One of the past weekends, I finally managed to carve out some free time to go and explore the downtown. With the tremendous changes of the past few years, it has turned from the “scary to be” place into “to be seen in” place. Lots of trendy restaurants, clubs and cultural venues all fleeing to downtown. And so did I, equipped with a camera.
In downtown, it’s all about the details. To take the moment to stop and literally look above those hectic shops and take it in. Wish for the Golden Age of Hollywood era and see yourself strolling down Broadway for the premier of the new play in one of those gorgeous theaters.
Oh and Art Deco, of course…
And for the piece of New York on the West Coast for those of you, like me, tearing your heart apart between the two cities.
Living in Europe as it is sounds magic but living in the designer home in Madrid, Spain is certainly a dream that will come true to a lucky buyer of this 9.5 million-euros jaw-dropper. Listed by Signature Residences, the property features 5 bedrooms (+ 3 for staff). And at this size, the architecture is so fluid and minimal that it fits the lot perfectly and even emphasizes the indoor/outdoor nature.
All of us, I’m sure, have dreamed about the tree house as children. The advantage of being an adult is that you can make your dreams come true. The Yellow Tree House Restaurant, Auckland, New Zealand is an example of one of those dreams coming true.
Started as a marketing promotion for New Zealand Yellow Pages to show that no matter what your project is, the Yellow Pages can help you complete it, it turned out to be one of the most amazing restaurant experiences.
The concept is driven by the ‘enchanted’ site which is raised above an open meadow and meandering stream on the edge of the woods. As for the functional part, it should comfortable seat 18 people plus staff.
You can read more about the construction here or visit the website of Pacific Environments Architects.
This old new reference came across while I was browsing the coolest design website ever. The Japanese interior design company Wonder Wall, established by Masamichi Katayama, has a large variety of very inspiring projects and this one, which I found rather inspired….by Alvaro Alto Viipuri Library, Finland.
The NEW: The dining area of the Cinagro Kitchen & Market, Tokyo 2007.
This is an organic food market and cafe restaurant located in the Omotesando area. The aim was to create an atmosphere that would exude freshness and comfort.
Here the effect is achieved by the recessed ceiling with the cove lighting.
The OLD: The Viipuri Library by Alvar Aalto, 1935
The Library in Vyborg (Viipuri Library) was designed by alvar Aalto and completed in 1935. It is a masterpiece of International Modernism in both European and global terms.
Here the the ceiling planes is punctured with the skylight to bring in the natural light into the reading areas of the library.
Looking through another Best Building of the Year 2009 Award Winner, gave me that “I-think-I’ve-seen-it-somewhere” though. But urban dwelling is a timely issue at any decade and here improving the old concept can be only beneficial.
So here we come:
The OLD: Habitat’67 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada by Moshe Safdi for “Man and his World” Expo in 1967.
Safdie’s dwelling complex ‘Habitat’ was designed to give privacy, fresh air, sunlight and suburban amenities in an urban location. The project was designed to create affordable housing with close but private quarters, each equipped with a garden. The building was believed to illustrate the new lifestyle people would live in increasingly crowded cities around the world.
But here, the program is 2/3 parking and 1/3 living. How many ugly parking structures are out there, so why don’t we use them as the base for the terraced housing blocks? The parking area needs to be connected to the street, and the homes require sunlight, fresh air and views, thus all apartments have roof gardens facing the sun, amazing views and parking on the 10th floor. The Mountain Dwellings appear as a suburban neighbourhood of garden homes flowing over a 10-storey building – suburban living with urban density.
<images via me>
