Today, of course, that scrawny chess nerd is the billionaire co-founder of PayPal and Palantir and arguably the greatest venture capitalist of his generation, with a sideline as patron of such far-right causes as the 2016 candidacy of Donald Trump. The reflexive contrarianism, the unearned confidence, the impossibly favorable outcome - they feel familiar, both in Thiel himself and the companies he helped create. “But I will never forget that drive.”Īnyone who has followed Thiel’s career will find much to recognize in the Route 17 encounter. “I don’t remember any of the games we played,” said the teammate who was riding shotgun, a man who is now in his 50s. To his astonished passengers, it was as if he believed that not only did the laws of California not apply to him - but that the laws of physics didn’t either. Even more unbelievably: As soon as he drove out of sight, Thiel hit the gas pedal again, just as hard as before. He told Thiel to slow down and have a nice day. Unbelievably, the trooper seemed to accept this. And it’s definitely an infringement on liberty.” “Well,” he said, “I’m not sure if the concept of a speed limit makes sense. Thiel addressed the statie coolly in his usual uninflected baritone. The other young men in the car - relieved to have been stopped but also afraid of how this might play out - looked at each other nervously. He pulled the Rabbit over, rolled down the window, and listened as a state trooper asked if he knew how fast he was going. Thiel looked up when, predictably, the lights of a police cruiser appeared in his rearview mirror. He was, recalled one classmate, Megan Maxwell, “a strange, strange boy.” He didn’t drink, didn’t date, didn’t crack jokes, and he seemed to possess both an insatiable ambition and a sense, deeply held, that the world was against him. Thin, dyspeptic, and humorless, he had seemed like an alien to his classmates since arriving at Stanford two and a half years earlier. For large portions of the trip, he seemed to be flooring the accelerator.
The chess team had no particular reason to hurry, but the 20-year-old driver of the Rabbit weaved in and out of lanes, nearly rear-ending cars as he slipped past them.
To get across the Santa Cruz Mountains, they took California’s Route 17, a four-lane highway that is regarded as one of the state’s most dangerous because of its tight curves, bad weather, and wild-animal crossings. MAD Architects’ One River North is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.Sometime around the spring of 1988, several members of the Stanford University chess team traveled to a tournament in Monterey, California, in an old Volkswagen Rabbit. “The structure’s most striking feature, a 10-story landscaped rift that defines its exterior, is inspired by Colorado’s diverse biomes and recalls the experience of ascending from the foothills to the trail and canyon to reaching the alpine plateau,” he further added. Remarking similarly, Kevin Ratner of Max Collaborative stated, “One River North is the model for how we should be living, surrounding ourselves in the natural environment, bringing nature into our homes and creating authentic, biophilic experiences coupled with modern comforts and conveniences. Additionally, the ground floor of the structure includes over 8,000 square feet of retail space as well as 13,352 sq ft (1,240 sq m) of open-air areas, water features, and a landscaped “trail-like” walkway that’s spread across four floors.Ĭommenting on it, Ma Yansong, founder and principal of MAD Architects, in a statement, said, “If we regard modern cities as man-made landscape on the earth, we need to design canyons, woods, creeks, and waterfalls, transforming concrete forests into second nature.”
The space also features a pool, spa, deck, and garden. The building (which is co-developed by the Max Collaborative, Uplands Real Estate Partners, and Wynne Yasmer Real Estate) further includes 187 residential units for Denver’s River North District, or RINO, along with a rooftop terrace providing panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains and its stunning surroundings. It includes over 13,000 square feet of natural features, each more mesmerizing than the other. And in staying true to its reputation, the marquee has recently introduced a path-breaking residential project in Denver, Colorado, that is making headlines for all the right reasons!Ĭalled One River North, the project is a 16-story tower that features a full-blown- nature trail that cuts across 10 of the stories right into the façade of the building. China-based MAD Architects is experimental, bold, and pretty much out there when it comes to unique designs.