Monday Song: Day is Done

Nick Drake was an English composer and songwriter best known for the sombre pieces composed on his guitar. He recorded his first album Five Leaves Left in 1969 when he was 20 years old and left us with the age of 26 after recording three really great albums such as Bryter Layter in 1970.

Enjoy your Monday!

Yosemite National Park time-lapse

The Yosemite National Park is probably wide known from the marvellous Ansel Adams photographs back in 1940’s. Since then it has reached the ultimate status of a sanctuary for the Landscape Photographer.

This time-lapse video from Photographer Henry Jun Wah Lee really suits the mood of the place. Its moving images are so deep and so full of beauty that one cannot go through them without a feeling of joy. I really enjoy the whole edit of the video and specially those really slow pan and zoom movements.

The one metre extension

© David Mikhail Architects

Having worked as an Architect in London before, I am always interested to see what British Architects come out to re-arrange old victorian houses that look all the same everywhere throughout London.

David Mikhail Architects managed to extend this old victorian house into a lighter livingroom and with a double-height kitchen by rearranging the floor heights of the ground and basement floors.

More info about this project here.

Ferreries Civic Centre

© Pedro Pegenaute

Spanish studio Arquitecturia have just completed this very subtle building for a Civic Centre in Tortosa, Spain. Part of the building occupies the old city market while the new extension focus on redefining the square where it locates. All the exterior of the building is covered with metal slats while the interior is made out of slim white wooden slats. The photos from Pedro Pegenaute really bring to life this small yet very interesting piece of Architecture.

Architecture Photographer: Hélène Binet

© Hélène Binet

Born in Geneva, trained in Rome and living in London, Hélène Binet has carved a niche for herself as a photographer who brings buildings to life. More than simply using good lighting or finding a nice angle (though of course she does this too) Binet understands the poetry in architecture and this is what she translates into her photographs.

She has developed a long term relationship with Architect Peter Zumthor, for whom she photographed several of his masterpieces with timeless shot from a very poetic Architecture.

Mr. Smith’s Letterpress Workshop

Creative Review TV has produced this very interesting look at Kelvyn Smith’s letter press workshop. This short film shows off Smith’s extensive letterpress machines and typefaces and sits down with the man to hear why he prefers this old technology to digital graphics.

I personally think that whatever creative field you work on, you should always get your hands dirty at least to learn the processes that lead to the production of your designs.

From a single drop of water

© Iwan Baan

The Teshima Art Museum from SANAA’s partner Ryue Nishizawa is just a stunning piece of Architecture. This very minimal Art Museum is all shaped like a drop of water that rests on the ground. The final result has been accomplished through the use of a very thin concrete formwork that arches in order to create such beautiful spaces. The round openings allow for light water to penetrate the building in close relation with the surroundings.

If you just can’t get enough of this building, check out more brilliant photographs shot by Iwan Baan.

Jacques Herzog’s unknown paradise

© Cyanmag

As read in Cyanmag, it seems that Mr Jacques Herzog from Herzog & DeMeuron has fallen in love with the Spanish Canary Islands, after having built a couple buildings in Tenerife for the past years. Therefore he and his family now own this happy place with an ocean view, designed by Herzog himself for his own enjoyment.

© Cyanmag

Usually when Architects build for themselves, they tend to experiment more and break some rules. This house seems to be interesting, with a clear aesthetic of Southern Spanish Architecture and built with traditional and local materials. Let’s hope that in the future we can, at least see some interior shots of the house.

The Mirror Box

© Åke E:son Lindman

Swedish Architects Tham & Videgård Arkitekter just completed this inspiring and unique room for the tree hotel in the far north of Sweden, near the small village of Harads, close to the polar circle. A lightweight aluminium structure hung around a tree trunk, a 4x4x4 meters box clad in mirrored glass. The exterior reflects the surroundings and the sky, creating a camouflaged refuge. The interior is all made of plywood and the windows give a 360 degree view of the surroundings.

© Åke E:son Lindman

The construction also alludes to how man relates to nature, how we use high tech materials and products when exploring remote places in harsh climates (Gore-tex, Kevlar, composite materials, light weight tents etc).The functions included provides for a living for two people; a double bed, a small bath room, a living room and a roof terrace. Access to the cabin is by a rope bridge connected to the next tree.

To prevent birds colliding with the reflective glass, a transparent ultraviolet colour is laminated into the glass panes which are visible for birds only.

NYC – Mindrelic time-lapse

Just discovered this stunning time-lapse video of New York City made by Josh Owens for a History Channel Documentary called “Prophets of Doom”. The camera work looks awesome and it was shot in HD with a 14mm 2.8L, 24mm 1.4L, 50mm 1.2L, 70-200 2.8L lenses on a Canon 5D MK2. Just great!