Look! Coffee Shop Chic from Hannah

Here's a new feature that I thought I'd try. Every now and then I get an email from readers of cool design features that they see in their daily travels. In an effort to share the wealth, I offer this up for Tuesday. Got your own? Email me at maxwell@apartmenttherapy.com with "Look!" in the subject.

I just had to email you a picture I took of the ultra modern coffee shop i discovered on my recent holiday to Cascais, Portugal. It forms part of the Lighthouse museum next to the harbor in the town. My traveling buddy and I just loved the way the whole glass wall pivoted to provide access, and aerate, the shop at the same time. Such a contrast to the typical Portuguese architecture we are all more familiar with...

I hope you like it as much as we did! We also found the entrance to the bathrooms quite entertaining too (modelled on lego people perhaps?)!

Enjoy. Hannah

However, I then received this email from Lois, which doesn't change how Chic the windows above are, but it does address how practical they might be for homeowners in North America:

I lived with windows like these for thirty years! They're dreadful - washing is difficult, you can't screen them resulting in flies in/animals out if you don't lock the animals away, you can't open them a "crack", and they leak - both air and rain even though they are usually double pane and "sealed".

[Note: We blogged this below a few years back, and no one said anything, but my apologies if it is offensive in any way. ]

And Total Tangent: This reminds me of another cool - but totally different - design that I spotted and which came from that part of the world: Urinarios from Spain.