Small spaces influenced the concept behind the News Coffee Table, a three section surface radiating from a central newspaper and magazine repository. Taking the traditional newspaper rack and combining it with a coffee table is certainly not new, but Architect Boris Ignatov’s unique but simple solution is to turn the fold 120 degree and connect the receptacle with a flat surface. The casual nature of the design has the quality of origami, radiating outward and offering easy access to periodicals for casual reading. Read the rest of this entry »
News Coffee Table / Ignatov Architects
Hope Luminaire is a Meta-crystal inspired by Hand blown Glass
With the optical and physical qualities of the crystal of Bohemia and Venetian hand blown glass in mind, artists Francisco Gomez Paz and Paolo Rizzatto designed for Luceplan the Hope chandelier. A period of extensive technological research preceded the final lighting source design; the multifaceted interpretation of the classic chandelier was made up of ultra light polycarbonate sheets, capable of reproducing the outstanding optical qualities of solid glass. Based in the principles of the Fresnel lenses, a molded polycarbonate leaf was developed and engineered, characterized by a glossy external surface and a textured internal surface treated with a series of concentric micro-prisms. The result was an extraordinary high quality plastic, referred to by the authors as “meta-crystal”, because of its capacity to capture and reflect light. Read the rest of this entry »
Experimentarium / CEBRA
The winning proposal for the science centre in Copenhagen was designed by CEBRA, in cooperation with Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Orbicon, Die Asta and Kollision. The aim of the competition was to expand the existing premises and achieve a stronger presence within the urban space of the city. Limited by the layout of the existing building and additional urbanistic constrains, the Fremtidens Experimentarium was to be expanded inwards and upwards. Read the rest of this entry »
Water Cathedral – Winner of the Young Architects Program in Chile
Part of the Young Architects Program, an initiative for promoting emerging designers, the Latin America branch was established and launched in 2011 by CONSTRUCTO, in collaboration with MOMA and MOMA PS1. It’s an active platform for creating new opportunities for talented Latin American architects to explore and design within the scope of collective-use spaces and informal live events, with strong emphasis on sustainability issues. In 2011 it was particularly oriented towards young Chilean architects, few of whom are members of the GUN Arquitectos team, a collective whose Water Cathedral Project was chosen as this year’s winning proposal. Read the rest of this entry »
White Hole Contemplation of The Cosmos / Mariko Mori and Kengo Kuma
The collaborative installation White Hole between artist Mariko Mori and Architects Kengo Kuma is a experiential structure designed to contemplate the arise of the cosmos using a light weight structural form. The large white dome is built from spray polyurethane, primarily used for insulating buildings, applied over a draped mesh, forming the catenary structure. Kengo Kuma termed the structure Bubble Wrap which is then inverted to form a rough dome. The expanded polyurethane material was selected for its capacity to create volume from very little material, which the architects claims to be comprised of 99% air. The envelope has the characteristic of being in a fluid, unsettled state, as though just created or born. Read the rest of this entry »
Three-dimensional Fence / Salli Architekten
The steel, cocoon-like structure represents a parametrically altered design of a typical fence. What is supposed to function primarily as a demarcation tool is developed into an element that accentuates the 3-dimensionality of space. It is fragmentized, as if under the influence of powerful tectonic forces, pulling the initially linear structure in different directions. Not only does it frame the views of the surroundings, it creates an awareness of space that reveals its true potentials. The garden is transformed into a versatile environment, partly covered, withdrawn and protected, with a canopy sheltering a pool and a seating area. Seen from afar, it has a sculptural quality of a biomorphic structure that mimics the existing organic patterns of its surroundings. Read the rest of this entry »
“La Fabrique Sonore” Acoustically Amplifies the Sound of Champagne Bubbles
The project is installed at “Pommery” champagne factory in France, part of the largest underground systems of corridors and caves in the area. It combines computational design techniques with ancient paper folding techniques, resulting in a 345 cubic-meter suspended structure which acoustically amplifies sound. The Sound Factory project was designed in cooperation between artists Ali Monemi and Robin Meier and architect Hyoung-Gul Kook.
Kinematic Bloom Installation / Daekwon Park
Kinematic Bloom is an interactive project designed by Daekwon Park, founder of the web-based Meta-Territory_Studio. The project took shape within the framework of Augmented Architectures course at Harvard Graduate School of Design. The course focused on the idea that spatial experience can be conceived, understood and designed as a series of reactive computational events. The goal of the course was to explore the realms of theory, visualization, design, and production of augmented architecture. It engaged in a critical discussion on the impact that our daily digital experiences have on the perception and expectation of physical experiences. Read the rest of this entry »
Furniture Design Informed by Gaudi’s Parabolic Structures / Studio Bram Geenen
The design follows methods used by Gaudi for his church projects. This specific approach involved hanging the chains upside-down, showing the most opportune rib disposition and letting the gravity determine the strongest shape for the future building. Used in the chair design, the chain-models are combined with a software script to generate the structure of the ribs, informing of the complexity of the forces in a chair’s backrest. The chair is created by Studio Bram Geenen, for their online Open Design Platform. The project was developed as part of the Furnistructures initiative, which involves extensive researches into structural systems, as found in nature and architecture, and the possibilities of designing lightweight furniture using such systems. Read the rest of this entry »
Re-engineering a 1950’s Classic: The Acapulco Chair
The Acapulco Chair is one of the most celebrated chair designs of the 20th Century. It is an anonymous design that emerged in the 1950’s in Hollywood’s favorite beach destination: Acapulco, Mexico.
The chair was born next to the famous “La Quebrada” divers cliff, a place visited by Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and where John and Jacqueline Kennedy headed for their honeymoon.
The design enjoyed continuous success for almost five decades – being a designer’s favorite for its clean lines and comfort. It was manufactured by several artisanal workshops in Mexico, slowly disappearing from the market at the turn of the 21st Century.
After several design improvements, the chair is once again available with Electrostatic powder-coated steel frame and recycled UV filtered PVC woven cord shell, which makes it ideal for indoor and outdoor use.
The chair is available at thecommonproject, a design initiative based in Los Angeles, Barcelona, and Mexico City. In addition to this classic design, thecommonproject offers a stunning rocking chair version, as well as a kid’s size in both designs. Subtle and vibrant cord colors are the perfect accessory for any location. Read the rest of this entry »