To keep Antwerp's newly legal red-light district as safe and welcoming as it is, um, titillating, the Belgian city has turned to high tech and high design. De Coninck and designer Arne Quinze - who created furniture for the Rem Koolhaas library in Seattle and Brad Pitt's home in Los Angeles - hashed out blueprints with input from local police and politicians, as well as a focus group of prostitutes. They wanted something "trendy and unique" but also "hygienic, ergonomic, and safe.
The result is a soaring concrete structure with curly, tinted metal roofs and tall windows full of blazing neon babes. Inside, up to 50 working girls can ply their trade.
Each woman's biometric data is stored in the building's security database, and room amenities like heat and water are activated by a fingerprint reader. There's even a call button in every room for summoning police from an onsite substation if clients get out of hand. No word on whether fondling the hardware is billed as extra. The Velodrones. Why the Hurricane Plan Got Trashed. Go Your Own way. I Gotta Jet Engine. The Biotech Crash Test Dummies.
Jargon Watch. Gadgets of the Rich and Famous. The Disaster That Is Jargon. Systems After the Storm. Stop, Thief! The God of Small, Hidden Things. A Hire Power. Take Tech To Your Grave. Yahoo's First Newsperson. Your Bod, My Mod. Is Firefox Insecure? Wired Tired Expired. Danger Zones. View Comments. Sponsored Stories Powered By Outbrain. Jennifer M. More Stories. Early Bird. Author: Louryn Strampe Louryn Strampe. Tech in Two. Author: Parker Hall Parker Hall. Planetary Chaos.
Author: Matt Simon Matt Simon.
