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“Everyone thinks of the desert as monochromatic,” says Schweitzer. “But when you look carefully, there are all these amazing colors: a vivid green lichen growing on a rock, a bright red flower, and the impossibly blue sky. This compound takes those colors and builds them at the scale of man, which is bigger than the flower, but a lot smaller than the rocks.”

The Monument House is one of many multicolored homes in the park. “Following in the footsteps of Lloyd Wright’s nearby New City of Mentalphysics, this home continues a rich tradition of experimental and radical architecture in the California high desert,” says the website for Homestead Modern, the Joshua Tree rental firm currently managing the property.

The listing follows a recent renovation of the Monument House. The home’s moss-colored building features an open plan living room with comfy but modern furniture and a bright orange fireplace, with views of the desert landscape framed by trapezoidal windows and doors on all sides. These playful geometric openings are meant to mirror the shapes of the large boulders in the surrounding park. While there’s no TV here, there are plenty of books, games, and internet access to provide entertainment.

In the blue structure, a canary yellow “chef style” kitchen has all the essentials for small gathering meal prep. The dining room is equally sunny, with a table by Roy McMakin and chairs designed by Schweitzer himself. If you’d rather eat outside, you’ll have no problem dining al fresco in the home’s red-colored outdoor gazebo, complete with a propane barbecue grill.

Come nighttime, visitors to the Monument House can stargaze around the outdoor firepit before heading inside to the solo bedroom with its plush mint king-size mattress from Tuft & Needle. Or they take a dip in the outdoor hot tub (hidden in a deck) to enjoy 360-degree views of the five-acre estate and beyond. The home also includes an electric vehicle charger for any EV-driving guests.

The property location is idyllic. Located just one mile from the entrance to Joshua Tree Nation Park, the house is easily accessible while retaining a secluded feel, standing alone against a rocky hill in a valley of boulders. It’s important to note that guests are not permitted to use the rental for any photo or film shoots without advance permission. Bookings at the historic Monument House start at $299 for a two-night minimum stay.

The post Colorful Joshua Tree Monument House is Now Available to Rent first appeared on Dornob.

The Hotel Hubertus is set at the foot of a popular ski and hiking area called Kronplatz in Valdaora’s Puster Valley. “Hub of Huts” gazes out at this serene landscape from a high vantage point, its series of glass-walled structures collectively forming a “zen-like refuge” for the wellness-oriented hotel. It’s located on the southeast side of the complex, at the edge of a glass-bottomed and cantilevered pool noa* added to the hotel six years ago. The beautiful 82-foot-long water feature has since become the hotel’s star attraction, so the architects used it for inspiration when designing the Hub of Huts.

Architect and noa* founder Lukas Rungger explains that the firm thought about all the activities swimmers tend to do in the pool, like standing, sitting, floating horizontally, and diving upside-down. “Each of these positions have a different horizon, and from this interplay of perspectives, the idea of the project came to life.”

Emulating a small village, the huts contain showers, changing rooms, and additional pools on the upper side of the platform. Below, in the volumes that appear inverted, even more pools can be found, along with saunas, showers, and a foyer. The architects also hid a water purification system for the pools and tiered seating for the saunas within the upside-down gables. The warmth of the saunas and protection of the platform overhead make these spaces feel sheltered and almost subterranean despite their elevated position.

The aesthetic of the huts mimics those of the Hubertus Pool and the rest of the Hotel Hubertus, which was extensively renovated by noa* in 2016. In addition to adding 16 new suites, a new kitchen with restaurants, a wine cellar, and fitness and relaxation rooms, the firm created a new facade from native larch tree trunks. This rhythmic, undulating exterior connects the hotel’s old and new volumes and gives them a visual cohesiveness. The same debarked larch trunks are used as pillars for both the cantilevered swimming pool and the Hub of Huts.

The architects add that “the new pool, which imposingly rests in-between the two accommodation wings, seems like a floating rock, come to rest at the site, overlooking the valley. The hidden edges of the pool, kept in anthracite-colored stone, abolish the gap between pool and landscape, creating the impression of the water flowing into nothing, disappearing between pool and landscape. The pool metaphorically reminds [one] of a mountain lake, nestled into the astonishing mountainscape of the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Dolomites…”

Network of Architects is known for its spectacular and imaginative architectural creations, particularly in the areas of hospitality and cultural institutions. Also located in South Tyrol, its AEON hotel uses dramatic color contrasts and ultra-high ceilings to set a contemplative mood. The firm has also recently created a striking “floating” library for Milan based on the Tree of Knowledge, and a modular building system used as the basis for a sustainable community center.

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Restaurant owner and chef Motonori Hirata was looking for something brand new that felt long-established. “I was asked to design a building as ‘heavy’ as possible,” says Ishigami. “’I want an architecture whose heaviness would increase with time,’ [Hirata] said. ‘It cannot be artificially smooth but rather something with the roughness of nature. Authentic cuisines require such a place.’ He also told me that ‘it has to look as if it has been there and will continue to be there for the longest time.’”

Creating such a structure in the middle of a modern residential neighborhood presented plenty of challenges. Instead of focusing on what he currently had to work with, Ishigami took a subtractive approach, concentrating on what he could have if he removed parts of the existing space.

That line of thinking resulted in an underground cave dwelling that’s every bit as organic and “heavy” as it is practical and functional. Ishigami began with a design that would leave the roof of the new building flush with the ground level. Using state-of-the-art 3D software, he was able to determine the exact points for pile driving. When construction began, workers “dug the holes manually for precision while constantly confirming the position and shape on an iPad.”

Once all the holes were hollowed out, concrete was poured in to create the form of the organically-shaped columns. Then the rest of the space was excavated to create the living and working areas.

Ishigami tried to embrace accidents as they popped up, working the unknown into the process. “Unexpected factors such as growing grass, soil collapsing, or errors due to manual labor were tolerated as much as possible,” he notes. He hoped that the by accepting these “un-precisions,” he would create an architecture that “internalizes natural distortions and uncertainties.”

The original plans called for washing away all the dirt to reveal a gray concrete structure, but Ishigami and his team were so impressed with they way the soil-caked columns looked that they chose to leave them as-is. That decision is what gave the project its cave-like feel and inspired a redesign of the interior spaces, which now include a bedroom, bathroom, industrial kitchen space, and three courtyards that can be filled with dining tables during restaurant hours (or used as living spaces at other times).

Almost imperceptible glass creates walls around the structure to keep it warm and safe from the elements. The flat roof was filled in with concrete except for three skylights, and whitewashed to keep it distinctive from the surrounding topography.

Considered a design wunderkind in architecture circles, Ishimgami started his career with Kazuyo Sejima at SANAA, after graduating with a Master’s in Architecture and Planning from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 2000. In 2004 he started his own firm, junya.ishigami+associates, and has since gone on to win multiple awards, including becoming the youngest-ever recipient of the Architectural Institute of Japan Prize in 2009 for his ultra-thin glass Kanagawa Institute of Technology workshop. In addition to his architectural work, Ishigami also serves as the Kenzo Tange Design Critic at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

The post Junya Ishigami Crafts Cave-Like House and Restaurant in Japan first appeared on Dornob.

The project fit with the Home and Garden store’s mission to “encourage people to be as creative as possible, develop their own DIY projects, and set themselves no limits.” The project was especially impressive “because the shoe, including the pool, is made entirely of materials that are available from Hornbach,” the company explained in a press release.

“With the help of assembly instructions, anyone could build furniture at home,” it continued. “With the Sneaker Pool, Hornbach is taking a step into the sneaker scene.”

While that might seem like a strange direction for a hardware chain to take, off-the-wall advertising is the norm for Hornbach. “Sneakers and pool don’t go together thematically? We say: Of course it fits! Crazy projects are in our DNA! With the Hornbach Sneaker Pool, we show how far the current love of sneakers can go.”

Earlier this year, the DIY brand teamed up with production agency Heimat on a zany two-minute commercial featuring neglected yard plants that abandoned their native soil to take a raucous joy ride to Hornbach. On the way, they run over garbage cans, compete in streetcar races, and get ticketed by a police officer.

“There’s a bit of anarchy,” Heimat founder Guido Heffels says of the brand’s approach to advertising. “A bit of giving people a good feeling whenever they create, and whatever they work on.”

The company is no stranger to collabs either, having most recently worked with Chinese visual artist Ai Weiwei, “who developed a complete work of art from DIY materials to recreate at home.” Before that, they worked with “Danish designer Sigurd Larsen and Japanese architect Yo Shimada [to design] pieces of furniture purely from DIY materials.”

In addition to working with shoe store 43halb, the hardware brand also enlisted production company Neulant van Exel for help in assembling the enormous footwear fixture. The giant Sneaker Pool was unveiled at an exclusive launch event, garnering comments that ranged from “Sensational!” to “Kinda bizarre” to “Just amazing!” At least a few guests were allowed to try out the pool during the gala.

During the event, the company explained, “The Hornbach Sneaker Pool is a tongue-in-cheek reminder that the outdoor pool season is in full swing and that anything is possible with the wide pool range from Hornbach.”

They added, “For Hornbach, sneakers and DIY are both means of creative self-expression. This playful and colossal project merges the two outlets.”

The post Berlin Fashion Week’s Coolest Couture? The Sneaker Pool first appeared on Dornob.

The city granted the request, and locals aren’t thrilled about it. “It’s the only route to the sea,” a spokesman for the mayor of Rotterdam told AFP. He added that Bezos will pay for the operation, but that’s beside the point for some residents, who plan to throw rotten eggs at the ship as it passes.

The Koningshaven Bridge, known to Rotterdam residents as De Hef, was first built in 1877. It was rebuilt after sustaining significant damage during World War II, giving it a midsection that could be lifted to allow ships to pass underneath. In 1994, the steel bridge was replaced by a tunnel and decommissioned.

The city wanted to demolish it at the time, but public protests saved it, and it became a national historic monument in the aftermath. Back in 2017, the bridge underwent a restoration, and officials promised at the time that they would never dismantle it again. But then along came one of the world’s richest men, seeking an exception for his 417-foot-long boat.

Plans to egg the ship began when Rotterdam resident Pablo Strörmann posted an event on Facebook titled “Throwing eggs at superyacht Jeff Bezos.” The event quickly attracted more than 4,000 confirmed attendees, with another 14,000 people saying they were interested. “Calling all Rotterdammers, take a box of rotten eggs with you and let’s throw them en masse at Jeff’s superyacht when it sails through the Hef in Rotterdam,” Strörmann wrote on the event page.

Strörmann told the NL Times that the event started as a joke, but “quickly struck a nerve” with the community, who were particularly annoyed by the insinuation that if you have enough money, you can buy anything in the world. “Normally it’s the other way around: If your ship doesn’t fit under a bridge, you make it smaller,” Strörmann said. “But when you happen to be the richest person on Earth, you just ask a municipality to dismantle a monument. That’s ridiculous.”

Local officials have responded to the criticism by insisting that the project will actually be good for the city and generating jobs. The price tag for the dismantling project hasn’t been publicly revealed yet, but it will certainly be in the millions, and will likely take months to complete. Shipbuilding is a major industry in the area, and while many superyachts have been constructed and sailed out to sea through the same route, they’ve all fit under the bridge just fine until now.

Once it’s complete, Bezos’ new toy will become the largest superyacht ever built in the Netherlands, and the world’s largest sailing yacht. Bezos is the third-richest person in the world after Tesla founder Elon Musk and French businessman Bernard Arnault, with a net worth currently hovering around $188 billion and climbing.

The post Locals Vow to Egg Jeff Bezos’ Superyacht if Rotterdam Dismantles a Historic Bridge to Let It Pass first appeared on Dornob.

Witzling’s very first cabin, erected on a friend’s property, cost just $800 to build. With an experimental approach to building and no fear of taking risks, Witzling came up with ever more ornate designs. One 80-square-foot cabin made of salvaged lumber features an undulating cedar shake roof. Elsewhere, a tiny camper built into the back of a pickup truck boasts complex angles, skylights, and a lofted bed inside. A 200-square-foot diamond-shaped cabin on the couple’s land, with its pointed roof stretching toward the sky, might be one of the coolest things you’ll ever see in the woods. But nothing tops the Castle Cabin, a series of connected two-story structures measuring a total of 900 square feet.

The crown jewel of Cabinland took 18 months to build, with Witzling, Underwood, and some friends and family members doing most of the work themselves. Triangular dormers, one of Witzling’s signature elements, poke out of each mossy roof, while the walls are covered in cedar shingles. Short walkways connect each volume to the next, and a private courtyard is tucked away in the center. As you’d imagine, the complex geometries of the rooflines create some seriously gorgeous interior ceilings.

Prior to building the Castle Cabin, Witzling and Underwood occupied a series of other cabins on the property, sleeping in one and using another as a freestanding closet and dressing room. Now, the Castle functions as their private home. Details include doors made of red alder, railing made from salvaged red cedar that was once the subfloor of a collapsed shanty on the property, and all the stunning wood grain you could ever ask for on every interior surface. The couple shared their design and building process on YouTube, and it’s a fun watch.

“We’re so happy to finally be sharing our newest creation with you!” The duo writes on the Cabinland Instagram. “The Castle Cabin is our forever home and has been a sanctuary to us. It took us 18 months to construct from start to finish and there are so many people who helped along the way that we can’t possibly list them all here… thank you for your patience everyone as we waited for just the right time to unveil our work to you. We’ve already started working on more projects here in the rainforest as well as Cabinland 2.0 in the desert of the Southwest and we look forward to sharing everything with you.”

If you’re in love with these fairytale creations, there are lots more photos and videos to be found on Instagram, many of which prominently feature Underwood (model and former Playboy Playmate of the Year). You’re also going to want to check out their dreamy handmade wood-fired hot tub.

The post Handmade “Castle Cabin” Brings Fairytale Vibes to the Pacific Northwest first appeared on Dornob.

Measuring 1,477 square feet, the three-bedroom home built in 2003 is a few miles from Goose Rocks Beach in one of Maine’s most picturesque regions. Travel through the forest on a dirt road and you’ll find it tucked into a grassy clearing. It’s immediately apparent that the home’s creator, sculptor Daphne Pulsifer, is an artist. The poured concrete dome is attached to a tiny addition resembling a quaint English cottage complete with a cedar shingle roof. It’s also powered by a solar photovoltaic electrical system and a gas water heater, with well water on site, making it completely off grid.

Inside, the home is warm and charming. Pulsifer and her partner Daniel scavenged the woods for logs and branches to use as beams and columns with loads of rustic personality. Earth-tone tile floors, white plaster walls, and arched windows complement the rural setting and the sculptural, organic nature of the house. Soaring ceilings make it feel bright and airy inside, and an antique wood stove offers both heat and a cooking surface. Down the hallway, the bedrooms have boldly painted walls in contrast to all the neutral natural materials, and upstairs is a study with views of the surrounding treetops.

“I think of this home as my largest sculpture, and from the beginning we designed it with the satisfaction of knowing we were fulfilling our dream,” Pulsifer told Dwell. “This type of construction process was very new to Kennebunkport at the time, but with Daniel’s determination and my design, we navigated the permitting process and quickly began work on the site.”

The couple and their children started the house as a DIY owner-builder project, and when it was time to add the electrical and plumbing work, they consulted the Monolithic Dome Institute in Italy, Texas. If you love the look of the property, but you’re not quite ready to move to Maine, the Monolithic Dome Institute might be a great resource for building your own super-insulated, steel-reinforced concrete structure in the location of your choice. People have built domes with their help all over the United States, measuring from eight feet to 340 feet in diameter.

As for the so-called “Road to Misery,” it’ll undoubtedly find new owners very soon. With a fenced-in pasture and such a large acreage, you could build a whole compound of artsy handmade homes in whatever styles you could possibly dream up.

The post This Charming Handmade Dome Home in Maine Can Now Be Yours first appeared on Dornob.

The listing reads: “Mister Grinch, here. As we are all painfully aware, the most miserable time of the year approaches. Caroling, candy canes, and, of course, that constant, contagious Christmas cheer. Yuck. I myself, unlike every other Who, am getting out of town this year — far away from all the holiday hoopla with its fanatical, fantastical fa la la la la, la la la la-ing. Am I stealing Christmas again? Maybe. Am I visiting my Florida beach home? Don’t worry about it. “

“Either way, good news for you. While I’m gone, you can stay in my cave. That’s right, the legendary rocky residence of the world’s most famous Who-villain can be your very own holiday hideaway. The halls of my entire cave are decked with all my favorite things — and Max’s, too, of course. Vacasa will take care of everything (because I have no interest or time for that).”

Requirements: absolutely don’t put on the Grinch’s Turkish custom-tailored green fur pants, or his fur shoes, or anything else for that matter. And if you’re the sort of person who likes the company of others, or, even worse, likes to host holiday gatherings (ugh), be prepared to bring the food you’ll need, because this location is very remote. So remote, in fact, that you can’t get here in any ordinary vehicle. You’ll need “at least a Crossover” to manage the rocky road. P.S., there’s no cable or internet in the cave.

There is, however, a paltry selection of questionable pantry goods like roast beast, Who-pudding, Who-hash, and Whamble-Bramble Crunch cereal, along with a coffee maker. You’ll be terribly tempted to put on the Grinch’s robe and settle into the library, at the table where the Grinch usually plays chess with his dog or at the telescope to spy on Whoville residents and watch for trespassers creeping up the mountain. The pipe organ, with its chaotic profusion of brass, and Max’s drum set will also be alluring.

Gaze at the Grinch’s villainous plans laid out on a drafting table, and perhaps try on his Santa hat disguise. When it’s time to go to sleep, a spacious bed is waiting for you beside a glass wall gazing out at the stars. There’s an additional bedroom and two fully functional bathrooms as well (because, as the Grinch explains, “I’m not an animal, you know.”)

Alas, the grotto is fully booked for this holiday season, but all those who aren’t able to travel there in person can still get a feel for the dramatic, festive space with an online 3D tour. Costing just $19.57 per night (in honor of the Seuss book’s release date in 1957), the spots fully sold out as soon as booking opened on December 3rd, and guests stayed there from December 17th through December 23rd.

The post The Grinch’s Rocky Lair Opens to Guests in Utah for Christmas first appeared on Dornob.

If that last sentence has you scratching your head, you’re not alone. Even the real estate agent who scored the listing was confused at first. “When it was explained that this house was bought by this German shepherd, I was like, ‘What are you talking about? I’m not following you’,” says Ruthie Assouline, who is facilitating the sale along with her husband Ethan.

When they had their first real estate “meeting,” the friendly pooch greeted his agent with a face-full of slobbery kisses.

Gunther VI is the fourth canine heir to a multimillion-dollar trust established by the late German countess Karlotta Liebenstein. When she passed in 1992, she left the enormous fortune to her dog at the time, Gunther III, the great-grandfather of the current dog inheritor.

His luxurious life is arranged and cared for by a group of handlers who make sure he sees the world, with trips to places like Milan and the Bahamas. At home in his 51,000-square-foot Florida palace, Gunther VI enjoys daily meals crafted by a permanent chef from premium meats, vegetables, and rice, as well as the occasional bowl of caviar. He trains in obedience skills each day with his personal trainer. The rest of Gunther’s day is spent lounging around the pool and napping on a red velvet divan in the “Material Girl”‘s former master bedroom over gorgeous views of the Biscayne Bay.

“He literally sleeps overlooking the most magnificent view in an Italian custom bed in the former bedroom of the greatest pop star in the world,” Assouline told reporters.

The pampered pooch’s $500 million worth of finances are managed by a board of trustees, who make the decisions about when to buy and sell Gunther’s real estate. With housing inventory so tight and prices skyrocketing, the board felt now was a good time to offload the Miami Beach property. They’ve also purchased a men’s soccer team and a women’s swimming team in his name, and he attends their competitions as often as possible.

Board member Carla Riccitelli has taken care of the last three doggie heirs and has high praise for the current Gunther.

“He’s not aggressive at all,” she told the Associated Press. “He’s very good with other animals. They’re very protective with their owner, with their people. They like to have the family around so I usually invite friends with other dogs over.”

Riccitelli brings him to her Tuscan home for part of the year, where he shares the abode with her own two dogs, six cats, and handful of chickens.

After buying his 1.2-acre Florida property from Madonna two decades ago for $7.5 million, Gunther stands to make a tidy profit with this sale. The pop star recently took to Instagram to share her feelings on it, posting “When you find out a dog is selling your old house for 3 times the amount you sold it for!” with house and crying emojis.

The new owner will acquire an eight-bedroom Mediterranean style manor complete with an outdoor pool with stone fountains. The gilded portrait of Gunther IV over the living room fireplace is not included in the sale, however.

The post A Filthy Rich Dog is Selling Madonna’s Former Home for $32 Million first appeared on Dornob.

In fact, there’s now such a huge selection of strange Chinese buildings to choose from, Archy.com started an annual Ugliest Building Survey, and its 12th annual contest has a whopping 87 contenders in the running. That number may dwindle in the years to come, since President Xi Jinping issued a government directive calling for an end to “oversized, xenocentric, weird” projects, and that’s part of the point of the contest. The organizers hope pointing out ugly architecture will “promote architects’ social responsibility” and cut back on wastefulness.

Voting is open until December, when a commission of architects will select the final 10 winners. Here are some of the projects currently in the lead:

Donping Poly Plaza, Foshan, Guangdong

Nobody really wants a big imposing building in their city to look sort of like a modernized Eye of Sauron, do they? Incorporating a four-story atrium with a flying staircase design, a basement level, and four towers, this complex is supposed to be a lively gathering place for residents of Foshan New City. The reasons Archy listed for nominating this project include “extremely inharmonious with the surrounding environment and natural conditions,” “idolizes Western culture,” and “weird and vulgar.” Voters mostly just think it’s depressing.

Xi’an International Children’s Art Museum, Shanghai

Some people think this school inspired by the “Arabian Magic Carpet” is cute and fitting for its purpose, with its undulating roof and facade full of round cut-outs. Others seem to be experiencing a touch of trypophobia (fear of holes). It has been called “really psychologically uncomfortable,” “disgusting,” “vulgar” and even “secret terrorism.” One voter wrote of the building’s pale beige curves and orifices, “it’s like a breathing monster composed entirely of flesh and blood.”

Glass Bridge Tower of Jiuhuanghsan Mountain in Mianyang, Sichuan

Something about the monumental figures standing on either end of this glass bridge in the Jiuhuangshan Scenic Area seems to make it extra terrifying for many onlookers. Comments include “Really insulted the beauty of this mountain,” “nightmare-inducing,” and “don’t look at me, I’m afraid.”

Hainan Danzhou Hengdahaihua Island Complex

There are so many outlandish structures on this series of three manmade tourist islands that the Ugly Buildings contest organizers couldn’t choose – they just lumped them all together as one big anger-inducing mass. “This is the garbage dump,” wrote one voter. “A game of capital, making a pile of rubbish, what a bad thing to do with this money,” wrote another.

Violin Church, Yanbu, Foshan, Guangdong

This local church isn’t even the only violin-shaped building in China, but locals hate its garishness, its overuse of concrete, its high cost, and the way it has apparently overshadowed more demure adjacent buildings. It was nominated because “the function of the building is extremely unreasonable.” Fair enough.

South Gate of Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University

You might be surprised to learn that this comparatively tame-looking structure has earned the most votes by far. But Chinese voters are annoyed that such a high-cost, high-profile project is both painful to look at and dysfunctional. Apparently, the unnecessarily extravagant gate impedes both vehicular and pedestrian traffic, forcing everyone to stare at it even longer while they’re stuck in the area. “When the design plan came out, the teachers and students in the school objected to the curse,” wrote one voter.

The post China’s Ugliest Buildings Contest Shames the Wasteful and Distasteful first appeared on Dornob.

Completed in 2021 by Invisible Studio, “Beezantium” is a fun project acting as an apiary for honeybees on the grounds of The Newt in southwest England’s Somerset hotel. Hives built into its walls accommodate the buzzing insects, which are visible from inside through panes of glass. But the structure also serves as a wildlife center for visitors, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere lined with polished honey oak. The educational showcase inside was created in collaboration with Kossmanndejong, an Amsterdam-based design agency.

The whimsical design of the exterior takes inspiration from traditional “follies,” strikingly ornate buildings commonly seen in English and French landscape gardening that are purpose-built as ornaments. Not having a purpose is part of the point, actually. Beezantium’s unusual silhouette, fish scale-shaped copper roof tiles, two oval windows, and raw cladding pay tribute to these structures, but it’s not just for decoration. Nearly every feature aims to draw in bees of all kinds.

The oversized timber panels are made of unseasoned oak, which allows the bees to enter their hive either through natural holes or copper pipes built into the structure. Beekeeper Paula Carnell consulted on the project to make sure it would be welcoming not just to the honeybee hives relocated to the apiary, but to wild bees, solitary bees, and other species, as well.

From far away, the apiary looks much smaller than it really is. It’s not until you enter that you realize its true scale, with a copper-lined ceiling that rises all the way to the peak of the roof. The exhibits and seating inside were arranged so that you wind your way through, taking it all in before reaching the final reward: the view. Invisible Studio designed the picture window so it juts out from the wall, its glass floor offering a view straight down into the water below.

Best of all might be the fact that the architects successfully crafted this lovely attraction on such an unlikely site. Occupying a former landfill, the apiary certainly makes better use of the lakeside location.

“The Beezantium has been designed to provide a sensory, otherworldly experience,” says Piers Taylor, director of Invisible Studio. “It appears jewel like, quirky, and playful – almost like a folly in landscape with a glowing copper roof, but instead of being only about pleasure, the Beezantium is a purposeful building designed to house bees in observation hives in the external walls, that can be viewed in a range of habitats internally. There is a huge extraordinary interactive and immersive exhibit that describes the world from the bees’ perspective, that is hung from the ceiling and contained within a honeycomb structure, enabling visitors to understand bees and their place in the world.”

The post Beezantium: A Lakeside Apiary in Somerset by Invisible Studio first appeared on Dornob.

Believe it or not, this inventive project is actually on the docket. Recently announced as the latest undertaking by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), it’s so much more than an amusement park. By converting an existing oil rig into an over 100,000-square-meter tourist destination, the complex will be the first of its kind: entirely offshore, accessible only via sea or air, and featuring everything from hotels to entertainment and world-class attractions —all designed to add to Saudi Arabia’s allure as a top worldwide tourist destination.

Dubbed “The Rig,” the project will not only provide a boon to the local economy, it will also work stringently “to ensure the sustainable preservation of the environment in the project’s vicinity…[by following] leading global standards and best practices,” according to an official statement. These sustainably measures come as the country seeks to expand its efforts to focus on broader environmental protections.

Despite drawing millions of visitors every year to visit the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia seeks to reposition itself as more of an entertainment — rather than religious — destination; “a global hotspot [able] to compete with the likes of nearby Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Oman,” according to a recent article from CNN.

Part of a larger PIF strategy to increase innovative projects and drive development in Saudi Arabia’s tourism and entertainment sectors, the offshore amusement complex is just the latest in a series of projects meant to promote the country as a worldwide tourist destination (one that’s especially popular with visitors from nearby Arabian Gulf cities).

Earlier this year, as part of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project, two hotels were scheduled to be built on the Ummahat Al Shaykh Island. Commissioned by the Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) and designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, the villas will be luxe to the extreme. Built on both land and over water, they will also continue the country’s focus on sustainable development.

Also this year, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman confirmed the country’s plans for a second national airline, part of a larger $147 billion investment into increasing transportation throughout the Middle Eastern nation.

Though there is no release date as of yet for “The Rig,” Saudi Arabia hopes to eventually welcome approximately 100 million new tourists as a result of its “global repositioning” as a top tourist attraction, and the announcement of the offshore amusement park complex in the Arabian Gulf is just the tip of the iceberg, as the country continues to exhibit its desire to “drive innovation…[by creating] promising development opportunities to achieve economic diversification.” If this involves the world’s first tourist destination built entirely on offshore oil platforms — all while promoting sustainability and development— then surely the world will soon see a tourist destination that rivals that of even the most lavish neighboring hotspots.

The post Saudi Arabia Plans Luxe Amusement Park on Offshore Oil Rig first appeared on Dornob.

Designed by SYN Architects, the “Hometown Moon” chapel in the Shandong village of Tai’an is a two-story structure with an enormous semi-circle of glass and concrete sitting atop a reflecting pool, causing it to appear as one great shining orb. Inside the ground floor, an identical half-circle descends from a mirrored ceiling, producing a similar effect.

The 11,000 square-foot ceremonial hall was commissioned by the Shandong Lushang Group as part of a larger project to develop a 20-square-mile mountainous region of rural villages, and to bring more tourism and business to the area. The Hometown Moon is the second attraction on that particular hill. In 2019, the billowy “Hometown Cloud” structure emerged from the green hillsides of Tai’an, but the regional planners wanted more.

The Moon was strategically placed to face the Cloud without blocking the view of the beautiful mountain behind it. SYN Architects took great care to incorporate the Hometown Cloud into their plans for the chapel, creating an entire experience with nature for visitors. For instance, the parking lot was purposefully set far away from both structures, requiring guests to take a roughly 10-minute walk through the bushes and rocks, further immersing themselves in the natural surroundings and breaking away from their normal lives.

As they journey, tourists will catch glimpses of the semi-circle rising above the pond, and the spectacle will dip playfully in and out of sight until they reach the chapel where the moon then looms large in front of the surrounding landscape.

Once inside, the lunar-like orb continues to glow, suspended from above and flanked by mossy rocks that mimic the outside world. Visitors can reach out and feel the celestial sphere as it almost touches the floor.

The symbolism of the Moon, especially one that never sets, was chosen for this event center, especially considering the many weddings that may be held in the chapel. Single individuals, entering as less than whole, emerge bonded with their other half, now a fully completed entity. The traditional Buddhist principles of harmony, perpetuity, comprehensiveness, and endlessness are also embedded in the contemplative spaces throughout the facility.

The Beijing-based company hopes that connection with those values and the organic world around the Hometown Moon will provide a long-lasting repose from the rush of every-day living.

“Since the completion of the building, it has started a dialogue with users and nature. I look forward to seeing it being modified over time, further blending with the environment as the trees grow,” says Zou Yingxi, lead architect of SYN architects. “Each architecture has two destinies: being destroyed or being protected. I look forward to creating an architecture that is reluctant to be destroyed. It will be the highest achievement of my career. For this reason, I will bestow deeper meaning to my architecture and create more emotional bonds for its users. I hope that the Moon can become this kind of architecture. Even if it disappears in time, it will still exist in our spiritual world.”

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Ariel’s Abode

Of course, the royal mermaid would need an underwater home, so Vaidya and her team created a bedroom for the princess with a glass dome ceiling for spectacular views of the ocean floor. The furnishings are bright and playful, including a clamshell bed with its own attached light. All of Ariel’s favorite gadgets and gizmos are proudly displayed in another part of the room, and that scalloped armchair is perfect for when she wants to read all about being part of another world.

Elsa’s Element

The snow queen would definitely keep a home in the winter mountains, and this sleek, modern room would undoubtedly give her breathtaking views of the outdoors (that wall of glass might wreak havoc on her heating bill, though!). The acrylic stairs here look like they could be made out of ice, and the frosty blue floors echo the princess’s unmistakable wardrobe choices. The furnishings are minimal, with just a powder white sofa and alabaster grand piano adding weight to the room. The decorative pearly coat rack provides a space for Elsa’s damp mittens to dry out after a hard day on the slopes.

Jasmine’s Jewel-Toned Pad

This independent-minded princess gets a luxurious retreat filled with deep, rich colors and silky fabrics. Her platform bed is framed by a multi-foiled arch while the window shapes mimic the onion-dome architecture of famous desert palaces. Lush greenery livens up the space, while Jasmine’s powerful feline friend Raja gets a place of honor with his own comfy cushion at the foot of the bed. An intricate Persian rug and Moroccan lanterns add further flair to this fantasy bedroom.

Sleeping Beauty’s Boudoir

For the princess who can never catch enough zzz’s, this bedroom in blush should help her meet her prince once upon a dream all over again. It’s pink and girly and includes everything Aurora needs to get her beauty rest. The elegant four-poster bed brings in the medieval chic while the Rococo vanity and chair give the room a regal air. And even though this royal might prefer to sleep the day away, the oversized window lets in plenty of natural light to help her rise on time. If that’s not enough, she also has a handy alarm clock on the bedside table and a songbird in a delicate cage as backups.

Snow White’s Chateau

Always entertaining her seven friends, Snow White’s space would naturally need lots of seating and elbow room. This spacious cabin maintains the rustic feel of her original woodland home while adding in some fancier touches befitting a princess. The primary color scheme is muted to keep things posh, and the massive stone and wood-trimmed fireplace will provide plenty of warmth when Snow White hears her dwarf friends start singing “Heigh Ho.” The glamorous lighting fixture, candlesticks, and ornate mirror also help create cozy ambience for her merry gatherings.

Hopefully Disney princesses would still have a royal salary in real life, because these luxurious domiciles would not be cheap. They would, however, keep these leading ladies living in style.

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The lake was emptied to perform maintenance for the systems of a nearby power plant, allowing visitors a chance to see a piece of forgotten history. Located at the juncture of Italy, Austria, and Switzerland, the sunken village of Curon in the South Tyrol area was purposely flooded in 1950 to create a lake to provide hydroelectric power for the surrounding territory.

South Tyrol was annexed from the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I, turning the region’s native German speakers into Italians overnight. The government of dictator Benito Mussolini immediately started plans to produce more energy in the area by merging two natural basins in the Resia Pass, wiping out Curon, and installing a hydro-electric power facility. World War II delayed those blueprints, buying the 150 families in the town a little more time.

But despite resistance from the city’s roughly 1,000 inhabitants, the project to submerge the town moved forward some five years after the war ended. With most of the villagers speaking only German, they were confused by the Italian communications relating to the plans and were only offered small sums of money to move to the neighboring town of Curon Ventosa. In the end, more than half the residents left the area entirely.

Today, all that remains of the life that existed there over the past centuries are some hollowed-out cellars, stone steps, and debris like rusted gates and pipes. The most striking feature is the beautiful bell tower dating back to 1357, the top of which has always been visible above the surface of Lake Resia. In fact, when the water freezes over in winter, tourists come from all over to walk up and touch the medieval structure. The tower is so iconic for the area that it was even chosen as the centerpiece for the Curon Ventosa coat of arms.

The unsettling story of the underwater town was the inspiration for a 2018 novel by Italian author Marco Balzano entitled Resto Qui, in which he states that the drowned city represents “a problematic memory that spreads from that tiny village to the rest of Italy, taking us back to difficult times.” And in 2020, Netflix released the supernatural drama series Curon, based on the same eerie setting.

With the last residents walking the streets more than seven decades ago, there are few left who remember life in the village, even among the 2,500 inhabitants of nearby Curon Ventosa. Those who visit the ruins mostly come out of curiosity rather than any personal attachment.

Unfortunately, this peek into the past did not last long. The power company started releasing water back into the valley in mid-May, and the entire lake was refilled within a couple weeks. Once again, the rising bell tower stands as the only sign that the lake is home to more secrets below.

The post Medieval City Revealed Beneath the Waters of Italy’s Lake Resia first appeared on Dornob.