Produced in collaboration with The Woolbeding Charity and the National Trust, Glasshouse acts as a spectacular focal point for a new garden that takes visitors on a 12-step journey through a mock Silk Road. The ancient network of Eurasian trade routes played a central role in cultural, political, and religious interactions between the East and the West, and it still influences the designs of English gardens to this day. Some favorite English garden plants like rosemary, lavender, and fennel were brought to Britain for the first time along this route.

Following the garden path, visitors will discover over 300 plant species across 12 regions of the Silk Road, including Mediterranean evergreens and Gallica roses brought to Europe by traders from Persia. Inside the Glasshouse, they’ll find tropical species like umbrella trees, magnolias, bananas, and a rare Aralia vietnamensis. During colder weather, the structure’s ten steel “sepals” remain closed to protect the plants. When it’s warm, the sepals open using a hydraulic mechanism to provide access to sunlight and ventilation.

“This is a place and a project that literally unfolds,” says Heatherwick. “You step through this bewitchingly beautiful garden and discover an object that starts like a jewel and ends like a crown as the Glasshouse slowly unfurls. I think it also speaks of our need to keep creating amazing pasts. Weaving contemporary inventions into the fabric of historic settings and having the confidence to let each one speak to the other.”

It takes about four minutes for the Glasshouse to fully open, a process that must be a spectacle to behold in person. The structure already looks like a beautiful gem when closed, but once the sepals unfurl and point toward the sky, it catches the sunlight in a whole new way, scattering spiky geometric shadows all over the lawn.

“This Heatherwick Glasshouse represents the cutting edge of technical design and engineering, but it’s also a restoration of something that is part of Woolbeding’s history,” says Mark Woodruff of The Woolbeding Charity. “It stands as a crowning achievement in contemporary design, to house the flora of sub-tropical south-west China at the end of a path retracing the steps along the Silk Route, from temperate Europe and across mountains, arid lands, and high pastures that brought the plants from their native habitat in Asia to come to define much of the richness and glory of gardening in England.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChkJ7_3Y4PA

The Woolbeding Glasshouse and Silk Route Garden were created with the help of engineering firm Atelier Ten, MRG Studio landscape architects, moving structure specialist Eadon Consulting Ltd., Bellapart glasshouse engineering design and construction, and others.

The post Heatherwick Studio’s Sculptural Glasshouse Unfurls into a Crown first appeared on Dornob.

The ancient Etruscans thrived for some 500 years in central Italy before the Roman Republic was established in 509 BCE. The Roman-Etruscan wars resulted in the overthrowing of the last Etruscan king of Rome and the assimilation of Etruscan culture into the new Roman Empire. The statues make it clear that the Romans and Etruscans were not only co-mingling, but worshipping together at this sacred site. The Italian Culture Ministry describes it as a “unique multicultural and multilingual haven of peace” during a time when the civilizations were mostly at war.

A team of Italian archaeologists unearthed the bronze statues of human figures in September and October from the mud and waters of an ancient pool in San Casciano dei Bagni’s hot springs. Over 2,000 years old and almost perfectly preserved by the unique site conditions, the statues represent the largest deposit of bronze statues of the Etruscan and Roman age ever discovered in Italy.

They date back to between the second century BCE and the first century CE, yet their features are still sharp, and the inscriptions (in both Etruscan and Latin) are still legible. Among the statues are representations of the gods Apollo, his son Asclepius, and Asclepius’ daughter Hygeia, from whose name we get the English word “hygiene.” Back in 2020, when the dig first began, archaeologists discovered a large marble pool of an ancient sanctuary decorated with fountains and altars to these same deities.

Other findings include about 5,000 coins, small votive offerings representing body parts in need of healing, and bronze depictions of internal organs that are shockingly accurate. The findings indicate that Etruscan and Roman families prayed together at the sacred sanctuary of the thermal baths.

“The pool was a sacred place, only the religious custodians could bathe there,” says Ludovico Salerno, a member of the local archaeological association that participated in the work. “Sick people came to the sanctuary in the hopes of being cured and would offer gifts to the gods. It was a place of suffering, and it was a place of hope.”

Researchers have determined that Romans dismantled the sanctuary piece by piece around the year 500 CE, about two centuries after Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. The statues were then laid at the bottom of the pool and covered with columns and slabs of marble in what archaeologists describe as a reverent and respectful burial.

Together, the findings provide an unusual amount of context for what life was like in that particular place at that particular time, potentially allowing scholars to rewrite the history of the transition from the Etruscan to Roman civilizations. “We can describe all the life, day by day here, through four or five centuries, so this is incredible,” says archaeologist Emanuele Mariotti.

Excavations will resume next spring, and the statues will be displayed in a new museum planned for the site.

The post Shockingly Well-Preserved Statues Unearthed in Italy Rewrite the History of Ancient Rome first appeared on Dornob.

Nazari is the son of Armenian immigrants who escaped the ethnic genocide taking place in their country after World War I. Although he grew up in Los Angeles, Nazari’s “ideals and growth are intertwined” in the unique mix of American and Armenian cultures. Taking a trip to his familial homeland has been a life-long goal.

On his first visit, Nazari was taken aback by the visible and emotional scars of Soviet domination. “After World War I, Armenia was taken under Soviet rule until the 90s,” he says. “The effects of cultural suppression and tumultuous wars in the region were evident upon arrival, and I understood these new surroundings would inform my work in a very different way.”

Even through the rough landscapes, he could see the beauty. “Regardless of the endless strife, it was an incredible place – in a way that has never been discussed or shown,” he adds.

It was then that Nazari began searching for the right angle for his Armenian photo series. “I was just led by my curiosity and tried to explain this world through my eyes, hoping to show the human experience in an unexpected and honest way,” he explains. “I was looking forward to making work that did not feel restricted and suffocated by modern photographic technology nor would make an inaccurate projection of Armenia and its people.”

He very quickly noticed that everyone in Armenia seemed to own a Lada automobile, a boxy, utilitarian model that has been in production since the early 1970s. “Unfamiliar to anyone who isn’t from a Soviet state, I was enamored by its significance to the society,” Nazari says. The photographer, who has previously collaborated with hip-hop stars like Travis Scott, Future, and 2 Chainz, started framing his shots around these ubiquitous icons of Soviet control.

Nazari snapped pictures of women selling fruit out of their Lada’s trunk, men resting against their Lada outside a market, and a Lada’s bullet-riddled front end parked against a backdrop of an Oriental Rug. He took shots of shiny new Ladas as well as heaps of discarded versions ready for demolition. “It was fascinating to witness so many different people from so many walks of life still dependent on this automobile,” the artist explains.

One of Nazari’s favorite photo moments was his picture of a beat-up Lada sitting right in front of two Armenian flags. “Parked at the border between two ex-Soviet countries [Armenia and Azerbijian] in the exact region of disputed land and endless conflict since the fall of the Soviet Union. The symbolism was almost poetic,” he notes.

Nazari hopes that his visual exposures of Armenia will help the people still living there to start an open dialogue. He says that “30 years later, most left with a turbulent post-Soviet experience of political and economic turmoil, a destabilized region, and still dependent and at the mercy of the Soviet power, the hopes and expectations of these ex-Soviet states have failed to materialize. Maybe war with our neighbors isn’t the right answer.”

The post Alex Nazari Photographs Armenia Through the Lens of the Lada Car first appeared on Dornob.

The high and low points of the installation seem to shift as they catch the light from different angles, creating a dynamic, almost kinetic effect. Designed by famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the British Antique Museum opened in September 2022, honoring the close relationship between the town of Kamakura and Great Britain.

Just a one minute walk from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and a seven-minute walk from Kamakura Station, BAM exhibits British antiques collected over the years by museum director Masaomi Dobashi. The museum consists of four floors, each representing a different era and theme. The first floor is the museum shop, featuring a London taxi and telephone box. On the second floor, visitors will find Georgian-era antiques, including leather trunks, red cloaks, and bearskin hats worn by the Royal Guard.

On the third floor, visitors step into the world of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels with a Sherlock Holmes-themed exhibit that recreates the fictional detective’s study and living space down to the most intricate details. The museum explains that “in the front, there is an armchair that invites clients in, and the gourd-shaped gasojin (soda water maker) that appears in Holmes’s story, as well as antique microscopes and physics and chemistry equipment, are reproduced as they were at the time.”

Standout objects on the museum’s Victorian-themed fourth floor include a John Broadwood & Sons piano, an extra-large gramophone made in 1935, a fireplace from a Kensington mansion, and stained glass featuring an image of Queen Victoria.

“As a connection between Kamakura and England, there is the National Trust movement that started in England in the Victorian era,” Dobashi explains on the BAM website. “It is the permanent preservation of historically significant land and assets through donations, and many scenic spots have been preserved as heritage. Kamakura is the place where the idea of the National Trust was introduced for the first time in Japan. ‘Kamakura’ is linked to the desire to cherish the good old British things, and the wonderful cultural heritage is still inherited.”

Kuma’s process of designing the British Antique Museum is documented in the book Kengo Kuma: Creating a Small British Antique Museum in Kamakura by Masaomi Dobashi, revealing more details about the connections between Kamakura, Great Britain, and Kuma, who also designed V&A Dundee, a branch of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum located in Dundee, Scotland.

“British antiques and modern electric cars are exhibited there, and it can be said that it is a timeless fusion of old and new,” Kuma says. “This time, the British Antique Museum BAM, which stands on the approach to Kamakura’s historic Dankazura, is lined with pure antiques that have absorbed more than 100 years of time collected by Mr. Dobashi. In that sense, I thought that the design of the building should be as pure as possible. As a result of repeated deliberations, we eliminated all the windows and made it simple, adopting a facade inspired by Kamakura-bori, which symbolizes the traditional culture of Kamakura.”

The post Kengo Kuma Honors Japanese Woodworking Traditions with Striking Museum Facade first appeared on Dornob.

“It is not the oldest of its kind, but it’s the most complete and the rarest,” said Hammam Saad, Associate Director at Syria’s General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in an interview with the Associated Press, adding: “We have no similar mosaic.”

The artwork in question, made of half-inch square stone tiles, is remarkably well-preserved, having been hidden underneath the 1,600-year-old Roman building that stood above it until recently. The property was bought by businessmen with the Nabu Museum in Lebanon and donated to the Syrian government for excavation.

“There are other buildings, and it’s clear that the mosaic extends far wider,” Sulaf Fawakherji, Syrian actress and board member at the Nabu Museum, told the AP. “Rastan historically is an important city, and it could possibly be a very important heritage city for tourism.”

Having unearthed roughly 1,300 square feet so far, the grand floor covering depicts scenes from the Trojan War, featuring soldiers with swords and shields and the names of many Greek leaders who fought in the 1200 B.C. conflict. The Roman water god Neptune is also highlighted in one panel along with 40 of his mistresses. Another segment shows the Greek demi-god Hercules battling the queen of the Amazons and her ancient warriors in one of his 12 labors.

“What is in front of us is a discovery that is rare on a global scale,” says Saad. “We can’t identify the type of the building, whether it’s a public bathhouse or something else, because we have not finished excavating yet.” Syrian officials heralded the discovery of this mosaic as the most important archeological find since the civil war started 11 years ago.

Rastan was one of the first Syrian cities to rise up in rebellion against the totalitarian government of Bashar al-Assad, experiencing a tumultuous seven years until the Syrian government regained control in 2018. The city has had a rich historical past as an important locale during Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman rule.

Many of the country’s national treasures were vandalized or destroyed during the civil war. All six of Syria’s UNESCO sites have been damaged in some way amidst the fighting. The worst artifact offense was in 2015, when the Islamic State took over the ancient city of Palmrya and destroyed the first century A.D. Temple of Bel with explosives, as well as the third-century Roman Arch of Triumph and the second century B.C. Temple of Baalshamin. Since the Syrian government has reclaimed the city, it has been working on plans to restore all three sites.

Even this latest mosaic was under threat of removal from rebel armies in the recent past.

“Unfortunately, there were armed groups that tried to sell the mosaic at one point in 2017 and listed it on social media platforms,” Saad explains. Luckily, it’s once again protected by the government — even if that government is tyrannical and should not be allowed to continue ruling.

The post 1,600-Year-Old Roman Mosaic Unearthed in Syrian Town first appeared on Dornob.

The architects were tasked with building for the long-term while using present resources wisely, working with designers, consultants, builders, and craftsman to develop a space that improves the success and well-being of students. The College wanted The New Library to honor its past without just passively “blending in.” The result is an inspiring structure that preserves a human scale.

“The result — a solid and confident, yet deferential new kid on the college block,” says Allford. “The light-filled, warm-wood interior lifts spirits and fosters connections. The overarching commitment to build something that will stand the test of time can be felt in every material and detail, and from every viewpoint. This is the epitome of how to build for the long-term.”

Sited in a sensitive historic setting along the boundary wall between the enclosed Master’s Garden and open Fellow’s Garden, The New Library is a contemporary, sustainable addition to the Magdalene College campus. Its exterior consists of elegant brickwork set adjacent to the wood-and-glass gables. The older college buildings are made of load-bearing brick with timber floors and similarly gabled pitched roof structures — the architects simply translated these elements into modern forms that maintained a sense of harmony with the historic facilities.

The interior spaces are built with cross-laminated timber structural elements as well as hardwood bookshelves and tables. There’s a sense of rhythm to the layout, with all the roof lights, columns, light baffles, windows, and balustrades forming an orderly “warp and weft” throughout the space. Natural light comes streaming in at just the right angle to illuminate the library without creating glare or damaging the books. Spaces are single, double, or triple height, ranging from small and intimate study areas to awe-inspiring halls with contemplative views.

“The library is approached from Second Court, through a little doorway, and out under an old Yew tree,” say the architects. “From this shady corner, you sense the presence of the river opening out at the edge of the lawn. We wanted to make the building a journey that gradually rose up towards the light. On the way up there would be rooms, galleries, and places to perch with a book. At the top, there would be views out over the lawn towards the water. We wanted to create a variety of ways for someone to situate themselves depending on inclination. You might sit in a grand hall, a small room, or tuck yourself into a tiny private niche.”

They add: “For us, good architecture plays a variety of experiences against underlying order so as to produce harmony. The new library is based upon a logical latticework of interrelated elements. A regular grid of brick chimneys supports the floors and book stacks and carries warm air up to ventilate the building. Between each set of four chimes, there is a roof lantern bringing light down into the spaces below: air rising and light falling.”

The selection marks the first time the RIBA Sterling Prize has been awarded to a college. It’s also the first win for Níall McLaughlin Architects, who have previously been shortlisted for the prize in 2018, 2015, and 2013 for its timber Bishop Edward King Chapel.

The post Níall McLaughlin Architects Wins the 2022 RIBA Prize for Magdalene College Library in Cambridge first appeared on Dornob.

Formerly known as Harman Hall, the Cherry Creek North gem was built at the turn of the 20th century and is an integral part of Denver history. Often referred to as the city’s most iconic residence, the building served as a town hall before being converted into a stylish residence. However, like many buildings of its age, this Colorado landmark also has its secrets, including a former speakeasy (a remnant of the days of Prohibition, when passwords and hidden rooms were the norm). Today, the expansive home is a renovated dream space on the market for approximately $15 million, making it by far the priciest listing in the area.

Purchased by Pat Hamill, CEO of Oakwood Homes, the historic residence certainly needed a little TLC. Hamill was just the man to return the home to its former glory. After an epic 2010 expansion and renovation, the former Harman Hall is now a contemporary residence that retains nods to its iconic past, complete with authentic turn-of-the-century touches like reclaimed wood and blast-from-the-past patterns.

For his part, Hamill felt that the “iconic home” was special, and certainly worth all the trouble. In addition to expanding the residence’s square footage by approximately 7,000 square feet and gutting the interior, he also paid homage to the house’s past by restoring its original red brick facade. In a nod to the former speakeasy, Hamill also transformed the lowest level into a private event space fit for Prohibition-era partying, though it now hosts charity events and gathering rather than secret social meetings.

The former speakeasy also has another more modern function. Connecting to an underground showroom with space for up to 10 cars, the space serves as a showcase for grandeur and luxury, complete with a hydraulic lift and connecting three-car garage.

Though replete with modern touches like heated wood floors, floor-to-ceiling doors, and elevators, the former Harman Hall remains an iconic cornerstone of Denver architecture. Now a sprawling luxury residence, the historic home retains much of its turn-of-the-century charm with nods to the past that can be seen everywhere from its restored brick facade to its speakeasy-turned-entertainment space. And while you may not need a secret handshake or code word to enter this majestic manor, you do need a cool $15 million to make it your own. But perhaps that’s price worth paying for this unique piece of Denver history.

The post This $15 Million Denver Home is Packed with Historic Secrets, Including an Underground Speakeasy first appeared on Dornob.

Whether it’s a metaverse meeting or virtual workplace, an immersive and intense gaming experience, or new ways to build, create, and imagine in design and architecture, VR is undeniably inserting itself more and more into the fabric of the real world. Even the art world is getting on the bandwagon through a new app that lets people view stolen artworks from around the world via a Meta Quest headset.

The app, dubbed “The Stolen Gallery,” was developed by Brazilian tech firm Compass UOL and is available for iOS and Android smartphones. The headset immerses users into a stark, black-walled gallery lined with famous works that were stolen from museums around the world — more specifically, five famous pieces by Van Gogh, Cézanne, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and Manet.

The chance to view these works in a VR simulation presents a new way to appreciate lost treasures that have literally been stolen from the cultural consciousness. We’ve been able to see them in 2D on our computer screens for awhile, but now, with this VR gallery tour, it’s possible to approach the paintings as if they were up in actual gallery.

Don’t expect a lot of bells and whistles, though. The app is simplicity incarnate — a deliberate choice by its creators, who wanted the art to be the star of the show. As Compass UOL CEO and co-founder Alexis Rockenbach recently explained, “We ended up choosing…a minimalist approach, where you [are] in this dark space [and] the only thing you are really paying attention to is the art piece.”

The app’s purpose is not to replace brick and mortar art museums, or even supplant the virtual tours that have risen in popularity throughout the pandemic and remained as a way for people everywhere to enjoy world-famous galleries from the comfort of their own homes. Rather, it was intended as a way to explore the ways that VR and metaverse technology can be applied to our everyday lives, a means of “expand[ing] the notion about what is the metaverse,” Rockenbach says.

“The Stolen Gallery” app is free to iOS and Android users, but for the full VR experience, a Meta Quest headset is necessary.

The post This New App Brings Stolen Art Back to (Virtual) Life first appeared on Dornob.

“The idea is simple: recovering projects by little-known and unknown architects, works that remain in the shadow of the great masters, looking into ‘minor figures,’ and combining different backgrounds in the history of architecture to complete students’ university studies,” The Forgotten Architecture Facebook page explains. “It is a collective experience that goes beyond the purely architectural, a virtual world peopled by more than 27,000 members from a variety of different professional backgrounds.”

The book is a compilation of many of the site’s exciting finds, with each page listing the Facebook contributor that introduced it to the group. It went on sale from March 7th to June 7th only, never to be sold again as a way of turning it into an instant collector’s item.

In case you can’t get your hands on a copy, here are some of our favorite highlights:

Casa Saldarini

Nicknamed the “Dinosaur House” or “Whale House,” the zoomorphic residence was designed by architect Vittorio Giorgini in 1962 in Piombino, Italy. Giorgini’s objective was to create an animal-like building that looked like it was at home in its own natural environment. Evocative curved walls flow organically through the unique house’s interior and exterior.

Complesso Rezidenciale di Piazza Grande

Built over the course of a decade starting in 1979, the Piazza Grande in Naples, Italy was designed by native architects Aldo Loris Rossi, Donatella Mazzoleni, Annalisa Pignalosa, and Luigi Rivieccio. Its influences were a mashup of Italian rationalism (like the Royal Crescent and Circus of Bath) and the organic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. The circular complex includes private residences, offices, and commercial spaces, as well as schools, gyms, and public outdoor gathering areas.

Aquila Petrol Station

Originally constructed in 1949 in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, this architectural treasure has since been demolished, but pictures of its undulating vaulted roof make clear that it must have been a striking sight for drivers along the Serenissima highway back in the day.

Chiesa del Sanatorio

Perhaps the first rationalist religious architecture in Italy, the church of the Vittorio Emanuele II sanatorium in Alessandria was built in 1926. Its concrete design sticks to only the essential geometric elements.

Arnaldo Pomodoro House

Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro had this “non-house” designed by renowned architect Ettore Sottsass Jr. in 1968. It was to be a place for welcoming clients and friends at social events. The geometric lines and emptiness created a “metaphysical” and “entropized” space that invited people to “stay but not to live.”

Roybal Comprehensive Health Center

Of course, not all the featured architecture in the book is from Italy. Known as “La Clínica de Colores” by the Spanish-speaking inhabitants of Los Angeles, California’s Roybal Comprehensive Health Center was designed in 1979 with a heavy Latin influence showcased in its colorful tiled facade and inset Aztec imagery.

The post Forgotten Architecture You Have to Check Out first appeared on Dornob.

The Patio de Sant Jordi and Sant Doménech is a historic structure dating back to the 16th century, originally built to educate the Moors during a period of economic prosperity. As the centuries have passed, it has remained much the same. The Gold Digger installation aimed to celebrate the convent’s architectural heritage while converting it to something altogether new and unexpected. Visitors who popped in during the festival found a whole new world of discovery and curiosity inside.

The designers installed 112 golden thermal sheets within the convent’s patio (the sort normally used as emergency blankets). The sheets were stitched together about a meter above the ground and stretched halfway up the walls, so it almost looked like the entire patio had been gilded with a thin veneer of gold leaf. By raising it just slightly above the ground, the designers created an interstitial space that felt vaguely subterranean.

Visitors would climb in from the side and crouch or crawl to reach holes punched in the foil. When they stood up, they found themselves in a shimmering, reflective space, gazing up at the columns of the convent and the sky above. Additional holes punched in the vertical walls of gold revealed statues of kings and other important figures.

The point of the installation was to infuse the space with a sense of duality: hot and cold, light and shadow, silver and gold. The chromatic differences between interior and exterior make the interior of the courtyard all the more dazzling, especially as the breeze moves the fabric, creating dappled reflections of sunlight and a sound reminiscent of ocean waves.

“The color and effect of the installation change depending on the time of day,” say the designers. “At midday, the light falls directly from above and the reflection of the fabric blinds the viewer. At sunset, on the other hand, the golden color of the fabric takes on new shades, more delicate and pink. Visitors had the opportunity to actively interact with the installation. They could not only admire the sculptural details of the Renaissance ornaments in the courtyard but also interact with the other visitors.”

The installation was the winner of the festival, lauded for its success in encouraging visitors to see something old and seemingly unchangeable in a whole new way. A Cel Obert is held annually to honor the architecture of Tortosa and adorn it with ephemeral art. “Many of these buildings have an interior architecture that is as important as the exterior, although it often goes unnoticed. That is the case of many courtyards, which thanks to the A Cel Obert festival of ephemeral interventions can now become a great attraction to be discovered.”

The post Modern Alchemy: “Gold Digger” Turns a 600-Year-Old Convent into a Strange Golden Realm first appeared on Dornob.

At last, the client was able to hire Raúl Sánchez Architects to give the space a new lease on life. That required ripping out almost everything inside and starting from scratch, maintaining only the facades, dividing walls, and roof slab. As hard as it was to get past all of these hurdles, the slow progression gave the architects a few striking moments of inspiration. They began to see the building as a vessel for what would become its defining feature: a stunning four-story spiral staircase at its heart.

“The construction process, slow and complex, at least allowed decisions to be made as the essence of the estate was revealed with the demolitions,” they explain. “Thus, once all the floors slabs had been demolished and the building was seen as a slender and tall prism formed by walls with a completely heterogeneous composition of all kinds of bricks and stones arranged without apparent order or composition, the idea of leaving all these walls exposed became conceptual: these four walls, over 15 meters high, are a museum of the building’s history, where any trace of its construction (arches, lintels, stairs, and beams), and of its use (mortar remains, furnishings, claddings) will be left unaltered, exposed in all its crudeness.”

When putting in the floors for the three upper levels, the architects chose not to extend them all the way to the original brick walls. Instead, they placed sheets of glass in between, creating a four-story void looking all the way up to the roof. Not only does this help transmit daylight through the home, it continually draws attention to the sculptural beauty of the staircase as you ascend.

The juxtaposition of the smooth spiral staircase with the textural original brick is what makes the space sing. Left exposed and visible, the remnants of the building’s past hint at a complex history that seems even more remarkable when placed beside new elements like the gleaming brass kitchen suite. The kitchen was placed on the ground floor and a bathroom lined with lacquered wood on the second.

The architects add: “In terms of materiality, a certain refinement has been pursued in the new elements to be implemented, in opposition to the crude expressiveness of the existing walls, conscious that the space must house a home. Thus, the kitchen is a frosted brass piece of furniture, shiny and with reflections, with a white marble top; the bathroom equipment is paneled with lacquered wood in a slightly cream color, with black and brass details; the ‘headboards’ of the floors are covered in white microcement; the hydraulic mosaic, microcement, and oak floors add warmth and color to the interior; and the lacquered wood ceilings incorporate registers and grids to ‘design’ these needs.”

Service elements like the electric cables, air conditioning system, and telephone wires are routed within six steel tubes running vertically along one wall, themselves forming another interesting visual element. The other levels have been left mostly empty so the occupants can use them as bedrooms, offices, or anything else they like without restrictions.

Outside, the tall and narrow home maintains its historic charm, complete with balconies at every level, but the architects added what might be one of the coolest front doors you’ve ever seen. Made of three different kinds of aluminum, it features a graphic rhomboid-based design in a tribute to the traditional tile motifs found inside.

The post A 4-Story Staircase Spirals Up the Heart of This Beautiful Barcelona Remodel first appeared on Dornob.

Restoring a historic hacienda to its former glory can be an intimidating project, but if you start from scratch instead, it’s possible to capture the luxurious tranquility that haciendas radiate while updating them for a new era. Architecture firm Chain + Siman collaborated with Modo Manera to do just that with Casa Rancha Avándaro, a weekend retreat in the Valle de Bravo area west of Mexico City. Their version draws inspiration from the openness of the traditional hacienda while enhancing its connection to nature and adding numerous all-glass walls to let the daylight stream inside.

The architects’ goal was to produce a relaxing retreat that functioned as an independent home for the clients while also providing plenty of connected spaces for guests. They wanted to incorporate key aspects of Mexican haciendas like solid volumes, interior patios, and gardens into the project while replacing the standard courtyard fountain with a jacuzzi. The home is divided into three volumes plus an annex, all with walls made of yellow stone from a nearby mine. The central volume is the tallest, flanked on either side by smaller gabled volumes.

Inside the central volume is a living room and dining room, which look out onto the terrace and the jacuzzi through the front glazing and a central patio through the back. One of the smaller connected volumes contains the main bedroom, with its own lofted study, while the other contains the kitchen and additional services. The annex, connected to the main house by a glass bridge crossing the central courtyard, hosts guests. This space is able to maintain its own sense of privacy and autonomy without feeling too separate from the main home, and it still enjoys the same beautiful views of the impeccably landscaped grounds, and the boughs of mature trees swaying in the breeze.

The result feels distinctly Mexican, preserving the best elements of the traditional vernacular architecture and all the charm they convey. The exposed beams and earthy materials connect the home to its natural setting, while updates like floor-to-ceiling windows, black steel, open plan interiors, and built-in furniture made of black plywood bring in contemporary comforts and preferences.

“The interior design is supported by the lighting, the finishes, and the vegetation of the place. Inside, the stone preserves its natural essence and is complemented by elements of black ironwork, wood in different shades in the lofts, furniture, and dividing walls, and concrete in the floors, kitchen, and bathrooms,” the architects say. “The house is a cozy, comfortable, and warm space that creates a dialogue between classic elements of the haciendas and contemporary solutions. There is a balance between luxury, aesthetics, and functionality.”

The post Historic Hacienda Style Gets a 21st-Century Update Outside Mexico City first appeared on Dornob.

Now, more than 500 years later, a team of engineers at the University of Maryland have proved that his concept actually works.

Built and tested as part of a student design competition, “Crimson Spin” is an unmanned quadcopter drone that uses da Vinci’s aerial screw to take flight. Led by Aerospace Engineering student Austin Prete, the team spent two years refining the design. Prete used simulators that demonstrate how the aerial screws work, with vortexes of air spiraling down the structure while generating vertical thrust. He found that da Vinci’s design actually improved upon standard propellers by generating less of a downward gust that can blow dust and debris into the air. It’s also quieter.

Prete’s version uses modern motors to enable the slight propeller speed changes that allow drones to navigate. The corkscrew-shaped wings are made of plastic instead of linen, giving them better resistance against the air. Using just a single aerial screw, as in da Vinci’s original design, would have been too complex. Instead, four mini screws get the drone off the ground and give it the kind of nimble handling you’d expect from a similar-sized drone with conventional propellers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoV-N51J2VU

A flight test was performed at the 2022 Transformative Vertical Flight meeting in San Jose, California. Attendees, both in-person and virtual, watched as the drone lifted off, its wings spinning into little red blurs. “I was absolutely surprised it worked,” Prete told CNET. While this model is about the size of a consumer drone like those made by DJI, the concept could theoretically be scaled up, maybe even enough to carry a person. Prete built the drone for his master’s degree and doesn’t plan to continue working on it, but his research might continue at the University of Maryland if others are interested.

“It can be a practical hover machine capable of potentially scaling up to human-carrying capability, but I don’t see it being used in modern company designs until more research is conducted on the function, reliability, and performance,” Prete told Gizmodo, adding that “It may end up working in similar positions as ducted rotors though.”

The aerial screw isn’t the first of Leonardo da Vinci’s inventions that turned out to actually work. Though they must have seemed absolutely nutty at the time, the artist dreamed up such creations as the parachute, the tank, a diving suit, a rudimentary machine gun, and even a robotic knight considered the first-ever humanoid robot. Roboticist Mark Rosheim used the knight concept as the basis for his designs for NASA. He also created a flying machine known as the Ornithopter, which takes inspiration from bats and birds to flap a pair of enormous wings.

The post Da Vinci’s 530-Year-Old Helicopter Design Adapted for a Working Drone first appeared on Dornob.

Angelou is also the first to be featured in the U.S. Mint’s new series called the “American Women Quarters Program.” 20 influential women will have their faces emblazoned on the 25-cent piece over the next four years, with the honorees being chosen among those who have made contributions in fields like suffrage, civil rights, science, the arts, and government. The Mint has stated that “the women honored will be from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds.”

“Each 2022 quarter is designed to reflect the breadth and depth of accomplishments being celebrated throughout this historic coin program. Maya Angelou, featured on the reverse of this first coin in the series, used words to inspire and uplift,” Mint Deputy Director Ventris C. Gibson said in a statement.

Designed by artist Emily Damstra and sculptor Craig Campbell, the image of Angelou on the “tails” side of the quarter depicts her with arms outstretched toward the sky. “Behind her are a bird in flight and a rising sun, images inspired by her poetry and symbolic of the way she lived,” the Mint explains on its website.

Angelou isn’t just famous for her poetry – she also worked as a journalist, actress, dancer, teacher, social activist, and author. After dropping out of school to become San Francisco’s first Black trolley driver, she spent several years acting in plays on and off-Broadway, including Cabaret for Freedom.

Her interests next took her into the world of writing, joining the Harlem Writers Guild and editing newspapers in Egypt and Ghana. She gained international recognition in 1969 with her autobiographical I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, a groundbreaking memoir about life in the Jim Crow South. Over the course of her life, Angelou wrote more than 30 best-selling volumes of verse, fiction, and non-fiction.

She also worked for social change with Martin Luther King Jr., being appointed the northern coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Her talents were later honored by two U.S. presidents. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” during the inauguration of Bill Clinton, becoming the first woman poet to perform at a presidential induction ceremony. Then in 2011, Barack Obama awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, applauding her as “one of the brightest lights of our time — a brilliant writer, a fierce friend, and a truly phenomenal woman.”

Before her death in 2014 at age 86, Angelou also received more than 30 honorary degrees from universities across the country.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, the first woman to be appointed to that position, got to help select this year’s coin honorees. “Each time we redesign our currency, we have the chance to say something about our country — what we value, and how we’ve progressed as a society,” Yellen said in a statement. “I’m very proud that these coins celebrate the contributions of some of America’s most remarkable women, including Maya Angelou.”

California Representative Barbara Lee, who helped introduce the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020 that opened the door to the American Women Quarter Program, also praised the new quarter design. “The phenomenal women who shaped American history have gone unrecognized for too long — especially women of color,” Lee said in a tweet. “Proud to have led this bill to honor their legacies.”

The post Maya Angelou Honored as First Black Woman on U.S. Quarter first appeared on Dornob.

If you’ve seen The Great, Hulu’s comedic re-imagination of Catherine’s life starring Elle Fanning, you already know about the horse. By all accounts, Catherine was bold, fearless, and sexually liberated, qualities that many people found (and still find) intimidating. Though she died in her own bed of a stroke at the age of 67, an undisputed historical fact, people were so scandalized by her sexuality and vigor during her life that they started whispering that her death actually occurred while copulating with a horse, a rumor that has persisted ever since. It probably didn’t help that she was kind of a horse girl, frequently seen hanging out in the stables. In the series, horse-related rumors start to dog the Empress long before her death.

But one rumor that does appear to be true is the existence of two pieces of truly jaw-dropping X-rated furniture. You’re going to want to check out this Buzzfeed piece examining the table and chair in all their pornographic glory, because it’s absolutely hilarious. The furniture was discovered by Wehrmacht soldiers in 1941, who were invading the palaces as part of Operation Barbarossa, an attempt by Hitler to overthrow the Soviet regime. They supposedly took these two photographs of the custom-made furniture before the palaces were bombed, and their contents destroyed in the ensuing fires.

Though their existence was only officially documented some 150 years after her death, historians are pretty confident these pieces were Catherine’s. People had long talked about Catherine’s legendary erotic furniture, which was likely hidden away in private rooms after her son Paul I succeeded her on the throne. In fact, they said it was part of an entire “sex room” Catherine had crafted for her proclivities. There’s still some question, however, as to whether the accounts of the Nazis who photographed the pieces can really be trusted. In any case, the photographed pieces were recreated by a French furniture maker in lurid color to preserve their memory.

While the lewdest rumors about Catherine the Great were most likely invented by her political enemies, there’s no denying her sexual voraciousness. During her three decades of rule, which began when she was forced into an arranged marriage at the age of 16 to Peter, her second cousin, she’s estimated to have had affairs with as many as 22 different men. Peter was said to be a childlike alcoholic who spent most of his time playing with toy soldiers while Catherine took comfort elsewhere. Among her paramours was Russian military officer Sergei Saltykov, thought to be the father of one or more of her children. Stanslauv Poniatowski fathered another one of her daughters, and Russian lieutenant Grigory Orlov, who helped her overthrow Peter, may have fathered one of her sons.

A recent dramatization of Catherine’s rule starring Helen Mirren, HBO’s Catherine the Great, captures some of the affairs that occurred in the ruler’s later years. Among them was one of her favorites, army commander Grigory Potempki (she is said to have cast his “elephantine sexual equipment” in porcelain so she could “console herself” when he was away). The series also brings to life reports that Catherine had potential lovers road-tested by her best friend, lady-in-waiting Countess Praskovya Bruce.

Some may be eager to demonize Catherine for her liberal sexuality, but the historical timeline shows that she embarked on each of these affairs one at a time, and truly loved many of her partners. For, as the real Catherine once wrote, “I cannot live for a single hour without love.”

The post Russian Empress Catherine the Great Collected Wild X-Rated Furniture first appeared on Dornob.

That’s what Cavejastudio and Denara have pulled off with the restoration and renovation of a historic apartment in Cesena, Emilia Romagna, Italy. The home measures a modest 1400 square feet (about 130 square meters), but feels almost palatial in scale thanks to visual tricks cooked up by the designers. Take cues from what they’ve done here, and you might be able to do the same with a much tinier space.

The designers wanted to preserve the historical elements of the flat, which is named “Lelefante.” They maintained the original envelope with its cross-shaped wall system and 12-foot ceilings, but in addition to adding a loft (one of our favorite space-saving design tricks), they also brought in a plethora of mirrored surfaces that manipulate the viewer’s sense of where rooms start and end, “an attempt in the wake of the best Baroque tradition to capture the infinite,” as Cavejastudio explains.

The star of the show is a “technical piece of furniture,” a new built-in element that contains a walk-in closet and pantry and provides the basis for the loft. This element is “covered with mirrored panels interspersed with regular joints that dematerialize their presence, making it light and mysterious, but at the same time capable of reflecting light in the space less naturally illuminated by the sun throughout the floor.”

Even in photos, the effect is remarkable. Despite taking some of the living room area away to create the new closet and pantry, the space feels enormous, visually expanded by the mirrored panels. The room’s most beautiful elements like the gorgeous hand-painted doors are thus multiplied. You almost can’t tell which ones are the real doors and which ones are an illusion.

The black frames of the mirrors in the living room are visually repeated in the glass wall separating the bathroom from the bedroom. In the kitchen, frameless cabinetry painted a muted gold achieves a similar minimalist and graphic effect that contrasts beautifully with the soft ornamentation of the original tray ceilings.

“Both in the living room and in the respective bedrooms, it is the furniture itself that becomes the spatial regulating devices; in particular, the position of the kitchen block on the platform emphasizes the entrance-living room axis typical of the noble floors, while the wardrobe for the daughters’ bedroom is modeled on the ceiling beams, becoming a divider of the intimate space,” the designers say.

“The chrome plating of the furnishings follows a palette derived from the colors of the existing frescoes, in order to establish a dialogue with them; [this] relationship is taken from the spotlight lighting system which, by illuminating from the bottom upwards, emphasizes and enhances its presence.”

The post Mirrors and Spatial Illusions Make a Historic Italian Apartment Look Bigger Than It Really Is first appeared on Dornob.