The clubhouse is a quintessential symbol of childhood: Children love to play house, pretend they’re guarding a fort, or even just hold secret club meetings. The clubhouse is a child’s private space and serves as the source of much of their imaginative play. One could argue that home improvement stores stay in business because of weekend warriors hell-bent on building the best possible structure for their children, and while most are quite tame, some parents let their creativity fly and others throw money at private contractors; whatever the motivation behind the creation of these playhouses, it’s undeniably fascinating to see a glimpse into the most interesting backyards in the world.
(Images via detroithomemag, greayer, inhabitots, metroshed)
In modern architecture, form matches function, and the simplicity of a clubhouse’s design is the source of its beauty. These compelling playhouses look mature and sophisticated while still serving the needs of a playful group of children. Adults will feel jealous of their own children, wishing they could shrink down and join them in these classy creations.
(Images via poppypetunia, inhabitots, blisstree, designlaunches)
When one thinks of a clubhouse, they typically imagine a square treehouse, or a haphazard structure made of plywood. Some people eschew such a simple creation and choose unusual shapes or different methods of construction. From customizable huts reminiscent of hobbit holes, to woven structures that appear more at home on the plains of a savannah, these creations are interesting mostly because of their quirky design.
(Images via poshtots, ullam, playmorships, alistbaby)
Every kid wants to be a pirate on the high seas, and these playhouses are the perfect vessel for a journey of the mind. Beautifully constructed, and strikingly designed, these are impressive to child and adult alike. More fitting for a playground than a private residence, entire crews of children can pretend they’re a member of an infamous pirate crew, working in tandem in their endless pursuit of treasure.
(Images via jasonbrooks, californiademocrat, random-good-stuff)
Size is an important factor when designing a clubhouse, and most people tend to favor a space that can comfortably hold 3-4 children. People love extremes, and some clubhouses are so small, they’re practically unusable for anything beyond decoration. On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who think bigger is always better. These parents practically make their children homeowners in their own right, as they scale up clubhouses to a ridiculous degree.
(Images via gardenfurnishings, argos)
Kids love pretending they’re guarding a fort, and some parents feed into this desire by making their children’s play areas military in appearance and design. Creating a mini bunker in the backyard is a great way to foster imaginary war games for the child pretending to be a soldier.
(Images via customplayhouses, castanet, cookiemag, elitechoice)
Some playhouses are more like guest houses, with the look and dimensions of a normal house scaled down. Wealthy parents may not have qualms about spending tens of thousands of dollars on an impressive structure that their children will outgrow within years. It may be the epitome of waste, but it’s also fascinating to see such lovely houses built on such a small scale.
(Images via danielswoodland, craphound, mainemade)
The whim of childhood inspires cartoonish designs. Crooked buildings with oversized roofs and oddly proportioned features look fun and inviting, and children won’t hesitate to take advantage of the entertainment they offer. A lot of effort goes into these playhouses, and they’re perfectly designed to strike a chord with the children that use them.
(Images via gardenfurnishings, gardenkings)
After playing soldier, one of the top games kids like to play is cops versus robbers. What better way to make your children happy than by creating your own mini jail for them? One can be the sheriff and guard against increasingly daring escape attempts. The wild west is brought into the backyard, and the only thing missing is a tumbleweed.
(Images via abbylanes, randysonofrobert, lilliput)
Knights in shining armor are the subject of countless tales of heroism, and every kingdom needs a castle. With towering turrets, drawbridges, and high walls, the modern castle clubhouse is more luxurious than ever before. These clubhouses serve as a great base for dragon slaying expeditions, and meetings of the knights of the round table.
(Images via blogcdn, kidsplayhouseblog, barbarabutler, flights of fantasy)
Clubhouses come in all shapes and sizes, and tend to center around basic themes. Some clubhouses break the mold by striking out in a unique direction. Whether they’re conceived as art projects, or just creative adaptations of typical clubhouse themes, these productions are colorful, functional, and over the top.
(Images via boingboing, ohdeedoh, modecokids, daddytypes)
Most playhouses are made of wood, but children aren’t picky. Anyone who has ever made a fort out of a pile of pillows knows that children aren’t too particular about the materials with which their imaginary worlds are made. Some designers have taken this knowledge and used it to create sophisticated structures out of a common material: cardboard. These designers have gone so far as to create appliances and other accoutrements. Easily assembled, and easily taken down, these are the perfect structures for occasional fun, without the incredible expense of a permanent structure.
Creepy and Scary Mannequins and Dolls
Mannequins are one of those things that are somewhat necessary even though they are undeniably scary. And as if they weren’t creepy enough on their own … Click Here to See More
Good friend, Alex Fakso has just released a hot new collab project with Adidas Originals Nizza. (The Highly Limited Adidas Five Two-3 City Artist Pack)
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End of the Line presents ‘Shades of Things to Come’, an exploration into the contemporary world of freehand graffiti. We have selected incredible artists from across Europe who really push the boundaries of freehand aerosol art. Each artist has a unique, individual style and represents a different discipline of dirty handstyles and technical dexterity.
Location:
Maverik Showroom
68-72 Redchurch street, E2 7DP
Really looking forward to this show!!! See you there!
Your kid might not be, but you probably are!!
Still remember with Lamborbiker ? Now, Flavio Adriani has come up with Lamborbiker version II which is still a unique bike concept which has been differentiated from other conventional bikes through its hub-less wheel design. The concept was inspired from the Ferrucio Lamborghini designed by Nicola Tesla which includes an electric engine to contribute with the environment. Both the rear and front wheel is rimless and uniquely designed to enhance the performance of the bike. The exhaust pipes are placed under the seat for better space management. The design doesn’t contain any speedometer and the handles have been placed below the standard height of a conventional bike. All together, the bike has it all to serve as a future superbike.
Designer : Flavio Adriani
Hungry for some “tasteful” architecture? These 10 mouth-watering buildings may look delicious but their designs serve a greater purpose: to project a brand image that warms the heart (while aiming for the stomach).
Asahi Beer Hall, Tokyo, Japan
(images via: Arch/Cside and CIDA)
Rising from the shores of the languidly flowing Sumida river in Tokyo, Japan, are a pair of homages to another life-giving liquid: beer. Not only do the Azumabashi Hall and the taller Asahi Breweries Head Office look like glasses of beer, they are the center of the Asahi Breweries empire located on the spot where one of Japan’s signature beers has been brewed for over a century.
(images via: Tokyo Architecture and Lone Wolf – No Cub)
It’s the Azumabashi Hall, also known as the Asahi Super Dry Hall, that gets the lion’s share of attention however. Designed by architect Phillippe Starck and completed in 1989, the building is sheathed in black granite puntuated by portaholes representing bubbles rising in a mug of beer. The controversial Flame d’Or (golden flame) on the roof is, well, open to interpretation. Weighing 300 tons and built by a subcontractor who usually builds submarines, the distinctive sculpture has been likened to foam being blown off a frosty mug of draft, the fiery spirit of Asahi’s employees and… a giant turd.
Disney’s Orange Stinger, Anaheim, CA, USA
(images via: Desktops@Rocket9, Igougo and Orange County Register)
More of a ride than a workaday building, the Orange Stinger temporarily brightened up Paradise Pier at Disney’s California Adventure Park from 2001 through July of 2009. The Orange Stinger was a lot bigger than it looked from a distance as essentially it was a standard Wave Swinger style ride with a huge, semi-peeled orange built around it.
Albion House, Liverpool, UK
(images via: National Museums Liverpool and Vintage Lulu)
Formerly the White Star Line Building where the RMS Titanic and her sister ships were conceived and controlled, Liverpool’s Albion House (built 1896) sports a trendy for its time red brick & white Portland stone exterior that reminds even the most unsavory character of fresh, streaky bacon. Mmm, bacon… it’s a pity the mighty Titanic wasn’t covered in this most meme-tastic of foods; it would have slid right on past that fateful iceberg.
(image via: Pictures Of England)
Just like the state-of-the-art ships it directed across the seven seas, the White Star Line’s headquarters was a showcase of wealth, opulence and beauty. The shipping line never really recovered from the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 and by the mid-1930s the headquarters building stood vacant. It’s a testament to the foresight of Liverpool’s city fathers that this iconic building remains standing today.
Hood Milk Bottle Building, Boston, MA, USA
(images via: Chris Devers and Roadside UK)
The 40-ft tall Hood Milk Bottle has stood proudly in front of the Boston Children’s Museum since 1977 but its history actually goes back to 1933. That’s when Arthur Gagner built the Coney Island style bottle to sell homemade ice cream beside his store in Taunton, MA. The building sat empty and abandoned from 1967 to 1977 and it’s a wonder it wasn’t destroyed by fire at some point in that lonely decade.
Easter Egg Museum, Ukraine
(images via: Travel West Ukraine and Highboom)
The Pysanka Museum was built in the year 2000 and is located in the Ukrainian city of Kolomyia. “Pysanka” is the Ukrainian word for richly decorated, batik Easter Eggs and the museum at Kolomyia is the only one in the world dedicated to this important cultural icon. The museum’s central hall measures 46 ft (14m) high by 33 ft (10m) wide, and is designed to resemble a classic Ukrainian Pysanka and is painted in traditional themes inside and out.
The Donut Hole, La Puente, CA, USA
(images via: LA Foodie)
The Donut Hole in La Puente is one of the few remaining examples of programmatic or mimetic architecture left in California, let alone the world. The need to attract newly mobile car-driving customers that arose in the first half of the 20th century has faded now that other advertising venues such as the Internet have taken over.
(image via: Wandrlust)
If the concept behind The Donut Hole isn’t surreal enough, how about the actual process of ordering: you literally drive into the unmapped, quantum space that exists inside a giant donut hole. Isn’t that how Voyager wound up 70,000 light years away in the Delta Quadrant?
The Pineapple, Dunmore, Scotland
(images via: NorthernXposure, Heritage UK and Undiscovered Scotland)
Designing buildings that look like food is not a new trend, as The Pineapple in Dunmore, Scotland, proves most eloquently. The pavilion was built in 1761 by John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, as a birthday present for his wife Susan. Judging from the vase-shaped chimneys along the roof of the pavilion, historians assume that many exotic plants were grown in greenhouses just beyond the outer wall. The 53ft tall Pineapple that rises above the pavilion was planned with the utmost care; each leaf drains separately so that seasonal freeze/frost cycles won’t damage the delicate masonry.
(image via: Undiscovered Scotland)
As for pineapples in Scotland? Not so strange – though first discovered by Columbus in 1493, pineapples had been grown in Scottish hothouses (a phrase you hear everyday) since the early years of the 18th century.
Fruity Bus Stops, Japan
(images via: Art Style Online)
These groovy bus stops from Japan are curiously empty but that just seems to add to their surreal appearance. One might expect the Cat Bus from Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro to pull up and, perhaps, begin nibbling on the shelter for a snack.
Food Building, Toronto, Canada
(images via: Ian Muttoo and Toronto Star)
(image via: Toronto Mike)
Amidst this review of buildings that look like food, one must digress for a moment to celebrate a building that is ABOUT food: The Food Building at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. A summertime fixture, the Food Building at the CNE (or “The Ex” to Hogtowners) is a must-see, must-eat attraction that’s a virtual showcase of tasty treats – and leave your PC nutritional guidelines at the door. By the way, be sure to stop by the Tiny Toms Donuts booth (since 1960) to watch ‘em being made and buy a fresh bag to chow down on!
Basket Building, Ohio, USA
(images via: Longaberger and Vineyard LC)
Why put up a billboard advertising your company’s wares when your company HQ can perform the same function more interestingly? That’s the philosophy behind The Longaberger Company’s headquarters building in Newark, Ohio. The family-owned business, likened to the Tupperware of baskets for their corporate and marketing methodology, built a giant, 7-story replica of a Longaberger Medium Market Basket to house their corporate offices and staff.
(image via: Bluffton)
Maybe the only thing employees working in what is essentially the world’s largest pic-a-nic basket is the arrival of the world’s largest bear.
To paraphrase that old TV tuna commercial, “Sorry Charlie, architects don’t want buildings with good taste, architects want buildings that taste good.” Well, no one will be biting into any of the above structures, unless Godzilla decides to take a bus or Homer Simpson gets hungry for donuts – again. Until then, enjoy these decidedly “tasteful” buildings if you can… just pack a lunch to enjoy afterwards.
Recycled Architecture From Unusual Materials
Some creative people either out of need or personal interest have taken the notion of recycling to the next level, transforming old stuff into new structures. Click Here to See More
[Whoops! Double-WU Jeopardy: Also See: This Just Published]
The opportunity to catch a glimpse at life in a long-ago era in 3D is rare indeed, but thanks to the stereoviews taken by photographer T. Enami, Meiji Japan in the early 1900s momentarily appears vivid and immediate. Enami was Japan’s most prolific stereo-photographer, and his stereoviews have appeared in National Geographic Magazine and many books.
Each pair of images captured by Enami, ranging from landscapes and sedate scenes of country life to humorous photographs of beefy men bathing nude, has been assembled in a Flickr gallery by Okinawa Soba and transformed into animated GIFs by Pink Tentacle.
In traditional stereoscopic photography, a three-dimensional illusion is created from a pair of 2-D photographs that represent two slightly different perspectives of the same object or scene. The deviation between the two photographs is similar to the perspectives that both eyes naturally receive in binocular vision.
Such images are normally viewed in 3-D using a stereoscope, but ‘freeviewing’ is also possible, with a process that involves putting one’s eyes directly over the images and slowly backing away while focusing on the single merged, out-of-focus picture that appears.
Enami was an enigmatic figure for many decades after his death, but information provided by his descendents in 2006 helped bring together a stunning collection of work. The online archive of his photographs represents only a small fraction of his remarkable legacy.
Creative Photogram and Pinhole Photography
Some of the most amazing photography doesn’t use a camera at all. These incredible images were produced using ancient methods – no lenses required. Click Here to See More
