Zaha Hadid's Sleek Metro Station in Saudia Arabia

World renowned architect Zaha Hadid has just won a competition to design the new metro station for Saudia Arabia's capital city Riyadh. The city's population has doubled since 1990 and is now home to more than 5 million people. Due to this large influx of citizens, the city has now started planning a brand new metro system to better aid them in their day to day life.

Located in the King Abdullah Financial District, Hadid architect's proposal is a four story building that will feature six train platforms, two levels of underground parking, and even access to the cities pre-existing monorail line by use of a sky bridge. Much thought has been given into diminishing congestion by using a series of pedestrian walkways that run throughout the building without interfering with commuters and travelers.

Other design aspects of this project are the undulating waves featured on the walls and roof that are meant to symbolize Saudia Arabia's rolling desert dunes and give the building its unique fluid look. The structure's woven latice facade is designed to allow natural light to enter the interior of the station without causing a harsh glare. The estimated completion date of this project is 2017 and is sure to be an iconic landmark for the city of Riyadh. 05 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

10 Cheapest Destinations Travel in 2013

Inflation is at an all time high and is really hurting middle class Americans. Hawaii and Mexico are more expensive than California, so where can we go this summer? Here you go lucky Loljam people, a list of the cheapest destinations of 2013. Travel on!

01. Turkey

"Turkey is on the rise, so the time for the best of the new at the price of the old is now. In the last decade, the country has grown its tourism infrastructure by 67 percent, and more recently it has emerged as a global airline hub. And those are just a few of the reasons we recently named Turkey one of our Destinations to Watch in 2013. For now, the dollar will still get you far in this country of ancient ruins, historic towns, and beckoning beaches." 09 more after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

The World's Biggest Megacities

20. Buenos Aires

Urban area: 13.5 million people

City: 2.9 million people

According to the 2012 edition of Demographia's World Urban Areas index, the capital of Argentina is the second largest urban area in South America after Sao Paulo. Its per capita income is among the highest in Latin America and its quality of life is ranked number one in the region, although some estimates say that 4 million people in the area live in poverty. It is also reportedly the most visited city in Latin America.

Urban Detail � Buenos Aires is known for its European style architecture and culture, a legacy of the Spanish and Italian origins of most of the population. It has the highest concentration of theatres in Latin America and is the birthplace of Tango music and dance. (Source: Reuters) 19 more after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Desert and Ocean Meets � Namib

Photo � Link

The Southern Namib desert is home to some of the tallest and most spectacular dunes of the world, ranging in color from pink to vivid orange. These dunes continue right to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The cold waters of the sea brushing against the dunes of the Namib desert is one of the most surreal sights.

While the sea coast extends for hundreds of miles, one of the best places to see these dunes is at Swakopmund. Known as Swakop in Namibia, it is the country's biggest coastal town and a mecca for Namibians on holiday. The city's German origins are quite pronounced in beautiful old German Colonial buildings throughout the city, making an even starker contrast for this town sitting at the edge of the Namib Desert. 13 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

The Widest Street in the World � 9 de Julio Avenue

9 de Julio Avenue (or Avenida 9 de Julio, in the local tongue) in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina, is not just any street. Nine lanes wide, with gardened medians between the opposing flow of traffic, this is the widest street in the world. Only those with a quick pace and long legs will be lucky to get to the other side before the traffic lights at the intersection changes. A pedestrian crossing this street usually requires a few extra minutes and two to three traffic light rotations. 9 de Julio Avenue is only 1 km long but 110 meters wide.

The avenue's unusual width is because it spans an entire city block, the distance between two streets in the checkerboard pattern used in Buenos Aires. The avenue runs to the west of the R�o de la Plata waterfront, from the Retiro district in the north to Constituci�n station in the south. It has up to seven lanes in each direction and is flanked on either side by parallel streets of two lanes each.

Photo � Link

The street runs far in both directions and connects the unique sections of the metropolis. Some of Buenos Aires� main landmarks can be seen along the way; most notably, the Obelisk, that sits in the middle of 9 de Julio, the original French Embassy, the statue of Don Quixote, the Teatro Colon and the former Ministry of Communications building - the only building that sits on the avenue itself at the intersection with Moreno street.

The avenue was first planned in 1888, with the name of Ayohuma; but the road was long opposed by affected landlords and residents, so work did not start until 1935. Even the French government refused to submit the embassy building for demolition, and local preservationists opposed the move as well, as the building is widely hailed as an architectural masterpiece. The initial phase was inaugurated on 9 July 1937 and the main stretch of the avenue was completed in the 1960s. The southern connections were completed after 1980, when the downtown portion of the tollway system was completed. Clearing the right-of-way for these intersections required massive condemnations in the Constituci�n area. 08 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Manhattan of the Desert Shibam � Yemen

The city of Shibam, located in the central-western area of Hadhramaut Governorate, in the Ramlat al-Sab`atayn desert, is best known for its towering mudbrick skyscrapers. This small town of 7000 is packed with around 500 mud houses standing between 5 and 11 stories tall and reaching 100 feet high, all constructed entirely of mud bricks. The bizarre skyline that the high rise buildings bestow upon the city has earned Shibam the moniker "Manhattan of the Desert."

Shibam is often called "the oldest skyscraper city in the world" and is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction. Its plan is trapezoidal, almost rectangular; and it is enclosed by earthen walls within which a block of dwellings, also built from earth, have been laid out on an orthogonal grid. Shibam was founded in the 3rd century AD, but most of the houses you see here dates only to the 16th century, following a devastating flood of which Shibam was the victim in 1532-33. However, some older houses and large buildings still remain from the first centuries of Islam, such as the Friday Mosque, built in 904, and the castle, built in 1220.

Photo � Link

In general the windowless lower floors are used for grain storage, with areas for domestic use above and those for family and leisure above that. The main room on the second floor is used by men for socializing. It often has wonderful carved plasterwork and freestanding decorated wooden columns supporting the ceiling, while women's areas are found higher, usually on the third or fourth floor. The highest rooms are for communal use by the whole family, and on the upper levels there are often bridges and doors connecting the houses. These are a defensive feature, but also a practical one � especially for old people who find it difficult to walk up and down the interminable staircases. 08 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Land of Giants � Iceland

American firm Choi + Shine Architects designed these conceptual electricity pylons shaped like human figures to march across the Icelandic landscape. Each pylon would be assembled from modular parts, which could be adapted into various positions to given the impression the the statues are walking, climbing or crouching. The 30-metre tall statues would be supported on concrete footings and are an alteration of the steel frame used by existing pylons. Called Land of Giants, the project was originally submitted for a 2008 competition held by Icelandic transmission company Landsnet and the Association of Icelandic Architects.The design was one of four winners at the recent 2010 Boston Society of Architects Unbuilt Architecture Awards. 06 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Cambodian Deities in Trees

Imagine, if you will, walking through the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It�s a balmy evening, and while it�s dark you can still feel the day�s heat rising from the pavement slabs. You have just finished watching a film with friends, and you are returning to your inner city apartment. Imagine your surprise when you see the ghostly image of Buddha appear before you in the leaves of a tree. You blink yourself silly trying to work out whether this is your moment of truth, or whether it is the work of an amazing artist. Such was the dilemma facing Cambodians recently during Clement Briend�s exhibition, Cambodian Trees.

French photographer Briend is very good at taking pictures. He is also very good at projecting digital images onto unassuming surfaces to create interesting dichotomies. During his time away from being a professor of art at University of Valenciennes, Clement traveled to Cambodia to explore this technique. Setting these night time incarnations against an urban backdrop gives his work a uniquely haunting appeal.

05 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Walk in Astana - The capital of Kazakhstan

Astana, formerly known as Akmola until 1998, Tselinograd until 1992 and Akmolinsk until 1961, has been the capital of Kazakhstan since 1997, and is the country's second largest city (after Almaty, the former capital) with an officially estimated population of 775,800 as of 21 June 2012.[3] It is located in the north portion of Kazakhstan, within Akmola Province, though administrated separately from the province as a federal city area. The current mayor of Astana is Imangali Tasmagambetov. He was appointed on 4 April 2008.

After gaining capital status and the organization of a special economic zone "Astana - New City", which is experiencing an unprecedented boom for the CIS city became the second largest in the country and it sold a lot of modern architectural and urban projects.

26 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Simone Handbag Museum � Seoul

December 13th, 2012 � South Korean�s are becoming more known for their bold approach to modern architecture, but this new towering structure might just take the prize! A massive building shaped like a handbag is now Seoul�s latest style accessory. Korean-based architects UAD and Charlie Smith Design, took a very literal approach to creating the handbag look-a-like structure for the Simone Handbag Museum, which showcases over 300 handbags that date from the 16th century to the 21st century. The five story building, which will now be known as The BagStage Building, celebrates the history of handbag design in South Korea, showcases Simone�s collection of bags, and provides designated workshops for promising young designers to create their own handbags. 07 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Siberian Doctors Use Sticks to Literally Beat Drug Addiction

There�s a new way to beat your addiction, but it hurts, a lot. Psychologists at a Siberian drug clinic are using corporal punishment to help drug, alcohol and even $ex addicts get their lives back. The bizarre treatment involves lashing patients� buttocks with sticks and canes.

Photo � Link

�We cane the patients on the buttocks with a clear and definite medical purpose � it is not some warped sado-masochistic activity,� Professor Marina Chukhrova told The Siberian Times. Apparently, there are some sound scientific principles behind these beatings. Chukhrova and fellow practitioner Dr German Pilipenko claim addicts suffer from a lack of endorphins, known as the �happiness hormones�, and the excruciating pain stimulates their brains to release endorphins into the body, making them feel better about themselves without having to use any other stimulants. �The caning counteracts a lack of enthusiasm for life which is often behind addictions, suicidal tendencies and psychosomatic disorders,� Pilipenko says. He admits their technique gets a lot of skepticism from fellow doctors, but insists the pain acts as an injection against stress. 03 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Skogafos - The most famous waterfall in Iceland

Photo � Link

Sk�gafoss is a waterfall situated in the south of Iceland at the cliffs of the former coastline. After the coastline had receded seaward (it is now at a distance of about 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) from Sk�gar), the former sea cliffs remained, parallel to the coast over hundreds of kilometres, creating together with some mountains a clear border between the coastal lowlands and the Highlands of Iceland. 10 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Top 10 Countries That Disappeared In The 20th Century

New nations seem to pop up with alarming regularity. At the start of the 20th century, there were only a few dozen independent sovereign states on the planet; today, there are nearly 200! Once a nation is established, they tend to stick around for awhile, so a nation disappearing is quite uncommon. It�s only occurred a handful of times in the last century. But when they do, they completely vanish off the face of the globe: government, flag, and all. Here then, in no particular order, are the top ten countries that had their moment in the sun but are, alas, no more.

10. East Germany, 1949-1990

Created from the Soviet controlled sector of Germany after the Second World War, East Germany was probably best known for its Wall and its tendency to shoot people who attempted to cross over it. Now, it�s one (over-reactionary) thing to shoot foreigners who are trying to enter your country illegally, but these were its own people!

Basically little more than a Soviet satellite state, the collapse of the notorious Wall and, with it, the demise of the old Soviet Union brought an end to this failed experiment in Communism, and it was integrated back into the rest of Germany in 1990. Because East Germany was so far behind the rest of Germany economically, however, its reintegration with the west almost bankrupted Germany. Today, however, things are swimming along nicely, thank you. 09 more countries after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Top 10 Deadliest Countries for Journalists

A free and fair press has always been a target for tyrants and criminals. As a result, reporters, photographers, and bloggers can find themselves in harm�s way while informing us of world and local events. Sadly, this situation has not improved much with time: as of this writing, 960 journalists have been murdered in the last 10 years.

The following are the �10 Deadliest Countries for Journalists�, as ranked by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). To humanize the grim statistics, each entry includes a passage describing a late journalist, randomly selected from victim rolls that are entirely too long.

NOTE: CPJ confirms a case only if it�s reasonably sure a journalist was murdered �in direct reprisal for his or her work, killed in combat/crossfire, or killed while carrying out a dangerous assignment.� Should you wish to contribute to its efforts, you may donate to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

10. Mexico

Total Murders since 1992: 28

Since 1992, 89% of Mexico�s killed journalists were murdered, mostly by drug cartels and criminal gangs operating with near-total impunity. As could be expected from the failing drug war in Mexico, the victims� beats typically focused on crime, with some overlap for covering government corruption.

One such victim was Luis Emanuel Ruiz Carrillo, a 21 year old photographer working for La Prensa. He was kidnapped along with his cousin (Juan Gomez Melendez) and a popular TV show host (Jose Luis Cerds Melendez). All three were later found dead with gunshot wounds to the head, next to fresh graffiti warning �Stop cooperating with the Zetas�. The Zetas are a major drug cartel, and operate with such freedom in Mexico that an armed Zeta walked into the police�s active crime scene and moved the bodies to a different location.

Ruiz was still in college, and winner of a journalism award the previous year. He had been on the job eight months. 09 more countries after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Kazakhstan � Photographer Gregory Bedenko

Lake "Middle Kulsay." Included in the system of three very beautiful ponds, cascaded. At this point in the national park.

South-East Kazakhstan � Photographer Gregory Bedenko, Kazakhstan - the land of mostly prairie. However, the south-east by the mountains of Tien Shan, known for its stunning beauty of landscapes. 23 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Khan Shatyr � The World�s Tallest Tent in Kazakhstan

Photo � Link

Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center in Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, is an architectural project that is billed as the world�s largest tent. The �tent� is made of a transparent material and suspended on a network of cables strung from a central spire 150 meters high. The structure has a 200 meter elliptical base enclosing an area of 140,000 square metres. Underneath the tent, an area larger than 10 football stadiums, is an urban-scale internal park, shopping and entertainment venue with squares and cobbled streets, a boating river, shopping centre, mini golf and indoor beach resort. The transparent material allows sunlight through which, in conjunction with air heating and cooling systems, maintains a comfortable internal temperature between 15�30 �C while outside the temperature varies between -35 and 35 �C across the year.

To prevent condensation in the winter, three translucent layers of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene fabric or EFTE act to channel warm air. In summer, fritting on the outermost foil layer provides solar shading. Inside, low-level jets direct cool air across the space, while opening vents at the apex induce stack-effect ventilation. The transparency and scale of the tent stands out in the skyline like a beacon, changing colors at night and streaming in natural light during the day. 14 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

Kuwait�s Golden Jubilee Fireworks Enters Guinness World Records

November 10, 2012 marked the golden jubilee of Kuwait�s constitution and the country celebrated it with a spectacular $15-million fireworks display which earned the wealthy Gulf state a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Tens of thousands of Kuwaitis and expatriates filled the seaside Arabian Gulf Road to watch the dazzling display of colors and light that saw a staggering 77,282 fireworks launched over a period of one hour. The visual presentation marked 50 years to the day since the late emir Sheikh Abdullah al-Salem al-Sabah announced that Kuwait had become the first Arab state in the Gulf to issue a constitution and have a parliament. 08 more images after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet

The World's 15 Richest Muslim Countries

01. Qatar

GDP (PPP) per capita: $ 88,919 (2011)

(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

14 more counties after the break...

Continue Reading.......

Tweet