A list of intriguing things

One: The world’s billionaires are all ready to set up home in outer space—and the entire world space economy is valued at a staggering $424 billion. So it’s hardly surprising that the hottest new term in design is ‘starchitecture’—fabulous buildings inspired by science fiction. These models are better understood as futuristic art—to be celebrated as a leap of human imagination—whether or not they actually end up on a planet far, far away. 

Our favourite among these is the Lunar Lantern from SEArch+—a “hive-like Lunar Lantern, a tiered, arched, three-level construction”. The company exec says: “The first building on the moon should aspire to be iconic. It should be akin to the pyramids or the Roman Forum. It should aspire to be something that has the lasting vision of man.” We, for one, love it—though we may or may not want to live in it. (Town & Country)

Two: Americans love to find new ways to redefine ‘slave labour’. Example: treadmill desks—who doesn’t want to slave at work and your body at the same time? But they have been outdone by the Dutch. They’ve upped the ante to a ‘walking room’—with a “moving carpet”? 

The premise is pretty simple: Instead of sitting around a conference table, you can book a time slot in a walking room and walk on a giant treadmill during your meeting. The room has three speeds, with the most commonly chosen being 1.5 or 2 mph, with the less popular option for “power walk” mode, which clocks in at just over 3 mph. Walking Room founders… explain that the slower speed is ideal for taking phone calls and doing focused tasks, while the medium speed is perfect for group meetings and one-on-ones.

Apparently, it works better because of ‘team spirit’. Someone kill us already.  You can see how it works below. (Fast Company)

Three: This isn’t exactly new but we love the idea of wearing art on our wrists—even if we can’t quite afford it. Why pay a fortune for the run-of-the-mill Patek Phillippe watch when you can wear the equally pricey Jaeger-LeCoultre’s creation inspired by legendary Japanese artist Hokusai’s Amida Falls on your wrist? 

Or how about Vacheron Constantin’s collab with the Louvre museum that “pays homage to the great civilizations of Antiquity”—like this Lion De Darius? Our favourite though is the relatively less expensive (£300?!!) Mr Jones’ ‘A Perfectly Useless Afternoon’. You can see other wondrously odd creations here. Ofc, if you want to read the time, you’ll still need your trusty old phone lol!