Last week, Hurricane Helene carved a devastating path through 500 miles of the southeastern United States. Unlike the average hurricane or tropical storm, Helene’s worst damage was in inland mountain communities in Appalachia, where it washed away roads, bridges, and, in at least one case, an entire town. As Hurricane Milton prepares to make landfall...

The InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco has perched at the top of Nob Hill for nearly a century. When it opened in 1926, it was more simply called the Hotel Mark Hopkins, named after the railroad executive that once built a home there. The luxury hotel has hosted presidents, premiers, and all kinds of celebrities. But one famous group of visitors...

Considered one of the great inventors and architectural minds of the 20th century, R. Buckminster Fuller is best known for his popularization of the geodesic domes. Geodesic domes—which can be found everywhere from Epcot Center to Antarctica to sports stadiums to your local public park where they often used to cover picnic areas—cover more square footage...

Nestled in the serene Dutch countryside, Papiermolen De Schoolmeester is a living testament to centuries of papermaking tradition. This historic mill stands as the only remaining example of traditional paper production powered by wind in the Netherlands.  Paper mills in the Zaanstreek first appeared at the beginning of the 17th century, producing...

Many of the largest medieval churches across Europe feature façades decorated with statues and other representations of individuals from Christianity, including saints and other biblical figures, but these individuals typically lived centuries ago. Even though their stories are still important to modern Christianity, the lives and experiences of these...

It’s considered a miracle, an engineering marvel, and even a scientific anomaly, depending who you ask. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, the helix-shaped spiral staircase at Loretto Chapel has long puzzled visitors, including architects and physicists. There are several unknowns surrounding the staircase and its late-19th-century origins. First off: how was...