Multifunctional bridges of the past that used to serve as an extension of city life with their residences and shops are long lost, with just a few amazing examples like Ponte Vecchio in Florence acting as a reminder. However, contemporary architects are sure that the concept can be applicable today, as they design multifunctional bridges that are both beautiful and practical – not only in terms of connecting two riverbanks but addressing numerous cultural, infrastructural and economic issues.
Today, the age of information in physical form is waning. This means the book’s intended function as an object has decreased. Artists employ the book as a sculptural medium and alter its physical form, finding for it new and unexpected roles.
No need to say that humans should respect wild nature they coexist with. Our feathered and flying neighbours deserve an amazing home too. Designers and architects pay it back to birds and bees developing fabulous habitats and feeders for them to use even in urban environment.
Water is an element that has given birth to life on Earth, and our bond with water remains significant as ever. Creating water-based habitats for humans will soon become a need to survive, as according to experts’ predictions, 90 per cent of the world’s largest cities will be exposed to rising seas by 2050. We are closing our series of posts dedicated to floating architecture with a selection of futuristic living spaces designed by architects as man-made floating ecocystems adapted to climate change and the resulting threat of rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
As the world’s climate changes, extreme weather events and rising sea levels present new challenges for architects. Floating architecture should not only be viewed upon as a way of making a building ‘future-proof’ in case of environmental disasters, it also attempts to find ways to live in peace with Water instead of trying to conquer it. Floating structures nowadays have the most different uses, recreational, infrastructure, cultural, and we have selected some impressive references.
More than 70% of the planet is covered with water and most of the population lives in its vicinity. Designers and architects of today suggest we should learn to live with water, as a great way of solving such environmental issues as climate changes, global warming and consequent increase in water levels. We are happy to introduce you to some exciting projects designed to be implemented directly in the waters in our series of posts dedicated to floating architecture of today – and tomorrow.
In the modern urban environment, parks and gardens not only provide a much needed visual break amidst the busy cityscape. Aiming to be unique destinations for culture and well-being, they offer spaces for a diverse range of year-round activities and events for city dwellers, simultaneously addressing important issues of following the principles of sustainable architecture and preserving biodiversity.
What materials usually come to mind when we are talking about furniture? The list of traditional materials such as wood, metal and plastic is being gradually complemented by more sustainable options. Recycled and repurposed, cheap and natural, these new materials may be a great alternative for furniture manufacturers and a more responsible way to address the ever-growing problem of over-production.
We often imagine fabrics as something fluid and delicate. However, some artists develop unique techniques of sculpting with a textile medium to create artworks that centre on ideas of impermanence and the fleeting moment.
Current consumption rates constantly increase, and the amount of things people dispose of increases as a result. To avoid the severe consequences both humans and nature are going to face if the problem of over-production remains unsolved, product designers find exciting and unexpected ways to turn old used and discarded objects into forward-thinking and sustainable furniture pieces.