Dubai’s Luxury Metro
In Dubai, 30,000 workers labored over the course of four years to produce the city’s first metro system. Opened to the public in September, the $7.64 billion budget is double what developers expected, but the automated system is the longest in the world, with over 52 kilometers of track and 29 stations. Monumental air-conditioned pedestrian bridges protect riders from the desert heat as they approach stations, and once aboard, luxury compartments and wireless internet service pamper them between destinations.
Officials and residents hope that the metro system will initiate a wave of development in Dubai, where several projects have stalled or been abandoned due to the poor economic climate. Whether residents in the notoriously hot city will abandon their cars (running on $1.00 per gallon gas) remains to be seen, but officials say they expect annual ridership to exceed 200 million.
Casa Q by asensio_mah and J.M. Aguirre Aldaz
Casa Q sits perched on a hillside on Spain’s north coast, a dark, angular abode overlooking the town below. The dramatic modernist home, composed of several skewed rectangular volumes, is clad with black metal panels punctuated by large, sunken windows. A walkway bordered by concrete retaining walls rises gradually from the street to reach the main entry and a sizeable deck with an integrated pool. Adjacent to the walkway, a driveway is carved into the hillside to provide access to a ground level garage. Concrete retaining walls are used across the property to create an overall terraced effect.
Inside the home, neutral materials and colors await the personal touch of future residents. Naturally finished wood floors and clean white surfaces abound. Skylights in the main living spaces accompany the windows to provide ample natural light.
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China’s Hakka Houses
In the Fujian Province on the southeast coast of China, photographer Ryan Pyle documents the traditional “apartments” inhabited by groups of Hakka throughout the region. Referred to as Tulou, they are typically round, multi-story structures, and were originally designed to act as both large fortresses and multi-family building complexes. To protect residents from attack, the Tulou have only one exterior entrance and no windows at ground level. Inside, living spaces look out onto an open central courtyard. The ground level usually serves utilitarian purposes (food storage, well, livestock, etc.) while upper levels contain actual family dwellings. Up to 80 families can live in a single Tulou.
Last year, UNESCO bestowed World Heritage Status upon the Tulou, describing the structures as “exceptional examples of a building tradition and function exemplifying a particular type of communal living and defensive organization.”
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Interiors & Exteriors by Leder+Ragnarsdottir+OEI
In Lörrach, Germany, architecture firm Lederer+Ragnarsdottir+OEI completed a project at the University of Education that included a renovation of existing campus buildings, exterior space planning, and construction of new educational facilities. Originally built in the 1960’s, the school was designed around a central courtyard using modern theory and ideals. Transparency, views of the landscape, and social hubs were all important determining factors in the original design. To modernize the campus while still honoring the existing structures and ideology, LRO created a layout “based on the conviction that a considerable part of studying happens outside of classrooms.” Consequently, a second, larger courtyard was created to act as a hub for the new construction. A series of lecture pavilions extend out from the courtyard and an outdoor auditorium lies at the junction of the old and new structures.
LRO is committed to “learn from the long tradition of building without falling into historicism,” and the project in Lörrach is a perfect example. The essence of the original campus remains, but in a thoroughly modernized form.
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Wiesmann Roadster
German sports car manufacturer Wiesmann revealed their latest creation, the MF5 Roadster, at this month’s 63rd annual Frankfurt International Motor Show. The curvaceous roadster fuses vintage styling cues with modern details and construction, and the result is a striking automobile, particularly in the red and white color scheme presented in Frankfurt. Beneath the hood lies a BMW sourced V10 (the same engine used in the M5/M6), generating 507 horsepower. Accordingly, performance figures are impressive- zero to sixty takes only 3.9 seconds and top speed is 192 miles per hour. Details are limited, but Wiesmann says just 55 examples will be produced, with pricing expected to start at $278,000.
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Minimalist Home by Takao Akiyama
A stark, minimalist carport radiates out from the main living space of this home by Takao Akiyama, drastically differentiating it from neighbors. The carport includes an integrated covered walkway that leads to the rectilinear, glass-walled volumes of the home, creating an exterior courtyard. The interior spaces reflect the aesthetic style of the exterior, with minimally furnished rooms and bright white surfaces. A few select furnishings in bright primary colors provide occasional divergence from the white. Spaces progress from public functions near the street to private functions with opaque glass at the rear of the property
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Ed Peden’s Missile Silo Home
In the mid 80’s, Bruce Townsley decided to move from his Chicago home in exchange for a decidedly less conventional abode. After an exhaustive search, Townsley finally located an abandoned missile silo in Abilene, Texas. At ground level, the property gives little indication of the underground lair. A few corrugated metal sheds, solar panels, and concrete slabs are the only man-built structures dotting the barren landscape. Unbeknownst to casual observers, the concrete slabs are actually hydraulically operated doors that open to reveal the cavernous 185 foot deep underground silo and attached 2200 square foot living space.
Townsley purchased the property in 1997, and moved in after two years of extensive renovation. Inside, two identical circular levels are suspended around a central concrete column. The silo, living spaces, and above ground structures are connected by a series of stairways and several 6600 pound blast doors. The décor is simple and clean, with white walls and exposed concrete ceilings and columns. The plan is open and bright, despite its subterranean nature. See the rest at Wired.
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Casa View, Rosario – Argentina by Johnston Marklee + Diego Arraigada Arquitecto
Argentine architecture firm Diego Arraigada Arquitecto worked in cooperation with American firm Johnston MarkLee to design and build this home in Rosario, Argentina. The curvaceous concrete structure derives its shape from a desire to reconcile a view of the landscape with privacy from neighbors. Consequently, the two architecture firms decided to forego a traditional façade hierarchy, instead creating a shape with no front, rear, or side designations, and “a surface that continuously modulates the relationship of interior to exterior.” Desirable landscape features are carefully framed with windows, while views into the home are blocked. The concrete exterior was constructed using traditional local techniques, and its marred, rough surface honestly reflects its origins and construction methods. Inside, however, smooth, curved white walls and dark wood floors provide marked contrast.
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Canoe Reach House by Steendyk Architects
Approached from the street, the Canoe Reach House presents itself as a low slung, single story abode cut partially into a hillside. A front lawn slopes up to meet the upper level and a garage and lower level access are sunken into the yard. Viewed from the rear, however, the Steendyk Architects designed home in Brisbane reveals its sizeable interior volumes and integrated exterior spaces. The house implements a u-shaped plan, which surrounds a soaring central courtyard. The courtyard anchors all of the living spaces in the house, and serves as a flexible indoor/outdoor gathering area with a focus on the river running along the rear edge of the property. The outdoor space also incorporates a steel framed, cantilevered glass living space that shades a pool and additional patio space.
At the courtyard level, most living spaces incorporate sliding glass panels and uninterrupted planes of stone flooring to merge interior with exterior. Various species of wood and several types of stone throughout the home add warmth to the modern décor. Bedrooms are isolated on the upper level of the home.
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Rolex Tudor Hydro 1200 / Hydronaut II Chronograph Diving Watches
Tudor Watch, a subsidiary of Rolex, manufactures durable, water-sport watches for both the American and French Navy, and their latest releases, the Hydronaut II Chrono and Hydro 1200, continue the tradition of Rolex quality in a more rugged and affordable package. The Hydro 1200 touts serious performance specs, including water resistance down to nearly 3400 feet, a 3 mm thick crystal for pressure resistance, and a helium valve that allows gas trapped inside the watch during deep dives to safely escape during the ascent. The Hydronaut II Chrono is better suited to casual divers, with water resistance down to 660 feet. Both watches convey a similar aesthetic with color palettes that incorporate stainless steel paired with red and black accents.
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