Modernist architects rejected brick, stone and iron ornament in favor of clean metal and brutalist concrete, and in some extreme cases went so far as to cover up old facades with more contemporary cladding. But what was originally an act of erasure can also turn into an unintentional act of preservation, as in the case of this structure built in the 1920s but clad over in the 1960s.

This drab building in San Antonio, Texas was at best unremarkable and at worst a bit of an eyesore. White stripes and vertical strips of red worked with rows of glass to create something simple, Modern and a bit dull. It was also somewhat misleading: many of those apparent windows were covering up walls, not openings. All of this became clear as the surface started to be stripped away and old structure restored.

Echoing a similar trend in recent decades of stripping back paint to reveal wooden details in homes, developers and cities have started to realize the potential value in hidden landmark architecture. The Schoenfield Building in Cleveland, for instance (depicted above), was a beautiful structure built of brick but for a time covered in a less glamorous coat. Its underlying facade has since been uncovered.

In the case of the Odean theater, it is hard to imagine what ever possessed someone to cover the elaborate facade of the original (upper left) with its decorative details and beautiful windows with an array of vertical metal strips (upper right). Fortunately, though the name has changed, the architecture has since been restored (bottom).

The decision is not always so clear-cut, however. Architectural Observer followed the restoration of a structure in Hays, Kansas where “there was a push to ‘restore’ and ‘revitalize’ the immediate downtown area. The master plan called for the removal of this particular facade.”

“Much history was lost in the redevelopment process; should this facade be counted among the losses?  Or do you feel that the two early 20th-century facades (both needing restoration) which were revealed are the stronger asset?” It is a question that often faces preservationists, especially in places like Europe where long histories can result in many iterative additions and changes over time. In this case, the facade was removed but saved. To see more examples like these and discussion about historic preservation, check out this thread on reddit.

Rapidly warming oceans have led to an explosion of jellyfish numbers in seas around the world – allow that fact to float around your brain for a bit as you stare at translucent invertebrates illuminated within your very own desktop jellyfish aquarium. Would owning such a thing offer comfort and entertainment, or just be a sad reminder that humans have really mucked things up on our home planet? Now’s your chance to find out.

The JellyTank is a compact 5-gallon aquarium with a modern design and color-changing, remote-controlled LED lights. This ‘flow bar design’ with laminar pump-driven water creates an environment similar to what jellyfish would experience in the wild, and there’s a built-in mechanical and biological filtration system. The tank is made of high-grade aquarium acrylic, and its housing is available in black or white.

The creators came up with the idea after purchasing a $400 jellyfish tank for their office, and finding that the grates kept sucking up the jellyfish and killing them. They wanted to create a ‘sustainable’ tank that comes pre-assembled for the least amount of fuss. Everything you need to set it up is included, except for the moon jellyfish, which are purchased separately through the JellyTank website.

“JellyTank is currently working on developing an aquaculture facility to grow Jellyfish for our customers,” reads their Kickstarter. “We are speaking with industry experts and marine biologists from across the nation to develop the best protocols and standards of practice to ensure we deliver the healthiest sustainable source of jellyfish available in the world today. our proposed aquaculture program will be overseen, staffed and managed by leading jellyfish aquaculture specialists.”

This living reminder of the ravages of human-induced climate change can be yours with a pledge of $175 or more at the JellyTank Kickstarter. The creators aren’t allowed to include live jellyfish with their rewards, so they have to be claimed separately when the kits are ready to ship. People are clearly excited about the project, having raised almost twice the fundraiser’s goal with 16 days to go. It remains to be seen whether flushing dead jellyfish down the toilet is as depressing as doing so for your late pet goldfish.

Strands of gold fill the cracks of this apartment in Kyoto, replicating in architecture a longstanding tradition of repairing pottery in a way that tells a true history of its use and reconstruction. Mixed with resin, glittering gold dust sparkles against adjacent surfaces.

Kintsugi, which translates as “to repair with gold,” is a philosophy as much as an artistic approach. It reflects the idea that breakage and reassembly is part of the life of an object. In this case, the cracks that almost invariably form in concrete were repaired in the same fashion.

When Kintsugi was first employed centuries ago by a Japanese shogun, others were so enamored with the effects that, as the story goes, they began breaking their own pottery just to have an excuse to patch it back together with gold-laced lacquer.

In this case as with pottery artifacts, the effect is dazzling. Cracks stand out as something intentional, artistic and organic rather than shied away from as simply damaged. Spearheaded by architecture studio Tank, this may in turn also become more of a bigger trend, if only in Japan.

“The Japanese have traditionally repaired broken ceramics by gluing fragments together with lacquer and gilding the seams with gold powder to enjoy the beauty of imperfection,” said TANK. “Using traditional mortar, we emulated the art of Kintsugi in the living room by joining the cracks, thus transforming what was considered imperfect into a subject of beauty.”

Meanwhile, the winding gold cracks form part of a larger puzzle, elegantly juxtaposed against raw ceilings and reflected in a series of mirrored doors. The overall effect is minimalist, but with materials and textures adding life through creative details. Depending on the time of day and type of light, the gold blends in or stands out as lighter (or darker) against cementitious surrounding surfaces.

Display your own little corner of your favorite city – or the entire metropolis of Manhattan – on your wall or table, scaled down to 1:5000 and simplified in white monochrome. ‘Microscapes’ are 3D-printed tiles developed from up-to-date aerial scale data so they can evolve along with built environments, including buildings still under construction or in planning phases. The designers are kicking off their campaign with New York City and will expand to other major cities across the United States and the world once their Kickstarter campaign is complete.

The entire island of Manhattan is available in the form of individual, 6” square tiles, but to collect all 200, it would cost you a rather shocking $25,000. But early backers on the campaign can get a single tile of their choice, featuring some of Manhattan’s most popular locations, for a pledge of $65 or more. Each tile captures roughly half a square mile of the city.

The tiles are made from biodegradable, non-toxic white thermoplastic derived from cornstarch and range in height according to whatever section of the city you’ve chosen, up to 5.5 inches tall for the highest skyscrapers. The campaign is already generously over-funded, but you’ve still got a little bit of time left to snag a pre-order of your own.

Treating the seat and back as blank slates for expression, the Layer Chair allows its owner to slip in and slide out works of art and design, transforming the look of the furniture on demand.

The clear acrylic framework “allows for a see-through structure. Both the back and the base of the chair have a void where the user can fit three different layers of printed or colored acrylic, or even wood, glass, or any other material that comes in mind.”

The approach by South Korean graphic and industrial designer Sohyun Yun is intended to address aesthetic limitations of traditional chairs, which are locked into a single style or look. Instead, through layers, this seat is visually refreshed through user-driven modifications.

Anything is possible, from pairing a hologram back with an Andy Warhol seat print, to slotting in more conventional looking pieces and parts aligned with other furniture looks and styles.

The layers also allow for experimentation and playful interactions between sheets, since their patterns can be partial and/or semi-opaque. A number of layers come with the initial object, but others can be created or bought by users as well.