At This Unique Flower Show, Weeds Are the Stars
The women of this small desert town have found beauty in getting in the weeds
The Art and Design Behind Pixar’s Animation
A new exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt in New York City draws on the rich backstory of what it takes to give computer-animated life to pen and ink sketches
Listen to Nature Through These Gigantic Wooden Megaphones in Estonia’s Forests
You know, in case a tree falls and there’s no one there to hear it
Look Down If You Dare: 14 of the World’s Most Terrifying (and Beautiful) Glass Skywalks
A new glass bridge in China is suspended 590 feet in the air — and visitors brave enough to cross it can see all the way down
The Twisted History of the Gateway Arch
With its origins as a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s vision of Western Expansion, the Arch has become a St. Louis icon
This Woman Invented Monopoly to Combat Greed
Monopoly, arguably the most-famous board game, was invented by Charles Darrow. But many attribute the original idea to Lizzie Magie
Five of the World’s Most Fascinating Topiary Gardens
Whimsical gardens in surprising shapes decorate homes, churches and cemeteries around the world. We’ve rounded up five of the most extraordinary
Could This ‘Drinkable Book’ Provide Clean Water to the Developing World?
Pour untreated water over a page from the book and silver nanoparticles embedded in it will kill nearly 100 percent of disease-causing bacteria
A Scottish Duke Transformed This Abandoned Coal Mine into a Cosmological Land-Art Park
A scarred landscape in rural Scotland has become a grassy multiverse now open for exploration
Smithsonian Journeys Travel Quarterly: Inca Road
Visit These Floating Peruvian Islands Constructed From Plants
The Uro people who live on Lake Titicaca have been building their own villages by hand for centuries
Legos Go Sustainable, and Everything (Really) is Awesome
To reduce its carbon footprint, the toy company is searching for a sustainable material for its bricks by 2030
What’s the Deal With Google’s Sidewalk Labs?
The tech giant’s first move in urban planning is installing Wi-Fi hubs throughout New York City. Next, it could take on inefficiencies in public transit
What It’s Like to Live in This Smart, Energy-Efficient Home of the Future
Nine months in, a family of four adjusts to life in the Honda Smart Home, a testing ground for new technologies at University of California, Davis
Seven Ways to Revamp Deserted Spaces Under New York City’s Highways and Elevated Trains
The Design Trust for Public Space reimagines neglected areas under the city’s infrastructure
A Look Into the Innovative Mind of One of the World’s Most Inventive Architects
A new show at the Cooper Hewitt reveals the process behind designer Thomas Heatherwick’s projects
In Hawaii, Old Buses Are Being Turned Into Homeless Shelters
A group of architects envisions a rolling solution to the state’s homelessness problem
![“The [museum] is a beautiful example of the strategic ‘borrowing’ that created the rich cultural environment we have all inherited from the African continent.”](https://th-thumbnailer.cdn-si-edu.com/-akQD6Q6z7lvuP5b9OnbeSjpkHk=/450x300/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/56/8b/568b858d-0619-4deb-b558-624732b490cc/2_dsc_4073-web-resize-1072x720.jpg)
Is Architecture Actually a Form of Weaving?
David Adjaye, architect of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, approaches building design as creating “fabric”
Barbers Are Giving Buzz Cuts to Detroit’s Overgrown Lots
A new project funded by a Knight Cities grant has local barbers and landscape contractors working to revitalize vacant spaces
Restaurants and Hotels Breathe New Life into Beautiful, Abandoned Churches and Monasteries
Vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows adorn these restored and reimagined structures
2 World Trade Center and the Promise of Green Skyscrapers
New renderings of the tower show impressive sky gardens—a trendy feature that’s difficult to pull off
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