Hasta La Ideas

Grimshaw has revealed plans for an office tower overlooking Sydney harbour, which will comprise three district sections and a curving roofline that references the vaulted shells of the nearby Opera House.

London-based Grimshaw designed the AU $90 million (£55 million) scheme for a plot spanning 210-220 George Street.

The tower, which will take the name of the lot, will also be bounded by Alfred, Pitt and Daley streets, an area just inland from the Circular Quay harbour.

Sitting alongside the Barangaroo development, the regeneration of the site is part of a major overhaul of the city’s waterfront.

The building will comprise three interlinking sections, lending it the appearance of not one, but three towers.

The two tallest elements – one completely glazed and the other opaque blockwork – will span 26 storeys and be joined by chunky expressed slabs. The third, a lower rise block, will feature double-height floors framed by arching fins of concrete. Terraces cantilevered from its facade will face onto George Street.

Grimshaw’s design is intended to appeal to the “millennial worker” that the newly developing district aims to attract – innovators in the creative, technology and finance sectors.

“Sydney is uniquely placed to attract and retain 21st-century talent, we see the opportunity to create a leading-edge workplace that inspires the day-to-day working lives of its occupants, enlivens the public realm and adds vibrancy to city life,” said Grimshaw managing partner Andrew Cortese.

Taller towers flanking the site will block many of the views towards the harbour, but a room set right at the top of the glazed portion of the scheme will be afforded a glimpse of the Opera House. The curving ceiling of this room is designed to reference the vaulted shells of Jørn Utzon’s iconic 20th-century design.

A double-height lobby and shopping area will be set in the base of the tower adjoining George Street, while plans for the basement may include a public art gallery, and restaurants and bars that aim to offer a “thriving night-time economy”.

Construction on the scheme, designed by Sydney-based property developer Poly Australia, is due to begin in early 2019 and complete in 2022.

The district on the edge of the central business district is also set to become home to a new metro station by Foster + Partners and a pair of residential high-rises by Renzo Piano, while Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has just completed a trio of skyscrapers that are the centrepiece for the development.

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Nuria Riaza est une artiste espagnole qui s’illustre au sein de magnifiques créations imaginées au simple stylo bille bleu. Elle y ajoute des éléments tels que des fils ou des formes réalisées à l’aide de stylos d’autres couleurs. Des créations aux détails impressionnants, et très imaginatives.

Sheets of corrugated steel envelop the upper storey of this house and studio for a photographer in Japan’s Shiga prefecture, which was designed by local architect Kouichi Kimura to feature an interior that makes dramatic play of light and shadow.

Kimura, of Japanese studio Form, designed the project called House for a Photographer as a live-in studio.

Located on a countryside road, and opposite the entrance to the village shrine, the 170-square-metre building is arranged as a series of spaces framed by its stacked-box formation. The ground floor is dominated by a large atelier, which doubles as a living space.

Sections of wall protrude around windows to cast deliberate shadows across the interior that shift throughout the day.

A dimly lit passage draws visitors from the entrance towards the main body of space, which by contrast appears vast and filled with natural light.

At the end of a gallery area illuminated by a deep-set skylight, further narrow hallways lead to the main living and studio area, and to a small wood-lined lounge.

“Light and shadow are important to both the photographer and the architect. I felt that a theme with this as the common point could be interesting,” Kimura told Dezeen.

“The client requested that I unite the studio where he works and his living space. Instead of segmenting the space by function, I came up with an optimum plan by clarifying how the resident wants to live.”

Accessed via a door in the hallway, the atelier has a smooth polished grey floor, white plaster walls and a large set of sliding steel shutters that give access to a narrow patio outside.

The room, designed to operate both as a living space and a photography studio, is equipped with wooden-framed windows that let in plenty of daylight for shoots.

“Photo shooting equipment, vintage furniture, musical instrument and artworks are placed here and there, blending in with the space,” said the architect.

“It acts in concert with the photographer’s feeling and aesthetic and acts as the base to produce new creativity and activities.”

A single room and a hallway take up the remainder of the ground floor plan, while a bedroom occupies the upper storey.

The outside of the building is covered in mortar and galvanised steel, giving it an armoured appearance.

Like many of Kimura’s designs, there is an interplay between traditional Japanese functionalism – with open-plan rooms and functional divisions of spaces – combined with a limited material palette to create a minimal aesthetic.

“The materials have a tactile quality that will age with the surrounding environment,” he said.

Kimora founded his Shiga-based architectural studio Form in 1991. He has completed a range of properties in the prefecture, including a house with a white-tiled courtyard for yoga, a steel-plated office and a home with just a few windows.

Like House for a Photographer, these buildings all feature strategically placed windows that make use of natural light and shadows, while retaining an element of privacy.

Photography is by Yoshihiro Asada and Norihito Yamauchi.

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So many reasons why cats love trees! … How many cat trees do YOU have? :)..(Read…)

The best part of waking up is the smell of coffee in your cup! That unmistakeable scent alone is enough to get your gears moving. Designed with this in mind, Scenty Presso is a twist on the coffee maker that deliberately helps perk you up with the scent of coffee.

It utilizes Balmuda’s innovative evaporation tech to infuse water with coffee. After combining the grinds and water in the reservoir, simply turn it upside down and a fresh cup will instantly begin to pour into the cup. At the same time, an internal fan system will blow upward, over the freshly brewed beans and fill your kitchen with the warm aroma of a fresh brew.

Designer: Taeyeon Kim