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Category Archives: TRAVEL
HK Halloween Highlights 2011
I was well informed leading up to Halloween weekend in Hong Kong that this would be the biggest weekend of the year. With over 76,000 people passing through LKF (central bar/club/restaurant district) all drunk and dressed in costume. I was pumped! A few costume ideas were thrown around amongst the boys, but with the launch of Battlefield 3 on PS3. Johan, Jeffrey and I knew we had to dress up as some sort of armed enforcement. So Jeffrey being the HK local, took us to a place called Mong Kok which seems to have a street for everything (including sneaker street) that was lined with shop after shop of military gear. Every countries uniform to every type of weapon you could imagine. And these aren’t just some plastic water pistol type of guns. They’re gas powered BB Guns that can do some serious damage. I then found out that there’s a hobby called ‘War Games’ where groups of people go out to abandon warehouses and basically play war games. It’s one of the amazing things about living in foreign countries. You’re always amazed by interests other cultures have.
Getting back to Halloween. After purchasing a SWAT outfit, pistol, machine gun, laser pointer (that could shoot a laser beam over 500m). Johan was US Marines and Jeffrey was a crazy Paratrooper. We were ready to storm LKF! But hold on. What about cops on the street and security guards at the venues? Were they going to be cool with us all just cruising the streets packing heat and then let us into clubs??
Jeffrey: “No worries! It’s Hong Kong!”
Me: “Really?? Because I don’t wanna get my guns confiscated or have a real gun pulled on me”
Jeffrey: “Don’t worry. I spoke to my copper mate and he said Halloween weekend is the only time you can take them out”
Me: “F#ck I love Hong Kong”
And he was right. We were waving our guns through the crowd, sniping girls from 100m away with our lasers and doing raids on clubs and bars. They loved it! We got so many free shots from the venues because they loved our costumes. It was definitely one of the best weekends I’ve ever had. Once again Hong Kong never ceases to amaze me.
Source
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Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion by Snøhetta
The rippled timber core of this reindeer observation pavilion by architects Snøhetta mirrors the curves of the surrounding Dovre Mountains in Norway. Named the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion, the building is used as an education centre by charity the Wild Reindeer Foundation. A rectangular steel frame contains the pavilion and a glazed wall lines the observation area. Norwegian ship-builders constructed the curved timber centre from pine beams, which were milled using digital models and then pegged together. Visitors to the pavilion can sit on the wooden form, where they are warmed by a suspended furnace.
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House Folded
Kyoto-based architecture practice alphaville (kentaro takeguchi, asako yamamoto) has sent us images of ‘house folded’, a three-storey residence for a couple in osaka, japan. exploring methods of creating distinct and individual rooms that break away from a monotonous spatial experience, the design pleats the dividing walls to form optimal and dynamic volumes of space.
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Nike SB Omar Salazar Signature Shoe Release Party
On October 28th, a special early release party was held at PLA Skateboarding in Folsom, California, as Nike SB skater Omar Salazar released his new signature sneaker, now dubbed the LR. The shoe, which is an update to the original Omar Salazar Pro Model.
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Microsoft 2011 Productivity Future Vision
Watch how future technology will help people make better use of their time, focus their attention, and strengthen relationships while getting things done at work, home, and on the go.
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1001 Nights House by A-cero, Joaquin Torres Architects
A-cero, Joaquin Torres Architects have sent us their latest work, the 1001 Nights House located in the suburbs of Madrid, Spain.
A-cero presents one of its more recent projects in single family properties.
It is a single family house located in a development in the outskirts of Madrid. Over a plot of 7000 m2 the building, with 2100 m2, rises with a high standard design answering the owners’ requirements.
The access, through the development walkway, is placed on a higher level. Here is the property, partially hidden by many curved walls that seem to elevate from some water sheets over a stone covering in white, grey and black shades, placed on purpose as a part of the landscape in this area of the plot. Besides its sculptural features, typical of the A-cero style, this side of the facade expects the integration of the building in the surrounding environment. A wide stone path, with water sheets on both sides, lead us to a huge black glass door that gives us access inside the property. In the garden, following the wishes of the owners, there are palms, pome granate trees and Middle East vegetation.
The rear facade of the house, the most visible, makes the most of the slight slope of the plot, where there is the porch, a pool and the garden. Almost all the views from the different rooms of the property are focused here, as the views of the lakes in the common areas of the development.
All the building is dressed in “black villar granite stone”. In this part of the property big windows, with hidden woodwork, are opened, achieving a lot of light for the inside space. In the porch, the window in the main living room, of 10 meters, is automatically hidden, connecting indoors and outdoors.
The passable area is made of white marble, the vase in the pool of blue gressite. The outside furniture is from the Rest collection by A-cero In.
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GOPRO HD HERO 2
Shot 100% on the new HD HERO2® camera from http://GoPro.com.
The HD HERO2 is the most advanced GoPro camera, yet. To celebrate its release, we traveled the world with some of our favorite athletes, adventurers, and filmmakers to see what we could capture and create with the HD HERO2. We hope this film inspires you to get out and do the same.
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Facebook’s New Server Farm in Sweden
An architect’s drawing of Facebook’s new server farm in Lulea, Sweden. The plant on the edge of the Arctic Circle is Facebook’s first outside the US and is aimed at improving the performance for European users of the social networking site. Facebook confirmed it had picked the northern Swedish city of Lulea for the data centre partly because of the cold climate, which is crucial for keeping the servers cool, and the access to renewable energy from nearby hydropower facilities.
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A Design Film Festival 2011
A DESIGN FILM FESTIVAL 2011 (Opening Titles) from Sebastian Lange on Vimeo.
Conceived by Anonymous as a film festival dedicated solely to design,
A Design Film Festival 2010 launched in Singapore and has travelled to Berlin,
Taipei, Kaohsiung and Bangkok.
The festival is an annual celebration of films dedicated to architecture, fashion,
photography, street art, motion graphics, technology and the subcultures of design.
In 2011, the festival returns with a brand new line-up, an expanded programme
and new collaborations.
Opening Titles
Full screen recommended
Direction & Motion Design: Sebastian Lange
Audioediting: Sebastian Lange
End Track: «Coda» by The Do
Projection on painted styrofoam letters
Shot at qu-int.com on Canon 7D and
Nikon 50mm f/1.2
Editing and Compositing done in AE and FCP
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The Patient Gardener by Visiondivision
Visiondivision was invited as guest professors by Politecnico di Milano for their week-long workshop MIAW2.
The workshop, playing with the metaphor of forests, aimed to generate new visions to explain the contemporary and immediate future ways of being in the spirit of green design, resilience, recycling, and ethical consciousness.
Our intention with our project was to construct a study retreat at the campus with patience as the main key for the design. If we can be patient with the building time we can reduce the need for transportation, waste of material and different manufacturing processes, simply by helping nature grow in a more architectonic and useful way. The final result can be enjoyed at Politecnico di Milano in about 60 years from now.
During the workshop we gave nature all the guidance and directions to help it grow into useful structures and objects. There are different methods and tools to guide and control the growth of trees and plants; bending, twisting, pruning, grafting, braiding, weaving and to control the amount of water and light the trees get are just some examples of these. We used almost all of these techniques in our creation, which involved creating a structural system for the building and also stairs and furniture, all made out of trees, plants or grass.
Our structural frame for this project became ten Japanese cherry trees that was planted in a circle with a diameter of eight meters with a six meter high temporary wood structure in the center that is acting as a guidance tower for the growing structure. The trees were planted with an equal spacing from each other, except for four of them that became two pairs of stairs to the future upper level.
The cherry trees were ideal to plant at that time of year and also had great features for achieving the desired structure. Thin ropes were tied around the plants and were slightly bent towards the temporary tower.
As time passes the trees will form a dome when they reach the tower, and then designated by to change its direction so the final form will be an hourglass, a suiting shape for the project and also a very practical form as we now have two rooms with different modes in the building.
The small branches on the plants that will grow into stairs are guided with wires to each other and will hopefully be useful later on. The rest of the stairs can later be grafted in the stair trees.
On the ground level we designed furniture out of grass, trees and plants. There are a dining group consisting of a table with four chairs. The chairs are plum trees where one sit at the lowest fork and the branches are guided into canopies so the future visitor can sit in the chair while at the same time eating delicious fruits. The table is made out of slender wooden pieces with strings in the structure, which forms a skeleton where hedras can grow and later take over the structure completely. A comfortable chair made out of grass are located on the other side of the ground floor. The grass chair is put together with the use of a custom made cardboard structure, shaped for maximal relaxation and that is painted with a protection coating and that is later filled with soil on site and draped with grass.
A grass puff is also made and placed in the tower where the floor of the upper level will be. The puff is a big potato bag filled with straw, soil, fertilizer and grass seed. An organic rope is placed with a third of its length inside the bag, and the bag is later sewn together. The rest of the rope is placed in water so the puff gets water and will later be covered in grass, so when the trees finally reaches this level and becomes the floor, it will already be furnished.
Together with the students we worked out a maintenance plan and instructions to future gardeners that is simple enough to actually work. On the structure, we instructed that a pattern of wood will be grafted in, leaving two spaces between the trees as entries/exits and the rest is closed in ornamental patterns with branches. On the upper level which is reached by the two staircases with exquisite handrails, is different fruit trees grafted into the cherry trees so the visitor can have a variety of fruits while relaxing in the canopy. Branches are also grafted in for security reasons between the tree trunks.
In about 80 years from now the Politecnico di Milano campus will have a fully grown building and the students will hopefully have proud grandchildren that can tell the story of the project for their friends and family.
Partners in charge: Anders Berensson & Ulf Mejergren
Curators: Laura Daglio & Oscar Bellini
Students/Architects/Builders: Rachele Albini, Giada Albonico, Jacopo Biasio, Sara Caramaschi, Elisa Carraro, Desislava Dimitrova, Cristina Gatti, Elisa Gulino, Mariya Hasamova, Nina Mikhailova, Ottavia Molatore, Joao Molinar, Azadeh Moradiasr, Mohyedin Navabzadeh Navabi, Giuseppe Maria Palermo, Riccardo Somaini, Bogdan Stojanovic
Organizers: Luca Maria Francesco & Fabris Efisia Cipolloni
Location: Politecnico di Milano
Project area: 50 sqm
Project year: 2011-2090
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Watercolour Batman Characters
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Congratulations to my favourite team in the world! All Blacks win 2011 Rugby World Cup
Yesterday saw one of the biggest games in history. When the New Zealand All Blacks played France in the finals for the Rugby World Cup 2011. I was on the edge of my seat the whole game and with the final score being 8-7 to the All Blacks it was a sigh of relief when the ref blew the full time whistle at the 80th minute. It was great to see so many kiwi supporters take over Hong Kong city for the night and I’ve decided to not take my All Blacks t-shirt off for the week in celebration to my team. Well done boys. It’s been 4 years of blood sweat and tears but you guys pulled together and came up on top.
SkyNews Article –
Finally, after 24 years of heartbreak and choking jokes, the All Blacks’ drought has broken.
New Zealand on Sunday night ended a string of bewildering Rugby World Cup failures to confirm themselves as world champions by holding off an inspired France 8-7 in an epic Eden Park final.
Making a mockery of predictions of a bloodbath, the underdog French threw down the first serious challenge to the All Blacks all tournament and almost pulled off the impossible.
Les Bleus trailed by just one point for 33 nerve-wracking minutes but, for once, the Kiwis held firm under pressure to the immense delight and relief of an Auckland capacity crowd of 60,000.
Both sides lost their playmakers Aaron Cruden (knee) and Morgan Parra (jaw) to first half injuries but it was fourth-string five-eighth Stephen Donald who stepped up to be an unlikely hero for New Zealand.
Ultimately it was his 45th minute penalty goal that allowed skipper Richie McCaw to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for the All Blacks for the first time since they took out the inaugural competition way back in 1987.
It gives New Zealand their second World Cup title, drawing them level with Tri Nations rivals Australia (1991 and 1999) and South Africa (1995 and 2007).
The Kiwis’ World Cup hoodoo has featured two shock sudden-death losses to France before, choking in the 1999 semi-final and 2007 quarter-final, but they were defending an amazing 27-match winning streak at Eden Park.
Their last loss at the Auckland ground was back in 1994 when an inspired Les Bleus produced their memorable ‘try from end of the world’ for a thrilling triumph.
Entering the decider as the luckiest of finalists following two pool losses and a 9-8 semi-final escape against a 14-man Wales, France needed the same sort of inspiration to topple the unbackable favourites ($1.09).
They provided it.
Marc Lievremont’s seemingly divided squad immediately showed they were up for a monumental fight by linking arms in a flying wedge and advancing on the All Blacks pre-match haka.
Les Bleus continued to throw down the challenge in the opening exchanges, chancing their arm to attack on the wider fringes and recycling possession.
However, New Zealand’s defence soaked up the pressure and they then pounced at their first opportunity within the French 22 in the 15th minute.
A clever lineout move saw Brad Thorn, in his international swansong, take the throw-in and immediately pass off inside to an unmarked Tony Woodcock and the veteran pack strolled over to become the most unlikely of first scorers.
The All Blacks took control of the rest of the half but couldn’t extend their 5-0 lead as in-form halfback Piri Weepu lost his mojo, missing all three shots at goal.
The kicking duties were given to Donald and he duly slotted the match’s only penalty from six attempts.
It was when Weepu desperately kick-passed a loose ball on midway into the arms of Francois Trinh-Duc minutes after the resumption that the hosts got the wobbles.
A 50m move ended with French skipper Thierry Dusatoir crossing next to the posts.
From the restart Weepu kicked out on the full and there was a terrible hush over Eden Park as it appeared lightning may strike a third time.
But Trinh-Duc failed to kick a 48m penalty with 15 minutes to play and the gutsy All Blacks defence proved impenetrable for a famous win.
‘I’m so proud of all the guys,’ McCaw said. ‘We were in trouble at times but we stuck tight and got their in the end.’
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jeffstaple 1-2-1 with James Jean
1-2-1 w/jeffstaple feat. James Jean from jeffstaple on Vimeo.
Taiwanese-American visual artist James Jean sits down with jeffstaple to talk about his creative process and describes what went into some of the design elements for his contribution to Prada’s flagship store in New York City. Jean will also be at Reed Space today (October 23) for a signing of his new book, Rebus.
Reed Space
151 Orchard St.
New York, NY 10002
United States
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The Gallery Inn: San Juan, Puerto Rico
One part art gallery, one part boutique hotel, The Gallery Inn of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico is one of the top destinations of Caribbean travel. TheCoolist explores The Gallery Inn and its art, architecture and amenities in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old San Juan.
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The People’s Supermaket
The People’s Supermarket is a supermarket Community launched in spring 2010 by the chef Arthur Potts-Dawson. Located in the heart of London this cooperative non-profit is unique. Managed and owned by the members, the shop operates on a membership system, it offers local and seasonal products for the lowest prices possible.
The studio Unreal handled the development of its branding , with the constraint the low budget of the cooperative.
The Mafia’s New York: Hideouts, Hangouts and Rubouts
Home of Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, 265 E. 10th St., between First Avenue and Avenue A
“The East Village was the who’s who of the mob scene from the 1930s to the ’90s,” says Ferrara. “Everyone thinks it was Mulberry Street, but really, it was Prince Street and the East Village.” Luciano, originally known as “Sal from 14th Street,” immigrated from Sicily when he was 10 years old and lived in this East Village walk-up. He grew up to be the first official boss of the Genovese family, and was instrumental in creating the Five Families “commission” that divided up NYC territories. His childhood home still stands, and the ground level storefront is the Middle Eastern eatery Moustache Pitza. (NYP)
Carmello’s, formerly at 1638 York Ave., between 86th and 87th streets
“In the ’70s, this dive bar was a watering hole for Upper East Side gangsters, who were infiltrated by undercover FBI agent Joseph D. Pistone, a k a Donnie Brasco,” says Ferrara. “Pistone posed as a jewelry thief and made nice with members of the Bonanno family by slipping into backgammon games with regulars at Carmello’s.” Now the storefront houses a Bagel Bob’s. Johnny Depp played Donnie Brasco in the 1997 film. (NYP)
De Robertis, 176 First Ave., between 10th and 11th streets
This traditional Italian pastry shop, which opened in 1904, was a favorite haunt of Genovese and Gambino crews. Joseph “Piney” Armone, a Gambino capo, ran his operations out of the cafe in the ’50s. Three decades later, feds bugged the joint to track John “Handsome Jack” Giordano, one of John Gotti’s underbosses. The wire connected Handsome Jack to “everything from bookmaking, loan-sharking and gambling to illicit activities at the San Gennaro Festival,” says Ferrara. (NYP)
John’s Restaurant, 302 E. 12th St., between First and Second avenues
“This place is a neighborhood legend,”says Ferrara of the Italian eatery, which opened in 1908. It’s also where, in 1922, Morello family trigger man Umberto Rocco Valenti was killed three days after botching a hit on Genovese boss Giuseppe Masseria. Valenti was called to a “peace meeting” at John’s, but when he arrived at the restaurant,“ he was greeted by half a dozen gunmen.” (NYP)
Liz Christy Community Garden, Houston Street, between the Bowery and Second Avenue
One of the first community gardens in Manhattan was also a local favorite of mob boss Vincent “Chin” Gigante, who made headlines for his attempt to ward off prosecution by feigning mental illness. “He would walk around the neighborhood in his slippers and pajamas, mumbling to himself,” explains Ferrara. He also grew tomatoes on this plot of land and was often seen toting shopping bags full of the red fruit, passing them out to neighbors on his way home. (NYP)
“Black Hand Block,” Prince Street, between the Bowery and Elizabeth Street
“This corner was a hotbed of mob activity for nearly a century — it rivaled Mulberry Street,” says Ferrara. The Morello crime family, one of the very first Italian-American crime syndicates, was headquartered at Spaghetti Kitchen at 8 Prince St. (now the Clothing Warehouse, a vintage apparel store). This corner, often thought of as Little Sicily, was home to social clubs at 18 Prince St. and 21 Prince St., now the INA designer-clothing stores. (NYP)
Bari Restaurant Supply, 240 Bowery, between Prince and Houston streets
In 1983, the FBI bugged the car of Sal Avellino, a member of the Lucchese family, and tracked it to this unassuming Lower East Side location. Avellino was on his way to a meeting of the bosses of the Five Families. “This is a place people would never expect to be a mob meeting place,” says Ferrara. “People assume they met in secret crime dens, but really they were meeting in restaurant supply stores and the basement of wine stores.” Gambino boss Paul Castellano, Genovese chief Anthony Salerno and Lucchese head Anthony “Ducks” Corallo all fled the scene after an FBI agent was spotted peering through one of the windows. (NYP)
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Superhero Arrested in Seattle for Assault Investigation
This Feb. 18, 2011 file photo shows Seattle superhero Phoenix Jones during a patrol of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood. Seattle’s superhero, who has gained fans and a bit of fame as he works the streets of Seattle, was arrested and booked into King County Jail early Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011 for investigation of assault after an early morning incident involving pepper spray. His spokesperson says he was breaking up a fight and they have video of the incident. Police say he came up behind a group of people leaving a bar and sprayed them with pepper spray.
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Hotel Katikies in Santorini
Nestled into the Santorini mountainside, along the main thoroughfare of central Oia, sits Katikies Hotel. The luxury boutique hotel, which has been one of the hottest places to vacation in the village, has recently been renovated. The new contemporary decor mixed with the preserved Aegean architecture gives Katikie visitors the best of both worlds. The hotel blends fantastical landscape with endless stairs and a jaw dropping infinity pool which is tucked into the white mountain. Stark-white rooms arranged from hulled-caves nestled in the mountainside become the quintessential place for relaxation and escape! Furnishings in the suites mix local antiques with updated beds and loungers upholstered in bright stripes and bold colors. Many of the suites have Jacuzzi tubs, huge living rooms, and dining rooms for entertaining small parties. Curious hotel residents eventually find their way to the hotel’s in-house library and candlelit restaurant with cozy balcony home to evening dinners and breath taking views!
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16 x SEIZE Exhibition
[TEASER #2] Exposition “16 X SEIZE” @ Seize 09/2011 from Seize on Vimeo.
[TEASER #3] Exposition “16 X SEIZE” @ Seize 09/2011 from Seize on Vimeo.
More information at – Seize Galerie.
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aNYthing Fall/Winter 2011 Collection Party Hosted by Aaron Bondaroff
Recently the aNYthing Fall/Winter 2011 Collection was launched witha special event hosted by the brands founder Aaron Bondaroff in London at Foot Patrol. Here is a look at the event and all that went down with an appearance from DJ Physical Therapy a notable mention. Take a look at the images below from the night that was supported by Kopparberg Premium Cider, Havana Club Rum and Vitamin Water.
Photography / Tom Kirkby
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