Funkmaster Flex - Jam Master Jay Birthday Tribute Mix 01/21/12 by SoulCulture

Just as the old city of Barcelona was created from the rock of Montserrat mountain range, so Polish architecture firm UGO were inspired to propose the same for their latest design, Barcelona Rock.


The structure is a concept hostel whose design was submitted to the 2011 Bohemian Hostel for Backpackers international competition. A veritable skyscraper made from local mountainous rock, the hostel would attract tourists and locals alike, providing a place to stay, a range of activities and an unrivalled lookout point from which to survey the city.

The 100-metre-tall tower is created from 4-metre slabs of rock, a material that ensures the interior is kept cool in the heat of the day, while radiating heat at night. The slabs are separated by slits that allow light and air to filter through, and which simultaneously provide hostel guests with a magnificent panoramic view.

The hostel’s exterior imitates a cliff face, covered in greenery and forming a natural habitat for bird-life. This outer wall would also provide visitors with the opportunity to rock-climb or abseil in natural terrain, right in the hub of the city. The more adventurous guests could also camp on the ‘mountain top’ for a lodging experience like no other.

The building’s interior houses 50 rooms, a spa, gym, cinema, pub, beginners’ climbing wall and shops.

Sitting comfortably among such architectural giants as Sagrada Familia, Torre Agbar or the nearby Museum of Modern Art, Barcelona Rock would surely become a tourist destination and iconic landmark in the thriving metropolis. And in reuniting the old with the new and the natural with the urban, it would stand as a fitting symbol of the global milieu.

Georgia Anne Muldrow - Seeds (Produced by Madlib) by someothaship

Earlier this month, AJ Fosik opened his untitled solo show in Paris at the Galerie LJ.

In a world of digital media, design and virtuality, AJ Fosik got back to the basics of craftsmanship with his new sculptures on wood.

Fosik’s three dimensional sculptures have jumped off the walls at us on many occasions before, and we’re always excited to see what this artist brings with each set of new work. The layering of found wood and other elements that goes into each of his boldly colored pieces is stunning as usual.

If you are in Paris, the show runs until January 17th at 12 rue Commines, 75003 Paris.

more pics here

iSHE x DARU “COME CLOSE” by iSHE’

The Nam June Paik Library is a new public art library in Nam June Paik Art Center in Yong-In, Korea, open to general public on April 15th, 2011. The library was designed by a U.S. based design and research collaborative N H D M / Nahyun Hwang + David Eugin Moon.
The library collects, preserves, and provides access to historical and contemporary material related to Nam June Paik and his art. It offers to scholars a space for professional research, and to the local community an open forum for cultural engagement. The library houses and circulates the Center’s Nam June Paik Archives Collection, Nam June Paik Video Archives, and a rare Fluxus Footages Collection, as well as the user generated materials. The design and construction of the library was made possible by City of YongIn and Gyeoggi Province Government’s Small Library Fund.


Inspired by Nam June Paik’s artistic processes, the goal of the project was to design a multi-functional spatial device, which redefines the relationship between library users and information.
While the conventional library is characterized by the one directional transmission of information, where the static, centralized, and predefined content is passively received by the readers, the Nam June Paik Library aims to promote non-linear and random access to information, to stimulate production of information beyond consumption and advocates spontaneous expression and juxtaposition of ideas.

This house takes part of a program of the congregation Rotterdam who wanted to revitalize disadvantaged neighbourhoods by selling metier houses to private persons These homes have in common that they are neglected the last few years and have to be refreshed. The buildings usually consist of several small apartments, one per layer.

The purpose of the municipality by selling the buildings is to attract inhabitants with more carrying-capacity. Condition of sale is that the property will be restored within a specified period and will transformed into one house. This causes less, but larger houses. This is the opposite trend to what happens in many inner cities where larger houses are divided into several small apartments Newly positioned windows reveal the overhauled interior of a Rotterdam townhouse that was formerly an abandoned apartment block. Designed by Studio Rolf.fr in partnership with Zecc Architecten, Black Pearl now houses a workshop on its ground floor, a hot tub in its rooftop greenhouse and living quarters in the two floors between. These living areas are filled with furniture by Studio Rolf.fr, including cabinets that appear to be sliced in half and chairs wrapped in bandages. Traces of stripped away floor joists are visible on both exposed and painted brickwork walls, while new partitions and floors are grey-painted timber. The facade of the 100-year-old building is painted black, but the side elevation and roof are covered with artificial grass The architects recently received an award from furniture brand Lensvelt, who named the project as the best interior of the year in the Netherlands or Belgium. The renovation of the Rotterdam ‘metier house’ is turned into an architectural spectacle, where was experimented with time and space. The 100 years old facade of a dwelling in a closed housing unit, is totally painted black. Both masonry, frames and “windows” are covered with a shiny black oil. This creates a kind of ‘shadow’ of the original facade. In some places the new transparent windows pierce through the historical facade. The new windows announce a time with a very different way of living. This creates a relationship between the original facade and the new interpretation which become readable. All floors and small rooms behind the old windows run into one spatially contiguous entity.

The Best of MdCL Mix by DJ Spinna by Tru Thoughts

French artist Ludo has been bombing Paris with a series of his new “X-Ray” fake ads, subverting Hennesy or Ferrero adverts with his lovely green friends.

It’s been a great year for Ludo with successful shows from LA to London, we look forward to see more from him in 2012.

LUDO WEBSITE