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    2014 in Cool: TheCoolist’s Top Stories of 2014
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2014 in Cool: TheCoolist’s Top Stories of 2014

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We hope that your 2014 was as awesome as ours. We saw some amazing things in the world of cool in 2014, from performance cars to contemporary architecture and next gen technologies. The following 14 articles represent the coolest subjects we covered in 2014– in written articles, photo essays and short films. This collection provides a telling look at just how amazing 2014 was for the creative spirit and the design-minded individual. Enjoy our look at 2014’s top design stories.

Contemporary Cabins: 10 Designer Retreats in the Wilderness

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Escape. Peace. Relaxation. A walk in the wilderness. These virtues have driven us to build cabins in the forest, on the lake and in the mountains for centuries. Unlike your grandfather’s cabin, the next generation of wilderness cottages are modern in design and execution.  These 10 contemporary cabins represent some of the most inventive works of cabin architecture available today. [read more]

Contemporary Cabins | Gallery

Glass-Garden-Shed-by-Ville-Hara-and-Linda-Bergroth-1 Fogo-Island-Long-Studio-by-Saunders-Architecture-1 TreeHotell Photographer Ulf B. Jonsson.

The Water of Life: Distilling the Jameson Story

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TheCoolist spent St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland with the people of Jameson Irish Whiskey, exploring the story that makes this brand so special to so many. We studied the distillation process. We tasted the spirit as it aged in barrels. We visited the pubs and nightclubs where Jameson is served. We discovered the origin of an iconic product of Irish heritage, and covered it all in a series of articles here on TheCoolist. [read more]

Distilling the Jameson Story | Gallery

Jameson-Academy-Experience-Jameson-Wall Jameson-Academy-Experience-Tasting-Sacrament Jameson-Academy-Experience-Barrel-Aging-Warehouse-Landscape

Tents of Tomorrow: 10 Best Tents for 2015 and Beyond

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The tent as we know it is about to change. The tents of tomorrow are about more than just poles and fabric, they use inventive concepts to bring a new kind of enjoyment to modern camping. Some tents float in the air, others rest atop a boat, and others are designed to handle mother nature’s most extreme forces. The best tents of 2015 and beyond are wild and exciting, and we’ve compiled the best of each kind of tent into a master list for years to come. Looking for an adventure? Gear up, dear reader. [read more]

Best Tents for 2015 and Beyond | Gallery

Tentsile-Tree-Tents-3 CristalBubble-Inflatable-Tent-1 Heimplanet-Mavericks-Inflatable-Expedition-Tent-6

Oklahoma City Documentary: “City Rising OKC – A Hidden Gem of American Cool”

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Last summer, TheCoolist’s Seamus Payne visited Oklahoma City for a look at what’s driving its recent national press. With the New York Times, Forbes and many others calling OKC the next big thing, we had to see for ourselves. Seamus hosted and produced this 36-minute documentary about the cool culture of OKC and some surprises that you might not expect to see. From rowing with the US Mens Olympic Team to climbing an abandoned grain elevator and much more, it’s one heck of a show. [see the video]

The Weird World Of Wearable Tech: 9 Of The Most Unusual Wearables

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There was a time when our clothes and accessories were just that – they served little function aside from style. Thanks to a little phenomenon known as The Internet of Things, that is no longer the case. Everything around us is connected; everything from our appliances to our eating utensils right down to our clothing is getting ‘smarter.’ [read more]

The Weird World Of Wearable Tech | Gallery

Wearable-Tech-Diffus-Climate-Dress-1 (1) Wearable-Tech-Ringly-Smart-Ring-1 DareDroid-Cocktail-Making-Dress

[VIDEO] An Inside Look at the Art and Architecture of The Dali Museum

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The Salvador Dali Museum has been called the most important collection of a single artist in the world. It’s prized for both its art and its architecture, a sensory exploration of the mind of Salvador Dali. Like the artist and his work, The Dali is a fascinating, vivid and enlightening place. I explored The Dali Museum in this short film accompanied by Executive Director Hank Hine and the building’s architect, Yann Weymouth. [watch the video]

Luxury Electric Car Hotlist: Say Goodbye to Gas in Ultimate Style

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Driving green isn’t a burden, it’s a privilege.  After an uninspiring start, the world of alternative fuel vehicles has become fast and exciting– and the envy of every driver still stuck at the gas pump.  These 10 luxury electric cars represent the best of the fuel-free market today, the sports cars and luxury cruisers that run on next generation electric technology.  It’s the 2014 luxury electric car hot list, a glimpse into the future of fossil-free driving. [read more]

Luxury Electric Car Hotlist | Gallery

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10 Hot New Hotels for Spring Travel 2014

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Last January, we asked a pretty welcome question: is the cold getting to you?  It might have been time to start thinking about turning up the heat a bit.  These 10 hotels represented some of the best new getaways for Spring travel, from Santa Monica to Costa Rica and beyond.  Winters can be brutal in North America, and these hotels were the best new escapes we identified for 2014. They’re just as relevant for 2015, fellow traveler. [read more]

10 Hot New Hotels for Spring Travel 2014 | Gallery

Kura-Costa-Rica-1 Downtown-Hotel-Mexico-City-3 Saguaro-Palm-Springs-2

TheCoolist Explores Florida Polytechnic University by Santiago Calatrava

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Beyond image-conscious Miami, modern architecture is a rare sight in the state of Florida. From coastline to farm land, Florida’s architectural identity is as varied as the perspectives of its transplanted populace. You’ll find block homes and Mediterranean Revivalism, but also lovingly-restored American bungalows and the occasional modernist gem. This summer, the collection of modern architecture in Florida added Florida Polytechnic University, a striking modern structure by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. It is a bold addition in an unlikely landscape, an addition for the better in this “better or worse” cultural melting pot. [read more]

Florida Polytechnic University by Santiago Calatrava | Gallery

Florida-Polytechnic-University-IST-Building-Interior-South-Entrance-Night-960 Florida-Polytechnic-University-IST-Building-Interior-North-Entrance_960 Florida-Polytechnic-University-IST-Building-Exterior-Twilight-Bridge-S-Curve-Exposure-Composite_960

Ten Shocking Observation Decks From The Highest Points On Earth

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Not afraid of heights? These bridges, observation decks, and towers are all situated at some of the highest points on Earth, allowing visitors to appreciate some of the most stunning panoramas they’ll ever see. Visitors don’t come for the view alone, however, as the structures themselves are part of the enjoyment.  Many of these observation decks feature glass floors for the heart wrenching experience of seeing hundreds of feet of space directly beneath you.  They represent some of the highest observation decks in the world, and they’re all open to the death-defying public. [read more]

Ten Shocking Observation Decks From The Highest Points On Earth | Gallery

die Treppe ins Nichrs auf dem Dachstein für die Besucher freige Highest-Observation-Decks-The-View-from-the-Shard-1 CN TOWER - EdgeWalk Receives Guinness World Records® Title

Art, Architecture and Cuisine: Exploring Miami With a Camera and a car2go

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Miami is a photographer’s playground. No matter where you aim your camera, you’re likely to capture something beautiful in the Magic City. TheCoolist spent a day covering the architecture, food and environment of South Beach as chaperoned by car2go, the new car sharing service that just came to Miami. [read more]

Exploring Miami With a Camera and a car2go | Gallery

Juvia-Miami-Interior-Toward-Kitchen-1P-Green-Wall Juvia-Miami-Causa-Croquette-2 Car2Go-Vehicle-Parked-by-Wynwood-Walls Car2Go-Miami-Juvia-Entrance Car2Go-Miami-The-Tides Car2Go-Miami-walgreens

The Amazing Architecture of the Auto Show: 2014

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Behind the dream cars and the spokesmodels, there is more beauty to be seen at the North American International Auto Show.  Each year, the automotive brands spend time, effort and money to design grand stages upon which their new vehicles will be revealed. It’s a surprising place to find architectural inspiration, but there’s no shortage of that in Detroit. TheCoolist explored the new vehicles of the North American International Auto Show, but also spent plenty of time studying its architecture.

The Architecture of the Auto Show: 2014 | Gallery

NAIAS-2014-Day-One-Auto-Show-Architecture-Full-Bloom NAIAS-2014-Day-One-Auto-Show-Architecture-Mirrored-Angles-666x999 NAIAS-2014-Day-One-Auto-Show-Architecture-Glass-Case

Exploring the Abandoned Beach Forts of Florida: an Historic 4th of July

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This year, the 4th of July called for something different. I’ll always enjoy the bottle rockets and fanfare of the 4th, but it’s easy to overlook the deeper meaning of Independence Day.  This “deeper meaning” is written in American history books, and there’s history in my back yard that I had not yet explored.  So I grabbed my camera, a day pack and some refreshments and headed to a place off the beaten path– the abandoned beach forts of Florida’s gulf coast. [read more]

Abandoned Beach Forts of Florida | Gallery

Abandoned-Beach-Forts-of-Florida-Egmont-Key-Lighthouse Abandoned-Beach-Forts-of-Florida-Egmont-Key-Egmont-Key-Beach-2- Abandoned-Beach-Forts-of-Florida-Fort-DeSoto-overlook-2

Dreamcar 2020: Turning 10 Trends in Design into the Car of The Future

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We’re in the middle of a transformational moment for the automobile. There’s a century of gasoline-burning, hand-on-the-wheel vehicles in our rear-view, while the road ahead is powered by electric, driverless technologies. Somewhere between yesterday and tomorrow, however, is the vehicle that bridges this gap, and its spirit can be seen in the concept cars, TED Talks and patent filings of today.

What will the car of the future look like? We set out to find out, documenting 10 trends in car design and technology along the way. To give these trends a face, we collaborated with French transportation designer Sydney Hardy, a student of car design with an eye for futurism. Sydney fused these trends into a single vision with a car we’re referring to as Link, a vehicle that bridges the gap between the road ahead and our history in the rear view. [read more]

2014 Top Design Stories