River House - Stunning Architecture and Beautiful Views

This dream house is from Australia. The River House impresses one down to its smallest details.



With a beautiful exterior design and fantastic angles, some of them smooth, others dramatic and unexpected, this house dominates the surrounding areas.

Due to its architecture plans, the views from inside the place are fantastic: water, palm-trees and luxurious vegetation are just some of the elements in sight.

The interior was designed to leave nothing to chance and no compromises were made in creating a modern and dreamy interior.
































Rafael Vinoly Designs New Carrasco International Airport

Rafael Vinoly Architects has designed the new Carrasco International Airport in Montevideo, Uruguay.

This is the firm's first completed airport and its largest project in Vinoly's home country.

The new terminal will become fully operational on December 9, 2009.



The new terminal, which serves Uruguay's capital city of Montevideo, was created to expand capacity and spur commercial growth and tourism in the surrounding region.

The design of the building emphasizes its public zones and amenities, providing these areas with an abundance of open space and natural light.

Arriving travelers, for example, pass through a fully glazed mezzanine level that helps orient them to the terminal space before they descend to immigration, the baggage claim, and customs.

A public, landscaped terrace and a restaurant occupy the second floor, providing sweeping views of the runway and the main concourse.

Rafael Vinoly Architects' design elevates the public zones, both on the fully accessible roadside departure hall and terrace and the secure runway-side concourses, and houses everything beneath a curved, 1,200-foot-long roof.

The gentle curve and low profile of this monolithic roof help integrate the building into its site.

Architects Around the World Join Forces to Call for Copenhagen Commitment

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Australian Institute of Architects, Architecture Canada and the Commonwealth Association of Architects joined forces to deliver a 15 point "Call for Action" at next month's United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen (COP15, 7-18 December 2009) in an effort to lobby world leaders to deliver an ambitious and effective international response to climate change.

The joint statement highlights the importance of the crucial roles architecture and the built environment can play in reducing the climate change impact on the environment; with buildings and cities currently accounting for almost half of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

It challenges Governments, and the global architectural profession, to work together towards achieving significant and lasting action to combat climate change.

The joint Call for Action paper covers issues ranging from the pressing need for an international standard of accounting for carbon emissions, to appropriate planning for the unavoidable impacts of climate change, and incentives to drive innovation to ensure greater and faster take-up of sustainable design.

"Our Call for Action statement is designed to encourage governments, architects and the broader global community to act," said Ruth Reed, RIBA President.

"I am delighted to join forces with architecture institutes around the world to tackle this vital issue."

Beach House Design by A Cero

A Cero, Spanish architecture firm, introduces a Caribbean House Design created by Joaquin Torres. Located in Dominican Republic on 7000 square meter area, where the sun, sand, and beach you can enjoy every day. Curved roof design creates an interesting look from the outside, sand colored structures make blend into the surrounded environment. Designed in contemporary style make it easy to choose a modern furnishes to complete the house look. You can enjoy the beach views, sea breeze from the outdoor living room under the shelter of rolling rooflines. Creating a lot of open spaces give this house an easy access to bring the outdoor in. Sculptural walls hide the front entrance offering you privacy for an unforgettable Caribbean holiday.







List of Architecture Colleges in India

DELHI - Colleges of Architecture
School of Planning and Architecture - I P estate, New Delhi - 110002
Vastu Kala Academy School of Architecture and Interior Designing - Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi-110067
Jamia Millia Islamia - Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025
T V B School of Habitat Sstudies - Vasant Kunj, New Delhi -110070

ANDHRA PRADESH Architecture Colleges
College of Engineering - Andhra University, Visakhapatnam -530003
School of Planning and Architecture - Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Mahavir Marg, Hyderabad-500028

GOA Architecture Colleges
Goa College Of Architecture - Campal, Panaji, Goa-403001

CHANDIGARH Architecture Colleges
Chandigarh College of Architecture - Sector 12, Chandigarh-160012

GUJARAT Architecture Colleges
D C Patel school of Architecture - Gujarat
School of Architecture Centre for Environment Planning and Technology - Nevrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009
Faculty of Technology and Engineering - Baroda

BIHAR Architecture Colleges
Birla Instituteof Technology - Mesra 835 215
Bihar Institute of Technology - Patna-800 005

MAHARASHTRA Architecture Colleges
Shri Siddheshwar Shikshan Mandals College of Architecture - Siddeshwar Peth, Solapur 413 001
S S E Society's College of Engineering and Technology - Akola - 444001
BMC's Lalit Kala kendra - Jalgaon Dist 425 107
Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies - Juhu scheme, Mumbai -400032
Manoharbhai Patel Institute of Engineering and Technology - Gondia-441614
Pillais College of Architecture - Sector-8, New Panvel - 400 206
Academy of Architecture - Prabhadevi, Mumbai - 400025
G S Mandal's Marathawada Institute of Technology - Aurangabad - 431005
Vivekanand Institute of Technology - Sadashiv Peth, Pune -411 030
Paravara Rural education society - Shrirampur, Ahmednagar 413 713
DY Patil College of Engineering & Technology - Kolhapur, Maharashtra.
Shri Prince Shivaji Maratha boarding House's coll of Architecture- Kolhapur, Maharashtra
Visveshwaraya Regional College of Engineering - Nagpur
Sir J J College of Architecture - D.N.Road, Mumbai - 400001
Shri V .B. Patil Trust's College of Architecture - Sangli 416 416
Bharati Vidyapeeth's College of Architecture - Pune 411 043
N D M V P Samaj's College of Architecture - Nashik- 422 022
Dr. DY Patil College of Architecture - CBD, New Mumbai -400 614
Rizvi College of Architecture - Rizvi Complex, Bandra, Mumbai 400 050
Marathawada Mitra Mandal's College of Architecture - Pune 411011
Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture for women - Pune -411 052. Maharashtra
Kavikulguru Institute of Technology and service - Ramtek 441 106
L B H S S Trust's College of Architecture - Mumbai
B K P S College of Architecture - Pune -411 030. Maharashtra
Lady Amritbai Daga College for women - Nagpur
Priyadarshini College of Engineering - Nagpur
N T V's College of Architecture - Dhule
Bharati Vidyapeeth's College of Architecture - near Konkan Bhavan, CBD, New Mumbai- 400614
Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College -Aurangabad - 431003
L S Raheja school of Architecture - Bandra, Mumbai - 400 050

HARYANA Architecture Colleges
C R State College of Engineering - Sonepat District, Haryana
Sushant School of Arts and Architecture - Sushant lok, Gurgaon - 122001

KARNATAKA Architecture Colleges
P D A College of Engineering - Gulbarga 585102
B M S College of Engineering - Banglore -560 019
Dayanand Sagar College of Engineering - Kanakapura road, Banglore 560078
College of Engineering - Gulbarga.
R V College Of Engineering - Banglore - 560059
Manipal Institute of Technology - Manipal 576119
Banglore Institute of Technology - Visveswara puram, Banglore 560 004
BLDE Association's College of Engineering and Technology - Bijapur 586103
Siddagana Institute of Technology - Tumkur 572103
Maland College of Engineering - Hasan 573201
B V Bhoomraddi College of Engineering and Technology - Hubli -580031
University Visveswaraya College of Engineering - Janana Bharati campus, Banglore city.
Malik Sandal Institute of Art and Architecture - Bijapur 586 101
M S Ramaiah institute of Technology - Banglore 560054

KERALA Architecture Colleges
Regional Engineering College - Calicut - 673 601.
College of Engineering - Trivandrum
T K M College of Engineering - Quilon-691 005.

MADHYA PRADESH Architecture Colleges
Government Engineering College - Raipur 492010
Maulana Azad College of Technology - Bhopal 462007
Sthapatya Kala Bhawan society - Indore
Madhav Institute of Technology - Gwalior 474005
I P S Academy school of Architecture - Indore 452003
Institute of Environmental planning and Technology - Indore

ORISSA Architecture Colleges
Piloo Mody College of Architecture - Cuttuck 753012.
College of Engineering & Technology - Bhubaneshwar 7510053

PUNJAB Architecture Colleges
College of Engineering and Technology - Bhathinda 151 001
Guru Nanak Dev University - Amritsar 143005

RAJASTHAN Architecture Colleges
Malviya Regional Engineering College - Jaipur 302 017

UTTAR PRADESH Architecture Colleges
Government College of Architecture - Lucknow -226 007
University of Roorkee - Roorkee -247667
Zakir Hussain College of Engineering and Technology - Aligarh 202 002

TAMIL NADU Architecture Colleges
Mohamed Sathak Engineering College - Kilakarai -623806
Periyar Manimmai College of Technology for women - Thanjavur 613 403
Dr. M G R Engineering College - Maduravoyal, Chennai-602102
Arulmigu Meenakshi Amman College of Engineering
Regional Engineering College - Tiruchirapalli 620 015
Thiagarajar College of Engineering - Madurai -625 015
Sathyambama Engineering College - Jeppiaar nagar, Chennai -600 096
S R M Engineering College -Kattankulathur, Chengai-Anna District -603203
Adhiyamann College of Engineering - Hosur
Bharat Institute of science and Technology - Chennai 600 073
Hindustan College of Engineering - Chinglepet District- 603103

WEST BENGAL Architecture Colleges
Bengal Engineering College - Howrah 711103
Jadavpur University - Kolkata- 700032

The above list may be not complete. Please check with the relevant govt/ education boards for the complete list and their recognisation.

Green Architect Projects Gaining Ground

Have you heard of green architecture, but are unsure exactly what it is? Green architecture concentrates on lowering the environmental damage done to the earth by putting up new buildings. This approach to putting up buildings while making it environmentally safe has been around for almost 30 years.

While green architecture was once viewed as highly unconventional, it's getting a lot more acceptable and popular. Many of the regulatory agencies are learning to recognize the advantages of the methods of green construction.

Today's green revolution can probably be tracked back to 1960s social awareness and the adoption of different methods of design. Green construction has made great strides since then. New techniques have been developed, new, innovative concepts and materials invented, and buildings have gotten greener.

A successful green project will reduce waste, use non-toxic materials, and pay close attention to the location and function of the building, as well as the climate that surrounds it. That's a far cry from "one size fits all" building methods of the past.

What makes a building green? There are a number of concepts that make up a green building. The main ones are energy efficiency, use of land, reduction of waste, materials used and the sustainability of the project. Green projects should use energy efficient electrical systems whenever possible, especially in the areas of heating and cooling. Gray water recycling, passive solar design, and the use of renewable power are all elements of this.

Building should be constructed to match the environment, rather than forcing changes to the site. Buildings should be located and oriented to take maximum advantages of their surroundings. Improved energy efficiency is the desired outcome and it makes for a building more pleasant to use. Use of land planning in the form of parking and transportation concerns become viable, too.

In a perfect setting the materials used should allow the building to be reused for other construction possibilities in the future producing minimal waste. Green architecture should reduce the dependence on wasteful and toxic materials and products, which is becoming much easier as the industry grows. Some buildings even reuse parts of other buildings, or waste materials such as old shipping containers.

Of course, not all projects labeled green are really green. Some are "greenwashed" - ordinary projects given a green veneer for respectability purposes. Others are built with good intentions but poor planning. That's why it's highly important and effective to know that all green projects be inspected carefully to ensure they are as safe for the environment as claimed. Helping the environment is complex, but it's worth it in the long run, with buildings being more usable and more sustainable years down the line.

Architectural and Interior Colleges in India:

Architectural Colleges in India, Architectural colleges in Delhi, Architectural Colleges in Mumbai, Architectural colleges in Kolkatta, Architectural colleges in Chennai, Architectural colleges in Pune, Architectural Colleges in Chandigarh, Architectural colleges in Nagpur, Architectural Colleges in Cochin, Architectural colleges in Ahmedabad, Architectural colleges in Trivandrum, Architectural colleges in Goa, Architectural Colleges in Haryana, Architectural colleges in Punjab, Architectural Colleges in Jammu, Architectural colleges in Gujarat, Architectural colleges in Rajasthan, Architectural colleges in Maharastra, Architectural Colleges in Karnataka, Architectural colleges in Bangalore, Architectural Colleges in Kerala, Architectural colleges in Tamil Nadu, Architectural colleges in Andra Pradesh, Architectural colleges in Hyderabad, Architectural Colleges in Orissa, Architectural colleges in Bihar, Architectural Colleges in Patna, Architectural colleges in Jharkhand, Architectural colleges in Uttar Pradesh, Architectural colleges in Varanasi, Architectural Colleges in Kanpur, Architectural colleges in Himachal Pradesh, Architectural Colleges in Goa, Architectural colleges in Assam, Architectural colleges in Guwahati, Architectural colleges in North East, Architectural Colleges in Gwalior, Architectural colleges in South India, Architectural Colleges in North India, Architectural colleges in Amritsar, Architectural colleges in Jaipur, Architectural colleges in Pondicherry, Architectural Colleges in Andaman, Architectural colleges in Calcutta, Architectural Colleges in New Delhi, Architectural colleges in Kashmir, Architectural colleges in Lakshadweep, Architectural colleges in Chhattisgarh, Architectural Colleges in Ludhiana, Architectural colleges in Indore, Architectural colleges in Arunachal Pradesh, Architectural colleges in Meghalaya, Architectural Colleges in Tripura, Architectural colleges in Mizoram, Architectural Colleges in Manipur, Architectural colleges in Shillong, Architectural colleges in Sikkim, Architectural colleges in Bhubaneshwar, Architectural Colleges in Ranchi, Architectural colleges in Dehradun, Architectural Colleges in Shimla, Architectural colleges in Srinagar, Architectural colleges in Raipur, Architectural colleges in small cities of India, Interior Design Colleges in India, Interior Design colleges in Delhi, Interior Design Colleges in Mumbai, Interior Design colleges in Kolkatta, Interior Design colleges in Chennai, Interior Design colleges in Pune, Interior Design Colleges in Chandigarh, Interior Design colleges in Nagpur, Interior Design Colleges in Cochin, Interior Design colleges in Ahmedabad, Interior Design colleges in Trivandrum, Interior Design colleges in Goa, Interior Design Colleges in Haryana, Interior Design colleges in Punjab, Interior Design Colleges in Jammu, Interior Design colleges in Gujarat, Interior Design colleges in Rajasthan, Interior Design colleges in Maharastra, Interior Design Colleges in Karnataka, Interior Design colleges in Bangalore, Interior Design Colleges in Kerala, Interior Design colleges in Tamil Nadu, Interior Design colleges in Andra Pradesh, Interior Design colleges in Hyderabad, Interior Design Colleges in Orissa, Interior Design colleges in Bihar, Interior Design Colleges in Patna, Interior Design colleges in Jharkhand, Interior Design colleges in Uttar Pradesh, Interior Design colleges in Varanasi, Interior Design Colleges in Kanpur, Interior Design colleges in Himachal Pradesh, Interior Design Colleges in Goa, Interior Design colleges in Assam, Interior Design colleges in Guwahati, Interior Design colleges in North East, Interior Design Colleges in Gwalior, Interior Design colleges in South India, Interior Design Colleges in North India, Interior Design colleges in Amritsar, Interior Design colleges in Jaipur, Interior Design colleges in Pondicherry, Interior Design Colleges in Andaman, Interior Design colleges in Calcutta, Interior Design Colleges in New Delhi, Interior Design colleges in Kashmir, Interior Design colleges in Lakshadweep, Interior Design colleges in Chhattisgarh, Interior Design Colleges in Ludhiana, Interior Design colleges in Indore, Interior Design colleges in Arunachal Pradesh, Interior Design colleges in Meghalaya, Interior Design Colleges in Tripura, Interior Design colleges in Mizoram, Interior Design Colleges in Manipur, Interior Design colleges in Shillong, Interior Design colleges in Sikkim, Interior Design colleges in Bhubaneshwar, Interior Design Colleges in Ranchi, Interior Design colleges in Dehradun, Interior Design Colleges in Shimla, Interior Design colleges in Srinagar, Interior Design colleges in Raipur, Interior Design colleges in small cities of India

Interior Designer

Interior design is a very exciting field of work that is becoming more and more popular as people are increasingly spending money to improve their homes. The popularity of home improvement and renovation TV shows has increased the desire to work on our own homes and make them into something special, rather than sell up to buy something more extravagant. People hire interior designers to guide them on the latest trends and advice for what sort of interior decorating would suit their house. Interior designers are also employed in the commercial sector such as in hospitality and corporate offices.

There is no doubt that you must have a creative streak if you are to become a successful interior designer. You need to be able to take a bland room or space and turn it into something to suit the people, demographic, purpose and desires of the client. If you are not experienced with designing yet, studying courses, magazines, websites and other material will assist you on your way. In addition to the creativity, you also need the ability to plan well and to communicate with your clients. You will need to design the way they want their homes and buildings designed, not base everything on your tastes. So it takes a special kind of person to excel in interior design.

Getting an interior design degree shows that you have proven yourself to be dedicated to the field. If you wish to be employed by a design firm then they will look fondly upon your degree. Likewise, if you choose to run your own interior decorating business then your clients will be comfortable in knowing that you are qualified.

An interior design degree goes beyond teaching you the basics. It will teach you innovation, creativity, business skills, colors, concepts and more. It will also help you work well in a team and communicate with others. Most degrees also give you work experience in the field, working with professional interior designers so you can get a feel of what it is all about in a practical sense. This is crucial as it will help you build up a portfolio before you graduate and give you some vital experience. Making sure your degree offers this will be a big help when you graduate and begin looking for a job.

What exactly does an interior designer do?

He or she advises clients about the reorganizing, redecorating or initial decorating of internal spaces. This can be in new homes, old homes, offices, hotels and other locations. The interior designer generally sketches out design ideas and works with the client to perfect the layout. Colors are a major focus of interior designers as are materials.

The selection of fabrics, furniture, storage, colors and other aspects of a room are important parts of an interior designers work. A designer should have strong contacts with decorators, electricians, builders and upholsterers amongst others in order to be able to accurately quote prices and delivery estimates.


The Best Interior Design Schools

The best interior design schools are generally the ones which have the most graduates and most successful employment rate on completion of courses. Naturally it can be difficult to access this type of information as it is often considered confidential, but you will find top rating schools boasting about their graduation rate and this can be a good way to find a great school. You can also learn from other people in the field, they will often have a good idea of which schools are best.

There are more and more schools offering interior design classes than ever before and this is due to the rising interest in this field. People enjoy spending money redesigning their homes, and business and the commercial sector are in an ongoing need for creative and talented interior designers. This results in an abundance of opportunities for you after you complete your interior design certification.

What do interior designers do?
Interior designers have a goal of creating functional areas out of spaces in buildings. They design environments for living, working and functioning according to the needs of the client. Graduate interior designers can find work in architectural firms or as a freelance interior designer. Some speciality areas of expertise for interior designers include:
  • Kitchen and bathroom design
  • Lighting
  • Retail store design
  • Office planning
  • Health care planning
  • Universities and schools
  • Locations
Interior designers by nature must be creative people. Although most of the skills can be learned at interior design schools, creativity generally comes naturally to someone choosing interior design as a career. Creative skills that will be studied in school include color choices and compatibility, textures, space, cultures, materials and more.

They must also work well with people as they will need to find out what their clients want and be able to provide it for them. Remember, it's not about what the designer wants, but what the client wants! Interior designers must also have the ability to plan well as it is often impossible to buy all the decorations and furniture and then return it. So to avoid hassles like these, interior designers often plan spaces with the use of a computer and decide everything before they buy anything.

The best interior design schools provide a variety of general courses and courses that are aimed at qualified designers who want to become an expert on a particular aspect of interior design. Most people start with an associate or bachelor degree in interior design before embarking upon a speciality subject of study, generally after gaining some employment experience.

Some schools offer interior design apprenticeships which let you study and work at the same time. This provides excellent practical experience so that you can more easily understand that theory that is taught in school. It will also give you excellent opportunity for employment on completion of your apprenticeship, with most people staying on in their current employer.

If you enjoy manipulating space and can see yourself creating outstanding indoor environments then an interior design career is for you. Make sure you research interior design schools before deciding on the one that best meets your needs.


Unique Landscape Design

What is a unique landscape?

The definition of a unique landscape would be a landscape that elicits a mental/emotional response that normally would be observed with no notice. From the functional and aesthetic stand point we believe a unique landscape should fulfill and exceed the requirements and dreams of the client, the site and the home. This has to do with great design experience and understanding, knowledge of materials and construction methods as well as experience in the execution and maintenance of landscape gardens.

Context-the relationship of the house to the site

At the heart of a unique landscape would be the homes relationship with the property and the properties relationship to surrounding homes, easements, streets, trees which is termed as the site context. First to consider are spatial relationships. What is the sequence of spaces from inside the home to the outside of the home? What is the walk experience from the street to the front door? Is there a clear distinction of spaces or rooms in the back yard and does the space tell you what its use is? Great architecture tells us, “a building that has signs to tell you were the restrooms are, is poorly designed because the sequence of spaces should be the signs and vocabulary of the architecture. This statement couldn’t be more true for landscape designers creating a unique landscape.

Unique Landscape Materials

The second layer of detail to context is the use of hardscape and landscape materials in articulating space. Materials should be sympathetic to and have a wonderful blend with the architectural materials. Elements of selecting hardscape; patio or deck materials include scale, color and texture. In terms of scale, you need to know if you’re building a patio to accommodate large parties or simply a family of four. Color can be used to either compliment the finishes inherent in the home or contrast with it. For example, in trying to match a multicolored brick choose a dark base color to “ground the brick facade.” Texture is the final detail selection in the hardscape which includes; size of units used, toweled edges or grout selections depending on the material used. Textural details can also relate back to the architecture, use contrasting materials which define spaces and as a finishing touch add warmth and intimacy. In designing the landscape planting we also utilize the same elements of scale, color and texture. Much like a painting, plantings are arranged in groupings and masses with contrasting color and textures. Rather than thinking in terms of shrubs, groundcover, flowers, think in terms of movement, contrast, and large brush strokes of color.

Style-

The landscape style doesn’t have to be an exact replica of the homes architectural style. What is more often the case regardless of the architectural style is creating “space” that reflects modern lifestyles. Often times even a classical landscape design or formal landscape design will have a contemporary approach in terms of how the spaces are utilized. Oftentimes the landscape of a modern home lacks the sleek lines that the architecture of the house has or lacks the quality of spaces or modules of a true modern landscape design. Also a modern home may not take be taking full advantage of sculptural opportunities which are true the home and its style.

Beauty is no accident

A unique landscape is not arrived at by accident. It requires an understanding of architecture, design principles, hardscape materials, landscape materials, their installation and construction methods as well as maintenance. Most importantly is the understanding of site context, the architecture of the home, the client’s wants and needs. The interpretation of these fundamental elements creates the unique landscape.

Hoover Dam ( It's Called Engineering)

THE WIDER VIEW: Taking shape, the new bridge at the Hoover Dam

Creeping closer inch by inch, 900 feet above the mighty Colorado River, the two sides of a $160 million bridge at the Hoover Dam slowly take shape.

The bridge will carry a new section of US Route 93 past the bottleneck of the old road which can be seen twisting and winding around and across the dam itself.



When complete, it will provide a new link between the states of Nevada and Arizona . In an incredible feat of engineering, the road will be supported on the two massive concrete arches which jut out of the rock face.

The arches are made up of 53 individual sections each 24 feet long which have been cast on-site and are being lifted into place using an improvised high-wire crane strung between temporary steel pylons.





The arches will eventually measure more than 1,000 feet across. At the moment, the structure looks like a traditional suspension bridge. But once the arches are complete, the suspending cables on each side will be removed. Extra vertical columns will then be installed on the arches to carry the road.

The bridge has become known as the Hoover Dam bypass, although it is officially called the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, after a former governor of Nevada and an American Football player from Arizona who joined the US Army and was killed in Afghanistan.






Work on the bridge started in 2005 and should finish next year. An estimated 17,000 cars and trucks will cross it every day.

The dam was started in 1931 and used enough concrete to build a road from New York to San Francisco. The stretch of water it created, Lake Mead, is 110 miles long and took six years to fill. The original road was opened at the same time as the famous dam in 1936.

An extra note: The top of the white band of rock in Lake Mead is the old waterline prior to the drought and development in the Las Vegas area. It is over 100 feet above the current water level.






Chicago Cultural Center



Look up ... off the ground ... or else you might miss something spetacular! This Tiffany mosaic stained glass dome forms the interiors of Chicago's first Public Library ... built in 1897. However as the city grew there was need for a bigger library ... Now this place is renamed as "Chicago Cultural Center" and has offices for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs. Surprizingly, despite this being in the heart of downtown Chicago, I know of many Chicagoans who have never been to this place. The building has another dome, which is the largest Tiffany dome in the world.



Le Corbusier : "Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris"

1887: Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris, better known to the world as Le Corbusier, is born in the Swiss city of La Chaux-de-Fonds. He will change his name and take French citizenship in his 30s. More importantly, he will help pioneer the International Style of architecture and is one of the most influential proponents of the machine aesthetic.

Jeanneret-Gris’ interest in design and architecture came early in life. He attended the local art school, where he studied under architect Rene Chapallaz, who became a major influence. After moving to Paris in 1907, he toiled for Auguste Perret, an architect renowned for his work in reinforced concrete construction. A few years later he continued on to Berlin, where he became fluent in German and schooled under Peter Behrens, another architect with bohemian predilections esteemed for his industrial designs.

By the time he returned to Switzerland, where he spent the World War I years, Jeanneret-Gris’ guiding aesthetic was well formed.



Chapelle Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp, France. Built 1950-1954.
Le Corbusier’s later work, while still in machine-age reinforced concrete, assumed more sculptural forms, as in this hilltop chapel.


Villa Savoye, Poissy-sur-Seine, France. Built 1928.

In adopting the single-name pseudonym Le Corbusier, when he returned to Paris shortly after the war, Jeanneret was following a popular bohemian practice of the time. He took the name, in fact, during a brief period where he abandoned architecture for painting and sculpture. Like his artistic brethren, Le Corbusier was making a symbolic statement that anyone was capable of reinventing himself.

But his estrangement from the drafting table didn’t last long. By 1922, he was back at it, picking up where he had left off, this time in partnership with his cousin, Pierre Jeanneret.

That meant continuing the theoretical development of the style that would come to define not only his own work but an entire school of architecture. If his early years were spent as a provincial architect, his aesthetic was anything but. His formative work, which included a number of private homes and villas, reflected his reverence for the machine aesthetic.

Le Corbusier admired the design of well-built automobiles and the great trans-Atlantic steamships of interbellum Europe. His attitude can be summed up by his most famous quote: “A house is a machine for living in.” (The man was born and raised in a town known for its watchmaking. How Swiss is that?)



Heidi Weber Museum (Centre Le Corbusier), Zurich, Switzerland. Built 1967.
This colorful, even playful, building is Le Corbusier’s last, completed two years after he died.


Sainte Marie de La Tourette, near Lyon, France. Built 1957.
The concrete monastery is appropriately severe, though still redolent of Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye three decades earlier. This design was a precursor to concrete work by others around the world in a style dubbed the New Brutalism.

His signature buildings, for example the Villa Savoye outside of Paris (built in the late ’20s), embody this architectural style, which he referred to generally as Purism, after the art form that was itself a rejection of Cubism. The lines are clean and sharp (in contrast to the full and curvaceous lines of Streamline Moderne, then very popular), and the interior functions are precise and laid out in a modular way. Villa Savoye is also built on reinforced concrete stilts, another Le Corbusier trademark and one of his “five points of architecture.”

But Le Corbusier didn’t limit himself to the design of single structures. He’s also remembered for his theories on urban planning and renewal, which, again, reflected his rejection of traditional models. Never one to make modest proposals, Le Corbusier tried to interest Parisian officials in bulldozing the Marais and replacing the district with a forest of egalitarian skyscrapers surrounded by tracts of open space. For Le Corbusier, this radical plan represented a complete break with the past, something he continually advocated as necessary for society to advance.

Fortunately for Paris, if not the betterment of society, his idea was rejected.

Frustrated in his dream of becoming the latter-day Baron Haussmann, Le Corbusier looked elsewhere for opportunities to implement his Radiant City urban plan. Eventually, a number of these unitĂ©s were built around Europe, the first (and most famous) of these in Marseilles. If they bear more than a passing resemblance to Soviet-style architecture, it’s worth noting that Le Corbusier was influenced by his study of an earlier communal project, the Narkomfin Building in Moscow.



Secretariat Building, Chandigarh, India. Built 1953.
This state-government building combines the formalism of Le Corbusier’s earlier Purist designs with a generous hint of the muscular, sculptural forms that appeared later.


Church of Saint-Pierre


Church of Saint-Pierre, interior

Like a lot of so-called visionaries, Le Corbusier was an active self-promoter. He authored numerous books on architecture and design and openly courted protĂ©gĂ©s. Like modern-day Apple devotees slobbering at the feet of Steve Jobs, Le Corbusier’s acolytes worshiped him with blind, near-religious fervor.

His critics, however, were less sanguine. The harshest of them argued that his urban designs, especially, were cold and sterile, and worse, the product of technical incompetence.

Nevertheless, by the time he died in 1965, Le Corbusier’s enormous influence on 20th-century architectural sensibilities was indisputable. He ranks in a select pantheon alongside such worthies as Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Unique luxury hotel interior design – Cavo Tagoo

Cavo Tagoo is a unique luxury hotel near Chora of the famous greek island “Mykonos”, built into an impressive natural cliffside. Hotel interior design stimulates and satisfies guest expectations of service, quality, and comfort; as such, it represents the realization of hospitality design.





Hotel interior design is a profession that involves artistically decorating and furnishing the spaces inside a hotel. Featuring suites with private pools, a Spa Center, indoor heated pool, fitness center, stunning lounge and poolside bars, we excel at offering the complete island indulgence package. Relax, gaze across our breathtaking panoramic view and enjoy the jet-setting vibes of Mykonos. These are lasting memories in the making.













Modern apartment interior design decorating ideas with glamour style





Amazing apartment with modern white interior design decoration and glamour style. This apartment is located on level 16 of a circular 18 storey high tower in Darling Point, Sydney and takes up the whole floor. Interior decorating living room with a modern and classic style gives a comfortable and all classy feel. The central core responds to the perimeter with the curved surface made up of beautifully finished panels upholstered in a padded wool fabric. These are either fixed or are secret doors to storage or robe areas. Vertical strip lighting located at set centres divide panels and provide feature or mood lighting. This modern apartment interior design ideas is a great interior inspiration.