Cool and clever trump common sense and normal physics in this levitating record turntable, which aims to bring a vintage technology into the future.

Mag-Lev Audio wants to push audio technology in a new (vertical) direction, creating an “uplifting experience of music” in the form of the world’s first floating record player.

The device, the creators claim, not just about a look, but also the ability to “maintain the incredibly precise turning of the platter with sensor regulating software. Air is the smoothest medium with least amount of friction, which further elevates this project into a truly unique listening experience.”

Feet support the spinning platter when it is not in use while stored-up power can bring the system to a comfortable stop and lift the needle in case of an outage (instead of it dropping the floating disc uncontrolled).

The makers boast the simplicity of the system: “pick a favorite record; turn the turntable on; move the tone arm into position; and lower the cueing lever; then let the smart-record player do the rest.”

A series of LED lights and digital displays lend the entire setup an air of cyberpunk futurism as well, reinforcing the ambient aesthetic created by the floating form of the disk. Whether this approach will take off remains to be seen, but the gadget has already raised enough money on Kickstarter to make it happen.

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, an organization responsible for world records in architecture, has announced its definitive list of the world’s highest twisting skyscrapers (either completed or under construction), many of which are truly stunning. The CTBUH “defines a ‘twisting’ building as one that progressively rotates its floor plates or its façade as it gains height. Usually, but not always, each plate is shaped similarly in plan and is turned on a shared axis a consistent number of degrees from the floor below.”

The Diamond Tower (above) being built in Dubai is perhaps the most impressive such spiral structure, its rotating floors extending out from a central spire and adding a dynamic visual layer. It is the second-tallest in the list.

At 2073 feet, the Shanghai Tower by Gensler is the tallest to date (also the second-tallest tower in the world aside from its twist).  The CTBUH reports that these approach to tall architecture is trending around the world. While any single reason would be speculative, one can assume that the variation from floor to floor is part of the appeal, both for internal occupants and in terms of the dynamic profiles this variety entails.

The third-tallest is the Cayan Tower in Dubai by SOM. “A stunning variety of textures, view angles, and ripple effects results from these manipulations, making these ‘twisters’ some of the world’s most iconic buildings – and in many cases, aerodynamic and energy-efficient. In this study, we rank the world’s 28 tallest twisting towers (either completed or under construction as of July 2016) and display selected variations on the theme.”

Inspired by the complex organic shape of a volcanic eruption, this 1,086-piece pavilion in Beijing has just been awarded a Guinness Book of World Records distinction for the largest 3D-printed structure in the world.

Created by the Laboratory for Creative Design, the VULCAN stands nearly 10 feet tall and spans 24 feet across, named after the Latin name for the Roman god of fire.

Its robust geometric components reference the divine, while a fragile web of cocoon-inspired interconnections between panels are inspired by man.

Human-scaled arches overhang an open space below, formed by three ramping forms flanking each entry and rising up from fragile points of floor contact.

Th endeavor took 30 days and 20 large-scale 3D printers to complete, then 15 people for 12 days to assemble the pieces on site into the whole pavilion.

“VULCAN represents a new reality – that modern architects are able to achieve their ideal design quality from concept to construction using digital design and fabrication methodologies,” said Yu Lei at Beijing Design Week. “This development will increasingly blur the boundaries between technology and art.”

Perhaps the greatest cons of all time are those that manage to hold up in court, like the case of the world’s smallest skyscraper, a building sold to investors at 480 inches tall on a blueprint that did not convert those units back into feet.

Built during an oil boom in Wichita Falls, Texas, the Newby-McMahon Building measures just 40 feet tall, 18 feet deep and 10 feet wide, initially featuring neither stairs nor elevators, forcing occupants to climb ladders to access upper floors. Completed in 1919, the structure was the brainchild of J.D. McMahon, petroleum landman and structural engineer, who collected $200,000 of investments (over $2 million in today’s dollars) to build a skyscraper in an area of rapid regional growth in great need of highrise office space.

The subtle genius that won his defense in the ensuing lawsuit: his floor plans, sections and elevations were all drawn to scale and clearly labeled in inches rather than feet, resulting in a building that was precisely one twelfth what its investors were expecting on all sides. McMahon began construction and before long the other stakeholders realized they were being swindled but found they had no recourse, having explicitly signed off on the drawings. The company responsible for installing an elevator backed out when they realized they were part of the scam, leaving the building without any means of transit between floors as well.

Despite it being a folly in the eyes of its investors and being boarded up for years during the Great Depression, the structure was saved time and time again from demolition by local activists and has since housed a series of businesses within its modest-sized walls. Today it remains a historic landmark, though due to its size it does not meet classification criteria as even a highrise, let alone an atual skyscraper. Images by Chuck Coker, Nicolas Henderson and Solomon Chaim.

The world’s tallest prefab building has just been constructed at a rate of 3 stories per day, showcasing the power of modular design and industrial prefabrication operating at scale. Located in Changsha, China, the record-breaking building is designed to be connected by sky bridges to a larger Sky City complex yet to be completed.

This first step in the grand scheme is this mixed-use structure featuring 800 apartments and office space for 4,000 workers with a total of over 2,000,000 square feet as well as 19 giant atrium spaces.

Producing many of the component parts in advance in factories, including entire truss systems, saves time and energy on site and also reduces pollution associated with busy construction sites and cast-on-site concrete. Its builders at BSB estimate a reduction in output of carbon dioxide by 12,000 tons thanks to these techniques as well as other environmental benefits, including a decrease in dust and particulates in the air around the building site.

Mini Sky City, as the tower is titled, is to be part of a larger Sky City series of interconnected skyscrapers that will include vertical farming spaces. One of the less-obvious byproducts of building at such speeds: China is able to effectively rapid-prototype urban design experiments at scale, testing novel strategies for vertical interaction and horizontal integration across structures.

The country recently saw the successful completion of the world’s first 3D-printed apartment complex as well as the rapid creation of 10 houses 3D-printed from scrap materials put together in just one day.

If you have ever driven past a skyscraper in progress day after day, you will know from experience just how fast this assembly really is compared to industry standards around the world – the precision of parts and management of contractors involved would be staggering in a situation with less-tight coordination as well.

Whether this will all become part of China’s ultimate bust in real estate, the technologies, techniques and principles on display here can and should be studied by architects from around the world.