Western North Carolina perks up in the fall: The leaves are changing, the weather is cooler and downtown Asheville is the place to be--especially for those interested in unique architecture. A big city it isn't, but it certainly delivers some thrills.]]>
As you've probably heard, everyone is gaga for something new in 2008, and even John McCain and Co. have hopped on board the change-wagon.
But why stop at changing the occupant of the Oval Office? In January, the Storefront for Art and Architecture, a nonprofit urban planning group in New York, figured they would push the whole change thing as far as possible and offer up some ideas for changing the White House itself.]]>
A Canadian choreographer and crafty ambassador for modern dance, Noémie Lafrance, has found a ready-made world stage for her shows by exhibiting them on architect Frank Gehry's buildings.
Dancers, equipped with bungy chords, harnesses, and ropes, leap and bounced all over a Gehry structure at Bard College in New York two weeks ago. With the architect’s blessing, Lafrance has eight more performances planned.
Next up? The Guggenheim museum in Northern Spain and the Walt Disney concert hall in Los Angeles. (No dates have been announced.) The whole thing projects an air of pretentiousness, but watching spidermen and women legally climb around on some of the world's most revered modern buildings holds a decent amount of appeal.
Related Stories:
· Dancers on a Hot Gehry Roof [IHT]
· Alain Robert's Climbing Stunts Map [Jaunted]
]]>
Located in the Mitaka area of western Tokyo, the colorful Reversible Destiny Lofts look more like a children's playground than any kind of modern day luxury condo. Reversible Destiny is the of product of New York-based architect-poet-philosophers Arakawa & Gins who believe that comfort should only play a small role in the home--and that by encountering perpetual challenges, residents will stay young and healthy.
Each loft is designed to:
Stimulate the senses and force inhabitants to use balance, physical strength and imagination.
A jumble of weird features like bright colors, tiny doors, oddly placed power outlets and rooms with concave floors will indeed have people feeling like they've stepped into a big-kids playground.
If you're up for the challenge, two rental units are now available. They go for $2,000-$2,400 a month, and short term stays can be arranged.
Related Stories:
· Reversible Destiny Lofts [Official Site]
· ARAKAWA + GINS [Official Site]
· Tokyo Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]>
Crisis at JFK! The new JetBlue terminal will not--repeat, will not--open on October 1!
While the carrier insists that construction is on schedule, a spokeswoman tells the Associated Press:
The operational opening was delayed to give [our] Marketplace vendors more time to complete necessary work.
Hey, we like fully operational wine-and-tapas bars as much as the next guy, but we're definitely not happy that we'll have to wait until October 22 to check 'em out.
Related Stories:
· JetBlue Delays Opening of Terminal [AP, via BW]
· Inside JetBlue's Terminal 5 Opening Party [Jaunted]
· There Will Be Live Blogging: JetBlue's T5 Grand Opening Already Underway [Jaunted]
· Inside JetBlue's Terminal 5 Trial Run [Jaunted]]]>
Open House London is an annual event where private buildings and houses are opened up for the architecturally curious to explore. More than 700 different locations were available to tour this year. Sure, the traditional styles were represented, with names like Victorian, Bedfordshire and Elizabethan. But yawn!
If you wanted to see some really edgy dwelling design, the real action was with the soon-to-be classic: recycled tube carriages.
Village Underground is an office complex made up of four former London Underground Tube carriages that were lifted on top of a giant brick Victorian arch. The cars were gutted and re-fitted with clean looking modern office spaces, then completely covered in graffiti.
It's all part of a social enterprise project, funded by the local government. The offices are now rented out to various members of the creative community as a place to work and socialize.
Related Stories:
· Open House London [Official Site]
· Village Underground [Official Site]
· Open House London: Village Underground [Treehugger]
· London Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Squirmelia]]]>
Our ever-stylish correspondent JetSetCD was on-hand for JetBlue's ribbon cutting bash yesterday...
Yesterday's shindig out at JetBlue's new Terminal 5 was no boring, corporate ribbon-cutting, nossir it was not. Instead, the carrier threw a straight-up block party to celebrate more than just a new address; the festivities and congratulations all centered on JetBlue's employees, many of whom turned out to spend half the day cavorting in their future workplace.
Getting business out of the way with a packed-to-the-gills press conference at 2 pm, where JetBlue founder (and current Azul airline mogul) David Neeleman entered to an immediate standing ovation, the day slowly progressed into pure fun with a performance by Estelle and free booze.
]]>