New Practical Heritage

3D clay artwork by Irma Gruenholz

Awesome 3D graphics work in clay and other materials by Irma Gruenholz, an illustrator from Madrid. Read more

Nude Bike Ride in Madrid

‘Indecent sinners, you are!’ screamed a Spanish granny, waving her cane at a gaggle of naked cyclists. Across the street, a passerby dropped his shopping bags, stripped to his tennies, and sprinted off to join the pack. This is Madrid’s annual Ciclonudista, a bike event in which hundreds of brazen activists gather in the nude for a rollicking ride to raise awareness for bicycle culture in the Spanish capital. Read more

Gary Fernandez

There’s a bold sense of shape and colour in the work of Madrid-based freelance illustrator and designer, Gary Fernandez, who creates organic fashion art.

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