World's craziest staircases

Stairs aren’t just a boring, utilitarian part of our homes and public buildings. They’re an opportunity for an architect to really make a statement and do something bold and distinctive. From staircases that float to stairs that fit in impossibly tiny spaces to staircases that go nowhere, this often-overlooked part of everyday architecture is being rethought by many designers and architects. You’ll see no beige-carpeted run-of-the-mill staircases here; these are some (more!) of the best, strangest, and most beautiful staircases in the world.



These majestic and impressive stairs can be found in Lello Bookshop in Portugal. The sheer heft of this staircase is balanced nicely by the smooth flow of all of its shapes. The grand staircase begins as two sets of steps on the upper level, then the two become one when the entire staircase folds under itself to glide smoothly to the lower floor. The color and sturdy dimensions give the entire staircase an almost mouth-like appearance.


This incredible design, believe it or not, is made from 10mm thick sheet metal, and there are no hidden suspensions keeping it aloft; just wall brackets and tension. The ribbon of sheet metal zigzags up the space to make the exposed staircase appear open, airy and mysterious. And best of all, the whole staircase is surprisingly sturdy. Designed by HSH Architects, the staircase is in the main living area of a home in Prague.


This crazy staircase to nowhere was commissioned by accounting firm KPMG in Munich in 2004. It was built by artist Olafur Eliasson and now stands in the courtyard of the KPMG building. Besides being an interesting focal point, it’s a functional staircase – if you consider traveling its pointless path “functional.” Although the stairs won’t actually get you anywhere, it’s probably a fun lunchtime break for the people who work in the building.


For hopelessly tiny spaces where traditional stairs would take up too much precious floor real estate, EeDesign has a solution. These stairs fit into just over 1 meter of floor space to provide a passage to higher ground that’s basically like walking up a spiral ladder. They come in many colors and can be customized to fit each unique home and space.

The Gray Hotel in Milan is a stunning modern building designed by Florence architect Guido Ciompi. There are countless things to love about the building and its furnishings, but these floating stairs stand out. Obviously, one would need to be very careful when ascending them after a night of drinking, but their clean lines and unique design are unforgettable.

London architect Alex Michaelis may have discovered the quickest way to get the kids to come down for dinner: let them slide down. Alex let his kids have some input as to what features they wanted in the house he was building, and the staircase slide was one of them. It may not be the most practical design ever, but when the kids are happy, everyone’s happy.

For everyone who has ever gotten around in a wheelchair or pushed around a baby stroller, you know how frustrating it is to encounter a building with stairs and no ramp. Almost as bad are the steep, poorly-designed ramps that were simply tacked on later. The McCormick Tribune Campus Center in Chicago made a stylish compromise between stairs and ramp with this staircase that incorporates a zig-zagging ramp with the stairs. Of course, it looks like it might take more energy making all of those twists and turns than it would to just go up an ordinary ramp, but aesthetically it’s very sharp.

Unlike other floating stairs, this staircase by Bernstein Architecture doesn’t rely on wall brackets to support the steps. Instead, it uses a network of cables to hold each one aloft and completely motionless. According to the architect, the stairs don’t move even a little when they’re stepped on, even though they’re subject to very heavy traffic in their home inside the There TV office in Chicago.


While such a precarious-looking alternating tread stair design would probably never pass building code in America, this ingenious bookshelf staircase makes very good use of a small space. It comes from Czech architects Adam Jirkal, Jerry Koza and Tomáš Kalhous and resides in a house they remodeled in Všenory, Czech Republic.

When are stairs more like a door? When they glide smoothly into the wall, disappearing to prevent unwanted guests from wandering up to your home’s upper level. Though it’s just a concept, this disappearing staircase from designer Aaron Tang would be the perfect addition to any international spy’s house. It operates on interior pistons that drive the whole assembly out from the wall, then help each stair lower gently in a wave-like motion. The touch of a button opens or closes the stairs from either end of the staircase.

These stairs reside in Villa Glittenberg, a family home on the west coast of Norway built by Saunders Architecture. The staircase is made of 1 cm-thick steel and weighs close to one metric ton. It is so massive that it had to be lifted into the home through a skylight with a special crane. The results are simply stunning, though, as the white stairs hovers above the ground and the residents seem to float up to the upper level.

Martino Gamper produces consistently elegant and distinctive custom furniture, and this under-staircase storage drawer system is a testament to his ability. In this beautiful English country home, Gamper installed an ingenious hidden storage staircase to give the occupants more room for storage and to use up some previously forgotten wasted space.

In the summer of 2005, the residents of the Golden Gates Heights neighborhood banded together to make a unique and long-lasting public art project: the 16th Avenue Tiled Steps. The risers of all 163 stairs (on city property) were decorated with mosaics that neighborhood volunteers assembled. The resulting mural is absolutely breathtaking, covering images from deep in the sea to high in the sky.

These wooden library stairs are rich, full of character, and absolutely beautiful. The slats are made from spalted white birch and they were all cut from the same log. The cherry tree in the center is real, and it goes through the ceiling to emerge on the upper floor as the staircase’s newel post. The steel supports and mahogany handrails just add to the luxurious feeling of this amazing staircase.

Source: weburbanist.com

Amazing canned food art sculptures

There’s often a large amount of difference between community service and innovative design. Canstruction is an annual event that’s aimed at changing that. The design event is held in cities all around North America, Australia and across the world. Over an 8-12 week period, teams of engineers, architects and students band together to create fascinating and amazing sculptures out of thousands of cans of food.


Following a public exhibit of the sculptures, all of the food is donated to local food pantries and shelters. Created in 1992 by the Society of Design Administration, Canstruction has collected over ten million pounds of food. More than 130 local competitions are expected to be held in the 2009/2010 season.


These amazing structures really are feats of engineering. The competition lets top architects and engineers show off their design skills to a huge audience while doing something good for the poor in their city. Canstruction is sponsored by contributions from local associations in every city, and visitors are invited to make additional donations of canned food or cash when coming to see the exhibit.


But more than being a great art exhibit, a chance for engineers and strut their stuff and a unique philanthropic project, the Canstruction sculptures are an innovative way to create low-waste, ecologically friendly art. The materials used don’t create an additional negative environmental impact and just go to show that incredible things can be made from ordinary, everyday materials.


Canstruction builds are often community events, with spectators being invited to watch the structures go together. The Super Bowl XLII Host Committee invited Canstruction to build two Giants helmets as part of the 2008 Super Bowl weekend festivities, and families were invited to watch it take place. Canstruction sculptures have also appeared at major events like Oddysey of the Mind, the NeoCon World’s Trade Fair and various conferences and gatherings around the world.

Source: webecoist.com via neatorama

Kim Clijsters "YOU" Magazine photo shoot part 3 & 4

Here is part 3 and part 4 of the photo shoot Kim did recently for U.K.'s Women's Magazine "You".

This time posing with her adorable daughter Jada and husband Brian.

Love the kiss Jada gives Kim at the end. Awww.

And her saying cheese while in her parents arms. So cute :).

In-depth Kim Clijsters interview

Kim Clijsters had been home from New York for just a few days when her 18-month-old daughter, Jada, slipped into the back garden without her noticing. Only the sound of Jada’s happy gurgles outside the back door alerted Kim to her whereabouts.

As her mother approached, Jada flashed an angelic smile and waved the dog food clutched in her tiny hands. Kim recalls the moment with an embarrassed laugh. ‘I thought to myself, “What sort of mother am I?”’

As she speaks, I notice children’s books written in English and Flemish littering the dining room table, along with a new consignment of wrapped tennis shirts from her Italian sponsor. Unwittingly, she has neatly presented me with the twin facets of her life: mother and world class tennis champion, ranked most definitely in that order.

Kim, 26, is wearing jeans and her hair is still damp from the shower after a hard training session as she warmly welcomes me into her house in Bree, the Belgian town where she grew up as the eldest daughter of Leo Clijsters, an acclaimed international footballer. Upstairs, Jada is having her afternoon nap oblivious to her role in her mother’s story, and the fright and relief she caused her.

When Kim won the US Open in September, she became the first mother to triumph at a major tennis championship since Evonne Goolagong was crowned Wimbledon champion 29 years ago. Motherhood has been good for other sportswomen: Paula Radcliffe won the New York marathon ten months after having her daughter, Isla, while Scottish golfer Catriona Matthew captured the women’s British Open championship this summer when her second daughter was just ten weeks old.

‘I think motherhood makes you mentally stronger, not necessarily physically stronger,’ says Kim. Incredibly, she had played just two warm-up tournaments after coming out of retirement, and Jada’s unexpected appearance on court alongside her mother at the presentation ceremony brought the house down.

‘I was more proud of seeing Jada there than I was of winning,’ says Kim. ‘There’s nothing better than being a mother. No win, or trophy, can come even close.’

Life has been kind to Kim; and it has been devastatingly cruel, too. In her time away from the sport – almost two and a half years – she had married her American boyfriend, Brian Lynch, a basketball player, and given birth to Jada.

But her happiness was brutally tempered when, at the beginning of last year, it was discovered that her father (who had split from Kim’s mother in 2005) had terminal cancer. Kim and her younger sister, Elke, nursed him at a farmhouse Kim owns, close to her own home, until his death in January this year, aged just 52. ‘I was eight months pregnant when he rang to tell me he had cancer,’ says Kim.

‘When he told us that the doctors had no cure for his illness, it was such a confusing time for me. I was carrying a new life inside me and I was also being confronted with death. I would have done anything for him. He was given just three months to live, but he was determined to stay alive as long as he could to see his first grandchild. He did that…’

Momentarily, her voice trembles with emotion. ‘Sorry,’ she whispers. Her father’s presence is all around us in the living room where we are talking. His ashes are kept here in an urn, surrounded by family photos and a solitary rose, withered through age.

‘Dad was able to give Elke away when she got married in the summer of 2008,’ says Kim, pointing to a photograph of him proudly escorting Elke into church.

‘He looks so well, doesn’t he? I’m happy for that last year we had with him. He never went to hospital. He had always said that one day he wanted to live in my farmhouse, so when he was sick he moved there. If you have to say goodbye to someone I wish everyone could have it this way.

‘Before, I didn’t know if I would be capable of being part of a situation like this, but we were with him until the last second. It was very personal, very intimate. Dad was peaceful, and he looked at ease. It is comforting afterwards to know all that.’

Last month, Elke had her first child, a boy named Cruz Leo. Kim is his godmother. ‘I cried when he was born,’ she says. ‘My sister means everything to me. It’s special that her baby is named after Dad. He knows, for sure. It’s hard to explain; he may no longer be with us, but we still feel he’s a part of what we do.’

Kim explains what she means by telling me about something that happened at the US Open. She had been growing increasingly nervous as her courtesy car driver took her from her Manhattan hotel to the Flushing Meadows tennis facility, across the East River in the borough of Queens, for her semifinal match with world number one Serena Williams. Kim had already beaten Venus Williams in the fourth round, but Serena was the defending champion and, through wild weather disrupting the programme, Kim had not played for four days.

That was plenty of time for the match to play on her mind. Then, the car radio came alive to the unmistakable sound of soul singer Barry White.

‘Barry White was Dad’s favourite, and he had asked us to play that same song at the service we held at the crematorium,’ she explained. ‘I called my sister in Belgium, almost crying, and said: “Elke, listen!” Some might say it was a coincidence, but at the time I felt it was a message telling me I’d be OK.’

Serena became Kim’s sixth victim when she was punished a penalty point after cursing a lineswoman for calling a foot fault against her. As the foot fault had given Kim match point, Serena was out of the tournament.

‘I was so focused on the match, I had no idea what had happened,’ says Kim, clearly the better player on the night. Without a world ranking, and only in the tournament due to a ‘wild card’ invitation from the organisers of the US Open out of respect for Kim being a former champion, the Belgian had astounded conventional wisdom by reaching the final against Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki.

On the morning of her biggest match in four years, and her greatest-ever challenge, Kim calmly took Jada for a walk in Central Park in her buggy; a first for any woman finalist at the US Open.

‘Jada needed some fresh air, and it was helpful not to have the match on my mind,’ says Kim. She adds, laughing: ‘It was great to have hotel room service again, as at home I seem to be tidying up, changing nappies, or preparing food, from the moment Jada wakes up!’

Her husband Brian, who willingly surrendered the final year of his contract with a Belgian basketball club in March, in order to accompany Kim on the comeback trail, recalls: ‘Kim still had to take care of herself, eat properly and go to bed early during the tournament. But within all this, there’s her little girl making her laugh and me cracking jokes, or whatever. We were there to make sure that it wasn’t all business.’ Kim won the final in straight sets.

‘I don’t think any of us would have believed this could happen until it was over,’ says Brian. ‘It was a beautiful moment for us all. Kim deserved it. I know what she went through with her dad; and I know how hard she worked to get herself in shape. I am so proud of her.’

On the night she won the US Open, and received a $1.6 million (£970,000) pay day, Kim queued at 2.30am in a pizza parlour in a sleazy neighbourhood near Times Square. With Brian and her support team of Wim Fissette (coach), Sam Verslegers (osteopath and physiotherapist), Bob Verbeeck (business manager) and John Dolan (PR), she ate pizza and drank champagne at a nearby bar, still dressed in the tracksuit she had left the stadium wearing.

‘Nothing else was open by the time we had returned to our hotel,’ she says, laughing. Jada’s nanny Nicole Thijs had long since put Jada to bed in her cot at the hotel.

Two days after she returned to Bree, Kim was guest of honour at a reception at the town hall. After the formalities, she addressed a crowd of almost 7,000 well-wishers from a stage in the square; and then ordered drinks all round at her expense. The bill came to almost 710,000 (£9,000). ‘It was the least I could do,’ she said. ‘People had stayed up all night to watch some of my matches. I went to school here. I go to the supermarket, or the butcher, and it’s no big deal as everyone knows me.’

Her grandparents live two doors from her house, and her father’s home had been 200 metres up the street. ‘I had this house from when I was 16,’ explains Kim, who has won almost $16.5 million (£10 million) prize money in her career.

Next month, the house will begin to have a dramatic makeover when she goes to Australia, with Brian and Jada, to prepare for the next major tournament, the Australian Open in mid-January. ‘I want to make the house more personal, as it’s been like this since I was a teenager when it was originally designed,’ she says.

Kim and Brian want more children, but there is no rush, as she embarks on what she calls ‘my second career’. Winning Wimbledon is a goal; not least because that was the tournament her father loved the most. ‘We always rented a house there together and, as a football player, he loved the fact Wimbledon is played on grass!’ she says.

Kim admits that her part in the historic exhibition match, with Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf and Tim Henman, when the All England Club tried out the new Centre Court roof in May, had a profound impact on her decision to return to tennis. ‘When the invitation came from Wimbledon, that was when a switch in my head made me think about making a comeback,’ she says.

She intensified her training as her appetite for the game returned. ‘By the time I retired in April 2007, I cried after every match even if I’d won,’ she explains. ‘I strongly felt I needed a change. I didn’t want to be away from Brian for six weeks – and I couldn’t wait to be a mum.’

As she cuddles Jada, Kim knows she is holding something more precious than any one of the enormous collection of silverware kept out of sight in her basement. ‘I couldn’t play tennis if Jada wasn’t happy, if it was hard on her, or Brian,’ she says. ‘I love my sport, and I train hard. I hope I am showing that you can have your own life and still be a good mother and a good wife. But I won’t risk my family life falling apart for my tennis. Tennis would go!’

Kim Clijsters has proved herself to be an inspirational, well-balanced woman in her dual life as a mother and champion; just as her dearly missed father would have wanted.

Source: dailymail.co.uk
(pictures from "YOU" Magazine included in the article)

DWTS 9: Finals pt. 2

Well, after ten exciting weeks we've come to the end of yet another season.

Tonight's conclusion reunited contestants from past and present season's.

I particularly enjoyed Mark and Chuck showing off their martial arts skills on the dance floor. Very fun. Loved Mark and Melissa's Salsa.

Those two are a great pair.

Could have done without Steve Wozniak, or Cloris Leachman (too much of her shtick can get old real fast).

Louie & Chelsie returned to the dance floor to the tune of Donny Osmand's "Puppy Love" with Donny himself doing the honors.

Those two still are the epitome of cuteness :). Also this has to be said, boy has Louie been working out, the boy has some major guns!.

Aaron & Karina did their Kermit the frog routine (aka the Jive). Still as enjoyable as the first time they did it. I'm glad Aaron got something out of the whole experience.

Hopefully it'll keep him on the straight and narrow.

Next it was time for the top 3 to reprise their best dances. Kelly & Louis did one of my faves the Viennese Waltz.

Kelly looked as graceful and fluid as the first time she performed it, only this time she had a new found confidence as well.

She really has come a long way, and it's been an absolute pleasure watching her transform.

But as we all know in a dance competition confidence can only get you so far.

She finished in 3rd place on the judges leader board. And was ultimately sent home. Congrats on a good run Kelly! :).

Mya & Dmitry reprised the Jive, showing once again why they deserved a spot in the finals. They came in 2nd score-wise.

Donny & Kym on the other hand did the Argentine Tango. Donny put his serious face and showmanship skills into full gear earning 1st place from the judges.

There was also a reprise of the Mumbo competition only with Jerry Springer, Steve Wozniak and Cloris Leachman.

The only season regulars were Derek and Joanna. I gotta admit the whole thing was pretty funny, especially when you add Tom Bergeron's running commentary of each dancer.

And how good was Whitney Houston tonight?. She may not be able to hit the really high notes anymore, but she still sounded great!.

As a long time fan of hers I'm very happy to see her looking healthy and enjoying life again. Her new album "I Look To You" is surprisingly good too.

But back to the results.

As predicted it was indeed a battle of fan bases rather then talent.

Donny's fan base won out over Mya's consistent excellence. Making him the champion in the end. Was anyone surprised?.

And that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed it as much as me.

DWTS 9: Week 10 Finals

Before I get on with tonight's re-cap I just have to say that I was not at all happy with last week's results.

Though I feared that Joanna's fan base may not be as large as Donny and Kelly's I still hoped she would somehow make it through (solely on her dancing skills).

But alas it was not to be.

Kelly & Louis started the night off with an Argentine Tango that made me glad she made it all the way to the end.

It was sharp, and in character through-out, something she has been lacking in most of her routines.

Len loved it, Bruno wanted a little more sizzle and Carrie Ann (who came in to give them pointers during their training) thought it was a really good sophisticated routine.

All of them agreed that Kelly (who unlike the remaining competitors) has no dance training is the most improved one this season.

Have to agree 100%. Being on this show has really made her come out of her shell. It's been really fun watching her become more confident as the show progressed. Her final score was 26/30.

Dmitry & Mya did a Paso Doble the judges thought was worthy of a perfect score. Carrie Ann dubbed her the 'queen of Paso Doble'.

Len (who came in to give the two pointers) thought it equalled Mel B.'s and Max's (of season 5). I have to disagree.

While I did think it had the right intensity and all the right steps, it was no where near Mel and Max's power charged Paso.

Donny & Kym Ok, I'm with Carrie Ann on this one where did the sudden hip movement ability come from Donny?. Kudos!.

You've proved you can Cha Cha with the best of them (Bruno must have given you some very good pointers!). He earned himself 27/30.

Next it was time for something new. A mega mix group dance where all the contestants danced 3 different styles side by side for judges points.

Donny & Kym did the Viennese Waltz earning them 2nd place with 28 points.
Kelly & Luis came in 3rd with 26 points for their Jive.
Unsurprisingly Mya and Dmitry won 1st place and the most points (30) for their Samba.

Then it was time for my favourite part (and the reason I watch this show to the very end), the free-style.

Kelly & Louis were up first with their dance. Kelly had a slight fumble, but covered it well by enjoying the heck out of it.

Which is another positive progress point. Had this happened a few weeks ago I'm sure she would have either completely frozen, or forgotten half the steps.

Instead she recovered and moved right along. Her recovery skills weren't enough to garner her high scores however. She only received 24 for an overall total of 76/90.

Mya & Dmitry's "Hair Spray" inspired free-style disappointed the judges. Which I had a feeling might happen since I read somewhere that many people expect Kelly to be the winner.

Still it didn't prepare me for the lackluster feeling I got from watching their routine.

I think the judges and myself expected something mind blowingly awesome (a little bit more risk with the tricks and flips perhaps).

What we got instead was a complete bore-fest choreography-wise. Which is exactly why I'm still pissed Derek didn't make the finals.

I know he would have come up with something much more worthy of one. I have a feeling it would have been something akin to season 5's Helio Castronevez "Mask" inspired number on the excitement scale.

I think Dmitry is going to regret not going with Mya's choreography idea instead of his.

With all that said they still got 27/30 and an overall total of 87/90 putting them at the top of the leader board. But will it be enough to get them the trophy?.

Donny & Kym's traditional Jazz/Vegas inspired free-style finally got them a perfect score, and nothing but praise from the judges. An overall score of 85/90 put them in second place on the board.

Once again I thought it looked very good but seemed to lack a certain something, and as a result felt kind of blah. Sorry Kim, guess I'm just not gonna get over Derek getting the boot one week shy of the finals.

It's really anyone's guess as to who the winner will be. But I have a feeling it'll come down to who has the biggest fan base rather then who is the better dancer.

Yawning may be rude, but it's good for you!

By Danielle Winston, Natural Solutions

Afraid to risk rudeness and let out a hearty yawn? Well, here’s an excuse to give Miss Manners a hissy fit: According to neuroscientist Andrew Newberg, MD, director of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania, yawning is one of the best-kept health secrets. “If you want to maintain an optimum healthy brain, it is essential that you yawn,” says Newberg.

The action stimulates neural movement in certain areas of the mind and regulates brain temperature and metabolism–all of which can increase muscle control, enhance sensuality, and even ward off jet lag. Newberg suggests yawning 10 times in a row every day, along with your regular workout or wellness routine.

A nightly yawning ritual can help you:

Chill out. Newberg says a good yawn can relax you more effectively than meditation. “More than simply calming the body, yawning brings the mind into a heightened state of cognitive functioning.”

Stay focused. “Yawning rids the brain of sleepiness, helping you keep your attention on important ideas and concepts,” says Newberg. So why do we start yawning before we hit the sack? Because it also helps regulate our internal clock: When we’re tired, yawning signals sleep.

Be more compassionate. Studies show yawning stimulates the part of the brain responsible for generating empathy and social awareness. So intentional yawning may actually strengthen our ability to be kind to others.

Source: care2.com

Wow, gotta say I never realized how useful this simple body function actually was.