From the monthly archives: December 2010
The island was abandoned by carmaker Renault almost 20 years ago, and with Nouvel’s design there is hope that Paris could have a new landmark on its hands. A mix of culture, commerce, urban parks and gardens, the city is hoping to create an attractive destination for both Parisians and tourists to enjoy both day and night. The Seguin will establish a large complex of two music rooms, one of 3,000 to 5,000, the second seating 800; a cultural hub of fine art and digital composed across a contemporary art foundation, an arts portal, galleries, and artist studios; a history museum focused on French collections; a vibrant commercial structure along a main street of 400 meters, with passages linking to the banks of the Seine and large squares gardens; and finally more basic leisure and entertainment destinations complemented by hotels, restaurants and a cinema complex.
Most notably, the green spaces will cover an area of 7 hectares, and set the path towards an eco-friendly neighborhood – especially key as additional developments are anticipated to follow to project at hand. A 450 meter long glass covered garden in the center will house plants unknown to the Ill-de-France region, and when the weather permits, the roof will be left open to infuse the space with the freshest of air. The banks of the Seine around Sequin Island will be a public waterfront promenade, and additional trees will be planted in this area.
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: atelier jean nouvel, french architecture, green space, jean nouvel, paris architecture, paris cultural poles, parks paris, seguin island, urban revitalization paris
Proof that a building’s modest materials and usage does not mean a modest design, this golf course bathroom excels at the unexpected. German Architectural firm Berschneider + Berschneider designed a simple box which is covered with bundles of rough logs and refined stainless steel openings. Ok, so it is just a bathroom on a golf course — but you have to admit the view from die toilette is pretty nice. Just as nice is the view from the greens where a bundle sticks become increasingly refined as it is approached.
Read the rest of A Stack of Sticks Conceals This Modern German Restroomhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: Berschneider + Berschneider, golf Lauterhofen, Green restroom, log facade, natural materials facade, public restroom, stick facade
Shipping containers are sturdy, versatile structures that have traveled the world over the course of their lifespans. The Contertainer is a poly-clinic and public library designed by Indonesian firm, dpavilion architects, that repurposes these adventurous vessels to house books, which serve as “windows” to the world at large. The name for the health clinic and public library is an amalgam of two words: container and entertainer, which reflects its goal of providing a better quality of living for those who have little money.
Read the rest of Colorful Indonesian Clinic and Library Made from Shipping Containershttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: "sustainable architecture", Cargotecture, contertainer, dpavilion architects, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, health clinic, indonesia, library, public library, Recycled Materials, reused materials, shipping container health clinic, shipping container library, shipping containers, Sustainable Building, sustainable design
Spanish Architect Hector Ruiz Velazquez transforms “mundane” materials into sleekly curved interiors. In his latest creation “Living Nature,” currently on display at Habitat Valencia in Valencia, Spain, Velazquez explores how space and light interact through the arrangement of recycled cardboard boxes. This massive cardboard structure is large enough for visitors to walk through, and it allows viewers to fully experience the beauty of his “outside-the-box” approach.
Read the rest of “Living Nature” Pavilion Made From Hundreds of Cardboard Boxeshttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: cardboard box architecture, eco-art, green design, hector ruiz velazquez, Living Nature, recycled cardboard boxes, Recycled Materials, sustainable design
Tech that is the most important is often incognito. While we often proudly display our toys sometimes that devices that do the heavy lifting are in the background. Sometimes those tech items are so discreet that they are seldom recognized until they are in dire need. That is why we choose to highlight those tech items that do not always get displayed or proudly discussed with friends.
Top Row:
Merry Christmas and happy holidays, Unplggd readers! I'm Gregory Han, managing editor of Apartment Therapy Unplggd. Before joining Apartment Therapy over at our Los Angeles site, I was designing children's toys, stationery and home items as a graphic and industrial designer (the lil' kid in your life might have enjoyed my Shrek Swamp Whoopee Cushion Chair). And before that, I was pixel-pushing as an art director for various video game publications (does anyone remember the short-lived Official Sega Dreamcast Magazine?). Today, I find myself fortunate to be involved with a site that focuses upon two of my favorite subjects: design and technology.
Read Full Post
Augmented reality translation, wild nail art and your own digital scoreboard in our weekly web review
1. Word Lens
Augmented reality just got a step closer to reality with the release of the new Word Lens from Quest Visual. The app instantly translates text from one language to another (currently it only supports English and Spanish) using the built-in camera on an iPhone or iPod touch. It doesn't work so well with handwriting but performs impressively when viewing signs, books or other printed text.
2. StartHere Mart
Little Fury, a New York-based packaging design studio, decides to do their part to aid global poverty by setting up StartHere Mart, an adorable online shop selling functional wares from independent designers with 5% of each purchase going towards charity.
3. The Standard Hotel NY Ice Rink
While it doesn't boast the bird's-eye view of the Boom Boom Room, The Standard Hotel NY's 3000-square-foot ice skating rink is another enticing reason to visit. Open to the public seven days a week, tickets and skates will only set you back $15.
4. Puma: Life Scoreboard
Friend of CH and resident computer whisperer Joel Niedfeldt helped build Puma's customizable scoreboard, an elegantly-designed way to put whatever you want—whether its iPhone vs. Blackberry or WikiLeaks vs. The Man—head to head.
5. A Brooklyn Manicurist's Insane Nail Art
From ice cream cones to dollar bills, Japanese nail artist Naomi Yasuda creates intricately "insane" nail art at her Brooklyn salon Hello Beautiful.
6. Auntie Carols
London agency Inferno is sending their holiday cheer in the form of singing aunties, who take requests via webcam. Both named Carol, the ladies will warble anything from Jay-Z's "99 Problems"to "Good King Wenceslas."
7. Siwa
Minimalissimo recently uncovered Siwa, a new collaboration between famed Industrial Designer Naoto Fukasawa and Japanese paper maker ONAO. The line of bags, shoes, cases, and book covers—all minimally constructed out of paper—are delicate in appearance but actually strong and water resistant thanks to the washi-suki paper method.
8. Muji’s Festive Human Vending Machines
Combining Japan's penchant for the automat with a little Muji clever practicality, the housewares brand came up with a human-enabled "Noel Machine" that can be found in the streets of Barcelona and Madrid during the Christmas shopping period.
Colorful scrunchies reinvented in Maharam fabric by a crafty Ohio mom
Last but not least in our series of limited-edition collaborations, the Maharam and Cool Hunting hair scrunchie (or Ma-hair-am Scrunchie, as we like to call it) is the upshot of a typical late night at the office when we were sourcing the items for our pop up shop with the Gap. When CH editor Ami Kealoha whipped out a scrunchie to keep her hair back, it sparked a nostalgic conversation about the beloved hair tie that ruled the '90s.
"Wouldn't it be great to make scrunchies out of Maharam fabric?" was all it took for us to reach out to the NYC textile legend. Once they were on board, we tapped the woman who made over 100 scrunchies to hold up my side ponytail for all of fifth grade (aka my mother Debbie), who whipped up a batch of the fabric-covered hair-ties for us.
A fourth generation family-run business, as the major fabric supplier for much of NYC's fashion and furniture industries, Maharam is a perfect example of one of NYC's enduring brands and a great fit for the project.
Despite the infamous scrunchie episode of "Sex & The City," we're here to tell you that girls in NYC do wear them. A well-made throwback and the perfect stocking stuffer to add a little splash of colorful fun, the Maharam and Cool Hunting scrunchies sell online and in our pop up with the Gap for $6 each.
Read the rest of Platoon Kunsthalle GwangJu Shipping Container Art Center Stacks Up in Koreahttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: Eco Architecture, eco design, eco-art, green design, gwangju, kunsthalle gwang ju, platoon, prefab architecture, prefabricated, shipping container, shipping container architecture, sustainable design
Classic tailored with modern function, the Babylon backpack ($200) is a bag made for commuting. The outer shell is 100% waxed cotton and 1000 denior nylon lined. Sealed zippers in front and a patch pocket with leather pull-tab.
© Copyright 2008 Kineda (74.208.122.66)
Limited edition slingshots, Matthew Marks' pop up, Rodarte for Lula and more in our survey of the past week online
1. Marc Then Marks: A New Art Book Boutique
Interview reports on the new pop up shop at Matthew Marks, where, other than rare art books, Phillipe Starck Santa stools and a Roy Lichtenstein-designed silk shirt are all from the gallery's archives and yours for the taking.
2. Marc Then Marks: A New Art Book Boutique
Singaporean designer Tan Lun Cheak of Little Thoughts Group dreamed up the Glowbelly Steamboat, a lamp that doubles as a hot pot. As showcased on Dezeen the fixture, based on a Singaporean tradition, houses a pot of boiling water for cooking food.
3. Christopher Jarrett's Handmade Slingshots for Moss
Made from forked wood collected from Epping forest in England and painted one of five colors, this collection of 30 slingshots sells from Moss for $75.
4. Peek the Fall/Winter 2010 Issue of Lula Magazine Guest Edited by Rodarte
Laura and Kate Mulleavy, the sisters behind the fashion label Rodarte (and Black Swan's gorgeous ballet costumes) also recently guest edited an upcoming issue of the fashion periodical Lula Magazine. Fashionologie gives us a sneak peak of the spread, which contains ethereal photos of actresses Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kirsten Dunst, Natalie Portman and Elle Fanning in head-to-toe Rodarte.
5. Actors Acting
The New York Times Magazine's interactive piece for their Hollywood Issue features fourteen Oscar frontrunners filmed in high drama scenes, all shot in stark black and white. The modern melodrama of each score by the young talent Owen Pallett underscore the Hitchcockian hyperbole. If you only have time for one, Javier Bardem's hits all the right marks.
6. Noun Project
Noun Project is an online archive of vectorized visual iconography and symbols “that can be understood by all cultures and people.” Their collection is extensive, minimal, and free for anyone to take and use.
7. Aedas Designs Receive International Acclaims
Architecture firm Aedas received several awards this year, including one for the nine-story, seeming Storm Trooper-inspired Integrated Civic, Cultural, Retail and Entertainment Hub in Singapore pictured above.
8. Vik & Fougere Bench Rack
A simple solution for urban apartments or collegiate life, Contemporary Standard offers a glimpse of the Bench Rack by Canadian design studio Vik & Fougere, which will debut at the IDS Prototype Exhibit in Toronto Canada in January 2011.
A look at domestic-themed work as seen at Miami's recent art fairs
Call it a deadpan response to the U.S.'s role in geopolitical affairs or just a meditation on the unexpected truth and beauty to be found in contemporary Americana, Art Basel 2010Art Week Miami 2010 provided some interesting insight into the enduring theme of suburbia. The concept, seen at Art Basel, Scope, Pulse, the Rubell Collection and Nada, made for a refreshing and often witty departure from the highbrow atmosphere and VIPs admiring glossy surfaces and big-name works. Whether or not this focus on domesticity reflects a heightened interest in interior design or a nostalgic yearning for a return to the current generation of artists' youth—afternoons spent gliding around sub-division sidewalks on skateboards or curled up on a La-Z-Boy watching "Married With Children"—there's no doubt that the trend speaks to a particular phase in American culture. See some of our favorite examples below.
With contributions by Ami Kealoha, Evan Orensten and Jonah Samson
L: "Roter Vorhang" (2010); R: "Schwarzer Rock" (2010) both by Martina Sauter, seen at Ambach and Rice
"Lamp" (2010) by Beth Campbell, seen at Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery
"Indoor sculpture Zürich" series (2002) by Erwin Wurm, seen at the Jack Hanley Gallery at Nada
L: "Dwelling" series of "Untitled Soap" (2008) by Felicity Warbrick, seen at Waterhouse and Dodd; R: The Hole booth (2010), seen at NADA
"General Park" (2010) by Ryan Trecartin, installation seen at the Rubell Collection
"Dryer" (2010) by Isaac Layman, seen at Elizabeth Leach Gallery
"Skateboards" (2010) by Comenius Roethlisberger and Admir Jahic, seen at Scope
"Knitting is for Pus****" (2010) by Olek, seen at Christopher Henry Gallery
Read the rest of MVRDV Unveils Le Monolithe Urban Superblock in Lyonhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: "sustainable architecture", "sustainable development", eco design, energy efficient development, france, green architecture, Green Building, green design, le monolithe, lyon, mixed-use development, MVRDV, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, Urban design, urban superblock
Our video on surfer-jeweler Jill Platner
As longtime fans of Jill Platner's nature-inspired jewelry, we waited a few years to find the right moment for documenting the artisan's creative process and studio. This video catches up with Jill at her Crosby Street space as she works on her current collection to learn more about how she started and what informs her work.
Bjarke Ingels Group recently unveiled a proposal for a school in Asminderod, Denmark that is topped with a series of undulating green roofs. The bands of greenery create an immersive landscape for the children that compliments the school’s focus on nature and sustainability. The building themselves are remarkably energy efficient and make great use of daylight. The school features a variety of green building techniques that teach environmentalism by design, including water catchment, biodiversity preservation, and minimal site impact.
Read the rest of BIG’s Angular Green-Roofed School Blends Into the Environmenthttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: Asminderod, Bjarke Ingels Group School, Denmark green building, environmental education curriculum, rainwater catchment, school daylighting, school green roof, Vilhelsro School
Read the rest of Coconut Shaped Bamboo Dome Built Without a Single Nailhttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: bamboo architecture, bamboo building, bamboo dome, Eco Architecture, eco building, green architecture, green design, Sustainable Building, vo trong nghia
Read the rest of Slumtube: Affordable Housing Made From Shipping Pallets!http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: "sustainable architecture", affordable housing, eco design, green architecture, Green Building, green design, Johannesburg, local materials, modular housing, palettenhaus, pallet house, pallethouse, Recycled Materials, slumtube, South Africa, Sustainable Building, sustainable design
Click to view these Unplggd Hot Posts in bold below.
• Secrets of Craigslist: Tips to Save and Earn You Money
• The 1983 iPhone! A Design Ahead of its Time
• Setup a Complete Home Office With Just 5 Items
• Three of Our Favorite iPad Accessory Upgrades
• Getting Student Discounts When You're Not A Student
• Built For a Man, Not Bad for a Woman: Philips Bodygroom Review
more Top Posts from the past week below.
Read Full Post
GIVEAWAYS CLOSING 12/5
• Art Nouveau Mirror from William Howard Home
• Mushroom Stool from Shimna
• Spacepak Set from Flight 001
• Happy Farmers Print from Poster Child Prints
• Humanair Air Purifier from Humanscale
• Winebreather Carafe from Emmo Home
GIVEAWAYS CLOSING 12/6
• Napa Grape Vine Candelabra from Seltzer Studios
• Beam Clock from Maison de Kristine
• ENVY 100 from HP
• Owl Adventure Pack from Imagine Childhood
• Heath Ceramics Shallow Salad Bowl from Task
• Reclaimed Wood Mirror from heidiBARKUNframes
Read Full Post
Read the rest of Modern Green Social Housing Complex Rises East of Parishttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/ohttp://www.inhabitat.com/wp-admin/options-general.php?page=better_feedptions-general.php?page=better_feed
Permalink |
Add to
del.icio.us |
digg
Post tags: "sustainable architecture", affordable housing, atelier du pont, bondy, Daylighting, eco design, france, green architecture, Green Building, green design, Paris, plan01 collective, social housing, Sustainable Building, sustainable design
Ads
