View allAll Photos Tagged Futuristic-Design,
Modern Bergisel Ski Jump stands on a forested hill against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains in Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria. The sleek, futuristic design features a cantilevered observation deck with a striking red light. The surrounding landscape is lush with dense green trees, while the distant mountain peaks display patches of snow, indicating an alpine setting. The sky is partially clouded, suggesting a cool, tranquil day in the region. The architectural contrast highlights human innovation amidst natural beauty.
In the 1960s Ferrari's Prototipo 'P series' sports car racers proved highly successful in terms of races won and imaginations captured. Of course speed rather than beauty was the goal of these cars, yet the two were seemingly inexorable at a time when intuition was a guiding principle. The P4, designed by Mauro Forghieri and William Casoli was both a zenith and nadir of the genre – perhaps the most beautiful, yet also increasingly outdated at a time when aerodynamics were coming to the fore.
And so Ferrari commissioned Pininfarina to explore advanced aerodynamics for the 250 P5. Young recruit Leonardo Fioravanti was chosen to design the car because of his mechanical engineering education at the Politecnico di Milano where his studies focused on aerodynamics and car body design.
Revealed at the 1968 Geneva motor show, the P5 won immediate acclaim for its futuristic design, even if some Ferrari purists grumbled at its perceived departure from Ferrari design orthodoxy. Built on P4 chassis number 0862, the two-seat coupe featured a three-litre V12 engine mounted in its tail. A walk around the brilliant white car (later repainted red) revealed a design composed of intersecting convex and concave volumes, its ovoid masses contrasting with deeply scalloped recesses for vents and wheel wells.
Revealed at the 1968 Geneva motor show, the P5 won immediate acclaim for its futuristic design, even if some Ferrari purists grumbled at its perceived departure from Ferrari design orthodoxy. Built on P4 chassis number 0862, the two-seat coupe featured a three-litre V12 engine mounted in its tail. A walk around the brilliant white car (later repainted red) revealed a design composed of intersecting convex and concave volumes, its ovoid masses contrasting with deeply scalloped recesses for vents and wheel wells.
The design featured a low, concave front fascia with a narrow slot for ventilation for the radiator. Just above this, integrated into the hood, was a bank of headlamps. Flanking this front assembly were pontoon-like fairings for the front wheels. It seems Enzo Ferrari was not overly impressed with this, referring to it as the “suppository”.
More successful were the Dino-like ventilation scoops with flow vanes integrated into the openings while at the rear a strong character line outlines the top of the wheel opening and then ascends and curves across the deck lid. Underneath this somewhat duck-tailed assembly, a strong composition of horizontal vanes covers the tail-lights and engine ventilation openings. It's clearly a theme Fioravanti was proud of as it was to reappear on his later Testarossa.
The upper body was almost entirely formed of a transparent teardrop canopy, its gullwing doors revealing a spartan composition of two seats, driving controls and little else. Seats were minimally ergonomic and the headrests are built into the firewall that separates the cabin from the engine compartment.
A Gentlemen’s Agreement
As popular as the P5 was on the car show circuit, changing racing rules and the complex and ever-developing programmes at Ferrari soon meant the P5 would not be developed further. Indeed, Fioravanti and his team were already working on a successor, the P6.
As it slowly became public knowledge that P5 was not to be a part of Modena’s future, an unusual request came to Enzo Ferrari from his longtime friend and associate, Dr. Giuseppe Luraghi, Chairman of Alfa Romeo. If Ferrari was not to continue the development of the P5, would he cede the project to his company to develop further? In a move that would be unheard of today, Il Commendatore granted the request.
[Text from CarDesignNews.com]
cardesignnews.com/articles/concept-car-of-the-week/2016/0...
A visit to London yesterday...never seen this building before...made a bee-line for it...very futuristic design.
30 Hudson Yards, also known as the North Tower, is a 90-story, 1,295-foot-tall skyscraper completed in to the neo-futuristic design of Kohn Pedersen Fox for Tishman Construction. The Edge, a 1,100-foot high cantilevered outdoor terrace jutting 80-feet outward south from the 100th floor, is the second highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere behind Toronto's CN Tower. Visitors can lean into the nine-foot high clear glass barricade slanted 6.6 degrees outward to safely check out the street and rooftops below or peer down to the street through a 225 sq ft glass triangle in the floor.
Aldar headquarters building is the first circular building of its kind in the Middle East. It is located in Al Raha, Abu Dhabi (emirate), United Arab Emirates. The distinctive building was voted the “Best Futuristic Design” by The Building Exchange (BEX) Conference held in Spain. The shape of this building is achieved through the use of structural diagrid, a diagonal grid of steel.
E.N.A.S.A. - Barcelona
(Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A.)
Chassis n° 0102.150.0121
The shape of this Spanish Pegaso was inspired by the hype surrounding UFOs and flying saucers at the time. The aluminium coachwork envelops the car as it were. There are no bumpers, just overriders with rubber insert. The most remarkable design feature is the dome, or cupula-shaped rear window, hence Cúpula in the name.
The futuristic design was created by ENASA, Pegaso's parent company. The car was displayed at the New York Auto Show in 1953. It was not just the design, but also the spectacular color scheme that caught everyone's attention, including that of Rafael Trujillo, President of the Dominican Republic. Trujillo bought the Pegaso and kept it until his death in 1961. Since Trujillo owned the car, it has also been known as 'El Dominicano'.
The Louwman Museum acquired the Pegaso in 2006 and three years later commenced an extensive restoration tht lasted until 2015. The car won at the 2016 Concours d'Elegance at Amelia Island, where the Pegaso was highly acclaimed, the special jury prize as 'Best of Show'.
2,5 Liter
V8
165 HP
Louwman Museum
Den Haag - The Hague
Nederland - Netherlands
Augustus 2016
A big success by any standard both in and out of competition, the Lancia Stratos was developed as a homologation Special for European rallying. After production ceased it became a cult car and is now highly priced as the ‘modern classis' it is. Conceived strictly for rallying, the Lancia Stratos however makes an exciting road car, though it is very far from GT standards in both luxury and refinement.
The concept vehicle responsible for providing the inspiration for the Lancia Stratos Rally car is the Lancia (Bertone) Stratos. The Stratos featured a 1584 cc V4 DOHC with 115 bhp horsepower at 200 rpm. Designed by Marcello Gandini, the same designer responsible for the Lamborghini Countach and Lamborghini Miura, the Stratos concept was a development of the Bertone designed Alfa Romeo Carabo concept from 1968. The Carabo concept was also a Gandini creation.
First revealed at the Turin Motor Show in October of 1970, the Lancia Stratos HF prototype was a styling exercise for Bertone. A futuristic design, the Stratos featured a wedge shaped profile that stood just 33 inches from the ground. Since the vehicle was so low, conventional doors could not be used and instead one accessed the interior of the Stratos by a hinged windscreen. Drivers had to flip up the windscreen and walk into the vehicle. Once inside, visibility was quite restricted since the front windscreen was narrow. The cockpit of the Lancia Stratos was designed specifically for fast forest flying.
The body design was predictably minimal to hold down weight and bulk with its most distinctive features being semi-concealed A-pillars and a door beltline that sharply upswept to the top of the daylight opening. The shape of the resulting unbroken expanse of glass gave the tunnelback roof the appearance of a futuristic crash helmet.
The main body structure was steel, like the chassis, and weight-saving fiberglass was used for tilt-up nose and tail sections. A small box above and behind the powertrain was where cargo space was held. Bins were also molded into the interior door panels for storing helmets.
The same engine utilized on the Lancia 1600 HF Fulvia was used on the Bertone designed Lancia Stratos Zero prototype. A triangular shaped panel hinged upwards to allow access to the mid-mounted engine. Developed for rallying purposes, the legendary Lancia Stratos was unveiled in 1974. The production vehicle Stratos was powered by a 2.4 liter mid-mounted V6 from the Ferrari Dino.
Like no other Lancia before or after, the Lancia Stratos was a shock that left enthusiasts and rally fans breathless. For almost a decade the Stratos streaked across the rally landscape much like a brilliant comet, while discarding past principles, it also fearlessly represented something undeniably new. A phenomenal rally car, the Lancia Stratos set an example to every other car manufacturer in the world. The first viable purpose-built rally car ever built, the Stratos was probably the last purpose-built rally car.
Created by the Bertone coachbuilding company, the Stratos was both radical, yet fully functional. Fiorio realized that for Lancia to continue to compete in the World Rally Championship, the Fulvia HF would need a much more powerful replacement. A the time, four-wheel drive was not an option, so a mid-engined configuration seemed ideal. To reinforce Fiori's convictions, the Bertone show car was featured soon after with a mid-engine Fulvia V4.
The introduction of the Ford mid-engine purpose-built GT70 rally car at the 1971Brussels Motor Show was what truly inspired the impetus behind the Stratos proect. It was after this appearance that Lancia's general manager, Pierugo Gobbato contacted Nuccio Bertone. Though the GT70 was actually never put in production by Ford, it was this that sparked the inspiration of the Lancia Stratos.
As always, there was a minimum production requirement, 500 units for the Lancia Stratos. This was an awkward figure that would necessitate funds for at least semi-permanent tooling as well as design and development. This was a job well suited to the Italian industry. Fiorio masterminded the project, and he envisioned a short, wide coupe with transverse midships drivetrain. Bertone was immediately contracted to style the vehicle and built its unit body/chassis structure.
43 months passed in between the time of conception to the actual birth of the Lancia Stratos. The vehicle was developed to take over and make Lancia the outright world rally champ. The Stratos was both short and wide, with a wheelbase of only 7 feet 1.8 inches, the width of the vehicle was only 5 feet 8.9 inches. Weighing only 1958 lbs, the Stratos was only 3 feet 7.9 inches high. Able to easily exceed 140 mph, the Stratos featured 190 horsepower in roadgoing trim.
Having studied every possible powerteam in the Fiat/Lancia group, Fiorio secured 2.4 liter V-6s and 5-speed transaxles from Ferrari, which was an ideal chouse as they'd be installed exactly as the Dino 246. All-independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes were all specifically designed for the Lancia Stratos.
After 1978 the Stratos was officially retired and no longer was officially entered by the Lancia factory, the vehicle was still going strong. The Lancia team was headed by by Sandro Munari who won its first event as a homologated entry in October of 1974. Mun ari entered alone 40 events with the Lancia Stratos and won 14. The Stratos also won the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975, and 1976 and remained competitive for another four years. The final major win came in 1979 when a Lancia Stratos entered by the Monaco importer won the famed Monte Carlo Rally. Finally the factory retired the Stratos.
By Jessica Donaldson
[Text from ConceptCarz.com]
www.conceptcarz.com/z21737/Lancia-Stratos-HF.aspx
This Lego miniland-scale Lancia Stratos Rally Racer has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 100th Build Challenge - our Centenary, titled 'One Hundred Ways to Win!'. In this challenge, a list of 100 challenges is available, kept by the admins. Individuals wishing to enter, request a number from 1-100 (so long as it has not already been requested) - and the admins assign the individual build challenge associated with that number.
In the case of admins entering models - they request that a general LUGNuts member assigns a number - and the admin must build to that challenge number.
In this case, the number 78 was chosen for me, corresponding to the challenge: '78.Any vehicle from the year you were born'. I was born in 1972, the year that the first Stratos rally cars were built, entering in the Rally Championship as Group 5 (un-homologated) entries.
The road cars required to homologate for Group 4 were built through 1973 to 1978.
As can be seen in some of the images here, not only does the car open and close (a real challenge when you look at the chassis), but it also uses the Lego Group RC Rollerskate - so it can zoom around under its own power.
'Where is the front?' people asked themselves in 1950 when the new Studebaker Champion was introduced. The rather futuristic design was by Raymond Loewy, and compared to its predecessor the new car had a bold, redesigned front end which became known as the 'bullet nose', reflecting its strong aviation undertones. Note the panoramic rear window, which is sub-divided; back then it was not possible to manufacture a window like this in one piece.
The Parisian-born Raymond Loewy (1893-1986) was one of the greatest industrial designers of the 20th century. In 1919 he emigrated to New York and was amazed by the large gap between the high quality of American products and their poor design. In 1929 he set up his own design studio, and was responsible for the restyling of the Coca-Cola bottle and for the Lucky Strike logo, as well as the design of the Frigidaire refrigerator, the Dutch Sprinter train and Concorde's initial interior. In the 1950s and 1960s Loewy was chief stylist at Studebaker, where he designed the Champion, the Hawk and the Avanti
The Tokyo Kabukicho Tower, rising gracefully above the vibrant Kabukicho district in Shinjuku, is a striking example of modern Japanese architecture infused with cultural significance. Completed in 2023, this skyscraper blends futuristic design with functional elegance, redefining Tokyo's skyline. Its most distinctive feature is the vertical crown-like structure at the top, reminiscent of light beams radiating upward, symbolizing hope and energy in the bustling entertainment district below.
Standing at 225 meters, Tokyo Kabukicho Tower boasts an impressive mixed-use design, housing luxury hotels, entertainment venues, dining spaces, and offices. Its sleek glass façade, punctuated by vertical white fins, reflects the urban vitality of Kabukicho while paying homage to the neighborhood’s vibrant history as the "Sleepless Town." Inside, the tower offers a seamless blend of modern convenience and traditional Japanese aesthetics, making it a cultural and architectural landmark.
The location of the tower is as dynamic as its design, surrounded by Kabukicho's famous neon lights, bustling streets, and iconic landmarks like the Godzilla head on the Toho Cinemas building nearby. The Tokyo Kabukicho Tower serves as a visual anchor, standing out during the day with its shimmering exterior and at night as it lights up, contributing to the district's energetic atmosphere.
More than just a skyscraper, this tower represents the evolving face of Shinjuku, blending the past and future of Kabukicho. Whether you're a traveler seeking high-end accommodations or a local looking for a night out, Tokyo Kabukicho Tower is a must-see destination in the heart of Tokyo's entertainment hub.
Stunningly futuristic design, although the other first generation CD players had designs which now look much more interesting...this design became standardised.
Talk about making an entrance. Over a decade on from the Renault Avantime making its debut, it still looks like a concept car that could so easily be unveiled in 2015. The Avantime is Le Quement's edgiest design. It is a two-door sportminivan with sliding glass roof whose shape is assembled from triangles: a triangular finned area above the headlights, a triangular back end, even triangular tail and side marker lights. Nothing about the Avantine is on the square. “Modern and daring," Renault's literature described it.
COUPESPACE
Renault Paris first presented at 1999 Geneva Motor Show its idea for a uniquely French "Coupéspace" and the styling of the Avantime was the height of modern design. Remember, this is the same country that brought us the 'Citroën SM'.
MATRA
The minivan involved was the Espace III, Europe's original multipurpose vehicle, which is made for Renault by Matra Automobile. The Avantime is front-wheel drive and shares most of its parts with the Espace. As three-door cars go, it is spacious. Its doors are astonishingly long (and have to be double-hinged to allow entry and exit in confined spaces), and the pillarless sides, frameless windows, and huge glass sunroof give it an unusually light and airy feel.
CURIOUS
I'm interested in the Avantime. I'm curious about it! Perhaps I am one of those odd customers Renault was hoping to target, right? So let's find out if there's anything of value here.
EXTRAORDINARY
The Renault Avantime is an extraordinary car: no doubt about that. Renault was rather unhappy its excellent and very stylish Avantime of 2001 was badly received. Thierry Metroz, Matra design project manager, said, "We wanted someone walking around the car to be continually astonished. Avantime plays on opposites, between the animal, almost feline front end and the stronger, squat and propulsive rear."
IMPRESSIVE
Can something this shape and this tall be even slightly sporting and satisfying to drive? Surprisingly, it can. This is an impressive achievement and makes the Avantime fun for the driver and calm and secure for the passengers. Matra's engineers have avoided the top-heaviness of a minivan by fitting a lightweight aluminum superstructure to the Espace chassis. The track has been widened, the suspension lowered, and the wheels and brakes enlarged.
DIFFERENT
Whatever your view, in an increasingly uniform world, I give Renault credit for daring to be different. I'd rather see someone take a chance with something radical, instead of offering yet another boring design.
FORWARD-THINKING
What exactly the Avantime is supposed to be? What is its purpose? Who's going to buy it? Its name actually lends us a clue. "Avant" is the French word for "ahead", and Avant is followed by "time". The English word "time" is self-explanatory. Renault (and original Avantime designer Matra) thought they had a futuristic product, basically. One that in press-releases "forward-thinking, maverick types who go against the grain" (my words) would buy.
TODAY
Today the avant garde style of the Avantime (2001-2003) associates perfect with my minimalist House (photo). As you can see, my 2002 Avantime still looks striking, modern and uncluttered yet with a marked character of its own. If you compare the 2001 Avantime and the new 2015 Espace V you can see echoes of the former in the latter: the window line, proportions and stance. Personally, I would argue the 2001 Avantime is the more appealing of the two. It was futuristic and still so while the Espace V, seems very much a sideways move.
YOUNGEST CLASSIC-CAR EVER
Renault Avantime is a guaranteed classic, with strong values hopefully ensuring many of them survive. Our children need to know what the French were capable of at the turn of the millennium. The sleek lines of the body, bright glass roof with two hatches, original air intakes above the headlights, futuristic design of the rear allow the Renault Avantime to be one of the most exciting new products early XXI century.
TOMORROW
Perhaps, when a small number of carefully preserved, vaguely familiar and unusual-looking cars emerge from padlocked garages and appear at various Concours d'Elégances, ever-larger amounts of money might begin to change hands as the value of these once-ridiculed big French coupés climbs steadily higher.
Surely not? Two words: 'Citroën SM'.
HDRtist HDR - www.ohanaware.com/hdrtist/
30 Hudson Yards (right), also known as the North Tower, is a 90-story, 1,295-foot-tall skyscraper completed in 2019 to the neo-futuristic design of Kohn Pedersen Fox for Tishman Construction. The Edge, a 1,100-foot high cantilevered outdoor terrace jutting 80-feet outward south from the 100th floor, is the second highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere behind Toronto's CN Tower. Visitors can lean into the nine-foot high clear glass barricade slanted 6.6 degrees outward to safely check out the street and rooftops below or peer down to the street through a 225 sq ft glass triangle in the floor.
10 Hudson Yards (left), also known as the South Tower, was completed in 2016 to the design of Pedersen Fox as part of the master plan for the Hudson Yards urban renewal project, a plan to redevelop the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's West Side Yard. The 52-floor, 878-foot tall skyscraper was the first to be completed in the complex as it is also the only one not sitting on the artificial platform over the West Side yards. The southern facade of 10 Hudson Yards cantilevers over the 30th Street spur of the High Line, and one of the building's entrances is located on the High Line.
Another shot from my day trip to London last weekend. This is a much photographed location, the Lloyds Insurance Building with its futuristic design.
We went there to take some night shots and as we arrived we could feel a few drops of rain in the air. It wasn't till after I took this, with the lens pointing directly up, that I noticed that the drops had landed on the lens and caused these light effects - which I think add to the photo (especially the purple flare).
Again, it looks equally as good in B&W so i've posted a version below in the comments.
I've also found out that some of my photos are on the award winning littlelondonobservationist blog today. Check it out if you love all things London, it really is an excellent source of information and contains many articles and photographs.
A visit to London yesterday...never seen this building before...made a bee-line for it...very futuristic design.
The Shinjuku cityscape captures Tokyo’s iconic fusion of cutting-edge modernity and thoughtful urban design. At the heart of this dynamic scene is the Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, a striking example of neo-futuristic architecture. Completed in 2008 and standing 204 meters tall, the tower's unique cocoon-like design represents growth, encapsulating its primary function as a hub for education. Housing three prestigious vocational schools, the structure is clad in a lattice-like facade of diagonal lines and glass panels, creating an illusion of depth and movement.
Adjacent to the Cocoon Tower is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, an architectural marvel by Kenzo Tange, offering panoramic views of the city. The spherical structure in the foreground further emphasizes Shinjuku's reputation as an innovation hub. Its geometric design contrasts beautifully with the tower's sleek verticality, reflecting Tokyo’s ability to balance boldness and functionality in its urban spaces.
Shinjuku has long been a symbol of Tokyo’s post-war rebirth, evolving into a district where towering skyscrapers coexist with bustling alleyways and entertainment hubs. The ongoing construction in the image speaks to Tokyo’s ceaseless evolution, a city that never stops reinventing itself.
A visit to Shinjuku offers more than just awe-inspiring architecture—it’s a journey through the layers of Tokyo’s identity, where innovation and tradition meet. The Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower and its surrounding landmarks epitomize this blend, making Shinjuku an unmissable part of any Tokyo adventure.
From Wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Valley_Ho
Hotel Valley Ho is a historic hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona. Also called the Valley Ho and, for 28 years, the Ramada Valley Ho, the hotel was originally designed by Edward L. Varney, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. It first opened in 1956 with a forward-looking and futuristic design. Movie stars and famous baseball players stayed, and the building quickly became known for its trendsetting guests and its fashionable atmosphere. The success of the venture resulted in expansion in 1958, with two additional two-story wings of guest rooms extending to the north. Though initially proposed by Varney, a central tower of guest rooms, rising over the lobby, was not built.
The property was bought by the Ramada hotel chain in 1973, and was redecorated to cover the 1950s design, seen at the time as outdated. No longer in vogue, but centrally located, the hotel remained prominent for years, and hosted conferences, business meetings, and vacationers. Under Ramada management, however, the property began to show a lack of maintenance, and its popularity declined. It closed in 2001 and its demolition was considered when no purchase offers were received. Admirers of the hotel's exemplary architecture and its local history rallied to save it, and it was placed on the Scottsdale Historic Register.
In 2002, the hotel was bought by Westroc Hotels & Resorts and underwent a renovation, which was completed in 2005. Conceived anew by the architectural firm Allen+Philp, a seven-story tower with guest rooms and condominiums was built above the lobby, in the spirit of Varney's proposal. New restaurants were incorporated, including a retro-chic seasonal-American restaurant (ZuZu), and a Trader Vic's franchise at the northeast end of the property (closed in 2011). The hotel's original jet-age design was restored as much as possible, augmented with 2000s-era fixtures.
The Hotel Valley Ho is a AAA "Four Diamond Award" winner and a member of "Preferred Hotels & Resorts". Author and architect Alan Hess called the hotel "one of the best-preserved mid-century hotels in the country".
History
Robert and Evelyn Foehl were the first to conceive of the hotel. Robert Foehl trained at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. He then bought the Hotel San Marcos in Chandler, Arizona. Following that, he managed the Jokake Inn in Scottsdale. Evelyn Foehl managed the Hacienda del Sol in Tucson as one of the few women in the hotel business. The two established a core of investors to build a new hotel on an 8.86-acre (3.59 ha) site in Scottsdale and to design it, they hired Edward L. Varney, one of the most prominent local architects of the time. Varney set the hotel around a central pool lounge and used extended horizontal lines in the wings where rooms included air conditioning for year-round operation, a first for Scottsdale. A curving porte-cochere with abstract Southwestern designs in cast concrete opened onto a high-ceiling lobby which gave guests a "sense of arrival", a feature often used by Frank Lloyd Wright. The tall lobby connected the guests to a restaurant, a lounge, a nightclub, and the central pool. The interior design was conceived and executed by interior architect Thelma Hawkins, the director of Barker Bros. Phoenix Studio of Interior Design. The construction contract was awarded to Kitchell-Phillips Contractors Inc. The project was completed on December 20, 1956 at a cost of $1.5 million, an amount equivalent to $14.1 million in current value.
Varney added an unusual feature for a hotel of the time: a parking lot. The parking lot afforded guests the personal comfort and freedom of pulling their car up very close to their rooms. This was the first motor resort in Scottsdale.
The Foehls held a contest in March 1956 to name the as-yet-uncompleted hotel. They specified that the name should have a "westward flavor" like its parent, the Westward Ho in Phoenix. The winning name "Valley Ho" was selected because the location was at the periphery of Paradise Valley, an affluent area, and because the identical "Ho" connected the new hotel with the older one in Phoenix. Later, it was discovered that ho means "you are welcomed here, this is a friendly place" in a local aboriginal American language.
The Foehls knew many in the Hollywood film industry, and a number of film stars stayed at the hotel. In late December 1957, Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood celebrated their wedding reception at the hotel. Bette Davis, Roy Rogers, Bing Crosby, Frankie Avalon, Humphrey Bogart, Betty Grable, Janet Leigh, Marilyn Monroe, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, and Tony Curtis were known to have stayed there. Sometimes late at night, Jimmy Durante would come down from his room to play the piano in the lounge for other sleepless guests. The Foehls ran the hotel very closely—they lived on the premises.
Local Scottsdale corporation Motorola used the hotel to house its transferred employees while they looked for permanent residences. Some of the baseball players, coaches, and managers taking part in the spring training Cactus League of Arizona stayed at the hotel, including Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Leo Durocher, the latter requesting Room 103 every time he visited, for its nearness to the lobby. Chicago-based sports reporter Dave Hoekstra writes that he and his "Bleacher Bum" colleagues did not have enough money to stay under the same roof as the baseball players they were watching, and instead crowded into rooms at the nearby Safari Hotel. Hoekstra notes that, throughout the 1960s, "the Ho was the high-roller place in the Sun Valley".
The Valley Ho competed favorably with the Safari Hotel, erected about the same time east of Scottsdale Fashion Square. Both hotels offered premium hospitality, and helped Scottsdale expand its public image. With the Valley Ho an immediate financial success, in 1958 Varney designed and built two more wings of guest rooms to the northwest of the original complex. The same materials and style were employed on the expansion buildings, but instead of single exterior corridors with rooms to one side, the added wings loaded central corridors with rooms on both sides. Another Scottsdale landmark hotel, the Mountain Shadows Resort, opened the following year, in 1959. These three tourist havens reflected a desired cosmopolitan and exotic feel on Scottsdale.
In 1973, Robert Foehl died and Evelyn Foehl sold the hotel to Ramada, a hotel chain. The Ramada managers remodeled the hotel, stripping out and covering much of what they considered an outdated interior. The hotel was named Ramada Valley Ho. Though it remained a fashionable location for a while, its original character was largely absent and it began to suffer from neglect and disrepair. It continued to host conferences and business meetings, such as the Natural Health, Aromatherapy and Herb Conference & Trade Show in early 2000, and the Arizona LANBasher's League party in early 2001. Later that year, the hotel closed and was put on the market. Plans for its demolition were considered when no offers were made. To protect it, Alan Hess wrote a letter detailing its importance, and a successful campaign was mounted in Scottsdale to place it on the Scottsdale Historic Register in recognition of its significance to city history and its architectural connection to the past. To save it from demolition, business partners Scott Lyon and Bill Nassikas of Westroc Hotels & Resorts bought the property and undertook an extensive renovation and building addition that eventually cost $80M. Evelyn Foehl died in August 2003, two years after the hotel was closed for renovation.
The local Scottsdale architectural firm Allen+Philp accepted the task of renovation, and in researching the hotel's history, they found that in the 1950s, Varney had originally intended a tower of guest rooms to rise above the central lobby, a feature that was not built at the time. Allen+Philp designed a seven-story tower for the purpose of giving the new hotel owners a chance of greater financial viability. Architect Mark Philp said of the project, "We worked to stay true to the spirit of the original." Interior designer Cole-Martinez carefully updated the decorations and furnishings with "one foot firmly in the present with subtle salutes to the past". Chicago reporter Hoekstra happily noted that the renovation retained the original "Jetsons-in-the-desert flavor". The hotel re-opened on December 20, 2005, exactly 49 years after its first grand opening.
The hotel operates one restaurant and has a wide selection of guest rooms and suites in addition to over 30 luxury condominiums for permanent residents. The condos range from 1,450 to 2,400 square feet (135 to 223 m2). The location is 15 minutes by car from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and from Arizona State University. Hotel Valley Ho earned a "Four Diamond Award" from AAA each year 2007–2009, and after passing the "Standards of Excellence" was invited to join Preferred Hotels and Resorts in 2006. The Valley Ho is a top-ten-ranked Scottsdale property on TripAdvisor.com, topping even the renowned five-star Phoenician Resort. In a nod to "Mad Men," the widely acclaimed television series that takes place largely during the Valley Ho's original heyday, one TripAdvisor reviewer noted: "Don Draper would approve."
Centrally placed in the main lobby, ZuZu is a restaurant that offers seasonal American food. Executive Chef Charles Wiley compared the hotel restaurant renovation project with its long, curving counter, soda fountain and pie case to the careful rebuilding of "an old Harley-Davidson," with new features complementing vintage ones. Food and drinks are also served at the OH Pool Bar + Cabanas.
There are 21 large studio rooms which feature a bathroom separated only by a curtain. Eleven cabana rooms overlooking the pool come with a double-sized patio. Two executive suites and three terrace suites include an 800-square-foot (74 m2) balcony or patio.
Architectural style
The Hotel Valley Ho is a striking example of the mid-century modern architectural style. Varney's use of masonry, cast and poured concrete, natural stone, and wide expanses of glass make for a close connection between the building and its environment. Stone floor and wall patterns link the exterior entry and the lobby, as does the extension of the redwood ceiling. The hotel is now considered one of the finest examples of organic architecture. Rooms in the two adjacent wings added in the late 1950s are unusual, and remarkably forward-thinking even by mid-century design standards, for their high nine-foot-ceilings. The prevailing trend at the time of original construction was low-ceilinged rooms, in some cases with ceilings only seven feet above ground level, but the Valley Ho's rooms feel exceptionally roomy and airy thanks to its original decision to buck design trends.
More than one mile (1.6 km) of reddish concrete forms are used as a repeating motif along the balconies.
The repeated horizontal rows of V-shaped burnished red concrete forms resemble abstract arrowheads. These precast forms, extending horizontally, give a modest "Southwestern" or "American Indian" flavor to the building.
During the renovation, walls and coverings were stripped away to reveal 1950s features. Drywall was removed from guest room walls to highlight the original masonry bricks. Walls partitioning the central lobby were torn down to open up Varney's intended connection between the indoor and outdoor public spaces. Concrete columns in the lobby were stripped of mirrors added by Ramada so as to show their original design.
The hotel offers a 90-minute architectural tour, available by appointment and led by experts from Ultimate Art & Cultural Tours of Scottsdale. The tour is focused on the hotel's design and Hollywood past, and includes a look inside some of the restored rooms, a walk around the grounds, and a stop at the Sky Line Rooftop for wonderful views of Phoenix and Scottsdale.
Photo by Eric Friedebach
The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Embarcadero is not just a hotel; it’s an architectural landmark. Completed in 1973, this iconic building was designed by renowned architect John Portman. The highlight? Its jaw-dropping atrium, which, for a time, held the record as the world’s largest. The soaring space features geometric lines and futuristic design elements, drawing you into a scene that feels both grand and intimate. This atrium became a symbol of Portman’s signature style, integrating sweeping internal vistas with functional luxury, and has been featured in numerous films, including High Anxiety and The Towering Inferno.
The atrium is a visual feast, with its glass-walled elevators offering panoramic views of the space and beyond to the San Francisco waterfront. A playful mix of natural light and shadow dances across the interior throughout the day, giving guests a new experience every time they look up. The expansive openness of the atrium reflects the optimism of the early 1970s, blending brutalist architecture with modern aesthetics in a way that still feels contemporary.
Beyond its striking design, the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero is also celebrated for its prime location at the foot of Market Street, steps from the Ferry Building and the iconic Embarcadero waterfront. It’s a favorite spot for both travelers and architecture aficionados alike, offering not only stylish accommodations but also a living piece of San Francisco’s design history.
For those with a love of unique spaces and bold architectural statements, the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero’s atrium is a must-see, representing the best of 20th-century innovation in hospitality design.
Seen departing Exeter St Davids with the 1L94 to Axminster is Southwest Trains Class 158, 158884.
The Class 158's have become one of the most important part of the semi-fast and inter-regional services of the UK passenger network, operating a variety of local and intercity trains pretty much across the entire length and breadth of the country.
The Class 158's were conceived to replace many of the elderly heritage DMU's from the 1950's that continued to soldier on into the 1980's. Desperate to improve the somewhat archaic reputation of British Rail regional passenger sector Regional Railways, the company began design of units that had a more express-passenger design rather than the previous Class 150 based units which were built largely for the purpose of high capacity suburban use. With a futuristic design, lower density intercity style seating, and being powered by Cummins NTA855R1, these units were the fastest of BREL (British Rail Engineering Limited) units of the 1980's, with a top speed of 90mph.
In all, 182 sets were constructed between 1989 and 1992, with two variations created for differing regional purposes. The first 165 sets were built as two-car units for a majority of the UK network, whilst 17 were built as three-car sets primarily for the higher density West Yorkshire networks around Leeds, York and Sheffield. Distribution of these units was widespread across the entire UK network apart from the South East. Scotrail were the first to receive their units on express services to the Highlands and to replace Push/Pull Loco-hauled services between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Other locations included services across Wales and the South West of England under the brand Alphaline, as well as working on Trans-Pennine operations between Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, York and Hull. Some units were also hired out by InterCity to operate shorter distance cross country services in the North West of England and on the Southern Region around Portsmouth.
So popular was the design of these units, that Regional Railways ordered too many, and thus had many of the later 3-car sets left as spares. These were sold to Network SouthEast and used on express services between London Waterloo and Exeter to replace ageing loco-hauled stock from 1994. State Railway of Thailand also took an interest, ordering a set of 12 three-car units in 1990 to operate express services in Southeast Asia, these units differing in design with metre-gauge, differing end gangways, additional air conditioning and hinged doors instead of automatic plug-doors. These units continue to operate today, and have recently undergone a major refurbishment in 2011.
Upon privatisation, the fleet has remained largely where it was originally, but with some changes to the fleets and their usage. The class is still the mainstay of long-distance operations in Scotland under Scotrail, whilst Arriva Trains Wales works these units around Wales and the Midlands. First Great Western employ these units on operations between Cardiff, Bristol and Portsmouth, converting several sets into 3-cars by splitting some sets into centre carriages. First Trans-Pennine Express replaced their Class 158's with Class 185 Desiro units in 2006, sending their fleet south to Southwest Trains where 30 sets were converted to Class 159's. Northern Rail continue to operate sets on their Trans-Pennine services between Blackpool and York, as well as on the South and West Yorkshire passenger network. Probably the most lengthy uses of these trains is with East Midlands Trains, who work the sets between Liverpool and Norwich via Manchester and Peterborough, as well as on a variety of routes around Nottingham and Lincoln.
All units are today still in use, and provide an important part of the UK railway network, maintaining a busy but useful life.
The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept is a near future study that continues the evolution of a design language that could be seen in production Lagonda models as soon as 2022. Where the Lagonda Vision Concept shown at last year’s Geneva motor show was purely focused on road travel, this new vehicle broadens Lagonda’s horizons. It appeals to a pioneering spirit of adventure and such is its futuristic design that you could just as easily imagine it roaming the surface of Mars as a mountain in Scotland.
89th Geneva International Motor Show
Internationaler Auto-Salon Genf
Suisse - Schweiz - Switzerland
March 2019
A big success by any standard both in and out of competition, the Lancia Stratos was developed as a homologation Special for European rallying. After production ceased it became a cult car and is now highly priced as the ‘modern classis' it is. Conceived strictly for rallying, the Lancia Stratos however makes an exciting road car, though it is very far from GT standards in both luxury and refinement.
The concept vehicle responsible for providing the inspiration for the Lancia Stratos Rally car is the Lancia (Bertone) Stratos. The Stratos featured a 1584 cc V4 DOHC with 115 bhp horsepower at 200 rpm. Designed by Marcello Gandini, the same designer responsible for the Lamborghini Countach and Lamborghini Miura, the Stratos concept was a development of the Bertone designed Alfa Romeo Carabo concept from 1968. The Carabo concept was also a Gandini creation.
First revealed at the Turin Motor Show in October of 1970, the Lancia Stratos HF prototype was a styling exercise for Bertone. A futuristic design, the Stratos featured a wedge shaped profile that stood just 33 inches from the ground. Since the vehicle was so low, conventional doors could not be used and instead one accessed the interior of the Stratos by a hinged windscreen. Drivers had to flip up the windscreen and walk into the vehicle. Once inside, visibility was quite restricted since the front windscreen was narrow. The cockpit of the Lancia Stratos was designed specifically for fast forest flying.
The body design was predictably minimal to hold down weight and bulk with its most distinctive features being semi-concealed A-pillars and a door beltline that sharply upswept to the top of the daylight opening. The shape of the resulting unbroken expanse of glass gave the tunnelback roof the appearance of a futuristic crash helmet.
The main body structure was steel, like the chassis, and weight-saving fiberglass was used for tilt-up nose and tail sections. A small box above and behind the powertrain was where cargo space was held. Bins were also molded into the interior door panels for storing helmets.
The same engine utilized on the Lancia 1600 HF Fulvia was used on the Bertone designed Lancia Stratos Zero prototype. A triangular shaped panel hinged upwards to allow access to the mid-mounted engine. Developed for rallying purposes, the legendary Lancia Stratos was unveiled in 1974. The production vehicle Stratos was powered by a 2.4 liter mid-mounted V6 from the Ferrari Dino.
Like no other Lancia before or after, the Lancia Stratos was a shock that left enthusiasts and rally fans breathless. For almost a decade the Stratos streaked across the rally landscape much like a brilliant comet, while discarding past principles, it also fearlessly represented something undeniably new. A phenomenal rally car, the Lancia Stratos set an example to every other car manufacturer in the world. The first viable purpose-built rally car ever built, the Stratos was probably the last purpose-built rally car.
Created by the Bertone coachbuilding company, the Stratos was both radical, yet fully functional. Fiorio realized that for Lancia to continue to compete in the World Rally Championship, the Fulvia HF would need a much more powerful replacement. A the time, four-wheel drive was not an option, so a mid-engined configuration seemed ideal. To reinforce Fiori's convictions, the Bertone show car was featured soon after with a mid-engine Fulvia V4.
The introduction of the Ford mid-engine purpose-built GT70 rally car at the 1971Brussels Motor Show was what truly inspired the impetus behind the Stratos proect. It was after this appearance that Lancia's general manager, Pierugo Gobbato contacted Nuccio Bertone. Though the GT70 was actually never put in production by Ford, it was this that sparked the inspiration of the Lancia Stratos.
As always, there was a minimum production requirement, 500 units for the Lancia Stratos. This was an awkward figure that would necessitate funds for at least semi-permanent tooling as well as design and development. This was a job well suited to the Italian industry. Fiorio masterminded the project, and he envisioned a short, wide coupe with transverse midships drivetrain. Bertone was immediately contracted to style the vehicle and built its unit body/chassis structure.
43 months passed in between the time of conception to the actual birth of the Lancia Stratos. The vehicle was developed to take over and make Lancia the outright world rally champ. The Stratos was both short and wide, with a wheelbase of only 7 feet 1.8 inches, the width of the vehicle was only 5 feet 8.9 inches. Weighing only 1958 lbs, the Stratos was only 3 feet 7.9 inches high. Able to easily exceed 140 mph, the Stratos featured 190 horsepower in roadgoing trim.
Having studied every possible powerteam in the Fiat/Lancia group, Fiorio secured 2.4 liter V-6s and 5-speed transaxles from Ferrari, which was an ideal chouse as they'd be installed exactly as the Dino 246. All-independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering and four-wheel disc brakes were all specifically designed for the Lancia Stratos.
After 1978 the Stratos was officially retired and no longer was officially entered by the Lancia factory, the vehicle was still going strong. The Lancia team was headed by by Sandro Munari who won its first event as a homologated entry in October of 1974. Mun ari entered alone 40 events with the Lancia Stratos and won 14. The Stratos also won the World Rally Championship in 1974, 1975, and 1976 and remained competitive for another four years. The final major win came in 1979 when a Lancia Stratos entered by the Monaco importer won the famed Monte Carlo Rally. Finally the factory retired the Stratos.
By Jessica Donaldson
[Text from ConceptCarz.com]
www.conceptcarz.com/z21737/Lancia-Stratos-HF.aspx
This Lego miniland-scale Lancia Stratos Rally Racer has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 100th Build Challenge - our Centenary, titled 'One Hundred Ways to Win!'. In this challenge, a list of 100 challenges is available, kept by the admins. Individuals wishing to enter, request a number from 1-100 (so long as it has not already been requested) - and the admins assign the individual build challenge associated with that number.
In the case of admins entering models - they request that a general LUGNuts member assigns a number - and the admin must build to that challenge number.
In this case, the number 78 was chosen for me, corresponding to the challenge: '78.Any vehicle from the year you were born'. I was born in 1972, the year that the first Stratos rally cars were built, entering in the Rally Championship as Group 5 (un-homologated) entries.
The road cars required to homologate for Group 4 were built through 1973 to 1978.
The Aldar headquarters building is the first circular building of its kind in the Middle East. It is located in Al Raha, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The distinctive building was voted the “Best Futuristic Design” by The Building Exchange Conference held in Spain. The shape of this building is achieved through the use of structural diagrid, a diagonal grid of steel.
The 1980 Turin Motor Show marked the 50th anniversary of Pininfarina, and rumours abounded that the celebrated company was going to unveil a unique concept car for Ferrari. To great fanfare the first ever four-door Ferrari was duly unveiled. Sergio Pininfarina, now head of the legendary design firm, named the car in honour of his father and founder of the company, Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina.
The Ferrari Pinin had a wheelbase five centimetres longer than the Ferrari 400 and the 365 GT4 2+2. The futuristic design was the work of Diego Ottina under the direction of Leonardo Fioravanti, who had also been responsible for some of Pininfarina’s greatest Ferrari designs since the ’60s.
Aside from the four-door body style, one of the most notable features of the car was the very low height of the hood. Strikingly, the windows were tinted and mounted flush to hide the A- and B-pillars, giving the impression of a single piece of glass wrapping all the way around from C-pillar to C-pillar. Other unique features of this concept car included ‘multi-parabolic’ lights. Designed in conjunction with Lucas, they were incorporated into the body and utilised three lenses, with the middle one the same colour as the bodywork. The windscreen wipers retracted under a panel to help with streamlining, and the five-spoke wheels were angled like the blades of a turbine.
Interior appointments were given a high priority; special tan Connolly leather wraps most surfaces, and onboard computerisation controls all the passenger comfort features. Along with the extra legroom, afforded by the Pinin’s lengthened wheelbase, the rear-seated passengers also have their own controls as well as a second radio to be used with headphones (much like modern passenger cars).
Though the Pinin concept certainly appeared extremely advanced for the early ’80s, much of the technology was only a conceptualisation of what may have been. Sadly, the Pinin was never to make it into production. FIAT, Ferrari’s parent company, was busy developing smaller cars, such as the Uno, and wasn’t about to spend its precious resources on the first four-door Ferrari. The concept was featured at a number of shows, including the 1980 Los Angeles Auto Show and Carrozzeria Italiana in Pasadena in 1981, however, the Pinin would remain a static show car.
After being displayed at the 2005 Essen Motor Show to celebrate Pininfarina's 75th anniversary, the car was sold in 2008 by RM Auctions on behalf of Swaters for €176,000. The new owner send the Pinin to former Ferrari chief engineer Mauro Forghieri's firm Oral Engineering with the brief to make it a running vehicle. The Oral Engineering team made multiple modifications to the Pinin, installing a Tipo F102 B flat 12 engine from a Ferrari BB 512 as well as other components either taken from other Ferrari models or custom-made. In order to fit the engine, the chassis was modified and strengthened. The original engine mounts were moved up and forward. A gearbox and differential from a 400 GT were installed. A bespoke fuel tank and wiring loom were also commissioned. Although the car had front and rear double wishbone independent suspension from a 400 GT installed from the beginning, suspension modifications were required to make it road-usable, including adjustment of ground clearance and replacement of non-functional springs. The conversion process took approximately 1.5 years.
Futuristic designed riverboat, Tokyo.
Hotaluna is the second futuristic vessel produced by anime master Leiji Matsumoto. It runs from Azumabashi Bridge, in Asakusa, via the Hinode Pier to Odaiba Seaside Park. Beyond the Sumidagawa River, the roof converts into a promenade deck where passengers can enjoy a view of the Port of Tokyo area.
ER Foden & Son (ERF) was an offshoot from the legendary truck builder Foden of Sandbach. At a time when the latter was still wedded to steam technology, ERF set about building the 'finest oil-engine lorries in the world'. It did so by buying it proven and trusted components such as Gardner diesel engines and outsourcing cab construction to a local firm, Jennings of Sandbach, whom it later acquired. The 1954 Kleer Vue (KV) cab , illustrated here, was designed jointly by ERF and Jennings. Its futuristic design incorporated one of the very first applications of curved glass in a commercial vehicle and one which reputedly caused manufacturer Triplex many production difficulties. It became hugely popular; so much so that the letters KV were commonly used to describe the model range as a whole. The KV cab was replaced in 1966 by the LV (Long Vue), which had been introduced in 1962. This fictional image represents the much-missed Robson's Border Transport of Carlisle. A distinctive feature of Robson's fleet was the individual names beginning with the word 'Border'. This image is based on a preserved vehicle that carries the grey livery of Gestetner Duplicators (20-Jun-14).
All rights reserved. Follow the link below for terms and conditions, additional information about my work; and to request work from me. I cannot undertake to respond to requests, or to queries of a general nature, which are posted as comments under individual images
www.flickr.com/photos/northernblue109/6046035749/in/set-7....
This is a very rare and interesting radio from Philips. It is based on the building pictured below. The building and the radio were designed/made to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Philips Company circa 1966/67. This radio could be bought in the gift store (I'm uncertain if it was made available for broader distribution around the world)
I picked this up at a garage sale back in August. Not sure how it made its way to Canada.
More information from Wikipedia:
The Evoluon is a conference centre and former science museum erected by the electronics and electrical company Philips at Eindhoven in the Netherlands in 1966.
The building is unique due to its very futuristic design, resembling a landed flying saucer. It was designed by architects Leo de Bever and Louis Christiaan Kalff.
Its concrete dome is 77 metres (253 ft) in diameter and is held in place by 169 kilometres (105 mi) of reinforcing steel bars.
In the 1960s and 70s the Evoluon attracted large visitor numbers, since its interactive exhibitions were a new and unique concept in the Netherlands at that time. But when competing science museums opened in other cities, the number of visitors began to decline. After several years of losing money, the original museum closed down in 1989 and the Evoluon was converted into a conference centre, opening in 1998.
Arriving at Birmingham New Street with the 1J15 Birmingham New Street to Aberystwyth & Pwllheli is Arriva Trains Wales Class 158, 158833, and an unidentified Classmate.
The Class 158's have become one of the most important part of the semi-fast and inter-regional services of the UK passenger network, operating a variety of local and intercity trains pretty much across the entire length and breadth of the country.
The Class 158's were conceived to replace many of the elderly heritage DMU's from the 1950's that continued to soldier on into the 1980's. Desperate to improve the somewhat archaic reputation of British Rail regional passenger sector Regional Railways, the company began design of units that had a more express-passenger design rather than the previous Class 150 based units which were built largely for the purpose of high capacity suburban use. With a futuristic design, lower density intercity style seating, and being powered by Cummins NTA855R1, these units were the fastest of BREL (British Rail Engineering Limited) units of the 1980's, with a top speed of 90mph.
In all, 182 sets were constructed between 1989 and 1992, with two variations created for differing regional purposes. The first 165 sets were built as two-car units for a majority of the UK network, whilst 17 were built as three-car sets primarily for the higher density West Yorkshire networks around Leeds, York and Sheffield. Distribution of these units was widespread across the entire UK network apart from the South East. Scotrail were the first to receive their units on express services to the Highlands and to replace Push/Pull Loco-hauled services between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Other locations included services across Wales and the South West of England under the brand Alphaline, as well as working on Trans-Pennine operations between Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, York and Hull. Some units were also hired out by InterCity to operate shorter distance cross country services in the North West of England and on the Southern Region around Portsmouth.
So popular was the design of these units, that Regional Railways ordered too many, and thus had many of the later 3-car sets left as spares. These were sold to Network SouthEast and used on express services between London Waterloo and Exeter to replace ageing loco-hauled stock from 1994. State Railway of Thailand also took an interest, ordering a set of 12 three-car units in 1990 to operate express services in Southeast Asia, these units differing in design with metre-gauge, differing end gangways, additional air conditioning and hinged doors instead of automatic plug-doors. These units continue to operate today, and have recently undergone a major refurbishment in 2011.
Upon privatisation, the fleet has remained largely where it was originally, but with some changes to the fleets and their usage. The class is still the mainstay of long-distance operations in Scotland under Scotrail, whilst Arriva Trains Wales works these units around Wales and the Midlands. First Great Western employ these units on operations between Cardiff, Bristol and Portsmouth, converting several sets into 3-cars by splitting some sets into centre carriages. First Trans-Pennine Express replaced their Class 158's with Class 185 Desiro units in 2006, sending their fleet south to Southwest Trains where 30 sets were converted to Class 159's. Northern Rail continue to operate sets on their Trans-Pennine services between Blackpool and York, as well as on the South and West Yorkshire passenger network. Probably the most lengthy uses of these trains is with East Midlands Trains, who work the sets between Liverpool and Norwich via Manchester and Peterborough, as well as on a variety of routes around Nottingham and Lincoln.
All units are today still in use, and provide an important part of the UK railway network, maintaining a busy but useful life.
The Chevrolet Astro I was an innovative concept car that debuted at the 1967 New York Auto Show. Its futuristic design included a very low drag coefficient, achieved through a low roofline, small frontal area, and a relatively high back. One of the most striking features was its pop-up canopy section instead of regular doors. This allowed for easier entry into the vehicle, which had an almost impossible low height of 35.5 inches. The seats would lift up with the canopy, allowing the driver and passenger to climb up into them and lower into the vehicle as the clamshell section closed.
The Astro I featured a unique, single overhead camshaft version of Chevy’s Turbo-Air 6 boxer engine, enlarged to 2.9 liters and producing 240 horsepower at 7,400 RPM. However, there’s some debate over whether this engine was ever actually installed in the Astro I, as some reports suggest it was only used in a test car and the show car featured a regular Corvair boxer motor.
Although the Astro I never went into production, it represented a significant step in automotive design and engineering. It was designed to explore the visual potential of automotive aerodynamics and now resides in the GM Heritage Center, alongside other notable concept cars like the Corvair Monza GT and Monza SS. [Sources: Bing Copilot, General Motors, and Remarkable Corvettes]
Would you dare to cross over these , the worlds most dangerous Bridges ? Did you know some people have a fear of Bridges and can not cross over them ? Lets look at the worlds most Dangerous and Scary Bridges !
10. Eshima Ohashi Bridge, Japan
This futuristically designed bridge connects the c...
The exhibition 'CUTE' at Kunsthal Rotterdam explores the global rise and evolution of the concept of "cuteness," from Japanese kawaii culture to modern internet memes and futuristic design. Created in collaboration with Somerset House in London, the exhibition demonstrates how cuteness can be a powerful tool for comfort, manipulation, or provocation. Visitors can experience interactive installations, such as a Hello Kitty disco and a game arcade with digital monsters, and immerse themselves in the multi-layered world of CUTE.
Kunsthal Rotterdam: CUTE exhibition from July 5 to November 23, 2025.
My transparent glass windows car illustration
-
Şeffaf camlı araba illustrasyonum. Yonumu buldum !.. :)
Slumping sales of the 911 in the mid-1970s seemed to confirm that the model was approaching the end of its economic life cycle. Fuhrmann envisioned the new range-topping grand tourer model as being the best possible combination of a sports coupé and a luxury sedan. This would set it apart from the 911, with its relatively spartan interior and true sports car performance. The targets were that the car had to compete on par with offerings from Mercedes-Benz and BMW while also being successful in the United States, Porsche's main market at the time.
Ordered by Ferdinand Porsche to design a production-feasible concept for the new model, Fuhrmann initiated a design study in 1971, eventually yielding the 928 which was the first clean sheet design by the company for its own model.
The finished car debuted at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show before going on sale later that year as a 1978 model. Although it won early acclaim for its comfort, power and futuristic design, sales were slow. Base prices were much higher than that of the previous range-topping 911 model and the 928's front-engined, water-cooled design alienated many Porsche purists.
Porsche introduced a refreshed 928 S into the European market in the 1980 model year, although it was the summer of 1982 and MY 1983 before the model reached North America. Externally, the S wore new front and rear spoilers and sported wider wheels and tires than the older variant, but the main change for the 928 S was under the hood, where a revised 4.7 L engine was used. European versions debuted with 221 kW; 296 hp (300 PS), and were upgraded to 228 kW; 306 hp (310 PS) for the 1984 model year.
The Aldar headquarters building, the office of property developer Aldar, is the first circular building of its kind in the Middle East. It is designed in Qatar by MZ & Partners in 2005 and located in Al Raha, Abu Dhabi.
The distinctive building was voted the “Best Futuristic Design” by The Building Exchange (BEX) Conference held in Spain.The shape of this building is achieved through the use of structural diagrid, a diagonal grid of steel.
Made with sony A99 and Sigma 12-24mm
The 1980 Turin Motor Show marked the 50th anniversary of Pininfarina, and rumours abounded that the celebrated company was going to unveil a unique concept car for Ferrari. To great fanfare the first ever four-door Ferrari was duly unveiled. Sergio Pininfarina, now head of the legendary design firm, named the car in honour of his father and founder of the company, Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina.
The Ferrari Pinin had a wheelbase five centimetres longer than the Ferrari 400 and the 365 GT4 2+2. The futuristic design was the work of Diego Ottina under the direction of Leonardo Fioravanti, who had also been responsible for some of Pininfarina’s greatest Ferrari designs since the ’60s.
Aside from the four-door body style, one of the most notable features of the car was the very low height of the hood. Strikingly, the windows were tinted and mounted flush to hide the A- and B-pillars, giving the impression of a single piece of glass wrapping all the way around from C-pillar to C-pillar. Other unique features of this concept car included ‘multi-parabolic’ lights. Designed in conjunction with Lucas, they were incorporated into the body and utilised three lenses, with the middle one the same colour as the bodywork. The windscreen wipers retracted under a panel to help with streamlining, and the five-spoke wheels were angled like the blades of a turbine.
Interior appointments were given a high priority; special tan Connolly leather wraps most surfaces, and onboard computerisation controls all the passenger comfort features. Along with the extra legroom, afforded by the Pinin’s lengthened wheelbase, the rear-seated passengers also have their own controls as well as a second radio to be used with headphones (much like modern passenger cars).
Though the Pinin concept certainly appeared extremely advanced for the early ’80s, much of the technology was only a conceptualisation of what may have been. Sadly, the Pinin was never to make it into production. FIAT, Ferrari’s parent company, was busy developing smaller cars, such as the Uno, and wasn’t about to spend its precious resources on the first four-door Ferrari. The concept was featured at a number of shows, including the 1980 Los Angeles Auto Show and Carrozzeria Italiana in Pasadena in 1981, however, the Pinin would remain a static show car.
After being displayed at the 2005 Essen Motor Show to celebrate Pininfarina's 75th anniversary, the car was sold in 2008 by RM Auctions on behalf of Swaters for €176,000. The new owner send the Pinin to former Ferrari chief engineer Mauro Forghieri's firm Oral Engineering with the brief to make it a running vehicle. The Oral Engineering team made multiple modifications to the Pinin, installing a Tipo F102 B flat 12 engine from a Ferrari BB 512 as well as other components either taken from other Ferrari models or custom-made. In order to fit the engine, the chassis was modified and strengthened. The original engine mounts were moved up and forward. A gearbox and differential from a 400 GT were installed. A bespoke fuel tank and wiring loom were also commissioned. Although the car had front and rear double wishbone independent suspension from a 400 GT installed from the beginning, suspension modifications were required to make it road-usable, including adjustment of ground clearance and replacement of non-functional springs. The conversion process took approximately 1.5 years.
zp.179
***DESERT SERIES***
Trotting Park - Goodyear, AZ
About ...
The Phoenix Trotting Park, a horse racing track, was originally built in 1964 in Goodyear, Arizona. It opened in 1965 and was run for about two and a half seasons. The large, futuristically designed structure gave an optimistic look for the 1960s.
Originally planned to be built for a cost of about $3 million, the facility ended up costing around $10 million. Various incentives during the events that were held, such as free parking and admission did initially lead to decent attendance. However, a variety of factors led to the inevitable closing of the track. The hot weather of the desert caused events to be uncomfortable to attendees. The location provided limited means to control rain, leading to floods that caused accessibility problems. The park is also located about 20 miles outside of Phoenix and was built long before any major roads made the area easily accessible to those in the city or its suburbs.
The main building of the park was used in the 1998 Charlie/Martin Sheen movie No Code of Conduct. Part of the feature involved a large explosion occurring at the track. Despite the original assurances by the production staff that no animals would be injured, hundreds of the birds occupying the abandoned structure were killed and injured when the effect went off.
The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept is a near future study that continues the evolution of a design language that could be seen in production Lagonda models as soon as 2022. Where the Lagonda Vision Concept shown at last year’s Geneva motor show was purely focused on road travel, this new vehicle broadens Lagonda’s horizons. It appeals to a pioneering spirit of adventure and such is its futuristic design that you could just as easily imagine it roaming the surface of Mars as a mountain in Scotland.
89th Geneva International Motor Show
Internationaler Auto-Salon Genf
Suisse - Schweiz - Switzerland
March 2019
The influence of jet aircraft that characterized many concept cars of the 1950s continued into the following decades, including with this innovative offering from GM. Unveiled at the 1969 Chicago Auto Show, the Astro III was one of several mid-engine concepts devised by Bill Mitchell with Corvette chief engineer Larry Shinoda in a study of futuristic design combined with low-drag forms. The three-wheeler was powered by a gas turbine engine originally developed for use in military and civilian helicopters paired with a two-speed Hydramatic transmission.
Ferrari P 4/5 Designed by Pininfarina at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
The Ferrari P 4/5, designed and built by Pininfarina's Special Projects Division, pays homage to Ferrari's great sports racing prototypes while simultaneously glancing ahead toward the marque's boundless feature.
Commissioned by New York Ferrari collector James Glickenhaus and built on the mechanicals of the exclusive Ferrari Enzo supercar, the P 4/5 is a unique one-off automobile that rekindles Pininfarina's storied tradition as the premier creator of the bespoke carrozzeria.
While the car's main influence is the immortal championship-winning Ferrari P 3/4 Le Mans racer of 1967, the thoroughly futuristic design draws equal inspiration from modern aerospace technology and Ferrari Formula 1 racing cars. The P 4/5's sensual yet technical design is tightly shrunk to its race-bred mechanicals. Regardless of viewing angle, the car's muscular converging fenders seem to leap forward, tightly hugging the unique 20-inch wheel and tire package and giving the car a planted and solid stance. Staying true to it's racing roots, the meter-tall P 4/5 has been finely tuned in Pininfarina's full scale moving belt wind tunnel, assuring superior aerodynamic performance.
(exerpted from the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance program)
The Rheinturm, or Rhine Tower, is Düsseldorf's most iconic landmark and a prominent feature of its skyline. Standing at 240.5 meters (789 feet) tall, it is the tallest building in Düsseldorf and the tenth tallest television tower in Germany. Completed in 1981, the tower serves primarily as a telecommunications tower, broadcasting radio and television signals. Its slender, futuristic design, crafted by architect Harald Deilmann, features a cylindrical shaft that broadens to accommodate the observation deck and revolving restaurant, topped by its distinctive antenna.
Beyond its functional role, the Rheinturm is a major tourist attraction, offering breathtaking panoramic views of Düsseldorf and the surrounding Rhine landscape. Visitors can access an observation deck at 172.5 meters, which provides a stunning 360-degree vista of the city's landmarks, including the Old Town, Media Harbour, and the Königsallee. Above the observation deck, at 174.5 meters, is a revolving restaurant called "Günnewig Rheinturm Restaurant Top 180." This restaurant slowly rotates, completing a full revolution every hour, allowing diners to enjoy changing perspectives of the city while savoring their meal. A unique feature of the tower is its "Light Time Sculpture," a light installation by Horst H. Baumann that displays the time in deciseconds, seconds, minutes, and hours using a series of lights on its shaft, making it the largest digital clock in the world.
The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept is a near future study that continues the evolution of a design language that could be seen in production Lagonda models as soon as 2022. Where the Lagonda Vision Concept shown at last year’s Geneva motor show was purely focused on road travel, this new vehicle broadens Lagonda’s horizons. It appeals to a pioneering spirit of adventure and such is its futuristic design that you could just as easily imagine it roaming the surface of Mars as a mountain in Scotland.
89th Geneva International Motor Show
Internationaler Auto-Salon Genf
Suisse - Schweiz - Switzerland
March 2019