Category Archives: Architecture

Concept: Decorate & color your walls without paint

Change It! by Amirko aka Amirkhan Abdurakhmanov

Change It!  Designed by Amirko.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to have the ability to change the look and feel of the rooms in your home without the hastle of dealing with messy paint?  Concept designer Amirko has thought up a way to do just that.  The wall of colorful squares you see in the image above is actually made up of many small triangles.  Each triangle features a different color; some are black, white, and rainbow-colored.  With slight manipulation you can spin the triangles to create various designs to decorate an entire wall.  Neat, huh?  Check out the gallery below for some more designs.

[Via YankoDesign; Gizmodo]

‘Experience the void’ at the Guggenheim: come happy, leave injured

JDS Architects have come up with a wild n’ wacky idea to fill up the void at the Guggenheim Museum, that is, the wide open space inside the building.  JDS invites you to “experience the void” by bouncing your way from the top to the bottom of the museum via a trampoline net.  Design Boom points out that “this idea plays on Frank Lloyd Wright’s original scenography for the Guggenheim in which he envisioned patrons visiting the exhibition from the top, downwards.”  Problem is, this method of transportation in the building would likely result in one too many tragic body traumas.  Take a deep breath, it’s only a concept; and due to such safety concerns, it will likely remain just that.  But it’s a fun idea, is it not?

[Via DesignBoom; Gizmodo]

3D wall projections appear frightenly realistic

From NuFormer Digital Media comes intruiging wall projections on buildings.  They’ve created these “high-skill 3D video mapping projections” that can be custom-made to fit a variety of buildings.  My favorite projection is the one that makes the structure look like water is shooting out from all crevices.  What’s yours?

[Via KPeriera twitter page; YouTube]

Solar-powered ‘mobile lounge’ rocks my world

The MercuryHouseOne, designed by Architecture and Vision, is built from Carrara marble and the rooftop is fitted with solar panels to power the interior space.  This bubble home can be occupied as “a portable pavilion, an outdoors office, a room, or even an off-grid natural retreat.”  I can totally see myself using it as a “blogger’s pad,” a place to retreat when times get busy.  The roundess and space-age theme add to the modern touches that I have become accostomed to.  Well done, A & V, well done.  Additional images below.

[Via Inhabitat; Gizmodo]

A man named Wilkinson calls this ultimate tree house home

This giant tree house dubbed “The Wilkinson Residence” is located in Portland, Oregon.  It is made entirely of natural wood and contains modern archetectural designs such as curved edges and round windows.  Take a peek into the gallery below for some detailed exterior and interior shots of the home.  Just imagine living in this thing!

[Via Gizmodo]

Watch the ultimate fireworks show celebrate the grand opening of the Burj Dubai

The world’s tallest man-made structure is finally open for business.  The Burj Dubai skyscraper stands at 2,717 feet tall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  Having followed its construction cycle, it’s time to finally celebrate its completion with the most intricate fireworks display.  Also make sure to peek after the break to see a beautiful time lapse of the Dubai skyline.

[Via Gizmodo, here & here]

Continue reading Watch the ultimate fireworks show celebrate the grand opening of the Burj Dubai

Glass house has its pluses and minuses

Glass concept home.  Designed by Santambrogiomilano.

This home constructed from “extraclear” glass is a very modern beautiful residence that would make me feel relaxed and worried at the same time.  On one hand a completely transparent home can provide for a great viewing of the night’s starry sky; on the other, I would constantly be worried about breaking a piece of glass that could potentially shatter the entire structure into pieces.  Any way you look at it, this is one fine design by architectural group, Santambrogiomilano.

[Via ApartmentTherapy; Gizmodo]

The Burj Dubai in 2.3 GIGApixels!

As we inch closer to the official grand opening of the largest skyscraper in the world, the Burj Dubai, I share with you a 2.3 gigapixel photo of the massive 2,684 foot tall structure.  Well technically the image you see above is just the antenna that sticks out at the very top tip of the structure.  (But what detail!)  The image file is so large it would “break the Internet” if it were to be sent through the pipes.  In fact, if this image was printed out at 150 pixels per inch, it would be over 37 feet high!  Because of this, photographer Gerald Donovan has created a video “tour” of the photograph where he zooms in and out of detail:

The Burj Dubai opens January 4, 2010.

[Via Gizmodo]

Christmas tree made from 1,000 Heineken beer bottles

sustainable design, green design, recycled materials, green christmas tree, china beer bottle xmas tree, nanjing road, shanghai, repurposed beer bottle christmas tree

Chinese designers decided to go all out this year by constructing a Christmas tree out of 1,000 FULL Heineken beer bottles.  Yeah, that’s a lot of beer right there, just waiting to get toppled over and wasted.  Though the bright green hue of the large stature is quite impressive, the designers could have been a bit more eco-friendly if they were to use the limitless number of empty beer bottles at the ready.  Anyway, check out some close-up shots in more detail in the gallery below.  The “tree” is located in Shanghai, China.

[Via Gizmodo; Inhabitat]

This “Fantasy Landscape” is psychedelic, man

Visiona 2.  Designed by Verner Panton.

In 1970, contemporary designer Verner Panton was commissioned to create this “Fantasy Landscape” environment aboard a rented pleasure boat.  His goal was “to promote various synthetics products in connection with home furnishings.”

The resulting room installation consisting of vibrant colours and organic forms is one of the principal highlights of Panton’s work. In terms of design history this installation is regarded as one of the major spatial designs of the second half of the twentieth century.

I really dig the entire vibe of Panton’s work.  The furniture, lighting, shapes, colors, and textures of the rooms are very psychedelic and modern.  When we finally discover how to live on other planets, I can totally picture homes and rooms taking inspiration from his work.

[Via KanyeBlog]

Steel pipe factory receives an extension…made of giant pipes.

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects will be constructing an extended office for a steel pipe factory with giant pipes.  These giant pipes are usually made to create wind turbines; as architectural elements, they will serve a dual purpose of housing and controlling air flow.  I’m really digging the mock up images of this “pipe dream” (ha! get it?) office.  This is definitely an architectural detour from the norm and hopefully it can inspire others to think outside the box and create buildings and structures with such unique design.

[Via Gizmodo; Dezeen]

Plaza del Torico sprinkled in LED lights

The Plaza del Torico, located in Teruel, Spain, has undergone a recent change in looks.  Over 1,230 LED lamps have been embedded in the pavement of the plaza.  The large scale system has been configured so that colors and patterns can sequentially change.  And that’s that; Teruel, Spain is now on my list of places to visit in the near future.

[Via Gizmodo]