Features | Inhabitat New York City

Adam Frank’s LUMEN LED is a Delightful Little Nightlight with Big Energy Savings

We’ve been in love with Adam Frank’s LUMEN nightlights for all the years that this veteran designer has been bringing them to BKLYN Designs, but we are absolutely thrilled with his new LED version. Frank’s delicate little Lumen lamps are made of stainless

12×12 Designers Transform Reclaimed NYC Lumber Into Fresh Modern Furnishings – PHOTOS

At this year's Wanted Design show during New York Design Week 12 contemporary designers unveiled 12 fresh new designs made entirely of lumber reclaimed from blighted New York City buildings! Dubbed 12 x 12, the exhibition features a chair made from a Park Avenue water tank, a desk made of wood salvaged from the Brooklyn Bridge, a coffee table made from Coney Island boardwalk planks, and a bar cart made of old wood casks from a distillery in Flushing. Read on to check out our photos and learn more about all 12 designs from this inspiring show!

PHOTOS: Tomas Saraceno’s Geodesic ‘Cloud City’ Floats Above the Roof of the Met Museum

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!

PHOTOS: Whitney Museum Adds a New Shipping Container Art Studio Designed by LOT-EK

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.

PHOTOS: Inhabitat Tours Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s New Green Roofed Visitor Center

The new green-grass-roofed Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Visitor Center will officially open on May 16th, but Inhabitat has already gotten a sneak preview of the gorgeous space. Designed by Weiss/Manfredi, the new structure rests in harmony with the surrounding gardens, both in architectural design and environmental footprint. Rising from a Gingko tree-lined hill, the glass visitor center is both welcoming and unimposing, providing an area of respite and superior views of the serene gardens.

6 Green Activities to Celebrate Mother’s Day in NYC

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!

6 Ways PlaNYC Has Successfully Made New York a Greener Place to Live

This month marked the fifth year anniversary of NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's ambitious PlaNYC sustainability plan, and we're very proud to say that in that short time, New York residents are already experiencing a significantly greener city. If you don't believe us, check out all of the ways the program has successfully improved our quality of life in the official report or if'd you prefer to take the easy route, read on as we showcase six of the projects that we thought made a really important diffference - from the cleanest New York Harbor in more than a century to the restoration of thousands of square miles of formerly contaminated brownfield sites. Hit the jump to learn more.