Recently deceased American TV and radio legend Dick Clark was best known for hosting American Bandstand, the game show Pyramid and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. But the man often described a “the world’s oldest teenager” left behind more than memories and an impact on American culture. He also had a house that was inspired by the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon The Flintstones.
Clark’s abode is not the first inspired by an animated film or television show. Among the fictional houses created in real life are The Simpsons house and the flying house from the movie Up (yes, with real balloons that really do make it fly!). But the Dick Clack Flintstones house differs from those projects in two distinct ways:
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There’s a rise in a field on the outskirts of Borgloon, Belgium where you can look out and see the old town church. It’s also where architects Pieterjan Gijs and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh had a commission to build a piece of art. Inspired by the church, the pair decided to build a stylized version of it. Though the building by Gijs Van Vaerenbergh (as the pair collectively calls themselves) had one key difference with the original:
There church they constructed is transparent!
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Spot Cool Stuff loves books. And we love creative staircases. So it isn’t surprising that we’re drawn to cool stuff at the confluence of both.
Here’s a look at two unusual architectural designs that combine stairs with bookshelves. Has it happens, both are located in London. And neither has an owner that’s about to move their book collection to an Amazon Kindle anytime soon.
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When at water level, you can’t really see the bridge that crosses a moat to the 17th-century Fort de Roovere. View it from a bit of elevation, though, and the bridge isn’t only visible but looks rather puzzling. That’s because the bridge—near the coastal town of Halsteren, Holland—doesn’t span over the water. And it doesn’t skim along the surface of the water. Instead, the bridge goes through the water.
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You don’t need to be an architect to love cool architecture. Urban planning and building design is an interdisciplinary passion, attracting the likes of art enthusiasts, engineers, history buffs, designers and travelers. Chances are that at least one person on your gift shopping is among those.
With that in mind, here’s our roundup of seven inexpensive—and one not-so-much—gifts for architecture enthusiasts. For this review we specifically excluded architecture magazines and books (of which there are a huge and excellent variety to choose from). We also nixed items used by working architects in their craft, like drafting tables or home design software.
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“The world is a bubble” declared Saint Augustine. Seventeen centuries later, the patron saint of brewers and printers would surely be a huge fan of the portable plastic offerings from Bubble Tree.
The french design and manufacturing company sells bubble products that they describe as “Unusual huts for unusual nights.” Spot Cool Stuff would characterize them more as glorified tents.
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Kids crawl into the enormous play net—and parents wonder whether they'll ever see them again
Spot Cool Stuff’s inner child is still very active. Readers have probably noticed that from all our reviews of cool toys and family travel destinations that may appeal equally to adults and kids. So no wonder that we are also fans of playgrounds.
The world is, thankfully, full of creative, well-conceived plays for kids to safely play. Here’s a look at seven of our favorites:
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