Depends Legends

It was hard not to laugh at the "Depends Legends" commercial on last night's Saturday Night Live, a highlight of an otherwise mediocre episode. In trying to overcome the stigma in talking about grown-up diapers, the fake commercial recalls the "Oops! I Crapped my Pants" ad from a 1998 SNL episode.

But why feature "Depends Legends" here, on an architecture blog? Because in the middle of the 90-second piece – whose description is "There's no shame in wearing diapers when you're wearing Depend Legends, the diaper with classic movie stars' faces on it" – is the "Masterpieces of Art and Architecture" line featuring Fallingwater. Although incorrectly labeled as "Falling Water" with two words instead of one, it's obvious to see why the building worked its way between Clark Gable, the women of Law & Order, and other screen stars.

[Screenshot from "Depends Legends" commercial | source]

Watch the full commercial:

MoMI as a Future House

The first time I saw this futuristic house in a commercial for New Jersey lottery's "Cash 4 Life," I thought it looked familiar:


Turns out it's the highly photogenic Museum of the Moving Image expansion in Astoria, Queens, designed by Thomas Leeser:

[Photo: Elizabeth Felicella | Image source]

Specifically it's the cafe at the back of the lobby, which doubles as an event space:

[Photo:Wendy Moger-Bross/Museum of the Moving Image | Image source]

And in the land of commercials it doubles as a house in the not-too-distant future:

Xarelto's Architecture Equation

Watching this commercial for prescription drug Xarelto earlier today I couldn't help notice that...


A visit to a Mario Botta building (Bechtler Museum of Modern Art in Charlotte, North Carolina)

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Seeing a model of the Roman Coliseum in one of its galleries

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Popping some Xarelto

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A trip to see the Coliseum in person (well, through a car window, at least).



Thank you, Xarelto! (and Mr. Botta and Mr. Bechtler)

Lost the perk-in in your gherkin?

Here is a newspaper ad—no comment necessary—spotted at Dezeen that is worth filing in my "architectural advertising" posts.