"Marketing, architecture and development can be an incredibly powerful combination"

Neo Bankside show flat

Opinion: show flats for residential developments don’t just tell us about a developer’s dream demographic – they have the potential to turn a sales fantasy into part of the city’s built fabric, says Sam Jacob.


I’ve often fantasised about writing a novel (well, novella maybe) about show apartments. A story about a show life in a show apartment where scripted domesticity is performed day and night like a Roxy Music song that was never quite written.

An artificial lifestyle staged for a voyeristic audience seems the perfect scenario to explore a very 21st century idea of the city. In all their synthetic domesticity show apartments distill a visible essence of something that’s so pervasive yet hard to pin down: the way in which the market, marketing and architecture converge to reinvent the idea of the city.

To misquote Frank Lloyd Wright:
“Watch the little show flat… The new city is all around us in the haphazard making, the apparent forces to the contrary notwithstanding. All about us and no plan. The old order is breaking up.”

There’s one down by Tate Modern for the Neo Bankside development that’s been there (it seems at least) since the original Shakespearian Globe. The neo-flat rises above a hoarded compound, glazed to the world like a shopfront, its interior domesticity on display like a Dan Graham project from the 1970s.

Hang around at night when the interior lights go on and you can peer in. You’ll see a figure in there opening and closing kitchen cupboards, going about what seems to be a life. Who knows if there’s anything in those cupboards, if the appliances are even wired in. From our voyeristic distance it’s easy to imagine this as a life lived as a performance to the world. Maybe it is even a real 21st century job, being paid to live according to particular scripts. Maybe this is what out of work actors do these days when they can’t get a break.

Over in another show flat for another (not quite so high-end) development. You approach through a parking lot where an arrow with “sales” written on the tarmac like a highway directive points the way. Nowhere to park a bike, interestingly (obviously a demographic they aren’t interested in courting). There’s a garden laid out behind a fence full of tortuous topiary, large abstract chromed shape-ornaments.

The sales suite itself is a prefab building with the charm of a miniaturised car showroom. It’s decked out with themed paraphernalia. This one’s theme is ‘boating’ – it is by a canal, you see, but why the boating that’s foregrounded here is more rowing eights and cox-less fours is another question. There are photos of young chaps in boating blazers relaxing in the nearby park. It’s Poplar seen through a Ralph Lauren eye. You can feel the sheer effort in working to engender a sense of aspiration that would play to a global market.

This is even more visible when you watch the video playing on a giant screen. Images of Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and a Black Cab flash up interspersed with stats telling you that its 15 minutes from Tate Modern, the Southbank and so on like an American sitcom special when for no apparent reason they come to London, ride up and down the Mall in a routemaster bus and bump into the Queen.

The sales pitch, in other words, obscures the idea of place, erases the idea of London as a real city. Invoking this glossy cliche as context only serves to suggest that the development is an isolated island, disconnected from the very ground it sits on, floating instead in a weightless miasma of empty signs, as though the contents of a souvenir shop had not only gained consciousness but that that consciousness had rebuilt a version of London based on its own DNA.

I’m greeted by a sales advisor who replies “people like you” when I ask who is buying. “Young, professional.” Obviously lacking in character assessment. But I guess I know what she’s trying to suggest: that here I might find a self-selecting ghetto of other me’s that would like the things I like, do the things I do, share the values that I hold dear. In other words, community as a hall of mirrors.

Opening a door that could be a store cupboard you step into the actual fake apartment, a dislocated fragment of bad planning. The compressed lobby opens one way into a kitchen living room where there’s a cookbook open on the counter – Italian – and a bottle of red too. In the bedroom on the bedside table, next to a pair of cufflinks, there is a framed photo a young couple having a great time on an exotic holiday. A necklace is coiled in a shell on the window sill.

It feels like we’re poking around in the intimate domesticity of this fictitious couple – that we’re cast as burglars or crime scene detectives. It feels strangely like something awful has happened.

This replica apartment is a microcosm of what’s happening in the thing it refers to – the building that’s going up next door that will have the real apartments, the real versions of that couple, the community of me’s that will eventually live there. The development in other words is a fiction too. The narratives of young professionalness, of London-as-global-destination, its Ralph Lauren-ness are embedded in it. These fictions are made real, built into the actual fabric of the city.

All architecture does this. Every building is both a building and a model of a way of life. But it’s a question of how this can be used productively. The depressing thing about this scenario is its narrowness of vision, its cliched, stagnant idea of what life might be.

Around the corner there is a very different example of how the show apartment can productively engage with the city. The Lansbury Estate was built as a real place to live. But it was also built as an explicitly public model of new ways of living. It was part of the 1951 Festival of Britain and formed the living core of an exhibition about how Britain would reinvent its built environment.

Amongst the real homes were pavilions and exhibits. These included the fabulous Gremlin Grange, a mock up of an old house designed with deliberate defects leaky pipes, creaking doors and cracked walls. Others included the Building Research Pavilion, showing in contrast to Gremlin Grange modern principles of construction. A red and white striped Town Planning Pavilion housed a model of a fictional new town, Avoncaster. Finally, visitors saw the real Lansbury, the embodiment of the ideas they’d just experienced.

The Lansbury and the amazing poster produced to publicise it titled New Homes Rise From London’s Ruins by Abraham Games, is part of the show I’m co-curating for the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale titled A Clockwork Jerusalem. It’s a show that explores the ambitions and culture of post-war British architecture and planning. Part of the story is how much of the debate about planning was carried out in a really public way – through advertisements, exhibitions, posters, films and books. Marketing, in other words, was intrinsic to the idealistic ambitions of the period – from the brochures promoting the early Garden Cities to the Red Balloon TV commercial for Milton Keynes. Marketing and communications were necessary to help make real the worlds that planning proposed.

Marketing, architecture and development can be an incredibly powerful combination when they deploy integrity, imagination, intelligence and ambition.


Sam Jacob is principal of Sam Jacob Studio, professor of architecture atUniversity of Illinois Chicago and director of Night School at the Architectural Association, and edits Strange Harvest.

The post “Marketing, architecture and development can be an incredibly powerful combination” appeared first on Dezeen.

YOW! Volkswagen Unveils Bad-Ass Videogame-Inspired Concept Car

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A couple of weeks ago this video made the rounds, showing two young VW designers enjoying some Gran Turismo before their boss walks in on them:

It was subsequently announced that next month, all of you will be able to drive this GTI Roadster Vision… in Gran Turismo 6, scheduled to be released in June.

We figured that would be the extent of this project, but just yesterday Volkswagen released another video, this one shot IRL. They went to the trouble of creating a full-sized model, and it is gorgeous:

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Photographer Arvida Byström on Selfies and Gender Identity: The 22-year-old's pink and glitter images are more subversive than they seem

Photographer Arvida Byström on Selfies and Gender Identity


by Cajsa Lykke Carlson Two years ago, Swedish artist Arvida Byström grew tired of the lack of jobs and places to live in her native Stockholm and left for London. Since then, she’s put on shows at…

Continue Reading…

Organize podcasts with easy-to-use mobile apps

Several years ago, I described a podcast as a radio show that’s delivered to your iPod. That is still an acceptable definition, only the number of devices that can receive the show has grown. Computers, smartphones, some car stereos, Internet radios, and more all grab podcasts for you.

As the format’s popularity has increased, the technology behind it became simpler to use. Today, people around the world produce and share podcasts on all manner of styles and topics. The more shows you subscribe to, the greater the need for good software to keep it all organized. In this post, I’ll discuss two solutions for mobile devices: one for the iPhone and one for Android. There are several others, of course, but these are two standouts to help you get started.

Apple — Podcasts (Free)

I use Apple’s own Podcasts app on my iPhone. It ships with the iPhone, is free, and is easy to use. When Podcasts was introduced in June of 2012, it was divisive to say the least. Apple was in a playful design phase back then, which manifested itself in the Podcasts app with an animated reel-to-reel tape player that was supposedly inspired by a real unit from Braun. (Sure.) Many fans liked it, and many did not. About a year later, Apple nixed the design, and today we have a nice, clean presentation.

The aesthetic shift was accompanied by additional features that are still in place today.

Finding and subscribing to shows

Apple provides three ways to find shows you’ll like — they are Features, Top Charts and Search.

Features. Tap the star icon at the bottom of the screen to browse the podcasts that Apple has deemed worth showing off. Purple buttons at the top of the screen let you view just audio shows, just video shows, or the whole lot at once.

A “New and Noteworthy” section is a grab-bag of shows that are performing well in iTunes. Beyond that, you’ll find shows that fit in rotating themes. As of this writing, Apple is highlighting the great outdoors and the financial markets, as well as featured providers like Slate, Nerdist and Revision3. Finally, you can tap Categories in the upper left to fine-tune your search.

Top Charts. Here you’ll find the most downloaded shows in each category. Again, you can opt to see audio video podcasts.

Search Finally, you can cut to the chase and search for the name of the show you’re seeking. Podcasts lists show titles and episodes that mention your search term.

Once you’ve found a show you’re interested in, tap the Subscribe button. Podcasts will download the latest episode for you. Note that you’ll see two buttons once you tap on a show’s image: My Episodes and Feed. My Episodes lists the episode(s) that have been downloaded to your device. Feed lists the show’s archive of older episodes, which are not on your device. You can download any of these older shows by tapping the cloud icon to the right of its title.

Organization

Apple makes it easy to keep things organized. To begin with, you can choose between a list view, which shows a small thumbnail of each show’s art, its title, the date of the most recent download, and the number of episodes available. Meanwhile, the album view eschews all that information and instead shows big, bold cover art and a number representing the episodes you haven’t heard.

By default, Podcasts lists shows in the order that you subscribed to them. Fortunately, you can change that. Here’s how:

  1. Tap the Edit button in the upper right.
  2. A three-lined “handle” appears next to each show’s title.
  3. Tap and hold on that handle, then drag the shows into your preferred order.
  4. When you’re finished, tap Done.

Finally, you can create what the app calls Stations. Essentially this is like a playlist in a music app. Simply start a new station by tapping Stations at the bottom of the screen and add any shows you like. I have a sci-fi station and an audio drama station. As each episode is played through, it disappears from the station. New ones are added automatically. This saves a lot of scrolling if you have a many subscriptions.

Pocket Casts by ShiftyJelly ($3.99)

On the Android side, I recommend Pocket Casts. This great-looking app is easy to use and, like Apple’s Podcasts, offers nice options for keeping things organized.

Finding and subscribing to shows

ShiftyJelly recently released version 4.0 with a great-looking new user interface. Unlike Apple’s offering, which puts buttons at the bottom of the screen, Pocket Casts has all controls “behind” the main screen, so your shows are front-and-center. It’s a clean look that I appreciate.

To find shows, swipe finger to the right to move the main screen and reveal the controls. Again, Shifty Jelly’s developers did a good job here because the controls are clear and legible. At the top of the screen you’ll see the Discover button. Tap it to view featured shows. Tap any title to get a description and the option to subscribe.

The search works great, too. Just enter a keyword or name of a show and you’re presented with several options.

Organization

Downloaded episodes are presented in a list with the title and description. There’s a playlist option, too, similar to Podcasts. You can view a list of just unplayed episodes across all of your shows, audio podcasts, or video podcasts.

It’s true that you can obtain, listen to, and organize podcasts with a computer. I happen to listen to podcasts almost exclusively while I’m in the car, and that means I’m using my smartphone. Many developers recognize this trend and build strong organization features into their mobile apps. The fact that I can arrange things to my liking on my phone without having to sync or otherwise communicate with my laptop is a huge benefit.

Picking a podcasting app is a personal thing. As I said, there are many worthy options out there. If you have a favorite, let me know. I’m always willing to try something new if it might be better than what I’m already using.

Let Unclutterer help you get your home or office organized. Subscribe to our helpful product shipments from Quarterly today.

Typo Circle student session with Purpose

Staff from London creative consultancy Purpose will be discussing their work and answering questions at the next Typo Circle Student Session on June 3.

Purpose employs 40 staff and specialises in print and digital design and branding projects. Recent work includes Remarkable Lives, a set of stamps for Royal Mail featuring notable individuals born in 1914, including graphic designer Abram Games:

And an award-winning poster for Inside Out, an AIGA exhibition exploring local and international creatives’ interpretations of San Francisco, inspired by the San Andreas fault line:

Tickets cost £8 and the event begins at 7pm at Purpose’s office on Shouldham Street, London W1H 5FG. For details or to book a place, click here.

NY Design Week 2014: Ladies & Gentlemen Studio Debut Lights to Look Out for at Sight Unseen OFFSITE

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Ladies & Gentlemen Studio knows how to play with their shapes. Tucked into a dim upper corner of Sight Unseen OFFSITE, their booth was a highlight of the bright show. Their booth was cosy and inviting, dotted with beautiful glowing glass forms and nonsensical toys. Founders Dylan Davis and Jean Lee met while studying industrial design at the University of Washington, and after some travels, they’re still based in Seattle, applying a materials-heavy approach to thing-design.

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L&G has previously garnered attention for their sculptural pieces and jewelry, and their new “Shape-Up” collection of lights is a clear outgrowth. As they noted in a pre-show interview with Sight Unseen, their emphasis on strong geometry and multi-discipline dabbling sometimes results in surprising cross-breeding. Almost all of the pieces on display featured glass elements made in collaboration with the glass artist John Hogan. In the same interview, Lee discussed tinkering with the shapes, imagining the bold “noodle” shape as a candleholder or wall-hanging planter. Fortunately for us, it wound up as one of the most striking elements in the four part Shape-Up ceiling light. Intended to be modular, the four lights can be arranged at different heights and clustered in any array your heart desires (within corded reason). The result is a very careful jumble of shapes with simple lines; glowing jewelry for your ceiling.

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Total Lockdown

What’s worse than a stolen bike? Finding out that you don’t have enough fare to get home! The Transit Bicycle Lock and Carrier system will ensure that no one will steal your precious cycle and get you home safe and sound. The carrier is an added bonus! Hit the jump to know how it works.

Designer: Seth Chiam


Yanko Design
Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE – We are more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(Total Lockdown was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Relax and Respire

Some medications administered via nebulizer can take over 30 minutes to complete a treatment. With current designs, patients must hold the apparatus upright for that lengthy duration and often take breaks from exhaustion. The Respirgard Nebulizer system is a hands-free solution that reduces discomfort and therefore treatment times. Because the unit never needs to be set down, it also keeps things more sanitary.

Designer: Maruf Miah


Yanko Design
Timeless Designs – Explore wonderful concepts from around the world!
Shop CKIE – We are more than just concepts. See what’s hot at the CKIE store by Yanko Design!
(Relax and Respire was originally posted on Yanko Design)

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Homicide Photography by Angela Strassheim

Angela Strassheim nous fait part de son incroyable expérience de photographe judiciaire. Une série de photographies qui dévoile l’intérieur des maisons où des homicides familiaux ont eu lieu. Les images en noir et blanc accentuent le sentiment d’inquiétude et de tristesse de ce qui a pu se passer dans ces pièces.

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Joy Batchelor films on show at Canary Wharf Screen

To celebrate 100 years since the birth of animator Joy Batchelor, Art on the Underground is currently screening a series of her films at Canary Wharf station in London.

Batchelor, who died in 1991, gained fame largely for her work with her husband John Halas. The duo worked together through their production company Halas and Batchelor, and were particularly recognised for their animated version of George Orwell’s Animal Farm in 1954, which is shown in full below.

The screening of Batchelor’s work in Canary Wharf is part of a season of films titled Birds Eye View: Past, Present and Future, which celebrates work by women filmmakers and is curated by Art on the Underground alongside the Birds Eye View Film Festival. Four of Batchelor’s films are being shown on Canary Wharf Screen, a public projection screen in the station. These include Your Very Good Health, shown below, which was created in 1948 to help explain the newly founded NHS to the public.

A later work by Batchelor that is also showing is The Five, below. Made in 1970, this film shows the influence of 1960s style on Batchelor’s animation, but retains the same witty humour evident in her earlier works.

Alongside these two films, Art and the Underground is also showing Farmer Charley (1949) and Modern Guide to Health (1946) by Batchelor at Canary Wharf Screen until June 18. Don’t miss out on the chance to see these influential works on the big screen.

More info on the Birds Eye View: Past, Present and Future season can be found here.