Shanghai-based studio ATAH recently designed a captivating art center in a commercial complex in the Chinese city of Shaoxing.  ATAH wanted to create a building that would draw people towards it, so they developed the building’s cylindrical and spiraling design. The building’s essential element, the spiral staircase, winds up and around the building’s central core and connects […]

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ADVENTURE Canoe Bay – The perfect place to unwind and relax during the fall months ahead.   ARTS & CULTURE Martin Puryear (born May 23, 1941) is an American artist known for his devotion to traditional craft. Working in wood and bronze, among other media, his reductive technique and meditative approach challenge the physical and poetic […]

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Shanghai based designers Wutopia Lab was commissioned to design a play space and restaurant for kids where materials, lighting and whimsical design create a magical ‘Polycarbonate Neverland’. Polycarbonate material is used to add color, texture and lighting elements on both the interior and exterior of the building. On the interior, a variety of materials including […]

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‘Faubourg‘ a photo series by Parisian photographer Francois Prost, captures apartment buildings in suburbs on the outskirts of Paris. The series showcases 20th century high rises surrounded by nothing but sky. By shooting the buildings from nearby apartments on clear days, Prost represents the buildings in a way that makes them seem otherworldly. Prost hopes to […]

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EXPO CHICAGO is coming up from September 27th through the 30th. This modern and contemporary art fair, which takes place at Navy Pier, has established Chicago as a preeminent art fair destination. The art fair hosts leading international art galleries in the main exhibition hall as well as panel discussions, performances and installations throughout the […]

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Spanish design studios Nituniyo and Memosesmas designed a dynamic sculpture as public work for the Festival of the Fallas in Valencia. The festival celebrates the arrival of spring with four days of bonfires, fireworks and parties. Architect Miguel Arraiz, designer Carlos Tíscar, and illustrator Luis Demano, were all invited to create works on the sculpture during the event. Between creations, the piece […]

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Finding a private space in the midst of a city can be a daunting task. Self-taught designer Fernando Abellanas has begun a series of hidden   workspaces around the city of Valencia. This creation tucked beneath a highway underpass is the first. Playing on the concept of hidden nooks that a child would go into, […]

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The immigrant crisis in Europe continues to strain countries and resources. A few countries have responded by closing their borders or implementing laws making it difficult or impossible for refugees to live in safety. There are many debates and issues regarding refugees such as the safety and/or resources of the host country and how much they […]

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Chicago is a unique city: from its master plan by Daniel Burnham right down to its crafted brickwork, the Midwest Metropolis oozes its own character.  The Great Fire of 1871 and the construction of the Sears Tower in 1970 bookend a century of development in which the city showed its architectural daring.  In these architectural […]

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We love our hometown, and of course we should, but we know that Chicago pride runs deeper than that of most places.  Here we have rich institutions, some of the best universities, parks, museums, and architecture in the world.  The words “I’m from Chicago” carry some weight no matter which corner of the world we […]

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