Architecture

Classic European and Asian medieval Castles Over 140 Hi-res images

What type of house would you live in or build if you were a celebrity? Would you build a home that depicts your hobbies, or would you build a place that is so “you” or so overpriced that you couldn’t sell it no matter how hot the market? With those questions in mind, we sought the ten top most ridiculous, obnoxious, and just plain ugly celebrity pads around. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so what we think is tacky might seem gorgeous and practical to another beholder…

Everybody knows what the Empire State Building looks like. That's why Rick Bell, the head of the Center for Architecture, didn't put the famous skyscraper on his list of 10 great buildings to see in New York.

But the list from the Center for Architecture, which is the American Institute for Architects chapter in New York, does include the Conde Nast Building in Times Square, which is considered the first green skyscraper; the Apple store in Soho, noted for its glass bridge and staircase; and the Seagram Building, the only design in New York by famed architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

Korea architectural company Heerim Architects trying to depart from accepted standards in the construction of skyscrapers, and an example of this is the project of two disc-skyscrapers to be built in Baku. Gemini they not be called, because they are different in appearance, but united by their similar form, location and function: they will be located on two adjacent peninsula in the same bay Caspian Sea, and the two will become hotels. Full Moon Hotel (photo) will be in the form of disk, to symbolize a full moon and look quite different, depending on what side and under what angle look at it.storey building will contain 382 rooms for guests and reaches a height of 158 m. Crescent Hotel (photo below) is in the form of arcs and symbolizes the crescent, and it just short of his sister-"Moonstruck" and rises to a height of 32 - floors.

Following the star forts post a couple of weeks ago I became immersed in a world of aerial geometry due to the fact that I find it hard to research a topic for this site and not explore everything related to it. To be honest, star forts are pretty impossible to beat for impressiveness but these circular communities are still quite stunning. There’s a wikipedia link and google maps link for each example apart from the one in brondby - if anyone knows more about it let us know.

In the Japanese paperfolding art of origami, cutting the paper is frowned upon. But in 1981, Masahiro Chatani, professor of Architecture at Tokyo Institute of Technology proved that papercutting could indeed produce stunning pieces of art.

Along with his colleague Keiko Nakazawa, Chatani developed Origamic Architecture, a variation of kirigami (itself a variation of origami where cuts were allowed), where you only needed an X-acto knife and a ruler to create complex 3-dimensional structures out of a single sheet of paper.

This deeply philosophical statement out of the way, allow me to introduce you to the most fascinating and soaring examples in bridge architecture - the structures that can be considered a destination in themselves, not just a means to get from point A to point B.

From a distance this skyscraper, to be completed in 2009 in chicago, will seem quite traditional. It'll only be when you get close and look up, that you can appreciate the ripple/jelly effect created by variously sized balconies from top to bottom. Now read about it and have a look at the pictures.

Shanghai Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center is planned as an international sports event center to symbolize development of the outskirts of Shanghai City, in Min-hang District. It is expected to create a world-class tennis center compared with the Wimbledon in London and the Roland Garros in Paris on a 15ha site. We aimed to realize the city's development into movable roof system for the main stadium in this sports center, which is introduced for sports stadiums for the first time in China. The national flower of China is Paeonia suffruticosa, therefore, we designed and proposed a beautiful international tennis sports center as the main stadium is like the flower.

These tables and benches might look like they're covered in water, something that you wouldn't want to sit down at to eat a meal due to the obvious soggy nature of the meal. Well, you'd be wrong, as you could sit down at this magical furniture and stand up as dry as a bone.

Yep, these pieces of art were created in Japan, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka and installed by Olafur Eliasson. They're actually made out of fancy, sure-to-be-expensive glass of the type used in telescopes. The optical glass gives the illusion of being water while retaining all the properties of, well, glass. It looks awesome and I'd love to have something like this in my house, at least until I got bored with it which, let's be honest, wouldn't take long.

Welcome to a new and innovative architecture perspective.
It's called Dynamic Architecture. Isn't life about dynamics as well?
Our buildings keep moving, forever changing their shape to better fit your imagination.
And to better fit nature as well. Our buildings follow the sun and move to the wind. So it's nature itself that gives them a full energy supply.
In return, we pay nature more respect, building our towers with a ready-made technology for a more efficient and environment friendly implementation.
Our architecture rotates 360° for a wider vision of the world, of nature, of the future, of life.
This is our vision. Become a visionary yourself.

Do you have the courage to fly to one of these airports?

Unless you're on par with the likes of James Bond, or frequently find yourself escaping from super-villains, it's unlikely that you have any real need for a staircase that disappears at the touch of a button.

But just in case, allow me to introduce disappearing "Wall Stairs," designed by Aaron Tang. Check out this nifty stair invention here.

How beautiful can a bridge be? Isn't it only there to cross the water?

Asia wins the wacky award time and again with their creative, yet impractical, architectural monstrosities.

Check out Asia's Most Unusual Buildings.

Sim Jae-Duck was born in a restroom and now he plans to live and die in one -- a 1.6 million dollar toilet-shaped house designed to promote his tireless campaign for cleaner loos worldwide. Sim will open what is billed as the world's one and only toilet house on November 11 to mark the launch of his World Toilet Association. - Find more on Freshome

The rock band, U2, is teaming up with Irish property developers to build the tallest building in Ireland.

The “U2 Tower” includes a “pod” studio suspended from the building’s apex, as well as wind turbines and solar panels as part of a commitment to renewable energy.

The 600-foot tall luxury apartment complex also will feature 34 social and affordable flats, the Telegraph reports.

The bidding process for the building was controversial, as the cutting edge U2 design won out against several other reputable firms, including one sponsored by the band itself.

If you’re in the market for a home but nothing seems to satisfy your taste, then perhaps the homes listed below will fire your creative urges. Or, maybe you’ll just be satisfied with an office space inside a building built like a basket. From small buildings to constructions shaped like flying saucers, you’ll be amazed at what some architects and builders have created. Many of the homes listed below are for rent or for sale, so you may have a chance to wow your friends with these incredible abodes.

Via

Doesn't give much incentive to stay out of there! Who will want to come out?

When you have workers who don't care for what they're building, and architects with very little common sense, then you'd better not panic when you see results. Mournful cries like "Oh No!", "You've ruined it!", "Can it possibly be rebuilt??" are not going to help, while a simple "Oops!" would also sound like a gross understatement. In many cases the architectural horrors shown on this page were left "as is", without any fixes. The tenants and businesses moved into these structures, leaving passerbyes and photographers to marvel at their idiotic construction.

For your amazement: Architectural Wonders - HQ Wallpapers 64 Images… World on Your Desktop… Enjoy…

"Koban", or Japanese Police Boxes, are commonly found on street corners in cities or towns, large or small, across Japan.

Here are the top 10 most strange looking Koban.

There’s a lot of debate about what the tallest tower in the world currently is. Some say the Taipei 101, at 1671 ft to the tip of it’s spire, is the world’s tallest tower, whereas we might argue that the Sears Tower, at a whopping 1731 ft (and 110 stories), still takes the prize. However, if the enormous, 13,000 ft X-Seed 4000 structure ever gets built in Tokyo - it will win the worlds-tallest-building competition hands down and leave its puny competitors in the dirt.

Some have called the idea outlandish. A better word seems to be insane. And yet, Dynamic Architecture, a company in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, is marching ahead with their plans for a skyscraper powered by wind turbines.

Check out the amazing
Twisting Skyscraper Powered by WInd.

What are you going to be doing on 7-07-07, arguably the luckiest day to come along in decades?

Those of us with the gambling bug are taking note and hoping to hit a jackpot (of any kind, really). If you want to amass a fortune, here are the 7 Best Casinos in which you're sure to get lucky.

This first hand experiences of the world of the blind force you to savor your meal fully concentrating on your senses of taste, smell, touch and sound. And of course the restaurant is painted black.

You are escorted by waiters wearing night vision goggles into the pitch dark dining room to your seats. Flashlights, mobile phones and even luminous watches are not allowed while in this area.

The idea is not novel. The concept was started by the Blind-Liecht (Swiss German for blind-light) foundation. The foundation works to create employment opportunities for blind and visually impaired people. Similar hotels then came up in Paris, Berlin, London and multiple cities in Canada, United States, Russia and Australia.

And if you end up dropping your food you could tidy up neat since the wash rooms are well lit!