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Tech News
Behold a Once-Lost Plan for a Central Park That Might Have Been
When the Board of Commissioners of Central Park decided it was time to build Central Park in 1857, they announced a design contest with a prize to the tune of $2,000 (around $50,000 today). Obviously, it was Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s design won. But there were 33 other failed entries, only five of … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
Tech NewsDesign
Eating In Concrete Tubes Is Not As Dystopian As It Sounds
Pretty much anyone who walks into a bar or diner in a group is scanning for a booth. It’s just nicer to eat five plates of cheese fries in your own space. And the architects at Australian firm Techne clearly agree because they used concrete pipes to create seating spaces in the redesigned bar at … Continued
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io9
These Examples of Surrealist Architecture Will Make You Feel Dizzy
These buildings come from an alternate universe, one where architecture isn’t bound by the rules of gravity—or perhaps even taste. Some of these concept buildings are pretty neat, but we get vertigo just looking at others. Works of Victor Enrich (via Weburbanist andVictor Enrich) Fictional Buildings by Xavier Delory (via Designboom) Works of Filip Dujardin … Continued
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Tech NewsDesign
Most Beautiful Items: July 6 – July 12, 2013
It’s July, so it’s hot as crap outside. In most parts of the country, it’s so balmy you’re sitting inside in your underwear with the freezer open trying to stay cool. But for a different kind of reprieve, here are some of the best design posts we found this week. This Stylish Watch Lets Blind … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
Tech News
This Is Why We Light Up Buildings at Night
Think of the Chrysler Building. Now picture it at night. It’s even more beautiful when its jeweled top is illuminated with glowing yellow lights. But before the 1930s, lighting wasn’t exactly used artfully. In fact, the term “architecture of the night” was coined by architect Raymond Hood in this 1930 pamphlet published by General Electric. … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
io9
Could these be the most futuristic shoes ever made?
Rem D. Koolhaas, nephew of superstar architect Rem Koolhaas, has co-founded a futuristic shoe company called United Nude. According to MediaBistro, they’re known for their “Möbius strip-inspired heels, angular wedges, and carbon-fiber construction,” and these latest shoes are probably the craziest yet. No “Möbius stripper shoes” jokes, please. These shoes, called the Novas, are a … Continued
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Tech NewsSamsung
Samsung’s New R&D Office Will Be a San Jose Beacon
Another day, another gleaming Silicon Valley headquarters. Today, it’s Samsung, which broke ground on this dazzling 650,00-square-foot office in San Jose this morning. How does it stack up, so to speak, with its nearby peers? The building (which is actually just one of four projects Samsung has going on nearby) will serve as a research … Continued
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Tech News
A Hotel Full of Secret Rooms Invites an Epic Game of Hide-and-Seek
The Suitcase House Hotel is the perfect place to hide out. It has an entire network of rooms hidden beneath the floorboards, like an architectural Swiss Army knife. Check out these amazing hiding places—or, as the hotel probably refers to them, the places where you brush your teeth and sleep. Created by Hong Kong-based architect … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
Tech NewsDesign
Lincoln’s Pyramid: Failed Proposals For DC’s Most Famous Monuments
Retronostalgia is the air. Last week, we looked six New Yorks that could have been. And this week, National Geographic takes a similar look at D.C., for which there are veritable heaps of unbuilt memorials. Ever wondered what the Lincoln Memorial would look like, had it been built by ancient Egyptians? As you might imagine, … Continued
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Tech NewsDesign
How a Design Trend Is Helping Prevent Wildfires in the American West
As wildfires escalate year by year, fire prevention is becoming even more important. And prevention doesn’t always mean Smokey Bear PSAs. In fact, the lumber industry has developed a symbiotic relationship with the very material feeding many of the fires. It’s called Beetle Kill Wood, and you’ve probably seen it, even if you don’t recognize … Continued
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Tech NewsDesign
The Largest Building Ever Constructed Has Opened in China
At what point does a building become a city? At 1.7 million square meters, the New Century Global Center lands somewhere between the two. New Century, which has been under construction since spring of 2012 (which isn’t long, for a building of this size), opened officially on July 1. The 18-story, glass-and-steel frame structure sits … Continued
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io9
Intricate illustrations of elaborate and impossible buildings
Toby Melville-Brown began his Tower series as a fanciful mishmash of his favorite architectural styles. But as his towers grew more elaborate and fanciful, he began to imagine the futures in which these buildings might exist. Melville-Brown explains that he is fascinated by the “synthetic landscape” of human civilization, and to that end, he imagines … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9
Designer creates a narrow house suspended between two sheets of fabric
Tanya Shukstelinsky’s Cocoon project is a whimsical take on urban housing, imagining a world in which skinny dwellings are made from cleverly segregated sheets of fabric. Shukstelinsky created this prototype, which she describes as “temporary living spaces for urban nomads,” as part of her final year project Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem. … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
Tech News
Magnificent Lego Acropolis Is Made of 120,000 Bricks
Over 300 hours of hard work went into creating this Lego Acropolis. Starting tomorrow, builder Ryan McNaught—AKA TheBrickMan—will be displaying his creation at Sydney’s Nicholson Museum. The classical build comes complete with a minifig Oedipus stabbing his eyes out, with blood spilling over the stage. This build is a bit tongue-in-cheek, as it features a … Continued
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Tech NewsSploid
An incredible image of the Chrysler Building shot by Jason Hawkes. Jason is a professional aerial photographer. His photos are always so perfect they look almost unreal. Here’s a video too, showing New York City’s always impressive architecture. Have a great day! You’re reading Kinja’s front page, the showcase of the very best, must-see stories … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
io9Movies
The New Lego Tower of Orthanc Is Simply Gigantabulous
Lord of the Rings and Lego fans of the world, get ready to sink $200 in the new 2359-piece, 28-inch tall Lego Tower of Orthanc set, which includes six floors: dungeon, entrance hall, Saruman’s throne room, alchemy room, library and the secret attic to which you can access using a secret stair. It’s now available … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech News
12-Foot-Tall Lego One World Trade Center Lives Up to Its Inspiration
The Lego Discovery Center in Westchester County, New York, has unveiled a new masterpiece: a 110-pound, 4,873 brick, 12-foot-tall model of One World Trade Center. It’s spectacular. What better way to celebrate the Fourth of July than with an absolutely stunning replica of the building that represents the indomitable American spirit? In the image above, … Continued
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Tech NewsDesign
MoMA’s New Playground Is Woven From the Bones of 3,000 Skateboards
Every year, MoMA PS1 gives a young architect $100k to build an experimental party pavilion—read: a shading device for events—in the gravely courtyard of its Queens arm. This weekend, the museum unveiled this year’s space: A 38-foot-tall wall fabricated out of scraps from an Ithaca skateboard factory. MoMA’s Young Architects Program has been around for … Continued
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io9
Gorgeous Old Movie Theaters That Have Fallen Into Ruin
Movie theaters used to be glamorous places, like music halls or opera houses. The spectacle of the movie-going experience extended out into the actual look and feel of the cinema. But many of these ornate old movie theaters have fallen into disrepair, and look like gorgeous disaster areas. The Hulme Hippodrome but known as the … Continued
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Tech NewsGoogle
This Is Google’s New $1 Billion London HQ
Google’s about to invest a staggering amount of money in building a new UK head office, with the company applying to create an enormous, 11-storey HQ in the renovated King’s Cross area of London. The building’s multi-levelled, ranging from seven stories high at one end to 11 at the other, with Google’s architect claiming the … Continued
Gary Cutlack - Gizmodo UK