Inside Switzerland’s Bellelay Abbey, two intriguing pools of recycled motor oil create serene, unbroken reflections of soaring architecture. The chapel’s ornately decorated arches and vaulted ceilings are mirrored in vivid detail on the oil’s rich, glassy surface. Unlike reflections in water, the oil pool minimizes glare and lets viewers gaze deeply into the images. The addition of the oil pools to the chapel is interesting because it contrasts light and dark in a striking juxtaposition. The oil’s shimmering black surface boldly complements the chapel’s pristine, white-washed walls. The pools were added to the church as part of an art installation by Swiss artist Romain Crelier in 2013. Along with creating a feeling of augmented spaciousness, the reflection pool offers a means of recycling otherwise unusable material. (source).
A Chinese design team recently rolled out a fascinating set of plans that creatively re-imagine oil rigs as floating, eco-friendly habitats that could help the environment recover after an oil spill. The designers created the plan in response to the increasing need to balance responsible resource-harvesting practices with preservation. In the renderings, we see strong, healthy branches towering into the sky alongside steel beams. The underwater pilings that stabilize the rig become structures to host thriving coral reef colonies. In these ways, the Noah Oasisvisualizes using the industrial equipment as a vehicle for saving natural resources from harm, much as the Bible character Noah sheltered animals from disaster aboard an ark. The plan was nominated honorable mention in eVolo Magazine’s 2015 skyscraper design competition. (source).
On 2010, the Tree Museum situated on 75,000 square meters of breathtaking land near Upper Lake Zurich in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland, opened officially its gates.The Tree Museum exhibits individual trees, which are used to create spaces in a unique way that integrates aesthetics, sustainability, history and lifetime. The collection is solely composed of varieties which belong to Switzerland’s climate zone. The Museum features approximately 50 trees representing more than 25 varieties- several examples of which are more than 100 years old- creating an aura of immortality and an awareness of ‘time’. Another 100 trees and plants are located in the Park which surrounds the Tree Museum. In total, the Enea grounds contain more than 3000 exclusive wood species. (source).
The High Line in New York City is a 1.45-mile-long structure built in the 1930s to carry freight trains. It runs from the Meatpacking District, through West Chelsea, and ends at 34th Street, next to the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The last train ran on it in 1980. It is now being remade into a landscaped set of gardens right in the middle of the city. The plants were specifically chosen to be like those that grew naturally when the rail line was abandoned, so that it gives you the feel of what the city would be like without people. Some of the original rails are left in place and the concrete has been designed to evoke the shape of the old wooden ties. Some areas have seating and lounge chairs with wheels on them that ride the rails. The first section, from from Gansevoort Street (between 10th and 11th) to 20th Street is now open. (source).
Studio Gang Architects for recently earned a PETA Proggy award for Aqua Tower’s bird-deflecting elements. PETA’s Proggy Awards (“Proggy” is for “progress”) recognize animal-friendly achievements in commerce and culture. Collisions with windows are among the most common human-related killers of migrating birds in North America, causing the deaths of more than 34 million birds in urban areas alone. By including a wavy exterior and special glass, which is etched with gray marks to make it easier for birds to see, the company has created a design that will help prevent birds from flying into windows. The 823-foot building is currently under construction in Chicago, and will contain 55,000 square feet of retail and office space. (source).
Inside Switzerland’s Bellelay Abbey, two intriguing pools of recycled motor oil create serene, unbroken reflections of soaring architecture. The chapel’s ornately decorated arches and vaulted ceilings are mirrored in vivid detail on the oil’s rich, glassy surface. Unlike reflections in water, the oil pool minimizes glare and lets viewers gaze deeply into the images. The addition of the oil pools to the chapel is interesting because it contrasts light and dark in a striking juxtaposition. The oil’s shimmering black surface boldly complements the chapel’s pristine, white-washed walls. The pools were added to the church as part of an art installation by Swiss artist Romain Crelier in 2013. Along with creating a feeling of augmented spaciousness, the reflection pool offers a means of recycling otherwise unusable material. (source).
A Chinese design team recently rolled out a fascinating set of plans that creatively re-imagine oil rigs as floating, eco-friendly habitats that could help the environment recover after an oil spill. The designers created the plan in response to the increasing need to balance responsible resource-harvesting practices with preservation. In the renderings, we see strong, healthy branches towering into the sky alongside steel beams. The underwater pilings that stabilize the rig become structures to host thriving coral reef colonies. In these ways, the Noah Oasisvisualizes using the industrial equipment as a vehicle for saving natural resources from harm, much as the Bible character Noah sheltered animals from disaster aboard an ark. The plan was nominated honorable mention in eVolo Magazine’s 2015 skyscraper design competition. (source).
On 2010, the Tree Museum situated on 75,000 square meters of breathtaking land near Upper Lake Zurich in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland, opened officially its gates.The Tree Museum exhibits individual trees, which are used to create spaces in a unique way that integrates aesthetics, sustainability, history and lifetime. The collection is solely composed of varieties which belong to Switzerland’s climate zone. The Museum features approximately 50 trees representing more than 25 varieties- several examples of which are more than 100 years old- creating an aura of immortality and an awareness of ‘time’. Another 100 trees and plants are located in the Park which surrounds the Tree Museum. In total, the Enea grounds contain more than 3000 exclusive wood species. (source).
The High Line in New York City is a 1.45-mile-long structure built in the 1930s to carry freight trains. It runs from the Meatpacking District, through West Chelsea, and ends at 34th Street, next to the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The last train ran on it in 1980. It is now being remade into a landscaped set of gardens right in the middle of the city. The plants were specifically chosen to be like those that grew naturally when the rail line was abandoned, so that it gives you the feel of what the city would be like without people. Some of the original rails are left in place and the concrete has been designed to evoke the shape of the old wooden ties. Some areas have seating and lounge chairs with wheels on them that ride the rails. The first section, from from Gansevoort Street (between 10th and 11th) to 20th Street is now open. (source).
Studio Gang Architects for recently earned a PETA Proggy award for Aqua Tower’s bird-deflecting elements. PETA’s Proggy Awards (“Proggy” is for “progress”) recognize animal-friendly achievements in commerce and culture. Collisions with windows are among the most common human-related killers of migrating birds in North America, causing the deaths of more than 34 million birds in urban areas alone. By including a wavy exterior and special glass, which is etched with gray marks to make it easier for birds to see, the company has created a design that will help prevent birds from flying into windows. The 823-foot building is currently under construction in Chicago, and will contain 55,000 square feet of retail and office space. (source).