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Trip Diary | Arcosanti, Arizona

April 10, 2016 Maleeha Sambur
Sunlight streaming in to the Sky Suite | Photo by Maleeha Sambur

Sunlight streaming in to the Sky Suite | Photo by Maleeha Sambur

by Maleeha Sambur

I've been wanting to get to Arcosanti for years, and when the opportunity presented itself in the form of a friend's Arizona wedding, my husband and I jumped at the chance to spend a night there. We arrived in pitch dark after turning off the highway and bumping along an unpaved, unlit road, dodging prickly-pear cacti at every turn, and praying our shoddy rental car would stay the course. The harrowing drive proved well worth it, however. Over the next 16 hours, we were treated to a a dazzling night sky speckled with stars, watched the sunrise from the beautiful Sky Suite (a concrete-and-glass dream), and toured the facilities while learning about the life's work of Arcosanti's founder, the visionary architect and urban designer Paolo Soleri.  

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In DESTINATIONS Tags Arcosanti, Arizona, Paolo Soleri, Arcology, Architecture, Trip Diary
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George Nakashima House & Studio

March 30, 2016 Maleeha Sambur
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by Maleeha Sambur

As a longtime fan of the late George Nakashima's work, I'd been dying to make the pilgrimage to his home and studio in New Hope, Pennsylvania. One Saturday this past summer, my husband and I were finally able to make the trip and got an intimate glimpse into the life and work of the master craftsman. Nestled in the woods some 70 miles from the thrum of New York City, the parcel of land Mr. Nakashima purchased in 1945 eventually came to house fourteen buildings of his design. It's also where he and his Japanese-American family rebuilt their lives after being forced to leave their home in Seattle for an Idaho internment camp, from which they were eventually released through the sponsorship of architect Antonin Raymond, who invited them to join him in New Hope. 

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In PLACES OF INTEREST Tags George Nakashima, George Nakashima House & Studio, New Hope, Pennsylvania, Architecture, Furniture, Design, Trip Diary
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Ricardo Bofill's La Muralla Roja

September 9, 2015 Maleeha Sambur
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by Maleeha Sambur

Apartamento co-founder Nacho Alegre's gorgeous photographs of La Muralla Roja, the Ricardo Bofill-designed housing complex in the Mediterranean town of Calpe, Spain, have been dancing in my head ever since I spied them on Vogue.com over the summer. They continue to haunt me, resurfacing in my Pinterest and Instagram feeds every other day or so. 

Built atop a rocky cliff, the design of the complex was inspired by the walled fortresses of North Africa, its flow dictated by a series of inter-connected stairs and access bridges that lead to the 50 apartments. The vivid color scheme consisting of pinks, reds, and blues was intended to interact - either as complement or contrast -  with the changing colors of the sky. 

While I'm pretty much a fan of all of Bofill's works, these images in particular had me jonesing hard for a trip to the Alicante. However, it was Alegre's beautiful, spot-on description of the place that really stuck:

I imagine it as a Postmodern interpretation of a casbah, with its labyrinth-like circulation, overlapping stairs, impossible balconies, and endless series of patios. 

Read more about his impressions and see the rest of the photos here. 

In PLACES OF INTEREST Tags Architecture, Ricardo Bofill, La Muralla Roja, Spain
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