Curious Places

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation (Dumfries/ U.K.)

2012-03-11T00:05:00.000-08:00

The focus of the Garden of Cosmic Speculation lies on the patterns of mathematics within nature itself. Metal sculptures and green landscaping are intended to provoke deep thought about scientific concepts like the fibonacci series, fractals, DNA, and the human senses. The 30-acre private property in Dumfries, Scotland is owned by Charles Jencks and only allows access to the public on one shining day per year.

Photo source: Link

Fairy tale castle house (Artyom/ Russia)

2012-03-03T15:34:00.001-08:00

"A retired couple from the suburbs of Artyom, Russia have worked for 16 years transforming an ordinary house into a fairy tale castle, using only junk materials found on the street and at a local landfill. "

Source: Link

The Watsu School (Middletown/ California)

2012-02-27T23:46:00.003-08:00

The spherical buildings of Watsu School at Harbin Hot Springs are desiged by Eugene Tsui. It is a special school of massage that is performed in water.

Source + more info + photos: Link

Colourful Painted Slums (Rio de Janeiro/ Brazil)

2012-02-21T15:54:00.001-08:00

Dutch artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn, known as Haas & Hahn have turned several Rio slums into massive canvases covered in every color of the rainbow. Together with a huge team of trained locals, they've given residents a source of pride and something to smile about.

Source: Link

Waldspirale (Darmstadt/ Germany)

2012-02-15T01:04:00.001-08:00

The Waldspirale is a residential building complex in Darmstadt, Germany, built in the 1990s. The name translates into English as forest spiral, reflecting both the general plan of the building and the fact that it has a green roof. It was designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

Wikipedia: Link

Athenaeum Hotel (London/ U.K.)

2012-02-07T19:01:00.001-08:00

Le jardin de nous deux (Civrieux d'Azergues/ France)

2012-02-01T22:48:00.001-08:00

Charles Billy and his wife liked to travel around and visit famous buildings all over Europe. In 1975 Mr Billy retired from his job to decorate the garden around his house.
Over time he constructed replica's of the great buildings he and his wife had seen like the Tower of Pisa, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Venetian Palaces and more, using stones from demolished buildings in the area. The constructs are around 3m high. Thus "Le jardin de nous deux/ The garden of the two of us" was created.
Nowadays the site is private and closed for the public.

Charles Billy in his sculpture garden.

Read more: Link

Atlantis, the Palm (Dubai/ United Arab Emirates)

2012-01-29T13:23:00.000-08:00

Atlantis, the Palm is a hotel resort at the man-made island of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Almost everything in it is underwater themed and it's also home to 65,000 marine animals.

A monorail connects the resort to the main section of the Palm Jumeirah islands.

Website: Link

Das Junkerhaus (Lemgo/ Germany)

2012-01-26T21:47:00.001-08:00

The Junkerhaus is the creation of architect, artist and wood-carver Karl Junker (1850-1912) who lived there until his death. The house is covered with pilaster and cornices made of carved boards, strips of wood and latticework. The ornamental exterior extends into the interior of the house. The furniture, carvings and approximately 900 drawings and sketches preserved here are the evidence of the creativity and art work of Junker.

Website (in German) : Link

Kansas City Library (Kansas City/ Missouri)

2012-01-25T00:36:00.000-08:00

Chittorgarh Fort (India)

2012-01-22T13:50:00.001-08:00

Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in India and the grandest in the state of Rajasthan. The fort, plainly known as Chittor, sprawls majestically over a hill above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River. The fort precinct with an evocative history is studded with a series of historical palaces, gates, temples and two prominent commemoration towers. These monumental ruins have inspired the imagination of tourists and writers for centuries.

A stereoscopic photograph.

Click to see the first image in wallpaper size: Link

Wikipedia: Link

Hallgrímskirkja - Church of Hallgrimur (Reykjavík/ Iceland)

2012-01-18T23:35:00.000-08:00

The Hallgrímskirkja is a church in Reykjavík, Iceland.
State Architect Guðjón Samúelsson's design of the church was commissioned in 1937. He is said to have designed it to resemble the basalt lava flows of Iceland's landscape.

Inversion Tunnel House (Houston/ Texas)

2012-01-15T02:29:00.001-08:00

Dan Havel and Dean Ruck turned a to-be-torn-down house into an art installation known as ‘Inversion.’ Using boards from the outside of the houses they created a large funnel-like vortex running between the two that ends in a small hole in an adjacent courtyard.
The building and an adjacent one have been used for exhibition space and art classes for over 30 years and were torn down in 2005 shortly after this "goodbye installation" so unfortunately this place doesn't exist anymore.

Source & more pics: Link

Mine- Suite (Sala/ Sweden)

2012-01-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

"The mine suite at the Sala silver mine in Sweden, the world's deepest hotel room. It's 155 meters underground."

Source: Link

Submitted by: ergotismus.livejournal.com

Rainbow Family Village (Taichung/ Taiwan)

2012-01-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

"The place was originally a military dependents' village from the 1940s-50s. Apparently, the artwork is by one single artist, the now 90 years old Huang Yongfu, who is originally from Hong Kong but used to live here."

Photos by Steven Barringer, found here: Link

Submitted by: leeneh.livejournal.com

Log skyscraper (Whitehorse/ Canada)

2012-01-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

Submitted by: vlad-n-van.livejournal.com

Riomaggiore (Italy)

2012-01-05T21:31:00.000-08:00

Riomaggiore is a village in the province of La Spezia,
situated in a small valley in the Liguria region of Italy.
It's wharf is framed by colourful tower houses.

Wikipedia: Link

Casa Caracol Shell House (Isla Mujeres/ Mexico)

2011-12-19T20:58:00.000-08:00

"Have your ever imagine living inside a sea shell? Taken a bath under a shell fountain? The pleasure of waking with the ocean’s murmur and the gentle caress of the ocean’s breeze. Dip in your on private pool. Reach with just a few steps amazing cliffs and beaches that appear and disappeared with the tides, where the ocean shares incredible gifts, amazing shells and corals you find along the sea. Awaken to the most incredible sunrises where you need to pinch yourself to make sure you are not still dreaming."

This house can be rented: Link

107 Cárdenas (Havana/ Cuba)

2011-12-18T19:53:00.000-08:00

This house is a lovely example of Art Nouveau in Havana, Cuba. It was built in 1914 and recently got restorated.

Last photo is from google maps. A view of the street (all the houses are so beautiful) before the restoration. The building in this post is the one on the very right.

The first photo was taken by Michael Eastman. I suggest you check out all the other pictures he has taken of Art Nouveau buildings in Cuba on his site: Link

Keukenhof Tulip Gardens (Lisse/ Netherlands)

2011-12-13T01:54:00.000-08:00

More than seven million flowers form a glorious decor in Keukenhof, a historic park filled with blooming tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other spring bulbs.

Website: Link

Aeroplane (Bergville/ South Africa)

2011-12-08T00:54:00.001-08:00

From the book "Fantasy Worlds"

Tunnel of Love (Kleven/ Ukraine)

2011-12-03T04:41:00.000-08:00

This beautiful train tunnel of trees called the "Tunnel of Love" is located in Kleven, Ukraine.

Amberley Castle Treehouse (Sussex/ U.K.)

2011-11-30T02:10:00.000-08:00

"A beautiful and luxurious treehouse that reflects the romance and architecture of Amberley Castle Country Hotel. The treehouse is suitable for year round use, primarily as a hideaway for the hotels guests but also as a multi-purpose venue for corporate entertainment, meals, weddings and private functions."

Blue Forest is an English company that designs and builds luxury tree houses and eco-lodge projects across the world.

Source: Link

The B'ville Treehouse (Portland/ Oregon)

2011-11-22T13:32:00.001-08:00

From the book "Treehouses of the World"

Bar Rectum (Vienna/ Austria)

2011-11-16T13:26:00.000-08:00

"As offensive or disgusting as this Rectum Bar may be for some, it is also rather educational, for it illustrates an anatomically correct digestion track with great detail, going from tongue to anus, and the large intestine. Better yet, it was (in 2010) an actual real theme bar outside of the Vienna Museums Quarter, so it was also supposed to be artistic."

Source: Link

Thanks to glamgothruthy for the link :)

Dita von Teese's Home (L.A./ California)

2011-11-13T14:24:00.001-08:00

Dita von Teese's love of vintage glamour is appearent in her
shows as well as in her exuberantly decorated Los Angeles home.

Read through couple of article scans: 1, 2, 3

Source of most pictures: Link

Floating House (Krasnosilka/ Ukraine)

2011-11-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

This floating house is located 1 km from Krasnosilka, Odes'ka Oblast (Ukraine).

Thanks to a reader we now have more info about this place:

"This building is a part of a potato sorting station. That metal bottom
cones used for loading potatoes into trucks. Usually it looks like this.
It's a common construction in agricultural regions of Ukraine,
but this one looks like misplaced or partly dismantled."

First pic taken via google earth by Cyrill

Lacma Residence (L. A./ California)

2011-11-08T01:53:00.000-08:00

Alice in Wonderland Restaurant (Tokyo/ Japan)

2011-10-30T16:28:00.001-07:00

"Alice of Magic World is an ‘Alice In Wonderland’-themed restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, full of things straight out of the Lewis Carroll classic and the Disney animated version of the novel. While dining, you can experience a world of wonder and fantasy.

The restaurant includes playing card dining tables, giant tea cup booths, a magic forest, and heart-shaped chandeliers.

The restaurant offers meals for kids and adults, such as 'Cheshire cat tail pizza,' and 'Burgundy-style braised beef cheek in Queen of Hearts red wine sauce.' "

Location: Taiyo Building 5th floor, 8-8-5 Ginza Chuo Ku Tokyo T 104-0061

Tel: +81 (03) 3574 6980
Hours: Mon-Thurs 17:00-01:00,
Friday, Saturday and Holiday eve 17:00-05:00,
and public holiday 17:00-23:00

More pics, also of the food: Link
A guest's review: Link

La maison de Celle-Qui-Peint (Pont-de-l'Etoile/ France)

2011-10-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

La maison de Celle-Qui-Peint (The house of The-One-Who-Paints) is home to artist Danielle Jacqui. Exterior and interior of the house have been completely decorated in bright colours, the facade now being in its fourth edition.

Images from the book "Fantasy Worlds"

The artist inside her house: Link

Dream Garden glass mural (Philadelphia/ Pennsylvania)

2011-10-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

"The Dream Garden glass mural and fountain in the Curtis Building in Philadelphia. "Designed by Louis C. Tiffany and based on a Maxfield Parrish landscape, it took 6 months to install in 1916. The mural is 15 feet by 49 feet made up of 100,00 pieces of glass in over 260 color tones making it arguably the largest Tiffany piece in the world." This is a wonderful and somewhat secret spot in Philly, if you have the chance see it!"

Via ergotismus

Mushroom House (Cincinnati/ Ohio)

2011-10-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

"The Mushroom House (aka Tree House) is in the Hyde Park section of Cincinnati, OH. It was designed by architect Terry Brown, a professor of Architecture and Interior Design at the University of Cincinnati. The building was created with the assistance of university students."

More photos: Link

Toilet-Shaped House (Suweon/ South Korea)

2011-10-18T19:24:00.001-07:00

"The unique Toilet-Shaped House was built to commemorate the establishment of the World Toilet Association and its campaign for better sanitation worldwide. Sim Jae-Duck, also known as “Mayor Toilet” resides in the concrete and glass building and continues his efforts to improve the image of toilets among people. The house includes a “model toilet” positioned in the middle of the building that produces a mist to make the visitors feel more relaxed."

National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa/ Canada)

2011-10-13T17:32:00.000-07:00

Korowai treehouses (Papua/ Indonesia)

2011-10-12T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Korowai are a people of southeastern Papua (i.e., the southeastern part of the western part of New Guinea).
The majority of their clans live in tree houses. They often have wars amongst themselves and one of the main reasons they live in trees is for self-protection.

Haw Par Villa (Singapore)

2011-10-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Haw Par Villa is a mythological theme park in Singapore.

It contains over 1,000 statues and 150 giant dioramas depicting scenes from Chinese folklore, legends, history and illustrations of various aspects of Confucianism. The most well-known attraction is the Ten Courts of Hell, with gruesome depictions of hell in Chinese mythology, all set in a 60 meter-long trail of a Dragon.

Entering the "Ten Courts of Hell":

This huge albino monster goldfish lives in one of the ponds.

Here's a short video:

Parts of Haw Par Villa are abandoned and unfortunately not acessable to the public.
I found some photos online of the weathered and overgrown statues: Link

Musée Robert Tatin (Cossé-le-Vivien/ France)

2011-10-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Robert Tatin was a french artist and outsider-architect. In 1962, at the age of 60, he bought an old house near Cossé-le-Vivien where, for the next 21 years, together with his wife Lise, he would create a visionary environment.

The museum's website: Link

Matmâta (Tunisia)

2011-09-29T14:21:00.000-07:00

If you're a Star Wars fan you should visit Matmata, Tunisia. Much of Tatooine was set, and filmed, in the historic troglodyte home structures. Lars Homestead, home to Luke Skywalker, his Aunt Beru Lars and Uncle Owen Lars for the Star Wars movies, was in fact the Hotel Sidi Driss, which offers traditional troglodyte accommodations.

Review of Hotel Sidi Driss: Link

Cunégonde et Malabar (Nice/ France)

2011-09-28T13:48:00.001-07:00

In 1976 Benjamin Vautier opened the gallery “Cunégonde et Malabar” which is named after his children.
Over the year it became a chaotic set of found objects. The walls are covered with many objects, and Ben’s works. There's a giant gnome standing in the garden, old toilets and bidets are used as plant containers. Over the door we can see the words “It’s Bad” with a Rhinoceros-head watching the garden. There’s a bathtub which says “Since 1917, all the avant-garde is bathing in the dirty bath water of Duchamp.”

Images from the book "Fantasy Worlds"

More pictures and an article about Ben Vaultier: Link

Ben's Website: Link

Granny's Empire of Art (San Francisco/ California)

2011-09-20T15:02:00.001-07:00

"Granny’s Grannyboot is located somewhere between San Francisco’s Potrero Hill and your fanciest imaginations. Explore the many marvelous nooks and crannies, designed and assembled by her enchanted Grandchildren."

More photos of each room @ Jaina Bee's website: Link
An article about the house and it's artists: Link

The Minister’s Treehouse (Crossville/ Tennessee)

2011-09-19T00:52:00.001-07:00

The Minister’s Treehouse, a 10-story treehouse in Crossville, Tennessee, is the tallest treehouse in the world.
Designed by Horace Burgess, a landscape architect, it is made from reclaimed wood and other recycled materials and rests on an 80-foot-tall white oak tree.

More info: Link

The Grotto of the Redemption (West Bend/ Iowa)

2011-09-18T00:38:00.001-07:00

The Grotto of the Redemption is a religious monument which consists of nine grottos depicting scenes in life of Jesus. The Grotto contains a large collection of minerals and petrifications and is believed to be the largest grotto in the world. It is also "considered to be the world's most complete man-made collection of minerals, fossils, shells, and petrifications in one place." The total value of all the rocks and minerals which make up the Grotto is over $4,308,000.

Wikipedia: Link

From the book "Fantasy Worlds"

Moonhole (Bequia/ Grenadines)

2011-09-12T03:50:00.000-07:00

In 1961, Tom Johnston and his wife, Gladys, purchased this peninsula in the Carribean.
The home they built looks out through glassless windows onto a Swiss Family Robinson kind of world.
It is said that the moon shines through the hole in the rocks during the equinoxes.

Here's an article about the pair and their unusual home: Link

Gainza Treehouse (Biarritz/ France)

2011-09-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Gainza Treehouse in Biarritz was built by a carpenter well versed in ship design.

From the book "Treehouses of the World"

Coober Pedy Underground Homes (Coober Pedy/ Australia)

2011-09-05T20:11:00.001-07:00

When Coober Pedy, South Australia was still used for opal mining the miners - facing unbearable heat and sun - dug their homes deep into the ground. Apart from homes the undergropund structures of Coober Pedy include a Catholic church, a motel, and even a local pub gone six feet under.

More info: Link

Le Cyclop (Milly-la-Forêt/ France)

2011-08-31T06:11:00.000-07:00

Le Cyclop is a monument in Milly-la-Forêt, France. It took Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle 30 years to complete it with the help of Arman, César, Marcel Duchamp, and JR Soto.

From the book "Fantasy Worlds"

The Junk Castle (Whitman County/ Washington)

2011-08-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

The Junk Castle was built by former art teacher Victor Moore and his wife Bobbie. It is constructed from many different items, including sheet metal, tin, washing machine parts, dryer doors, miscellaneous housings, bedsteads, and even the door from a 1952 Oldsmobile.

From the book "Fantasy Worlds"

Metropol Parasol (Seville/ Spain)

2011-07-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

The Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain, by Jurgen Mayer H. Architects, is the world's largest wooden structure. Metropol’s interlocking honeycomb of wooden panels rise from concrete bases, which are positioned to form canopies and walkways below the parasols.

Welch Treehouse (Clinton/ Mississippi)

2011-07-18T04:24:00.000-07:00

This Victorian-style treehouse for children used to be under threat of being torn down by the city of Clinton. Click for the article.

From the book "Treehouses of the World"

Dune House (Atlantic Beach/ Florida)

2011-07-05T23:39:00.000-07:00

Designed by architect William Morgan this building was constructed in 1975 using swimming pool technology, a gunite-concrete shell anchored to a cast concrete floor. It’s also one of the original green roofs, as it’s topped by a mantle of earth stabilized by native landscaping which helps to maintain a 70-degree temperature inside.

Website: Link

Residential House Vetsch (Dietikon/ Switzerland)

2011-06-27T00:51:00.000-07:00

Positioned on the southern edge of Dietikon, on a sloping piece of property with view of Zurich to the west. The circular ground plan and dome-like form represent a prototype of the building model which Peter Vetsch then further developed and differentiated. It is a one-story building with a basement.
Conventional structural elements are still apparent. The wall partitions of the ground floor are still made of brick, and the exterior wall of prefabricated elements are arranged in a circle and filled with concrete. An armature jutting from the basement roof supports the wire basket which rests on the brick partition walls of the basement, and once covered with sprayed concrete, forms the exterior shell. The exterior insulation consists of a 7-10 cm layer sprayed polyurethane.

http://www.erdhaus.ch

Redmond Treehouse (Redmond/ Washington)

2011-06-23T15:56:00.001-07:00

Steve Rondel's children grew up before he could finish this exeptional treehouse. He started it 20 years ago when his oldest son was 5. Now he is looking for grandchildren to give him an excuse to push on.

From the book "Treehouses of the World"

The Madonna Inn (San Luis Obispo/ California)

2011-06-19T00:42:00.000-07:00

The Madonna Inn is a kitchy motel located in the town of San Luis Obispo, CA.
It is famous for its themed rooms and over-the-top decor.

Website: http://www.madonnainn.com

A couple more pictures of the special rooms: Link.

The Mirrorcube Tree Hotel (Harads/ Sweden)

2011-06-16T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Mirrorcube Tree Hotel allows visitors to live in harmony with nature amongst the trees, with the added dimension of innovative modern design.

http://www.treehotel.se/en/start

Casa Batlló (Barcelona/ Spain)

2011-06-13T01:45:00.000-07:00

Casa Batlló is a building restored by Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol, built in the year 1877 and remodelled in the years 1904–1906; located at 43, Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona, Spain.
The local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones), and indeed it does have a visceral, skeletal organic quality.
The building looks very remarkable, only identifiable as Modernisme or Art Nouveau in the broadest sense. The ground floor, in particular, is rather astonishing with tracery, irregular oval windows and flowing sculpted stone work.
It seems that the goal of the designer was to avoid straight lines completely. Much of the façade is decorated with a mosaic made of broken ceramic tiles that starts in shades of golden orange moving into greenish blues. The roof is arched and was likened to the back of a dragon or dinosaur.

Wikipedia: Link

Free Spirit Spheres (near Qualicum Bay/ Canada)

2011-06-13T01:32:00.000-07:00

Designed by Tom Chudleigh the Free Spirit Spheres are eco-friendly living quarters that were created to co-exist with their forest environment.

http://www.freespiritspheres.com/

Church of St John (Mogno/ Switzerland)

2011-06-13T01:21:00.000-07:00

This church was designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta.

Hundertwasser-Haus (Vienna/ Austria)

2011-06-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

The Hundertwasser-Haus is an apartment house in Vienna, Austria, built after the idea and concept of Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser with architect Joseph Krawina as a co-author. This expressionist landmark of Vienna is located in the Landstraße district on the corner of Kegelgasse and Löwengasse.

Park Güell (Barcelona/ Spain)

2011-06-13T01:18:00.001-07:00

Park Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of el Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built in the years 1900 to 1914.

www.parkguell.es

Müllverbrennungsanlage Spittelau (Vienna/ Austria)

2011-06-08T01:48:00.000-07:00

The funky look of this waste incineration plant was designed by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

KunstHaus Wien (Vienna/ Austria)

2011-06-08T01:47:00.000-07:00

The KunstHaus Wien is a museum in Vienna, designed by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. This museum in the Landstraße district houses the world's only permanent exhibition of Hundertwasser's works, and also hosts regular temporary exhibitions of other artists.

http://www.kunsthauswien.com

The San Cristóbal Stables (Mexico City/ Mexico)

2011-06-07T03:28:00.000-07:00

The San Cristóbal Stables were designed in the 1960ies by architect Luis Barragán.

Arcosanti (near Phoenix/ Arizona)

2011-06-07T03:25:00.000-07:00

"Arcosanti is an experimental town that began construction in 1970 in central Arizona. Architect Paolo Soleri, using a concept he calls arcology (a portmanteau of architecture and ecology), started the town to demonstrate how urban conditions could be improved while minimizing the destructive impact on the earth."

www.arcosanti.org

Casa Milà - La Pedrera (Barcelona/ Spain)

2011-06-06T03:25:00.000-07:00

Casa Milà, better known as La Pedrera, meaning the 'The Quarry'), is a building designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. It is located at 92, Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Spain.

Wikipedia: Link

Spaceship House (Chattanooga/ Tennessee)

2011-06-06T03:22:00.000-07:00

Palais Bulles (Cannes/ France)

2011-06-04T23:18:00.000-07:00

Palais Bulles (Bubble Palace) was built in the early 80ies and is home to fashion designer Pierre Cardin.

http://www.palaisbulles.com

30 St Mary Axe (London/ U.K.)

2011-06-04T23:16:00.002-07:00

Lutheran Church (Siofok/ Hungary)

2011-06-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

"Imre Makovecz, an architect who has fused the traditions of vernacular architecture with the most modern techniques, designed this truly unusual Lutheran church."

More info: Link

Wilkinson residence (Portland/ Oregon)

2011-06-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

"Located on a flag lot, a steep sloping grade provided the opportunity to bring the main level of the house into the tree canopy to evoke the feeling of being in a tree house. A lover of music, the client wanted a house that not only became part of the natural landscape but also addressed the flow of music.[...]"

Source: Link

Hotel Tassel (Brussels/ Belgium)

2011-06-02T16:29:00.002-07:00

"The Hotel Tassel is a town house built by Victor Horta in Brussels for the Belgian scientist and professor Emile Tassel in 1893-1894. It is generally considered as the first true Art Nouveau building, because of its highly innovative plan and its ground breaking use of materials and decoration."

Wikipedia: Link

Hotel Tassel (Brussels/ Belgium)

2011-06-02T16:29:00.001-07:00

Salvation Mountain (Niland/ California)

2011-05-31T03:24:00.000-07:00

Salvation Mountain is a colorful art installation covering much of a small hill north of Calipatria, California, near Slab City and just several miles from the Salton Sea. It is made from adobe, straw, and thousands of gallons of paint. It was created by Leonard Knight to convey the message "God Is Love."

http://www.salvationmountain.us/

Palau Güell (Barcelona/ Spain)

2011-05-31T03:23:00.000-07:00

The Palau Güell is a mansion in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí for the Catalan industrial tycoon Eusebi Güell.

Furniture Gaudi designed for this place:

Wikipedia: Link

The Watts Towers (L.A./ California)

2011-05-31T00:28:00.000-07:00

"The Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet (30 m). The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato ("Sam" or "Simon") Rodia in his spare time over a period of 33 years, from 1921 to 1954."

http://www.wattstowers.org

El Capricho (Comillas/ Spain)

2011-05-31T00:24:00.000-07:00

"Built by Antoni Gaudí from 1883 to 1889 for Máximo Diaz de Quijano (a wealthy business man), El Capricho (literally "the whim") is one of several Catalan Modernista buildings in Comillas, Spain."

Casa Navás (Reus /Spain)

2011-05-31T00:22:00.000-07:00

"Casa Navàs is a modernist buildings in the city of Reus, Catalonia, Spain. Casa Navàs is a building designed by Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, located in the city's Plaça del Mercadal."

The ecological house of the future (Shenzhen, China)

2011-05-29T01:19:00.000-07:00

Designed by Eugene Tsui, a Chinese-American architect, urban planner, environmental designer, author, industrial designer and clothing designer.

Source & more pictures: Link

Stevens/ Harnell Residence (Studio City/ California)

2011-05-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

29 Avenue Rapp (Paris/ France)

2011-05-29T01:01:00.000-07:00

Café Eutopia (Kaiwaka/ New Zealand)

2011-05-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Café Eutopia is a dreamy place up in Kaiwaka, Northland, New Zealand.

Their vision is: "...to create an inspirational, 'renaissance' environment to delight, feed, entertain and inspire people of all ages with new possibilities for themselves and their communities."

http://www.eutopia.co.nz/

Chaplin Court (L.A./ California)

2011-05-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

A storybook court commissioned by Charlie Chaplin and featuring several apartments arranged around an inner courtyard.

Photo source & more info: Link

Iris Apfel's apartment (NY City/ New York)

2011-05-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the Manhattan apartment of style icon Iris Apfel.

Source: Link
Read an interview with Iris Apfel: Link

Bellesguard (Barcelona/ Spain)

2011-05-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Bellesguard, also known as Casa Figueras, is a modernist manor house designed by Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudí, which was constructed between 1900 and 1909.
It is located at the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona.

Wikipedia: Link

The Walker Rock Garden (Seattle/ Washington)

2011-05-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

http://walkerrockgarden.net/

Casa Vicens (Barcelona/ Spain)

2011-05-11T03:02:00.000-07:00

Casa Vicens is a family residence in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí and built for industrialist Manuel Vicens. It was Gaudí's first important work. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí" in 2005.

The Spadena Witch House (Beverly Hills/ California)

2011-05-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

The Spadena House, also known as The Witch's House, is a storybook house in Beverly Hills, California. Located on the corner of Walden Drive and Carmelita, it is known for its fanciful design that intentionally cause it to look dilapidated and old, and is a landmark included on tours of the area.

Wikipedia: Link

Casa Calvet (Barcelona/ Spain)

2011-05-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

Casa Calvet is a building, designed by Antoni Gaudí. It is located at Carrer de Casp 48, Eixample district of Barcelona.

The furniture of the Casa Calvet was also designed by Antoni Gaudí:

Wikipedia: Link

The Tsui House (Berkeley/ California)

2011-05-09T16:51:00.001-07:00

The Pale Blue Door (various locations)

2011-05-08T01:40:00.000-07:00

"This is a traveling pop-up restaurant made out of scraps. The Pale Blue Door’s capacity is 45 people and is popular with open-minded diners. Drag queens provide suitably surreal entertainment, singing to the customers as they negotiate the labyrinthine set and climb ladders in steep stilettos."

Click here to see loads more photos of the various worldwide locations of The Pale Blue Door.

Jon Brook's house (New Boston/ New Hampshire)

2011-05-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

"Artist, woodworker and hippie, Jon Brooks hasfollowed his dream far from the path of mainstream thinking. His thought-provoking sculptures/furniture stretch the imagination and take the viewer/occupant on a ride into a realm of natural curves and flat textures. His medium of choice, wood, is often left as nature has left it and how Brooks found it, sometimes in his back yard with the help of his dog, Ayla.[...]"

Read an article about Jon Brooks and his home: Link
Jon Brook's Website: Link

House on the hill (Hillsborough/ California)

2011-05-03T16:06:00.001-07:00

William Nicholson designed and built this house1976. The house formed over giant inflated aeronautical balloons. A frame of half-inch rebar, a coat of cement then gunite shot over all.
It's located near Crystal Springs Reservoir Highway 280 between San Jose and San Francisco.

Some more photos of then it was all white:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/taxidriver/sets/72157594579817441/

Luna Parc (near Port Jervis/ New Jersey)

2011-05-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Luna Parc is the home and workspace of artistic genius Ricky Boscarino.
Click here for directions on how to get there.

Website: Link

Park of the Monsters (Bomarzo/ Italy)

2011-05-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

The Park of the Monsters is a Renaissance monumental complex located in Bomarzo, in northern Lazio, Italy, created during the 16th century.

Wikipedia: Link

Jeju Loveland (Cheju Island/ Korea)

2011-05-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Jeju Loveland is an outdoor sculpture park which opened in 2004 on Jeju Island in South Korea. The park is focused on a theme of sex, running sex education films, and featuring 140 sculptures representing humans in various sexual positions.

Website: Link

Villa Lante water gardens (Bagnaia, near Viterbo/ Italy)

2011-05-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

Maison Coilliot (Lille/ France)

2011-05-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Maison Coilliot in Lille, northern France, was designed in 1900 by Hector Guimard.

Storybook House (Olalla/ Washington)

2011-05-03T03:17:00.000-07:00

The "Storybook House" was built in the 1980ies by Richey & Karen Morgan.

World's tallest log cabin (Arkhangelsk/ Russia)

2011-05-03T02:27:00.000-07:00

Dominating the skyline of Arkhangelsk, a city in Russia's far north-west, it is believed to be the world's tallest wooden house, soaring 13 floors to reach 144ft - about half the size of the tower of Big Ben.

For more info click here.

Originally posted by: creepingfeature.livejournal.com

Costa Rica Beach Tree Houses (Punta Uva/ Costa Rica)

2011-05-03T02:24:00.000-07:00

This is the awesome bathroom of their "Beach Suite" house:
http://www.costaricatreehouse.com/house_beachSuite.html

Originally posted by: the_magdalene.livejournal.com

Miso Barrel Tree House (Seto/ Japan)

2011-05-03T02:02:00.000-07:00

"Nestled in the trees below Mount Fijiu, the Miso Barrel Tree House rises 4 meters above the forest floor.
John-san and many others have really put themselves out on limb to make this dream a reality. The TREEHOUSE dream began with a desire to show Japanese adults and children the importance of dreams.
The Tree-house would also be an example of an environmentally friendly home built with recycled materials wherever possible. It was to be a dream shared by both adults and children working together."

Website: Link

Originally posted by: the_magdalene.livejournal.com