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Interesting Stuff on the Internet

Interesting stuff on the internet is an article sharing my favourite recent online inspiration and distractions.

Cold War Kid: During the 1961 Berlin Crisis President John F. Kennedy vowed to identify spaces in “existing structures both public and private that could be used for fallout shelters in case of attack.” After JFK’s speech, a fallout shelter economy occurred almost immediately in the U.S. There were door to door bomb-shelter salesmen, shelter displays at malls and county fairs, and pamphlets for sale on every magazine rack.

Can Inflated Concrete Homes Help Solve the World’s Housing Woes? The Binishell is an idea for inflated concrete domes dreamed up by Dr. Dante Bini in the 1960’s. 

Origins of Common UI Symbols: They are road signs for your daily rituals – the instantly recognised symbols and icons you press, click and ogle countless times a day when you interact with your computer. But how much do you know about their origins?

I am loving the installation entitled Wendy by HWKN. Wendy is a spiky, blue, pollution-busting installation for MoMA PS1’s ever-popular Summer Warm-Up series. Check out images and info here. 

Days of future past: When it opened in 1958, Pacific Ocean Park was solid competition for Disneyland. It had thrill rides, funhouse attractions, exhibits and animal shows, mixing Googie architecture, space age modernist and Tiki aesthetics. Attendance was fantastic – initially – and over the next ten years the park was a setting for many TV shows and films. The P.O.P. auditorium – ‘Cheetah’ – hosted rock bands like The Beach Boys, The Byrds, The Doors, and Pink Floyd. But by 1967 the park was in debt and closed, the ruins of the decaying park became a popular hangout for teens and the legendarily street tough Dogtown surfers. The saga is documented in a new 264-page book entitled Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles’ Space-Age Nautical Pleasure Pier. 

Take a look at New York Cities $20 billion quest to build a neighbourhood from nothing. The ambitious project bring into question whether we can create that buzzy neighbourhood feel when building over 17.4 million square feet.

Fuck Yeah Brutalism is a shout out to one of the coolest websites; Posting one high-resolution scanned image per day, Fuck Yeah Brutalism chronicles the evolution of the distinctive modernist architectural sub-genre Brutalism.

Loving the Dogtrot House by Dunn and Hillam Architects. The house is located in NSW, Australia. The Architects describe the house as a permanent campsite. The form of this building can be traced back to the early one room cabins that were built by farmers and fishermen. As the family grew another cabin would be built and connected with a common roof.

Also loving the Bunkie house by 608 Design and BLDG Workshop. The house is an inexpensive, eco-friendly, prefabricated home in the countryside, just big enough for you and friend or two to hang out and take in the outdoors.

The possibilities and limitations of our built environment have historically been defined and redefined by advancements in lift technology. The new ‘UltraRope Elevator‘ will let cities soar higher than ever before.

What makes you happy? Everyone wants to be happy. But how, exactly, does one go about it? In this epic TED talk playlist, psychologists, journalists, Buddhist monks and more gives answers that may surprise. 

Images of architecture across Germany, known for its clean lines, cutting-edge design, and elements of play.

From Dystopia to Utopia (not forgetting Dinotopia) checkout the list of possible futures, ranked from least desirable to most desirable and a whole heap of funny comments.

Operating outside the law to make a difference, Rebel Architects are a collection of men and women who have created some amazing structures, from floating homes to disaster-proof houses and bamboo domes. 

German creative studio Urbanscreen have just unveiled ‘320 Licht.’ The project is a stunning light projection inside a cathedral-like interior of the 20,000 square meter Gasometer Oberhausen in Germany. Gasometer Oberhausen is the same space that housed Christo’s Big Air Package last year.

Loving these images created by surfer and sand artist Jim Denevan. Denevan is also the man behind the traveling outdoor dining experience Outstanding in the Field. His geometric sand sculptures are made with rakes and sticks and can span miles of North California beaches. The pieces take many hours to create but can often disappear much quicker as the incoming tide gently erases them from earth.

Clay Robotics: The future of architecture is happening now on Grymsdyke Farm where students are experimenting with robotics, new technologies and local materials. Their work is beautiful.