Overview
Hip hop culture, graffiti and architecture combine as one. The Hive apartment, the coolest apartment around, is graffiti inspired and located in Melbourne, the city renowned for its funky, impressive street-art. Designed by the architect Zvi Belling of ITN Architects, the Hive is the first in a series of Hip Hop buildings.
Made mostly of concrete, this building symbolises the tumultuous relationship between architecture and graffiti. Whether it appeals to you or disgusts you, graffiti exists and is a common form of art around the world. Belling teamed up with old schoolgraffiti artist, Prowla RDC, to make this unusual, radical and not-so-humble looking abode. Not only is the house inovative and cool, but it is environmentally friendly, too. Fully equipped with solar panels lining the roof, the Hive is a green hip-hop home.
Arrows, swooshes, and drips have been incorporated into the concrete walls but the biggest statement of all is the four meters high concrete letters spelling 'hive' across the building. Watch out for ITN's next unconventional design as it is bound to be interesting.
