Coursekit is now Lore.
What’s the Story?
A discovery engine for meaningful knowledge, fueled by cross-disciplinary curiosity.
A Brain Pickings project edited by Maria Popova in partnership with Noodle.
Twitter: @explorer
architecture
LATEST
It is the other ordinary buildings, spilling with hectic daily life, that hold real New York life and passion.
Australian illustrator James Gulliver Hancock has set out to draw all the buildings in New York.
It is the other ordinary buildings, spilling with hectic daily life, that hold real New York life and passion.

Australian illustrator James Gulliver Hancock has set out to draw all the buildings in New York.

In this wonderful episode of 99% Invisible, Roman Mars explores the magical world of secret staircases.

SoundCloud / Roman Mars

Gorgeous vintage-inspired minimalist posters celebrating the architecture of famous museums by Portuguese illustrator Andre Chiote.

( Fubiz)

Wonderful 99% Invisible episode about Frank O’Hara’s poetry as a permanent fixture of the cityscape. Hear O’Hara read “Song: Is It Dirty” himself in this rare 1966 recording, then listen to this fantastic interview with Roman Mars on how 99% Invisible is reimagining public radio and design storytelling.

SoundCloud / Roman Mars
Early construction of Grand Central Station, which celebrates its 100th birthday today, from Grand Central’s Engineer: William J. Wilgus and the Planning of Modern Manhattan.

Early construction of Grand Central Station, which celebrates its 100th birthday today, from Grand Central’s Engineer: William J. Wilgus and the Planning of Modern Manhattan.

Stunning architectural map of the solar system from Old Blueprints. Complement with the Milky Way as a subway map.
An architectural blueprint of Brooklyn Bridge elevations from Old Blueprints. Complement with the story of how the Brooklyn Bridge became the greatest engineering feat of its time.

The ABC of Architects – a motion graphics alphabet of famous buildings and their creators. Complement with the collected quotes and quips of iconic architects

See also: ABCinema

Inside celebrated Japanese architect Yoto Ito’s Moleskine notebook

Inside celebrated Japanese architect Yoto Ito’s Moleskine notebook

We already knew that iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright was also a little-known but brilliant graphic artist, but did you know he was also a brilliant doghouse designer? Here’s his charming correspondence with a 12-year-old boy for whom he designed the doghouse above.

We already knew that iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright was also a little-known but brilliant graphic artist, but did you know he was also a brilliant doghouse designer? Here’s his charming correspondence with a 12-year-old boy for whom he designed the doghouse above.

Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s lesser-known but stunning graphic design work, now in textile form.

Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s lesser-known but stunning graphic design work, now in textile form.

And now, after billions of years of experience and preconditioning on this earth (from the development of the first one-celled amoeba to our present human complex) we have no valid excuse for not performing superbly.
The Wright pride. Yes, pride in quality. He supervises his buildings, takes care of every detail: searches for masons who care about stonework, painters who can paint, metalworkers who are skillful. Today, in an age of amateurs, this is a most difficult achievement.
His struggle is against uniformity and wholesale design. If he sounds like a moralist, it is because beauty, quality, and ethics are inseparable.
Words of (irreverent) wisdom from Le Corbusier and other architecture greats.

Words of (irreverent) wisdom from Le Corbusier and other architecture greats.