New York is a great city and offers unlimited possibilities but sometimes, you just need to get away. If I had the cash, I’d most likely head over to Hardanger in Norway. Why Norway? Architects Todd Saunders and Tommie Wilhelmsen built a small summer home in the woods, overlooking a lake. It’s a minimalist approach to living, with only a shell of wood, glass and a bare essentials like a bed and table.

The best things in life aren’t free, but they could be hidden away in Hardanger.
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French design house Louis Vuitton has a reputation for ostentatious urban displays and Tokyo is a hotbed of over-the-top luxury consumption, so it should come as no surprise that Vuitton’s planned Tokyo flagship store is going to have an innovative design.

Vuitton is being tight-lipped about when their Tokyo store will open and where in the city it will be located. Created by architecture firm UNstudio the building is based around a “leaf shape” that’s supposed to evoke the legendary Louis Vuitton monogram. Another prominent feature of the LV store are large window banks, which according to UNstudio, comply “with the necessity for discreetness [sic] with respect to visibility from the outside.” I guess with all their fancy design software the UNstudio architects don’t have any room on their computers for spellcheck.

After the jump, check out more pics of high-tech Japanese retail madness.

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Here’s a series of jellies that were designed by prestigious architects. And by prestigious I mean random. Each piece is currently on auction, so if you really fancy any of this stuff, feel free to whip out your Master Card.

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Your house plants are withering. You have two options: put them out in the sun or build a gigantic robotic arm that takes up half of your living space. Lively plants at the cost of sleeping in the bathtub doesn’t sound too bad either.

The Bartlett School of Architecture showcased their “Experiments in Time” exhibit, which included this steel monstrosity strapped with an Arduino Lilypad controller to tilt a disc into sunlight.  Seriously, all you have to do is pick your house plants up, walk outside and place them down on the ground. You’ll be set, they’ll be healthy and you get to spend the night in your bed without sharing rent with a robotic arm.

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Editor’s Note: SEATTLE!!

Here’s some shots of the beautiful Limes Hotel that just opened in Brisbane, Australia. It was designed by Alexander Lotersztain and is absolutely stunning. Blows away any building I have seen in New York. After the jump, more pictures.

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Every other week we read about some kook who has devised a blueprint for the world’s new tallest building. Blah, blah. Whatever. It’s old news that buildings are getting bigger. The Ultima Tower, on the other hand, goes well beyond just slightly edging out the next tallest building, but totally blows it away.

The Ultima Tower proposal is a two-mile high behemoth, which has a concept which is based around the growth of trees, will also contribute to the constructs energy footprint, while the building itself will be made to be a eco-metropolis. — Andrew Dobrow

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Comparing Seattle’s Space Needle to the Eiffel Tower is kind of like comparing the finest cheddar to Cheese Whiz. The comparison just doesn’t stand. Though if SERERO Architects for the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel have anything to do with it, the comparison might make more sense than ever before, adding to the concept of remodeling classic landmarks.

In a plan which would “create a temporary horizontal extension of the third floor of the tower in order to increase the quality of the access of the public as well as experiencing the fantastic 360 degrees sight of Paris.”, Parisians might have to deal with an added “Space Needle” type level added on to the classic cityscape. (more…)

It’s no secret that we here are fans of finely made watches. The Cabestan design from Vianney Halter and Jean-François Ruchonnet is not yet being produced for sale, but makes us watch fans drool at its unique new look at watch design. The pictures you see are a rare few of the Cabestan that exist, with only a few prototypes existing in the whole world.

The beautiful rolling power displays are absolutely astounding. The displays are controlled through chain links and fusee wound by a winch. The mechanical design and architecture of the Cabestan is enough to make any watch fanatic weak in the knees. A truly beautiful device we hope to see in production someday. (more…)

By next Christmas Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, will be under a giant, permanent tent. Astana was not even the capital of Kazakhstan until 10 years ago, when President Nazarbayev decided to move it from Almaty. Astana, the new capital, is in the central steppes, where temperatures reach -30C in winter. The new tent will change all that. Covered in ETFE, a material that absorbs sunlight and traps heat, it will allow the citizens of Astana to enjoy a summer-like atmosphere all year round, shopping, swimming, and sipping lattes without worrying what the weather is like. The tent will be constructed by Sembol, a Turkish development company, and the project is being spearheaded by UK architect Lord Foster. Called Khan Shatyry, it will cover an area greater than ten football stadiums.  If successful, the project could spur development of similar enclosed cities elsewhere. — Mike Payne 

[via TrendHunter]

Adam Kalkin has designed a unique and interesting house. The house itself is a rather ordinary two-story house, but what makes it interesting is that it’s completely surrounded by a large industrial shed. The shed was constructed around the house in 2001, and the interior was set up as an extended living space, with a variety of furniture, multiple levels, and a patio. Two large doors on the sides of the shed can slide open, enabling the inside of the shed to function as a crossed exterior/interior space if desired.

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