All the World's a Page

This week: An old theater's new life, 15000 paper cranes, and a passion project 53 years in the making. Is this email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser]. A Century-Old Buenos Aires Theater Converted Into a 21,000-Square-Foot Bookstore Built in Buenos Aires as a performing arts theater in 1919, El Ateneo Grand Splendid's content has undergone several revisions, with its current purpose being a 21,000 square foot bookstore. Despite the switching of functions, the architecture has remained true to the early 20th century vision of Peró and Torres Armengol, the building still boasting [ornate frescoed ceilings and detailed trimmings] that line the ceiling, handrails, and walls. The International Winners of the Polartec Apex Awards, the Future of Outerwear Design (Sponsored) A descendent of a century-old old New England mill, [Polartec] earned its outdoor cred as the inventor of the original synthetic fleece that brought together function and fashion in the 1980s. Today, Polartec is the inventor of performance fabrics that breathe, regulate temperature, resist fire, and can even originate from recycled plastic bottles. While Polartec pushes the boundaries of fabric science, they rely on the inspiration of designers and developers to realize the beautiful shapes their fabrics can truly become. For nearly 20 years, the [Polartec Apex Awards] recognizes this collaboration by honoring the design teams who utilize Polartec fabrics to push boundaries and usher in the future of outerwear design. [See the 2016 Apex Award winners]. Rippled Portals of Color Created with Spray Paint by HOXXOH Artist Douglas Hoekzema (aka Hoxxoh) creates murals of brightly colored mandala-like patterns using little more than [strategically placed bursts of spray paint]. By layering consecutive rings he turns flat walls into tunnels of color, several of which he completed recently at POW! WOW! D.C. Intricate Moss Assemblages Sprout From Embroidery Hoops Utilizing felt, thread, and the french knot, artist Emma Mattson stitches moss-like configurations onto embroidery hoops, latching the materials onto the base like the flowerless plants which she mimics. In addition to simulating the look of the greenery, Mattson also likes to add a few pieces of fake moss on top of her works to [walk the line between imitation and reality]. The Lunar Cycle Displayed Through 15,000 Colorful Origami Birds Mademoiselle Maurice recently produced the mural “The Lunar Cycle” in collaboration with the French Mathgoth Gallerie, a temporary piece that pays tribute to the hundreds of residents who were temporarily uprooted due to the upcoming demolition of the building. [Composed of 15,000 colorful origami birds], the piece forms the cycles of the moon against the dark background of the wall and covers over 21,000 square feet of space—making it the largest urban mural ever created in Paris. A Double Rainbow Over Chicago Chicago recently had a bout of heavy rain storms and when things started to clear the sky began to glow bright yellow. For a few fleeting moments [a pair of rainbows emerged], captured here by Mike Eisenberg who seemed to be at the perfect vantage point. A Lone Man Spends 53 Years Building a Cathedral by Hand Since 1963, a man named Justo Gallego has [dedicated his life to building a cathedral] on the outskirts of Madrid almost entirely by himself. Despite the lack of any formal training in construction or architecture, Gallego has continued work on the giant church into his 90s and works on it even today. Driven solely by his faith, he admits the project will never be finished in his lifetime and he has yet to make plans for what happens after he dies. Pen & Ink Depictions of Trees Sprouting into Animals by Alfred Basha In his latest series of illustrations, Alfred Basha depicts a series of images where [animals merge with the natural world]: trees sprout into the silhouettes of foxes or squirrels, and a forest landscape rests atop a lumbering bear. From The Colossal Shop: Jason Freeny's Anatomical Balloon Dog From pop culture mastermind Jason Freeny, we bring you the Balloon Dog Funny Anatomy. A [26-part sculpture] depicting the bones and organs of the world's most low maintenance pet, the DIY model features a snap-together skeleton and detachable organs. Available now at [The Colossal Shop!] You should follow Colossal on [Twitter], [Facebook], [Pinterest] or [Tumblr]. | [forward to a friend] [unsubscribe from this list] | [update subscription preferences]