In 1958, the castle was designated a California State Park.
Although never fully completed, it is a feat without equal, and, as guest George Bernard Shaw put it, “a place God might have built if he had money.”
--- p.47, from "Hearst Castle (California)"

In 1974, the U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned this lighthouse.
Seven years later, the crumbling tower was scheduled for demolition as it was deemed dangerous and not worth repairing.
However, citizens came together individually to form the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Association.
(…) Volunteers maintain and develop this striped tower, striving to ensure that it continues to be an active aid to navigation and a focal point of the island’s heritage.
--- p.67, from "Fire Island Lighthouse" (New York)

With 60 years of experience, he has mastered the art of matching a typewriter to the perfect fit for each customer.
This is a fact vouched for by Tom Hanks, a regular customer, avid typewriter collector and enthusiast.
Gramercy Typewriters provided 25 typewriters for the 2017 film The Post, starring Tom Hanks.
After filming ended, director Steven Spielberg gave each cast member a typewriter with a typewritten note as a gift.
(…) The future looks bright for the Gramercy Typewriter Company.
This is thanks to a resurgence of interest as a new generation falls in love with the deep satisfaction and permanence of the typewriter's "tap, tap, ding" sound.
--- p.71, from "Gramercy Typewriter Company" (New York)

What makes striped warning towers special isn't just their height.
The lighthouse's foundation contains the skeleton of a whale carcass that washed ashore in 1991.
In tribute to the king of mammals, the whale's skeleton was reassembled and placed at the base of the lighthouse.
--- p.76, from "Claromeco Lighthouse" (Argentina)

In the old days, these beach carts were used as mobile changing rooms for female guests to change into their swimsuits.
Because it had wheels and could move towards the water's edge, it could enter the water without exposing its body to the shore.
The mobile changing room even went into the water, and when you came out of the water you had to display a small flag indicating you wanted to return to the beach.
/ If you go to Borkum today, I recommend you carefully research which beach to go to.
One of the famous beaches, FKK (Freikorperkultur, short for 'free body culture') Strand, is strictly nude-only.
Dogs and children are welcome.
Clothes are a messenger.
--- p.137, from "Mobile Changing Room" (Germany)

Perhaps in honor of Madame Sacher's love for her canine friends, the hotel offers five-star facilities for dogs.
If you are bringing your four-legged friend, please let us know in advance.
Then, a comfortable basket with dog blankets, towels, food bowls, and bedding of various sizes will be provided in the room.
There is also a 'Do Not Disturb' sign here just for dogs.
--- p.149, from "Sacher Hotel" (Austria)

Despite this success, the men of the club prevented King and her fellow women's team players from holding a celebration party.
The following year, in protest, several female swimmers, including King, left the club and formed their own Zenith Ladies Swim Club.
This was a loss for Warren Bath Club.
King later won two silver medals at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.
/ Just three years after King was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, the pool where she began her illustrious career underwent a dazzling renovation.
The Warren Bath Club is now known as the Warren Bath Centre, and the pool is open to both men and women equally.
--- p.179, from "Warren Bath Club (Scotland)"

While the ownership rate of household washing machines has risen to 97 percent, an unexpected savior has emerged: down comforters.
Anyone who has thought carefully about this issue will agree that the future of British laundromats is secure.
Fluffy comforters are back in fashion, but they don't fit in your washing machine.
/ So, as long as it continues to rain in England, the sound of washing machines turning inside London's remaining laundromats will remain safe for years to come.
--- p.204, from "The Laundromat" (England)

Professional stage designer Matteo Sani has restored a genuine 1969 instant camera, or Photo-Automatica, to its original condition and installed it on this bustling street corner.
This was thanks to my fond memories of retro machines and my thorough knowledge of how they worked.
(…) If you put in 2 euros and wait a little bit patiently, you will get a traditional four-panel black and white photo.
For the younger generation, this is a novel vintage item.
But for those who have used the camera before, the PhotoAutomatica vividly brings back memories of pushing into the booth, pulling down the curtains, and waiting with tension and anticipation.
--- p.233, from "Photo Automatica" (Italy)

Aside from its remarkable efficiency (providing affordable housing to nearly half the population in an expensive city like Hong Kong), Choi Hung is featured in all sorts of marketing and media campaigns.
The aesthetic of the clean, vivid colors, layered in layers, is so outstanding that it may be inconvenient for residents, but in the leisure facilities here, you often see more people taking pictures than actually playing basketball, and more selfie sticks than baseball bats.
--- p.284, from “Choi Hung Public Housing Estate” (Hong Kong)

The Pyongyang subway tracks are located at a depth of more than 110 meters underground and have no connection to the surface.
The stations were built to serve as bunkers, and blast doors were installed throughout the tunnels.
Even if they are locked up, citizens can at least enjoy some luxury.
Designed like an underground palace, each station is decorated with marble, paintings, mosaics, and sculptures in a variety of bright colors.
/ Station names are generally unrelated to station location.
Instead, most of the names reflect themes of the North Korean socialist revolution (e.g., innovation, victory, unification).
One exception is Gaeseong Station, which is located beneath the Pyongyang Arch of Triumph.
--- p.307, from "Pyongyang Subway, Kaesong Station (North Korea)"

His architecture prioritizes human experience.
Take, for example, his signature glass elevator.
“Everyone talks in a glass elevator,” he explained to The New York Times.
“When you get into a closed elevator, everyone just looks down at their feet.
Glass elevators expand people's minds.
“Architecture should be a symphony.”
--- p.324, from "Regent Singapore Hotel" (Singapore)

The Penguin Post Office and Gift Shop is run by four employees.
They process 70,000 pieces of mail sent to over 100 countries by intrepid travelers during the five-month Antarctic cruise season.
Visitors also enjoy the privilege of receiving a rare commemorative passport stamp.
With its salty fun, uniqueness and unrivaled competition, the Penguin Post Office is the most visited tourist attraction in Antarctica.

--- p.358, from "Port Lockroy (Antarctica)"