Groucho Marx once said, “I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.” As much as we hate to admit it, exclusivity sells. Perhaps we have an innate trust for all things esoteric. Could it just be that it’s cool to be aware of something before the masses? Honestly, we aren’t completely sure.

If you’re in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, you’ll probably walk past The Hideout. It’s a converted garage on Adelphi Street and it looks pretty nondescript. Walk in and you’ll find a cadre (the bar comfortably accommodates 40 patrons) of urbane modernists, sipping 150-year-old Grand Marnier, in a romantically lit space.

» Read More

Anticipation is building for the summer olympics in Beijing. As we get closer to the final date, the city’s attractions are reaching completion. We’re really impressed. The Olympics serve as a huge opportunity for tourism and it’s clear that China is pulling out all the stops for this one. First the Nest Stadium and now the Water Cube Aquatic Center. It looks beautiful.

Photographer Ben McMillan assembled a photo essay of the Water Cube. As seen on iconeye, “The Water Cube aquatic centre, designed by Australian-based PTW Architects with Arup, is next door to Herzog & de Meuron’s “nest” stadium.” Ben’s photo essay vividly captures the cube’s architectural life.

» Read More