14 Stunning Examples of 21st Century Architecture

I often find myself referencing architecture in an attempt to better understand the world I live in. Architecture is often measured through epochs of time, and undoubtedly these buildings are representative of where the world is today. Here are 14 incredible examples of 21st Century architecture:

Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest) Beijing, China

Image Source The Beijing National Stadium was constructed ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games. Its signature latticed steel construction and its resulting appearance gave rise to its nickname, the Bird's Nest.

Absolute World, Toronto, Canada

Image Source Absolute World is a twin-tower residential development located in a Toronto suburb. The two towers do away with the traditional confines of a skyscraper and appear to twist towards one another.

The Blue Planet, Copenhagen, Denmark

Image Source The Blue Planet is an aquarium, designed to mimic the fluid nature of the ocean. If the need arises, the building's size can be expanded by 30%. It contains some 7 million liters of water.

BMW Welt, Munich, Germany

Image Source The BMW Welt was built to give the car manufacturer's customers a new space in which to experience its history and pick up their new cars. The building has a solar array on its roof generating 800kW of electricity.

City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia, Spain

Image Source This is actually a compound of buildings, all designed in an ultra-modern style. L'Hemisfèric can be seen in the foreground, while El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía is in the background.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, USA

Image Source The Disney Concert Hall polarizes opinion. Designed by the same architect that designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, no-one can deny it's an icon

Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay, Singapore

Image Source Gardens by the Bay was developed with the intention of making it Singapore's premier outdoor recreation space. Note the enormous glass conservatories and the Supertrees to the left of the picture.

Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik, Iceland

Image Source Opened during the height of the Icelandic depression, Harpa is a beacon of hope and cultural advancement for the country's capital. It features multi-colored glass panels throughout its construction.

Metropol Parosol, Seville, Spain

Image Source This creation is supposedly the largest wooden structure in the world - it's made out of birch. It houses an archeology museum and a restaurant, as well as providing shelter for Seville's central market.

National Center for the Performing Arts (The Egg), Beijing, China

Image Source From this picture, it's pretty obvious to see how this building got its nickname. Its simplicity and transparency contrast greatly with Beijing's ornate Forbidden City, which is located nearby.

Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar

Image Source This beautiful building required coaxing a 90-year-old, world-famous architect out of retirement, waiting for him to tour the Islamic world for six months for inspiration, and the construction of a man-made island.

Seattle Central Library, Seattle, USA

Image Source The Central Library in Seattle does away with all notions of stuffy and cramped libraries by using vast expanses of glass and also features enormous reading rooms. It is a living museum of knowledge.

The Shard, London, UK

Image Source While this project faced strong opposition at first, it is now nothing short of an iconic London landmark. The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe, dwarfing all other buildings in the English capital.

Statoil Regional and International Offices, Oslo, Norway

Image Source Some 2,500 employees come to work in this building every day. It was designed with the idea that every single one of them deserved a prime working space. The building boasts exceptional views of the Oslo fjord.

Blind Artist Creates Spectacular Textured Paint Paintings

In 2001, John Bramblitt lost his eyesight after an epileptic episode. Shortly after, Bramblitt started painting in a most interesting way: By using textured paint, John can tell where he painted and what, allowing him to virtually “see” the painting. The resulting paintings are a thing of beauty, rivaling and even surpassing art created by artists with perfect sight.

About the Artist:

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These Cakes Can't Be Real, Can They?

Is there anything a good cake can't fix? There's a reason we celebrate with cakes. They aren't only an explosion of sugary goodness - they look great too. When you have a good baker, cakes are as beautiful as they are delicious. When you have a baker who is also an artist, however, the cakes may look somewhat like this:

How to Download Your Favorite Music from Youtube!

Do you have some songs you'd really love to hear or take with you on your computer, but don't want to mess around with downloading applications you have no idea how to use? Meetwww.youtube-mp3.org - this handy website will download the audio track of ANY YouTube video you want in 4 easy steps! Click here to go to the site

Instructions are simple as can be:

Step 1: Find the YouTube video you want to download music from. Step 2: Find the URL of the video as shown in the following image and copy this URL by highlighting it with your mouse and pressingctrl + C or clicking with the right mouse button and selecting 'COPY'.

Step 3: PASTE the URL of the video to the empty field on the youtube-mp3.org site, and click on 'convert video'

Step 4: Once the download is ready (takes no more than 30 seconds), click on 'download'. The audio will now be downloaded to your computer as an mp3 audio file! Now you can put it on any device you want to enjoy your favorite music!

What happens if I cancel my listing?

The withdrawal-from-sale clause entitles the broker to a full listing fee when, during the listing period, your conduct causes the property to be:

       • withdrawn from the market; 
       • transferred to others; 
       • further leased without the broker’s consent; or 
       • made unmarketable. 

Separately, the termination-of-agency clause entitles the broker to collect a full listing fee when you cancel the agent’s employment during the listing period. The broker has earned a fee on termination regardless of whether you intend to continue marketing the property for sale using other sources. 

You are obligated to pay the broker the fee agreed to in the employment agreement as earned when:  
        
       • the agent at all times exercised diligence in marketing the
          property; and
       • you exercise your right under the withdrawal from-sale clause
          to voluntarily remove the property from the marketplace 
          during the listing period. 

The fee due the broker on your withdrawal from the market is a fair amount due the broker and their agent, not a windfall. The agreed amount preserves the earnings the agent expected to receive on the sale of the property. By acting to market the property and locate a buyer when entering into the listing agreement, the broker and their agent carried out the performance of their due diligence obligations owed to you to locate a buyer. 

On withdrawal, the fee due the broker compensates them for their lost opportunity — the authority to market the property and locate a buyer in exchange for a fee. Further, the fee due the broker compensates them for the time, effort and money invested into marketing the property before the property is removed from the market.

(Note):  
Realistically, if you are in an antagonistic relationship with your broker, most would be glad to see you leave.  Contractually, though, you could still be on the hook for the commission.  Best to try to work something out. 

Life Hacks for Christmas - From Gifting to Eating

Ten Genius Christmas Life Hacks You Surely Never Thought Of

Christmas is a joyous time of the year, but it also brings with it a few challenges, especially when it comes to giving gifts and keeping your home organized. Worry not - we've got the perfect quick fix. We can only hope to make your Christmas a little more hassle-free!