Life's Replay

Hotel Aire de Bardenas

2012-05-03T22:12:18Z

Hotel Aire de Bardenas is located in the northern area of Spain, in the middle of a fairly rural area in the Bardenas Reales Nature Reserve. It's known for its minimalistic architecture and views into the open fields and it's basically an assembly of sleek boxes in the landscape. Two architects from Barcelona, Emiliano Lopez and Mónica Rivera, own the four star hotel with 22 rooms, some of which include an outside bathtub. The food is apparently fairly delicious and the hotel grows its own vegetables.

Head over to the hotel's website and hit "Me gusta", it's a great concept and seriously well exectuted.

On a side note, I apologize for the slower pace of updates. I was gone for a while because of a small medical issue but I should be back to more or less full speed now. As usual, thanks for reading!

UtM House by Giovanni D'Ambrosio Architecture

2012-04-26T22:44:35Z

One way to make yourself feel ignorant is being surprised when you see snow in Australia. The "Under the Moonlight" House is located in Mount Hotham, Australia, an area where skiing clubs are common, as well as snow, which isn't surprising seeing as Mount Hotham's summit reaches a quite respectable 1861 meters of altitude.

In any case, the house consists of carefully chosen materials that reflect the local historical background without seeming antique or misplaced in today's modern times. Stone, metal and glass each fulfull their purpose in the construction. The metal acts as a solid frame, the stone not only acts as a great structural base for the building, but also does a great job of seamlessly integrating the entire project into the environment and the large windows let sunlight in and give visual access to the great views of the surrounding landscape. Interestingly, one of the architect's key concepts was to "treat interior and external spaces as if they were the same", an idea that is accomplished by these large glass surfaces.

The architect's website is underconstruction but there is some more information here.

Lockout looks mindless - and fun

2012-04-24T02:58:04Z

Behold the latest treat created for us by Luc Besson, the creative force behind Taken (one of our all-time favourite movies). His involvement alone alone has got us plenty excited about this film, which appears to embrace its own mindlessness to the fullest. Check out the trailer below.

Probably our favourite line from the trailer? "He's the best there is... but he's a loose cannon." At least you're left with no illusions about what sort of movie you're in for.

As you no doubt noticed, the plot is strikingly simple: all of Earth's worst criminals are kept in a space station prison. The President's daughter, played by Maggie Grace, visits said prison, and then all hell breaks loose. And Guy Pearce, in his role as the wise-cracking, smartarse Agent Snow, is the only one that can save her.

Two rather lengthy full clips of the movie have been made available, and they'll give you a pretty good idea of the sort of silliness we can expect from Luc Besson's latest film.

Watch the first five minutes of the movie below...

...and then check out this other promotional clip from further on in the movie.

It's doubtful that Lockout will win any Academy Awards this year, but it sure looks like a fun ride - we're looking forward to it!

German nightclubs after everyone has left

2012-04-18T22:13:49Z

We have all been to a nightclub before and we've felt the music, the lights and the crowd around us. It's an activity focused on the 'now' as opposed to 'later', and little attention is paid to the mess that is being caused around us.

These images, taken by André Giesemann et Daniel Schulz, give insight into a part of night life that is often forgotten or, at the very least, ignored. There is a time, late at night or early in the morning, where the lights go on and somebody has to make sense of the chaos that an anonymous crowd has created only a few hours before. Beer is wiped off the floors, plastic cups are picked up and shattered glass is swept away - often to make room for another round of eager party-goers that little realize exactly how uninviting the same space that they're dancing in looked the same morning.

Yamanote Residence by Atelier Sano

2012-04-17T16:08:51Z

Japanese architecture faces similar problems that European architects have to deal with on a daily basis, and it's fascinating to see how the Japanese solve things. Even though the houses often have fairly large windows and the houses are often made of concrete, a feeling of tranquility comes across and it really feels like a retreat after a laborous day as opposed to a pure living space. Atelier Sano has designed the Yamanote Residence in, what I assume is, Sapporo in the northern part of Japan, as this is where the firm is located. I love the architectural features, such as the glass light box in the top corner of the house, or the living room that has been planted half-way up the staircase - something that I have trouble seeing in a more 'western' form of architecture.

Head over to the firm's website for some more minimalistic architecture of similar great quality.

"Storage" Walk-in closet by Porro

2012-04-15T23:57:38Z

Walk-in closets and extravagant clothing storage is a specific type of interior luxury that is usually reserved for women. Not so this time. The "Storage" system (perhaps a somewhat overly obvious name) by Italian manufacturer Porro was designed with men in mind, as you can see by the nine leather suitcases of various sizes and the array of white shirts and suit jackets that are hanging in the first picture above. The shelving system is very geometric and features strong yet elegant vertical beams. The wood used for the compartments is elegant without seeming cold or uninviting.

Head to Porro's website for more information.

Mid-century house from Ferris Bueller's Day Off

2012-04-14T19:42:52Z

I've never seen the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but it apparently includes a scene where a Ferrari crashes through a mid-century designed garage; so of course I had to look it up. This almost 500 square meter house from 1953 was designed by architects A. James Speyer and David Haid and it was up for sale last year for around $1.65 million - considerably less than I imagine somebody is willing to pay for a slice of movie history combined with an archiceturally appealing and well placed property. The address is 370 Beech St. Highland Park, Illinois, just over half an hour from Chicago and the house, located in a more up-scale suburb, is surrounded by trees, which can be seen through the floor to ceiling windows that surround the entire house and the garage.

What's also great about these images is the fitting interior. It's not always easy to dress such a house appropriately and one of the best ways is to use furniture from the same era to enhance the experience and make it all a truly genuine mid-century experience.

Instragram Photography by videotap3

2012-04-11T22:43:44Z

Technological hypes come and go, some stick around, some don't. Take geo-tagging for example: remembering the exact place where you took a picture does have a certain allure behind it and as it becomes more and more automated and less effort is required, it's sneaking its way into more people's lives each day. Photo filters are another one of these hypes, although (easily) arguably less useful. Nevertheless, there are people that can produce great things with Instagram, one of these people being a user named videotap3. There's plenty more in his gallery at Webstagram, head over if you want to see good use of photo filters,

One+ - Scandinavian modular "mini houses"

2012-04-10T10:30:00Z

If there's one invention that I'm proud of as a Finn it's the sauna. It's something that other cultures have difficulty understanding - but only before they try it. On paper, sitting in a hot room until you feel uncomfortable isn't the greatest of ideas, but it does provide an incredible feeling of relaxation and tranquility in its own way.

In any case, saunas are usually built in a traditional manner and tradition is known to kill innovation in some cases. The One+ is a small project undertaken by add a room, a family owned firm from Stockholm, Sweden. The idea wasn't only to build a sauna, but to create a modular system of "mini rooms", where more modules can be added if need be. This particular cabin has been turned into a sauna, and it does the job very well, providing enough space for all compartments whilst maintaining a fresh, Scandinavian look.

Have a look at some bigger pictures over at Architizer and read a short statement about the project here.

Tbilisi Prosecutors Office

2012-04-02T20:47:46Z

The prosecutor's office in Tbilisi, Georgia, is the first project from a small team called 'Architects of Invention' and they seem to have landed a hit. Especially for a first time project, the structure consists of fascinatingly complex shapes, with overhanging volumes that are suspended in the air. This allows balconies and terraces to be arranged, as well as a free passage from one side of the building to the other. One unusual aspect is the strictly rectangular frame which contains all volumes and the contrasting back of the building which is completely flat, decorated only by a geometric arrangement of windows. Additionally, most floor space can be found on the top floor and there is a rooftop terrace for outdoor conferences and various celebrations. The interior gives a far less open impression when compared to the almost skeletal (yet bold) systematic layout of the exterior. A central staircase ascends through the building and it acts as a central access throughout.

Visit the young firm's webpage here and head over to ArchDaily for more information.