Missplaced New York. Photos by Anton Repponen

IMG_1 IMG_2

Eleven New York City landmarks have been misplaced, their current location unknown. Photographs of unclear origin appear to show them scattered across the globe – on sand dunes, mud flats, “lunar” plains, and rocky beaches. Nobody knows exactly what happened or why. Stories by Jon Earle.
via misplaced.design

Continue Reading…

Svalbard Global Secure Seed Bank on the Norwegien Island of Spitsbergen

IMG_1 IMG_2

 

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a safe storage for the seeds of literary all the plants in our planet. It can withstand a nuclear strike, and aims to preserve crops in the face of climate change, war and natural disasters. The facility is managed by the Nordic Genetic Resource Center and protects crop diversity by safeguarding spare seeds that belong to the other 1400 seed banks found worldwide.
When full, the vault will hold 4.5m samples – an estimated two billion seeds – from all known varieties of the planet’s main food crops, making it possible to re-establish plants if they disappear from their natural environment or are obliterated by major disasters. That’s why the facility is also called the “Biodiversity Doomsday Vault”.
The seedbank is 120 metres (390 ft) inside a sandstone mountain on Spitsbergen Island,and employs robust security systems. Seeds are packaged in special four-ply packets and heat sealed to exclude moisture. The facility is managed by the Nordic Genetic Resource Center, though there are no permanent staff on-site.
via croptrust.org

Continue Reading…

Rustic Villa by Z-Level Architects. Mani Peninsula, Greece

IMG_1 IMG_2

The tower-house is an abandoned traditional settlement with stone towers in the village of Exo Nyfi in Mani Peninsula, Greece which has been converted into a rustic stone villa by z-level architects.
The 1,615 sq. ft. vacation home is positioned on the hill overlooking the Mani landscape with views of olive groves and the sea. The long narrow volume of the original building was maintained which unfolds perpendicularly to the topographic contour lines of hillside.
via z-level.gr

Continue Reading…