Aluminum Candy

Henry Hall's "Vana" chair rocks.  The marriage of Palm Springs Grandma with Studio 54 "suggestion" is an unexpected convergence that could only ignite a smile.

steven holl

Steven Holl's work is quite exceptional.  This is his Museum of Contemporary Art in Denmark.  He flexed his design muscle with the bamboo hem on the roof and the cantilevered balcony that appears to be tinted by pollen.  It elevates the weight of an Eric Owen Moss-style structure to organic heights.

kiosk curiosity

Thomas Heatherwick was commissioned to upgrade London's traditional newspaper stands in Chelsea.  The walls of his output remind me of a stack of fanned magazines.  An engineering whiz, he designed the sides with hinges to allow the kiosk to open like a blooming onion-love it.

mulholland daybed

Restoration Hardware's daybed makes a day at the beach.

John Madejski Garden

London's V and A's courtyard is spectacular.  Rooted on the vernacular of the Formal English Garden, it has been stippled with modern sass. 
Notice how the ovate pool is stepped along it's coping.  This feature allows the space to approach the grandeur of Trevi Fountain status while providing the only seating option in the space.  The surrounding architecture has a strong rhythm, I only wish that the grass tapis vert skirted the courtyard and pool symmetrically.

heatherwick

Thomas Heatherwick designed this fabulous cafe along the water in Europe.  It's structural steel shell reminds me of a gear set of a bicycle.
I only wish that the perfunctory parking stalls were a little more thoughtful and played with the surrounding architecture.

Floored

 These handmade indoor/outdoor concrete tiles from Papham Design remind me of Brazil's tattooed promenade.  Used in a public commission, they would be rather fetching. 

Rooftopfilms.com

Rooftop Films showcases live music, independent films and after parties on rooftops and scenic areas around New York City.  Watching an Indie under a ceiling of stars couldn't get any better.  Check out their website for locales and line ups.

High and Tight

The newly opened Porch Restaurant on the High Line is bound to give The Standard Grill a run for it's mojito.  An intimate pocket in an airy setting with local produce selections makes this destination sensational.

luke jerram

London's Canary Wharf is the current home to Luke Jerram's Aeolus sculpture.  A stunning pavilion, it also serves as an acoustic instrument that captures the sound of the wind.  Acting as a sensational cuff on the linear armature of the open space, it's scale is in perfect proportion with the occupier of the space and the surrounding architecture.  It's an interesting amalgamation of Tina Turner's jewelry in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and a trip to church.  Love it.

Zaha Hadid

Zaha Hadid has been commissioned to update London's Serpentine Sackler Gallery in Kensington Gardens.  While the existing structure is all Greek Revival, her fluid design looks like a parachute has been draped across the early army building.  The splendor this undulating effect will have on the interior architecture is bound to be sensational. 

gobi

MAD Architects out of Beijing recently finished this museum in the Gobi.  Constructed like saturated armour to protect the region's vernacular art collection, it stands as a Botero-inspired mirage in the desert surround.  I'm fascinated by the glassed courtyard to the lower left.  That space must be fantastic to occupy.

ArcelorMittal Orbit

Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond have crafted the ArcelorMittal Orbit in London's Olympic Park.  A modern day Eiffel Tower, it stands as Britain's tallest sculpture.  Take a trip to the top viewing platform to truly enjoy the machine aesthetic.

In Plane View

Last month, Alex MacLean released his latest book Up on the Roof:New York's Hidden Skyline Spaces.  Piloting his own helicopter with camera in hand, he captured the pockets of open space that elude the pedestrian.  Very voyeuristic.
(His previous book Taking Measures Across the American Landscape was jointly written with James Corner, the landscape architect of the High Line.  It is stunning).

theselby.com

Todd Selby has a new blog to complement his swelling panopoly of coffee table books.  Dedicated to capturing photographs of artists and designers in the interstial shadows of their homes, it is a wonderful introspective to the everyday routines of these creative characters.

cloud city

This month,  the MET opened Tomas Sarace's Cloud City on it's rooftop garden.  Constructed from transparent and reflective materials, the interconnected modules are meant to reference a model for future cities.  With an Epcot collision with the Modern Movement, I love the almost porous barrier it suggests between indoor and outdoor space.

stadel museum

Architectural Digest featured Germany's Stadel Museum in last month's magazine.  It doesn't send me.  The renovated below ground gallery designed by Schneider and Schumacher reminds me of the Teletubbie playhouse. 

mulholland

Rob Mulholland has dedicated his art career to spawning mirrored sculpture of human forms and then, tucks them into varied landscape settings. The installations are meant to suggest the delicate balance between man and nature.
The delivery is too literal for me but, the Terminator 2/ Anish Kapoor union has me hooked.