Dezeen Magazine

This week, the world's longest glass bridge opened in China and the "Flying Bum" crashed

This week on Dezeen: a 430-metre-long glass bridge opened to the public and the world's largest aircraft crashed during its second test flight this week.

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World's biggest aircraft "the Flying Bum" crashes on test flight

The curvaceous aircraft known as the "Flying Bum" failed to complete its second test flight after nose-diving into a field and causing damage to its front deck.

According to manufacturers Hybrid Air Vehicles, no one was injured and the vessel has been returned to its normal mooring location to undergo further assessment.

World's tallest and longest glass bridge opens in China
World's tallest and longest glass bridge opens in China

Meanwhile, thrill-seekers crossed the world's longest and tallest glass bridge for the first time. The structure is 430 metres long and spans a deep canyon in China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.

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UK government renews support for Garden Bridge but reduces offer by £6 million

In other bridge-related news, the UK government confirmed its support for Thomas Heatherwick's controversial Garden Bridge project, following last week's reports of a £22 million funding gap.

World's tallest twisted towers revealed
World's tallest twisted towers revealed

A study from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) revealed that the trend for twisted skyscrapers is on the rise, creating "a new generation of iconic buildings throughout the world". According to the report, 28 spiralling towers are either built or under construction.

Heritage listing denied for "rare" Brutalist building in Sydney
Heritage listing denied for rare Brutalist building in Sydney

One of Sydney's only examples of Brutalist architecture is at risk of demolition, after New South Wales officials rejected recommendations to heritage-list the Sirius apartment building.

Tokyo olympics medals from e-waste
Tokyo Olympics medals could be made of old smartphones

Olympic organisers revealed they will consider using discarded smartphones to create the medals for Tokyo 2020, whilst British company Lovefone opened its first mobile repair shop inside a disused phone box.

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The 10 top installations and exhibitions at London Design Festival 2016

In design news, we selected our 10 top installations and exhibitions not to miss at this year's London Design Festival and Philippe Starck became the latest designer to venture into the fragrance industry.

MAD transforms Japanese house into kindergarten with a two-storey slide
MAD transforms Japanese house into curvaceous kindergarten with a slide along one wall

Also, Chinese studio MAD revealed their latest project – a former Japanese house which has been clad in white shingles and transformed into a kindergarten – and we featured ten of Tel Aviv's best examples of Bauhaus residential architecture.

Teepee-shaped buildings by Issei Suma house community kitchen and spiral-shaped pool
Teepee-shaped buildings by Issei Suma house community kitchen and spiral-shaped pool

Popular projects this week included an elderly home in rural Japan shaped like a cluster of tents, a Ukrainian house with cantilevered wooden stairs and a photo essay revealing the unique architecture of North Korea.

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