Archive for December, 2008
Star Wars a New Heap
Thirty years after the premiere of Star Wars, the strange chimpanzee crossed another threshold. For the first time in fifty-five hundred years of building cities, more of humanity now lives in them than in rural settlements. In the coming years there will be countless master plans for new mega-cities in Africa, Asia, and South America. [...]
Antikythera Mechanism
Decoding the Heavens is a book about the Antikythera mechanism a 2000 year old device that could conceivably be called the worlds first computer. There is a nice short video of the man responsible for rebuilding it describing what it does.
Religious Debates
A huge page of links to debates about the existence of god.
Facebook Fear
Last week I took the plunge and joined facebook although maybe I shouldn’t have ( & it’s strangely addictive!).
Archinect T-Shirts
Archinect has a new set of t-shirt designs just out and I just ordered my steel on asphalt. I like the latest designs alot more than the ‘architecture sucks’ design which ‘sucks’ and has been around since forever. Archinect T-shirts.
20 Worst album covers of 2008
It’s the season for lists and this years 20 worst album covers is a set of terrible album covers, with some brilliant one line put downs.
Waterfront Hotel Approved
According to HS the proposed waterfront hotel by Herzog and DeMeuron has been approved and it’s almost all over for the objectors. The mayor stated that it was nice to get a major building financed by private money, and I guess they thought that the project would inject some life into the whole harbour regeneration [...]
Old Maps
A beautiful set of very early world maps and nice article about them. From a time when a map was just as much about your world view, religious convictions and contacts, as about your map making ability.
A New Nation
Greenland Population of 57,000 has voted for independence from Denmark, although full independence is probably about 10 years away.
Climate Change made by man
OK so unfortunately the web is full of crazy people with their zombie arguments, where loudly worded statements seem to drown out careful investigation into a subject. Particularly if it doesn’t correspond with your worldview. A good example of this is Climate change. Evidence for climate change caused by man is overwhelming full stop. Watch [...]
Nimipäivä
It’s our Daughter’s Name Day today (Nimipäivä), something only our neighbour remembered because coming from the U.K. the practice of name days has died out (if it was ever alive!). When I was growing up I associated it with saints days in predominately Catholic countries. It seems I was slightly wrong and at least Orthodox [...]
Waterfront Hotel
Herzog and DeMeurons’ proposed Waterfront Hotel on Katajanokka will be opposed it seems tooth and nail by the Finnish Architectural Establishment. Last Thursday a Revised Scheme was handed in to the City Plannning Authority , while a couple of hours earlier a petition from 34 Architetcure and Planning Professors lead by Juha Leiviskä oppposing the [...]
Lost America
Lost America is night photography of the abandoned west.
Buildings as Skateparks
Following on from my review of Skateboarding, Space and the City, Wired has a nice article about some recently finished buildings in which the Architects have conciously included for skate design. The Oslo Opera House by Snøhetta where skateboarders were consulted; “We spoke to them about surface textures and the areas they prefer,” architect Simon [...]
Open Source Food
Lots of great recipies, and a nice user interface it must be open source food yum yum.
Venice Floods
Yesterday Venice was being hit by the biggest flood it has had in the last 20 years (1.56m). An underwater dam called the MOSE project to help protect the city is due for 2011. The dam consists of a series of gates 20 metres wide and up to 30 metres high which lie at the [...]