There is a long tradition of concealing spaces - even whole worlds - within existing structures. From CS Lewis's Wardrobe to the expedience-driven space and time shifting properties of the Tardis, through to the pragmatic continuation of the streetscape through structures like 23 and 24 Leinster Gardens, a famous false facade in London (and surely in need of being given a fitting fictional character as its occupant). Wikimapia shows what's behind the facade. Another picture at Geograph and another at flickr, part of an abandoned buildings set.

China Mieville's short story "Reports of Certain Events in London", which appeared in McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories (it's also collected in his book Looking for Jake), examines the sudden and chaotic appearance of ghost streets within London's fabric, spaces that open and close leaving little evidence of their existence - a roof tile, some broken glass. Mieville is another author with an established alternative world, in this case New Crobuzon. See also the Fictional Cities and Towns page on wikipedia.

More architecture of concealment (portals concealing practicality). The 'Transformer Houses' photographed by Robin Collyer and covered in a typically thorough BLDG BLOG post, the comments to which revealed a rich thread of false architecture, concealing structures and dummy houses. Related, the Swiss Bunkers series by photographer Leo Fabrizio. More of Fabrizio's Bunkers, all concealed so as not to denigrate from the spectacular landscape. Also of interest, Fabrizio's ongoing series about the Sonnenberg Tunnel (wikipedia).

Also related, The Pet Architecture Guide Book, Atelier Bow-Wow's monographic guide to 'the buildings that have been squeezed into left over urban spaces'. More about Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima of AB-W at Archinect. See also the work of Joel Tettamanti. Above image of the Inversion House, a 2005 installation in Houston. Archinect gallery. The project was subsequently tagged then demolished, although it lives on virtually on thousands of weblogs. The site is now a Coffee House.

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Other things. 'Entdeckung der Korridore/Discovery of Corridors', an artwork by PRINZGAU/podgorschek, via anArchitecture, a 'buried autobahn' set into the landscape as a piece of found archaelogy, the remnant of a lost civilisation. Yes, that does sound rather Ballardian. Should you so desire, there's even a track called 'Abandoned Motorway' on Ballard Landscapes 2, an album by Cousin Silas.

Chris Morris visits the Large Hadron Collidor, via cook'd and bomb'd / Picdit, yes, a link blog / Wolfenflickr (via Wonderland) / extremely large tanks, a top ten. More pictures here of the heaviest and biggest tanks / My Bloody Valentine: Sound as Substance, Sam Jacobs on sonic holocausts and growing old / Top Architecture News, an aggregated list / Emu Graphic Design, a steady stream of links / the Greene and Greene Architectural Records and Papers Collection.

O Meu Outro Eu Esta A Dancar, a weblog / phantom plate, evade speed cameras / Grow your own home / some more anti-whimsy, albeit in extended rant form / Best Practices for Time Travelers, a 2003 post at Idle Words that can be used as reference for kottke's Survival Tips for the Middle Ages / related, Empirical Evidence of Time Travel, a post at Wide Scope. Check the wikipedia time travel page for more discussion.

Wannes Deprez's content rich flickr stream (via continuity in architecture, which has also linked to Britischer Architekt, the classic Rover commercial from the late 80s. It seems it was actually called 'Schnell'). See also this fine suite of beach houses at the California Coastal Records Project, including Craig Ellwood's Hunt House of 1955. Also, the Rose Studio Pavilion, better known from its role in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and designed by David Haid of Cowell and Neuhaus. Also, New York, 1978, all that theoretical potential. The construction of Claude Bell's Cabazon Dinosaurs.

Recent British architecture, some photography / thanks for inclusion in the east coast Architecture review's favourite 20 design blogs / contribute to Capsule's Home of Metal, an 'online digital archive that actively engages its audience in the creation and shape of....online digital archive of memories, images and pictures to tell the story of this unique moment of Midlands' musical heritage' (via diskant) / thanks for the link at Beyond the Beyond.

Labels: architecture, future, linkage

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