Ressources Secret City: The Illegal Architecture of Tawian Secret City: The Illegal Architecture of Tawian Article by Steph, filed under Cities & Urbanism in the Architecture category. Beyond the ‘official city’ of Taipei, where modernization and beautification efforts are glossing over the city’s natural and historical origins, there’s Instant City. The project is spearheaded by a loose collective of architects calling themselves ‘WEAK!’ For example, there’s the Bug Dome – an “un-official social club for illegal workers coming from the Chinese countryside to the city. Treasure Hill was an illegal hillside community built by and for the people who occupy some of the lowest rungs of Taiwan’s social ladder, before it was ‘beautified’ into an artists’ village. “If this volume of Local Knowledge that is now pouring into the Chinese cities would be recognized, the new Chinese urbanism would have a change to create something seriously new and environmentally sustainable,” says architect Marco Casagrande, who participated in the project.
Abandoned Places I Try Really Hard To Watch “Catwoman” Sober « learningtogetolder Anyone who knows me in real life is probably sick to death of hearing me complain about Catwoman by now. This is especially bad because it only ever comes on late at night, when the important people with jobs and sweet sweet money have gone to bed, and neither the advertisers nor the channel itself are able to give anything that even slightly resembles a fuck. Why is this so bad? Well, mostly, because this in turn means that I have never been sober while watching the damned thing, so I’ve never really been able to properly articulate why it was quite so bad. In some cases I’ve not even been able to remember anything about the film at all. Pretty sure this guy was the main villain though. So this time, I’ve settled down all comfy-like, I’ve put all the alcoholic beverages in the house safely out of reach, and I’m going to watch and record the monstrosity that is Catwoman so that you don’t have to suffer. Let’s Watch Catwoman, as the kids might say. Come on already. Act 1: The Beginnening -
Chand Baori, INDE Chand Baori is maybe one of the most famous and most spectacular step-wells situated in the village of Abhaneri, Rajasthan, India. Chand Baori was constructed around 800AD and was designed for making it easier on many people to reach the water, it is one of the deepest and largest step wells of India with 3500 narrow steps in 13 stories and is more than 30 meters deep. Chand Baori is a great place for capturing amazing highly contrasted black and white photographs. For more information visit Wikipedia Chand Baori Click Here to “Like Us” on Facebook Google map of Chand Baori Next 2 Photos by toyaguerrero Chand Baori Next 2 Photos by Miles_78 Next Photo by Tilak Haria Next Photo by Jadeeey Next Photo by Gwynedd Gwyn chand baori Next Photo by Sunil Garg Next Photo by Krys C (Blog) (Flickr) Other posts you might like:
On the edge of reality The soul selects her own society, Then shuts the door; On her divine majority Obtrude no more. Unmoved, she notes the chariot’s pausing At her low gate; Unmoved, an emperor is kneeling Upon her mat. I’ve known her from an ample nation Choose one; Then close the valves of her attention Like stone. - Emily Dickenson By Eric Thayer Somewhere on the edge of reality is this place. They live a frontier existence, a hard life made more harsh by the elements. Everything about this place says fringe, passing along a weathered desert road outside a small town in the desert. Along the road Salvation Mountain rises up, a hill that was covered in what looks like concrete, in its shadow a small society goes on. I drive past newer looking recreational vehicles, along dirt roads, some camps have signs, addresses, or are decorated, while others are unmarked. Nearby is a couple with three kids, I pass them as they build a fence. Much of what is here is re-used and recycled. (View a slideshow of images here)
eric holubow: urban exploration photographer Technophobia And The Family « learningtogetolder If you took a quick look at me and my immediate family on a typical meeting, chances are you’d see us sitting around on laptops, computers and phones, appearing to completely ignore each other. A depressing image of the impact of modern technology, writes the reactionary hack in my head, undermining the traditional family unit, replacing simple joys and pleasures with a bovine, complacent contentment. My question this week is: does the hack have a point? Is technology driving us apart? I’m not going to pretend to seriously contemplate that question. But fascist ideology and family activities have a surprising amount in common. I'm pretty sure that when Hannah Arendt said the "banality of evil", she was thinking of that one stretch of road between Chelmsford and Colchester that always got jammed solid. I don’t have a problem with what we did, as such. However, in terms of family, I think the reactionary (fifth) columnist in my head can shut the hell up. Like this: Like Loading...
Underwater Sculpture MEXIQUE In 2009 a monumental underwater museum called MUSA (Museo Subacuático de Arte) was formed in the waters surrounding Cancun, Isla Mujeres and Punta Nizuc. The project founded by Jaime Gonzalez Cano of The National Marine Park, Roberto Diaz of The Cancun Nautical Association and Jason deCaires Taylor consists of over 450 permanent life-size sculptures and is one of the largest and most ambitious underwater artificial art attractions in the world. The Museum aiming to demonstrate the interaction between art and environmental science forms a complex reef structure for marine life to colonise, inhabit and increase biomass on a grand scale. Each of the sculptures is made from specialized materials used to promote coral life, with the total installations occupying an area of over 420sq metres of barren seabed and weighing over 200 tons. The Museum is divided into two galleries called Salon Manchones and Salon Nizuc. See map of the location > Salon Punta Nizuc Depth: 4m Salon Manchones Depth: 6-9m
Visiting the High Line: An Amazing New Park Opens in Manhattan Great news for New Yorkers and design fans alike: After years of wrangling, delays, and uncertainties, the High Line, an astonishing urban park built upon the remnants of an abandoned stretch of elevated railway, is opening tomorrow. Fast Company was at the preview, and here, we bring you the first images of the completed park. It was a long shot from the outset: In 1999, two locals--Joshua David, a writer, and Robert Hammond, a painter--quailed at the prospect of the massive old railway structure being torn down by hungry developers. They lobbied the city to instead turn its surface into a park along the western fringe of the Chelsea neighborhood, some two stories above the street. Ultimately, they succeeded: The park itself is remarkably designed, a work led by landscape architecture firm James Corner Field Operations, with architecture by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and landscaping by Piet Oudolf (one of our 100 Most Creative People).
Infiltration Haddo House: The Eerie Abandoned Mansion of Inverkeithny (Image: James Dyas Davidson ( website ), all rights reserved, reproduced with permission) Deep in the forests of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, this abandoned mansion looks like it wouldn’t be out of place in a horror film, with its amazing nineteenth century architecture left to crumble away over time. Little is known about this mysterious house , but it is believed to have stood empty for over 70 years, abandoned soon after World War One. (Images: James Dyas Davidson ( website ), all rights reserved, reproduced with permission) Owned by a young couple, the husband went away to fight in the war and never returned. (Images: 8333696 ( website ), all rights reserved, reproduced with permission) These eerie photographs show the extent of the property’s decay, yet some of the original fixtures have survived. (Image: 8333696 ( website ), all rights reserved, reproduced with permission) Related Articles Partners
Christ of the Abyss USA Christ of the Abyss is a submerged bronze statue of Jesus, the first & original statue is located in the Mediterranean Sea right off San Fruttuoso in the Italian Riviera. In 1954 the sculpture was placed 17 meters underwater. Christ’s statue is 2½ metres tall. Other casts of the statue are located in other places worldwide – not only underwater but also in churches and museums. In 1961 a copy was placed in Grenada. In 1965 it was placed approximately in just 8 meters depth, close to Key Largo, Florida, in the United States. For more information visit Wikipedia - Christ of the Abyss Click Here to “Like Us” on Facebook Google map of - Christ of the Abyss, Italy Google map of - Christ of the Abyss, Grenada Google map of - Christ of the Abyss, USA Next Photo by CADiver Christ of the Abyss Next Photo by diverjoe Christ of the Abyss (usa) Next 2 Photos by Ben Holt Next Photo by w9jim Next Photo by Stephenweir (flickr), (website) Christ of the Abyss (USA) Next Photo by av8er79 Next Photo by Roberto 1951