Converted Castles: 13 Preserved Palaces & Fortresses
September 2, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Geography & Travel. ]
Most of the world’s castles, dating back as far as the dark ages, have crumbled into ruin. But there are still many of these daunting stone fortresses and palaces that live on in a new way – as homes, hotels, museums, universities and even bookstores. These 13 converted castles from the 10th to 19th centuries remain functional works of architecture, whether augmented by modern construction or historically preserved.
Messner Mountain Museum, South Tyrol, Italy
(image via: dezeen)
Leaving the historic exterior largely untouched, Italian architects EM2 converted a castle in the Alps into a mountaintop museum. Messner Mountain Museum houses a permanent exhibition about people who live in mountain communities around the world. EM2 added wooden stairways to many of the rooms, opened up the basement and constructed a few new spaces out of unfinished timber.
Grey Towers Castle at Arcadia University, Pennsylvania
(images via: road_less_trvled)
Grey Towers Castle was built starting in 1893 as the estate of William Welsh Harrison, and was acquired by Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania in 1929. The castle is rumored to have secret passages behind the fireplaces as well as a series of underground tunnels built to connect the main house to stables and outbuildings. It now contains various offices, including that of the President, as well as student residences.
Hay Castle Books, Wales
(images via: wikimedia commons, bobulate)
Hay-on-Wye, Wales is often described as “the town of books” thanks to its large collection of bookstores and libraries, and none are more magnificent than Honesty Bookshop, a 24-hour open-air bookshop on the grounds of Hay Castle. The books, which are kept in bookcases against the castle wall, are paid for through a small letterbox. Elsewhere on the castle grounds, a mansion built in the 1660s is used for second-hand book sales.
Ashford Castle, Ireland
(image via: ashford.ie)
On the shore of Lough Corrib in County Galway, Ireland, a medieval castle built in 1228 now offers the royal experience to any paying guests. Ashford Castle was converted into a five-star luxury hotel in the 1940s, and its 26,000-acre grounds include a 17th-century French-style chateau.
Moritzburg Museum, Halle, Germany
(images via: dezeen)
A ruined castle in Halle, Germany has been given a new life thanks to modern extensions by Spanish studio Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos. The formerly roof-less castle is now protected by a second-floor extension of modern steel, glass and stark white plaster, contrasting beautifully with the 15th century stonework. The structure now houses a notable collection of modern art, mostly German Expressionism.
Castell d’Emporda, Spain
(images via: dezeen)
Among the many breathtaking castles that have been converted to hotels in Spain is the Castell d’Emporda, which was augmented in 2011 with rusted steel parasols that shelter a terraced outdoor restaurant. The 14th century Castell d’Emporda, located on the Costa Brava, was fully preserved when it was turned into a boutique hotel in 1999.
Wilton Castle Luxury Apartments, England
(images via: wikimedia commons, rightmove)
Want to live in an actual castle? Unless you’ve got a royally loaded bank account, Wilton Castle in Yorkshire may be among your only chances. Though it was built in the early 19th century – on the grounds of a medieval castle – it has retained a feel befitting its history. The castle has been converted into luxury residential apartments.
Carbisdale Castle Hostel, Scotland
(images via: syha.org.uk)
Few hostels can boast surroundings quite as atmospheric as those at Carbisdale Castle in the Scottish Highlands. Built in the early 1900s for Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland, Carbisdale Castle is now a youth hostel boasting a large collection of art, 365 windows, a clock tower and even a secret door opened by rotating a nearby statue.
Parador-Castillo de Tortosa, Spain
(images via: parador.es)
The Moorish king Abderraman III built the majestic Parador de Tortosa as a fortress in the 10th century. Today, the castle is a hotel, nestled in the fertile Ebro valley of the Catalan region of Spain.
The Witchery, Scotland
(images via: thewitchery.com)
While there are any number of old castles converted to hotels in Great Britain, none have interiors quite as magical as those at the appropriately named ‘Witchery’ in Edinburgh. Popular with celebrities and wildly in demand, The Witchery by the Castle is as well known for its richly decorated, theatrically baroque suites as for its critically acclaimed restaurant. The hotel’s 8 guest suites feature ornate drapery, renaissance-style paintings, Victorian baths, fireplaces and even hidden rooms.
Scottish National War Memorial, Scotland
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Located on the historic grounds of Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, the Scottish War Memorial occupies a converted barrack block on the north side of Crown Square. Though technically, this building is not a former castle, the bricks used to build it in the 1920s and ’30s are from the medieval St. Mary’s Church, which was built in 1366.
CN Castle, Portugal
(images via: archdaily)
How do you honor and preserve the remains of a historic castle, without attempting to rebuild it? Comoco Architects built modern viewing and exhibition spaces around the crumbling remains of Portugal’s Castelo Novo, allowing visitors to view the archaeological findings of the site without damaging them. A ‘steel box’ inside the castle’s main tower functions as multimedia room as well as an overlook.
University College, England
(images via: wikimedia commons)
Built in the 11th century, Durham Castle was a bishop’s palace for centuries before it was donated to the newly-formed University of Durham in 1837. Today, the castle houses over 100 students, and meals are eaten in the castle’s great hall. The castle, along with the adjacent Durham Cathedral, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Apt Adaptation: 10 Cool Converted Bookstores
The details definitely weren’t lost in translation when these 10 bookstores were adapted from their former uses as churches, theaters, and even funeral homes.
16 Comments - Click Here to Read More
Chic and Natural: 13 More Rustic Modern Interiors
August 29, 2011 by thegreenchildrenfoundation · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design & Home & Garden. ]
Who says you have to choose between rustic and modern interior design? When blended together, these two seemingly disparate styles provide a beautiful balance of sleek, airy minimalism and weathered natural charm. These 13 (more!) renovated barns, mills, lofts and other aged spaces benefit from leaving time-worn surfaces intact.
A Modern Home in a Historic Mill
(image via: freshome)
First constructed by monks in the 12th century, this structure in Extramadura, Spain then became an oil mill and is today a jaw-dropping home. Architect Ricardo Elizondo added modern touches like large expanses of glass and lofts with steel railings, which contrast with the weathered wood, brick and stone surfaces.
Exposed Timber
(image via: lonnymag)
Aging wooden walls are stunning, but sometimes a bit busy. White drywall applied to the large surfaces of the interior walls break up the texture, while the exposed timber beams add geometric visual interest.
A Study in Textures
(image via: 1kinddesign)
A historic barn in Connecticut was renovated and modernized by New York-based architecture firm Russell Groves. The result – leaving most of the original stone and wood of the structure intact while knocking down a few walls and adding plenty of white – is open, airy and richly textured.
Residence St. Hubert
(image via: mocoloco)
Plasse Rasselet Architects painted the wood in this St. Hubert, Quebec home white to open up the interior.”The materials chosen were left in their natural state, as raw as possible, to create an authentic ambiance,” say the architects.
House of Brinson
(image via: remodelista)
“Our aesthetic is about contrast,” say homeowners Susan and William Brinson, “Black and white, light and dark, masculine and feminine, old and new, rustic and modern.” Their New York loft pairs weathered vintage furniture with sleek, chic modern materials.
Stone Dining Room
(image via: colors of life)
Modern furnishings and accessories fit seamlessly into an environment that looks like a castle in this incredible stone dining room.
White & Wood Townhouse by TBHC
(image via: digsdigs)
Mixing modern and vintage elements, this 4-story townhouse renovation in Park Slope, New York earns extra points for pairing a rustic dining table with ultramodern chairs, not to mention the worn sliding wood door.
Beams, Stone & Exposed Chimney
(images via: delight by design)
Rough textured wood and stone are perfectly offset by angular modern cabinets and tabletops in this kitchen renovation. The exposed chimney draws the eye upward to take in the height of the ceiling.
Built-in Niches in Wood Wall
(image via: imgfave)
Asymmetrical built-in niches give this all-wood wall an interesting geometric look.
Dramatic Staircase
(image via: griege design)
A modern, organically shaped staircase with a solid black balustrade gives this natural, rustic home – complete with exposed tree trunks in the ceiling – even more visual flair.
Black and Wood in the Kitchen
(image via: style files)
Matte black paint goes beautifully with a concrete floor and unfinished wood in this stylish kitchen in the Netherlands.
Renovated Dutch Farmhouse
(images via: style files)
This renovated Dutch farmhouse may have been made modern with sleek surfaces and white paint, but rustic touches still come through in the use of knobby wood accents.
Rustic Loft Interior Renovation
(images via: woovaa)
Peeling paint on the aged bricks of this renovated loft, paired with distressed concrete floors, give the space a sense of history that balances nicely with modern decor.
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Funny Farms: 12 Cool Agricultural Architecture Conversions
Traditional rural architecture like farmhouses, barns and carriage houses are converted into bright, modern, livable homes that retain a sense of history.
1 Comment - Click Here to Read More
Refab Paradise: Ruined Factory Becomes Dream Retreat
August 26, 2011 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design. ]
Not long ago, what remained of the Shihlin paper factory in Taipei was in ruins, nearly lost to time. Left to crumble along with many other structures in this forgotten area, the factory was predictably overtaken by nature – with stunning results. Rainwater poured in and ferns and other greenery began to flourish against the red brick of the walls. Holes in the roof let in sunlight. Eventually, the beauty of this abandonment was discovered by Interbreeding Field Architects.
Rather than tear the remains down and start anew, Interbreeding Field preserved the chaos and deterioration, creating an incredibly moody atmosphere for a new exhibition space and cafe. The Paradise Lost in Time features wooden boardwalks and benches that allow visitors to tour the space safely.
Wooden latticework provides a backdrop for performance or art exhibitions, sleek and new beside the peeling paint of the original structure. Clusters of seats resembling lanterns give the space an eerie glow. Outside, the once-dilapidated grounds of the paper factory have been transformed with elevated wooden platforms that echo the wood used on the interior as well as new greenery, rocks and other landscaping.
This display of contrast between old and new, natural and artificial is a key concept in Interbreeding Field’s work. Says director Li H. Lu in an essay on the Interbreeding Field website, “The terms ‘interbreeding’ and ‘interfering’ are not architectural jargon. ‘interbreeding’ is a biological term. The botanical definition of “interbreeding” is ‘slip’ or ‘grafting’, and in zoology it means mixing of breeds. Whether ‘slip’, ‘grafting’ or ‘hybrid’, ‘interbreeding’ can be defined as crossbreeding of different species which then creates a new species and life form different from the parent generation.”
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Stylish, but Sustainable? Synthetic Super-Sized Wood Trees
The massive Metropol Parasol opened in Seville, Spain recently: the product of four years of research, design and construction.
1 Comment - Click Here to Read More
Google Arts Project - More than Words
February 15, 2011 by admin · View Comments
I hesitantly checked out Google’s Art Project this morning. Wasn’t sure what to expect but certainly nothing as visually stunning and inviting as this. For people who can’t make it to some of the best museums in the world, this is the next best thing. Really. You can practically touch the paintings!
Kudos to Google for an amazing job.
Here are a few of the masterpieces you can check out:
- Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art
- Rembrandt’s “Moses with the Ten Commandments” at Germany’s Gemäldegalerie
- Caravaggio’s “Saint Catherine of Alexandria” at Spain’s Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
- Andrey Rublev’s “Holy Trinity” at Russia’s Tretyakov Gallery
- John Martin’s “The Plains of Heaven” at England’s Tate Gallery
- Bartolomeo Cristofori’s “Grand Piano” at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Leonardo da Vinci’s “Annunciation” at Italy’s Uffizi Gallery
- Vincent Van Gogh’s “Bedroom” at the Netherlands’ Van Gogh Museum
“These are the kinds of projects that made me a Google fanboy way back when,” Forbes’ Michael Humphrey wrote. “Self-driving cars, bad Buzz and TV static reveal a company painting too far outside its own lines. Art Project is a Google masterpiece. It is innovation, powered by enormous reach and collaboration to bring the world to our screens in ways we could have never imagined.”
Beth
Bilbao Building Features Faceted Glass Facade
November 12, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Energy & Fuel, Geography & Travel. ]
Faceted like an irregular crystal, this building in Bilbao, Spain wasn’t simply born of some stroke of artistic inspiration. The amorphous towering facade came about because the city’s restrictive zoning rules required a setback from the curb as well as other concessions. Coll-Barreu Architects took those restrictions and ran with them, producing an unexpected structure that not only serves as a focal point on the street, but is energy-efficient as well.
The striking glass skin is actually disguising a rather pedestrian health department building, but while some architecture enthusiasts may bemoan the lost opportunity for an interesting modern interior, the ‘double facade’ lets in lots of natural light and allows for natural temperature regulation, decreasing energy needs. The inner structure shines through at night like a skeleton.
“The double façade solves not only urban requirements but also those concerning energetic, fire-resistant and acoustic insulation from outside,” explain the architects. “This climatic improvement enables the elimination of the conventional air-conditioning installation as well as the false ceiling. Thus, the sound produced by the building is reduced, air recirculation in workplaces disappears, with a significant increase of health conditions. The volume occupied per floor is also reduced.”
The space between the building itself and the skin acts as a massive two-story atrium that opens up to a rooftop deck. Because of all the angles on the facade, the view from inside is never quite the same, reflecting various parts of the city scene outside depending on viewpoint, season and the time of day.
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
Man-Made Mountains: 12 Terrain-Inspired Buildings
It juts out of the landscape and into the clouds, covered in grass, butterflies flitting about – but it’s no naturally-occurring mountain. It’s a high-density housing development, or a …
Click Here to Read More
Let the Sun Shine: Solar Decathlon Europe 2010 Winners
June 30, 2010 by admin · View Comments
[ By Delana in Art & Design, History & Trivia, News & Politics. ]
Every other year, some of the best and brightest college and university students come together to built amazing solar-powered home designs. Designs are judged based on their efficiency, their comfort, and their architectural structure, among other factors. The 2010 Solar Decathlon took place in Madrid, Spain, marking the first time that the competition was held in Europe. One of the main focal points of the contest is to highlight the fact that eco-friendly dwellings can be exceptionally modern and attractive, contrary to many assumptions. The designs that came out of this year’s competition were some of the most forward-thinking and creative solar homes that the world has ever seen; these five were the judges’ top picks.
Lumenhaus
(image via: afagen)
Lumenhaus, the winning 2010 design from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University team, is a fantastically open home that emphasizes a “whole building” design. The shape and overall look of the home were influenced by the all-glass Farnsworth House designed by Mies van der Rohe. The two glass exterior walls of the Lumenhaus, along with its open floor plan, bathe the entire house in natural sunlight. A distinctive mixture of high-tech features and low-tech features are what make this design a winner: a solar roof, radiant in-floor heating, an energy-efficient central computer system, grey water recycling, and the use of passive energy. Moreover, the modular design is extremely portable and units can be added with very little effort, making the Lumenhaus the perfect expandable Earth-friendly home for the family of tomorrow.
Ikaros
A very close second place went to the team from the University of Applied Sciences, Rosenheim for their Ikaros design. The Ikaros house features a visually striking exterior design, but that’s far from being its only impressive side. The house produces four times more solar energy than it uses, meaning that future residents could sell their “extra” electricity to the power company and make some extra money every month. That distinctive exterior design serves to shade the home so that it will require less energy to cool in the summer months, and excess energy from the home’s systems is used to keep the home warm in the winter.
home+
The team from Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences walked away with third place for their home+ design. The glittering home is covered in lovely photovoltaic cells that lend a very distinctive look to the exterior while producing far more energy than the home’s residents would need. The idea behind the home was to produce a prototype that uses the least amount of traditional grid power possible but that was comfortable and pleasant to look at. The home+ design includes a wind tower (for passive cooling), phase changing-materials for moving heated or cooled air to where it’s most needed, and a modular design that lets users configure the four-part dwelling in whatever way works best for them.
Armadillo Box
Despite its funny name, the Armadillo Box from the Ecole National Superieure darchitecture de Grenoble team is serious about solar design. Like the desert-dwelling creature that shares its name, the Armadillo Box is great at conserving energy and withstanding brutal heat. The home features a nucleus that houses all of its technical equipment, keeping it safe while acting as the “heart” of the sustainable, flexible home meant for two people. Large windows help to provide natural sunlight, while overhangs reduce the amount of heat that seeps in through those windows. And of course, a massive photovoltaic array is prominently featured on the exterior of the house.
Luukku
Team Finland rounded out the top five with its simply beautiful Luukku design. The team drew inspiration from traditional Finnish summer houses which use slightly elevated foundations and natural materials to make beautiful and functional buildings. The overall feel of this design is one of simplicity: sustainable wood, water heated by solar collectors, high-efficiency insulation and windows, and – naturally – a large and effective photovoltaic system. What’s best about the Finnish design is that it’s meant for cold climates that don’t get much sun – so even in Finland the home can produce at least as much power as it needs for the family living inside.
Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebEcoist:
14 Ingenious Solar Power Designs and Innovations
People are finding unique ways to integrate solar energy into architectural, vehicular and even fashion designs, technologies and innovations from the beginning
12 Comments - Click Here to Read More
Royalty amidst poverty
April 9, 2010 by · View Comments
www.ntv.co.ke Away from the comfort of the venue of the Micro-credit Summit, it is not often that the high and mighty take time off to interact with the less privileged. But that is exactly what a visiting royalty Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain did soon after addressing the ongoing micro-finance conference. ntvs Alex Mwangi accompanied Her Majesty to the Mathare Valley slums where she got a first hand experience of how micro-finance is bringing hope to the poor.
Congratulations Professor Yunus!
March 30, 2010 by · View Comments
From actor Hugh Jackman, to Queen Sofia of Spain, Professor Muhammad Yunus has inspired people all over the world. Congratulations Professor Yunus, on your well-deserved award of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize!
Living Walls: 15 More Vertically Vegetated Buildings
October 19, 2009 by admin · View Comments
Greenery isn’t just for roofs anymore – verdant carpets of moss, vines, grass and more bring lush life to vertical surfaces indoors and out through framed art installations, living walls, moss graffiti and even curtains of vegetation. Such ‘green walls’ take the technology and benefits of green roofs and make it even more visually appealing, softening bare concrete and providing shade, humidity and oxygen.
Floating, Greenery-Covered Home Concept
(images via: Treehugger)
In the Netherlands, architects accept the possibility that their city could eventually be taken over by the water that surrounds it – and they’re working on sustainable solutions that work with, not against, nature. If water takes over the city, so be it – residents could be living in dainty little floating homes made from recycled polystyrene hamburger clamshells, coffee cups and packing material and covered in vegetation.
Japan’s Bio-Lung: World’s Largest Green Wall
(image via: Colleen Bishop)
The world’s largest green wall was constructed for Japan’s Aichi Expo in 2005, a massive ‘bio-lung’ measuring 150 meters long and 12 meters high. The wall consisted of hemp canvas called ‘kenaf’, with pockets planted with sedum, vines and flowers. It was named ‘bio-lung’ to convey the message that such expanses of vertical vegetation can function as a huge, breathing lung to purify the air in urban environments.
Largest Living Wall in North America
(image via: Jetson Green)
The largest living wall in North America was recently completed at One PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, the headquarters of PNC Bank. The 2,380 square-foot living wall has 602 2′x2′ modular panels, each one containing 24 plants for a grand total of 14,448 plants. The greenery, complete with PNC logo, covers a vast section of the exterior wall of this 30-story building. Since its installation, studies have shown that the south-facing wall is 25% cooler behind the green wall than ambient temperatures.
Plan for Green Wall in Cordoba, Spain
(images via: Urbanity)
Architects Thomas and Javier Garcia Píriz Castilian Pulido of CUAC Architecture envisioned a vast stretch of latticed greenery for the east and south sides of the façade of the College of Architecture at Cordoba, Spain. The architects imagine the green wall as a continuation of the existing building’s Art Noveau theme, placing an emphasis on the inclusion of nature in public spaces.
Whole Foods Living Wall
(image via: City Food)
At the new Whole Foods in Vancouver, a colorful wall of plants embellishes the north-facing wall of the building, adding to the city’s long list of greenery-adorned architecture. The wall is planted with native plants like huckleberry, euonymus, and licorice fern, which were individually placed within self-contained soil soil panels and attached to the side of the building.
Vertical Garden Art Installations
(image via: FloraGrubb.com)
Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco is a popular destination for fans of vertical greenery thanks to the talents of Kevin Smith, who creates stunning vertical gardens such as this one, made with succulents. Smith and partner, Flora Grubb – who owns the garden shop – also created a vertical tillandsia garden for the Bardessono Hotel.
Potted Plant Patios in Cordoba, Spain
(Image via: Guayre)
Cordoba, Spain is a city famous for its beautiful courtyards, called ‘patios Cordobeses’. Inside the gates of each courtyard, exterior walls are covered in wall-hanging planters, adding color and interest to what would otherwise be blank expanses of white. Each spring, private courtyards are opened to the public as homeowners compete with their neighbors for the best floral display. This one, pictured, won in 2007.
ReviPlant Edible Green Walls
(images via: ReviPlant)
Some critics of popular vertical greenery designs argue that such gardens aren’t being used to their maximum potential unless they’re edible. This design, by Italian company ReviPlant, is a vertical gardening system that takes vegetable gardens off the ground, transforming them into portable green walls that can be used to cover building facades.
Campbell’s Soup Tomato Wall in Harlem
(image via: AGreenRoof.com)
The Campbell’s Soup Company teamed up with Green Living Technologies LLC to create a living wall of the tomatoes grown for the company’s iconic soup in Harlem, New York. This “edible” food-producing wall brings fresh, pesticide-free produce to an area that lacks space for traditional horizontal gardens.
Moss Graffiti: Green Walls with a Message
(images via: Environmental Graffiti)
Vertical greenery doesn’t have to take up an entire wall. Moss graffiti is a form of wall vegetation that serves a purely decorative purpose, with designs ‘painted’ onto wall surfaces using a mixture of biodegradable ingredients that allow the moss to grow. Artist Anna Garforth experiments with poetry, while Edina Tokodi is responsible for popular New York City installations on concrete columns and other surfaces.
Greenery Curtains at Aichi Prefecture
(image via: Anjo City)
In Anjo City, Japan, a novel solution for cooling hot concrete buildings was to construct ‘curtains’ of greenery that filter both the sun and the air. Five nets cover the eastern side of a government building, each measuring 16 meters long and six meters wide. Planters at the base allow morning glories, bitter gourds, loofah and other plants to climb the nets, offering privacy on the balconies.
Inadvertent Vertical Greenery at Abandoned Shipyard
(images via: Artificial Owl)
Not all vertical greenery is intentional – just take a drive through the Kudzu vine-covered South, or enter an old abandoned building taken over by trees and vines. This former glass factory and shipyard in Imari harbour in the Saga prefecture of Japan has been almost entirely taken back by nature, and shows that accidental vertical vegetation can be just as beautiful as that which is planned.
Green Pockets: Planter Wall Tiles
(images via: Momoy)
Green Pockets, interlocking recycled ceramic tiles with built-in planters designed by Maruja Fuentes, turn vertical greenery into a sort of interactive art project that allows users to create wallscapes in virtually any kind of pattern, from free-flowing waves to checkerboards. The small planters make it easy to decorate a wall with herbs, flowers or other plants and easily change out the plants as desired.
Brooklyn’s First Living Wall
(image via: Jetson Green)
Brooklyn, New York got its first living wall in 2008 with the simple yet charming installation at Oulu Bar & EcoLounge in Williamsburg. The LEED-gold certified building and wall were both designed by Evangeline Dennie, with the modern warm wood façade of the building perfectly complementing the greenery for an eye-catching effect.
Changi Airport, Singapore
(images via: Alice)
There’s nothing cold and sterile about the Changi Airport of Singapore, which is home to a beautiful five-story wall of vines. Located in the baggage pick-up area, this self-watering 300-meter-wide vertical wall of vegetation brings some much-needed fresh air into a large, densely populated building.
Steph
Out of This World: Earth’s Most Bizarre Landscapes
October 12, 2009 by admin · View Comments
How can earthly locales look so utterly extra-terrestrial? Production teams scouting out locations for films set on other planets need look no further than these 15 bizarre, alien-like landscapes, which seem entirely removed from the nature found on Earth. From rivers in Spain that run blood red to a legendary place of underground rock cities and ‘fairy chimneys’ in Turkey, these locations seem to have come straight out of science fiction.
Giant’s Causeway, Ireland
(images via: touristnorthernireland, Wikimedia Commons, wanderingwhistler, kyz)
Visitors have been puzzling over the bizarre hexagonal basalt columns at Giant’s Causeway along the Causeway Coast of Ireland since the area was first documented in 1693. The columns, which resemble ancient paving blocks, were originally part of a volcanic platueau 50 to 60 million years ago.
The Wave, Arizona, US
(images via: Wikimedia Commons)
Images of The Wave, a sandstone rock formation in Arizona, often inspire cries of “Photoshopped!” when they appear online, because they look so incredibly unreal. Strange undulating forms seem to have been carved into the landscape, creating what looks like a natural skate park of sorts. Approximately 190 million years old, The Wave is made of Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone that calcified into rock from sand dunes in vertical and horizontal layers.
Dry Valleys, Antarctica
(image via: Dark Roasted Blend)
It seems strange enough that there are areas of Antarctica that get almost no snowfall – but the landscape itself of these ‘Dry Valleys’, located within Victoria Land west of McMurdo Sound, is like some kind of twisted, desolate film set. Vast stretches of sand, seal skeletons, rocks eerily sculpted by wind and steaming ice fumaroles (volcanic gas vents) make this place seem like it can’t possibly be real.
Rio Tinto, Spain
(images via: Wikimedia Commons)
The blood red Rio Tinto, a river originating in the Sierra Morena mountains of Andalusia, Spain, gets its unusual hue from its high iron content. A site along the river has been mined for copper, silver, gold and other metals for over 5,000 years. However strangely beautiful it may be, this river is actually an environmental disaster due to heavy metal contamination and mine leaks. Though it’s been on hiatus for 10 years, a recent increase in copper prices has prompted plans to reopen it in early 2010.
Black Rock Desert, Nevada, US
(image via: National Geographic)
The Black Rock Desert of Nevada is a rather mystical place, with its brilliantly colored geysers, dry rock bed and dramatic mountains. So, it’s not too surprising that this place was chosen as the setting for Burning Man, an annual festival known for its emphasis on disengaging from reality.
Cave of Crystals, Mexico
(image via: National Geographic)
It looks like a microscopic image of crystals – until you see the tiny little man standing amongst them. Mexico’s Cueva de los Cristales (Cave of Crystals) is home to some of the world’s largest known natural crystals, measuring as much as 36 feet long. Geologist Juan Manuel García-Ruiz said the crystals have thrived for millenia in the very unusual environment of the cave, where the temperature stays around 136 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.
Spotted Lake, Canada
(image via: Spot Cool Stuff)
About a mile north of the border between Washington State and British Columbia, Canada, you’ll find what’s sure to be the weirdest body of water you’ve ever seen. The Spotted Lake – known as Klikuk in the indigenous language – divides itself into a strange patchwork of white, green and yellow pools in the summertime. The ‘walkways’ in between the pools are actually made up of salts, titanium, calcium, sulphates and other minerals.
Tessellated Pavement, Mauritania
(image via: Wikipedia)
It may be hard to believe that the extremely straight, geometric rectangles that form at Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula of Tasmania aren’t man-made. But, this ‘tessellated pavement’ is a natural phenomenon – a rare erosional feature formed when sedimentary rock fractured through stress on the Earth’s crust. As the rock dries out at low tide, salt crystals form on the surface, wearing it away and leaving just the joints behind.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
(image via Wikimedia Commons)
Driving across the world’s largest salt flats – Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia – can feel as if you’re about to disappear into nothingness. The way the sunlight reflects off the vast expanse of salt makes the sky seem to blend into the landscape. Alien-like piles of salt piled into cone shapes by workers, waiting to be collected and processed, enhance the feeling that you’re in a very unique place. Salar de Uyuni contains about 10 billion tons of salt, with only about 25,000 tons extracted every year.
Cappadocia, Turkey
(images via: Life in the Fast Lane)
The rocky lunar landscape of Cappadocia, Turkey is truly one-of-a-kind. Tunnels rigged with booby traps and vast underground cities carved by the Hittites 3,000 years ago are just a few highlights of this strange place, where houses are carved into the rock and so-called ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations dot the volcanic tufa rock land. This area, located 200 miles south of Ankara, is claimed by some to have magical magnetic healing powers.
Vale de Lua, Brazil
(images via: Amnemona, Wikipedia, Clauamorim)
It’s not hard to feel as if you’ve left the planet Earth when visiting Vale de Lua, Brazil. This ‘valley of the moon’ is the most-visited area of Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, located on the Chapada dos Veadeiros, an ancient plateau thought to be about 1.8 billion years old. Its rock formations, eroded by the waters of the San Miguel river, are among the oldest in the world.
White Desert, Egypt
(images via PhotoTravels.net)
Towering chalk rock formations stand like gigantic mushrooms in the White Desert, sculpted by the sandstorms that have whipped through the area for millennia. Located in the Farafra Oasis of Western Egypt, this bizarre landscape is a popular area for camping and tourism.
Blood Pond Hot Spring, Japan
(images via: Travel Photo Gallery)
Literally called “hell” in Japanese, the Blood Pond Hot Spring in Beppu, Japan certainly doesn’t look too inviting. High iron content turns the waters a deep, unsettling red, and the effect is magnified by the steam that rolls off the surface.
Stone Forest, China
(images via: ChinaPictures.org)
“If you have visited the Yunnan province of China without seeing the Stone Forest, you’ve wasted your time”. That old local saying hints at the grandeur of this attraction, a 400-square-kilometer stone wonderland where tall rock formations tower overhead like trees. The Stone Forest was formed over millennia as the sea, which once covered the area, gradually retreated, slowly eroding the bedrock.
Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves, Austria
(images via: Wayfaring.info)
The entrance to the Eisriesenwelt ice caves in Werfen, Austria, doesn’t look like much – just a hole in the mountainside. But step inside, and it’s as if you’ve fallen into another world. The caverns located near the entrance are lined with ice that gets up to 65 feet thick and are covered in stalactites, stalagmites, domes, frozen waterfalls and other ice formations.
Steph
Featured Video
