Pipe dreams

The Sorrow: Farewells (video directed by Max von Lux)

Farewells tells the story of on old couple that found the key to eternal life by vivisecting special fluids from insects. The problem, however, is that one of the two always is in a sort of coma while the other one prepares the shot needed to extend life. This means they can stay alive separately, but never share their love again. The old lady in the end decides to not go on with the procedure. She puts the shot aside and lays her head on her husband’s chest before they die together. The video was directed by Max von Lux, a master student at the University Of Arts in Linz, Austria.

Underwater park in Austria

Found at the foot of the snow-capped Hochschwab mountains, the Green Lake in Austria is a bit of Autobot. In winter, it looks exactly like what it is: a county park. In spring, the park becomes a diving paradise as melted mountaintop snow runneth down the slopes and submerges the park entirely, with water levels reaching to as high as 10 metres. What a place. Read more

Mystery Callipygian Nose

A pyrographic portrait that had been signed by an artist, T.E.J, and dated 1884, presumably from Austria, now appears to reveal a hidden callipygian beauty. The female body was instantly conspicuous once I had uploaded a digital photograph of the entire portrait on my computer screen earlier last year. Read more

Floating House

This house has many facets that make it an intriguing example. First of all, it is a very aesthetically pleasing project with the use of light horizontal timbers and a clean pitched roof. Designed by MOS, an interesting design collective based in America, the secret to the Floating House is that it floats on a structure of steel pontoons. The house rises and falls with the changing waters and is frozen in place depending on the season. The steel pontoons were constructed first and towed to the lake outside the contractor’s factory and then the house was built atop of it. When finished it was towed to its position, anchored and enjoyed in its unique position. Finally, it forms a bridge between the land and an island. Wonderful!

Torre Bicentenario

Dutch uber-firm OMA, headed by Rem Koolhaas, has created this concept in Mexico City to symbolize the coming two hundred years of Mexico’s independence. There are many layers of symbolism in this building, from Mayan pyramids to which part of the building controls the park and which part controls the city, to the fact that the bulge of the building is below the centre height, and that it all happens on a relatively small footprint. Most of all, in this building there is a barely contained energy that seems near to release and it may be that this is what Torre Bicentenario represents.

Danish Building Bridge

The Danes are renowned for their considered and subtle design. However, in these times of change, they must feel they need something with this selection of a bridge building as the winner of a recent architectural competition in Denmark. The American architect Steven Holl designed this building with a pedestrian bridge that links two sides of the harbour in the distinctly low-rise Copenhagen. Read more