Sure, the Biltmore Estate in western North Carolina is America's largest home. And it's great to spend a few hours touring the home, trying to wrap you head around what it was like to live there while realizing that you're a have-not.
But besides checking out the Lady on the Hill, the estate's 8,000 acres have a lot more to offer--like booze. ]]>
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.]]>
Even though new buildings can be LEED certified and as green as a field of clover, many times it would've been better to work with what we already had. One of the core tenets of green design is to rehabilitate existing structures, rather than build whole new ones: Knocking down a building wastes all the energy that went into building it.
But New York has gone knock-down, build-up crazy in the past 15 years says New York magazine. In that time, 76,000 new buildings were constructed and 44,000 were destroyed. If you want to see what things were like before the current Dubai-esque transformation, check out Justin Davidson's great article about "The Glass Stampede." It shows side by side, before and after photos of the charming structures of old NYC versus the glass monoliths of today.
For residents or tourists alike, Davidson's comparisons are a map to the city that was--and the one that New York's becoming.
Related Stories:
· The Glass Stampede [NYM]
· New York Travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Architecture Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: NYM]]]>
Most campers and RV's on the road are unattractive and plain. They're unwieldy, lumbering beasts that function well enough as a mobile living space, but fail in the looks department. But fortunately for caravan enthusiasts, a gust of fresh air has blown in from Austria.
The Mehrzeller caravan concept by Christian Freissling and Theresa Kalteis from Graz University of Technology, looks like no other camper you have ever seen. Think cool space ship not beige metal box.
Made up of angular planes and organic cells, the Mehrzeller can be infinitely customized to your needs with an online design tool. Just tweak the settings, hit send and your one-of-a-kind RV is on the way.
The interior is a minimalist, modern mix of light wood and white paint, and is well appointed with everything needed for comfortable living--except a gas card.
Related Stories:
· Mehrzeller [Official Site]
· A New Angle on Camping, the Mehrzeller Concept Caravan [Core 77]
· Design Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]>
A giant sand dune is going to be home to the new Museum of Modern Arab Art in Doha, Qatar. From a distance, it just looks like another pile of sand, like thousands of others in the desert. Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that the dune isn't quite what it seems.
Architect Rafael Viñoly designed the museum to blend seamlessly with its environment. In a possible reference to historic Bedouin tents, Viñoly has used a sand-colored stretched canvas-like material to cover the 350,000 square foot space.
This camouflaged building will house Sheikh Hassan Bin Mohammed Al-Thani's large collection of Arab art dating from the early Qur'anic period to modern times. And, you'll find plenty of other treasures to explore at the MOMAA. The collection includes 5,000 paintings, 700 antiques, sculptures, metalwork, ceramics, a calligraphy section, photography and more. The museum is scheduled to be finished by 2011.
Related Stories:
· Enormous Artificial Sand Dune To House Museum of Modern Arab Art [Gizmodo]
· Rafael Viñoly Architects [Official Site]
· Architecture Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]>
A retired railway carriage in Southeast London has gotten a fresh makeover that's transformed it into a beautiful new gathering space. Called The Deptford Project Cafe, the rail car has been hand painted with retro song lyrics, bright colors and bold fonts by Studio Myerscough and Luke Morgan. The cafe is the opening move of a regeneration project to breathe life back into the Deptford Train Station area.
Besides serving locally sourced food and sustainably farmed coffee, The Deptford Project Cafe will also play host to art shows and a weekend creative market that will showcase art, design, music and film.
If you get there soon, you may also be able to catch one of their barbecues--and be sure to check out the bathroom dedicated to Elvis.
Related Stories:
· The Deptford Project Cafe [Official Site]
· Derailed Delight in Deptford [Joes[a]fiend]
· London Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]>
There's a lot of great Eero Saarinen action right here in the United States, but he didn't limit his works to the states. One example of his adventures overseas is the Embassy of the United States in London that sits in Grosvenor Square. Finished in 1960, it's one of the largest American diplomatic offices in the world.
The building consists of nine stories, with three of them below ground. The facility is topped with a gilded aluminum Bald Eagle with a wingspan of more than 35 feet. Besides the US embassy in Japan, the London post is the only one situated on land not owned by the American government. Let's just hope the United Kingdom doesn't get any ideas.
Besides handing out visas and other paperwork, the building is traditionally used as the setting for announcing any agreements between the UK and US. Maybe you'll even get to visit on your next trip to London after spending a little too much time at the pub and getting belligerent in the streets!
Related Stories:
· Embassy of the US: London [Official Site]
· Eero Saarinen Travel Map [Jaunted]
· Architecture Travel [Jaunted]
[Photo: Wikimedia]]]>
