Pooping In Public, The Newest Hotel Trend

by Reena Ganga on

They say traveling together will either bring you closer together or destroy your relationship, and the latest hotel design movement is certainly putting that concept to the test.

According to The Guardian, open-plan bathrooms are a growing trend in luxury hotels. Instead of hiding in a separate room, showers, baths and even toilets are now being placed right inside the bedroom. Occasionally, you’ll find walls separating the wet areas from the bedroom — although see-through glass does little to shield you from the eyes of your travel companion.A few hotels that have embraced this concept include the Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam, the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel and the Ecclestone Square Hotel in London (though at least here you can flip a switch to turn the glass walls opaque).

While some couples might get a kick out of the less-than-private baths or showers, the placement of the toilet leaves a lot to be desired. After all, no matter how close you are with your partner, do you really want to be in on each other’s bowel movements? And what exactly do you do if you’re traveling with a relative, friend or business partner?

Making matters worse is the fact that some of these open-plan bathrooms are not just “open” to your roommate, but also to the public. At The Standard Hotel in New York, one suite features a floor-to-ceiling glass wall in the bathroom that faces out onto the street. And yes, people are watching. One hotel specialist told The Guardian that while staying at a different hotel in New York with a glass wall that faced the outside, she “could see a guy standing in a building looking at me having a shower.” Creepy or what?

Would you stay in a hotel with an open plan bathroom?

Qatar’s 2022 World Cup stadium concepts

by Stephen Greenwood on

On Thursday, FIFA announced that Qatar defeated South Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States in the race to host the 2022 World Cup. This historic decision marks the first time a Middle Eastern country will welcome a major sporting event.

FIFA’s choice has brought a significant backlash in the American media, with critics claiming that the summer heat (as high as 120 degrees Farenheit) will be unbearable and that a country the size of Delaware (with 1.6 million residents) will not be able to handle an estimated influx of 400,000 spectators.

Nonetheless, Qatar has outlined a complex plan to renovate three stadiums and build nine brand new complexes across seven host cities. Bid organizers claim that they are developing revolutionary methods to keep each of the stadiums climate-controlled and carbon neutral, at an estimated construction cost of about $6.2 billion.

Check out the designs in the gallery below:

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German architects AS&P have produced 12 conceptual designs that incorporate retractable roofs and solar power for cooling systems as well as modular designs that allow some of the stadiums to be dismantled at the end of the tournament and rebuilt in other countries.

Whether or not you agree with FIFA’s decision, it’s hard to deny that Qatar made an impressive pitch. Watch the video below to see the entire presentation, or just skip to 3:18 to see a live action rendering of Qatar’s vision for the 2022 World Cup.

Airbus reveals super future fancyplane concept

by Grant Martin on

Part of the fun in each year’s leading air shows comes in the showboating. Whether it’s the newest, best window technology from PPG, the sexiest landing gear from Goodrich or the quietest, most efficient jet engine from Pratt and Whitney, people love seeing new products and the way that our future might look.

And just like auto shows around the planet, where concept cars with futuristic designs are displayed in front of lush, velvet curtains, the airframe manufacturers of 2010 have concept planes. Instead of building a $50m prototype, however, Airbus and Boeing just use a healthy dose of computer graphics with a heaping spoonful of marketing on top.

This year’s concept fluff comes from the Farnborough Airshow where Airbus, Europe’s largest airframe manufacturer and fierce competitor to Boeing is showing of it’s latest aircraft of the future.

Chock full of engineering marvels such as a “U” shaped tail and a streamlined engine profile, Airbus says that the passenger airplane of the future will feature marvelous new materials, from transparency-shifting windows to comfy, form fitting seats. You can check out all of the details over at The Daily Mail.

Don’t plan on seeing this aircraft anytime soon though, this uber concept model could only be ready by 2030 or 2050 — and by then, we’ll probably all be flying around in our own personal jetcars instead.

Boeing releases snazzy new 747-800 interiors

by Grant Martin on

Development of Boeing‘s 747-800, heralded as a direct competitor to the A380 has been underway for several years now. The super jumbo jet will feature many of the same engineering marvels that the 787 will, including swept wings, cut engine nacelles and similar cockpit controls, and will some day be the largest commercial airplane built in the western hemisphere.

So far, however, nobody has seen concepts of the interior. What new concepts from the 787 will be carried over? What new exciting upgrades will passengers of the 748 be amazed by?

Well, that mostly depends on the carrier that purchases the aircraft. Yes, seat quality, color, spacing and class is all determined by the airline, so don’t go blaming Boeing for your 3″ of leg room on your next transoceanic flight.

What Boeing has done, however, is released conceptual drawings of several 748 interiors, including a special “VIP” aircraft that is decked out to the nines. In several of the renderings that you can see at The Sydney Morning Herald, features like spiral staircases, a dining area and even a library are prevalent. Wouldn’t that be nice?

The passenger version of 747-800 is slated for delivery in 2011 with Lufthansa as the first customer. Don’t forget your reading glasses.

Silent raves come to Madrid

by Abha Malpani on

I’ve never understood how the concept of a silent rave ever got popular. People in a club listening and dancing to their own music on headphones. The hook is around the fact that you can dance to whatever music you want in a social environment.

How is this fun? Why wouldn’t you just do the same at home? It’s a social thing, but when do you talk? On drink breaks?

The concept originated in the Netherlands some years ago under the notion of “going wild in silence”, and ever since has been floating around Europe. A couple of months ago, Union Square in New York held a huge “Silent Disco“, apparently the first ever in New York.

In Madrid, it’s come on a small scale. Organized by a youth center at their premises, I can’t imagine it to attract too large of a crowd, but then again, it’s Madrid — you just don’t know.

According to the CNN, the DJ’s involved in introducing the concept say that they are confident that in the ever changing world of clubbing, it’s better to be seen than heard. Hmmm.

I’d go to watch, but I doubt you can get away with just being a spectator to this silliness. Maybe I’ll just go and join in.