Comments update: Zaha Hadid's shimmering new building for a historic site at the University of Oxford was accused of being "obnoxious" this week. Read on for more on this and the other most commented stories on Dezeen.
Out of this world? Conceived by Zaha Hadid as a reflective tunnel suspended in space, the Investcorp Building comprises a smooth curving form that snakes around the trunk and roots of a century-old tree. But many readers felt the structure didn't chime with its surroundings.
"This building appears to have just fallen from Mars and landed there," said regular commenter Concerned Citizen. "The folly exaggerates [the firm's] inability to acclimate to the buildings' context." "This building is... obnoxious," agreed Jonathan Tuffin.
Other readers defended Hadid's design. "I'd argue this sort of work allows me to engage more fully with the historic buildings by providing a counterpoint on style from a newer era to compare it to," said Doug, while Ox Post Ford said it would bring Oxford into the 21st century. Read the comments on this story »
Privacy policy:Â Rem Koolhaas sparked discussion after speaking out against "sinister" technologies that, according to the Dutch architect, are infiltrating buildings and undermining personal privacy.
"It's kind of ironic how these new technologies, which are supposed to be helping us, are now a downfall to our privacy," wrote Casey Miller. "I don't want to give up my privacy for the sake of being at the cutting-edge of technology," agreed another commenter calling themselves MKE.M.
Others argued that the fear of new technologies in the home is generational. "People today have different ideas on what privacy is," observed one reader, while another cited people's willingness to give up personal information on social networking sites such as Facebook. Read the comments on this story »
Dressing down:Â this windproof and waterproof dress was designed for style-conscious female cyclists, but readers aren't convinced the garment is practical.
"This rain dress might be fashionable for walking in the rain – I'd like one – but for cycling in wind and rain it's woefully short-sighted," said GeorgieGirl. "I can only imagine the wind catching in all the superfluous fabric to the point of being dangerous."
ByBrown, the Dutch fashion house that produced the Raindress, hit back, explaining that some design elements "are weighted in the seams to stop the wind catching".
"It is a great design, very practical and I feel great wearing it," said Eef Hietbrink. Read the comments on this story »
Miami price: plans by SHoP Architects to create a technology district in Miami – with the ultimate aim of transforming the city into "Florida's Silicon Valley" – raised a few eyebrows this week.
"I don't think Miami will become the trendy city they want it to be. It's not about beautiful, but affordable buildings," wrote one reader, who likened the project to those proposed in Dubai.
"More expensive condos and lucrative commercial-space leases for so-called 'small businesses', of course," added Remod. "Great for international buyers that raise real estate beyond market value... leaving all of us, Miami natives, to fend for ourselves." Read the comments on this story »