Gone in 60 Seconds
Well. This is it. The last post of 2024. Also, the last post under the name Blood & Champagne. What does it mean? Not much, really. I’m just retiring the B&C name and going with therealmurphy to keep things consistent. No one probably cares other than me, and that’s okay. At least I’ll sleep better at night.
Before we start, a few thank-yous are in order. To anyone who’s ever read, clicked, or wandered down one of the rabbit holes I’ve thrown out there over the years—thank you. To Ben Dietz and his expansion of Breakfast Club, which not only reconnected me with old friends but also introduced me to some new ones— I’m looking at you, One Love Community Fridge!
To the parents of the Artclub Artclub crew for trusting me with your creative and curious kids. To brave souls Anthony Zollo, Jordan Seiler, Faust, and Lena Imamura of GLO for opening up your studios to a bunch of inquisitive nine-year-olds. Viv Pham for your illustration & animation skills and patience. Brenden Ravenhill, Sasha Lamb, Malcolm Crews, Patrick Parrish, and Palmer Owen for sharing your stories here. Madoka Okuda for your beautiful photos of the aforementioned dads. My son Lucas, for being an inquisitive nine-year-old and for reminding me what it’s like to see the world with fresh eyes. And most of all, Lena Lim for introducing me to so many possibilities and perspectives I never would have discovered on my own. I’m forever grateful to all of you!
I’d also like to take a second to share the sources of a lot of the links that are presented before your eyeballs regularly: An Interior Mag, ArchDaily, Archinect, Architectural Digest, Architizer, The Architect’s Newspaper, Artnet, ARTnews, Booooooom, Curbed, Design Milk, Designboom, Dezeen, Dwell, Fast Company, Gessato, Hyperallergic, It’s Nice That, Juxtapoz, Leibal, Milk Decoration, New York Times, Plain Magazine, SIC Weekly, Surface Magazine, The Art Newspaper, The Design Files, The Local Project, and The Spaces. I’m probably missing some.
On to the links…
Roman & Williams designs new Hudson Yards Locanda Verde restaurant
Milanese architect Hannes Peer designs Manhattan hotel, The Manner
An art-forward cocktail bar opens above NYC’s Eleven Madison Park.
New York-based designer Billy Cotton blends art deco, futurist, and brutalist references inside Lower Manhattan restaurant
Plan Plan merges contrasting materials for Brooklyn restaurant Nin Hao
The oldest children’s museum strives to be of Brooklyn
Art lovers line up at Grand Central for $1 NYC souvenirs
The NYC townhouse where Andy Warhol created his iconic Campbell’s soup can pieces is now up for rent for $22,550 a month
This Manhattan townhouse has an 83-foot climbing wall
A new Upper East Side townhouse with a pleated terracotta facade comes to market for $14.5M
Frank Lloyd Wright building blocks for $60
What a visit to a Frank Lloyd Wright house taught me about the state of American architecture today
The Russel Wright Design Center in Garrison, NY
A new exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum asks what a home can really mean and do
A 5,200-year-old passage tomb in Ireland
Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty” added to National Register of Historic Places
The Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School announces its 2025–2027 Focus Theme, Matter of Intelligence, and Open Call.
De Ateliers in Amsterdam is accepting applications for their two-year studio and tutoring program for artists at the beginning of their professional careers
Someone is putting googly eyes on sculptures in Oregon
The Brutalist is a four-hour cinematic reflection of Brutalism
What is Brutalist Architecture?
A four-story concrete home built under the Hollywood sign
Sustainable architecture in Vietnam fosters harmony between the living space and nature with concrete home
A concrete beach house in Uruguay and an adaptable one in Ecuador
Serene cabin in Brazilian forest perches with minimal environmental impact
A weekend home in Mexico that incorporates five ancestral trees in the residence
An oceanside home in Cabo is pure geometric drama
Inspired by author Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, Tribeca exhibition “In Praise of Shadows” examines how light and shadow shape our experience through texture and design
An art lover’s guide to Japan’s island paradise Naoshima
Inside a light and airy beach home with a midcentury vibe
Psychologists say there’s a reason you love antique things and old places
Brian Eno announces new book on the role of art
Why airport architects don’t want travelers to depend on signs
Floating pod cabin concept reinvents the forest treehouse
A small Canadian cabin tucked into the corner of a lake
A modernist’s dream floats on Copenhagen’s harbor
A house between the trees in Denmark
Striking forms and inky hues define this Vancouver residence
Everything you need to know about Scandinavian design
In the Swiss Alps, the iconic Grand Hotel Belvedere gets a revamp
This 37-room hotel housed in an 18th-century manor house taps into Burgundy’s rich winegrowing heritage
Stay at a simple off-grid building on Scotland’s west coast
A farm shed-type building in Argentina
A sustainable and minimalist home in the Colorado Rockies
A glass house in The Hamptons
A new café on Lyon’s riverfront bridges centuries of design heritage
An iconic bookstore in Paris allows travelers to sleep in the shop overnight for free
The New York bookstore in a Fifth Avenue mansion that lets you visit France for an afternoon
500-foot-tall residential skyscraper rises steadily on Manhattan’s Upper East Side
Buildings carved out of mountains
Macy’s sells historic downtown Brooklyn location
Temporary housing solutions in Philadelphia designed for individuals experiencing homelessness
Nonprofit begins 100 home 3D printed supportive housing project in Austin
Dubai skyscrapers linked by penthouse swimming pool
Can Dubai make this 40-mile High Line a reality?
An epic 34-story Bjarke Ingels complex is about to transform LA’s Arts District forever
Architect I. M. Pei’s Hong Kong retrospective is immense
Reflecting on architectural exhibitions in 2024
Innovations in public spaces
Vinyl-focused listening bars inspired by the ones in Japan are opening across New York
The life-changing magic of Japanese clutter
The uncertain future of Japan’s slow fashion makers
Ghana’s designers fight fast fashion waste
Josef and Anni Albers’ holiday cards were the only thing they ever collaborated on
Design collective Capitalism unveils table with 34 legs to ensure all dinners have an awkward eating experience
A creative director shapes his 969-square-foot apartment in Madrid
Eight artists talk about their most interesting studio spaces
Bamboo and paper lighting by Bennet Schlesinger
Signs at Rockefeller Plaza and the Apollo Theater are among the latest to lose their vintage glow in favor of LED lighting
Digital artist seamlessly blends bold shapes, striking lighting, and futuristic color palettes reminiscent of early avant-garde architecture
Trippy films that changed cinema forever
How ‘The Wild Robot’ was born in a weedy patch of Manhattan
Disrupted sleep cycles harm mental health
Yay. You’ve made it to the end. Why not forward to a friend?
Here’s to whatever’s next. Get some rest. ✌️
Thomas
Best shout out. Onwards and upwards, @therealmurphy