architecture

Spaceport America, the world’s first commercial spaceport, is being built in New Mexico for Virgin Galactic. Who else would you choose to design it other than Foster+Partners — follow the link for more piccies. Thanks to Wired for the pointer.

Given all the announcements of a spaceport in Australia, a shame it’s not somewhere like Cairns. Or Uluru.

Bonus space link: Arthur C Clarke on the 50th anniversary of Sputnik.

No, this isn’t something from Thunderbirds, but a new radio studio complex in Krakow, Poland. Thanks Richard.

Better late than never: over the next week I’ll post material collected earlier this year — starting off with a visit to Sydney’s newest contemporary performance space, Carriageworks on 21 January.

Our link to the Eveleigh Railway Workshops is weird. ’Pong was arrested for taking photos there, though eventually the charges were dropped. But now toxic waste has been removed (so they say), and space which was once full of sweaty tradesmen rebuilding rollingstock is now full of arty types enjoying the acting and sipping wine.

I must admit, I was worried it was just a facade job…

… but once inside you see what Director Sue Hunt describes as “an industrial cathedral”.

As the sun shifts through the afternoon, swathes of light streaming through the skylights turn the interior into a giant sundial. These cameraphone snapshots don’t do it justice. I may post more soon, but for now see more at the Carriageworks website.

Since I’m suffering a bad cold at the moment, I only have energy to passively wonder at the six astounding designs being put forward for a new Gazprom HQ in St Petersburg. The image below shows the proposed design by Daniel Libeskind, but they’re all rather over the top.

Thanks to Signal vs Noise for the tip.