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Design and Art

Design and Art

Modest mosque

Centrally located in the Iranian capital Tehran, the Vali-e-Asr Mosque’s most distinguishing aspect is the fact that it does not look like a mosque. Designed by Iranian architects Reza Daneshmir and Catherine Spiridonoff of Fluid Motion Architects, the building eschews the stereotypical typology of large domes and tall minarets in favour of a modest horizontality…

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Brasilia!

Few places in the world offer such an expansive, extraordinary composition of Modernist architecture as the Brazilian capital. Part of a handful of Modernist clusters around the world – such as, for example, Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh in India – Brasilia combines the gravitas, drama and scale of the International Style with the glamour and power…

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Stay at a traditional Japanese house

It had been a packed afternoon of exploring the charming city of Tamba Sasayama, where the vibrant energy of young businesses ran hot through the city. But it was also a relentlessly cold and rainy day. so I was already fantasizing about hot baths and steaming hot pots when we arrived at the 100-year-old traditional Japanese house.…

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Let’s rock!

Rock art, that is paintings and carvings on natural rock formations, is one of the earliest forms of creative expression and a universal phenomenon among prehistoric societies, in this case, Indian. An instrument of communication rather than simply art, it is an assemblage of material culture which provides a glimpse into the lives of people…

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Márquez’s magical realist universe

Colombia’s most famous writer, the inimitable Gabriel García Márquez, once said in a press interview that he could never have written his books if he had not been a journalist – because all of his material was extracted from reality. Wandering between the pastel-coloured colonial structures of Cartagena’s labyrinthine cobbled streets, one could be forgiven…

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A brutal refuge?

In the course of the nearly thirty years of his practice, Sir David Adjaye’s projects have been realized on five continents.  Here he reflects on what kinds of homes we build, and how we live in them. They include cultural and historical landmarks—such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in Washington, D.C.,…

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Mozambique in 3D

Sustainable tourism is the new buzzword – one that is religiously being followed by hospitality brands across the globe. However, taking it to a whole new level is the Kisawa Sanctuary on Benguerra Island, Mozambique which is all set to debut as the world’s first 3-D printed luxury resort! Yes, that’s right! Read more courtesy of LuxuryLaunches.com …

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Gawk like an Egyptian

The ancient Egyptian burial site of Saqqara has been studied for more than a century, due to the importance of the location for political, religious and architectural history. One of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. But a new “born-digital” publication by UC Santa Cruz associate history…

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The art of coffee

Famous Saudi coffee roasters Elixir Bunn opened their new location in Riyadh, designed by Azaz Architects. After building a strong reputation for their coffee, it was time to build an atmosphere to complement their famous drinks. Coffee in Saudi Arabia is well-rooted into the local culture and could be traced back to times prior to the…

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