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Architecture

A Survey of Futuristic Floating Cities

By Claire Cottrell on

Peter Drucker, one of the greatest business thinkers of our time and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, predicted that “aquaculture, not the Internet, represents the most promising investment opportunity of the 21st century.”

Floating cities might seem like something straight out of the science fiction book you picked up at the airport on a whim and couldn’t finish, but the concept may just save our world’s coastal dwelling, climate-affected souls. Because rising sea levels and extreme weather have become more common than not, we thought we’d take a look at some of the most interesting water-based design ideas out there. From an elegant urban solution mimicking lily pads that houses 50,000 people to a wetropolis that naturally filters its own water supply, click through to check out innovative urban design for a more sustainable future. … Read More

Architecture

Haunting Photos of Architectural Gems Damaged in Natural Disasters

By Claire Cottrell on

As Frank Lloyd Wright, the greatest American architect of all time, once said: “I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.” Understanding and respecting what can be a very brutal and relentless force is one of the great responsibilities tasked to the creators of our buildings and cities. In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, we’re now facing the overwhelming cleanup of our soggy subways, submerged streets, and damaged tunnels. If you do one thing today, make it a quick trip to the … Read More

Design

10 Celebrities’ Surprisingly Bizarre Homes

By Claire Cottrell on

From John Travolta’s airstrip Jumbolair to Lenny Kravitz’s bordello modern villa cum bachelor pad, click through to check out some of the most bizarre celebrity homes on the planet.… Read More

Architecture

10 Buildings Dressed Up in Ridiculous Costumes

By Claire Cottrell on

Jerry Seinfeld candidly acknowledged that “when I jumped off a roof in Cannes in a bee costume, I looked ridiculous. But this is my business; I have to humiliate myself.” Our favorite hallowed day for humiliation is fast approaching, and after looking at incredibly bizarre vintage Halloween costumes, amazing pop-culture inspired Halloween make-up, and our own handy guides to DIY get-ups, we thought we’d explore the final frontier by taking a look at buildings dressed up in all manner of ridiculous attire. From a corporate headquarters’ larger-than-life shark costume to a grand installation that’s surely the best big ghost costume we’ve ever seen, click through to check out clever ways to outfit a building. … Read More

Architecture

Fascinating Vintage Photos of Beautiful Buildings Being Demolished

By Claire Cottrell on

Richard Nickel, a heroic architectural photographer and historian lost his life recording Chicago’s grand design legacy before it succumbed to the devastating destruction of private developers making way for — in their eyes — progress and a new way of life. As he famously said, “great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men.” What we destroy often says more about our society than what we create, and in the middle of the last century, after the end of WWII, we were a nation desperately needing to move on. These days what’s old is new again thanks to a decidedly different approach to urban renewal: we cherish all things salvaged, reclaimed and re-purposed. From New York City’s original Penn Station to Louis Sullivan’s landmark theater in Chicago that was tragically replaced by a parking lot, click through to remember some of our nation’s great lost buildings.… Read More

Design

Inspiring Photos from Vintage IKEA Catalogs

By Claire Cottrell on

Our favorite destination for Swedish pancakes and self-assembled furniture changed the American design scene forever when it set up shop in Philadelphia in 1985. Founded by an enterprising 17 year old by the name of Ingvar Kamprad some 40 years prior, the modern furniture mainstay evolved out of a childhood business selling matches from a bicycle. Kamprad realized that he could buy matches in bulk very cheaply, sell them individually at a low price, and still make a good profit. Et voilà, the idea for IKEA was born.

Today the allure of DIY design really within reach has made its famously frugal founder the seventh richest man in the world and its annual catalog peddling an affordably well-designed home the third most printed publication after Harry Potter and the Bible. Join us as we take a virtual trip down memory lane to flip through the exceptionally colorful and wonderfully retro IKEA catalogs of design eras past. … Read More

Design

Stunning Staircases: 10 Artist Makeovers That Make the City More Beautiful

By Claire Cottrell on

The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy that developed at the turn of the last century in reaction to a widespread belief that our cities were ugly. Responsible for, among other things, Central Park, Golden Gate Park, and the monumental core of our nation’s capitol, including the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial, the ideology is relevant now more than ever. With populations in urban areas growing at mind boggling rates (check out this visualization of the population growth of 590 cities around the world), creating beauty to maintain our quality of life is critical. With that in mind, here’s a look at another interpretation of the City Beautiful ideals: artistic infrastructure. From a Lebanese artist collective’s painted staircases in Beirut to mosaics in Brazil that will blow your mind, click through to check out gorgeous public staircases around the world. … Read More

Design

12 Famous Artists Who Dabbled in Design

By Claire Cottrell on

If ever we needed a healthy dose of inspiration, it’s late on a Thursday afternoon when that unbearable yearning for the weekend descends on us and everyone else. It’s a time when we usually find ourselves poking around the Internet, carefully considering which creative endeavor to pursue in anticipation of our hallowed free time.

The eternally inspiring design duo Charles and Ray Eames never put their talents in a box. Quite the opposite, their work crossed boundaries and disciplines. They made major contributions to architecture and design, but also dabbled in fine art and film, among other things. In honor of never limiting your dormant creative self, we’ve taken a look at world famous artists who also expressed their vision in a seemingly unexpected format: furniture. From Salvador Dalí’s stunning designs to a practical, playful hammock by the American sculptor who invented the mobile, Alexander Calder, click through and be inspired by artists who refused to be pigeonholed. … Read More

Design

The Very Best of Foldable, Functional Furniture Origami

By Claire Cottrell on

It’s no secret that here at Flavorwire, we love ourselves some good, clever design. We’ve looked at everything from innovative furniture that makes the work day more fun to decadent designs for chocolate lovers. Today we’re exploring a new niche design category that addresses one of the inevitable woes of urban living: the unfortunately cramped spaces we call home.

Offering space-saving solutions for those times when our tiny apartment feels like it just can’t hang, and we dream of airy loft living, consider these fundamental furniture pieces that maximize your minimal environs. From folding your own furniture (check out the free downloadable instructions!) to collapsible chairs that double as wall art, put your inner origami enthusiast to work with these fun, fabulous, and functional designs. … Read More

Architecture

Stunning Photos of Abandoned Mid-Century Modern Homes

By Claire Cottrell on

The Swedish photographer Mikael Olsson has been visiting two abandoned summer homes designed by architect Bruno Matthson for the past decade, documenting the condition of the houses over time to preserve what may be lost or forgotten when new tenants move in and inevitably repair what’s been left to deteriorate. Steidl Verlag recently published Södrakull Frösakull, a stunning monograph of Olsson’s project, that’s as much an homage to the lesser known Swedish designer as it is a comment about the importance of preservation. It’s hard to say what’s so intriguing about decaying, deserted spaces, but admittedly, we’re hooked on abandoned architecture, from Olympic ruins and video stores to train stations and record shops. Click through to visit some of the most beautiful — but eerily empty! — mid-century modern homes we could… Read More