Constructed as extravagant, ornamental editions to landscaped gardens since the 16th century, architectural follies have evolved as spaces where humans are free to unlock their imaginations, relax and contemplate the universe. And today, architects are still creating fanciful constructions that understand these human needs.
The huge carpet of ceramic poppies created by Paul Cummins and Tom Piper, originally exhibited in 2014 at the Tower of London to commemorate one hundred years since the first full day of Britain’s involvement in the First World War, is back – now cascading down the walls of Carlisle Castle until July 8th.
Observation platforms and skywalks add a completely new dimension to architecture, allowing you to experience it, and the landscape in which it sits, in a totally new, unique and often breath-taking way.
If you really love beautiful design and inspiring architecture, why not immerse yourself in it while enjoying a holiday? We’ve already told you about the unique, new contemporary art gallery IK LAB, constructed from living trees, which has just opened in the grounds of the eco–friendly Azulik resort in the beachside town of Tulum in Mexico and we loved the idea of holiday architecture so much we’ve researched some more stunning destinations for you to put on your bucket list.
The future of smart city transportation is being developed at an exponential rate: autonomous cars, smart, folding cars, electric bicycles and projects such as the SolarRoad, a cycle path that turns sunlight into electricity, a technology that is already being developed for motorways. motorways. We’ve seen crazy ideas such as the Transit Elevated Bus, a car-straddling bus, designed to run on tracks laid either side of roadways. It didn’t catch on – mainly because it was just an impractical, ugly train! However, here are some of the more credible, futuristic modes of transportation in development, which will make our cities and lives truly smart.
If you’ve never been to a sculpture park, it’s time to make your first trip. In the UK alone, there are more than 30, and according to The Arts Council of England, art lovers are visiting them in increasing numbers.
When we read about this new Student Hotel in Barcelona it made us wish we were back in uni! It’s one of 11 hotels in cities across Europe including Paris, Amsterdam, Dresden and Rotterdam with more planned for Madrid, Florence, Rome and Bologna and offers a brand new take on student accommodation.
Public engagement with politics has changed dramatically since 2008. This new exhibition at the Design Museum in London – Hope to Nope: Graphics and Politics 2008-18 examines the political graphic design of a turbulent decade.
You simply can’t get much closer to art than this – it’s a CGI animation, created by art studio Prudence Cuming Associates, to take viewers on a journey across the heavily textured surface of Damien Hirst’s Veil of Faith paintings, which made their debut at the Gagosian Gallery in Los Angeles in March. The CGI uses a 4K-resolution camera to capture pull-back photographs of the painting and high-resolution macro shots of each part of the paint to mimic the texture and shape created by Hirst’s paintbrush.
It’s no secret that many great movies – from Metropolis to Blade Runner, see architecture take a starring role. So, check out two great features in arts and cultural magazine Dezeen.com that discuss the influence of architects on two of the biggest movies in the past few months.
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