Turn all your unwanted clothes, gadgets and knick-knacks into cool new treasures with the Swap-O-Matic, a vending machine that allows users to swap and trade, rather than buy. Designed by New York City-based Lina Fenequito, the Swap-o-Matic was created as a fun way to get people to shift from unconscious over-consumers into more sustainably aware citizens who reuse and barter – all for free!

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When we first heard about the underground New York City park called the Low Line last year, it was not much more than a brilliant idea and some provocative CAD renderings. Now fast-forward eight months and this ambitious project has really gathered steam, and is well on its way to becoming more than a pipe dream. The subterranean park, if constructed, would occupy an abandoned train track below Delancey Street in New York City’s historic Lower East Side neighborhood, and would bring greenery into a crowded, dense neighborhood that is generally lacking in both public space and green space. The futuristic idea utilizes sunlight transportation technology, and repurposes nearly 2 acres of wasted space in an abandoned trolley terminal that has been unused for 60 years. Hot off an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign, and an exhibit showcasing their idea at the Mark Miller Gallery, James Ramsey and Dan Barasch recently sat down with Inhabitat’s Editor-in-Chief, Jill Fehrenbacher, to talk about the Low Line, their progress so far to making it a reality, and the incredible response they’ve received from all over the globe. Watch the video above or read below to learn more about what could become New York’s next design landmark!

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Yesterday's gray sky and drizzle couldn't keep anxious press away from the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art where Argentine artist and architect Tomas Saraceno was officially debuting his new project "Cloud City". A sculptural constellation of 16 geodesic pods, Cloud City "floats" above the museum's roof anchored by steel cables that keep the structure from flying off into orbit. The futuristic construction features over 100 planes, either shiny, mirrored, transparent, or open to the air. Navigating the structure is disorienting to say the least (think mirrored fun house), but thrilling, unexpected vantage points turn the spinning and sensation of weightlessness into a worthwhile journey. Beyond its incredible form, Cloud City beautifully reflects surrounding Manhattan, highlighting everything from the lush greenery of Central Park to the entire skyline of New York in one mirrored object. Cloud City opens to the public today, but get your first look through us here!

 

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This week the Whitney Museum inaugurated a brand new exhibition and studio space designed by shipping container architects-extraordinaire LOT-EK. The ultra-modern and eco-friendly addition complements the museum's 1960s concrete brutalist construction. It was commissioned by the Whitney as a space where the museum could hold special exhibits and activities for the Whitney education program, which includes art-making classes and informal lectures. To build the Whitney Studio LOT-EK joined six recycled shipping containers into one unique black cube with a dynamic fenestration.

 

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Mother's Day is coming up fast and if you're lucky enough to spend this spectacular Sunday in the world's greatest city with Mom, there's no doubt there will be plenty of exciting things awaiting your favorite lady. We've rounded up 6 fun-filled, eco-friendly NYC activities for you and your mom to enjoy this weekend -- and they're sure to please no matter what your age! From a walking tour of the city's wild flower fields to crafting a cool terrarium in one of Manhattan's oldest buildings to drawing up some architecture-themed greeting cards for Mom, check out our top picks ahead!

 

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Since the winner of  this year's MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program was announced in February, we've been waiting with bated breath for the HWKN's awe-inspiring design, "Wendy", to pop up in the museum's courtyard. While the team gears up for construction over the next few weeks, they've also put a little bit of their design handiwork into creating some super cool tote bags and t-shirts to promote and raise money for Wendy's construction. Adorned with graphics created by the likes of 2x4, Pentagram, and Bruce Mau Design, these air-cleaning shirts and bags are at the top of our "Want It!" lists. But there is one dilemma - which one do we get?!

 

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Whether you're looking for a basket-full of chocolate bunnies or a nice pastel-colored cocktail to enjoy with your (hopefully) sunny Sunday afternoon, we've rounded up some egg-citing NYC spots to enjoy this year's Easter festivities. From an Easter egg hunt that involves tracking a giant rabbit in the depths of Manhattan, to a more low-key egg-decorating workshop that teaches you the Ukrainian batik-method of embellishing, to a lunchtime cruise where you can sip on mimosas as your kids pester the Easter Bunny, jump ahead for 6 of NYC's best Easter activities. They're sure to please kids and adults alike!

 

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If you’re sick of dealing with rude New York City cab drivers, we’ve got some welcome news for you. Yesterday Mayor Bloomberg signed a contract with Google to start bringing Google’s patented driverless cars into the New York Taxi fleet. The mayor’s office said that there would be 5000 driverless cabs on New York City streets by 2014. The driverless vehicle, which first came onto our radar in 2010, has already been legalized for street-use in the state of Nevada and was just “driven” by a blind man through a Taco bell drive-thru. The driverless taxi cabs will be customized to meet the needs of busy New Yorkers, and each vehicle will come equipped with ATMs, food vending machines, and “better entertainment options” according to the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission.

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Walk down any New York sidewalk and you’re bound to see a broken chair that’s been callously thrown street side. Bastard chairs are a dime a dozen, and we tend to cast them off into dumpster doom without a care, but Brooklyn’s 31 & Change is changing all of that with their Greene Ave. Benches. The design studio is making it their mission to rescue these orphan chairs, upcycling them into a one-of-a-kind benches fit for any space.

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New York City's High Line - the now famous abandoned train-track-turned-park - has become well known around the world as a spectacular example of urban revitalization through smart design, even inspiring copycat elevated parks. Now Manhattan is considering another abandoned train track park renovation project called "The Low Line" - this time in the Lower East Side neighborhood. The catch with this new proposal is that the abandoned train station in question is entirely underground (below Delancey Street) - a subterranean challenge which would require a high-tech, innovative approach to lighting in order to facilitate plant growth and human comfort. (Anyone who has ever been inside a NYC subway station knows that a lot of work would be required to transform one of these dank dark caves into a tranquil, pastoral setting). That's why we're loving this ingenious proposal for the new Low Line underground park by architect James Ramsey, the principal of RAAD, in part with Dan Barasch of tech think tank PopTech, and a money manager, R. Boykin Curry IV, to pump natural sunlight into the subterranean space with fiberoptic cables and mirrors, somewhat like a solar tube or a sunlight transport device (which we've covered here and here on Inhabitat), allowing plants to grow and creating a serene and sunny underground urban oasis.

 

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If you’re anywhere in the 5 boroughs of New York, you probably just felt a considerable tremor that shook your shelves and left you a little perplexed. The earthquake you just felt was a magnitude 5.8, with an epicenter in Mineral, Virginia. The quake was felt from Virginia to Boston, even prompting the evacuation of the Pentagon and Capitol Building in Washington, and City Hall, right here in New York. This past March we reported on seismologists at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory stating that once every 100 years, an earthquake of at least a magnitude of 5.0 rocks the city. While the earthquake wasn’t centered in New York, the last one we saw was a 5.3 tremor that hit in 1884 – is this a sign of what’s to come?

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A ride out to the Far Rockaway is not a trip often taken by the average New Yorker, but if you've been hankering to make your way past Brooklyn, there's a great reason to get out of the city and deep into nature - or something pretty darn close. Just an hour's subway ride out from lower Manhattan, you'll leave the glitz and glam of the Big Apple behind and be transported through a water landscape dotted with marshes, houses set on stilts and cranes swooping across the river for a taste of what's below. At the end of the line you'll find yourself at the gate of Marina 59 where your sea-adventure awaits - but here's the kick - you don't even have to leave the dock to feel the wind in your hair. Designed for Flux Factory's Sea Worthy exhibition, Constance Hockaday's "Boggsville Boatel" is one part art installation, one part hotel and one part summer water adventure. Transforming seven defunct boats that were left in disrepair on dry land, Hocakaday's installation brings the city folk to a simpler life.

 

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Love it or hate it, New York‘s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) could use a few modern upgrades here and there. Boasting the architectural aesthetic of the “Jet Age” that reigned supreme in the 1960′s and 70′s, JFK is now trading in one of their flying saucer terminals for a new generation of modern spaces that reflect a future of innovation. But if you think that Eero Saarinen‘s iconic TWA Flight Center is on its way out, don’t worry, the structure that’s become synonymous with 60′s optimism is here to stay. Instead, the former Pan Am Worldport and Terminal 4 will soon be completely revamped by world famous architecture firm SOM. SOM’s cutting edge design will add nearly half a million square feet of high-flying space, and 9 shiny new international gates to the Delta network. But if you’re dying to see what future holds for air travel in 2013 now, no need to seek out a crystal ball, just hit the video above for an animated fly-through tour of SOM’s incredible new design!

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New York is well known for cultivating some of the world’s greatest talents in art and design, but there’s another city that’s just about ready to give the Big Apple a run for its money. With a new swarm of international, cutting edge designers and artists taking up residence over the last decade, Berlin has become the haven for creative expatriates looking for a place to explore their ideas. Opened during NY Design Week at Relative Space in SoHo, $H!T HAPPENS In Berlin is a brand new exhibit, curated by famed architect Juergen Mayer, and principal of Relative Space Tyler Greenberg, that hopes to give New Yorkers a taste of what’s happening on the other side of the world. So if you’re looking for something exciting to do this week, head on over to Bond Street ASAP and check out our EXCLUSIVE VIDEO preview above! This exhibit closes Friday, June 3rd!

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ICFF is now in full swing here in NYC, and more than a handful of our favorite designers and architects are putting their never before seen work on show. One standout design comes from shipping container starchitects LOT-EK, whose model of the Pier 57 conversion is now on display at the Diane von Furstenberg store in the Meat Packing District as part of neighborhood’s nod to the design festivities. LOT-EK’s design for the conversion of Pier 57 transforms the utilitarian industrial complex into a four-story public building that weaves the outdoor environment of the Hudson River Park with cultural and leisure indoor activities.

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Built by architects Dana Cupkova and EPIPHYTE Lab, the Hsu House uses a slew of green building elements to create an inexpensive, ecologically sensitive, and energy efficient dwelling for a growing young family.

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While we usually think about premature deaths and second hand smoke when we think about the detrimental effects of cigarettes, one consequence that often gets overlooked is the toxic effect they have on the environment. New York City alone boasts a smoking population that puts away 10 million cigarettes a day, tossing out 1.9 tons worth of butts bound for local landfills. As minuscule as each may seem though, these butts are made from a plastic that does not break down easily, posing a threat to the environment – in particular NY’s water and streams. To stop the unhealthy insurgence, Mike Gabbidon of Eco Tech Displays has come up with a cigarette butt recycling program located on Staten Island that will hopefully give way to less landfill waste and new materials that could be used in construction and more.

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As huge fans of the New York City High Line, we've been watching the development of this incredible public space attentively. So you can imagine our delight when pictures of the 30th Street Cut-Out at the northern end of section 2 were unveiled. The new cutout will be transformed into a diagonal viewing platform with a clear view to the bottom, exposing the traffic below. Not only will the new platform add a little taste of a death defying nature to the design, but the divergence gives way to an intriguing visual break from the sustained line that forms the overall aesthetic of the park.

 

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At any given time, New York City’s 34th Street is bustling with residents, vendors, tourists, buses, bikes and, above all, cars. To ease some of the traffic, increase the safety and add a bit more public space to this often stressful area, the city had proposed turning a portion of 34th Street into a pedestrian-only plaza. Unfortunately, despite the level of peace the initiative could have brought to the area, the plan has just been rejected by the city – a reaction many are attributing to the NY Post’s editorial war that relentlessly pressured the Department of Transportation (DOT) to abandon the plan.

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