As part of the1929 International Exposition in Barcelona Spain, the Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Mies van der Rohe, was the display of architecture’s modern movement to the world. Originally named the German Pavilion, the pavilion was the face of Germany after WWI, emulating the nation’s progressively modern culture that was still rooted in its classical history. Its elegant and sleek design combined with rich natural material presented Mies’ Barcelona Pavilion as a bridge into his future career, as well as architectural modernism — via ArchDaily

A house has been built in the village of Pernink in the Krusne Mountains in west Bohemia, Czech Republic. The house is located 820 metres above sea level near the German border in a valley which is defined by a wild water stream.

The client imposed a free brief right at the start of the design [FAM Architekti] which evolved over a long period. The house represents a hybrid typology of a small residential retreat and a guest house with facilities for local skiing and nature hiking — via ArchDaily

This house designed by Santiago Parramón (RTA-Office) has as main characteristic its location in a land with a high incline and a stream that crosses it. A rocky orography and the preservation of the most of the trees were the guidelines of the project.

The objective of Santigo Parramón was taken up minimally the site in order to give freedom to the stream, so they let you hear the sound of the water, the smell of vegetation, the textures… All of this come of top to the emotional aspect to the architected wanted — via ArchDaily

On an aircraft carrier, the air boss is the officer who decides every takeoff and landing. For 2011, the new Victorinox AirBoss is simpler in its design, and slightly smaller at 42mm. The look — three hands, three circles of digit tracks, and a date window at 6 o’clock — emphasizes precision, readability and functionality — via WatchTime

Mini House was designed by LineBox Studio with a loft-like layout, 17-foot ceilings, and simple materials: concrete floors, metal stairs, concrete block walls, painted white walls, no baseboards, and exposed plumbing and electrical — via Jetson Green

In 2009 the call for an office add-on emerged that should be designed [Spado Architects] closely connected to the existing office and former residential house of a master builder. The annex should be clearly recognizable as a new step forward in the company’s historical development. It’s a connection between old and new, while at the same time the existing building gets altered to form a unity with the new office. The office itself is a one storey building that bonds on the south side to the former residential house of the company owner’s family which is also used as additional office spadce. It has a very clear and simple form, the ceiling height of the new office equals the one of the ground floor of the house and therefore it is floating above the surrounding ground level — via ArchDaily

The 40mm Historiador Retrograde case is a reproduction of an iconic original Cuervo y Sobrinos model produced during the 1940s and 1950s. The dial offers rich clous de Paris below distinctive blued hands. At 3, 6 9 are retrograde date, power reserve and retrograde day of the week indicators powered by a 42-jewel automatic movement — via WatchTime

Works Partnership Architecture wanted to return to utilitarian simplicity and a model of living large in a smaller home. They had three basic principles in mind with the design of this house. They are: 1. everybody should have a fruit tree – sweet fragrance, an idea of abundance, and a small token of a good life in one package; 2. houses should be about quiet, protected places – places that can be marked by the track of the sun and dimensioned with shadow; and 3. houses need to breathe – in this day and this climate, a house needs to embrace the out and make it part of the in. The courtyard plan they have borrowed is from a history much older and more profound than the faux craftsman details that pass for cultural continuity in these communities. This courtyard will be the voice of the house and the spatial turn of the phrase in this experiment. They are eager to see if this revisited hearth will be embraced by the market’s current set of expectations — via ArchDaily

Taking the existing site conditions into consideration, Craig Steely Architecture chose to avoid disturbing both the stone pathways and root structure of the mature oak trees by using a single footing and tube frame system. The structural system, originally inspired by a chairlift tower, provides the opportunity for the main living area of the house to float out into the existing oak canopy — via ArchDaily

I’ve always liked Ducati’s SportClassic GT 1000. Of all the retro bikes, it has the most contemporary performance—and also a rarity factor. (Unfortunately, it’s going to become even more rare, because the model was discontinued last year.) Okay, the air-cooled 992cc engine is a little old school and there’s a slightly awkward gap between the back wheel and the seat unit, but there are lots of people who love the GT—and ex-rocker Steve Jones is one of them. And despite it being a well-sorted machine straight out of the box, Steve has taken his SportClassic up a notch — via Bike EXIF

The entire time I lived in Seattle, there was something about architecture of the Northwest that defied description but defined much of the amazing work found in the area. This lake house (designed by Tom Kundig but built in Northern Idaho) embodies some of the best aspects of regional Modernism that spreads out from around Puget Sound. Pop the top, and see what surprises burst from the box.

Concrete walls shoot up on three sides, while a giant pivot-opening, garage-style, box-window facade flips open toward the adjacent lake. The top seems to tip up as well, held aloft by a layer of glazing that drops in light along all four sides of the roof — via Dornob

Located nearby Oporto’s seaside area, Living Foz, designed by dEMM Arquitectura, is composed by 40 apartments distributed over 7 floors.

Unleashing 30 percent of the plot area for a collective use garden, a relief to the neighboring construction is obtained.

The balcony angle articulation creates spaces enriched by contrasts of light and shade, exposure and protection, emphasized by the contrast between the white cast-in-place concrete and the dark Glass Reinforced Concrete. The geometric and material principle of the facades continues trough the external areas, creating landscaped spaces for playing, strolling and relaxing — via ArchDaily

An extensive restoration and revitalization project by Erginoglu & Çalislar Architects was undertaken to allow the advertising agency group Medina Turgul DDB to move into a salt repository they had rented. This 170 year old building had formerly been owned by TEKEL (Turkish State Liquor and Tobacco Monopoly) and is located in the run-down, once industrial district of Kas?mpa?a. The restoration challenge was to maximise functionality while retaining the original character of the structure — via ArchDaily

I am beginning to think that architectural offices might work in the same way as fashion houses. In my youth I worked as a designer for a Pierre Cardin licensee and people would ask me why our company showed such ridiculous things in the Paris shows.

Our job at the New York licensee was to take the extreme idea and make it work in reality, yet still connect with the Paris runway show version; a kind of caricature of an overall idea, in a broad sketch, as an extreme example.

Here’s what looks to me like an example of the same kind of procedure by the enormously talented Javier Callejas of Estudio Campo Baeza, from the world of architecture — via Home Design Find