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…
Design and Art
Sharon and I were both late to the Harry Potter phenomenon. It took a good friend of ours to get us hooked on the books (he had a trick of loaning the first book to people as something of a “gateway drug” to get them started). I can even remember the day I read the…
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…
We may not be living on Mars or traveling to work using jet packs, but there's no doubt the coming decade will bring many exciting technological advances. In this article, author Bernard Marr wants to outline the 25 key technology trends that I believe will shape the 2020s. Read more courtesy of Forbes.com
The planet has been through some difficult times recently. And, so it have its inhabitants. But, as is always the case, we will pull through and we will continue. Today may or may not be the time to plan ahead, but it never hurts. One thing you can think about of course is travel. We…
The planet has been through some difficult times recently. And, so it have its inhabitants. But, as is always the case, we will pull through and we will continue. Today may or may not be the time to plan ahead, but it never hurts. One thing you can think about of course is travel. We…
A pioneer developer, ardent Hispanophile, writer and explorer, Ric Polansky has enjoyed as colourful a life as a character in a Jack London novel. In the resort of Mojácar, in the southeast Spanish region of Almería, he is best known for being a trailblazing developer who, with his brother Paul, built the first houses along…
Big projects come with big risks, and sometimes those risks end up outweighing the project's benefits. That leads to truly impressive objects and buildings being abandoned, and in some cases, they're abandoned before they're even finished! There are many reasons why an ambitious engineering or construction project might be given up and left behind, and…
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.…
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…
While the travel community these days is known for switching from one destination that becomes their sweetheart to another very fast, all thanks to social media, there are some undying loves here as well. Like a heady love affair that will never be over, anyone who is tagged as a traveller has a romance with…
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…
If you want to know what it was like to live like a French aristocrat in the 1700s, now's your chance―sort of. A mother-daughter duo has teamed up to turn an abandoned, historic chateau in France into a bustling bed and breakfast, and are inviting guests to come stay during the renovations. Read more courtesy of HouseBeautiful.com
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.,…
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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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…
Experiential design, especially in home décor, may be nothing new—but one Danish company is taking the experience to a whole new level. Menu, a Danish furniture and lighting company, opened a 10-room hotel in Copenhagen where quite literally everything is for sale. Read more courtesy of departures.com
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Some of our greatest cultural and technological achievements took place between 1945 and 1971. As the US technologist Peter Thiel once put it: ‘We wanted flying cars, we got 140 characters.’ Why has progress stalled? Read more courtesy of Aeon.co
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…
Vancouver – a city regularly voted “the World’s most livable”. With breezes that carry the scents of nature and aromas of all the urban delights you’d expect from a city, it’s easy to understand why visitors flock to this Canadian city.