« In the dark of night ». Edo Zollo n’aurait pu mieux nommer l’expédition nocturne et emplie de voyeurisme dans laquelle il nous embarque ici. Avec son appareil, le photographe londonien nous plonge dans la pénombre des ruelles de la capitale anglaise. Un brin voyeurs, nous assistons aux marches solitaires de ces gens que ne dorment point, qu’ils soient d’accord ou non.
Dans sa nouvelle série « New Order », le photographe australien George Byrne basé à Los Angeles a voulu transformer les espaces urbains ordinaires en moments sismiques en se concentrant sur les couleurs et les surfaces elles-mêmes. « En photographie, si on arrête la profondeur, il ne nous reste plus que des formes, de la couleur et de la texture – un peu comme une découpe de Matisse. »
Le photographe de mode Tarun Khiwal aime à rappeler toute l’élégance de sa terre natale, l’Inde. Il fusionne ainsi couramment photographie tendance et tradition pour créer un judicieux mélange de cultures. Et l’hommage a la culture qui l’a bercé, lui, est total.
Certainly better than plastic, and with a more nostalgic warmth than metal, this wooden coffee scoop is available in walnut or maple. It can be personalized on the underside of the bowl or on the handle, to elevate a morning coffee routine. Holding……
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Transport designer Jonny Culkin has outlined an optimistic vision for future urban mobility in London, which would see a driverless “mini Routemaster” offer commuters a more visually engaging journey.
Described by Culkin as “technology with a friendly face,” the conceptual vehicle is designed to offer a more attractive alternative to London’s Tube, as well as the city’s bus networks.
It would feature expansive windows, so that commuters could see their entire surroundings during every journey.
The Coventry-based designer believes that city-dwellers would feel more comfortable using a transport system that seems familiar, as opposed to something that looks ultra-futuristic.
He also believes that advancements in autonomous and electric technologies applied to privately owned cars should now be used in public transport – potentially making metropolitan travel a more enriching experience.
“Autonomy and electrification offer the chance to create new types of transport and experiences; there hasn’t been such a technological shift since when we first went from horses to cars,” Culkin told Dezeen.
“It’s a chance to reimagine public transport so its better suited to a more human-centric city – one that is less congested, greener and generally a better place to be,” he added.
Culkin describes the vehicle as a mini version of a Routemaster – the celebrated London bus that was recently updated by Thomas Heatherwick. It would be powered by batteries integrated into its underside, which deliver power to each of the four wheels.
“Engines are generally at the front of the vehicle, so you’re restricted as to where you can put people. Whereas when it’s on the underside, you can use the whole footprint of the car,” he explained.
The vehicle would boast a carbon-composite internal frame, surrounded by a glass-like polycarbonate outer shell. This would create the huge windows, which Culkin claims would offer a “light and airy” alternative to London Underground trains.
Inside, railings and storage compartments would be made from London’s infamous newspaper litter, which reportedly amounts to nine-and-a-half tonnes per day.
This solid material, known as newspaper wood, is made by glueing the papers together, and then cutting or sanding them to reveal lines that are similar to a wood grain.
Interior storage compartments offer a place for a book exchange, establishing the public vehicle as more of a collectively shared social experience.
Seats would be upholstered in subtle-toned Kvadrat fabric, and flooring would be made from recycled cups and tea bags – celebrating the UK’s “national love of hot drinks”.
Culkin sees his self-driving, electric concept vehicle as a response to Paris deputy mayor Jean-Louis Missika’s plan prevent congestion with a ban on autonomous vehicles with no occupants – also known as zombie cars.
Many designers and companies are also proposing ideas for autonomous vehicles and supporting infrastructure, as the technology edges closer to ubiquity.
MIT researchers have developed a conceptual traffic system that would enable driverless vehicles to whizz through intersections without colliding, while IDEO created a concept for a four-pod self-driving car that could be shared by everyone in the neighbourhood.
The post Self-driving vehicle designed to help London commuters reconnect with their surroundings appeared first on Dezeen.
When you hear “This Incredibly Simple Packaging Idea Could Reduce Global Emissions” it’s bound to stop you in your tracks and think ‘huh, packaging?’ Mirjam de Bruijn’s project ‘Twenty’ is a wonderfully smart solution to the world’s logistic and packaging crisis. What de Bruijn noticed was that many household products such as dish soap, conditioner, shampoo and several more products are 80% water. If there are 1 million shipments of products each year, 800,000 of those would be of just water, which is a lot of wasted packaging and fuel – if we merely distilled this down to the core product there would be a massive reduction in pollution and costs right?
That is what makes de Bruijn’s project masterfully simple – once you’ve bought your shampoo pellets, you then put them in a reusable bottle and add water. The idea, derived from powdered laundry detergent, asks the question ‘ why can’t other forms of household liquids be sold in their solid concentrates?’ Even the packaging is sustainably sourced – All of de Bruijn’s packaging is constructed with materials that can be recycled, like cardboard, as well as reusable plastic bottles. With the world so focused on the new releases of tech, it’s nice to see a different view of design coming through in the form of sustainable packaging redesign.
Designer: Mirjam de Bruijn
L’artiste Anna Bu Kliewer crée des collages ludiques et surréalistes, reconstituant intuitivement des images prédécoupées pour créer de nouvelles histoires. Malgré les images et les couleurs qui s’affrontent, Kliewer utilise l’espace avec une précision géométrique, ce qui rend son travail visuellement harmonieux. Suivez-la sur Instagram.
UNStudio has unveiled plans for a Dubai skyscraper featuring a 300-metre-high ceramic-tile facade, which will be illuminated at night to make it look like the building is breathing.
Designed by the Dutch studio in collaboration with German architect Werner Sobek, Wasl Tower is due to be completed in 2020.
The mixed-use tower will be clad in glazed clay tiles that interlace to form sweeping curves. According to UNStudio, it is set to be the tallest building in the world with a ceramic facade.
These fin-shaped tiles will be angled to provide shade for the interior, while also allowing natural light to filter through.
The aim was to provide a low-tech and sustainable solution to the highly technical challenge of designing a tall building in Dubai’s desert climate.
At night, the facade will be lit up in a rhythm programmed to make it appear as if the tower is breathing. Developed by engineering firm Arup, the lights will sit behind the fins and be solar powered through photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of a car park.
Wasl Tower will sit close to the Burj Khalifa, which at 828 metres high, is currently the tallest building in the world.
Unlike the Burj Khalifa, the tower will feature a twisted, asymmetric shape.
The designers claim it follows the idea of contrapposto, or the counterpose, a form in classical sculpture. The pose involves placing more weight on one foot, which naturally twists the shoulder and hips off-axis, and thus lends dynamism to a figure.
The mixed-use building will be operated by hotel group Mandarin Oriental, and will contain over 250 five-star rooms. It will also accommodate offices, private apartments, and public spaces.
An open seam will run the full height of the tower, forming a “vertical boulevard” of stacked outdoor balconies and greenery, ending in an infinity pool at the top.
In total the building will have 17 lifts, five of which will be service elevators. The four main lobbies at ground level, the spa, skydeck and rooftop will be connected vertically by three high-speed lifts.
The offices and guest rooms will be served by four lifts each, all sharing the same shaft, while the main access to the hotel will be 150 metres up. Private residences on higher floors will have their own lift-group, connecting directly to the car park at basement level.
A secondary low-rise building to the side will hold the car park, along with a column-free ballroom on the first floor and an open-air pool on the roof deck, connected to the main tower by a bridge.
The ground floor lobby will span the tower and the smaller car-park building, creating a “walled garden” that will provide a shady refuge during the summer months, when temperatures can climb up to 45 degrees Celsius.
“As the project strongly relates to and interconnects with Dubai’s urban experience, the aim is to make a visit to the Wasl Tower as attractive and contemporary as possible,” said UNStudio founder Ben van Berkel.
“As such, a dedicated concept of health, comfort and well-being throughout was developed for the building.”
The Wasl Tower will be located on the Sheikh Zayed Road, the Emirates’ longest road running from Abu Dhabi to Ras al-Khaimah.
Van Berkel founded UNStudio in 1988 with partner Caroline Bos.
The Dutch firm has just completed an enormous mixed-use development in Hangzhou, China, featuring two 250-metre-high twisted towers.
Animation by Methanoia. Visualisations are by Methanoia and Plompmozes.
The post UNStudio and Werner Sobek set to build Dubai tower with “world’s tallest ceramic facade” appeared first on Dezeen.
The Koenigsegg Bike 1090 plays with various forms and material choices that make this bike a CMF designer’s dream. Designed by Burov Art, the 1090 teases the eye with its beautiful framework – sneaking out in breaks between the shell of the body, divided by a matte black and some elegant glossy paintwork. The light saddle, escaping from this muscular upper half of the bike makes it look as though the rider is almost floating on air, suspended above the rear suspension.
As your eyes slowly make their way from the front to the back of the 1090, you can’t help but feel there is a distinct split between gorgeous surface design and the visually raw engineering beauty of this two-wheeler. While the low lying handlebars accentuate the sporty form of this great bike, they not only add to its relaxed, sporty look but also add an element of approachability to this bike – making it desirable to lovers of all biking styles. This funky two-wheeler roars cool from all angles. If Steve McQueen were around today, you could imagine you’d find him on this.
Designer: Burov Art
In case you didn’t get the memo, concrete is making it big in the design circuit… and it’s being highlighted in the most unusual places. Take for example the Masonic Watch by Aggregate, with its one of a kind concrete body. The Enso does the same thing too. The turntable itself is a rather retro/hipster product and using concrete only makes it more kitschy and cool. With its imperfections, concrete gives a different flavor to a product that has otherwise only seen the use of plastic, glass, metal, and wood. Concrete brings to the product a much needed sense of diversity and a breath of fresh air.
Designed with a simple rounded form that highlights the vinyl disc platter and arm, the Enso comes with a rather integrated form and the only thing breaking it is the walnut wood control panel which juts out to end the monotony and play with one’s visual expectation of continuity. Keeping in sync with the theme of concrete, the wooden panel has two concrete knobs too. What I probably like the most is that the designers try to make it very obvious that concrete doesn’t mean grungy and old-fashioned. The presence of a light strip running around the side of the Enso gives it a futuristic touch, making the turntable look unique and modern both. Plus with vinyl turntables being a massive part of the underground warehouse music culture, concrete may just be the most perfect material selection for its design, I’d say!
Designers: Mikołaj Nicer, Grzegorz Szczupał and Jakub Maciejczyk
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.
