See highlights from our digital travels this week…
Apple’s ‘donut’ campus takes shape
Construction of Apple’s ring-shaped campus is coming along nicely, judging by fresh drone footage of the 150-acre site. What is immediately striking is the scale of the Norman Foster-designed building, which measures a mile in circumference and covers a mammoth 2.8 million sq ft. The project is slated for completion at the end of 2016. Read more on MacRumors.
Backyard pools make the perfect skate park
‘We’re finding treasures, concrete treasures – forgotten mid-century relics,’ says Anthony of DC Drain and Clean – a group of skateboarders from Washington DC who seek out backyard pools to fix, clean and skate. The group use Google Earth to scout out contenders, then knocks on their owners’ doors to ask for access. ‘One of the attractions about pool skating is that these pools weren’t made for skating.’
Animator Hayao Miyazaki wants to bring his imaginary world to life
Retired animator and director Hayao Miyazaki is trying his hand at architecture, with plans to build a children’s nature retreat on the remote Japanese island of Kumejima. If it’s anything like the mesmerising worlds of his films, expect a vibrant landscape full of flora and fauna. The Hollywood Reporter has more.
Say goodbye to a Tokyo design icon
An ensemble cast of Japanese designers – including architect Yoshiro Taniguchi, potter Kenkichi Tomimoto and folk artist Shiko Munakata – was assembled to create Tokyo’s iconic Hotel Okura, completed in 1962. Now, Monocle pays tribute to the landmark before the wrecking ball hits its main wing, which is to be replaced with a new hotel structure.
Architecture as a canvas
Why use a canvas when you can use architecture? For his latest exhibition, Swiss artist Felice Varini has painted colourful geometric forms – echoing 1960s Supergraphics – against the walls and ceilings of Pavilion Paul Delouvrier in Paris’ Parc de La Villette. Seen from a distance, these works play a trick on the eye, distorting viewers’ perceptions of the space. Head to iGNANT for more.
