Building

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Sony’s Tokyo HQ Has A Pop-Up Tsunami Shield

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9:55AM September 16, 2011 | Alex Kidman

When you’re building in Tokyo, you’ve got a lot of building codes that have to be adhered to; most of these relate to the kinds of natural disasters that have all too sadly plagued Japan in recent years. Sony’s Tokyo HQ goes one better; company representatives claim it’s got a three-storey high pop-up tsunami barrier. More »

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The Least Boring Park Visitors’ Centre You’ve Ever Seen

1:20PM June 21, 2011 | Kyle Wagner

You know that greeting centre at your local park, with the lame green placards and the sad row of vending machines? Well the Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion at the 100 Acres Art & Nature Park is the beastmode version. More »

Entertainment

Get Blown Away By This Architectural Music Light Show

3:41PM June 10, 2011 | Kelly Hodgkins

I love what happens when you put technology in the hands of very creative people like André Chocron. Using only time-lapse photography, the Norwegian director created one of the best music light shows I’ve seen. More »

Gadgets

Sound Like A Pro: Learn Proper Bolt Names At A Glance

9:00AM January 31, 2011 | Jack Loftus

Amateur homebuilders take note! This handy chart will have you asking for bits, bolts and screws with confidence. Of course, what you do with them after that is where things might get a bit hairy. [Bolt Depot via Boing Boing]

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This Impossible Library Seems To Be Upside Down

3:20AM January 4, 2011 | Jesus Diaz

When I first saw this photo I thought it was really strange. For some reason, my brain didn’t believe it was real. There’s something impossible about it, as if it’s upside down in space. But it’s real. More »

33,000 Beer Crates On The Wall Of This Belgian Shrine For Beer

12:00PM September 26, 2010 | Casey Chan

This is the ceiling of a building constructed from 33,000 beer cases. It was built in Belgium to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the World’s Fair in Brussels. It’s supposed to represent reusability. I think it’s a church for beer. More »

The Most Life-Affirming TED Talk Of All, For Some: LEGO For Grownups

8:30AM June 28, 2010 | Kyle VanHemert

newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http://www.youtube.com/v/KElS5nZD5yc&hl=en&fs=1&fmt=22","customParams":[] ,"width":500,"height":412,"ratio":0.824,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube","wrap":true} ); The TED conference brings together some of the greatest minds of our time, sharing and inspiring many world-changing ideas. In between those people, Hillel Cooperman gave this breathless, kinda self-loathy rundown of the weird world of adult LEGO. Fascinating! [Geekosystem] More »

Lego Crawler Town Makes Having A Little Yellow Head Worth It

2:00PM February 21, 2010 | Kyle VanHemert

I’ve played with my fair share of LEGOs, but I never actually envied the little guys until I set eyes on Dave DeGobbi’s Crawler Town, a piece as impressively conceived as it is constructed. [Flickr via Brothers Brick] More »

Hey, That’s Not How You Build A Log Cabin

12:00PM January 17, 2010 | Kyle VanHemert

Your ordinary log cabin is arranged with logs running parallel to the sides of the structure. Piet Hein Eek, building a cosy recording studio for friend and musician Hans Liberg, did not make any ordinary log cabin. More »

World’s Largest LED Project: Does This Even Still Count As Symbolic?

1:41AM December 8, 2009 | John Herrman

The United Arab Emirates aren’t booming like they used to, which is worrying. Judging from the latest, though, the UAE was only about three major architectural projects away from building an actual giant penis, so maybe it’s for the best. More »