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Architecture

Cool Finds

Imagine Living on Mars In One of These Structures

You could call an acropolis, pyramid or beehive home

These Smart Bricks Mean the Time Has Finally Arrived: Adults Have Legos of Their Own

A construction company aims to build more efficiently with modular connecting bricks

The LACMA exterior as seen from Wilshire Boulevard.

Why Museums Don’t Need Gleaming New Buildings, Especially Not in Los Angeles

An award-winning architect suggests that the city reconsider its plans to raze its iconic art museum

Batchelder tile from the lobby of the El Dorado Lofts in Los Angeles.

Cool Finds

Saving Los Angeles’ Batchelder Tile

Arts and crafts enthusiasts are waiting for a recently rediscovered landmark to reopen

Cool Finds

You Could Visit Dubai And Never Step Outside

The proposed Mall of the World features temperature-controlled walkways

Cool Finds

See a Fire-Breathing Dragon Bridge in Vietnam

A bridge in Da Nang breathes fire and water every weekend

Springer Auditorium in Music Hall.

America’s Most Endangered Historic Places

Here are the 11 endangered sites—including the prison where Solomon Northup was held—on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2014 list

Founded in 1896, the Cooper Hewitt is located in the Andrew Carnegie mansion, a 64-room Georgian brick home that once served as home for the steel magnate and his family.

With a New Name and New Look, the Cooper Hewitt is Primed for a Grand Reopening

Journalists got a sneak preview of what’s coming up when the new museum opens its doors this coming December

Various examples of garderobe design

From Turrets to Toilets: A Partial History of the Throne Room

For centuries the humble bathroom has been shaping the space we live and work

New Research

When Trees Are Cut Down, Angkor’s Temples Begin to Crumble

People usually think of trees’ destructive impacts on Angkor, but they also protect those iconic temples

Trending Today

Londoners Are Fighting Back Against “Hostile Architecture”

From spikes in the ground to benches designed to be uncomfortable, hostile architecture is pushing already fringe groups further away from the public eye

A hourd in Carcassonne

The Medieval Origin Story of the Balcony

Architect/historian Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc suggested that the balcony was forged in the heat of battle.

New Research

When Fire Ants Build Rafts, There Are No Free Loaders

When fire ants form floating balls, not a single leg or antennae goes to waste

Urban Explorations

Pittsburgh Is Struggling to Maintain Its 45,454 Public Steps

The city budget isn’t enough to keep up with costly and logistically difficult repairs, so some stairways might come down

Cool Finds

Thousands of Lovers’ Locks Collapsed Part of an Overloaded Bridge in Paris

The trend affects bridges throughout Europe and in some places in the U.S., too

New Research

Spiders Get Information From the Vibrations of Their Webs

Depending on the frequency, a vibrating thread of silk can tell a spider if it needs to repair its home or go collect a snared snack

A house in Detroit is demolished in 1992

40,000 of Detroit’s Buildings Could Be Torn Down

Detroit’s Blight Removal Task Force is urging the city to tear down thousands of vacant buildings

Cool Finds

Dracula’s Castle Is for Sale

Bran Castle can be yours for a rumored $80 million

Hans Hollein at his office in Vienna, Austria, 20 March 2009.

Remembering the “Eclectic Gusto” of Architect Hans Hollein

A look into what still excites us about the Viennese designer, who died last week at 80

Cool Finds

How Fast Can You Print Out a Building?

A company in China says it can print out 10 buildings a day

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