I adore Japanese for coming up with most of the why-didnt-I think-of-it stuff! Gadgets, auto-stuff, architecture??and much more??they always have to offer something new in every aspect of life. Take a look at this to know what difference they are planning to render in New York itself. Japan's Shigeru Ban is gearing up for a two-layer facade on his Metal Shutter Houses - a condo building planned for New York's Chelsea district. Allowing the residents to become one with the city, it actually opens up completely with no barriers?..not even glass. Each of the nine duplex apartments is covered by a iridescent scrim of powder-coated steel slats that rolls up and out of sight at the touch of a button. Occupants can then contemplate the urban wilds through floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall glass. And if you feel claustrophobic with glass too then the 20-foot-tall window can pivot up and away giving you a feeling of a massive terrace. The back windows open as well.
