Thursday, August 6, 2009
Mona Lisa Portrait
3,604 of coffee of different shades of varying amount of cream were pieced together to form this giant portrait of the famous Mona Lisa by the great inventor and artist Leonardo Da Vinci. This was made for the launch of the annual "The Rocks Aroma Festival" – the biggest coffee festival in Australia.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Pride of Pakistan
Islamabad: Ali Mo'en Nawazish is a proud Pakistani who never imagined that one day he could become a household name and a celebrity. In fact, he has made his country proud by setting a world record - making 21 A's out of 23 subjects in the Advanced Level (A-Level) Examination. The feat books him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. "I love being who I am, and my identity is Pakistan. I am glad for the minute difference in people's perceptions that might Come about because of all this -that is amazing.
Unique Bridges Around the World
Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Opened in May of this year, the Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge is a stunning x-shaped cable-stayed bridge that crosses thePinheiros River in Sao Paulo. It's design is unique in that the 2 curved decks of the bridge cross each other through its x-shaped supporting tower, an illuminated structure that stands 450ft tall and has attached to it 144 steel cables.
Pedestrian Bridge, Texas
This beautiful arched bridge in Lake Austin was a private build by Miro Rivera Architects and is used to connect the client's main house to the smaller guest house on the other side of the water. The idea was to make the bridge seem as natural as possible within its surroundings and to do this they made the decking and reed-like hand rails as imperfect as possible. The result is a bridge that looks extremely fragile but definitely worth the risk.
Kintaikyo, Iwakuni, Japan
The original Kintai Bridge was built in 1673 and didn't stand very long until it was damaged due to flooding. It was then rebuilt and survived for more than 200 years until a typhoon battered it to death in 1950. The bridge that stands now over the Nishiki Riveris the 3rd build and looks magnificent, it's 5 wooden arches displaying an incredible amount of detail and craftmanship. Interesting fact: no nails or bolts have been used to build the arches, only clamps and wires.
Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge, Brasilia, Brazil
'Henderson Waves' is Wingapore's highest pedestrian bridge and can be found at the southern ridges, a beautiful 9km stretch of gardens and parks which has frequently drawn comparisons to New York's Central Park. The bridge itself is absolutely stunning. The deck is made from thousands of Balau wood slats, perfectly cut and arranged, and along the length of the deck a huge snaking, undulating shell cleverly forms sheltered seating areas on every upward curve.
Thomas heatherwick' s award-winning rolling bridge is an ingenious addition to the grand union canal system in London and is unique in its design. Unlike regular movable canal bridges, the rolling bridge curls up on itself to form an octagon by way of hydraulics. It's an amazing sight and a reminder that a fresh perspective can produce great, innovative results, even when dealing with a structure as common as a bridge.
Beipanjiang River Railroad Bridge, Guizhou, China
This is the incredible, brand new vertical lift bridge in Rouen, France, a beast of a structure whose 2 bridge spans weigh 1200tons each but can be hoisted 180ft vertically by the bridge's lifting mechanism in an impressive 12 minutes. Just the angular structures at the top of each tower weigh in at 450tons each, helping to support the lifting system as cruise ships sail through.
Hegigio Gorge Pipeline Bridge, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea
Technically, this is a bridge: it's a structure which spans a gorge. The only difference is, the bridge can't be used by humans due to the fact that its purpose is to support 2 pipelines - 1 gas, 1 oil - across the extremely high gap in Papua New Guinea. So high in fact that if this were to be officially recognised as a bridge it would rocket to the top of the 'world's highest bridge-span' list at an impressive height of 1290ft. By comparison, the current highest bridge span belongs to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, hanging a mere 1053ft above ground level, while Manhattan's Chrysler Building measures 1047ft.
Opened in May of this year, the Octavio Frias de Oliveira Bridge is a stunning x-shaped cable-stayed bridge that crosses thePinheiros River in Sao Paulo. It's design is unique in that the 2 curved decks of the bridge cross each other through its x-shaped supporting tower, an illuminated structure that stands 450ft tall and has attached to it 144 steel cables.
Pedestrian Bridge, Texas
This beautiful arched bridge in Lake Austin was a private build by Miro Rivera Architects and is used to connect the client's main house to the smaller guest house on the other side of the water. The idea was to make the bridge seem as natural as possible within its surroundings and to do this they made the decking and reed-like hand rails as imperfect as possible. The result is a bridge that looks extremely fragile but definitely worth the risk.
Kintaikyo, Iwakuni, Japan
The original Kintai Bridge was built in 1673 and didn't stand very long until it was damaged due to flooding. It was then rebuilt and survived for more than 200 years until a typhoon battered it to death in 1950. The bridge that stands now over the Nishiki Riveris the 3rd build and looks magnificent, it's 5 wooden arches displaying an incredible amount of detail and craftmanship. Interesting fact: no nails or bolts have been used to build the arches, only clamps and wires.
Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge, Brasilia, Brazil
The JK Bridge in Brasilia is a lesson in elegant bridge design. The 3 huge arches diagonally hopping over the deck of the bridge give the structure an amazing visual fluidity and make the whole 1.2km bridge look effortlessly cool. Since being built the bridge has won awards for its design but is still massively underappreciated on a wider scale.
Henderson Waves, Southern Ridges, Singapore
Henderson Waves, Southern Ridges, Singapore
'Henderson Waves' is Wingapore's highest pedestrian bridge and can be found at the southern ridges, a beautiful 9km stretch of gardens and parks which has frequently drawn comparisons to New York's Central Park. The bridge itself is absolutely stunning. The deck is made from thousands of Balau wood slats, perfectly cut and arranged, and along the length of the deck a huge snaking, undulating shell cleverly forms sheltered seating areas on every upward curve.
Rolling Bridge, London, UK
Thomas heatherwick' s award-winning rolling bridge is an ingenious addition to the grand union canal system in London and is unique in its design. Unlike regular movable canal bridges, the rolling bridge curls up on itself to form an octagon by way of hydraulics. It's an amazing sight and a reminder that a fresh perspective can produce great, innovative results, even when dealing with a structure as common as a bridge.
Beipanjiang River Railroad Bridge, Guizhou, China
Beipanjiang River Railroad Bridge in Guizhou is an enormous railway bridge that was built as part of the much larger 'Guizhou-Shuibai Railway Project'. Connecting 2 mountains over a deep ravine, at its highest point the bridge's deck sits 918ft above the ground (to compare, at its highest point the Millau viaduct's deck clears the river underneath by 890ft). The bridge has succeeded in connecting 2 of the country's poorest areas.
Pont Gustave Flaubert, Rouen, France
Pont Gustave Flaubert, Rouen, France
This is the incredible, brand new vertical lift bridge in Rouen, France, a beast of a structure whose 2 bridge spans weigh 1200tons each but can be hoisted 180ft vertically by the bridge's lifting mechanism in an impressive 12 minutes. Just the angular structures at the top of each tower weigh in at 450tons each, helping to support the lifting system as cruise ships sail through.
Hegigio Gorge Pipeline Bridge, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea
Technically, this is a bridge: it's a structure which spans a gorge. The only difference is, the bridge can't be used by humans due to the fact that its purpose is to support 2 pipelines - 1 gas, 1 oil - across the extremely high gap in Papua New Guinea. So high in fact that if this were to be officially recognised as a bridge it would rocket to the top of the 'world's highest bridge-span' list at an impressive height of 1290ft. By comparison, the current highest bridge span belongs to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, hanging a mere 1053ft above ground level, while Manhattan's Chrysler Building measures 1047ft.
Please come back in my life
Where did you go leaving me alone,
Giving me the pains which I do not own,
Why did you broke my heart into two,
Without caring about me and listening me too,
Why did not you try to understand my feelings, my love,
Just left me dumb with thousands of unsaid words,
I feel so incomplete as you are not beside me,
Just like the heart without the heart beats,
Just like the body without soul,
Just like the night without stars and moon,
Just like a ship with a hole,
Please come back in my life,
I have forgotten to live it without you,
Come and hold my hand my beloved,
As i am dying to meet you and love you,
Giving me the pains which I do not own,
Why did you broke my heart into two,
Without caring about me and listening me too,
Why did not you try to understand my feelings, my love,
Just left me dumb with thousands of unsaid words,
I feel so incomplete as you are not beside me,
Just like the heart without the heart beats,
Just like the body without soul,
Just like the night without stars and moon,
Just like a ship with a hole,
Please come back in my life,
I have forgotten to live it without you,
Come and hold my hand my beloved,
As i am dying to meet you and love you,
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Worlds most Unusual Hotels
Casablanca HotelNew York City
Ever wanted to live like Bogey? The 48-room Casablanca Hotel in Times Square features a Moroccan décor complemented by Rick's Café, named for the restaurant in the classic 1942 film featuring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
Ever wanted to live like Bogey? The 48-room Casablanca Hotel in Times Square features a Moroccan décor complemented by Rick's Café, named for the restaurant in the classic 1942 film featuring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.
Propeller Island City LodgeBerlin, Germany
Would you rather sleep in a coffin or in a bed atop a castle? These are just a couple of options available when visiting the Propeller Island City Lodge, where each of the 31 rooms embrace a different theme. From the orange room to the symbol room--tiled entirely with wooden blocks painted with 300 different symbols--this gallery-esque spot gets those creative juices pumping.
Would you rather sleep in a coffin or in a bed atop a castle? These are just a couple of options available when visiting the Propeller Island City Lodge, where each of the 31 rooms embrace a different theme. From the orange room to the symbol room--tiled entirely with wooden blocks painted with 300 different symbols--this gallery-esque spot gets those creative juices pumping.
Library HotelNew York City
Appropriately located near the New York Public Library, the hotel has 60 rooms on 10 floors. Each floor is designed after one of the 10 categories of the Dewey Decimal System, such as Math and Science and Religion, and each room houses part of the hotel's collection of 6,000 books.
Appropriately located near the New York Public Library, the hotel has 60 rooms on 10 floors. Each floor is designed after one of the 10 categories of the Dewey Decimal System, such as Math and Science and Religion, and each room houses part of the hotel's collection of 6,000 books.
The Pitcher InnWarren, Vt.
The nine rooms and two suites at The Pitcher Inn are designed on themes such as "School," "Trout" and "Calvin Coolidge." We're not just talking variations in wallpaper--the "Stable" suite has a hay chute opening into it. Guests don't rough it, however. The inn is a Relais and Chateaux property, and it includes a spa and dining room that uses fresh local and regional ingredients.
The nine rooms and two suites at The Pitcher Inn are designed on themes such as "School," "Trout" and "Calvin Coolidge." We're not just talking variations in wallpaper--the "Stable" suite has a hay chute opening into it. Guests don't rough it, however. The inn is a Relais and Chateaux property, and it includes a spa and dining room that uses fresh local and regional ingredients.
Hydropalace Qingdao, China
Scheduled to open in 2009, the Hydropalace in Qingdao, China, will be anchored in the Yellow Sea in water that is 16 to 20 meters deep at low tide. Guests will arrive at the hotel by yacht, which will also stop at a planned land-based hydrotower, scheduled to open for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Ariau Towers Hotel Brazil
Not for the acrophobic, this hotel lets you sleep in the treetops of the Amazon Rainforest. "Tarzan's house," for example, is perched on stilts 80 feet above the ground. Situated on the bank of the Negro River, Ariau's apartments, suites and tree houses are linked by a series of catwalks.
WinvianMorris, Conn.
At Winvian, lodging options range from a helicopter to a log cabin. The hotel features 18 individually designed cottages and one suite located in the main house. Included in the rates are all meals and drinks (excluding a reserve wine list), Vespa scooters, horseback riding and other activities.
Ice HotelQuebec, Canada
The Ice Hotel is created anew each year out of 15,000 pounds of snow and 500 pounds of ice. The 34-room hotel features an ice chapel, two art galleries and a host of outdoor activities. The temperature inside the hotel ranges from 23 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit, and the beds are carved from ice. You don't sleep directly on the ice, though--there' s a wooden plank between the ice and a comfy mattress, plus you're insulated with a special sleeping bag that can withstand the harshest climes (-40 degrees Fahrenheit). Happily, the bathrooms are not frigid--the heated facilities are in the adjacent hotel.
Beckham Creek Cave HavenParthenon, Ark.
A "luxurious cave" may sound like the ultimate contradiction. This property, built into the Ozark Mountains, features natural rock walls and ceilings as well as Jacuzzi bathtubs and large windows for letting in light. Built as a Cold War bomb shelter by John Hay, founder of Celestial Seasonings tea, it's now a base from which to hike, bike and explore local springs.
Fire Fashion Models
If you wanted to to grab attention for your fashion show, you could try settingyour models on fire. These are from the Fetique Burlesque Fire Fashion Show in2007. Not too sure what they are trying to put on display, but it sure looks great
Full Moon Hotel
South Korean Heerim Architects firm has proposed two towers for Baku, capital of Azerbaijan and the largest port on the Caspian Sea. "Full Moon Hotel" will symbolize the full moon of its name, and will be located across the bay from "The Crescent Hotel" (height: 158m, 32 floors).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
