Want to know Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia will look like when it’s done in 2026? Know what kind of software can enable a disabled artist to paint hands-free? Ever heard of clothes that decompose with you when you die? The answers to all of these questions and more lie within stories we found from the worlds of design, art, and architecture this week. Here are the most beautiful items of the week:
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In some parts of Norway, the sun stays away for three long months of winter. While in Russia, the answer might be UV baths, the sun’s absence in Scandinavia has inspired designers Lisa Pacini and Christine Istad to create Traveling Sun, a mobile multihued LED light sculpture that stands in for the sun.
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Combine robots, 3D graphics, and actors and what do you get? Box, an amazing performance by San Francisco-based engineering firm Bot & Dolly. It’s a short film that explores how the digital world interacts with the real world.
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iPhone, iPhone, and uh, more iPhone. We heard a lot about the new iPhones this week. But we also discovered some completely unrelated wonders like a famous Joy Division designer’s plans to rebrand Kanye West, or an urban farm in a Shanghai mall. Here are some of the loveliest things we found this week:
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Maybe walking around a life-sized maze made of file folders is a hellish work stress dream you’ve had before. But artist Emmanuelle Moreaux has brought a similar idea to life in a rainbow of an installation for Japan’s Shinjuku Creators Festa 2013.
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Marfa, Texas—the high-art colony on the West Texas plains—is home to work from the 20th century’s most famous artists. But the town’s simulacra of a luxury boutique, Prada Marfa, is by far its most well-known piece (it even appeared on Beyonce’s Instagram
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When most Manhattan real estate developers buy up land to build a new tower, they unceremoniously raze any existing structures. But Michael Shvo, a developer and art collector who recently bought a lot near the High Line with the intention of building a new residential tower, decided to have a little fun first.
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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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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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Sadly, Labor Day weekend marks the spiritual end of summer. But don’t fall into the dumps yet, friends. What lies between you and the colder months are both a day off and a some of the best things we found from the realms of art, architecture, and design this week.
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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.
