External Brain

Post modern architecture — it’s not for everyone. But sometimes it strikes the right balance of whimsy, risk, and stateliness, like this storm water pumping station in the East End of London, which was recently awarded a heritage listing.

Designed by architect John Outram and completed in 1988, the edifice-like structure — known as the Isle of Dogs Storm Water Pumping Station — is the first post modern building to be designated under Historic England’s effort to protect the country’s best examples of the divisive architectural style, according to The Spaces.

Among Outram’s best-known buildings, the pumping station features a striated brick façade, thick, rounded columns with brightly coloured and geometrically patterned capitals, and a corrugated pediment accented with a circular object resembling a jet engine — via Curbed

So many bold designs in this new retro flooring range by Atrafloor, with influences from the 1950s to the 1970s (and even a bit of ’80s), all of which are perfect for adding some wow to a room in need of brightening up. All the vinyl flooring in the range is designed in-house, described as highly durable & easy to install and is made to order. The price depends on the space you need to fill, but generally you are looking at around £59 per sq. metre — via Retro to Go

Architectural designer Wallace Cunningham has created another dramatic home — 10 years in the making — with swooping rooflines and curving glass expanses, this time in Carmel, California. Completed this year, the three-bedroom is super fresh: Perched by a secluded cove, the 250 square metre oasis frames jaw-dropping vistas of the Pacific Ocean by way of full-height glazing on both the front and rear of the structure. Located at 243 Highway, the special property is offered at $11.9 million — via Curbed

You can get the Gorenje special edition VW Camper Van fridge in two colour options (vintage baby blue or bordeaux red) based on the timeless and much-loved van and it looks amazing. A retro-style fridge based on the frontage of the van and complete with the logo is always going to be popular.

It’s also a practical item too. The fridge has an A+++ energy efficiency rating, 254 litres of net capacity, three adjustable glass shelves, a salad crisper drawer with humidity control, Freshzone drawer, bottle rack, LED interior lighting and of course, a freezer section.

So functionality matching the looks. Not too many stockists out there, but you can get it online for £1,149 in both colour options via Electrical Discount UK — via Retro to Go

Zoo Brno is home to five incredibly adorable Arctic Wolf pups. A male pup and four females were born just three months ago. The siblings can now be seen on exhibit with their parents — via ZooBorns