Maijishan Grottoes
The Maijishan Grottoes are a series of 194 caves cut in the side of the hill of Majishan in Tianshui, Gansu Province, northwest China. This example of rock cut architecture contains over 7,200 Buddhist sculptures and over 1,000 square meters of murals. Construction began in the Later Qin era (384-417 CE). Continue reading »
Vocklabruck Platform in the Middle of a Lake
There’s a wonderfully picturesque spot in Vöcklabruck, Austria where visitors are able to sit in the middle of a pond without getting wet. The scenic landscape includes a path leading down to a hollowed out circular area where people can take a seat and relax amongst nature. It’s a surreal journey along the gradual ramp to the observational platform as the water level gains height either side. Once in the resting area, depending on perspective, visitors seem like they’re wading in the lake without a drop of water on them. Continue reading »
Emergency Slide May Save Your Life
An emergency slide is tried out in a building in Shanghai, China. The stainless steel chute has been attached to the banister of the stairs. The idea is that in an emergency the slide would be deployed and people would use it to exit the building quickly rather than using the stairs. According to inventor Zhou Miaorong people using the slide could escape from a five-storey building in 14 seconds. (Imaginechina / Rex Feature)
Shanghai Building Ridiculed for Resembling a Boot
The LAVENU Center in Shanghai has become the latest of a series of buildings in China to be ridiculed by internet users. The structure has been nicknamed Boot Tower because its L shape appears reminiscent of a boot. The tower was designed by Japanese architect Jun Aoki. (Imaginechina / Rex Features)
The Interior of the Fourviere Basilica in Lyon
The interior of the Fourviere Basilica in Lyon is seen after seven years of restoration. (PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)
Roll It: Experimental House
Students from University of Karlsruhe, Germany, Christian Zwick and Konstantin Jerabek have designed this unique experimental revolving house called Roll It, based on the concept of “mobile and space-efficient construction”. The design offers flexible housing in a minimum space.
The cylindrical house features a very unique interior setting which changes its functions depending on the orientation. The workspace in one position becomes bedroom when rolled 180 degrees and the kitchen becomes bathroom. The center of the structure can be used both for sports activities as well as for lighting control. Continue reading »
Boat Roofed Shed in Wales
Boat Roofed shed is Owned by sheddie: Alex Holland. The roof is an upturned boat! It is located at an altitude of 750ft above sea level in the Cambrian Mountain range near Machynlleth in mid Wales. It is full of nautical nonsense befitting a boat turned upside down up a mountain! It has a 20w solar panel trickle feeding a leisure battery which powers 3 pairs of ultra-brite L.E.D. lights and a 12v sound system. There is a 12v/gas refrigerator and a bottled gas cooker with 2 burners, a grill, and an oven.
Also has a small ‘Belfast sink’ plumbed in. It is heated by a 19th century French enamel wood burning stove. The chimney is an old king pole from a circus big top that used to house elephants know as ‘The elephant shed’! The shed is made completely from recycled materials except for the 12v system. 3 sets of chimes from inside mantelpiece clocks have been screwed into the centre board of the boat and you can play them with a big nail. Continue reading »
The Safe House
The Safe House by KWK PROMES is located in a small village on the outskirts of Warsaw, Poland. Surrounding the area, many of the buildings are “Polish cubes” from the 60s and old wooden barns. The house was designed so that the homeowners never feel unsafe or exposed. The result is something of a modern fortress with lots of movable parts and secret openings, complete with a working drawbridge. Continue reading »
Chinese Farmer Builds Apocalypse-Proof ‘Noah’s Ark’ Pods
Liu Qiyuan, a Chinese farmer from the village of Qiantun in northern Hebei Province, located just south of Beijing, has built what he describes as “Noah’s Ark” survival pods in case of a cataclysmic event. Photos by Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images. Continue reading »
CHIP House Powered by Solar Energy
CHIP is a prefab, net-zero solar-powered house designed and built by a student-run team from two Southern California schools: Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The house is the team’s entry for the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011 competition. Continue reading »
Grave Interruption: Building Around a Tomb in China
Workers lay the foundation for a residential complex around a solitary tomb site in Taiyuan, China’s Shanxi province, Dec. 6. (AP) Continue reading »
Model of Hogwarts Castle
Production Designer Stuart Craig was on hand today at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter to reveal one of the best kept secrets of the tour: the incredibly detailed model of Hogwarts castle used in the films. Continue reading »
The Barcode Project
The sunset is reflected in the buildings of The Barcode Project in Oslo, Norway. The new high-rise buildings are part of a redevelopment on former dock and industrial land in the city. (Cornelius Poppe/Scanpix)
The City that Builts into the Rock
Setenil de las Bodegas is a small town in the province of Cádiz, Spain. Named after its once flourishing wineries – bodegas – Setenil de las Bodegas (which means Setenil of the Wine Cellars) is unique among the pueblos blancos, white villages, of Andalucia and particularly famous for its dwellings built into the rock overhangs. The town extends along the course of the Rio Trejo with some houses being built into the rock walls of the gorge itself, created by enlarging natural caves or overhangs and adding an external wall. Continue reading »
Inflatable Trampoline Bridge Proposal by Atelier Zündel Cristea
Paris based Atelier Zündel Cristea have introduced this proposal for an inflatable bridge complete with three giant trampolines for pedestrians to enjoy. There are plenty of bridges al over in Paris, across the River Seine that carry cars, trains, cyclists, and pedestrians from the Left Bank to the Right. This time, AZC s came up with an original idea that would involve pedestrians. The atelier designed the bridge as its entry for a competition organized by Archtriumph, a website whose sole purpose is to organize competitions. It would be constructed from giant PVC rings inflated with more than 130,000 cubic feet of air. Continue reading »
Architectural Metaamorphosis
People look at a projection on the Cathedral de la Treille, called “Architectural Metaamorphosis”, by artist “Cosmo Av” in Lille, northern France as part of the Lille Fanstastic festival. (Getty)
An Environmental Island Floating on the Equatorial Pacific
An epic project by Japanese company Shimz Corporation. A city that grows just like a lily floating on the water. A city of the equatorial region where sunlight is plentiful and the impact of typhoons is minimal. An area rising 700-1,000m above the equator. Continue reading »
Nemo 33: World’s Deepest Swimming Pool
Located in Brussels, Belgium, the ‘Nemo 33’ is a diving center that has the world’s deepest swimming pool. Designed by Belgian diving expert John Beernaerts, the pool is 108-feet deep (34.5-meters deep), and contains 2.5 million liters of non-chlorinated, high-filtered spring water that’s kept at a temperature of 86-degrees Fahrenheit (30-degrees Celsius). Continue reading »
The Coolest University Dorm that You Can Imagine
Tietgenkollegiet or The Tietgen Residence Hall in Denmark is the coolest dormitory that you can imagine. The circular building has a very modern-looking yet well-thought design perfect both for studying and leisure.
The dormitory has 360 spacious rooms shaped as a pie slices. Their wide end facing the outer side of the building has either a big balcony or a French window. Each room has a toilet and a shower with a heated floor. There are comfy lounges and big kitchens shared by every 12 apartments. Tietgenkollet has a bike park, a large hall, movable bars for parties, quiet rooms for reading and studying and two music rooms with a piano and a drum set. Continue reading »
Abandoned Space Observatory in Puerto Rico
The Arecibo Observatory is a radio telescope near the city of Arecibo in Puerto Rico. You may recognize it from various movies such as GoldenEye or The Losers, TV series like The X-Files or even video games (GoldenEye 007 or Just Cause 2). The observatory’s 305 m (1,000 ft) radio telescope is the largest single-aperture telescope ever constructed. Continue reading »
Stunning, Futuristic Redesign of IBM’s Office Buildings
Let’s have a look at IBM’s new high tech office buildings in Rome, Italy. They’ve been entirely renovated and largely expanded to give this amazing futuristic-like environment full of LEDs. Continue reading »
Bota Bota: The Floating Spa of Montreal
Bota Bota is a mid-century ferryboat resting on the St Lawrence river, Montreal, Canada. It has been restored and converted into a unique spa resort for 10 million dollars. The spa is set on 5 levels for a total surface of 3150m² (33,900 sq. ft.) and has pretty much everything you’d expect from a spa plus the beautiful view! Continue reading »
Palais Namaskar: Luxury Hotel & Spa in Marrakech
There are some places that are not easily described. Just as there are some experiences that are not easily compared. The luxury Palais Namaskar Marrakech hotel is both. Proudly standing amongst the gems of the Oetker Collection – a one-of-a-kind collection of masterpiece hotels – Palais Namaskar is also a member of the esteemed Leading Hotels of the World. Continue reading »
The “Suburban House” Project
Homes 25-feet under the sea are a real life Octopus’s Garden. Like the famous Beatle’s song the modern and suburban houses have been created by British artist Jason de Claires-Taylor as homes for all the fish, lobsters and octopuses that would normally live in the reef. (Barcroft) Continue reading »
Unusual and Creative Staircase Designs
Collection of unusual and creative staircase designs from around the world.
Levitate Architects came up with this ingenious solution to a book storage problem and created a loft-like bedroom nestled under the roof of the top-floor apartment. Continue reading »
