Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral. (Fabien1309/Wikimedia Commons)

The Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral, or the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, looks like something out of a dark fairytale. The dark looming structure of this Gothic Cathedral, with its windows ablaze from the stunning medieval stained glass, stands atop a hill and cuts an iconic visage. Built through the 13th and 14th centuries, the Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral is the French National Monument and the seat of the Archbishops of Clermont.

Location

The Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral is located in the town of Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne, which is in the south-central region of France. Situated right at the heart of France’s volcanic region, the town of Clermont-Ferrand is surrounded by a chain of dormant volcanoes that is the largest in Europe.

At length it is in known as Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption of Clermont-Ferrand. (Fabien1309/Wikimedia Commons)

Built from black lava rocks

The Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral is built entirely using black lava stone and in the Gothic style of architecture. The Cathedral’s twin spires rise to an astounding height of 96.1 meters and overlook the largest dormant volcano of the surrounding range, the Puy-de-Dôme.

The ginormous steeples are perhaps the most dominating feature of not only the cathedral, but the entire town. The Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral also houses a 10th Century crypt, which is the oldest section of the cathedral. Besides the stunning medieval glass painting on the windows that depict the saints and their rise to martyrdom, the complex contains a vast number of Gothic wall paintings which are some best preserved medieval frescoes.

The main entrance of Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral. (Fabien1309/Wikimedia Commons)

Side view of the cathedral. (jean-louis Zimmermann/Flickr)

The nave of the Cathedral is surrounded by columns made of the same black lava stone, lending a sombre atmosphere within. The light through the stained windows pouring into the black cathedral interiors creates a mesmerising chiaroscuro effect. The black stone ceiling soars to 30 metres. An intricate 16th century clock housed within adds another point of interest. The clock chimes as the automatons of the two Roman gods Mars and Faunus beat the head of Saturn, the elderly Lord of Time.

The exterior facade of the Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral displays the quintessential Gargoyles which are integral to cathedral architecture. These Gargoyles help with drainage by pouring out accumulated water through their gaping mouths in case of heavy rain. Next to the Cathedral complex lies the Place de la Victoire, which exhibits the statue of Pope Urban II.

A long story

The Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral, interestingly, is not the only cathedral to have stood on the spot. The building was in fact built atop the remnants of two previous structures. The crypt housed within the Cathedral, as well as various other vestiges of the previous churches, has been seamlessly incorporated into the foundation and structure of the Cathedral. Constructions for the Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral began in 1248, but it was not officially completed until 1908. The Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) and the French Revolution (1789-1799), and both their far-reaching repercussions hindered the construction process. The completion process could only begin as late as 1866.

The crypt inside Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral was discovered in 1885. (L.Falchero/Le Duc)

The construction of the existent facade of the Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral started in 1246, under the episcopacy of Bishop Hugues de la Tour. A friend of the contemporary monarch King Louis IX, Bishop Hagues was a man of eminence and affluence. The prominent Gothic style of cathedrals from northern France inspired the structure of the Cathedral. Designed by the architect Jean Deschamps, the impact of the cathedrals at Beauvais and Amiens are significant in the designs of the Clermont-Ferrand. Deschamps’ plans did not involve any bracing arches, and the windows were not to take up all the space between the supports. The ribs of the structure drove into the arches, while the flying buttresses projected into the aisles of the Cathedral’s nave. The pillars of the choir-rotunda ingeniously created an elliptical so the light could filter in through the apsidal windows into the sanctuary. Both the choir and the transept of the Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral were completed under the Deschamps’ supervision before the architect finally passed away in 1295.

The interior of Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral. (jean-louis Zimmermann/Flickr)

While its construction was deferred, the Cathedral complex was spared extensive damage during the French Revolution owing to the pleas of a very diplomatic clergyman, Benedictine Verdier-Latour, who argued that the building could serve the people as a gathering spot. He swayed public opinion and the basic structure of the Clermont-Ferrand Cathedral stood the test of time, although its altar, choir, rood screen, and furniture faced the ravages of the Revolution.

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Inside ‘under’ restaurant in Lindesnes, Norway. (© Ivar Kvaal)

 “semi-submerged beneath the icy waters of the North Atlantic in Lindesnes, guests are invited to dine five and a half meters below the surface – the panoramic view of the ocean floor providing the dramatic backdrop.” – Under

Lindesnes is a municipality, within a county, within a district, on the southern coast of Norway. It faces inwards, towards mainland Europe and Great Britain. The name comes from an Old Norse word meaning the end to perfectly illustrate its location on the most southerly tip of the Scandinavian Peninsula. For sure, Vikings would have inhabited the area in times gone by. In English, this translates to  Ness or Naze which describes a series of headlands, or geographical formations jutting out further than the rest of feature. Looking closer, there is nothing truly remarkable about Lindesnes. The geography is spectacular of course but not uncommon in the lands on Scandinavia. The most notable facts would perhaps be that the Noble Peace Prize was designed by a sculptor – Gustav Vigeland – who was once a resident of said municipality. Or maybe, Lindesnes Lighthouse which is the oldest in Norway.

Now a new attraction has opened up, and while at first glance it does not seem so noteworthy, looking closer shows a very thought-provoking concept and design. Eyes will turn to the Norwegian coast predominantly of terms of cuisine but also for architecture and an innovative tourism concept. It is a restaurant constructed under the surface of the ocean with the intention of underwater views. Yet much more than that it looks to integrate and conserve the environment around it. In the current climate, this is especially important.

Top view of the restaurant. (© Andre Martinsen)

From the side. (© Marie Grini / Bo Bedre Norge)

Entrance of the luxury restaurant. (© Ivar Kvaal)

Under is laying claim to being the world’s largest underwater restaurant and the first in Europe. While most similar standing restaurants will have an aquarium within, Under looks out into the actual ocean. The nearest large town is slightly over an hour’s drive away in Kristiansand. 

The Chthonic Cuisine

“Fresh ingredients and pure, naked flavors are of utmost importance to us. At the same time, we want to provide a unique dining experience that ushers our guests beyond their comfort zone.”

– Head Chef Nicolai Ellitsgaard

Ellitsgaard utilises local wildlife for the restaurant’s dishes and not just those who dwell underwater. It will mostly include creatures from the ocean but also mammals from the surrounding landscapes inland. At the moment there is but one set menu with the aim of maximising every visitor’s experience. Needless to say, it is not a budget menu due to its location and standards. A typical meal is around 250 Euros with Juice for an extra 80 and Wine for an extra 160. Again, it is not a cheap bottle of wine. They have a head sommelier who carefully selects the wine, based on complementing the servings. Under, can hold a capacity of 100 but usually, 40 people will dine there at a time.

The dining experience at the restaurant. (© Stian Broch)

“We are so fortunate! Not only is the sea filled with a vast amount of delicious fish and countless types of shells, but the beaches here also offer plenty of exciting ingredients such as sea arrow grass, sea rocket and salty sea kale. Furthermore, the local area is known for its bountiful varieties of wild mushrooms and succulent berries…”

This will include local sheep and seabirds that graze nearby.

The Eclectic Experience

 “Under aims to provide a journey into the unknown. By welcoming guests to immerse themselves in the Norwegian marine ecosystem, Under provides a new niche for underwater tourism. Each guest will be given a unique opportunity to experience a submerged universe, exploring marine life in ways they otherwise may never see.”

The interior of the restaurant. (© Ivar Kvaal)

Under takes you 5 meters below sea level. Large windows in the dining area mean that no scuba suits or submersibles are required to experience a plethora of organisms interacting underwater. As mentioned, Under is as much a restaurant as a concept, striving to operate as a marine research facility, as well as an ambitious architecture project also. There are imperative when trying to co-exist with the ocean. For instance, the concrete shell of the structure is strong enough and shock-absorbent enough to act as a barrier reef, which will last lifetimes to come and provide a habitat for creatures like limpets. An award-winning architectural company called Snohetta designed the work-of-art. They have made every structure except the shell biodegradable so that the building immediately fuses with the ocean, and does not harm the environment if and when abandoned in the future.

A jellyfish swimming near the window of the restaurant. (© Ivar Kvaal)

“Normal fish species in this area is pollack and cod, colourful wrasses, urchins, crabs, lobsters in gladiator battles, spiny dogfish (i.e. mini sharks) and distinctive seaweed and kelp in the changing seasons.”

The odd seal has also been spotted but this can be detrimental to the viewers as it wards off many smaller organisms. Over time the restaurant is looking to create even more of a show outside the vista. This will be achieved by implementing lights at systematic intervals to attract prey and therefore predators.

The Conscious Concept

Under is an incredible feat of engineering not only in terms of a tourist attraction but for its responsible way of thinking in terms of eco-friendly architecture and local produce. Many restaurants of the past and even today only care about profit margins and not their global footprint. This can be down to the materials and ingredients they use, which are harmful to the environment and even to its consumers. With Under using only products from the surrounding area and with a bio-degradable structure to sell them it is doing little harm to the wider world around it. For those lucky enough to afford a meal in Under they are sure to enjoy a unique experience and can feel no guilt in enjoying it. For the team behind Under they deserve a lot of credit for thinking of the world around them and not only about the money they can potentially make.

For bookings click here.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “Dinner in the Sky: The Thrill of Partying in a Crane Lift“

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Punta del Hidalgo Lighthouse. (Inkaroad / Wikimedia Commons)

The Punta del Hidalgo Lighthouse is a very elegant and charmingly constructed lighthouse, with a whiff of that ‘modernity’ which took the world by storm in the twentieth century. Situated on the Northeast coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, it is an angular piece of architecture that stretches 50 metres (160 ft) high.

Lighthouses are prominent constructions that stand tall and alone, as answers to prayers for those at sea. Thousands of lighthouses continue to exist around the world, some occupied while some are deserted, but all of them are nestled well in the laces of stories that have been strung around them. 

A stairway to heaven

Modern Architecture has a focus on sleek and elegant design without excessive frills. The overall look, even if imaginative and artistically inclined, never sacrifices on utilitarianism. The Punta del Hidalgo reflects these very facets of modern architecture.

The structure is constructed as a unique angular design with unequal, irregular pillars piled up one on top of the other, in ascending order. It is formed on a triangular base, the smallest vortex supporting the lowest, tiniest pillar and so forth.

Lighthouse of Punta del Hidalgo. (Klaus D. Peter, Gummersbach, Germany / Wikimedia Commons)

The smaller pillars combine together to form a large square pillar facing the sea while supporting a small light post. The façade of the Lighthouse is reminiscent of a giant stairway rising towards the sky. The appearance of the lighthouse is striking and prominent to sailors and tourists both, acting as a homing beacon for those at sea. Light from this lighthouse can be seen up to 16 nautical miles in a systematic pattern of two flashes of white light every seven seconds.

A unique traditional structure steeped in modernity

Safety and precaution at sea have always been a huge issue. News of shipwrecks, unforeseen boundaries or rocks crashing onto a ship has consistently resulted in tragedies beyond imagination. Thus came the maritime lighting plan in the 1980s whose aim was to include more lights along the Canary Islands, in an effort to provide as much protection as possible.

The year 1992 witnessed the completion of this iconic structure and within the next two years, it had actively begun operating. The height of the lighthouse is about one hundred and sixty feet, built out of specially reinforced concrete. This special material is made by embedding steel into concrete as a reinforcing element that adds to its tensile strength and ductility. Coloured concrete was also used to provide the structure of the Punta del Hidalgo lighthouse with an elegant white finish.

The lighthouse sisters

Maintained by the Port Authority of the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Punta del Hidalgo is one of the seven other lighthouses along the coastline of Tenerife. Punta del Hidalgo is accompanied by two other modern sister lighthouses along the edge of the island- Puerto de la Cruz, and Buenavista Lighthouse. 

Puerto de la Cruz

The Puerto de la Cruz is another such iconic construction, like the Punta del Hidalgo, which embraces the coast of Tenerife. Part of the same maritime lighting plan, this lighthouse is situated on the southwest of the Punta de Hidalgo. Puerto de la Cruz lighthouse is situated within a seafront car park. It is commonly referred to as a “remarkable modern design” and is built of a metal framework of dark coloured steel. It encircles an exposed flight of stairs that leads to the top of the lighthouse. It is about thirty-one feet above the sea level but stands in contrasting colours from Punta de Hidalgo. The fascinating view from the top to the base of the lighthouse almost brings to mind Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

Buenavista Lighthouse

The structure and facade of the Buenavista lighthouse can be rightly referred to as one of the most elegant and artistically built lighthouses in the world. The Buenavista lighthouse is also known as Punta de Buenavista. It is located on the west of Puerto de la Cruz and has an iconic resemblance to a corkscrew.

The lighthouse was built completely about ten years after the maritime plan was drawn up back in the 1980s. Two concrete towers rise up, one like a square and the other spirals upwards. The spiral staircase leads to the top of the tower which houses a lantern room and galleries. A height of twenty hundred and fifty-three feet above sea level, its light reaches about twenty nautical miles. There is a systematic pattern of about four flashes of light that appear every eleven seconds.

Buenavista Lighthouse. (Dreizung / Wikimedia Commons)

An escapist’s paradise 

A lighthouse continues to be a successfully useful navigational aid for maritime purposes. In spite of its traditional use, these modern lighthouses stand apart in terms of their unique visual and structural aesthetic. The Punta del Hidalgo lighthouse is dipped in an overwhelming aura of poise and elegance. The lighthouse, therefore, is a very popular tourist spot for the free-spirited, or the one with a discerning eye for design. It is a relaxing getaway from the chaos and crowd of the city. The lighthouse makes for the perfect backdrop for lazing through the day engrossed in a book, till the sunset bathes the sea in flame-like hues. What’s more, the Punta del Hidalgo forms the ideal backdrop for the vacationing millennial ever in search of an aesthetic Instagram photo. A secret getaway spot nestled at the edge of the Canary Islands, Punta del Hidalgo, has earned its nickname as the ‘beacon of hope’.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “Astana: An Ultra Modern Capital City Right in the Middle of Vast Empty Grasslands“.

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Digital Beijing Building. (颐园新居 / Wikimedia Commons)

China is home to a building that represents modern-day technology at its peak. The Beijing Digital Building was borne out of a promise made by the Beijing Municipal Government to present the most technological content in history during the 2008 Beijing Olympics, branding it as a ‘Digital Olympics’. The Beijing Digital Building was to be the symbol of this enterprise.

Location of Digital Beijing Building

The Building’s location was strategically picked so it could be in the same zone as the Olympics Centre, the National Swimming Centre, etc. Located at the north-western intersection of Beichen West and Anxiang North roads on Olympic Green, in the Chaoyang District of Beijing, China, the Digital Beijing Building’s primary purpose was to store information and serve as a control centre during the Beijing Olympics.

Conception

What’s interesting is that to build this architectural marvel, a contest was held to effectively pick from a host of spectacular designs that could have been the “Digital Beijing Building”. Ultimately, it was Pei Zhu whose design was selected from amongst the eight participants in the contest. The work on the building began in 2005, and it was officially completed on November 3, 2007.

Side view of the Digital Beijing Building. (Hat600 / Wikimedia Commons)

While retaining the essence of Chinese heritage and traditional designs, the building also reflects what a futuristic building looks like. Fascinatingly, from the different angles and vantage points, the Digital Beijing Building can be observed both as a circuit board and a bar code.

Overall design

While the design stands unique, it has been compared to Orwell’s Ministry of Truth. While having 2 levels that go underground, it has an elevation of 11 floors above-ground. The four different blocks that constitute the building, when viewed one after another, are reminiscent of symmetrical dominos in a line that could be tipped over. These four blocks appear to be disconnected from each other when viewed aerially, but in reality, it is connected at a large central point that provides passage to people to go from one block to another. The disconnected bit makes it look like a barcode in the sense that there are alternating gaps after each block.

Construction

Chinese philosophy dictates that when there is any kind of progress, the natural realm creates a connection automatically. The progress made can be of any kind, be it physical, technological, or scientific. To reflect this philosophy from the very materials used as building-blocks itself, two relatively advanced materials were used in the construction of the Digital Beijing Building, which were newly developed and had been tested by Zhu earlier for one of his projects. Fibre-reinforced plastic was used for the exteriors, and the material proved to be conducive for use on the inside as well, thus rendering an effect that was strikingly similar to the “urban carpet” which was the mastermind of Zaha Hadid. This would be a “digital carpet” and had enough tensile strength to hold pedestrians walking on bridges made of this material. A part of the exterior was composed of aluminium which was supplied by a local beverage maker and was made to look like stone if viewed from a distance. 

Eco-friendly design

The flat roof helps in the collection of rainwater, which is then harvested and passed through filters to be used in the building. An LED lighting system throughout the building equipped with certain advanced features helps in the effective reduction of the quantity of electricity used.

Glass and concrete panels are integrated into the exterior plane of the building, with certain basic metallic shafts in the empty spaces situated between the four blocks. The glass curtain panel reduces the overall energy usage by reducing the intensity of heat that enters the building, thereby reducing the amount of energy that would have otherwise been used for air-conditioning and cooling mechanisms. When the sun sets, the green LED lights, which are set in the grooves of the walls on the east side of the building, are turned on.

The Beijing Digital Building today

Sprawling across an area of 100,000 square meters, and standing tall at 57 meters, the building was used as a data centre during the Olympics, following which it was converted into a virtual museum. The Digital Beijing Building has proved critical to various technological companies for displaying their digital products and services. The philosophy of its creators when the building was first conceptualized was that the Beijing Digital Building would never effectively be ‘complete’. They hoped it would be continuously renovated and improved upon to keep pace with the changing technology and needs of the era.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “33 Thomas Street: Windowless Skyscraper in the Midst of Bustling New York City“.

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The exterior of the Amazon Spheres. (Biodin / Wikimedia Commons)

Located on 2111 7th Avenue, in Seattle, Washington are the Amazon Spheres- three spherical orbs that form a part of the Amazon headquarters campus. The Amazon Spheres are an architectural marvel, containing a makeshift replica of the Amazon rainforests with over 40,000 plants, right within a bustling metropolitan.

Amazon Spheres from above. (SounderBruce / Wikimedia Commons)

Amazon.com, Inc. is an American multinational company having global offices in more than 30 countries. It is an e-commerce platform that also deals with artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital streaming. It is among one of the Big Four technology companies, a prestigious list which also features Apple, Facebook and Google.

The Amazon Spheres were designed by Naramore, Bain, Brady & Johanson or NBBJ, along with the landscape firm Site Workshop, and the structural engineering firm Magnusson Klemencic Associates. Amazon employees have exclusive access to the spheres as their workspace, but weekly tours enable the public to access the Spheres as well as an exhibit situated on the ground floor.

Construction of the Amazon Spheres: Blueprint to the architectural marvel

Early in 2010, Amazon began to develop their headquarters campus, for which they required a rather large space. They acquired three blocks in the Denny Triangle area in 2012 and started to work on the design. The initial idea was of a six-storey building having a multi-purpose workspace as well as a conference centre. However, this plan was abandoned, and the design was later remodelled to include the spherical conservatory and an artificial rainforest we see today.

In May 2013, the new design for the Amazon HQ was produced, which was being developed by the NBBJ since 2012. This design invoked a mixed reaction from the project design review board of the city, which deemed the project to be “bold”. However, there were several concerns voiced by them regarding access to the public, the lack of cover for protection in case of rain, as well as the tremendous amount of energy that would be required in order to acclimatize the vast area.

The Amazon Spheres incorporated glass “Catalan spheres”, an intricate geometric form, to cocoon the organic forms. This high state-of-the-art design was introduced by NBBJ in August to replace the previously installed steel structures. Approval for this remodelling only arrived in October 2013, from the city’s design review board after some minor changes suggested by the board were made to the understructure.

Amazon spheres under construction. (SounderBruce / Flickr)

The foundation for constructing the Spheres was laid in 2015 and the initial pieces of the Amazonian Spheres, which were made of steel, began taking shape by February 2016. White paint was chosen to be the primary colour on the steel. Later in April, glass panels were placed on top of the steel structures. An Australian tree fern located in the Redmond greenhouse was the first plant that was relocated and planted in the Sphere, in May 2017.

Design of the Spheres

The panels of the three glass orbs are pentagonal hexecontahedron in shape. Interestingly, these panels seem to intersect each other. The resulting form is known as a ‘Catalan sphere’, which is a complex Archimedean solid. The amount of glass and steel used in the structure is nothing short of extraordinary, measuring up to a whopping 2643 panes of glass and 620 short tonnes of steel. This architectural marvel occupies a space equivalent to half a city block, and stands tall with the height of each sphere varying from 80 to 95 ft.

These orbs serve the dual purpose of being a workspace, as well as a relaxation centre in the form of an employee lounge. Varying from three to four storeys in height, the three glass orbs contain at least 40,000 plants, a meeting space, and also surprisingly accommodate retail stores. Located under the Day 1 building on Lenora Street, the headquarters campus of Amazon is a sight to behold.

Inside the Amazon Spheres. (Ashlyn Gehrett / Flickr)

The sphere occupying the majority of the space is located in the very centre. It also boasts of a stairwell shaft wrapped in a “living wall” with 25,000 plants, which also consists of carnivorous species belonging to Asia. The basic facilities like a cafeteria, stairways, elevators, bathrooms, meeting spaces, tables and benches, are all incorporated into the design seamlessly. These meeting spaces, tables and benches can accommodate an astonishing number of 800 people in total.

The “living wall” in Amazon Sphere. (Evan Chakroff / Flickr)

Flora and Fauna within the Amazon Spheres

There is a unique assortment of plants from various countries of the world housed within the Amazon Spheres. The western and eastern orbs are divided into an Old World garden and New World garden, respectively. The Old World garden is located near the Sixth Avenue entrance to the Spheres and is a hub for African and South-east Asian species. On the other hand, the New World garden on Seventh Avenue houses species native to Central and Southern America, and Australia. A full time horticulturalist was employed to maintain the plants over tenure of three years at a greenhouse in Redmond. The orbs maintain a temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 60% humidity.

The largest inhabitant in the sphere Ficus Rubiginosa being watered by a gentle mist. (SounderBruce / Flickr)

On June 17, the largest tree, a Ficus rubiginosa nicknamed “Rubi”, was placed inside the Spheres with the help of a crane. There is a wooden seating area next to Rubi, which resembles a “bird’s nest” and is placed at the edge of a sort of suspension bridge.

Amazon sphere’s nest. (Ashlyn Gehrett / Flickr)

One of the two corpse flower at Amazon Spheres. (hypothetical_E / Flickr)

Corpse flowers, the largest and smelliest flowers in the world, are extremely rare and bloom only once in 7 years. The Amazon Spheres facility boasts of housing two bloomed Corpse flowers- ‘Morticia’ in October 2018 and ‘Bellatrix’ in June 2019. Considering these flowers stay in bloom for only 48 hours and can measure up to the staggering height of 9 feet, it is but natural that they attracted a huge crowd.

Other plants that are found within the spheres include the staghorn fern, Begonia sizemoreae, Passiflora antioquiensis, peacock plant, and the Coelogyne speciosa (a species of orchid native to Malaysia). Bright coloured flowers line the pathways through the Spheres, and quite often the plants are sprayed with a gentle stream of water.

A lot of thought has gone into creating this remarkable space, there are also several paludariums and terrariums scattered throughout the Spheres. These modified aquariums have both terrestrial as well as aquatic plants and specimens along with several types of fish.

In order to establish a proper conservatory-esque environment, beneficial insects are released inside the Spheres to prevent any bad bugs like aphids from existing. This is absolutely necessary as they cannot spray pesticides around people who work or visit the Spheres.

Bezo’s Balls

These magnificent orbs, also popularly known as “Bezo’s Balls” have often been compared to the Space Needle- built in 1962 for the Century 21 Exposition. According to initial reports, it was supposed that Amazon had spent an estimated USD 4 Billion on the Amazon Spheres project. Amazon later disclosed that the whopping sum was used for the design and construction of the entire Seattle HQ campus, and not just the Spheres. However, Amazon desisted from disclosing the actual figures. The total cost of the improvements made on the block, based on current estimates, measure to around 284 Million USD.

Today, Bezos’ Balls or the Amazon Spheres have become a well-known milestone, as well as a popular spot for tourists in the Denny Triangle area of Seattle. Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, inaugurated the complex structure officially using an Alexa voice command. The dedication for the Spheres was made on 29th January 2018, by Jeff Bezos, Mayor Jenny Durkan, County Executive Dow Constantine and Governor Jay Inslee. The facility opened to the employees of Amazon the very next day, alongside a public exhibit called the “Understory” that is situated below the Spheres.

Visiting Amazon Spheres

The Amazon headquarters opens its doors to the public once a week, providing them with guided tours and the campus also holds a weekend reservation program that only happens twice in a month. This enables the common people to update themselves with new astounding technology, as well as experience the insides of an architectural marvel such as the Amazon Spheres.

For more details about visiting Amazon Spheres click here.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “Biosphere 2: A Self-Sustaining Artificial Ecological System“.

Special thanks to Ashlyn Gehrett for releasing the photos of the Sphere in creative commons.

Fact Analysis:
STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. However, things can go wrong. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at [email protected].

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DC Tower. (Max Pixel)

On an erstwhile municipal garbage dump within Donau-City in Vienna, the UNO-City was built with plans to host the Vienna-Budapest Expo (1995). However, this idea was soon abandoned. Architects Krischanitz and Neumann were commissioned, in 1922, to create an urban design master-plan for this vast area practically lying waste. The DC Towers (or Donau-City Towers) are two high-rise towers, designed by Dominique Perrault Architecture, which represents the last phase of this developmental plan. The entire district is now thoroughly urbanized and functional. The DC Towers serve as the entry gate to Donau City, Vienna.

The vision: DC Towers 1 & 2

The vision behind the Towers was that of a gargantuan monolith split into two uneven halves. The space between would create an arch that leads out to the rest of the district with its undulating modern facades. The Towers are mounted on platforms and slightly slant in towards the river and open up towards the city. The first of the two towers has already been constructed. Its unique undulating façade not only acts as a gateway into a modern townscape but has also become a prominent point-of-interest in the city’s skyline.

DC Tower 1

DC Tower 1 is one of the most prominent landmarks in Donau-City, Vienna, if not in all of Austria. This skyscraper is in itself almost like a functional district, mounted on a platform. The Tower houses offices, apartments, a four-star hotel, restaurants, a sky bar, and a fitness centre. There is also an open space for the public at the base of the tower. The Tower’s undulating façade provides an interesting contrast to the stoic and rigid architecture surrounding it. The folds make the Tower seem fluid and almost malleable. The façade is vested with a unique personality which moulds itself to the changing lights or events. Its steel and glass build again adds a unique texture to the otherwise ‘fluid’ visuals of the DC Tower 1.

The DC Tower 1. (Robert F. Tobler / Wikimedia Commons)

Design and structure

As the associate designer, Gaëlle Lauriot-Prévost, says, the DC Towers are very much tangible and present. The structures are not meant to be hidden or tucked away amidst the urban jungle. It draws the eye and engages the viewer in all its sensual appeal. The exposed concrete framework, stone and metal of the lobbies- all of it reinforces the physicality of the DC Towers.

The spread of the Donau-City is lateral, as is the horizontal nature of the public space under DC Tower 1. The goal of the designers was to amalgamate this quality of its surroundings with the vertical trajectories of the building itself. The façade to the back has achieved this by making the public space rise. Via a series of ‘steps’ from the surrounding esplanade, the public ‘square’ is extended to the platform on which the Tower stands. Evidently, the designers have taken immense care to ensure the structure of the Tower extends seamlessly into its surroundings and is accessible to all.

The other three facades have incorporated 54 metallic umbrellas that rise gradually from the ground. This is aesthetically significant, bringing in a certain softness and element of movement to the structure- tying it together with the cityscape of Vienna. The entire master-plan regarding the area spans decades, and its execution is not even near complete. As a result, there might be further additions to the facade that ties in elements from the neighbouring river bank and urban landscape.

A distant view of DC Tower. (Tilman2007F / Wikimedia Commons)

Eco-friendly measures

The ecological footprint of the Towers is minimal, and it was designed with a variety of eco-friendly measures in place. The office spaces housed within DC Tower have curtain walls made up of three layers of glass to protect against the sun. Openings to provide fresh air and plenty of ventilation are also present. Active floors reducing the volume of air flow to exactly match the thermodynamic heat load are also generously present throughout the building. These help in reducing the overall energy consumption. Recycled water from the Danube River is used for the cooling process involved.

The connected building at the bottom of the Tower has photovoltaic roofing and thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) to insulate it from sustained heat loads. All materials used are thermally insulating and can endure the massive difference in the temperature between the TBC surfaces and the load-bearing alloys. Large square screens, acting as sun-shades, have been provided for passersby to rest. The screen is made of black panels that are perforated and can be put to use as a windbreaker as well. The lower level of the square also has some ancillary umbrellas that can support planting in the future. Plans to include an automatic watering system are also under works.

Completed in the year 2013, it stands 220 m (720 ft) tall. (©  CBrug / Flickr)

DC Tower 2 and the impact of the DC Towers project

The first of the two DC Towers, already up and running, has ushered in an era of rapid urbanisation in the city of Vienna. The controlled but sustained development of high-rises and city-planning has resulted in modernising the city. Mixed-use buildings that are economical and contemporary, and high-energy performance and eco-friendly at the same time, have become the norm. DC Tower 2 is still on paper, but we can imagine how it may further influence the urban lifestyle and metropolitan business of Donau-City, Vienna.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “Nakagin Capsule Tower: A Futuristic Building from the Past, Which Might Just Not See the Future“.

Fact Analysis:
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McBarge. (© Ruth Raymond / Flickr)

In their long history, McDonald’s had two floating restaurants, Riverboat McDonald in St Louis, USA, and Friendship 500 in Vancouver, Canada. They built the Friendship 500, popularly known as the McBarge, for the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication. The restaurant was on a 57-metre-long barge that McDonald’s moored in False Creek, which was alongside the exposition grounds. The McBarge was one of the five McDonald’s exhibits at the exposition, and they built it at the cost of $8 million.

Riverboat McDonald in St. Louis, 1999. (48states / Wikimedia Commons)

McBarge, the floating restaurant

Robert Allan Ltd., one of Canada’s oldest consulting naval architectural firms, designed the floating restaurant. They built it as a showcase of future technology and architecture, which was the theme of the exposition. To construct the structure, they used porcelain-dipped aluminium panels, steel, and ferrocement on a pontoon barge.

Porcelain panels provide a very durable cladding whose colours and surfaces are more resistant to degradation in harsh environments. Ferrocement is a thin wall reinforced concrete which has low weight and a long lifetime. Pontoons are tubes that contain a lot of reserve buoyancy which enables the construction of large decks on floating vehicles such as flat-bottomed barges.

The McBarge measured 8,600 square feet on the main deck and 6,800 square feet on the top deck and could seat 1,400 people. In addition to creating a futuristic floating restaurant, McDonald’s wanted to create a bistro style place that was both elegant and affordable and would attract young people in droves.

The restaurant’s interior features included potted plants, wooden floors, merlot-coloured accents, and framed art. The hidden kitchen used a conveyor belt to deliver food to the serving counter. The glass panelled dining areas provided panoramic views of Vancouver, and the staff wore blue and white sailor’s uniforms. Millions of people visited the World Exposition between May and October, and the novelty of a floating restaurant ensured that the McBarge was always packed.

After the world exposition

McDonald’s intended to continue using the McBarge as a floating restaurant after the World Exposition ended, but for a variety of reasons, they were unable to do so. The staff left, and the empty barge remained moored where it had been during the Exposition.

In 1988, the Vancouver government sold the Exposition grounds to Lee Ka-Shing, a Hong Kong-based tycoon, and, in 1991, he told McDonald’s to remove the barge from his property. So, McDonald’s relocated the barge to Burrard Inlet, north of Vancouver.

Eight years later, in 1999, they sold the barge to Howard Meakin, a real estate developer famous for redeveloping Gastown, an old area of Vancouver. As Meakin did not wish to scrap the barge, it remained anchored in Burrard Inlet, neglected and rusting. It did briefly receive some publicity in 2003 when Marvel Entertainment and New Line Cinema used the barge as the lair of the Nightstalkers for the film Blade: Trinity.

Photo of McBarge in 2006. (Taz / Flickr)

The McBarge on Facebook

Around 2009, a few local people began a Save the McBarge Facebook group. The group grew to include thousands of members, and they discussed their opinions about what to do about the barge and shared photographs of the barge. Some of the suggestions they put forward were using the barge as a shelter for Vancouver’s homeless people, as part of a university campus, and, more commonly, for the purpose it was designed for, to be used as a restaurant and bar.

Howard Meakin paid no particular attention to the Facebook group since he had neither started it and nor had he solicited their advice. On the other hand, these Facebook discussions about the fate of the McBarge drew a lot of public attention to the barge and, as a result, a lot of people went to see it and trespassed on to the barge out of curiosity. Some of them vandalized the barge and drew graffiti on its walls.

McBarge in 2015. (Daderot / Wikimedia Commons)

Howard Meakin’s plans for the McBarge

In the same year as the Facebook publicity, in 2009, Howard Meakin proposed the idea of making the barge the centrepiece of a waterfront development project on the Fraser River in the city of Mission. Besides restaurants and pubs, the project called “Sturgeon’s on the Fraser” included plans to build a marina and a seaplane terminal to service flights to Victoria and Nanaimo. Although Meakin’s proposal garnered some local support, the Mission city council rejected it citing environmental issues.

For the next 30 years, the barge remained in Burrard Inlet. Then, in 2015, Howard Meakin moved the now dirty and mouldy barge to Maple Ridge in the north-eastern section of Greater Vancouver. He planned on spending $4.5 million to renovate the barge, which would include removing the McDonald’s decor and giving the barge a new built look. He did not, however, give the public specific details about what he intended doing with the barge.

In 2017, Howard Meakin announced plans to use the McBarge as a deep-sea museum. Along with Phil Nuytten, an inventor and president of the Historical Diving Society of Canada, architect David Eaton, and designer Nigel Walker, Meakin spent more than a year working on the project.

To be named Deep Ocean Discovery Centre, the proposed 15,400 square foot museum was going to have a 4-D theatre and educational exhibits showcasing the history and importance of the Pacific Ocean, indigenous ocean technology and new developments, and stories and experiences of navigating the ocean. The museum would also display Nuytten’s vast collection of underwater equipment and other artefacts such as a shark cage.

As restoring and repurposing the McBarge would require a considerable sum of money, Meakin and Nuytten decided to get the Vancouver City Council involved in the project. They hoped that the City Council would give the barge a Historic Place Status. This designation would have made it easier for them to get funding from government grants and sponsorships. Their petition, however, did not receive the requisite number of signatures. They also planned to launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise some money, but they had to cancel the event in October due to bad weather. After 2017, there have been no further announcements regarding the project.

The McBarge, meanwhile, is still docked in Maple Ridge.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “Nakagin Capsule Tower: A Futuristic Building from the Past, Which Might Just Not See the Future“.

Fact Analysis:
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Sagrada Familia. (Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons)

A Roman Catholic Church, Sagrada Familia, was conceptualized by a Spanish Christian, Josep Maria Bocabella (1815-1892), in the late 19th century. The industrial revolution was telling on the faith of masses in church and he thought he must do something to reverse the trend. So, he started the construction of this Church in Barcelona, in 1882. The first Architect, Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, began work in neo-gothic design. He was removed in 1883 and replaced with Antoni Gaudi, the exponent of Catalan culture of Spain. The Church was then moulded in Gaudi’s idiosyncratic design till his death. Then there were interruptions and sabbaticals, and 136 years passed by. But all along, the monument remained a tourist attraction and a functioning church.

Antoni Gaudi. (Pau Audouard / Wikimedia Commons)

Gaudi was fired with missionary zeal 

A lover of nature, and Catholic by faith, Antoni Gaudi was best that Joseph Maria could have found to shape his vision. Inspired by real-life forms, Gaudi tried to replicate the organic world of God. He considered God as the Master Architect and worked hard to reflect His grace in whatever he did. So possessed was he about the task in hand that he never bothered about time and budget. All he cared for and mused about was his design which must be as live as real life. He lived frugally, like a hermit, and believed he was picked by God for the exposition of Christianity through Architecture. His conviction was as fierce as it was eccentric. No wonder, his contemporary Architects let him have his way than counsel him on his plan and procedures.

Antoni Gaudí’s contribution

From 1915, Gaudi began work on Church building with crypt (underground room in the Church where important people are buried after death) which his predecessor had left unfinished. Then he moved on to nativity façade (portico). As good a sculptor as an architect, he crowded walls with biblical scenes, saints, symbols, inscriptions and a medley of life forms ranging from reptiles, birds, seashells, fruits and flowers. The central part of the Church building was designed for choir (for 1,500 heads) and top for the chimes of bells.

Nature’s Grace reflected in murals

In Gaudi’s scheme, there was no place for straight lines and right angles. He revelled in tree-like columns which portrayed his view of Mother Nature. Images merged with, and flowed into, each other, not necessarily in good taste, but invariably shocking and surprising the onlookers in huge measure. Even his die hard critics advised every patriotic Spaniard to have a feel of Gaudi’s ‘superbly- creative-bad-taste’.

Details in the facade of the church. (A,Ocram / Wikimedia Commons)

Death didn’t finish Gaudi’s magic

A brooding bachelor, Gaudi was hit by a tram while crossing a railway track in 1926. He died 3 days later, and was buried in the same crypt he began his work with. The thread of his unfinished work was picked up by his loyal team. With Spanish Civil War in 1936, work got derailed. A group of revolutionaries barged into the Church and destroyed models and drawings left by Gaudi. Catholicism came under attack. An attempt to bomb Sagrada Familia failed, but 40 churches in Barcelona were demolished. Twelve people associated with the Sagrada Familia project too, were killed.

Sagrada Familia in 1905. (Baldomer Gili i Roig / Wikimedia Commons)

In spite of the Spanish Civil War, construction of Sagrada Familia continued

As the civil war ended in 1939, little was left of Gaudi’s blueprint on the building project. So, the construction work remained suspended for long. In 1960 there was a call to stop any further work on the proposed Church. It was argued that the monument was a piece of art which must be left untampered as a mark of respect for its creator – Antoni Gaudi. But the patrons of Sagrada Familia disagreed. Monument, they said, was more than just the memory of the late architect. That cleared the deadlock and the construction restarted in the 1970s. A new series of wall pictures were made under the supervision of sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs. These were about the brutality of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Parametric design software gave a fillip to the project

Come 1977 and the Church still had no roof and interiors. A team of Architects brainstormed to understand Gaudi’s designs in order to complete the pending work, but failed. Even computer software, in the early nineties, couldn’t unravel the secret of Gaudi’s complex designs. But the dogged persistence of Mark Burry, the executive architect and researcher, paid off. He found that designers of aeroplanes worked with the same geometric complexity as Gaudi did. He therefore, used aeronautical software to decide the architectural strategy for working on interiors of Sagrada Familia. In a matter of coincidence, the buildings designed by American architect Frank Gehry had uncanny similarity to Gaudi’s design. So, Mark Burry and Frank Gehry joined hands to create parametric design software. This software became a trendsetter in the early 2000s, with La Sagrada Familia as one of its users.

Final finish yet to happen

With parametric design, the work on interiors began in right unrest and got completed by 2010. But the Church is still far from a full and final completion. Much more remains to be done. It is hoped that the year 2026, the 100th death anniversary of Gaudi, may see the Church completed in all respects. That would put the cumulative construction period to a whopping 143 years. The building would then have 18 towers, the middle one being 560 feet high.

As of 2018, the brown coloured part in the model are already built and the remaining is yet to be completed. (Balou46 / Wikimedia Commons)

Sagrada Familia. (C messier / Wikimedia Commons)

What made the church tick?

What makes Sagrada Familia an object of undying curiosity, and most visited tourist site in Barcelona? The answer lies in its history and its architecture. The idea of the monument was conceived when the industrial revolution was being perceived as a threat to religion. Joseph Maria Bocabella alluded the misery of Barcelona’s poor to their drift from religion. So, he set out, in his own way, to correct the fault. He would do it by building a church, dedicated to Mary, Joseph and Jesus- the holy family (La Sagrada Familia), which would inspire people to be religious and God-fearing.

The ceiling of the church. (SBA73 / Flickr)

The interior of Sagrada Familia. (Robertgombos / Wikimedia Commons)

The work began in Neo-Gothic style prevalent in Europe in those days. Come Gaudi, and his unique style got added to it. An amalgamation of myriad styles continued as the construction work lingered on for more than a century. Work, as it progressed, emerged as a heady cocktail of myriad views and perceptions. Whereas Gaudi’s architecture seemed live and breathing, subsequent imitations of it were static and limp. The change, obviously, added to its mystery quotient, attracting 20 million visitors to this unfinished church every year.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “Sedlec Ossuary: The Famous Bone Church of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic“.

Fact Analysis:
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World Trade Center Transportation Hub interior. (Luca Bravo lucabravo / Wikimedia Commons)

The World Trade Center Transportation Hub is a huge terminal station, which was conceptualized by a Spanish architect of international repute. Although not as big in comparison to the Grand Central Station, this train terminus in New York became one of the most talked-about transportation hubs, right from the time it was announced. But what set this new structure apart was not just its design but also the cost that went into erecting it. New York City and specifically Manhattan became the beneficiary of an expensive gift that not just shocked the world but also left people open-mouthed and wide-eyed in amazement.

What is PATH

The Port Authority Trans-Hudson or PATH is an underground subway system, which serves between the cities of Newark, Hoboken and Jersey City in the North American state of New Jersey, and also plies through Harrison Town in the same state. The metro line also connects Manhattan city in New York to these cities. The PATH transportation system is located in the World Trade Center complex and it was destroyed in the attacks of 9/11 along with the Twin Towers. Established in 1962, as a subsidiary of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the rapid transit system links Manhattan to its neighbouring cities and serves commuters twenty-four hours of the day on all seven days of the week. Although the PATH terminal was officially opened for public in the year 1962, it had started test riding from the year 1907 onwards.

The World Trade Center transportation hub and Oculus

After the Twin Towers came crashing down and the underground transit system was destroyed in 2001, a Spanish architect, sculptor and designer of international repute, Santiago Calatrava, came up with the idea of building a transportation hub in the same place. After four years of speculation, in 2004, Calatrava made his design of the new transportation center public, which was soon to become one of New York’s iconic landmarks. Known for his daring pieces of work across the globe with designs of railway stations, museums and stadiums that resembled a living organism, Calatrava decided to give the new hub a form that would signify freedom and peace and was also a symbol of rebirth. In his view, the new place would become Financial District’s answer to Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal Station. And that is how the centerpiece – Oculus – with multi-level concourses came into being, becoming the most expensive train terminal in the world.

The exterior of the WTC station. (Steve / Flickr)

The World Trade Center Transportation Hub is entirely made out of glass and steel. The giant, interlocked and ribbed, white structure, resembling a dove in flight, called Oculus, overlooks the National September 11 Memorial. The structure comprises of a huge street-level hallway in the form of Oculus, a large second-level concourse (or open space) used as walking spaces and a lower level concourse that serves as subway stations.

Pedestrian walkway. (The groundview / Flickr)

A huge underground mezzanine (or balcony) makes way for shops, restaurants and also provides access to train platforms, ticket vending machines and ATMs. The lowest level platforms, which connect to PATH railway lines, have train stations, where metros ply to and fro to island platforms and side platforms for commuters’ ease.

The center balcony. (Donaldroszz / Wikimedia Commons)

The transportation hub serves 250,000 visitors daily and draws millions of annual visitors from around the globe. The oval-shaped building measures 350 feet in length and is 115 feet wide. The World Trade Center Transportation Hub is roughly spread in around 800,000 square feet space and it connects the states of New York and New Jersey by underground trains and railway network. The Oculus also doubles up as an indoor pedestrian crossing for commuters going towards the Freedom Tower.

A panoramic view of the area heading towards the subway. (Pedro Szekely / Flickr)

Public criticism and backlash

Although Calatrava hoped to make the Oculus and the World Trade Center Transportation Hub an icon of the tragedy that struck years ago, the building came under heavy criticism from the public and media alike. It received a lot of flak for running behind schedule and also because it was overrunning the estimated budget of USD 2 billion. Already planned on a grossly expensive budget, the transportation center ended up being constructed at an astronomical cost of approximately 5.2 billion US dollars. The entire structure neared completion in 2016, which was otherwise supposed to open in 2009, and it finally opened to the public on the 4th of March. Delayed by seven years, the transit system made it difficult for public transport, while it was under construction. Common people criticized the finished building as a waste of public money and also said that the structure appeared more like an ugly stegosaurus than a gracefully flying dove.

While Calatrava’s office said that the project was taking longer to finish, it explained the reasons for the delay. His personnel stated that the complexity in the structure resulted in the postponement and the advanced technology used in constructing the unusual-appearing building was costing the company more than the stipulated amount. The installation of green technology, superior quality security systems and limited resources added to the financial burden. However, as New Yorkers got more accustomed to the daily commute through the new structure, they started accepting the building as their own.

Whatever be the reasons, the costliest train terminal in the world will always be a gift of love to New Yorkers. The World Trade Center Transportation Hub and Oculus will remind people of their triumph over tragic times, each time they cross paths through it.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “Maharajas’ Express: An Ultra-Luxury Indian Train That Redefines the Experience of Travelling“.

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Nakagin Capsule Tower. (scarletgreen / Flickr)

A walk in the classy Ginza district of the Japanese capital of Tokyo can bring a visitor to one of the rare architectural marvels of the world that is now in a very sorry state. Once a wonder and one of the firsts to achieve a specific tag, the Nakagin Capsule Tower, today cries for attention. Designed and built between the years 1970 and 1972 by Kisho Kurokawa Architect and Associates, the tower in Tokyo, was the world’s first structure to be made in a capsule format, serving a dual function. The Nakagin Capsule Tower was made in such a way that it not just utilized compact areas but also served practical living purposes in the littlest of spaces.

The exterior of the Nakagin Capsule Tower. (Jordy Meow / Wikimedia Commons)

Construction of the Nakagin Capsule Tower

Using steel and reinforced concrete, the Nakagin Capsule Tower has only two central interconnected cores, both of which have eleven and thirteen floors respectively. It was built to occupy a total floor area of 3091.23 square metres, including a basement floor, plus preassembled modular capsules rising above it. Only four high-tension bolts are attached to each of the pods on either ends, which make it easier for the capsule to be assembled into the mainframe or detached from it as and when required. The capsule tower was built mainly to serve travelling businessmen, who would stop for the night and prefer places meant for a single person’s use. The futuristic pods could also be converted into a home for a family by connecting single units together, depending on the number of persons living in it.

Nakagin Capsule Tower during construction. (Forgemind ArchiMedia / Flickr)

Each capsule is preassembled with inbuilt kitchen spaces, complete with a sink, compact refrigerator and pantry cupboards. It also has a convertible bed, which can be used as a seating space when not in use for sleeping. And not just that; each capsule, out of the total 140 in the tower, is complete with home and kitchen appliances, including a television set, a telephone, audio system and an alarm clock. The minimalistic interiors have foldable cupboards that can be used as writing spaces or headboards or can be kept closed when not in use.

Inside a capsule of Nakagin Capsule Tower. (Ken OHYAMA / Flickr)

A single unit measures 8.2 feet by 13.1 feet and has a single circular window, measuring approximately 1.5 metres in diameter. The welded, light-weight concrete boxes also have a separate toilet unit attached inside, the size of an airplane lavatory, which has a bath tub, a commode and a sink. Appearing as cubes neatly and tightly stacked inside a frame, this unique structure was completed in a short span of only thirty days.

Interior of a room inside the Nakagin Capsule Tower. (Chris 73 / Wikimedia Commons)

A masterpiece of metabolist architecture

Developed in Japan in the 1960s post World War II, metabolism architecture followed the principle of cells in the body or DNA strands, which make up an entire organism. The new concept of adaptability sprung up as a result of changing lifestyles post the war and need for more and more spaces to build homes. As a result of these, modular megastructures started coming up, where a single unit could be added to or removed from the main building framework as per the requirement.

A detached capsule of Nakagin Capsule Tower. (Ken OHYAMA / Flickr)

The social experiment quickly started picking up the pace as designers and architects began focusing on flexible, futuristic pods in place of urban living spaces. The Japanese were the first to build such compact homes and particularly Kisho Kurokawa’s Nakagin Capsule Tower came to be known as the first ever in the world to follow the capsule-like metabolist architecture.

Limitations and problems

Although the chief designer and architect Kurosawa claimed that a pre-assembled single unit was flexible and could be detached and attached to the main framework when necessary, it was not practically possible. Adding on to the already stacked pile and removing cubicles from it was an expensive task and involved a lot of money. Since the capsules were very small, permanent occupants with families even complained that it felt cramped inside and the feeling of novelty had begun to wane off quickly. Concrete had started to fall off and drainage became a constant issue with the residents in the tower.

Falling on hard times

Although the world-renowned architect Kisho Kurokawa hoped his pet project – the Nakagin Capsule Tower – would herald a new era in the field of permanent, futuristic residency, the tower fell into disrepair after its founding father passed away in 2007. Maintenance costs didn’t come by easily as no developer came forward for its renovation purpose. The structure slowly began to go from bad to worse as concrete crumbled and pipes began leaking, causing drainage issues. The few handfuls of residents that had occupied the capsules in the Nakagin Tower called for its demolition after Kurokawa’s death, with a plan to build a new conventional-styled apartment in its place.

Close up of Nakagin Capsule Tower. (urbz / Flickr)

But the plan thankfully never materialized as the world economy crashed in 2008, serving as a temporary relief to Nakagin Capsule Tower’s legacy. While some residents moved out to better places, some still use it as rooms for office spaces, mostly to store their possessions. The abandoned and deteriorating building only has as many as thirty residents left in the tower that now look forward to preserving one of the rarest Japanese heritages. The upcoming Summer Olympics, set to be held in Japan in the year 2020, has given these residents and countless other Japanese people some hope of seeing the world’s first ever advanced living structure on the road to revival.

Although it is unsure yet whether The Nakagin Capsule Tower will live in the future to tell its tale; but one thing is for certain that Japanese were the first to materialize the idea of floating cities, where an entire world fitted into tiny spaces.

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “DC Towers: The Project That Revolutionised the Cityscape Of Vienna“.

Fact Analysis:
STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. However, things can go wrong. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at [email protected].

The post Nakagin Capsule Tower: A Futuristic Building from the Past, Which Might Just Not See the Future appeared first on .

33 Thomas Street. (Billie Grace Ward / Flickr)

On Lower Manhattan in New York City, USA proudly stands the 170 meters tall 33 Thomas Street formerly the AT&T Long Lines Building. The building was designed by John Carl Warnecke and was completed after 5 years in 1974. The building was originally meant to be a telephone exchange & server center and was headquartered by AT&T. The Brutalist architecture style of the building does not attempt to hide the raw cement finish of the building by using decorative materials. The building was meant to hold electronic equipment and machinery. And because it was situated in a booming metropolitan city, the building could only grow vertically and not horizontally. The massive structure could have accommodated at least 60 residential floors, but since each floor is double-height at 20 feet each there are only 30 floors.

Since the sole purpose of the building was to hold machinery and not humans, the building has no windows. The windowless building helps keep a stable temperature of the room which is important while storing machinery. The machines would get wrecked as direct exposure to sunlight can affect their working. Sunlight from the windows would have further heated up the machines resulting in a short circuit or worse, caused a fire. Additionally, the windows would be useless to machines and an added advantage was that the building would be less susceptible to terrorist attacks as well as natural calamities.

The former AT&T Long Lines Building from a distant. (Dave Keeshan / Flickr)

33 Thomas Street: Design of the building

It is also important to note that the architect of the building, late John Warnecke, was a talented architect that the United States government had an immense amount of trust in. He has designed the US Naval Academy and the Hart Senate Office Building. He also helped in the reconstruction of a new embassy for the Soviet Union in Washington, D.C. Thanks to his father-in-law who had been a Director at an AT&T subsidiary; he was also trusted by telecommunications companies. His previous high-profile government projects and ties to the telecommunications company finally helped him get the project at 33 Thomas Street for AT&T.

1962: John Carl Warnecke discussing plans for Lafayette Square with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library / National Archives)

The building is also designed to withhold nuclear fallout. It can hold up to 1500 people inside it including an emergency supply of food and water that can help them survive for 2 weeks. It also has about 200,000 gallons of fuel that would help power generators in case of a power outage. This project was initially codenamed, Project X.

Purpose of the building: NSA’s spy hub?

At one time, the building used to have the world’s largest long-distance phone call processing center. It used to provide approximately 170 calls in a day. The building now exists for a different purpose since AT&T shifted its headquarters a few blocks down the lane. Now it exists as a security data center and a surveillance site, codenamed TitanPointe, for the National Security Agency.

Long Lines Building up close. (Beyond My Ken /  Wikimedia Commons)

A couple of classified NSA documents sourced by The Intercept lead us to believe the relationship between Titan Pointe and 33 Thomas Street. The document mentions that Titan Pointe is located in New York City and that Lithium is the main source of contact for Titan Pointe. According to investigations carried out by The Intercept and information they received from former AT&T employees, it is clear that the codename Titan Pointe refers to the Long Lines Building and the codename Lithium refers to AT&T as a company.

It is highly likely that AT&T partners with the NSA to provide them with data only gained by tapping into phone calls between the United States and other countries. The opposite is also true in that there are documentaries that suggest that NSA equipment has been introduced within AT&T’s network to gain access to their data. Titan Pointe is also a part of another sub-project called Skidrowe that intercepts satellite signals.

It is only when investigations unearth information regarding government activity, do we begin to understand exactly how our privacy is being compromised. Until that happens, we breach the subject of confidentiality and privacy very lightly. Although government bodies may argue that violating the privacy of civilians is helpful for a bigger cause of national security. Some food for thought – where would you draw the line between privacy violation and securing the nation?

Recommended Visit:
AT&T Long Lines Building | New York, USA

Recommended Watch:
1. Citizen Four | A documentary on Edward Snowden and spying scandal involving the NSA.
2. Project X | Short film

Enjoyed this article? Also, check out “Nakagin Capsule Tower: A Futuristic Building from the Past, Which Might Just Not See the Future“.

Fact Analysis:
STSTW Media strives to deliver accurate information through careful research. However, things can go wrong. If you find the above article inaccurate or biased, please let us know at [email protected].

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