Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper to make various types of designs. This can be done with any size or colour of paper. In fact, almost anything can be created from paper. This can range from birds to animals, people and even buildings. Given the popularity of origami as an art form, many designers have now endeavoured to use origami designs as inspiration for architectural designs and have extended it to hotel, residential and commercial designs. In this line, this article discusses five marvelous architectural constructions, which make use of the idea of origami.

Festival Hall

The first one is the Festival Hall of the TirolerFestspiele in Austria. This festival hall in Erl, Austria is an architectural symbol which is representative of the town itself. It is also known nationwide and is a famous building. The building has an impressive landscape which is defined by rock formations at the back and also reflects the presence of its neighbouring historical counterpart.

Tel Aviv Museum of Art

The second architectural marvel is the Tel Aviv museum of Art in Tel Aviv, Israel. This building is situated in the city centre within the cultural complex. It relates to the tradition of the new that exists within Israeli architectural culture. This building comprises of twisted geometric surfaces which are connected to disparate angles between the galleries and the context. In doing so, it also refracts natural light into some parts of the building.

Nestle Chocolate Museum

The third architectural building is the Nestle Chocolate Museum in Mexico. This building offers a sensory experience which can be experienced through a visit of the building. The forms and spaces in the museum are contained and also pushed to the limit. This impressive building reflects the frozen instant of trains crashing into the air.

PanteonNube

The fourth architecture is the PanteonNube in Murcia, Spain. This building was designed by Spanish architecture studio ClavelArquitectosand can be classified as an unusual mausoleum in Murcia, Spain. The tomb is made out of onyx and marble and has doors which rotate open. The zig-zagging doors of this mausoleum can only be opened in one particular fashion.

Klein Bottle House

Finally, one should not miss seeing the Klein Bottle House in Rye, Victoria, Australia. The walls in this house, designed by architect McBride Charles Ryan, have origami-like facets and folds. This wonderful site is situated on the south coast and is a holiday house which is named after Klein Bottle, a mathematical term for a surface with an indefinable left, right, top or bottom. The rooms in this holiday home are angled around a central courtyard and then step upwards to meet the negotiating landscape. This marvellous piece of architecture has won several awards and just shows goes to show how innovate the design is.

Architecture has no more remained that stringent prisoner, jailed somewhere in the mathematician’s ruler and the engineer’s vision. It has exceeded that stage and today, it has become a fascination that knows absolutely no boundaries. Architectural models now can scale as high as the extent of human imagination. 3D printing, the new advent in the architectural arena is a glaring example of how engineering and architecture have evolved into complex yet easy mechanisms. The only thing that is lacking in 3D architecture is the fact that until today, it was only on the ether, never having seen a real life implementation anywhere in this world.

This last straw is supposed to be cleared off by architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars. Having a Dutch origin, he is known to have designed some awe-inspiring architectural models. This person has designed a building that follows an eternal loop structure, something that you would compare to the sign of infinity. In the hard design, the building would be turning back on itself at two opposite points so that the two ends can meet and for a constant loop. Well, the designing part would be taken care of by the D printer. So that is not the difficult part! The challenging part would be how should the building be given existence in soil mud and granite in the real world? Well, Janjaap has thought a way out for that too!

He plans to give face to the real structure by using sand instead of concrete. The sand would be binding on to the adhesive material. But then, the architect admits that it is going to be difficult and would take a long time. Designing part by part, creating frames on paper and then on land and then manual implementation of the entire plan! All these stages inclusive, this building is supposed to get completed within 18 months from the time it commences its building operations. As far as the costs are concerned, well, they are as pretty as the entire idea of building a 3D house! It would reach somewhere around 4-5 million Euros. But after completion, this building would probably add up to the list of wonders of the world!

Whatever the plan is, and whenever it gets completed, the very concept of bringing a painted building to life, standing and teeming with human population is actually a difficult task. And Janjaap deserves more than an applause for his immense dedication towards his subject.

 Giving heat to the ongoing debate about the intellectual property rights in the architecture and design world, Apple has recently obtained a new registered trademark certificate from the U.S Patent & Trademark authority in order to cover its architecture, which can be called as the biggest aesthetic asset of Apple. This is a trademark for the Distinctive Design & Layouts of Apple stores worldwide.

Apple Stores then & now:-First Apple store with the colour black and white was opened nine years ago in Virginia and now this theme of all mall centric retail locations of Apple is trademarked. The Apple store design has plain glass windows with steel panel frames which have a back lit Apple logo, stainless steel walls along with the stone floors and wood display tables are other elements of the famous distinctive Apple retail stores. This design has been mentioned as V2.0 interior in the documents applying for trademark.

All the apple stores have a plan of arranging tables symmetrically and same wall displays, which automatically triggers the name of the brand Apple. Apple has constantly made an effort for showing authorship to its products, logos and now aesthetics.

Before the introduction of V2.0 interior of Apple stores, black coated steel storefronts, narrow frame of bead blasted stainless steel, wood floors, frosted glass partitions and non-illuminated wall graphics were the design elements of Apple retail stores. Some of the stores had also wood floors.

Why Trademark for store Designs:-Apple seems to have made this move after observing mimics to its store designs and even the products in China. However, the rules and regulations for prohibition of such acts have made some imitators to leave this fake trick to grasp on business. The report of registering its architect designs of stores by Apple has come immediately after a similar event  in China, where a well known architect Zaha Hadid has blamed a developer of imitating a design by Zaha.

One may wonder what possibly has forced Apple to make such a move of preserving its architecture and design of its stores, but if we look at the past it is very obvious that the company has been very diligent about trade marking its designs. The testimony is the number of legal suits filed against HTC and Samsung for copying the design concepts initiated and introduced by Steve Jobs.

Apple’s possessiveness regarding the intellectual property rights of its designs makes it visible, how the company is worried about its aesthetic possessions which were triggered and developed by a small group of creative individuals.

Trademark on architecture designs by Apple has come after its legal battles over the tablet (rectangular touch-screen, which is said to be inspired by iPad) and the swiping motions for activating iPhone.

According to the apple news website, the U.S Patent and Trademark Office has taken almost three-year in reviewing the 850 pages documents presented by the company. However, this approval by the patent authority has come after the two rejections, one of which had mentioned that the architectural design of Apple’s retail stores is not innately distinctive and is very simple, which can be adopted and developed by anyone. However, later Apple has successfully presented supporting documents and materials, which could fetch them a trademark for the store design.

However it can also be argued that some of the features used by Apple for designing its stores are standard in the industry and there is nothing distinctive about them. But considering the competition by other big retail stores like Microsoft, the company has procured trademark for its design in order to remain distinct and identical.

For past few years, 3D printing has been used across the globe by architectures to think beyond typical framework and conjure more intricate and convoluted forms from ether. However, technology was never used before to build something bigger than prototype model. Now, Janjaap Ruijssenaars, a Dutch architect who uncovered designs for first 3D printed house of world, have brought up a great change. This Landscape House portrays the outline of unending and round Mobius strip that appears out of ground prior creasing itself in seamless rolling up band. Complex geometries of this 3D-Printing House are made up of printed sand layers instead of reinforced cast.

Working with artist and mathematician Rinus Roelofs, architect planned to design a building measuring up to 6×9 meter, printed with the use of D-Shape Printer. Enrico Dini, an Italian architecture developed the printer that uses stereolithography principles similar to that of small printers. This D-shape makes use of sand fused with chemical-binding agents to print sections as concave shell, which is then filled with fibre reinforced concrete for more strength. According to Dini, Dutch architect and his team propose to give great possibilities for creating buildings directly by pressing “enter” button on keyboard. It takes around 18 months to build 3D Printing House at a predictable price of €4 to 5m.

About Janjaap Ruijssenaars’ 3D Printed House

Dutch architect Ruijssenaars designed a 12,000sqft House without nay beginning and end. This plan has been enforced by building everything using 3D printer. This conceptual two-storey Universe Architecture’s Landscape House was created in Amsterdam to remind you of popular “Mobius Strip”. Mobius strip is a surface rolled up in endless band that was brought into notice by 20^th century demonstrator and designer M.C. Escher. This design is truly an inspiration for some of the popular architects worldwide. Moreover, essence of this unending landscape underlines the fact that universe has no end. Considering all these decisive conclusions, Janjaap Ruijssenaars planned to construct building from large D-Shape Printer.

Enrico Dini designed D-Shape printer that can print stuff up to 20x20ft in size and add layers from 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Total price of project may cost $5.3 million if built in unspecified National Park of Brazil that has revealed its interest in 3D printing house. In addition to this, there are probabilities of implementing this shape as private abode in United States. Janjaap Ruijssenaars also confirmed in a statement that building could be proposed as home or museum featuring parts made up of concrete printed with the use of emulsion binding and broken-up rocks. Steel together with glass provide façade to this ongoing structure. With this plan, Janjaap Ruijssenaars aspire to have first 3D printed house in order to bring in something that can revivify the way you live.

Technology Used in D-Shape Printer

D-Shape Printer is actually a latest mechanical building system that uses new materials for creating preeminent stone-like structure. This new mechanism brings about several ways to create large sandstone buildings without any human intervention. Using stereolithography 3D-Priting process that utilizes sand and unique inorganic binder for operation, this building has grown out to be a success stone for architects. As a latest building technology, D-Shape printer will transform the way architectures plan to design a structure. Other than the availability of building machinery like cranes, concrete mixers, form works, pumps and moulds, building industry nowadays rely on manual intrusion of trained and professional builders who can easily operate machinery. Process of D-Shape building is almost similar to typical printing process. D-Shape bears a resemblance to large aluminium structure that constructs the building using software popular as CAD-CAM to drive machinery throughout building process.

Some of the ancient architectures which have withstood the test of time are still a joy to behold. Given the lack of infrastructural tools and equipments in those days, it is indeed a wonder that such precision and designs were achieved by the ancient builders. There are many such wonders and some of them are mentioned here. It must be mentioned here that the Leshan Giant Buddha in Sichuan, China holds the fourth position as the world’s wonder. However, since this article is dealing more with architectural buildings the Leishan Buddha is not mentioned here.

1. Alhambra Palace, Spain

Alhambra or the Red Fortress is situated in the city of Granada in Spain and is the finest example of Muslim style of architecture. It was commissioned in the 13th century by the first king of the Nasrid dynasty, Mohammed ben Al-Hamar. It was finally completed by Yusuf 1 and Muhammed V towards the end of Muslim reign in Spain. The palace exhibits the excellent craftsmanship with beautiful courts, halls and archways along with a breathtaking canopy.

2. Badshahi Mosque, Lahore

This is another example of Muslim architecture and was built by Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor within a record of two years. The mosque was started in May 1671 and completed in April 1673 and its main prayer hall can accommodate 10,000 congregations. This mosque has the largest courtyard in the world and is the second largest mosque in the world.

3. Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt

This lighthouse is situated in the island of Pharos in Egypt with a mirror at the top which can still reflect light off-shore for more than 35 miles. It was Ptolemy 1 who conceived this idea in the 3rd century BC and built in 3 stages one above the other. This lighthouse guided many sailors back to shore for centuries. Although the structure was later damaged by earthquake, what remains standing is still an architectural elegance of time gone by.

4. Sultan Ahmed mosque, Istanbul Turkey

This is also referred to as the Blue Mosque and was commissioned by Sultan Ahmed in 1609. Its interior is covered in ceramic blue tiles. It was completed in1616. The sultan is buried outside the mosque. The excellence of craftsmanship exhibited by this mosque is unique and is embellished with gold and gems studded lamps.

5. The Giza pyramid, Egypt

This great pyramid stood as the world’s tallest building until the 19th century and was built as tombs for the pharaohs. The construction of this pyramid took about 20 years during which time many slaves lost their lives. It is built of 2.3 million blocks of limestone which weighed approximately 2.5 tons each.

In the modern world, many new designs and structures have been built but these ancient buildings still find their spot in terms of beauty and durability. They have stood the test of time leaving behind lasting impression in terms of design, style and materials used.

Source: http://www.smashinglists.com/10-incredible-architectural-wonders-of-the-ancient-world/

1. Chateau de Chambord

Chambord is located in France. The difficult maintenance of the Chambord, forced the kings of France to visit the palace only during summer. This royal fort is remarkable for its flamboyant French architecture. One of the distinct features of the chateau is its double spiral architecture which allows two people to comfortably climb up or down. The fittings and decoration inside the chateau are just marvelous. One of the rooms in the chateau exhibit the toys played by the child at that time.

2. Potala Palace

The Potala palace is situated on Red mountain in the centre of Lahsa valley. It is said to be the winter palace of Dalai Lama representing Tibetan Buddhism. The Potala complex comprises of white and red palaces with 13 stories. The easy staircases help the visitors to reach the mountain’s summit. You can enjoy a marvelous view of the palace from the top.

3. Summer Palace, China

The Summer Palace is considered as one of the best preserved royal gardens in China. It served as a summer resort for the emperors and Dowager empresses. The building space portrays variety of palaces, gardens and ancient architecture. The traditional park includes terraces, covered corridors, stone bridges and the popular marble boat.

4. Mysore Palace

This palace also known as Amba Vilas Palace, was the royal residence of Mysore Wodeyars. The palace was rebuilt in 1912 after it was damaged during the wedding of the daughter of Chamraja Wodeyar. The palace houses exquisite carvings and art from different parts of the world. The historical palace is now converted into museum that displays paintings, jewelry, costumes, etc that was possessed by the Wodeyars. The magnificent architecture of the palace is a feast to the visitors.

5. Forbidden city

The Forbidden City is located in the heart of Beijing. It is the best-preserved ancient palace in the world. The Forbidden City comprises of the outer court and the inner court. The living quarters of the rulers are now turned into exhibition halls that display a set of exclusive collections. The aesthetic garden offers a luxuriant atmosphere to the visitors.

Ganz Gala Rooster Clock

The Ganz Gala is a wall clock in the shape of a rooster with comes with a swinging pendulum along with quartz movement. It has a height of 13-3/4^th inches and is composed of mdf wood. A keyhole is present by which the object can be suspended from your walls. The clock needs a single AA battery to run which is not included along with it. You can find it online at a discounted price of $33.96.

Allen Designs A DOODLE Rooster Pendulum Wall Clock

Another rooster-shaped clock to adorn your walls with, it is almost as tall as the previous model. Cold cast resin imparts durability to this wall clock which is likely to make a great gift.

Octopus Clock Mirror

This is a clock cum mirror which is available in an innovative shape. Made up of lightweight and shatterproof acrylic safety mirror which happens to be about 3mm in thickness. You can use the hook on the back to hang the clock. Requires an AA battery to operate. Goes with all kinds of environments because of its silent tick feature. However, it is not water resistant.

Kitten Wall Clock

Pop art design which depicts a quirky kitten with wiry whiskers paying attention to a mouse. High quality and durable, this wall clock is a fun way to keep track of time.

Infinity Instruments Fisher-15″ Metal Wall Clock

The clock looks like a fishbowl and even has a cat on top which seems to be eyeing the fish inside. Grab it at an affordable price of $36.

Monkey Wall Clock

This funny looking monkey is sure to be a hit with kids and will suit the walls of your kid’s room.

Melted Metal Clock

A melting faux shelf alarm clock having dimensions of 5-1/4 by 2 inches. Made of cold cast bronze, it is completely weatherproof and boasts of an antique finish. High quality quartz movement ensures perfect time.

Retro Silver Modern Metal Salvador Dali Wall Clock

Wall clock with retro design inspired by the paintings of Salvador Dali. Possesses a white clock face housed within a metal body which is protected by a glass covering.

Humpty Dumpty Pendulum Wall Clock

The design of this wooden wall clock is derived from the classic nursery rhyme character. Comes with quartz movement and swaying pendulum limbs. The clock is handcrafted in the USA.

PIZZA Life Size Pepperoni Pizza with Extra Cheese

Jumbo sized Arabic numbers have been cast from cheese. The hands depicting hours, minutes and seconds are all coloured black. The clock has a diameter of 12” and is operated by one AA battery.

Each and every small detail of your home; be it the nooks, the corners or even the main space is thoroughly taken into account. In addition, of course these small details actually carve the shape of your futuristic vision of your home and of course how well it is going to be received by others.

However, people still tend to pay more attention to the mundane, but forget probably the most important and the largest part of their homes. Yes, you guessed it right; I am indeed talking about the ceiling. Ceiling comprises about 1/6^th of the total space of your interiors and yet many just tend to let it be.

Nevertheless, it is time to facelift the ceilings of your home too. So check these out.

Beamed

Add some comfort and warmth to your ceilings with the exposed beam look. This is the perfect choice for ceilings in spaces, which are casual. Nevertheless, this style will not detract from magnificence.

Coffered

Add an artistic effect to your ceilings with the coffered style. Made of hardwood, the style involves rectilinear panels overhead and will effectively draw eyes to the it.

Vaulted

The design involves pretty much what the name suggests. It will definitely give an airy feeling to your home and you can also add a dome, an arch and of course a barrel. Nothing will prove to be as dramatic as what this style will lend you.

The most important factor to remember while making a choice is to know what kind of ceiling you have. The shape of your ceiling will actually foretell what kind of style you can or cannot choose.

Nevertheless, apart from false ceilings, you can always choose to decorate your ceiling with other designs. For one, you can consider:

Skylights

The best part of choosing this design is it will add a certain tone of warmth at your home and yet will make you blissfully unaware of it.

Applying paints

Yep, nothing works like colors for beautification of your ceilings. The costs might come down dramatically and above all, you can color coordinate with the colors of your furniture, your walls, your drapes, your curtains and well, you get my flow.

Back to School

Theme: Equations. Marcos Breder came up with the innovative idea of the Equation Bookshelf which is based on the principle of dividing things according to their priority. The final result is both unique and chic. Important books or books which you have need of on a regular basis can be placed together between (parentheses). There is even some space left on the bookshelf for pictures or other treasured keepsakes. Other items or books can be set between {braces} and [square brackets].

Theme: Geometry. Cosmo Shelves are the perfect solution for fans of modern shelving methods. These shelves are made up solely of rectangular shapes or squares with rounded edges. You can pick up this shelf in two colours – black and white. Simple to mount, the shapes can be positioned differently to offer a new look every time you need one. The asymmetrical, multi-sized Quad Bookcase is another interesting piece of furniture.

Theme: Shape. Designed by Ron Arad, the Bookworm is able to store magazines, DVDs and books. The whole case is made up of plastic and can be moulded into any conceivable shape.

Material Value

The FlexiTube conceptualised by Doris Kisskalt is portable and can transform into a clear room partitioner. This amazing tub is capable of rolling and fitting into any small corner and can be changed into the shape of a shelf. The different elements are supported by their velvety texture. Each tube contains a storage shelf within it which act as a visual horizontal line. Available in two sizes.

The Ellipse Bookcase is bound to improve the overall look of a room because of its unique design. The product is also quite natural being made up of sheets of wood veneer and durable elm tree wood. The shelves are protected by unrolled bamboo. However, this particular case is definitely not meant for storing a ton of books.

Table Manners

The dimensions of your room determine the size and shape of your dining room. You should keep the shape of your room in mind when purchasing a dining table – the general rule is to place a dining table which is round in shape within a square room and vice versa. The dining table needs to be placed in the middle of the room as it provides a sense of symmetry, which is very aesthetically pleasing.

The dining table should be large enough to accommodate everyone and provide sufficient space to allow people to move about freely even after the chairs have been drawn. A smart look can be achieved if all the chairs fit easily under the chair. The dining table must always be treated as the style quotient as this happens to be the most important piece of furniture in the dining room area and provides the focal point for the same.

Handy Hints & Tips

Windows are a perfectly good way to spruce up the entire look of your dining room. They help to bring in a lot of natural light into your home. It is advisable to keep some room for flexibility in the dining space so that you can shift stuff around and make adjustments according to your needs.

It is preferred if the dining chairs possess no arms and even if there are arms; they should not be present above the surface of the table. Various kinds of chairs may be used in the dining room to give it a fresh look. The combination of colours and light effects, if used carefully, is ideal for adding an innovative feel to your dining space. Subtle colours are generally popular since they not only look great but also have a positive impact on appetite. Elegant curtains and the right kind of upholstery really help to give your dining room a complete makeover.