A mainstay of Miami’s Ocean Drive, The Carlyle represented an evolution of the Art Deco style that had dominated architect Richard Kiehnel’s previous works, while still retaining standards like the rule of thirds and elegant curvatures nestled among sharp geometry.
Opening in 1941 with a sparse color palette of white and sea foam green, The Carlyle is a significantly more understated and nuanced take on the bright pastel colorways seen on other South Beach hotels, like The Pelican or The Berkeley Shore. With approximately 900 other buildings which comprise the Miami Beach Art Deco District, The Carlyle remains a lasting monument to a golden age of new architectural ideas.
Once the hotel to see and to be seen, and situated a mere block away from Gianni Versace’s residence Casa Casuarina, this newly restored series of private residences has appeared in many forms of media over its near eight decade lifespan, lending its facade to films like Scarface and Bad Boys 2, and most notably, giving up its name to become the titular setting of 1996's The Birdcage.
Standing head and shoulders above the 2,000 mosques that cover the map of Abu Dhabi, and above most across the entire planet, is the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. It’s one of the largest in the world, but more importantly, its impeccably detailed. Marble walls surround precision-detailed stonework, and crystal chandeliers glisten from the ceilings. It’s a truly jaw-dropping project, both in scale and execution.
The overall design pulls in influence from religious centres across the region, ranging from the Moorish influence of Spain and Morocco all the way across to finding inspiration in structures from India and Pakistan. The construction materials are equally international - marble from Macedonia, Italy, India, and China have all found their way into this project, each one providing different colours and finishes along the way. Mother of pearl and other exotic materials are inlaid in intricate patterns on the columns leading to the prayer room, which holds a vast handcrafted carpet - apparently the largest in the world, taking over 1200 artisans to construct. At capacity, it can support over 40,000 worshippers at any one time.
The scale, level of detail, and range of materials is barely comprehensible. In many ways, the building works as a reflection of the world around it, and a willingness to have a dialogue and an open conversation about influences, the future, and ultimately each other.
In 1925 Edoardo De Nari was commissioned to build a villa right on the edge of the Bosphorus crossing in Istanbul. The patron, Prince Mehmed Ali Hasan, simply wanted a summer house for the family, and De Nari delivered with a full-realised recreation of a modern yet classically-minded villa.
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In 1951, the mansion found a new owner - an industrialist named Hacı Ömer Sabancı, one of the most influential people in the entire country, and the name behind a company that to this day remains as one of the largest and wealthiest companies in the region. It became his family residence, renamed to “The Mansion With The Horse”, in reference to the original 1864 statue by French sculptor Louis Doumas in the gardens. A second equine sculpture soon followed, a re-cast version of a looted sculpture from the Crusades, which was taken to Venice in the 13th Century.
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After Sabancı passed away in the mid-1960s, the house remained the family residence until it was gifted to his eponymous university to be transformed into a museum. Today, it hosts a collection of calligraphies and scriptures which were curated by Hacı Ömer Sabancı, as well as a selection of modern works in a gallery annex. It’s exhibited everything from artefacts from the Genghis Khan’s Mogolian horde, to Picassos paintings, and Rodin sculptures.
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A mainstay of Fairfax Avenue since it’s opening in the late ‘40s, Canter’s Deli is the definition of a cultural institution. Serving up traditional Jewish deli staples like pastrami, corned beef, and their version of the Monte Cristo - leading @esquire to make them one of the best sandwich spots in the entire country - it’s been the place to grab a bite for LA locals and celebrities for decades.
From the timewarp mid century interior, full of linoleum and formica, to the neon-lit exterior - a beacon of hope for any empty stomach from the Sunset Strip all the way over to Hollywood, makes Canter’s a frequent star on the screen, featuring in shows like Mad Men and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Words by Nat Twiss
These alien-looking dodecahedron houses are part of the Ramot Polin neighbourhood in Israel, penned by the Polish-born architect Zvi Hecker in the late 1970s. Chasing after a dream of perfect communal living, Hecker found inspiration in the geometry of a simple beehive. Since then, his project has taken on a life of its own, constantly modified and updated by its inhabitants, who at first found the avant-garde layout almost completely impractical for living.
One critic described the project as “nothing but sculpture”, but nevertheless, the tenants pushed onwards, enlarging rooms and widening windows to reduce the almost oppressive nature of the original execution; something not uncommon in Israeli construction, where building regulations are often treated more as a suggestion than the rule.
Today, nearly fifty years after the complex was built, the structures barely resemble their original plan, taking on an organic quality that resembles a living, breathing hive more than even Hecker could have ever imagined.
The ancient city of Cappadocia has been a marvel of history for thousands of years, several cultures have settled the caves in these valleys for millennia, some into the twentieth century. Its position on the silk road has cemented it at the crossroads of history. Today however, the city is largely empty, but for a few hundred balloons that populate the skies when weather permits.
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That the hot air balloons of Cappadocia have a mystical quality about them is not merely superficial - Turkey was a land of aviation pioneers hundreds of years before the Wright brothers ever left the ground, some arguing that the Da Vinci-esque Turkish inventor and aviator Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi was the first human to ever take flight in the 1600s. While lighter than air flight was formally invented in France, the balloons take to the city of caves like they’ve always been there. Even if you know nothing of its history, the landscape looks as though it could tell a thousands stories, and the balloons fill the sky with the silence of ghosts. That’s the poetry of it at least. ⠀⠀
In reality, the balloons are the result of a few savvy travel entrepreneurs that developed flight infrastructure here in the 1990s, the slow pace of balloon travel has proven just right for those who want to float above the rock and breathe in the history.
Floating over the Dead Sea, the barren but stunning salt lake that lies between Israel and Jordan. It’s the lowest lying land on the planet, and the salinity of the water is so extreme that plant and animal life is all but nonexistent. Besides the fresh air, this region really does feel like stepping foot on another world.
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It’s been a destination for humans since the beginning of recorded history: thousands of years ago, asphalt was mined here for Egyptian mummies, and Herod the Great used the waterfront as a health resort - much like today, as tourists from all over the world flock to bathe in the salt water.
A town on the edge of the Israeli desert isn’t the first place that comes to mind when you think of architectural significance - and to many, it’s hard to see why it would be - but the ancient city of Beer Sheva, built nearly six thousand years ago, is now seen by many as one of the crowning examples of Brutalism in action.
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In the mid 20th century the Israeli government brought their leading architectural minds from all over the young nation to this one city, and let them loose, designing both neighbourhoods, road plans, as well as government buildings in the Brutalist style that some have even argued is it’s own branching school of thought. Ultimately, regardless of your opinion on the merit of this style - the end results feel steady, strong, and thoroughly rugged - quite important qualities to project during such an unstable period, and one that reflected the ideals of the nation at the time.
Words by Nat Twiss
The Bradbury Building in Los Angeles has such a strange tale to its creation, that it probably should not exist. Designed at the end of the 19th century by George Wyman, it’s a longstanding landmark in downtown Los Angeles, with the relatively pedestrian multi-storey terracotta facade giving way to a gorgeous, light filled interior - the impeccable styling is the true reason for its longevity as an icon of LA architecture. The tale of its conception is just the cherry on top.
Wyman was commissioned by mining millionaire, and eponymous patron, Lewis Bradbury, to design the building - despite never formally training as an architect. Supposedly using a science-fiction novel about a utopian idea of the year 2000 as the basis for his structure, as well as consulting with the spirits via a Ouija board, Wyman set to work.
Despite the bizarre circumstances that led to its creation, it was lauded as a success when it opened the following year - with a large central atrium topped by a vast glass dome, it was strikingly airy and open compared to other buildings of its type at the time. Contrasting the exterior, the inside features intricate metalwork and detailed panelling, and huge care has been given to the materials - with Mexican tile flooring and Belgian marble staircases. It’s a timeless yet classical design, and one that has appeared in media frequently over the years; most famously in Blade Runner, where the interior was used as the home of android designer Sebastien.
Words by Nat Twiss
This particular part of Turkey is used to transformation. Erosion shaped the incredible landscape of the Goreme valley, but it’s the human element that has made it one of the most interesting places in the country to visit. Nearly 1500 years ago, these cave systems in Cappadocia became a hotbed of secluded monasteries, founded by refugees fleeing Roman religious persecution. Against the rough cave walls, the monks painted frescoes that are still preserved to this day.
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Looking up close, they almost look like an ants nest - most are interconnected, stretching miles within the hillside. Everything exists within the stone; even the stables were in the mountainside. Entire towns thrived here, burrowing almost eight stories underground. Since the first inhabitants made this place their home, they’ve never been abandoned. A handful of locals call the caves their home, and many are converted to boutique hotels for the thousands of tourists who visit the area.
in Kadikoy - a gorgeous district of Istanbul - every year a classic car parade takes form for republic day celebrations on October 29th.
Here Is not about who owns the fanciest cars but is a love affair, mainly including classic bugs, benz and American import cars, the collectors meet to celebrate the two things they love most, cars and their country.
Possibly one of the best ways to view art for free anywhere in the world, The Broad in Los Angeles is named after collection owners, philanthropists, and financiers of the building, Eli and Edythe Broad. Their collection is rumoured to surpass $2billion in value, and over 2,000 pieces of art lie within, from artists such as Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol and Yayoi Kusama, all for free admission to the general public.
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The building itself was designed by firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, using a concept they describe as “the veil and the vault”, an attempt to combine the two purposes of the building in harmony; both a public exhibition space as well as a home and storage to countless master works, a vast archival vault which would normally be kept far away from public eyes is placed directly in the heart of the structure, hovering midway in the building and wrapped by public exhibition spaces. The “veil”, as the architects describe it, is the skin of the building - the meticulous rounded honeycomb structure, which casts a diffuse light into the gallery spaces which occupy two floors of the museum.
In its capacity as a boat construction centre, Bodrum is famous throughout the world. Sea trade in the area has encouraged shipbuilding from antiquity thorough the Ottoman Empire period to modern times. The original purpose of the gulet was for fishermen and sponge divers to transport their catch, as well as for traders to move goods from marina to marina.
The word ‘guletʼ originates from the Italian word guletta, which in itself is a loanword from the French gouëlette, meaning “schooner”. Gulets are two- masted or three-masted wooden sailing vessels, originating from the southwestern coast of Turkey. The towns of Bodrum and Marmaris are best known for their sailing history, and the production of gulets in particular.
The construction of gulets picked up significantly again in the 1970s, when a spike in tourism resulted in more demand for sailing in Turkey than ever before. Since then, gulets have become an iconic symbol for Turkish sail-related tourism with thousands sailing the Mediterranean and Aegean seas in gulets every year.
From antiquity until now, the production process hasnʼt changed much – gulets are still built using traditional techniques and materials (by the plank-on-frame method). Of course, gulets have changed significantly in terms of interior (one word: JACUZZIS) and sturdiness, but sailing in one remains an authentic and unique experience.
One of Frank Gehry’s most well-known works, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is now considered an architectural keystone of downtown Los Angeles, and achieved that status soon after it opened in 2003.
As a gift to the city that became such an integral part of her husband Walt’s entertainment empire, Lillian Disney donated $50million to the city of LA in 1987 for the construction of a performance venue, with Gehry as the immediate frontrunner to design the building. In 1991 Gehry submitted his design in a series of paper models and sketches. While these look largely similar to the completed building, the original vision was actually clad in concrete instead of the signature stainless steel facade that currently sweeps around the geometry of the building. Building began later that year, but rising costs caused extensive delays.
After Gehry’s work for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was showcased in 1997, the decision was made to also clad the Concert Hall in a similar material - much to the dismay of Gehry - but to critics and visitors alike the consensus was hugely positive, with particular attention drawn to the incredible acoustics of the concert hall and the incredible play of light against the steel cladding in the Southern Californian sun.
After Hurricane Andrew ravaged the Florida coast in 1992, the city of Miami commissioned a number of architectural agencies to create new lifeguard huts, thirty-six to be exact, located every few blocks along South Beach to stand guard over the thousands of sun seekers and beachgoers that flock to the city every summer. Starting with the Jetty (the faux lighthouse pictured above) on the southernmost tip, and terminating at South Pointe Park, on the northern stretches of the beach.
Much like the Moai figures on Easter Island, they are an expression for identity and culture on Miami Beach. With abstract roof lines and contours, bright colours - often hues of neon, it’s the optimistic futurism of Art Deco blended with the local Cracker Style and the brightness of South Florida’s tropical fauna. True products of their environment.
Bonnet House’s modern history began when Birch gave the Bonnet House property as a wedding gift to his daughter Helen and her husband, Chicago artist Frederic Clay Bartlett in 1919. The newlyweds began construction of Bonnet House in 1920, eager for a winter retreat where Frederic could pursue his artwork and Helen could compose music and poetry.
Tragedy struck in 1925 when Helen died from breast cancer. Frederic’s visits to Bonnet House then became sporadic until 1931 when he married Evelyn Fortune Lilly. With this marriage, a renaissance occurred on the site as Frederic and Evelyn entered a prolific period of embellishing Bonnet House with the decorative elements that delight visitors to this day.
Frederic died in 1953, but Evelyn continued to return each winter. In 1983, Evelyn Fortune Bartlett gave Bonnet House to the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. Her contribution—at the time, the largest charitable gift in Florida history—ensured that the site would be preserved for the enjoyment and education of future generations.
The Petersen Museum is known around the world for the incredible collection of cars that lay within. Today, we’re not paying attention to them, because @mercma has just sent us these incredible photos of the facade that was installed in 2015, and designed by @kohnpedersenfox, who view their update as a contemporary evolution of classic Californian, streamlined ‘Googie’ architecture.
The great Plaza De España spans the northern edge of the Maria Luisa Park in Seville, Spain. The city itself is one of Europe’s historical centres, preserving thousands of years of myths, religions and empires that have each made a mark on this regional melting pot of European and North African heritage.
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At the centre of it all, the Plaza jewels the crown in impeccable classical style. With its location, you’d be forgiven for misreading its age. It was not built thousands or hundreds of years ago; in fact, there are likely people still alive today who remember its construction in 1929.
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The Ibero-American Expo of that year aimed to showcase many of the industrial and technological advancements of the Hispanic world. Much of South and Central America exhibited at the fair, as well as Portugal and the United States, designed to sew unity between Spain, its neighbours, allies, and its former colonies. By contrast, the much larger World’s Fair ran concurrently in Barcelona. Clearly, to be additionally invited to exhibit in Seville was a more exclusive privilege meant to highlight exactly where Spanish priorities leant. Either way, in 1929, all eyes were on Spain, and this Plaza was a master work.
The revival style of the Plaza De España was the brainchild of local architect Aníbal González, drawing influences from the European Renaissance and Moorish Spain. The semicircular perimeter of the building connects 48 individual alcoves side by side, each of which represents in mosaic a different region of Spain. Each of the alcoves also contains sculpted stone bookshelves containing literature from the regions.
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Besides the incredible work of cultural projection that the Plaza extends to its guests, the sheer visual beauty of the place has led it to be featured in several films, from Lawrence of Arabia to Star Wars, clearly testament to its cinematic grandeur. Despite being a stage for a temporary Expo, the Plaza exhibits a remarkable feeling of permanence, and one that remains rooted in the history of the country, despite its young age.
Words by Alfie Munkenbeck
Describing the Abu Dhabi edition of the Louvre as simply a museum doesn’t quite do it justice. This is a museum city, living on its own archipelago. Over fifty individual buildings comprising 23 separate galleries live together under their own sky, a 180-metre dome, all penned by Pritzker-prize winning architect Jean Nouvel.
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Eight geometric-patterned layers make up the dome structure, each aperture to the sun casting minutely different shadows on to the courtyards and buildings below. More than just an aesthetic exploration, the dome both shades visitors from the harsh sun, reduces energy consumption, and critically, protects the artworks that lie within from damage. Outside, water surrounds the disjointed buildings, lapping against their sides and flowing under the dome, letting cool air drift off in the breeze, rippling light.
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Inside, works by Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko hang a few steps away from Matisse and Van Gogh. Elsewhere, exhibitions chart the very first steps of mankind. This one self-contained complex feels almost like a path from the past to our future - hard to ignore when underneath a cosmic dome, and in a city like Abu Dhabi - itself an island city with a prehistoric past, only recently risen from the sand with the help of architect Katsuhiro Takahashi in 1967.
Words by Nat Twiss⠀
You’re looking at Las Setas, the vast timber structure in the centre of Seville that’s thought to be the largest in the world. Over six years of construction led to this - a completely unique and undulating sculptural form.
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Plaza de la Encarnación once housed a busy food market in the 19th century, however it spent much of the following century falling into disrepair. The neglected market buildings were demolished one by one until no real purpose was left to justify its place at the heart of the city. In the 1990s, construction even began on a car park, until Roman and Moorish ruins were discovered on site, halting the diggers completely.
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Following a competition, the task of redeveloping the square fell to German architect Jürgen Mayer. The latticework that he envisioned now not only hosts a market, but a series of elevated walkways and cafes in the canopy. Seville remains a relatively low city, so the 26 meter height of the structure is enough for those at the top to be able to see across the entire city.
Words by @therealalfiemunkenbeck
