Two of the most ingenious means of creativity the world has to offer are architecture and lighting. Weíve recently seen an explosion of innovative lighting shows which grace amazing buildings around the globe are creating artistic splendour combining the brilliance of both.

Here is an exploration into the most outstanding 4D light shows on buildings of recent times. We also explore five of the most impressive modern architectural achievements which have embraced innovative lighting as part of their design.

Lumière Festival, Lyon

During Lyon’s annual four day festival which runs each December, The Eglise St Nizier, a Lyonais church of Gothic and Renaissance played host to a spectacular 3D light show in 2010.
The building’s facade transformed when the arches and brickwork morphed and came to life to the amazement of onlookers.
The audience then took over by voicing noises and vocals into a system which translated into visuals projected onto the building. In effect, the audience embodied the building!

Administration Building of Kharkiv, Ukraine

In honour of the city and its Independence Day, a fantastic light show was projected onto the building on 24th August 2010.
This truly was a show to remember! Areas of the façade appeared to crumble away to the amazement of onlookers, and even an aeroplane flew towards the crowd!

Vimeo Festival, New York

The conclusion of the first Vimeo Film Festival and Awards in New York on 9th October 2010 was a fantastic one.
A spectacular architectural project mapping piece illuminated the IAC Building with imaginative 4D graphics, lighting and soundtrack.

Hamburg Kunsthalle, Germany

This world renowned art museum situated in Hamburg was host to one of the most elaborate 4D projections so far.
Based on the outstanding architecture of the Kunsthalle, the concept was to manipulate and reinterpret its geometry and aesthetics in an imaginative way through the use of graphics and movement. The transformation of spatial conception is astounding.

RL’s Madison Ave Store, NY

On 10th November 2010 in celebration of a decade of digital innovation, Ralph Lauren’s flagship store in New York presented an ultimate fusion of art, culture, fashion and technological splendour when the building’s faced became a 3-dimensional catwalk and a medley of various images and objects. A truly spectacular visual display.

Moscow State University, Russia

In celebration of Moscow’s 864th birthday, the Moscow State University building was transformed into a 25,500-square-metre screen with a spectacular 4D light show masterminded by David Atkins.

The show which entered the Guinness Books of Records for being the world’s largest ever laser show, featured a flaming phoenix and innovative graphics depicting the buildingís structure and even paid homage to ground-breaking technology such as the Apple iPhone.

Sydney Opera House, Australia

Designed as part of the Vivid Sydney Festival during May and June 2011, the front of the Sydney Opera House saw its sails illuminated in an inventive and inspiring way, celebrating creativity, music and light.

Guggenheim Museum, NY

On October 21st – 22nd 2010 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum New York, YouTube teamed up with the museum as part of the company’s YouTube Play initiative to discover and showcase the most exceptional talent working in the ever-expanding realm of online video – projecting this brilliant projected video show onto the building.

Other Dazzling Facades

In addition to the fantastic light shows on buildings, there are also some truly amazing architectural masterpieces that have incorporated light shows as integral to their design.

Such innovation takes architecture to new levels, illuminating structures and adding new dimensions. Here are some of the world’s greatest buildings which have embraced innovative lighting techniques along with their structures.

The Water Cube, Beijing, China

Originally the Beijing National Aquatics Centre and one of the homes of the 2008 Olympics, is the largest structure made of the translucent plastic-like material (ETFE) and allows more light than normal glass hence the beams of light can penetrate the material further.

The LightScraper, Victoria, Australia

LightScraper from Vj Vespertine on Vimeo.

This innovative building features real-time 3D graphics with a human motion tracking system gives the structure a combination of visual and sound consequential of its environment.

The Rundle Lantern, Adelaide, Australia

Rundle Lantern Launch from Fusion on Vimeo.

The building uses thousands of LED’s to illuminate its structures 748 square panels and projects and ever-transforming platform of unique digital art.

Kubik, Berlin, Germany

kubik hamburg from capitan on Vimeo.

The Kubik is a light-room installation open-air club in the heart of Berlin, Germany’s cultural centre. This amazing design incorporates a unique fusion of water tanks, light shows and electronic music.

The Agbar Tower, Barcelona, Spain

This amazing structure consists of more than 4,000 tiny LED lights and stands 51,000 metres. Its nocturnal lighting projects a myriad of images from approximately 16 million colours. Designed by Yann Kersalé, it is championed as one of the most sophisticated systems of building light innovation in the world.

About the author: Paul Dimmock writes from CultureLabel; a London based, online creative department store for unique gifts and affordable art prints. All art works are carefully chosen from partnered artists and designers.

Mexico city found a good way to create skyscrapers without ruining the landscape, build it underground! Is is designed by BNKR Arquitectura, and will be an inverted pyramid with a central void to allow all habitable spaces to enjoy natural lighting and ventilation. More info on Arch Daily.

I think I found where I’d like to live. It’s the village of Monsanto, located on the side of a mountain in Portugal. Some of the houses are stucked between giant boulders and other houses carved into the mountain, making the village look like it’s blended in the mountain. Via My Modern Met.

Dolly Parton may have complained about working nine-to-five but for some people the daily grind isn’t quite such a chore. We look at the world’s top ten creative offices, which have been designed to make the working day simply fly by… Here is a quick overview of some offices interior design styles.

Etsy Labs – Brooklyn, USA

Etsy, the craft equivalent of eBay has the motto ‘Live handmade’, so it’s no surprise that their offices are such a treat. The staff is made up of craftspeople and artists, who all get $100 of Etsy credit with which to decorate their workspace. The offices boast a space station conference room and an in-house kitchen where lunch is cooked for staff and announced with a dinner bell!

McLaren Technology Centre – Surrey, UK

The HQ for any Formula One racing car company needs to be pretty sleek – and McLaren Technology Centre does not disappoint. This office-come-factory has its own 475-foot-long wind tunnel (for testing Formula One cars, naturally) and an artificial lake for cooling purposes. This may all sound a bit functional but the lustrous architecture and clean crisp interior design help to make this look like the ultimate workplace of the future.

Bank of Moscow’s Offices – Moscow, Russia

Sleek modern offices full of Perspex and ping-pong are all well and good but we had to take a moment to reflect on the splendour of The Bank of Moscow’s Offices for a touch of historical opulence. The building is totally windowless so all light reaches employees via a stunning stained-glass ceiling. Staff are spread around the balconies surrounding the main client zone, making the most of the building’s tiered structure, which in past incarnations has been a gallery and even a boutique.

Uppercut Offices – Montreal, Canada

Uppercut, are one of the hottest young communications agencies in Montreal, so it’s important for their image to be bang up to date. Cue an eye-full of large-scale graphics and bright colours depicting everything from grassy meadows to vibrant cartoon characters. The other cool thing about this office? It can be found in the basement of a fully operational church!

Red Bull – London, UK

Red Bull’s HQ in London’s trendy Soho is the archetypal cool office. Highlights include slides to get from floor to floor, table-tennis tables in the meeting rooms and a rooftop terrace boasting Mary Poppins style views of London.

Ogilvy & Mather Guangzhou Office – Guangzhou, China

This sumptuous office was one of the recipients of China’s Most Successful Design Award in 2008 and it’s easy to see why. The brief for designers was to inspire creativity in the staff and they certainly went all out with their ‘Carnival of Ideas’ theme. Ferris wheel carriages, carousel horses and a hall of mirrors all transform this workplace into a kind of fantasy land.

Pixar – California, USA

Given the colourful, fun-loving characters Pixar create for film after film, it’ll come as no surprise that it’s a little zany at Pixar HQ. The main entrance hall is designed to look like a football field and instead of standard old cubicles, each animator has their own individually themed ‘mini-cottage’.

SKYPE – Stockholm, Sweden

This office was originally built in 1846 as a clothing factory but then operated as a brewery from 1857 until 1971. The München Brewery now reflects Skype’s playful ethos and design through striking, colourful ergonomic furniture and minimalist design that simply oozes contemporary Swedish style.

Vodafone Head Office – Portugal

Portugal serves as the location for Vodaphone’s most striking office. Architects José António Barbosa and Pedro Guimarães are responsible for this uber-modern structure, which thanks to its unconventional angles looks quite out of balance. Inside bright blocks of colour, Perspex furniture and jaggedly angled strips of light complete the futuristic feel.

Googleplex - California USA

What cool offices compilation would be complete without Google’s California HQ? Staff here can make the most of free, freshly cooked meals, a free doctor on site, a swimming spa and a volleyball court. The fact this place seems more like a holiday camp than a work place may help to explain the fact that the Googleplex receives around 1,300 CVs each day!

Do you know some other creative offices we didn’t mention?

It is of course impossible to cover all creative offices in one post, and I’m sure you already saw some great ones, or maybe you even work in one?

About the author: Alex writes on behalf of printing company Print Express, who specialise in business cards, posters & custom postcards. He spends his spare time learning to code Ruby, and practicing his Photoshop skills.

This house in Cracow, Poland, is about to be built in a quite unexpected place: a tiny space between two buildings. With 122 cm to 72 cm width, it is about to become the narrowest house in the world.

Etgar Keret, an israeli writer, will be using it as his workplace and studio for invited guests. The water and sewage technologies used will be inspired by boats to be independent from the city’s systems.

Obviously I wouldn’t want to live in such a place, but it is probably an interesting challenge for an architect to conceive it.

Decorating styles have evolved over the centuries in response to the changing tastes of various groups of people. Every style has benefits to the people who will enjoy the home for many years to come. Many styles were born out of previous styles and have evolved into a distinct type of decorating for a certain feel. Each of the following designs expresses personality and taste specific to an era.

1. Shabby Chic

British look that incorporates all-white interior walls, floors, and ceilings accented with vintage items resting on distressed furniture. Soft pastels bring focus and offer a more feminine feel to the design.

2. Swedish Style

An eclectic look is created through a trendy approach called maximalism, which means to make the most of a small space. What may appear to be a hodgepodge of colour is actually a collection of interesting objects arranged for maximum visual appeal. Vibrant colours are used to create focal points throughout the room that beg the visitor to examine each piece more closely.

3. Contemporary

Noticeable design features include solid colours with contrasting properties against a blank slate of walls and floor. Furniture has sleek, straight lines with sharp corners. Few accent pieces are used, which leaves a clean and open look for visual appeal.

4. Classic Contemporary

Softer colour contrasts highlight the art on the walls as the visual emphasis. Rounded furniture lines offer an appealing and warm setting that draws the visitor to sit and rest awhile. Colours are complementary instead of contrasting to draw the entire room into focus without an abrupt focus on one element.

5. Funky

Bulky, comfortable chairs set against the stark lines of tables with metal legs. The visitor is invited to investigate the cubbies and sit for a spell. Every element is clean and visibly interesting. Colours are in the chairs while the rest of the room creates a palette to be accented for visual interest.

6. New York

Wide open rooms are accented with neutral paint colours accented by contrasting furniture. Edges of the room are lined with furniture that allows for easy traffic flow through the main corridors. Eye-catching accents are used as light fixtures, and storage is hidden in beautiful pieces of furniture made of intriguing materials.

7. Traditional

A formal home setting is the most appropriate choice for this style. Choices between many time periods create a sense of timeless tradition in a home that is decorated in the traditional sense. Colours include the jewel tones in coordinating hues. Silks, brocades and satin are the prevalent fabrics used in this style of decorating.

8. Eclectic

As the term conveys, the Eclectic decorating style is varied and can develop into a room that resembles any number of the other decorating styles. Colours are strictly up to the taste of the person who will live with the interior décor. Most people who choose this style do so because they enjoy certain aspects of all the other styles.

9. Garden

Most homes decorated in the Garden style will have a sun room full of plants built onto an exterior wall. The use of live plants inside the house is accompanied by landscape pictures. Large windows allow for sweeping views of the exterior landscape. Interior and outdoor furniture are used inside the home and patio doors are in more than one room. Colours are vibrant and natural to bring the outdoors into each living space.

10. Tuscan

Originating in Italy, the Tuscan style was developed by the tradesmen and farmers that lived throughout Italy’s countryside. As Italians came to this country, their decorating style took hold. Colours include natural hues accented with rich reds and ochers found in the landscape. Muted tones blend the walls, floors, and furniture into a soothing setting that welcomes everyone.

11. Asian

Use of space is central to decorating in the Asian style. Leaving the middle of the room open is essential to convey the openness of heart valued in the Asian cultures of the world. Colours are close to nature and bright colours are used in focal points around each room.

Matt works at MoneyChoices.com.au, an online consumer comparison service catering to Australians where homebuyers can compare home loans from a variety of banks.

Located in Portugal, this surprising house is located between two giant rocks. Via Fubiz.

The Swedish architecture office Jagnefalt Milton has been awarded in the Norwegian master plan competition. Their proposal was a to have buildings rolling through the city on rails. On Friday the jury went public with the awarded master plans for the city of Åndalsnes. Via Dezeen

The Swiss Alps seem to be a wonderful place for architects’ experiments. After the alpine hut on the Mt-Rose, a new alien-like building has been built, this time with a gorgeous view on the Matterhorn.

This project, named Evolver, has been conceived by the students of the Studio ALICE in the EPFL. Basically it is a 720 degrees that lets you get a new viewing experience of the panorama, for more I suggest that you take a look at the project’s page or at the article on TrendsNow (in french).

Credits photos Joel Tettamanti – ALICE/EPFL

Big media will often give a lot of attention to huge architectural projects like towers in Dubaï or Shanghai. In this list, I’d like to give some exposure to some more human-scaled cool houses.

1. Alpine Hut

Wonderful alpine hut by slovenian architecture studio Ofis Arhitekti.

2. Sliding house

Sleek and minimalist approach to adaptable living, created by dRMM studio.

3. Reflection of Mineral

Reflection of Mineral has received wide architecture and design media attention and numerous international awards, it was designed by architect Yasuhiro Yamashita .

4. Byron Bay House

Located on one of the most famous australian beaches, this house combines eco-friendly materials with modern architecture, by McKay+Partners LLP.

5. Hangar Prefab

For the nomads out there, the wonderful prefab hangar.

6. Swiss Chalet

The perfect place to spend some time isolated from the world.

7. Tea house

A tea house in Prague, great work by A1Architects.

8. Marinette Residence

Not revolutionary, but a nice house by Atelier V.

9. Mummy Mountain

A house with a view, make sure you take a look at the development on their website.

10. 5ive

When building your home becomes an opportunity to change your lifestyle, architecture by Shelter.

11. Metamorfosis 1

Lovely renovation of a wooden house.

12. Camouflage house

How about a house that really integrates with the environment?

13. Drift Bay House

A beautiful house in an amazing place.

14. Castlerock Crescent Clontarf

Superb house by Molnar Freeman studio.

15. Taylor Smith architects

You got to love the display of the wooden structure.

16. The Trojan House

Pretty impressive house, looks like it’s about to fall.

17. Dairy Barn Renovation

18. Yakisugi House

Residence based in Nagano, with a tea room located in the tower.

19. OUTrial House

A house from Poland covered with grass.

20. Khyber Ridge House

Awesome integration to the landscape for this home in British Colombia.

21. Eggo-House

A garden anyone would want to have.

22. Shell House

Futuristic architecture from Japan.

23. Hollywood Hills Home

Modern design with amazing views.

24. Modern Glass Home

A beautiful glass home with a tower in Krakow, Poland.

25. House with an outdoor home theater

An outdoor home theater on a house, who wouldn’t want it?

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