in the middle of Piazza Mercanit. A Smart Car appears to have been caught up in the eruption, barely escaping. Of course, it’s an art installation – actually, a marketing stunt for an insurance group’s ‘Protect Your Life’ campaign. A ‘scuba diver’ at the scene told onlookers about the importance of insurance in safeguarding your possessions – probably a little less exciting than what they were hoping to hear.

Escape Machine

Interactive Urban Art Escape Machine

Where do you want to escape to? Press the red button on this strange black cube in the middle of a French public square, tell it your desired destination and something really, really unexpected will happen.

Urban Shopping Cart Merry-Go-Round

Interactive Urban Art Shopping Carts

In the middle of a municipal theater square in Portugal, a merry-go-round of shopping carts beckons kids and adults alike to interact. It’s a parasitic addition to a lamp post, made to attach to any such structure in a public place. “By counteracting the freedom of movement that normally characterizes these carts (ironically moving in circles) we are reminded that consumerism does not take us anywhere… or in the best case scenario to the starting point.”

Whisper a Message to ‘The Big Ear’

Interactive Urban Art THe Big Ear

Called ‘Yobosayo,’ the Korean word used when calling to get someone’s attention, this interactive sculpture records voice messages from passersby and shares them with others. You speak into the big red ear, and people inside the adjacent Seoul Citizens Hall listen. It’s even more interactive than that, in fact; sensors on the hanging speaker units monitor how much time people spend listening to each message, so the ones people pay attention to remain in the playlist, while the unpopular ones are transformed into music by an algorithm that amplifies and distorts the sound.

Knitting the Andy Warhol Bridge

Interactive Urban Art Andy Warhol

A project called Knit the Bridge brought 1,800 volunteers onto the Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh to cover the sides, towers and main cables in rectangular panels individually knitted by each artist. It’s a fitting tribute to the only bridge in the United States to be named for an artist.

360Photography

Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Priceless: Banksy Shop in NYC Sells Art to Clueless Public

Wild Water Crossings: 14 Bold & Crazy Bridge Concepts

Entwined Ribbon Bridge for China

Tulip Bridge for Amsterdam

Bay Bridge Tourist Park

Habitable Bridge for Seville, Spain

Parametric Cloud Bridge

Next Page:
Wild Water Crossings 14 Innovative Bridge Concepts

Bubble Hotels: Spacious Spherical Retreats Set in Nature

Candy Corn-ucopia! 9 Sick Sweet Seasonal Snack Spinoffs

Archer Farms Candy Corn Coffee

M&Ms White Chocolate Candy Corn

ACT II Candy Corn Popcorn

Next Page:
Candy Corn Ucopia 9 Sick Sweet Seasonal Snack Spinoffs

Unbelievable Illusions: Adding a 3rd Dimension to 2D Surface

Indoor Camping: Vintage RVs Reclaimed as Hostel Rooms

144-Year Building: 3D Animation Completes Famous Basilica

Edgy Art: Fore-Edge Paintings Hidden in Historical Books

Converted Clock Tower: Ultimate Urban Loft with a View

The City is a Playground: 15 Interactive Installations

Massive Submarine in the Middle of Milan

Escape Machine

Urban Shopping Cart Merry-Go-Round

Whisper a Message to ‘The Big Ear’

Knitting the Andy Warhol Bridge

Next Page:
The City Is A Playground 15 Interactive Installations

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Archive for the ‘Creativity’ Category

Entwined Ribbon Bridge for China

Tulip Bridge for Amsterdam

Bay Bridge Tourist Park

Habitable Bridge for Seville, Spain

Parametric Cloud Bridge

Next Page: Wild Water Crossings 14 Innovative Bridge Concepts

Archer Farms Candy Corn Coffee

M&Ms White Chocolate Candy Corn

ACT II Candy Corn Popcorn

Next Page: Candy Corn Ucopia 9 Sick Sweet Seasonal Snack Spinoffs

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Power of Books: 6 Graphic Illustrations of Literal Imaginings

Static Flip Books: 360-Degree Scenes in Panoramic Pages

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A Million Times: Clock Wall is a Moving Art Installation

Quintessential Conversion: The Ultimate Warehouse Loft

Massive Submarine in the Middle of Milan

Escape Machine

Urban Shopping Cart Merry-Go-Round

Whisper a Message to ‘The Big Ear’

Knitting the Andy Warhol Bridge

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In Orbit: Transparent Suspended Net Playground in the Sky

Interactive Light Art Installation Operated by Smart Phones

Next Page: The City Is A Playground 15 Interactive Installations

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In Orbit: Transparent Suspended Net Playground in the Sky

Interactive Light Art Installation Operated by Smart Phones

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Wild Water Crossings 14 Innovative Bridge Concepts

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Candy Corn Ucopia 9 Sick Sweet Seasonal Snack Spinoffs

Next Page:
The City Is A Playground 15 Interactive Installations