One part bird’s nest, one part Iron Throne, the upcoming Arctic Bath Hotel promises to be a unique (and utterly Instagrammable) way to experience Swedish Lapland when it opens next year.

The floating retreat, designed by Bertil Harström and Johan Kauppi, will make its home in the middle of the Lule River. An artful arrangement of local timber logs will form the exterior of the circular structure. The designers say it’s meant to resemble a natural dam, and that it’s a symbolic reminder of how important it is to protect Sweden’s forests as the country continues to develop.

Six minimalist guest cabins, decked out in crisp Scandi style, will wrap around the perimeter of the development. At the centre is the hotel’s namesake: a communal cold bath that tempts visitors to take an icy four-degree dip.

If frostbite doesn’t appeal, the Arctic Bath will also feature a restaurant, a lounge, a shop, saunas, and spa treatments. Each cabin will come equipped with a wood-burning fireplace and a skylight for an uninterrupted view of the Northern Lights during winter.

And speaking of winter… when cold weather rolls around, and ice comes with it, the floating complex will freeze into place. When warm weather returns and the ice melts, the hotel will once again float freely.

“The circular shape of Arctic Bath creates a protected environment, sheltering guests and creating a haven to relax and soak up the local Arctic environment,” says Jonny Cooper, founder of Off the Map Travel and Arctic travel expert. “To complete the experience guests will also be able to stay overnight in one of the six hotel rooms that will also float or be frozen into the ice, depending on the season, although all seven buildings will be securely anchored in place.”

Arctic Bath Hotel’s radical design was inspired by the success of Treehotel, another unique, nature-centric retreat from the Swedes. Arctic Bath is set to open for business in early 2018 and will open bookings six months in advance of opening day. To register interest, email info@offthemaptravel.co.uk or call +44 (0) 800 566 8901.

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This story was originally published on GizmodoOkay, so most of Westeros is pretty inhospitable right now, for a bunch of reasons. But that doesn’t its any less breathtakingly beautiful.While you might not be able to stay at King’s Landing, Winterfell or Qarth for real – these Airbnb locations are about as close as you can get.Gizmodo explores the smart design, breakthrough science and awe-inspiring tech shaping your future.By Rae Johnston – Gizmodo

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Fashion designer and ultimate downtown cool-kid Alexander Wang opened the doors of his Manhattan home to Architectural Digest, revealing a recently refurbished – and achingly refined – space that feels worlds away from his artsy loft days.

“It was time for a grown-up apartment that had a view, separate rooms, and a little outdoor space—something more cozy and intimate,” Wang told the magazine.

His search led him to these upscale Chelsea digs in a starchitect–designed building. Upon entering the sprawling apartment, visitors pass a wall decorated with Kate Moss portraits by Gene Lemuel and a pair of sculptural R&Y Augousti tortoiseshell chairs. The focal point of the room is a rather unusual choice: a large-scale Steven Klein photo of a horse’s posterior. Wang says it’s his favourite piece because it “really gives you the first impression of the apartment and what you’re getting into.”

Longtime Wang collaborator Ryan Korban is responsible for the interiors. Wang previously partnered with Korban on his corporate office, showroom, and retail stores, as well as his last two residences. “It’s a real love/hate relationship, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Wang admitted. “It’s like working with family.”

Korban enlisted architect Lauren Crahan to help define the space. “I had a very clear vision going into this,” he said. “I wanted it to be very edited and precise and to establish what young modernity would look like. I tried to push Alex out of his comfort zone a bit but still keep that thing that he always has: the hard-ness, the dark tones, that aspect of his work that makes you stop and think and feel a little uncomfortable.”

Speaking of uncomfortable, Korban talked Wang into starting from scratch and bringing almost nothing from his former home. Instead, Korban commissioned custom pieces designed to fit the rooms, like a large shagreen desk for the office. He had less luck convincing Wang to ditch his signature black aesthetic (“I first said the theme of the project should be ‘50 shades of black,’” quipped Wang). The duo ultimately compromised by staining the floor black and using lighter neutrals elsewhere, along with an array of luxurious materials, to keep the space from getting too severe.

The result is a haute home with just the right amount of contradictions – modern but comfortable, monolithic but livable, luxe but restrained – that suits Wang to a T. Watch the designer lead AD on a personal video tour of his grown-up pad here.

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The celebrities are making sure no man is short of wardrobe ideas this week.British actor and all round cool guy Idris Elba leads the pack with an Oxford college style blazer paired with killer summer vibes. Take not of the details like the cool snake motif on the shirt and shoes.Elsewhere we have Dawson’s Creek graduate James Van Der Beek polishing it up in all the right ways. Fresh cut, groomed moustache and a simple white striped shirt is paired effortlessly with a black suit and suede boots. Cry no more, Dawson.Looking after the casual front is Nick Jonas, David Gandy and Jeff Goldblum who were all snapped rocking their own version of casual cool.Rounding it all out are the lads in suits, Matt Bomer and Dane Dehaan.

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Is there anything MUJI can’t do? The Japanese retailer has brought its minimalist sensibility to everything from clothing, to home furnishings, to bicycles, to tiny houses. Soon it will be adding hotels to that list, and with the recent reopening of its global flagship in Tokyo, the “no-brand” brand has entered one of its most unexpected territories to date: a MUJI grocery store.The sleek supermarket in Tokyo’s Yurakucho neighbourhood boasts a selection of in-season fruit and vegetables, alongside other packaged groceries. All produce comes directly from farms that employ minimal use of pesticides and fertilizers, or use none whatsoever.“[City dwellers] have become far removed from the fields, farms, and fisheries where the food is produced, and have come to consume food simply as a commodity. Many people have no idea who produced the food, or the land or the sea that cultivated it,” said MUJI. “The goal of the vegetable/fruit market we created is to offer an opportunity for the customers to think about the producers and the places where the food came from, and review their relationship with food.”“We will be offering vegetables with their inherent flavors, even if they do not meet the standards of shape and size,” the brand continued. “We plan on displaying a sign on each product, with a note from the producers and some seasonally-appropriate ways to eat them.”The MUJI café, located on the second floor of the flagship, will serve freshly made bread, coffee, and soups made from the vegetables sold inside the marketplace. The store also displays a MUJI Hut, a micro living space designed to be erected nearly anywhere and to blend in with its surroundings.Take a tour of the new MUJI grocery store in the gallery above.

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Porsche have opened the doors to Stuttgart to showcase the creation of their latest beast known as the 2018 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series.

Standing as the German marque’s second most powerful 911 ever created (just below the recently unveiled 2018 911 GT2 RS), the new 911 Turbo S is a stunning piece of machinery from every angle.

But why just look at them when you can appreciate all of the finer intricacies that have gone into making the car?

That was the thinking behind Porsche’s latest marketing campaign which takes audiences deep behind production lines to showcase how the car’s bigger components are finished from each stage – from body assembly to wheel painting to badge making and bespoke customisation, the processes are so extensive that Porsche have split the videos across six parts with more likely to roll out. There’s no flashy music too, just the sound of raw machinery and fine craftsmanship at work.

The assembly video begins above and follows on chronologically below. The wheel painting and badge making episodes are highly recommended. More details and pricing here.

Painting Wheels

Painting Body

Painting Bonnet

Badge Making

Customisation

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Many men have been there. A dilapidated pair of leather boots sitting idly in the corner of their room, banished to the darkness simply for outgrowing their years of use and abuse on the field. And there they are to this day, neglected, tattered but still intact.

Well it’s time to dust off the tired old kickers and resurrect them for your modern wardrobe today – and Ryan Gosling is going to show you how to do it. At the recent Comic-Con convention in San Diego, Gosling appeared on stage with his Blade Runner co-stars in a layered denim outfit. The eye-grabbing piece? A heavily weathered pair of tan boots.

We here the cries of protest. Ryan Gosling could make a potato sack look good but there’s a secret behind the savvy style move and that’s to keep it very casual and in line with the rest of your pared down look. Ryan Gosling has proven this theory on numerous occasions, pairing distressed and weathered boots to burgundy bomber jackets, black denim, washed denim, indigo trousers and varsity jackets. The common theme here is keeping the look casual and the bottoms fitted.

The moment you step beyond these boundaries and go for baggier pants you’ll be treading on dangerous ground – i.e. looking like you’ve just come from painting a shed on a ten acre farm. The same also goes for pairing the weathered shoes with any form of formal wear – just don’t do it.

So remember when in doubt, don’t throw out the weathered leather. Instead, pair the brown or black leather boots to denim and other basic looks for retro spin on the weekend wardrobe.

Need More Help…

How To Wear Every Style Of Boots 

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The photography contest for the world’s most famous nature publication has once again come to a close. With that of course comes stunning imagery from the winners who entered this year’s acclaimed Travel Photographer of the Year 2017 competition.

After sifting through 15,000 photo submissions across 30 countries, only be one winner could be crowned and that person was Mexican photographer Sergio Tapiro Velasco. Velasco’s image called The Power of Nature perfectly captures the beauty and force of an erupting volcano contrasted against a lightening strike.

“When I looked on the camera display, all I could do was stare,” Velasco told Nat Geo. “What I was watching was impossible to conceive, the image showed those amazing forces of nature interacting on a volcano, while the lightning brightened the whole scene. It’s an impossible photograph and my once in a lifetime shot that shows the power of nature.”

The National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year competition focuses on the three categories of ‘Nature’, ‘People’ and ‘Cities’. To see the full collection of winning photos, head over to National Geographic’s official website or latest smartphone app.

[via Hypebeast]

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Tinder, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel. All of these popular dating apps have one thing in common. They’re designed to facilitate romance in the modern era.

Patook is the new app that’s throwing two middle fingers to this uncouth conduct by doing things differently. It works just like Tinder by swiping left and right on the people you like based on mutual interests.

Once there’s a match you’re then allowed to message one another. And now for the catch: There is absolutely no hooking up, no dick pics and definitely no flirting allowed. Patook is purely made for making platonic friendships.

The app enforces this by using an algorithm which detects flirty messages via key words before blocking them from being sent. Repeat offenders who insist on escaping the friendzone will be banished from the app so you’ll need to keep those winky-smile emojis in your pants.

Patook is currently in its beta phase and is publicly available to try now. The app’s creators have noted that it may be running a bit slower at the moment due to the heavy influx of users who’d rather their bros before hos and chicks before dicks.

Those game can try the 21st century chastity belt app here.  Or maybe stick with the tried and tested loving grounds of Instagram or some fresh Tinder pickup lines.

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