In this week's comment update, readers are weighing up the environmental impact of Elon Musk's Cybertruck and a Seattle after-death facility.
Road rage: Elon Musk's Cybertruck, a bulletproof electric vehicle which was unveiled this week, has given rise to strong opinions from Dezeen commenters who ranged from applauding a unique design to despairing over safety concerns.
"I went from disliking the look immensely when I watched the launch, to loving it immensely in less than 12 hours," explained SMARTEEPANTZ.
Micha Der was similarly impressed: "This is extremely clever. One is fast to judge this to be an ugly fail. But I don't think the target group is normal people or the typical pickup buyer."
Other commenters expressed concerns about the practicality of the design for road use. "Beyond ridiculous!" exclaimed Alan Smith. "A pick-up is meant to be a practical, rugged vehicle. What this thing is or is meant to be is a mystery."
"What happens when this car hits a pedestrian or cyclist?" asked Lee Kennedy-Washington. "I'll assume it'll go through the same rigorous testing as other road vehicles but a car designed to look this aggressive and made from toughened steel seems to show no respect for how it will fit in with the streetscape."
"Now that somebody has finally designed something that looks futuristic, people moan about it," Jaymes Moynihan said in defence of the vehicle.
Miles Teg agreed that the criticisms of the design come from fear of the unknown: "People are so used to seeing the same car designs, when there is a change there is an uproar."
Martin Zborovjan was not dissuaded by arguments agains the car: "Really bold. I like it. People laughed at iPhone too, remember? I am not a truck fun, but would buy this one".
One reader found the design nostalgic:
Love it or hate it, would you like to drive the Cybertruck? Join the discussion ›
Tall order: Zaha Hadid continues to win fans with her now complete 45-storey Leeza Soho skyscraper in Beijing, designed before her death in 2016, which features the world's tallest atrium.
"This is one more standing proof of HER GENIUS!" exclaimed Vic Stapel.
Sacrecoeur agreed: "Spectacular design, at each turn and from every angle. A true testament to the legacy of the grand dame of architecture."
"I'm always one of the first to bash ZHA, but this is literally stunning," conceded HeywoodFloyd.
But for every overwhelmed commenter on the story, another was underwhelmed, such as jAy who told readers: "It's just two towers linked by two walls of glass".
"It simply creates a monumental sterile volume that can only be described as a world class narcissistic exercise," summed up Christopher Osborn.
Sunandstone's dislike of the building wasn't personal: "I generally find really tall spaces like this to be disconcerting – inspiring vertigo more than awe," they explained.
Sepharine was cautiously impressed: "Let's say its an above average skyscraper with a big atrium that lacks refinement but is better than the usual dross that commonly spills out of the doors of this terribly self important practice."
One reader, however, was left speechless:
Does the world's tallest atrium make you worry about vertigo? Join the discussion ›
Out of body experience: A proposed after-death facility in Seattle which will compost human bodies has commenters discussing their own funeral arrangements and how sustainability is possible in death.
"The way I understand it there are two problems with this," Sim began. "Burial places take up a lot of space and we have less and less of that. Two, what I understand is that a human corpse is quite polluted, so much so that a piece of land with corpses in it should be considered chemical wasteland."
"How is this less sustainable than a coffin?" asked Delbert Grady. "Wouldn't this building, and the supposed proliferation of these building typologies, offset the eco benefits?"
Some commenters pointed out some potential logistical problems. "Very sensible" praised Benny. "Might be a little weird if this got mixed into the veggie patch but supporting trees and flowers for sure."
"The teeth, jaws and some bones of our ancestors survived the processes of decay for few million years," pondered Konstantin Scheglikov. "If this madness comes true, how will the person who finds the teeth in a bag of compost feel?"
Chris_becket explained he has other plans for after his death: "I'll wait until I can have a Viking Burial on Puget Sound or a Sky Burial on Mt. St. Helens, thank you."
One reader was quick to point out another commercial opportunity:
Has the facility made you rethink your funeral plans? Join the discussion ›