Category: architecture

Tiny Houses on Tiny Islands

November 8th, 2009

Even as an adult, the whole idea of a “secret hideaway” never lost its appeal. I still daydream about escaping to tiny cabins in the middle of nowhere to be alone with books, projects or a special someone.

The Tiny House Blog has a nice little collection of island cabins.

Something about these isolated capsules of comfort is almost meditative.

Granted, they are not the most convenient locations, and in the event of a storm or intense food craving (both of which are equally severe in my opinion) you’re pretty much out of luck.

However, I’d be willing to chance it for a few days and simply show up fortified with oil lanterns and an array of sweets.

See more here.
The Kid’s Republic Bookstore

October 22nd, 2009

For those sick of my Halloween posts, here’s something totally unrelated. The Kid’s Republic Bookstore.

This space was designed by Sako, Japan’s leading architecture firm, for Poplar Picture Bookstore, Japan’s largest children’s book publisher.

I think it’s a phenomenal idea to use space and architecture to appeal to childhood imagination. What better way to have kids form positive associations with books than to make them feel like they’re walking around in a giant game of Chutes and Ladders (do they still make that game, or am I just an old fossil?)?

Source
Upcycled Outdoor Retreat

August 5th, 2009

I really wish I had some spare windows and lumber lying around to build one of these in my back yard.

I might have to avoid it in the summer due to the greenhouse effect, but I would LOVE to spend stormy afternoons and evenings protected in my own little glass chamber. It’s the perfect place for reading, meals, relaxation…even the occasional camp out.

Source
Christoph Morlinghaus

June 22nd, 2009

Christoph Morlinghaus has a lovely minimalist website that lets his photography speak for itself. I am particularly fond of his empty church photographs.

These images beautifully highlight the complexity of architectural design that went into some of these structures.

Although I don’t personally attend any kind of church, I admire the form…the geometry…the vehicles of worship that human beings create.

There is something majestic and grand (one might even say a certain sci-fi quality) in the aura of these photos.

See more church photography in the rest of portfolio 1 and other great photographs on his site.
Louvre Abu Dhabi

June 7th, 2009

Freshome recently posted about a lighting concept for the Louvre Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

The museum design incorporates light, water and a very unconventional layout.

[There] are thousands of little breaks, edges and holes that allow for a flurry of warm and charming sun light to slice in through the ceiling like the canopy of a rain forest.

As you walk down the pavilions, plazas, alleyways and canals that seemingly float as sea level, the sunlight will hit the interior of the gallery space in completely new and exciting ways.

I would love to visit a place with this lighting scheme and be showered in tiny beams of light.
A Device to Root Out Evil

March 22nd, 2009

What better way to end Christian Covers Theme Week than with a controversial building entitled A Device to Root Out Evil.

This upside-down church by Dennis Oppenheim couldn’t find a permanent home in New York, San Francisco or Vancouver without encountering protest.

Here’s the story if you want to know more.

Source
House of Straw

January 18th, 2009

Carolyn Roberts’ House of Straw warms my heart. She built it herself out of natural matierals, with the help of a consultant and many kind friends.

It began with a tract of land outside of Tuscon, AZ…

And ended with a beautiful, charming and surprisingly cost effective little home:

Everything is explained, photographed and documented here.
Outrageous Architecture Week: Paper

December 8th, 2008

Oops…I thought I had posted this yesterday. I wanted to finish up the week by showing something that is not traditional brick and mortar, but nonetheless indicative of outstanding architectural skill.

Ingrid Siliakus was inspired by Masahiro Chatani and began creating her own paper sculptures in the 1980’s.

She has done international buildings, inspired by actual structures.

Some are “abstract” buildings:

Others involve reflection:

Ingrid states that working with this art form has given her personal means of expressing. Her designing skills have grown over the years. Her specialties are buildings of master architects and intricate abstract sculptures. Her source of inspiration by these abstract sculptures are works of artists like M.C. Escher. –Source

Well this certainly trumps my childhood pop up books:

Have a look at her galleries.

Many beautiful sculptures in her flickr sets as well.
Outrageous Architecture Week: Antti Lovag

December 7th, 2008

Antti Lovag re-evaluated his viewpoint on architecture after his health began to suffer and he experienced a heart attack.

Lovag’s mortality instilled a feeling of (and desire for) complete freedom. Rebelling against the structures of traditional architecture, he “began experimenting with frameworks that could be bent and changed and with techniques of concrete surfacing. That way, forms could move again.”

This is not simply a “bubble house,” but an incorporation of form, function and nature. He utilizes mineral, vegetable, water, image, sound, light and view (which he describes) for a habitat that feels truly organic.

Yes, this is architecture with a complex and detailed philosophy.

And I love how, from certain angles, it looks like the hillside is afflicted with blistering pox (or perhaps some sort of giant alien tentacle).
Outrageous Architecture Week: Churches

December 6th, 2008

Although I am not a churchgoer, I’m a big fan of interesting church architecture (and there is a lot of it out there).

For example, The Hallgrímskirkja Church in Iceland:

At first I couldn’t quite remember what it reminded me of…then I realized it was the Ivory Tower in The Neverending Story:

The Ružica Church is a small chapel in Serbia decorated with spent bullet casing, swords, and cannon parts:

The church occupies space used by the Turks as gunpowder storage for over 100 years and it had to be largely rebuilt in 1920 after WWI. While fighting alongside England and the US, Serbian soldiers on the Thessaloniki front took the time to put together these amazing chandeliers.

I’ll follow that with St. Joseph the Betrothed Greek-Catholic church, which to me resembles giant bullets:

Built in 1956, it is most known for its ultra-modern thirteen gold domed roof symbolizing the twelve apostles and Jesus Christ as the largest center dome.

The Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida in the capital of Brazil is an expression of the architect Oscar Niemeyer.

I’d love to sit in this church, if for no other reason than the feeling that I might…at any given moment…be sucked through the ceiling into some kind of heavenly vortex.

Yes, yes, we’ve all seen Russia’s St. Basil’s Cathedral, but let’s give credit where credit is due. It’s really a stunning structure:

I couldn’t possibly cover a decent sample of the interesting churches out there, but if one stands out in your mind I’d love to see a link to it.

Thanks so much to Odee for these wonderful examples (find more over there).