In advance of her 4 November Until The Hunter album release, singer Hope Sandoval (of Mazzy Star acclaim) has just shared a video for lead single “Let Me Get There.” Sandoval directed the video: a serene, occasionally eerie visual treatment featuring……
Continue Reading…
Iran’s largest pedestrian bridge, a pink rubberised park by BIG and Zaha Hadid’s first building in Lebanon are among the six winners of this year’s $1 million Aga Khan Award for Architecture (+ slideshow).
The three other winners of the triennial architecture award are a labyrinthine community centre and a perforated brick mosque, both in Bangladesh, and a library in a Beijing hutong.
The architects of each project will receive a share of a $1 million (£700,000) fund, which makes the Aga Khan Award for Architecture one of the world’s most lucrative architecture prizes
The six projects – located in Bangladesh, Denmark, China, Iran and Lebanon – were selected from a shortlist of 19 projects unveiled in May 2016.
They were chosen by a committee including architects Emre Arolat, David Adjaye and Dominique Perrault, and His Highness the Aga Khan.
The Aga Khan Award for Architecture was set up by His Highness the Aga Khan in 1977 to acknowledge and encourage projects that address the needs of Muslims the world over.
A ceremony will be held for the winners of the 2016 award at the Al Jahili Fort – a World Heritage Site in Al Ain that itself received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2007 following a significant renovation.
Here’s some more information about each winning project from the competition organisers:
A meeting place for residents of Denmark’s most ethnically diverse neighbourhood and an attraction for the rest of the city, this project was approached as a giant exhibition of global urban best practice.
In the spring of 2006 the street outside the architects’ Copenhagen office erupted in vandalism and violence. Having just gone through the design of a Danish mosque in downtown Copenhagen, BIG chose to focus on those initiatives and activities in urban spaces that work as promoters for integration across ethnicity, religion, culture and languages.
Taking their point of departure as Superkilen’s location in the heart of outer Nørrebro district, the architects decided they would approach the project as an exercise in extreme public participation. Rather than a public outreach process geared towards the lowest common denominator or a politically correct post rationalisation of preconceived ideas navigated around any potential public resistance, BIG proposed public participation as the driving force of the design.
An extensive public consultation process garnered suggestions for objects representing the over 60 nationalities present locally to be placed in the area.
The 750-metre-long scheme comprises three main zones: a red square for sports; a green park as a grassy children’s playground; and a black market as a food market and picnic area.
The two-to-three level, 270-metre-long curved pedestrian bridge of varying width has a complex steel structure featuring a dynamic three-dimensional truss. Two continuous deck levels sits on three tree-shaped columns, with a third where the truss meets the column branches.
It was an imaginative leap beyond the basic competition brief of designing a bridge to connect two parks separated by a highway in northern Tehran, without blocking the view to the Alborz Mountains.
The structural elements are based on a latent geometrical order rotated and repeated in three dimensions. The result is a spatial structure large enough to create an inhabitable architectural space, where people congregate, eat and rest rather than just pass through.
Multiple paths in each park were created that would lead people on to the bridge. Seating, green spaces and kiosks encourage people to linger on a site where greenery has been preserved by the minimal footprint of the bridge, whose curve offers a variety of viewing perspectives.
After a difficult life and the loss of her husband and near relatives, the client donated a part of her land for a mosque to be built. A temporary structure was erected. After her death, her grand-daughter, an architect, acted on her behalf as fundraiser, designer, client and builder to bring the project to completion.
In an increasingly dense neighbourhood of Dhaka, the mosque was raised on a plinth on a site axis creating a 13-degree angle with the qibla direction, which called for innovation in the layout.
A cylindrical volume was inserted into a square, facilitating a rotation of the prayer hall, and forming light courts on four sides. The hall is a space raised on eight peripheral columns.
Ancillary functions are located in spaces created by the outer square and the cylinder. The plinth remains vibrant throughout the day with children playing and elderly men chatting and waiting for the call to prayer.
Funded and used by locals, and inspired by Sultanate mosque architecture, it breathes through porous brick walls, keeping the prayer hall ventilated and cool. Natural light brought in through a skylight is ample for the daytime.
The American University of Beirut (AUB) held an invited competition for the design of a structure to accommodate a modern-day think tank on its lush middle campus – one that was in harmony with the rest of the university, especially mindful of the surrounding greenery, and to preserve as far as possible existing sightlines to the Mediterranean.
The building had to fit into another stage in the implementation of a master plan for AUB, whose upper campus overlooks the water and whose lower campus is located on the seafront.
The architect responded to the project brief by producing a design that significantly reduces the building’s footprint by “floating” a reading room, a workshop conference room and research spaces above the entrance courtyard in the form of a 21-metre-long cantilever in order to preserve the existing landscape.
The 3,000-square-metre building is defined by the routes and connections within the university; the building emerges from the geometries of intersecting routes as a series of interlocking platforms and spaces for research and discourse.
The massing and volume distribution fits very well with the topography, and the nearby Ficus and Cyprus trees are perfectly integrated with the project. The building’s construction is a continuation of the 20th-century Lebanese construction culture of working with fair-faced concrete.
Cha’er Hutong is a quiet spot one kilometre from Tiananmen Square in the city centre. Number 8 in this neighbourhood, located near a major mosque, is a typical da-za-yuan (big messy courtyard) once occupied by over a dozen families.
The courtyard is about 300-400 years old and once housed a temple that was then turned into residences in the 1950s. Over the past 50 or 60 years, each family built a small add-on kitchen in the courtyard. Almost all of them have been wiped out with the renovation practices of the past years.
In redesigning, renovating and reusing the informal add-on structures instead of eliminating them, it was intended to recognise them as an important historical layer and as a critical embodiment of Beijing’s contemporary civil life in hutongs that has so often been neglected.
In concert with the families, a 9-square-metre children’s library built of plywood was inserted underneath the pitched roof of an existing building. Under a big Chinese scholar tree, one of the former kitchens was redesigned into a 6-square-metre miniature art space made from traditional bluish-grey brick.
Through this small-scale intervention in the courtyard, bonds between communities have been strengthened and the hutong life of local residents enriched.
The centre was created to train staff of an NGO working with people inhabiting nearby chars, or riverine islands. Offices, a library, meeting rooms, and prayer and tea rooms are included in pavilion-like buildings that are surrounded by courts and pools.
The centre is also rented out for meetings, training, and conferences for income generation. The local hand-made brick construction has been inspired by the monastic aesthetic of the 3rd century BC ruins of Mahasthangahr, the earliest urban archaeological site yet found in Bangladesh.
Structural elements are made of reinforced concrete and finishes include timber and stone. The naturally ventilated structures have green roofs. The centre is located in an agricultural area susceptible to flooding and earthquakes, and whose low-bearing soil has a low bearing capacity. As a result, an embankment has been constructed with a water run-off pumping facility.
Constructed and finished primarily of one material – local hand-made bricks – the spaces are woven out of pavilions, courtyards, pools and greens, corridors and shadows.
The Friendship Centre is divided into two sections, the outer Ka block for the offices, library and training classrooms and the inner Kha block for the residential section. Up to 80 people at a time can be trained here in four separate classrooms. Simplicity is the intent, monastic is the feel.
The post Aga Khan Award for Architecture 2016 winners announced appeared first on Dezeen.
See the latest from our recruitment site Dezeen Jobs, including positions at Glithero, 20th Century Fox and Micha Weidmann Studio, which created Dezeen’s website and visual identity. This is also the last chance to apply for roles with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Caruso St John Architects, Hassell and more…
An opportunity for a studio manager is available at Micha Weidmann Studio in London. More ›
20th Century Fox is on the hunt for an architecture job captain to join its team in Los Angeles. More ›
Naga Architects, Designers and Planners is looking for a senior interior designer to work at its studio in Dubai. More ›
Dezeen is looking for an ambitious editorial/social media assistant to work at its office in Hoxton, east London. More ›
An opportunity for an editorial/social media assistant is also available at Dezeen’s US office in New York. More ›
Mookie Toys seeks a product designer to join its studio in Worcestershire, UK. More ›
Opportunities for Part-I architectural assistants are available at Ron Arad Architects in London. More ›
An interior designer/architect is needed at State of Craft to work on high-end residential and hospitality projects in London. More ›
Belinda Stewart Architecture is looking for a studio co-director to join its team in Mississippi, USA. More ›
Candex Displays has an opening for a graphic designer to work at its studio in Shanghai. More ›
BBM Sustainable Design is looking for a Part-III architect to work at its studio in Lewes, UK. More ›
Omgivning is recruiting a job captain to manage projects from its office in Los Angeles. More ›
A vacancy for a senior design consultant is available at hobsons|choice in Bath, UK. More ›
Jeff Kahane + Associates is on the hunt for a Part-III architect to work at its practice in Camden, London. More ›
Another opportunity for a Part-II architecture assistant is available at Jeff Kahane + Associates in Camden, north London. More ›
A BIM assistant is required at Karakusevic Carson Architects in London. More ›
A position for a visualiser is available at forpeople in London. More ›
A vacancy for a CAD/Revit/BIM coordinator/technician is available at plincke landscape in London. More ›
DWP is on the hunt for an experienced design director to join its growing team in Dubai. More ›
Amode is offering a paid showroom assistant internship in Hammersmith, London. More ›
Architecture In Formation is looking for an intern architect/designer to join its studio in New York. More ›
An intermediate architect/designer/project manager is required at Architecture In Formation in New York. More ›
Architecture In Formation has another opportunity for a junior architect/designer at its practice in New York. More ›
Smith Maloney Architects is recruiting for a talented Part-III/project architect at its practice in Bristol, UK. More ›
WBI LLP is on the hunt for a qualified architect for commercial retrofit to join its London team. More ›
Gumboots requires an experienced planning architect to work at its practice in London. More ›
PriestmanGoode is looking for junior or middleweight product/transport designers to join its growing team in central London. More ›
Modulor Studio has a vacancy for an architectural technician/technologist to work at its office in London. More ›
John McAslan + Partners is looking for a Part-II architecture assistant to work at its studio in Euston, central London. More ›
An opportunity for a junior designer is available at Berliner in Culver City, USA. More ›
A junior retail interior designer with IT responsibility is needed at Brace Studio’s growing team in London. More ›
Weisbach Architecture is looking for a designer/job captain to join its San Francisco studio. More ›
A registered architect/senior architectural technologist is needed at Barker Associates in Braintree, UK. More ›
An interior designer position is available at the Joyce Wang Studio in London. More ›
Another opportunity for a junior administrator is available at Joyce Wang Studio in London. More ›
A further position for a senior interior designer is available to join Joyce Wang’s growing London team. More ›
The Living Room seeks a junior interior designer to work at its London studio. More ›
An exceptional project architect is needed at Coffey Architects in London. More ›
Brace Studio is looking for a middleweight/senior retail interior designer with supermarket experience to join its team in London. More ›
LOT is offering a paid architectural design internship at its practice in Manhattan, New York. More ›
A position for an architectural draughtsperson is available to work on residential projects with Siemasko + Verbridge in Berverly, USA. More ›
Stockwool is looking for an architect or experienced architectural assistant to join its studio in London. More ›
Zerafa Architecture Studio is hiring a junior architectural designer to join its team in New York. More ›
Mia Karlsson Interior Design is offering a paid interior design internship at its London studio. More ›
A vacancy for a studio manager is available at Model Works Media in London. More ›
An opportunity for an experienced Part-II architecture assistant or architect is available with Moreno:Masey in London. More ›
Alt-254 has an opportunity for a marketing assistant to work on marketing, PR and business development projects at its office in Hong Kong. More ›
An opportunity for a business developer is available at deamicisarchitetti in Milan. More ›
Horden Cherry Lee Architects has a position for a senior project architect to work at its London practice. More ›
RVA is looking for a project architect or project manager to join its studio in Exton, USA. More ›
Camron PR is looking for freelance filmmakers in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Berlin. More ›
Archer Humphryes Architects in London is looking for a qualified architect with construction experience or an experienced Part-II architecture assistant to join its practice. More ›
Copper & Silk is looking for a sales and operations manager to join its team in northwest London. More ›
Piet Boon Studio is looking to hire a client director to its private residence projects to work from its studio in Amsterdam. More ›
UNStudio is recruiting an experienced design architect to join its office in Amsterdam. More ›
Fourmation is on the hunt for a middleweight retail interior designer/visualiser to work with its team in London. More ›
AMDG is looking for a senior design architect to join its team based in Grand Rapids, USA. More ›
March & White is looking for a junior interior designer to join its team in New York. More ›
An opportunity for a junior-middleweight animator/visualiser is available at Priestmangoode’s studio in central London. More ›
A computational design architect with facade experience is required at Steven Chilton Architects in London. More ›
Steven Chilton Architects is looking for a project architect with strong facade experience to join its practice in London. More ›
A vacancy for a CAD technician is available at Modus in Somerset, UK. More ›
The Sofa & Chair Company is on the hunt for a junior/middleweight furniture designer to work at its London studio. More ›
Benjamin Hubert’s design studio Layer is offering a paid industrial design internship with its team in London. More ›
San Francisco State University’s School of Design is welcoming applications for a full professor and director position it has at its faculty in California. More ›
An opportunity for a senior architect is available at Finkernagel Ross Architects in London. More ›
Jo Cowen Architects has an opportunity for an experienced Part-III architect to work at its practice in Fulham, London. More ›
The Plymouth College of Art is welcoming applications for a programme leader of its BA (Hons) product design and innovation course to join its faculty in the south of England. More ›
A project administrator is required at Stockwool’s growing team in London. More ›
The University of Brighton is welcoming applications for a senior lecturer in 3D design and craft to join its campus faculty in Brighton’s Grand Parade. More ›
Super Geometry Architects Limited is on the hunt for a Part-II architectural designer to work at its studio in Hong Kong. More ›
59 Productions is looking for an architectural/spatial designer to work at its practice in London. More ›
An opportunity for a creative artworker is available at PriestmanGoode in London. More ›
McLennan Design has two positions at its office in Seattle including an opportunity for a designer with expertise in sustainability. More ›
McLennan Design is also recruiting for a senior designer at its office in Seattle, USA. More ›
McLennan Design is also hiring a designer with sustainable consulting experience at its office in Sydney.. More ›
Another position for a senior designer with sustainable consulting experience is available at McLennan Design in Sydney, Australia. More ›
Experienced design architects are required at Coldefy & Associés Architectes Urbanistes in Lille, France. More ›
Janey Butler Interiors has an opportunity for a senior interior designer to work at its studio in Alderley Edge, UK. More ›
Nex—Architecture is hiring an office manager/admin assistant to join its studio in London. More ›
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands is looking for a graphic designer to work at its London studio. More ›
An opportunity for a 3D architectural designer with expert visualisation skills is available at Softroom in London. More ›
Heatherwick Studio is hiring a studio environments coordinator to work at its studio in London. More ›
A vacancy for an experienced project architect is available at Reed Watts Architects in London. More ›
Studio Four Four is recruiting a CAD manager/Windows consultant to join its team in London. More ›
Moooi is looking for a project manager to join its studios in Amsterdam and Breda. More ›
Moooi is also recruiting a head of licensing to join its growing team in Amsterdam. More ›
ING Media has an opportunity for an account executive to join its London studio. More ›
Part-I/II architects are required at Stolon Studio in London. More ›
Louise Crossman Architects is looking for an experienced architect/senior architect to join its practice in Somerset, UK. More ›
John Smart Architects seeks Part-II/III architects to join its practice in London. More ›
An experienced project architect is needed at Fradkin & McAlpin Architects in New York. More ›
Landscape architects are required at Marths Schwarts Partners in London. More ›
Studio Fuksas has a number of opportunities at its international offices, including positions for architects in Shenzhen, China. More ›
Studio Fuksas also has an opening for a project manager at its studio in Rome. More ›
Studio Fuksas is also looking for architects to join its team in Rome. More ›
MINI Living is on the hunt for a project manager to join its experience design team in Munich, Germany. More ›
An opportunity for a designer maker/production manager is available with Glithero in London. More ›
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is looking for a production coordinator to join its growing team in New York. More ›
Clive Sall Architecture is looking to hire project/senior architects to its studio in Hoxton, east London. More ›
Dover Design Associates has an opportunity for an interior designer to work at its office in north London. More ›
Martin Brudnizki Design Studio seeks a procurement manager to work at its office in London. More ›
A practice manager is required at Tate Harmer in Dalston, London. More ›
Gustafson Porter has opportunities for landscape architects/assistant landscape architects to work at its studio in London. More ›
Gustafson Porter is also hiring an experienced project landscape architect to work at its studio in London. More ›
A vacancy for an experienced architect is available at Juice Architects in Bermondsey, south London. More ›
Schmelzle + Partner MBB Architekten is hiring architects to work on industrial projects from its studio in Hallwangen, Germany. More ›
Stephen Davy Peter Smith Architects seeks Part-III architects or experienced Part-II architectural assistants to work at its studio in east London. More ›
M Moser Associates is looking for an intermediate architect to work at its practice in New York. More ›
M Moser Associates also seeks an integrated services technical designer at its office in New York. More ›
Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios is looking for a BIM coordinator to work at its office in London. More ›
A production coordinator is required at David Gill Gallery in London. More ›
Twentytwentyone is looking for a retail sales consultant to join its team in London. More ›
PMP Construction seeks an architect to work at its practice in north London. More ›
Mokka Design is hiring a junior or middleweight interior architect to join its growing studio in London. More ›
Paul McAneary Architects is recruiting a PA to its managing director based in London. More ›
Ground Figure is hiring a Part-I/II architecture assistant to work at its studio in Brentwood, UK. More ›
Roca London Gallery is on the hunt for a marketing communications executive to join its team in London. More ›
An opportunity for a showroom sales associate is available at Louise Bradley Design in London. More ›
SCP Contracts is looking for an experienced contract sales person to join its London team. More ›
Caruso St John Architects is recruiting an office manager to join its London practice. More ›
Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners is looking for BIM coordinators to join its team in Milan. More ›
Sybarite is hiring a lead projects coordinator to join its team in Beijing. More ›
An opportunity for a lecturer in jewellery (0.5) is available at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. More ›
Robert Gordon University is also welcoming applications for a lecturer in ceramics (0.5) to join its faculty in Aberdeen, Scotland. More ›
Greenway Architects is hiring an experienced Part-III architect to work at its practice in London. More ›
Studio Egret West seeks an urban designer to join its growing team in London. More ›
Opportunities for a Part-I/II architects are available at Studio Egret West in London. More ›
HENN is looking for an architect to join its team in Berlin. More ›
Kanvass is looking for a head of design to join its London studio. More ›
Hassell is recruiting an associate interior designer/architect to join its team in Melbourne. More ›
Matheson Whiteley is on the hunt for a Part-II architectural assistant to join its team in London. More ›
Formstudio is looking for an architect to join its London-based team. More ›
DH Liberty is looking for a web development intern to join its team in London on a temporary basis. More ›
Dedar is looking for a sales administrator to join its team in Chelsea, London. More ›
Minale + Mann is hiring a middleweight interior designer to join its team in London. More ›
Elemental Design is looking for a CAD/joinery designer to join its team in London. More ›
See Design Studio is recruiting a project architect to join its practice in Twickenham, London. More ›
An opportunity for an architectural business development manager is available at Perkins + Will in London. More ›
An opportunity for a senior sales manager is available at dot home in London. More ›
Design International seeks an architect to work at its London practice. More ›
Barnes Design seeks a project designer to join it studio in London. More ›
An architect or project manager is required at Dorin & Coppel’s growing team in London. More ›
A vacancy for a sales and marketing assistant is available at London Rocks Jewellery’s growing team. More ›
Robert Doughty Consultancy is looking for an architectural technician/technologist to work at its practice in Lincolnshire, UK. More ›
Orluna is looking to hire a product designer to join its team in Watford, UK. More ›
An opportunity for a project manager is available at Kevin Kennon Architects in New York. More ›
Neil Davies Architects is looking for a Part-II architectural assistant to join its London practice. More ›
The University of British Columbia School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture is welcoming applications for an landscape architecture assistant professor position it has at its faculty in Vancouver, Canada. More ›
The University of British Columbia is also looking for a landscape architecture instructor to join its growing faculty in Vancouver, Canada. More ›
Dezeen is offering a paid editorial internship at its studio in Hoxton, east London. More ›
A vacancy for a junior architect is available at Arpad Baska Architect in New York. More ›
An opportunity for a Chinese-speaking architect is available at More Architecture in Shanghai. More ›
A vacancy for an architect is available at AR Design Studio in Winchester, UK. More ›
Nanyang Technological University is welcoming applications for an assistant/associate professor position within its product design faculty in Singapore. More ›
The Opun Group seeks home improvement designers to join its studio in London. More ›
Anna Casa Interiors is on the hunt for a senior project interior architect to work at its studio in London. More ›
Design Team is looking for an administrative assistant to join its studio in Clapham, south London. More ›
DesignLSM seeks a junior interior designer to work at its studio in Brighton, UK. More ›
Opportunities for middleweight interior designers are available at DesignLSM in Brighton, UK. More ›
Browse more jobs on Dezeen Jobs »
Join our mailing list for regular job updates or subscribe to the Dezeen Jobs feed »
Are you recruiting? Dezeen is read by over two million architects and designers around the world every month.
Submit a job advert – Info and rates – Contact us
The post Dezeen Jobs: latest jobs update appeared first on Dezeen.
French car manufacturer Renault has unveiled its latest concept car, which features a red windscreen and a roof that “opens like the lid of a jewellery box” (+ movie).
Unveiled at this year’s Mondial De L’Automobile Paris, the Renault Trezor is an all-electric, two-seater car with autonomous driving capabilities.
Its design follows in the footsteps of the company’s 2010 DeZir concept and previews features likely to be seen in future Renault models.
The car’s hallmark is its roof, which lifts up from the bonnet to provide passengers access to the red leather-lined interior.
“The Trezor’s one-piece clamshell roof lifts much like the lid of a jewellery box to give access to the interior,” said Renault.
Related story: Rolls-Royce unveils its first concept car design for future of driverless VIP transport
“This style of entry is a throwback to the world of classic racing cars, wherein drivers felt as one with their machines.”
Inside the car, red is the predominant colour. Leather is used to upholster low-level seats, and the wooden dashboard was designed in partnership with French cycle manufacturer KEIM.
The dashboard includes a rectangular steering wheel inspired by those used in Formula 1 cars, as well as three screens – two of which are touchscreen displays.
A luggage compartment is also incorporated into the dashboard, with made-to-measure cases held in place by leather straps.
The car’s bodywork is crafted mainly from silver-coloured carbon and features contrasting surface finishes with striking red glazing.
At the rear, Renault applied hexagonal panels to give the Trezor a sports-car look. On the bonnet, similar honeycomb-shaped air intakes echo the design of the back of the car.
Related story: Renault marks anniversary of Le Corbusier’s death with Modernist-inspired concept car
On the left-hand side of the car, the fuel hatch has been replaced by an analogue gauge that indicates the vehicle’s charge level.
The Trezor runs on two batteries, each of which has its own cooling system optimised by the air intakes incorporated in the bonnet.
It goes from 0 to 62 miles per hour in less than four seconds and offers a choice of three driving modes: neutral, sport and autonomous.
When the car is in autonomous mode, the exterior lighting changes to inform other drivers.
The steering wheel also extends in width to allow the driver a panoramic view of the dashboard. The driver and passenger are able to use the touchscreens to watch a film or play a game.
Previous Renault concept vehicles include the Twin’Z, created by British designer Ross Lovegrove, which features colourful LED patterns over the glass roof and down its windshield edges.
Another is the drone-equipped Kwid Concept car, capable of spotting slow-moving traffic in the distance.
The post Renault replaces doors with a sliding roof for Trezor concept car appeared first on Dezeen.
Zaha Hadid‘s final furniture collection for London’s David Gill Gallery is made of walnut and leather, a reference to antique furniture from the 50s and 60s (+ slideshow).
UltraStellar is the last furniture collection that Hadid created for her long-term gallerist and close friend David Gill before she suffered a fatal heart attack in March at the age of 65.
The collection – finished by her practice, Zaha Hadid Architects – references mid-century furniture through its use of wood rather than Hadid’s typical material of choice, clear acrylic.
Walnut, chosen for its colour, is curved into Hadid’s famous fluid and sinuous lines. The designer aimed to create sturdy pieces that appear lightweight.
“My partner was inspired by seeing some of the timber antiques from the 50s and 60s,” explained Patrik Schumacher, who worked closely with Hadid on UltraStellar.
Related story: Zaha Hadid extends Liquid Glacial furniture collection
“We’ve been looking at furniture for a while and looking recently at carbon fibre and trying to achieve more lightness and robustness at the same time,” he continued. “We realised that timber can be very strong and very light.”
“The beautiful surfaces are continuously twisting and moving and they are always double-curved, so they are very organic.”
The coffee table is made up of four parts that wrap a large hole in the middle. Each part also has a deep ripple in its centre, revealing the floor below.
“The idea of making the holes in the tables is to make a certain sense of lightness, to have more visual connection with the structure of the legs when you sit down,” explained Schumacher.
Described as “structurally ambitious”, the largest piece in the collection is the dining room table. It has two irregularly shaped, thick legs that support the oval-shaped top.
At the centre of the table is a lens-shaped glass eye.
The dining chair features arched armrests and tapered legs, with leather detailing that extends to the bottom of the chair legs.
The design has also been adapted into love seats, which are connected by twisted armrests and allow groups of people to gather together.
The Lisse Chandelier, which was first shown as a prototype at 2014’s London Design Festival, also forms part of the collection. Swooping wings of metal and crystal join at a central point, overhanging small clusters of LED lights.
Zaha Hadid Architects also extended the Liquid Glacial collection of furniture for the exhibition with two consoles and a sterling silver bowl that has a large ripple at the centre.
On show for the first time is an acrylic coffee table titled Luna. It is based on an original design by Hadid that was first created in marble in 2014.
Hadid first began working with David Gill Gallery in 2007, when her studio created a landscape of dune-shaped furniture for the Venice Art Biennale.
Following the Hadid’s death, the CEO of David Gill Gallery, Francis Sultana, curated an exhibition showcasing the architect’s less-known works.
At the time of the exhibition, Sultana paid tribute to Hadid as “one of a kind” and a “pioneer, visionary, intellectual, leader, revolutionary”.
The UltraStellar exhibition at David Gill Gallery in London will run from 3 to 29 October 2016.
Photography is by Martin Slivka.
The post Zaha Hadid’s final furniture collection for David Gill is based on mid-century antiques appeared first on Dezeen.
A+Awards: Spanish firm Carquero Arquitectura received a 2016 Architizer A+Award for this restoration of a crumbling hilltop castle near Cádiz.
After standing for around 1,000 years, Matrera Castle partially collapsed following a long period of abandonment, leaving only a couple of walls remaining.
Carquero Arquitectura was tasked with rebuilding the monument to reinforce the existing structure and prevent further collapse.
Rather than replicating the original stonework, the studio filled in the missing sections with a contemporary addition to create a distinction between old and new.
Lime plaster similar to samples found on the site was used to render the new portions of the structure, creating a stark contrast with the darker stone.
Related story: Oak walkway by Levitate inserted into ruined castle
“The proposal aims to avoid the aesthetic mimicry that involves falsification or loss of value of authenticity and, in parallel with the practice in intervention of movable heritage, its historical value is enhanced,” said Carquero Arquitectura.
The renovation project, which took five years, was heavily criticised by Spanish heritage bodies and locals when it was completed in 2015.
However, the project was lauded in the Architecture + Preservation category at the A+Awards 2016, and also received a Popular Choice recognition from a public vote.
Organised by Architizer, the awards promote and celebrate the year’s best projects and products. Their stated mission is to nurture the appreciation of meaningful architecture in the world and champion its potential for a positive impact on everyday life.
Entries are now being accepted for the next A+Awards, with a discount available for submissions before 4 November 2016.
The post Carquero Arquitectura restores ancient Matrera Castle with contemporary elements appeared first on Dezeen.
From a zeitgeist point of view, Chelsea Handler’s Netflix show has yet to approach the level of John Oliver’s weekly investigations and James Corden’s carpool excursions. But it’s early; the talk show is just four months old.
When Handler welcomed Business Insider senior TV reporter Jethro Nededog to the Sony Pictures lot, she told him that she feels things had “clicked” six weeks into the production of her program, which streams three nights a week. Nededog’s article features a chronological set of photos taken by a Netflix supplied photographer, Neil Jacobs, and these pictures offer a great window into Handler’s staff, set and daily routine.
It’s also interesting to read Handler’s comments about transitioning to a show without advertisers and commercial breaks. Check out the full feature here.
When we last spoke to the Gravity Sketch team in March of 2014, they had just unveiled their prototype for a 3D sketchpad.
At the time, Oluwaseyi Sosanya, Guillaume Couche, Pierre-Yves Paslier and Daniela Paredes Fuentes were all students at the Royal College of Art and Gravity Sketch was their vision for the next evolution of sketching. Looking at the rise of augmented and virtual reality, the students saw an opportunity to create a tool for designers by designers, that allowed users to sketch in 3D.
The team’s initial idea for Gravity Sketch had users wear virtual reality glasses to draw objects in space above a handheld glass platform. By moving the platform, users could manipulate and develop their drawing, much like one might build out a sculpture.
Two years later, the team is ready to bring Gravity Sketch to the masses—with a few changes.
For one, there’s no hardware. Zilch.
After presenting their prototype, the team joined the school’s incubator, Innovation RCA, where they were urged to abandon their physical prototype in lieu of a digital solution. “We came up with some promising directions in terms of hardware, but soon we had to accept the fact that software would be our strongest play, as many AR and VR devices were not yet commercially available,” says Sosanya.
Shifting their focus to software inadvertently made the product more accessible to many who might not be able to cough up the dinero necessary for a translucent glass platform interface. It also forced the team to really define what made their program different from any other 3D modeling program: its capacity for touch and gesture input.
The team prioritized developing the software in such a way that it could use a touchscreen as input, using touch and gesture to shape designs. The team launched Gravity Sketch iOS, an iPad application, in March of this year, as a way to gather user feedback and further hone in on what they were looking for in terms of tools and features.
“We took a lot of time to craft a really natural user experience for the iPad with the aim to get users with little to no CAD knowledge to download and get involved,” Sosanya says. Not ones to forget their RCA education, the team emphasized a user-centric approach to the design, including ample field testing and user research at every step of the process.
“We would go to cafes (or on the tube), sit next to people and start sketching on the iPad in 3D. As soon as we would catch their attention or they would lean over ever so slightly we would catch them and start to introduce the tool, if they could create something reasonable in three minutes or less we knew we had designed a tool or feature properly. If they would smile while using the software sketching some strange shapes we knew we were on the right track,” Sosanya says.
Those tests helped inform what certain gestures would mean and how users could naturally interact with the software. “Users often find it hard to answer questions around the usability, as they have little to no benchmark of what certain AR and VR experiences should feel like,” Sosanya says. “To mitigate this confusion, we like to have more analog engagements with our users. We do things like play charades with fellow artists and designers to get them to explain how they may scale something up or make a copy of something. We then take these gestures and interactions into the digital space, and from there we start testing the technology and gathering feedback.”
From those tests, the team also heard resounding feedback asking when the product would be available on desktop. “We were a bit hesitant to release something on the desktop, as we felt that the user experience wouldn’t be the same if you were using a mouse, however if the user had a Wacom tablet we could produce a killer experience,” Sosanya says.
The team reached out to Wacom earlier this year and have been working on a version of the software that would use their technology. Simultaneously, the HTC Vive was officially released in April 2016, pushing the team to complete the VR component of the experience, which will be supported on both HTC and Oculus controllers.
“We began working on these devices in parallel and have developed to a point where we feel that more hands on deck would really push this software to the next level,” Sosanya says. “We decided that a Kickstarter campaign would be that perfect way to present our most aspirational development yet and get the funding to take it to the market.” Sosanya, Paredes and new collaborator Daniel Thomas are part of the team of designers and engineers that are now bringing Gravity Sketch to Kickstarter, as they look to raise the funds to complete the project.
Folks who back Gravity Sketch on Kickstarter at around £25 (roughly $32) can be among the first to get a license with full access to Gravity Sketch desktop and VR, £20 less than the retail rate post-launch. With just shy of $5,000 raised at press time, the team still has a long way to go over the next month to reach their £50,000 ($64,887) goal.
As for that initial gleaming plank of glass, maybe all hope isn’t lost. “We are holding back on the hardware element for now, but we have a lot of prototypes and tests that may show their face in due time,” Sosanya says.
Jumpstart your week with our insider’s guide to events in the design world. From must-see exhibitions to insightful lectures and the competitions you need to know about—here’s the best of what’s going on, right now.
Asia Week San Francisco brings together the world’s leading Asian art dealers, auction houses, museums, cultural institutions, and the academia, for a week of festivities celebrating Asian art and culture.
San Francisco, CA. Festival runs through October 8, 2016.
FAVORITES II features works from various levels of artists and designers, ranging from important protagonists of their time to young designers that expand on past concepts to create their own artistic position. The exhibit highlights the tension between old and new designs and underlines the challenge of continuously questioning the interaction between art and design.
Germany. On view through October 8, 2016.
ICFF Miami brings luxury global designers, architects, developers, high end showrooms and retail influencers to Miami, a leading market for residential development and investment. The show will showcase what’s next and best in interior design, but with an energy and style all its own.
Miami, Florida. Trade show runs from October 5, 2016 to October 6, 2016.
Eat The River is a two-month long, site-specific intervention into the LA River’s history and landscape. Artist Frédérick Gautier spent two months in Los Angeles interacting with the site and producing a series of 100 three-dimensional ceramic objects derived from the traces, cracks, holes, and imprints cast and drawn from the remnants of the site’s physical history.
Los Angeles, CA. On view through October 20, 2016.
Sharpen your sense of smell and discover the mystery of fragrances during this workshop with scent specialist, Sandy Blandin. During the workshop, Blandin will demonstrate methods to help you connect smell with emotions, memory and imagery.
Singapore. October 7, 2016 at 2:00 PM.
Design Days is a festival focused on the design and innovation of digital technology. During the day, the festival will host a series of discussions, exhibits and workshops focused on a variety of topics, including smart cities, hybridization, visual scenarios and interaction design. At night, you can look forward to live dj-sets and a bar.
Milan, Italy. Festival runs through October 9, 2016.
While there are many brands whose logos are burned into our minds—for better or worse—none of them were easy to create: “crafting such a deceptively simple symbol is a massive undertaking, so it’s no surprise that the majority of the world’s logos……
Continue Reading…
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
