Japanese Bridges

Apropos of nothing particular, pulled from various internet locations at unknown times (and so, sorry, references long lost) -- clicking on the image or "read more" brings up the full set:

The Golden Rectangle, Golden Ratio, and Phi as Design Criteria

James Gurney, of the wonderful blog Gurney Journey and Dinotopia fame, has a series of five posts on the golden rectangle and it's key ratio 1 : 1.618 ... (which is known as the golden ratio or φ). The crux is that the importance of the rectangle and the ratio is overstated and, while not belittling "mystical feeling" (my phrase and quotes), the supposed mystical role of the ratio is not factually grounded. He says it alot better than I could. So here's a list of his posts (with a brief description for each):

Part 1: Mythbusting the golden mean (the Parthenon) This post -- with extensive links at the end -- outlines the well established view and evidence that the Parthenon is not based on the golden rectangle or golden mean.
Part 2: The golden mean and Leonardo This post discusses Leonardo's "Vitruvian Man" drawing and that it reflects the ratios advocated by Roman scholar and architect Vitruvius, which are not the golden mean. that doesn't mean that Leonardo was unfamiliar with φ, but it is not evident it was central to his work.
Part 3: How the golden mean caught on with artists This post discusses the occurence of
φ in nature and how this developed a sort of mystical relevance for many which was given a sort of historical gloss.Part 4: The golden mean and the human body This post discusses the use of the golden mean by a number of artists, most notably Bauhaus architect/designers and Le Corbusier, and takes a middle view that we can learn from their work but it is not factually accurate on all counts.
Part 5: Last question about the golden rectangle The last question Gurney asks is whether the assertion that work designed with the golden rectangle/golden ratio is, in fact, more aesthetically pleasing. It can be if that is what appeals to the viewer, but it is not inherently so.

The Lemperle House, La Jolla, California

Via The Contemporist, the Lemperle House, La Jolla, California, was designed by architect Jonathan Segal (not this -- poor guy's probably lived with this bad pun his whole life). Its interior and exterior spaces flow beautifully together through glass and shifting walls.

A few photos:

Because Libraries

Culled from various places (see also yesterday), this, I believe, is called "library porn":

Because Libraries can be Awesomely Beautiful

At right is an image of the personal library of Jay Walker from an article from Wired several years ago. It's an incredible space -- he calls it the "The Walker Library of the History of Human Imagination" -- and the many images at Wired of the library and the library's artifacts are worth scrolling through ... or go to this short video of it at Vimeo.  Walker has also given a TED talk about it.

Walker, by the way, made the many millions necessary to pay for things like this library from Walker Digital, a company that has acquired a reputation as a patent troll.

Houses in Luque, Paraguay

One of a pair of houses by Bauen (which may have the least helpful website of any architectural firm in this sector of the galaxy) in Luque, which is part of Greater Asuncion in Paraguay.  This is really a beautiful earth berm adaptation and an elegant adaption of the house to its landscape. See the initial link for more site and interior shots. Via Contemporist.

Daytonian in Manhattan

Corner of the Silk Exchange Building in New York via Daytonian in Manhattan

Maggie Koerth-Baker at boingboing recently posted about the unfinished sculptures that have sat for over 100 years as blocks on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's front cornice, which is an interesting story. That led me, via her link, to the great discussion of this at the blog Daytonian in Manhattan, and that ...

The Sneeoosh Cabin, Puget Sound, Washington

The Sneeoosh Cabin on Puget Sound, Washington,has views of the sound, Hope Island, Whidbey Island and the Olympic Mountains. Having formerly lived in Seattle (which is on Puget Sound) and spending a fair amount of time in the Olympics, and having had an Uncle and aunt in-law (is that a thing?) who lived on Bainbridge Island, I gotta say: this must be a fabulous place to visit. At Contemporist.

The Nettleton 198 House

This is how the other half the one percent live. The Nettleton 198 house is a seven story house in Cape Town, South Africa, designed by Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects ("SAOTA"). An elevator, of course, is a necessity, and is the endless pool, Corbu lounges and Mies (Barcelona) chairs, multiple kitchens, and room for 5 cars.  It actually is a beautiful adaptation to a cliff side; hence the seven stories. SAOTA's website is annoying but worth looking through if you like modern architecture; the link to the Nettleton House is from Contemporist.

Red Windows

Apropos of beauty only.  Via Environmental Graffiti.