Hotels
July 11, 2021

Contemporary Hotel in China Has a Design Inspired by an Ancient Cultural Text

Zhengzhou, China, is considered an undeveloped area of the Henan province, but soon it will be a bustling “paradise city with national customs.” An elegant new hotel by Lacime Architects is the first built project designed to accommodate the expected growth. Called JianYe – LanHai ZhengFeng, its aesthetics are clearly contemporary—there's an elegant curving form and large glass façade—but much of the inspiration comes from traditional Chinese design.

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Photography
July 10, 2021

Take a Wide-Ranging Look At the History of Panoramic Photos, From the Civil War to the iPhone

Panoramic photos are almost as old as photography itself. Photographers have been capturing horizontal landscapes and large groups of people using a variety of techniques over the last century and a half. As photographic processes and camera technology evolved, so did the panorama. What began as a cumbersome process for professionals eventually morphed into an easy-to-use mode on the ubiquitous smartphones held in everybody's pockets.

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Art
July 10, 2021

Download 1,000+ Japanese Woodblock Prints by Edo-Era Master Hiroshige

With rich colors and distinct aesthetics, Japanese woodblock prints blossomed between the 17th and 19th centuries, in the Edo era. During this time, Japan was mostly closed off from the outside world, and only a handful of Dutch and Chinese traders were allowed inside with severe restrictions. So, the style of ukiyo-e, which literally means “pictures of a floating world,” offers a window into what life was like before the country reopened.

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Toys
July 9, 2021

LEGO Celebrates 30th Anniversary of ‘Seinfeld’ by Releasing a Set Based on Jerry’s Apartment

American sitcom buffs might know that LEGO recently released a set based on the apartments in F.R.I.E.N.D.S. And now, the Danish toy brand just revealed a model in celebration of Seinfeld. The new, 1,326-piece LEGO set marks the 30th Anniversary of the 1989 premiere of the classic comedy series. And it was even designed by a Seinfeld fan.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.