LOTR fans want to construct a $2.9 billion real-life Minas Tirith

Another day, another far-fetched crowdfunding campaign. A group of ambitious British architects and hardcore Lord of the Rings fans are trying to raise a couple of billion dollars on Indiegogo so they can build a real-life version of Minas Tirith, J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional capital of Gondor.

"In order to realise this amazing dream, we have estimated our required budget to be in the region of £1.85bn. The vast majority of this expense would cover building costs - £15m for land, £188m for labour and £1.4bn for material. The remainder of the money will be invested in maintenance and public services until the year 2053. We would commence work on Minas Tirith by the end of 2016, and complete the project by the end of 2023."

They plan to build the 'The Tower of Guard' in southern England, and if you contribute enough, you could have your own private residence inside the walled city. However, fourteen days into the 60-day campaign, the project has only raised a little over £64,000.

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Stencils and Subtlety

If there were a Michelin star for public murals, Roamcouch would have it. No debate. His art is an elegant contradiction; it stops you in mid-stride and makes you stare. You argue with what you see. He works with scenes from everyday life, nothing fancy, then drops them into backgrounds full of playfulness and surprise. His murals feel like small rebellions, and they insist on being noticed. Here are some of his recent street art works. Roamcouch has a Facebook page and a website where you can find all his work.

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