Catch up with highlights from our digital travels this week…

Sixty-six very niche museums

Atlas Obscura takes us on an international armchair tour of museums with one-track minds, from pencil sharpeners and dog collars, to banana paraphernalia and chamber pots. In fact, the weirder and wackier the object of obsession, the better, as this Texas ‘toilet seat art’ museum proves…

A giant sinkhole pops up in Japan

In a scene that could have come straight from a horror movie, a 30-metre wide sinkhole swallowed part of an intersection in the Japanese city of Fukuoka last week. But even more astounding than the size of the crater was how quickly construction workers plugged the 15ft-deep hole, filling it in just 48 hours. The Guardian shares a time-lapse of the construction feat that beggars belief.

Peek inside the Obamas’ new digs

As the world reels from Donald Trump’s election, spare a thought for the Obamas, who will shortly be evicted from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue after eight years in residence. Fortunately, they aren’t moving far – just two miles away in fact, to an 8,200 sq ft home in the Kalorama neighbourhood of Washington DC. Apartment Therapy invites itself inside.

B-ball courts that dazzle

Pundits often refer to football as ‘the beautiful game’ but by the looks of these Manhattan courts, basketball’s giving it a run for its money. Nike enlisted artist Kaws to cover them with colourful murals as part of its latest campaign. The eagle-eyed among you might spot a familiar face court side: Kaws reworked his iconic Elmo and Cookie Monster BFF designs into its surface. Dezeen has more.

Detroit after dark

Urban blight, de-industrialisation and gap-tooth housing… Detroit’s abandoned architecture might an urban explorer’s dream but it’s given the city a bad rep. Detroit Institute of Arts’ new photography exhibition shows a different side of MotorCity, documenting how (and where) it crackles to life after dark via its music scene and bars. It’s Nice That shares hits from the show.

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