beautiful architecture

Ultra-Sleek Hollywood Hills Home

2012-10-22T00:43:00.002-07:00

Just when you thought you had seen the sleekest house (like the one featured in Eugene's post about the Santa Barbara pavilion), here comes an amazing one perched on top of Hollywood Hills. It's truly a design to kill for...

The 4,000 square foot house, which boasts both city and ocean views, sits on a 10,580 square foot lot with an infinity pool and spa, both of which have LED lighting and can be heated by either gas or solar power. Also in the backyard, an art installation titled “Sprout” by artist Nancy Braver adds a unique twist to the overall design.

Located above LA's famous Sunset Strip, this four bedroom, five bathroom home doesn't come cheap. It just hit the market with the cool listing price of $9.9 million. Any takers?

All Along the Watchtower

2012-10-22T00:38:00.002-07:00

If Marty McFly traveled back from the future and brought back tons of dough, I'm pretty sure he would purchase this triplex penthouse apartment in New York. Overlooking the the Brooklyn Bridge and New York Harbor, the "Clocktower" apartment is on the market for a cool $25 million, more than double the highest price known to have been paid for a home in Brooklyn.

The 3,000-square-foot main floor of the sleek modern apartment is dominated by four working clocks housed in four 14-foot-high round windows, which provide nearly unobstructed views (except for the clock faces) out to the four points of the compass. It has an open living room, dining room and kitchen with 16-foot-high ceilings.

A glass-walled elevator and a three-story floating staircase at the center of the space lead to smaller floors that narrow toward the top of the tower. There are three bedrooms on the 2,300-square-foot second floor, and on the floor above that, a 988-square-foot open loft with a 15-foot ceiling. Finally, up a narrow staircase
at the very top of the building is a tiny windswept crow’s nest.

Abandoned Tunnels Underground Wonders

2012-10-17T02:27:00.002-07:00

Travel guides mostly do not mention these under ground wonders, creepy tunnels and massive underground systems. Some of these tunnels are only recently opened to public. Some are still impossible to enter and very hard to explore. But this is where the “spirit of adventure” comes in, as multitudes of amateur photographers descend into the unknown to bring back evidence of things unseen.

1. Abandoned Salte Mine in Romania

Turda Salt mine is an old closed salt mine in Cluj Country Romania.
The closed mine has long tunnels, and a deep natural cave. The excavations dug a huge artificial cave, in which you could fit three 10-story blocks. Marius says: “you can play football inside of them; and you enter there by bus”.

2. G-CANS: Tokyo Storm Water System

Here is something truly enormous, worthy of Japanese crazed super-scale imagination – vast caverns and otherworldly columns (looking like some kind of a temple) under Tokyo – an infrastructure “built for preventing overflow of the city’s major waterways and rivers during rain and typhoon season”.
Brainchild of Japan Institute of Wastewater Engineering Technology (JIWET), this “sci-fi”-like installation consists of “five 32m diameter, 65m deep concrete containment silos, connected by 64 kilometers of tunnels 50 meters deep underground. The system is powered by 14000 horsepower turbines which can pump 200 tons of water a second into a nearby river.”

Creative bus shelter bus stop designs

2012-10-17T02:21:00.001-07:00

Creative bus shelter/bus stop designs from around the world. Making bus wait a fun and making bus wait bearable.

First photo is of beautiful bus stop design from Estonia.

Football goal posts were placed in bus shelters around Sao Paulo, Brazil to promote the Football World Cup.

Another creative bus shelter from Brazil, its located in city of Curitiba and have a futuristic design.

A Strawberry styled Japanese bus stop.

Creative watermelon bus stop in Ishaya, Japan.

Yosemite Falls trail bus stop is beautiful and perfect for resting.

Relax while you wait!

This is a Dubai bus stop fully enclosed and air-conditioned. You can get an idea how hot Dubai is, its very comfortable inside when you wait for the bus.

This minimalist structure that looks like a single sheet of white concrete was designed by architect Justo García Rubío and located in Casar de Caceres, Spain.

Iris Hynd in Cornwall, England created and decorated this Moroccan style bus shelter.

Creative “school bus” bus stop from Athens, Ga.

This modified London bus shelter by Bruno Taylor gives commuters a chance to have a little bit of playtime during their morning commute. He went and attached swings to a number of bus stops around the city and while they probably didn’t last too long, they added a bit of fun to a few people’s lives. Why not make these part of every bus stop? Who doesn’t love to swing? Let’s make this happen.

Bus stop designed for the Vitra design museum in Germany.

Green shelter in Sheffield, England.

Designed as part of the smart mobilities project, this bus stop was presented in Paris in 2008. Users waiting inside the bus stop could engage via a touch screen interface while pedestrians waiting outside could interact with a 6ft. custom LED display.

Unusual Jewelry Designs By Margaux Lange

2012-10-17T02:09:00.001-07:00

These days you can buy jewelry in all shapes and colors, but what about wearing Barbie’s body parts as earrings, necklace, etc.? Designer Margaux Lange has made a collection of accessories that contains pieces of the plastic princess, everything from breasts to hands. The designer says
that she is “fascinated with who the Barbie is as a cultural icon, her distinguished celebrity status and the enormous impact she has had on our society”. Margaux Lange says in a interview that humans are especially what inspire me to create. Bodies. Faces. Popular culture. Barbie. And other artists and art jewelers who make fabulous work. I’m drawn to art that employs multiples of something, patterns, work that plays with our sense of scale and art made out of found, unexpected or unusual materials. Here is a selection of jewelry from Margaux Lange “Plastic Body Series.

Achilles Heel? The Well

2012-10-15T04:06:00.002-07:00

The well was like that one weak spot on the Death Star; it was an ultimate source of vulnerability. Sure there were dozens of ways to pour sand and molten substances on oncoming aggressors, and the structural soundness of the castle ensured impenetrability, but if the well wasn’t properly-secured, or if it ran dry, the rest was very useless. Invaders could very well poison the water supply, if left unattended, and virtually guarantee defeat.

Eating Was the Primary Means of Entertainment

2012-10-15T04:04:00.003-07:00

The castle was a very boring place. Essentially, all anyone did was stick around making sure nobody touched their stuff. Outdoors, recreational activities included hunting and a whole bunch of combat training. Manly things indeed. Indoors however, it was much more bleak. Chess was one of the few games that did exist in the day, but the number one way to cure boredom was to eat (which people still do to this day). There’d be great feasts full of food and drink (lots of booze), jesters and minstrels. Nowadays, we have T.V. dinners and six-packs. And you don’t need to be of high social standing to enjoy those (and you usually aren’t).

Castles Used to Be Completely Uncomfortable

2012-10-15T04:03:00.000-07:00

When you think of a castle, you usually think of lavish amenities and grand-scale poshness, but who cares how big the barn is, when its still slathered in mud and smells like horse manure. Similarly, castles were often poorly lit (the sun came through tiny slits for windows); they were damp; and they had poor air circulation (think of all they body heat circling around the place). After all castles were build primarily for defense; creature comforts were on the back-burner. Eventually however, castles came to be outfitted with pretty rugs and artful stained-glass windows as somebody had the bright idea to make these things livable, and to have the interior be a reflection of wealth as well as the exterior.

There Are 1500 Castle Sites in England

2012-10-15T04:01:00.000-07:00

This is according to the Castellarium Anglicanum which is supposed to be the ultimate authority on castles in England and Wales. Note the intentional use of the term “site,” as many of these castles are ruined to the point of invisibility, while over 800 have some remnants, and more than 300 are still standing and structurally intact to a large degree. Also note, there is some debate as to what constitutes a “castle,” as some structures claim to be castles even as they are definitively not so.

Stairs Always Turned Clockwise

2012-10-15T03:59:00.002-07:00

Castles were always built with a spiraling staircase that turned clockwise. This was a purposeful design element that served an incredibly practical purpose; the idea was incoming siegers would ascend the stairs, but be given a huge disadvantage in the way of their sword arm, as most people are right-handed. On the other hand, castle occupants descending the stairs would be given the advantage of a staircase designed with their sword-arms in mind. Damned they were though, if they were attacked by an entirely left-handed infantry.

They Were Built Strictly for Defense

2012-10-10T02:36:00.002-07:00

Just looking at all the apparatus and features of a castle gives you a pretty good idea of its purpose: moats, turrets, ramparts, murder holes, gun and arrow loops, etc. Every single one of these design elements was meant to keep enemies out and down. A few that stand out: murder holes were holes in the ceiling through which scalding liquids would be poured on the enemy. Gun and arrow loops were slits out of which arrows could be fired from with little detection. It seemed foolish in any context to even approach a castle without a written invitation

Windsor Castle is the Oldest Still-Occupied European Castle

2012-10-10T01:33:00.000-07:00

At about 900 years old, Windsor is still occupied by Queen Elizabeth II (one of the many facilities she calls home). Originally, it was a wooden motte-and-bailey-type castle built by William I as the first in a series of nine castles. Later it was renovated with stones and was given a few additions by way of some outer walls and a round tower by a generous Henry II. Sounds similar to the way every elected U.S. President has added a new feature to the White House (most recently with President Obama’s basketball court). Whatever you can do to call it home…

The First Castles Were Wooden

2012-10-10T01:25:00.002-07:00

When the Normans (who came from Normandy, France) came to England almost a thousand years ago, they built wooden motte-and-bailey-styled castles, which were essentially castles built on a mount, whereby low-level residents and enemies at naturally lower altitudes had to hike up sharp inclines to reach the castle itself. While this was a clever way of putting the earth to good use, the walls which enveloped the castle, as well as the castle itself, were made of wood, which could easily be burnt down.

The most uncomfortable features of the castle

2012-10-10T01:22:00.001-07:00

This is perhaps one of the most uncomfortable features of the castle, as if the castle weren’t uncomfortable enough; there were no toilets, but rather little constructions called “garderobes,” a hole through which users would aim their waste products, which would ultimate go through shoots which wound up in the surrounding moats. Adding to the wretchedness, these “bathrooms” were often cold and breezy, hardly conducive to progress. Another gross detail: the “garderobe” was called such as residents would keep their clothing inside, as the odor would repel insects (and any human with a sense of smell, most likely).

Luxurious Outdoor Furniture Designs

2012-10-07T02:40:00.000-07:00

There is nothing more beautiful than looking out the back windows of your home and seeing your very own chunk of paradise. Often we pay very close attention to the aesthetics but forget about
the functionality and comfort, as well as the usefulness of our outdoor furniture. Here is a short collection of luxurious outdoor furniture designs for your enjoyment.

Incredible Transparent Sculpture Of Lexus LFA By Sou Fujimoto

2012-10-02T23:46:00.001-07:00

Here is a collection of some incredible photos of Lexus LFA ful size sculpture made by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. This sculpture is constructed from transparent acrylic boards that have been sanded and polished. The most impressive thing about sculpture is that its looks so cool as
ice and its seats, instrument panel, engine, suspension, and transaxle can all be seen.

Most Amazing Sculptures In Spain

2012-10-02T23:42:00.003-07:00

Spain is a fabulous country and fantastic tourist destination. You will no doubt find the ideal destination to meet your needs when you go to Spain. Traveling through Spain you see numerous monuments. As you continue traveling you’ll find museums, as well as stunning architecture. Here is collection of some incredible sculpture art around the Spain.

Sculpture In Sitges City

Sculpture In Vigo Cit

Sculpture on the street in Malaga

Sculpture In Cartagena City

Sculpture In Madrid City

Amazing Pizza Sculpture Via

Sculpture In Plaza in Seville

Sculpture In Barcelona City

Sculpture In Madrid City

Sculpture In Barcelona City

Most Beautiful Churches Around The World

2012-10-02T23:32:00.007-07:00

So let’s take a look at some awesome churches which are absolutely incredible architecture work.

Beautiful Church In Shoreline Connecticut, USA

A Church In Reykjavík, Iceland

A Church In Copenhagen, Denmark

A Church In Limassol, Cyprus

Church of Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea in Moscow

A Church In Kerala, India

A Church In Old Florida, USA

A Church In Old Boston, Massachusetts

Chaengwattana Community Church In North Bangkok

A Church In Kizhi, Russia

A Church In New Mexico, USA

A Church In Goa, India

A Church In Steinhausen, Germany

A Church In Reykjavik, Iceland

Three Kings Church In Frankfurt, Germany

A Church In St. Casimir, Vilnius, Lithuania

Riddarholm Church In Sweden

Temple Church in North Dublin, Irelan

A Wonderful Church In Moscow

Russian Orthodox Church of the Nativity, Erie, Pennsylvania

Most Astonishing Staircases

2012-09-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

If you love to travel through the world, we sure after having a looking at stunning photographs staircases like Spiral Staircase at Garvan Institute in Sydney, Australia, Spiral Staircase at the Vatican Museum in Italy and Staircase at Lello Bookshop in Portugal you would absolutely like to have your steps on these amazing stairs during your visit of these countries. Lets take a look at ten world’s most amazing Staircases

Vertigo Staircase at the QVB Building in Australia

KPMG Building in Germany

Staircase at Lello Bookshop in Portugal

Tulip Staircase at the Queen’s House in England

Spiral Staircase at the Vatican Museum in Italy

Residence Antilia, India

2012-09-27T22:21:00.000-07:00

construction has begun on residence antilia despite opposition from those who see it as an ‘excessive’ design in a city where more than 65% of the population live in slums. politics aside and after you recover from the initial shock of seeing a skyscraper that resembles an ikea cd rack, the building actually looks like it may succeed as a stunning, unique, green piece of architecture.

Burj Khalifa, Dubai

2012-09-27T22:19:00.003-07:00

Burj Dubai is the tallest man-made structure in the world. The Burj Dubai had its name officially changed to Burj Khalifa during its grand opening in honor of the president of the U.A.E. H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan. The condensation water collected from the A/C system equals to 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools per year and in turn, used for landscaping. Over 330,000 cubic meters of concrete and 31,400 metric tonnes of steel rebar was used at the completion of the tower. The tower is situated on a man-made lake which is designed to wrap around the tower and to provide dramatic views of it.

Gazprom Headquarters, Russia

2012-09-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

This gigantic, 300m tall glass flame of a building will house the Gazprom Headquarters in St. Petersburg , dwarfing all structures in its vicinity, it will apparently change color up to 10 times per day depending on the position of the sun. The building has already been nicknamed ‘corn on the cob’ by unhappy locals.

Penang Global City Centre, Malaysia

2012-09-23T02:11:00.002-07:00

Asymptote’s design for the PGCC complex is centered on the idea of creating a new and powerful image for the city of Penang and the new initatives associated with the development of the Northern Corridor of Malaysia. The design achieves its elegance and stature through the simultaneous embrace of natural landscapes and contemporary urbanism. The PGCC will become a vital new precinct that complements and enhances the unique characteristics that typify Penang as a remarkable island metropolis. The design of the iconic towers in particular draws inspiration from not only the lushness and drama of the surrounding mountains and seascapes, but also from the rich and diverse cultural heritage that makes up the Malaysian nation and Penang in particular.

Russia Tower, Russia

2012-09-21T03:21:00.000-07:00

The Russia Tower is an unfinished supertall skyscraper, the construction of which is cancelled, in the Moscow International Business Centre of Moscow, Russia. Construction began in September, 2007, and was planned to be completed in 2012. The total area of the structure would cover 520,000 m2 (5,600,000 sq ft), of which 38% (approximately 200,000 m2 (2,200,000 sq ft)) would be located underground. The tower would contain 118 floors, 101 elevators, and underground parking to accommodate 3,680 cars. Commercial retail shops would be located at the base of the building. The maximum capacity of the building was projected to be around 30,000.

Songjiang Hotel, Shanghai

2012-09-17T02:08:00.001-07:00

Atkins has won an international competition to design a five-star resort hotel set within a beautiful water-filled quarry in the Songjiang district close to Shanghai in China. Its stunning concept designs inspired by the natural water and landscape features of the quarry captured the imagination of judges to quash competition from two other international firms.