A Map A Day

By: A Map A Day
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A detailed map of Minas Tirith from the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.

«Minas Tirith became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age. It was originally built to guard the former capital, Osgiliath, from attack from the west, but became the capital when Osgiliath fell into ruin following the Kin-strife and the Great Plague. It is often referred to as the White City (though that name is not in the book) and the City of the Kings.»

A topographic map of the Moon made out of wood made by Robin Hanhart.

This map shows the landing sites of the Apollo missions and the names of the lunar mare on the near side of the moon. Using data of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from Nasa and Nasagoddard this map uses an orthographic projection centered on the near side of the moon. A deep laser engraving in birchwood and measuring roughly 29cm.

Aerial view of the Eixample district in Barcelona, Spain.

The Eixample is a district of Barcelona between the old city (Ciutat Vella) and what were once surrounding small towns (Sants, Gràcia, Sant Andreu etc.), constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its population was 262,000 at the last census (2005).

The Eixample is characterized by long straight streets, a strict grid pattern crossed by wide avenues, and square blocks with chamfered corners (named illes in Catalan, manzanas in Spanish).This was a visionary, pioneering design by Ildefons Cerdà, who considered traffic and transport along with sunlight and ventilation in coming up with his characteristic octagonal blocks, where the streets broaden at every intersection making for greater visibility, better ventilation and (today) some short-stay parking space. The grid pattern remains as a hallmark of Barcelona.

Some parts of the Eixample were influenced by Modernista architects, chief among whom was Antoni Gaudí. His work in the Eixample includes the Casa Milà (nicknamed La Pedrera) and the Casa Batlló, both of which are on the wide Passeig de Gràcia, as well as the Sagrada Familia.