architecture stories

10 amazing buildings that look like terrible accidents

Evan Dashevsky
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 - 9:01am
 
Modern engineering techniques have given architects the freedom to go absolutely nuts as they run around cities and towns experimenting with all manner of crazy new structures. Like any artists given access to a wholly new set of artistic tools, the line between aesthetic choice and horrible mishap can prove somewhat fuzzy at first glance. Here we present some truly amazing buildings from around the world that — at first impression — appear to have either 1) suffered a big "uh-oh don't tell the foreman" moment in the construction process, or 2) come into contact with a devastating natural calamity. These are the amazing architectural mistakes that weren't. (Note: while there's a whole world of crazy buildings for the public attraction industry — we're specifically looking at architectural techniques used in everyday buildings that may/will slowly find their way into everyday use.)

A closer look at Lucasfilm's Sandcrawler offices in Singapore

Raymond Wong
Friday, September 2, 2011 - 7:29am
 
Meet Lucasfilm Animation's new Sandcrawler offices. You may remember seeing it back in April when it was all just a blurry render. New details have trickled out and surprisingly, the office building with the 100-seat theater and state-of-the-art digital production facilities only looks like a Sandcrawler from one angle. Peak on throughout he other side, and it's a whole different story.

Steampunk hits new heights with tricked out $1.7 million open loft

Raymond Wong
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 - 6:46am
 
The Steampunk-ification of everything and anything is now complete with this steampunk-themed loft in New York City's Chelsea district. This loft isn't just a house with steampunk gadgets in it, the entire house is steampunk-ified itself. With a front a front door modeled after a submarine porthole, sepia colored concrete floors, large wooden gears that weigh 500 pounds, vintage recliners with cup holders collected from antique shops, a color changing blimp mounted on the ceiling and metal trinkets and fans everywhere, this is probably the place I want to have a party in once Halloween rolls around.

China unveils 2,000-foot-tall, wind-hatin' skyscraper

Raymond Wong
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 - 11:01am
 
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture's Wuhan Greenland Center might not reach as high into the sky like the Kingdom Tower or the Burj Khalifa, but when it's completed, it will be the world's fourth tallest building, third-tallest in China and ultra sustainable. At 1,988 feet hight with 119 floors, the Wuhan Greenland Center's "tapered body, softly rounded corners and domed top" don't just make the entire structure look slim and sleek, special vents at the edges of its tripod-like "legs" help "reduce wind resistance and vortex action" that usually causes a building to sway.

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