$1Bn 'Streets Of Monaco' Floating City

A Lavish new yacht, designed by Yacht Island Design, recreating the billionaire's playground of Monaco is set to become the world's most expensive.
The staggering 155m Streets of Monaco yacht is expected to cost over $1.1 billion to build and is modelled on a section of Monte Carlo.
Currently in the design stage, the super-ship will feature smaller versions of the state’s famous landmarks such as the Monte Carlo Casino and racetrack, as well as swimming pools, tennis courts, a cinema, a go kart track and a Hotel de Paris.

Instead of traditional decks the one-of-a-kind ship will have buildings, and instead of a swimming platform it will have a beach. Travellers will also spot waterfalls, a swim-in Jacuzzi-bar, helicopters and submarines on board.

The one-of a kind ship could be home to 16 guests and 70 crew with the main apartment spread over three floors and 445 sq m.

[VIA]

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Durbach Block Architects House By The Sea

It makes logical sense for me to be staring at this house for hours on end when you live in a country where the weather sucks balls....Durbach Block Architects smash it with this stunning house on a cliff in Sydney, Australia.
[VIA]

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Lead Pencil Studio Installation

A really cool crossover between Architecture & Site-Specific art by These Guys....



[VIA]

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Gorey Castle Video Mapping

Evan Grant brings buildings to life with 3D projections. As part of Jersey's recent Branchage Festival, the 29-year-old founder of Shoreditch-based arts and technology collective Seeper - http://www.seeper.com projected ultra-bright video on to the walls of the third-century Gorey Castle. I think the best bit is around 1:15, when the castle becomes a giant undulating rubiks cube type-thingy....
(Another thanks to Jorge Nieto, who might as well start blogging for us considering how much info he sends our way!)

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Office In The Woods

Madrid based architecture firm Selgas Cano built this amazing new office in the forest.
Photos by Iwan Baan .

[VIA]

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Houseboat In Hamburg

Designed by Rost Niderehe Architects, this Houseboat is located on the Eilbek canal in the middle of Hamburg, Germany. It doesn't have any motors, but it can be pulled by a tug to another part of the canal if aren't happy with your current location.....





[VIA]

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Amazing Weed Farm

This time, a special architectural post. These photos are of a hidden weed farm in Tennessee. The guy who invested all his time and effort into this hidden grotto of treasure deserves a medal. Obviously, I wouldn't be writing about this secret place if it hadn't been busted. The police apaprently found a sophisticated operation which grew as much as 100 pounds of marijuana every eight weeks. How was he busted?



The thick metal door to the secret passageway was held in place by a hydraulic motor. If someone didn't want you to enter, you would probably need a small bomb to get in.




The cave itself stretched 250 feet (nearly the length of a football field!) Inside the cave there were offices, living quarters, and a growing area.

So what gave it all away? - "Electrical Power Disruptions" The men started stealing electricity from the local power lines to supply their fortress. They spliced into wires and caused power disruptions to the local area. Supervisors at the local power company were losing power somewhere and decided to look into it....
Read the detailed story HERE.
A big thanks to Word To Mother for the info!!!

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Villa Mecklin in Finland

Designed by the easy to remember Huttunen Lipasti Pakkanen Architects in Finland. This is the project description for one of the ultimate getaway venues...

The Villa Mecklin is located in the Finnish archipelago. It sits in a small depressions in the rock, its sheltered terrace extending over the summit of the rock.

In connection with the shoreline sauna, there is also a stove-heated cabin for guests.

The building materials selected for Villa Mecklin are uncontrived, basic ones suited for the archipelago.

All wood surfaces have been left untreated and will turn grey naturally.

The villa was built in 2008. The floor area of the villa is 70 square meters and the sauna is 20 square meters.


[VIA]

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Metropolis by Simon McWilliams

Irish artist, Simon McWilliams show just finished in Santa Fe. I like how he paints buildings, making the drab concrete facades a little more colourful. The New Metropolis is the title of this series that borrows from both Fritz Lang's film classic and Brueghel's Tower of Babel...




[VIA]

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White Box By Makoto Yabuki

White Box from makoto yabuki on Vimeo.

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Urban Landscapes by Gaia Persico

These colourful graphic images of views from hotel rooms all over the world, form part of the Urban Origami exhibition currently on show at the PM Gallery & House in London, until 29 August 2010. Naturally, my favourites are of Hong Kong! Check out more of her cool stuff here.

The Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong

The Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong

The Excelsior Hotel, Hong Kong

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Matthew Houlding: Urban Origami

Matthew Houlding's fantastical, architectural and sublime collages and sculptures are currently on show at PM Gallery & House, London. Urban Origami is a show of 7 international artists illustrating the demand for urban living space and the debris which comes along with it, making it something strangely beautiful.

PM Gallery & House

Walpole Park

Mattock Lane

London W5 5EQ

Urban Origami runs until August 29th 2010.

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Summer Europe Trip Part 4

Malmo, Sweden: A 30 minute train ride from Copenhagen across the Oresund bridge below.

The city seemed to have just been buffed as there was hardly any stickers in sight, just alot of marks where they had been, so we rectified that situation, and went hunting for more.

The Turning Torso building is impressive up close.

This sign kept me amused for hours.

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