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At The Hops: 9 Loud & Proud Rock ‘n’ Roll Beers

07 Oct

[ By Steve in Design & Graphics & Branding. ]

rock 'n' roll beer
If a party ain’t a party without beer and rock ‘n’ roll, then beer brewed by, for & about rock ‘n’ rollers is practically a party in a keg, bottle, can or case!

Iron Maiden’s TROOPER Ale

TROOPER Iron Maiden beer Bruce Dickinson (images via: The Sun/News Group Newspapers Ltd. and WW2 Talk)

Iron Maiden beer? Excellent! Bill & Ted references aside, TROOPER is a premium ale inspired by the legendary British heavy metal band and handcrafted at Robinsons brewery in Stockport, UK. “I’m a lifelong fan of traditional English ale;” explains Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden’s lead vocalist. “I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when we were asked to create our own beer.”

Iron Maiden TROOPER ale(images via: Rock Video Fever!, Blabbermouth and Dementesx)

Dickenson, a real ale enthusiast in his spare time, visited Robinson’s a number of times during the ale’s development period. “Their magic has been to create the alchemical wedding of flavour and texture that is TROOPER,” enthuses Dickenson. “I love it.”

TROOPER Iron Maiden beer (image via: Facebook/Iron Maiden Beer)

According to the product page at the Robinson website, TROOPER ale exhibits “malt flavours and citric notes from a unique blend of Bobec, Goldings and Cascade hops (that) dominate this deep golden ale, with a subtle hint of lemon.” TROOPER’s distinctive label features a unique version of band mascot Eddie decked out in a tattered Crimean War uniform, evoking Iron Maiden’s song TROOPER from which the ale got its name.

Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew

Dogfish Head Bitches Brew beer (images via: Drink Philly and By The Pint)

Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew beer from renowned craft brewer Dogfish Head was released in June of 2010 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis’ seminal album of the same name. According to the reverent brewer, limited edition Bitches Brew is “a bold, dark beer that’s a fusion of three threads imperial stout and one thread honey beer with gesho root, a gustatory analog to Miles’ masterpiece.”

Dogfish Head Bitches Brew beer (image via: Daily Beer Review)

Bottles of the 9% ABV beer feature the 1970 album’s iconic artwork created by the late Mati Klarwein. Delaware-based Dogfish Head introduced Bitches Brew during “SAVOR, An American Craft Beer & Food Experience,” held at the National Building Museum in Washington DC on June 5th, 2010. Two 40th anniversary editions of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew were produced: a Legacy Edition and a deluxe Collector’s Edition.

KISS Destroyer

KISS Destroyer beer (images via: Mason Hell – Cat’s Beer Blog, Kissopolis and Frozen Summers)

Gene Simmons has earned a legendary reputation as a relentless merchandizing machine so it’s no surprise he’s branded beer with the familiar KISS iconography. It’s not even a surprise he’s done it twice, the first time being in 1996 when cans of KISS pilsner were produced in the Czech Republic to help promote the band’s ALIVE/WORLDWIDE tour concerts in Prague.

KISS Destroyer beer can(image via: Badger & Blade)

This time, however, the band is aiming for world drinking domination on two fronts: beer and wine. Released in 2010, Kiss Destroyer Beer is a German-style brew (that’s made in Sweden) available in cans and bottles. Along with the beer, KISS is also releasing Kiss Zin Fire wine, because the KISS Army is evidently exploring more mature tastes these days. “This isn’t just something we put a label on. We wanted wine and beer unique to KISS and we got it,” explains band guitarist (and non-drinker) Paul Stanley. “This stuff will set your taste buds on fire.” Or so he’s been told.

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Cardboard Cathedral: Temporary Structure Acts as Placeholder

05 Oct

[ By Delana in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

shigeru ban cardboard cathedral

In 2011, Christchurch, New Zealand was hit with a massive 6.3 magnitude earthquake. Among the city’s most heartbreaking losses was the destruction of the iconic 1864 Anglican cathedral. The city plans to have a new cathedral built, but designing and erecting a large building doesn’t just happen overnight. Shigeru Ban Architects, masters of cardboard constructions, came to the rescue with a temporary solution.

temporary cardboard cathedral new zealand

The Cardboard Cathedral is built to last up to 50 years, which should be more than enough time to get a permanent structure in place. The temporary building is made from 98 cardboard tubes and eight shipping containers, with the tubes forming the dramatic ultra-high peaked ceiling. Rather than constructing a simple emergency building to house the congregation, the architect did something extraordinary and created a temporary cathedral that actually looks like a place of worship.

cardboard cathedral

Shigeru Ban wants to make it clear that, although paper is traditionally a rather weak material, this structure is one of the most earthquake-proof in Christchurch. A concrete building is easily crumbled by an earthquake, but the paper building is far less rigid. This means that it can absorb the shock of a quake without falling apart.

christchurch new zealand cardboard cathedral

The cardboard tubes are coated with waterproof polyurethane and a flame retardant, so they won’t succumb to the elements. Outside of the cardboard tube ceiling, a semi-transparent polycarbonate roof adds further protection for the building and its occupants. The cathedral can hold up to 700 people, and not just for religious services; it can also be used as an event venue or concert hall.

earthquake proof cardboard church

One of the most touching parts of this project is the etched stained glass window at the entrance. The colorful glass triangles show pictures from the destroyed church’s facade, ensuring that part of that beloved landmark lives on.

(images via: Shigeru Ban and Jocelyn Kinghorn)

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Abandoned Land of Oz Theme Park Opens for Two Days

04 Oct

[ By Steph in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

Abandoned Land of Oz Park 1
At the top of a mountain, a crumbling Yellow Brick Road winds around forests filled with creepy anthropomorphic trees, Dorothy’s dilapidated house and an Emerald Castle made of stone. The Land of Oz has been abandoned for thirty-three years, and it hasn’t seen much restoration during that time, but it opens to the public October 5th for an annual event called ‘Autumn at Oz,’ enabling visitors to see it in all its sad, derelict glory.

Abandoned Land of Oz Park 3

Abandoned Land of Oz Park 2

(images via: rockinfree)

Located at Beech Mountain, a ski resort in Western North Carolina, the Land of Oz saw over 20,000 visitors on its opening day in 1970. A ski lift was modified to resemble a balloon ride, taking guests on an aerial tour of the park with views of the mountain scenery. The park design was based on the book rather than the film, and the visitor was intended to experience it from Dorothy’s point of view.

Abandoned Land of Oz 4

Abandoned Land of Oz 5

(images via: rockinfree)

Despite a 1975 fire that destroyed some artifacts, including the dress worn by Judy Garland in the movie, the Land of Oz was fully operational until 1980. Once it was closed, many items were stolen, vandalized or destroyed, and those that weren’t were given over to the elements. A few pieces remain in storage at Appalachian State University.

Abandoned Land of Oz Park 6

(images via: emerald mountain)

The park was partially restored in 1990, and Former employees started Autumn at Oz as a reunion three years later. Now it’s an annual event, opening the doors to the outside world just two days every year. Proceeds from the event go to the (apparently minimal) upkeep of the park.

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Baroque Parking Garage Challenges Blind Civic Historicism

04 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

baroque car park entry

Challenged with designing something to fit a historic city-center context in “baroque, classic, neo-classical, romantic and neo-romantic style” is itself difficult if not paradoxical, but making that work for a multistory parking structure without devolving into kitsch seems nearly impossible.

baroque structure street level

Set in Skopje, Macedonia, the competition-winning solution by Milan Mijalkovic and  PPAG architects (images by Darko Hristov) is at once traditional in its aesthetic undertones and distinctively contemporary at the same time. It stems a careful study of cultural context and revisiting of architectural history in a place with a complex geographical and political past.

baroque car garage interior

From the designers (via ArchDaily): “The façade interprets the wish for a historicist appearance without explicitly using the traditional language of historicism. It adapts the baroque idea of creating reality by the means of illusive perspective. Baroque artworks expand into the real space as well as vice versa the reality merges into the illusive perspective of the artwork.”

baroque building modern detail

The finished product is thus neither faux-historical nor fully modern – it is interpretive yet highly original, playing on baroque themes without looking like a poor attempt to mimic past styles.

baroque panel system patterns

The pattern itself was derived from a single photograph of period residential architecture, distorted through a series of iterations rendering it intentionally unrecognizable.

baroque parking garage facade

Beyond the aesthetic accomplishment, there is a pragmatic balance of form and function in the project. The underlying garage is utilitarian while the overlapping exterior panel system provides shade and visual relief at various scales.

baroque natural context image

More from the architects on the origins of this bold approach: “Almost twenty years after the dissolution of Yugoslavia, this project is reinventing and re-affirmating Macedonia´s separable, undeniable and glorified national identity through urbanism and architecture. Macedonian culture is celebrated by a large number of memorials, religious symbols and new public buildings which are mostly designed in a historicist style. Neo-baroque is the favorite one, with its connotation of power and impact on the masses. The extensive use of these styles is supposed to establish Skopje as the European, Christian, bourgeois city that it has never really been – and to deny its oriental, Islamic as well as it socialist, modern past.”

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The Fallen: 9000 Figures Hand-Drawn in the Sand for D-Day

03 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

fallen beach art project

To commemorate those fallen on D-Day in France – civilians, Axis and Allies alike – a pair of sand artists used stencils and solicited volunteers to create a highly temporary art installation, destined and designed to be washed away by the incoming tide.

fallen beach peace day

fallen art d day

fallen d day detail

On September 21st, the pair and their helpers, given stencils and quick instructions, had to work quickly to make The Fallen a reality. At one point, it looked like they would not have even assistance to finish before the water came in to erase their creation.

fallen beach stencil volunteers

Thankfully, hundreds of additional people turned out on top of the dozens who had agreed to help … together these, “people took stencils and rakes in hand and embarked on drawing the 9000.  The Peace Day project had finally begun in earnest represented by the people of the world.”

fallen commemorative world war

Jamie Wardley and Andy Moss (images by Sandinyoureye) developed the idea of The Fallen as a project for Peace Day well in advance. They created stencils in preparation, but were surprised by the people who turned up from around the world (drawn together, as it were) to commemorate those lost in World War II and otherwise.

fallen art beach detail

Among those participants in attendance, “Monika Kershaw was there remembering her son and his colleagues that died in Afganastan and even wrote in their names beside them. George, a veteran who was on the D-Day beaches was also there and embraced the importance of the project as demonstrating the result of conflict. There were a group from Israel that drew together, people from Germany, Finland and as far as Chili.”

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Abandoned Intervention: Sliding Facade Reveals Decay

03 Oct

[ By Steph in Abandoned Places & Architecture. ]

Sliding Facade Abandoned Building 1

A brand new brick facade slides off the front of a building in Kent, UK to reveal the derelict mess just beyond. Abandoned for 11 years, the four-story structure that stood as an eyesore along a residential street of this seaside town is now an intriguing work of art that makes a statement about what may lie behind the superficiality of seemingly perfect appearances.

Sliding Facade Abandoned Building 3

The crumbling top story remains exposed, giving a glimpse of what is inside only to those who can get high enough to see it. The Cliftonville district of the city, where the installation is located, was once affluent, but struggled as the whims of vacationers turned to other places. With increased crime and poverty came the decay of once-grand architecture.

Sliding Facade Abandoned Building 4

The Thanet District Council of Kent gave artist Alex Chinneck permission to create the installation, entitled ‘From The Knees of My Nose To The Belly Of My Toes’, which will stand for a year before the building is brought back into public use.

Sliding Facade Abandoned Building 5

Ten companies donated materials, manufacturing labor and professional surfaces to get the project off (or rather, on) the ground. “I was aware of this idea that people have a choice whether or not they go through the doors of an art gallery, and often they don’t because they feel intimidated, so I think public art is important,” Chinneck told The Daily Mail.

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Imaginary Landscapes: 18 Digital Art Fantasy Worlds

02 Oct

[ By Steph in Drawing & Digital. ]

Imaginary Landscapes Main
Alien planets, fantasy worlds and visions of Earth in the distant future are envisioned in stunning detail in these 17 digital paintings by a variety of artists, from students to renowned industry veterans. These otherworldly imaginary landscapes range from game concepts and imagery inspired by fiction to scenes that are entirely borne of the artists’ imaginations.

Spaceship Wreck Yard by Maciej Wojtala

Imaginary Landscapes Wojtala

“I wanted to visualize an idea of an environment covered with old spaceship wrecks, being absorbed by nature and decaying for many years,” writes artist Maciej Wojtala of this piece.

Fantasy Island, Peter Lee

Imaginary Landscapes Fantasy Island Lee

Artist Peter Lee envisions a fantasy island in which people who live harmoniously with and worship nature might just be mistaking nature for technology from another world.

Revenge of the Fallen Concept Art by Ryan Church

Imaginary Landscapes Revenge 1

Imaginary Landscapes Revenge 2

Get a good look at some locations that weren’t seen in detail in the film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in the concept art of Ryan Church.

Through the Ancient Valley, Blinck

Imaginary Landscapes Through the Ancient Valley

Inspired by Lord of the Rings, ‘Through the Ancient Valley’ by Blinck depicts on young girl on horseback making her way through a valley featuring statues on a massive scale.

The Extra Planet by Zack Moores

Imaginary Landscapes Extra Planet

A spaceship lands on another planet only to find bizarre life unlike anything ever seen before in this work by Zack Moores.

Tropical Islands by Eva Kedves

Imaginary Landscapes Eva Kedves

Waterfalls, temples and faces carved into the rock make this fantasy landscape by Eva Kedves a unique Southeast Asian-inspired paradise.

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Bunker City: Underground Suburb for Survivalist Community

02 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

survivalist subterranean community space

Preparing for doomsday means going solo for some, but most see survival needs including some sort of micro-society, be it for mutual defense and cooperation or, in the most extreme cases, perhaps even repopulating a devastated planet.

Instead of individual bomb shelters, Terra Vivos is working to create a series of autonomous communities around the world in underground complexes made to withstand anything from a 20-megaton nuclear blast or 1,250-degree fire to 450-mph winds or a magnitude-10 earthquake.

bunker city communal shelter

The locations of these individual bunkers are kept secret for obvious reasons, and each is being outfitted with enough food, water, clothing, fuel and medicine to survive a year in their subterranean spaces, as well as frozen seed banks, animal and human DNA, all to grow food, recreate lost species and/or provide genetic diversification as needed. And, of course, there is a wine vault.

survival bunker shelter design

survival shared living spaces

Their ultimate goal is to provide thousands of units ranging from Economy to Luxury class, all to a limited set of pre-screened individuals (vetted for psychological attributes as well as practical skills) at prices as low as $ 25,000 – arguably a lot of money, but perhaps not so much if you really believe the world as we know it is about to end. Of course, even with space for thousands, less than one in a million people would be saved should the worst come to pass.

unit floor plans

underground bunk floor plan

For those looking to learn more, a quick glance at their sitemap provides a lot of fascinating material for further reading, with pages about various kinds of natural disaster and prevalent conspiracies, on the one hand, to nuts-and-bolts issues like security, secrecy, air supplies and pet policies on the other.

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Multi-Building Murals: Repainting a 100-Home Neighborhood

01 Oct

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

mural project neighborhood rio

Previous efforts of Favela Painting transformed 34 buildings in Rio de Janeiro via huge rainbow-colored community mural, creating jobs and beautifying an area often feared by outsiders. This time they are raising funds on Kickstarter to head back to Brazil and paint an entire favela with over 100 hillside homes.

mural town square

mural project creators context

The results of work by Haas&Hahn to date have been multifaceted, including international recognition for dilapidated and under-served neighborhoods and positive attention to these as destination landmarks rather than faceless slums. Using a spectrum of colors, each building receives a distinctive and unique design, yet a sense of unification is achieved across an area at the same time.

mural art project

mural finished color spectrum

mural hillside from above

mural city streets

This ongoing project has a series of parallel goals – it both empowers and employs locals, and provides an opportunity to shore up and plaster shanty-style structures to make them more energy efficient and safer. “Visual beautification, job creation and positive attention boost pride and self esteem and help bridge social gaps in a creative and artful manner. The projects create a voice for the inhabitants, influence public opinion and media, and can help to change perception and remove stigma.”

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Guerrilla Wayfinding: User-Powered Signs Aid Exploration

01 Oct

[ By Steph in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]

Walk Your City 1

What are you missing out on in your own city by sticking to your established routes each day, or driving instead of walking? Sometimes it’s easy to forget how close any number of interesting locations are to the places you visit on a regular basis, even by foot – and walking can be the best way to truly experience any given city. Walk [Your City] aims to encourage that kind of exploration with a combination of user-powered custom street signs and online tools.

Walk Your City 2

The signs tell pedestrians how close certain attractions are by foot. Scan the QR code, and you’ll get an entire walking route that gives you the walk or cycle minutes to points of interest along your path. You can join in the process by ordering your own custom-made sign and putting it up yourself.

Walk Your City 4

The project started in North Carolina with Walk Raleigh, a guerrilla wayfinding operation that posted 27 signs at three major intersections throughout the city in January 2012. The signs weren’t legally sanctioned by the city, so they were taken down – but the project caught the attention of officials, who are now making Walk Raleigh a permanent feature.

Walk Your City 3

New York City has gotten behind the project officially, too. WalkNYC kicked off in June 2013 and aims to be “the citywide standard for pedestrian wayfinding.” Other cities around the nation and in Canada are following suit. If you’re interested in implementing Walk [Your City] in  your own community, you can simply go ahead and make your own signs at WalkYourCity.org.

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