More architecture designed by people who don't actually need to live in it. And I'm sure it won't be any problem to build this someplace in California. It's not like there are strict coastal development building codes in place there, or anything. Now, where to hang my art collection...

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The architects may not have CA in mind; their phone number is somewhere in BC.

Their rendition of the Space Needle is pretty faithful:

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I, for one, welcome our excessively-wealthy overlords that are fashionably-hip enough to live in top-heavy buildings precariously balanced against rapidly-eroding natural features that rain rocks down on their mostly glass houses!

/me goes back to fantasizing about getting hold of the list of chumps^H^H^H^H^H^Hcustomers for those expensive-yet-deliberately-uncomfortable apartments showcased perviously....

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See more wacky designs from the same architect.

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That stuff is cool looking, but do you really get to call yourself an architect if none of your designs will ever, ever actually be built? If so -- I'm an astronaut!

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Good point, the industry term for this fellow is "paper architect", in that his designs never make it off paper. Although impractical, these kinds of designs provide fascinating insights into the minds of the architects, their clients, and the reality tunnels they live in. Some fine examples of paper architecture include:


Nazi Volkshalle


Palace of the Soviets


Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid

Another great source for these kinds of images is the online Russian Museum of Paper Architecture.

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Giancarlo ponders your astute observation.

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My favourite part of that page is the statement, “ The Trilobis 65 will be built by the end of 2004.”

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Ha, thanks for pointing that out. It seems that unbridled optimism is the key building material of such designs. :)

Say, I just remembered another house on a cliff, but this one was actually buildable. You can see many photos of it at the Cliff House Project:

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This reminds me of the Sheraton Maui Resort, which the pictures do not make entirely clear (it's been greatly expanded since I saw it last): the original hotel was (is) built into the side of a cliff above the beach and Pacific Ocean. The lobby is on top of the cliff.

Not a place I'd want to be if a tsunami hit it. Or that Neptus 60 Cliff Habitat.

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Cool, that was interesting to research. Odd how the official site doesn't provide the most interesting images of all. Here are a couple small images that show what you were describing:

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thanks for posting some of the neatest things.... im an architect and designer and some of this stuff you post just keeps me on my toes and smiling =)

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It took me a moment to realize where I'd seen that before. Check the special features disc on "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" DVD. I think we have the collectors edition, region 2. It's full of random "wouldn't it be great?" Seaquest DSV shit like this.

For that matter, see the movie. "Do the interns get Glocks?" "I think they share one!"

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This will be completed later this year. Walk on a clear floor 4000' above the canyon bottom.

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This will be completed late last year, according to the website.

Or quite some time from now, judging by the current state of progress

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"We're running a bit behind schedule"

Yes.


If by "behind schedule" you mean "drunk".

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Oh bother. I knew it was too good to be true.

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"It's like living in the not too distant future!"

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