A team of Australian researchers recently climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa with a 3D scanner and came back with the most detailed map of the building ever. At first you might think that the beautiful results were meant for a museum, but this detailed scan will help scientists protect it from ruin.
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While most of the supertall building boom spotlight has been placed China and the UAE over the past few months, there’s an even more staggering development happening much, much closer to home. At least four 1,000-foot-plus skyscrapers are set to rise along (or adjacent to) West 57th Street over the next few years, each of the tall enough to change the city’s skyline forever.
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Eating at home is a joy for many reasons—not least of which that pants are not required for entry—but if you’re going to go out (and you have the cashola), why not make it an evening to remember at a place that’s as well-designed as it is delicious? Like, say, one of the winner’s of this year’s independent Restaurant and Bar Design Awards.
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Dan Barasch, the co-founder of the Lowline, gets calls all the time from people who think his underground “culture park" already exists. In fact, the project’s successful 2012 Kickstarter campaign was only the first step in the old-fashioned process of politicking, fundraising and engineering. A year later, a look at the renderings versus reality, and the ongoing question of what exactly the Lowline will be.
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Free Spirit Spheres is unlike your typical hotel. Instead of housing rooms in buildings, they’re offering guests accommodations in spherical treehouses. They look pretty basic on the outside, but don’t let its exteriors fool you because the rooms are quite pleasant on the inside.
Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, a stay at the Free Spirit Spheres starts around $145 Canadian (~$140 USD) a night. Each floating orb is constructed from wood and fiberglass, and cost upwards of $150,000(USD) to construct.
You might want to skip this place if you’re afraid of heights, since you’ll be sleeping 10 to 15 feet above the ground if you choose to stay at Free Spirit Spheres. But if you’re up for an adventure, then why not?
Sometimes you have a week that’s just so mind-numbingly long you just want to stare off into space. But if you’re going to stare, why not gaze on interesting buildings, pieces of art, and wonders of the world of design. We’ve got you covered with the most beautiful items of the week.
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When the Houston Astrodome opened in 1965, it was hailed as technological marvel, the first enclosed, air-conditioned stadium ever—and the "eighth wonder of the world," according to some Texans. By 1995, it was so dilapidated that players refused to use it. Today, it’s an abandoned shell with a different nickname: “the lonely landmark.” And no one knows quite what to do with it.
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If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to climb around M.C. Escher’s never ending staircase, you can give it a try right now on the lawn of the Tate Modern in London. Architecture firm dRMM has set up on installation that combines 15 wooden stairways, creating a dizzying maze designed to confuse visitors.
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Kings Theater, in Flatbush Brooklyn, is more like a palace than a theater. This 1920s building dates back to a time when seeing a movie was an event—and both the people and the architecture was gussied up accordingly. Kings deteriorated quickly when in closed in the 1970s—but now, a small army of specialists is hell bent on restoring its former glory.
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While the Arab Spring and its resulting political upheavals have firmly held the world’s attention over the past two years, the Middle East’s conflicts are, sadly, far from the only ones going on. Wars in North, West, and East Africa have displaced millions of people and killed untold more. Those lucky enough to escape with their lives often end up living in a squalorous political limbo in one of these massive "temporary" encampments—like nine of the largest, below.
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This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
