Available now for pre-order, Slow Down Studio’s Perry throw blanket is designed by Melbourne-based Claire Ritchie and woven with 100% cotton. Measuring 54 by 70 inches, the colorful rainbow motif throw can be used on the couch, as an outdoor beach……
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Grimshaw Architects has completed the latest station for the expanded Toronto subway system, with a huge curved roof that swoops down to form walls and is covered in mirrors underneath.
Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) Station acts as the new terminus of the Toronto Transit Commission’s 1 train line, which was recently extended north.
Designed by global firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with consultants Arup and architect of record Adamson Associates, VMC has an elliptical ground plan.
Its shell-like roof curves down to the ground on the long sides, while glass windows fill the gaps at each end – where the entrances are found.
For the interior, Grimshaw also partnered with Canadian firm Paul Raff Studio to create a metallic ceiling installation.
The concave surface is lined with thousands of square-shaped mirrored panels that redirect both natural and artificial light around the space, and to the platforms below.
“We wanted to bring daylight down into the box for wayfinding and passenger experience,” said Juan Porral, a partner at Grimshaw.
An X-shaped bridge at street level allows glimpses down into the platform, and connects the building’s four corners.
Safety was also a key concern. The station has clear sight lines, with walking routes to stairs and gates easily visible. They are clearly mapped to eliminate bottlenecks during rush-hour commuting.
“Beyond convenience and ease of use, the geometry and transparency create a safer, more secure transit environment,” said a statement from Grimshaw.
The Toronto York-Spadina Subway Extension of Line 1, created to provide commuter access from the city suburb of Vaughan to Downtown Toronto and beyond.
British architect Will Alsop has also recently designed two colourful metro stations for the expanded subway system, for the Pioneer Village and Finch West neighbourhoods.
Development is also expected along the line, and around VCM, spaces have been earmarked for future retail projects.
The station’s adaptable features include panels around the perimeter that can be knocked down, to open up the building at different locations and connect it to others in future.
“Grimshaw was challenged to imagine a new city around the station and create an iconic head house that would become a focal point and organising element,” said the firm’s statement.
Grimshaw was founded by architect Nicholas Grimshaw in London in 1980, and has since opened offices around the world.
Other recent projects by the firm include an ecological park in China with a massive indoor water fountain, an office tower with three interlinking sections in Sydney, and a glass-encased student centre for Duke University in North Carolina.
Photography by is Shai Gil.
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Canowater has revealed the latest addition to its range of environmentally friendly water cans – a special-edition container created by fashion designer Christopher Raeburn for London Zoo.
A UK-based company, Canowater was established in 2015 with the aim of creating a “sustainable alternative to single-use plastic bottles”. It instead packages drinking water inside aluminium cans.
“Aluminium has the highest recycling rate of any drink out there,” said company co-founder Josh White. “Recycle a can and it could be back on the shelf in as little as six weeks”.
For this latest project, the company worked alongside Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to design a replacement for the plastic water bottles sold at both London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo.
Canowater cans feature a resealable lid
As of tomorrow, 22 March 2018, ZSL will only sell water inside the Canowater containers.
These special-edition cans will be adorned with a shark motif designed by Raeburn – a sustainability champion who has previously launched clothing made from waste fabrics.
Each can also features a resealable lid, so it can be kept in a bag just like a water bottle.
According to Canowater, the aluminium protects the water from elements that may make it unsafe to drink.
“We use aluminium cans which protect the water from light, oxygen and other elements that can affect taste and water safety,” White said.
Cornish town also ditches water bottles
Canowater sells plain versions of its cans through a range of UK retailers, including Whole Foods, Selfridges and Ocado, and at well-known destinations including Buckingham Palace and Glastonbury Festival.
On a wider scale, the company has also teamed up with Penzance, a town in Cornwall, to help every restaurant, hotel and shop ditch plastic bottles.
The campaign is led by an organisation called Surfers Against Sewage, and has quickly spread across the entire town.
“Residents of Penzance are so committed to ditching plastic bottles, we’ve had to stock aluminium alternatives,” said Roger Rossignol, a local supplier.
“We found CanO Water and have sold about 7,000 cans already. The demand comes straight from the public, so we’ve had to adapt what we buy,” he added. “Penzance is taking the campaign so seriously, especially the student population. People are out on the beaches clearing up plastic waste but also doing simple swaps at home.”
Plastic pollution is a global problem
Canowater’s wider aim is make a significant reduction in the amount of plastic waste that infiltrates the natural landscape.
Scientists have warned that, unless things change soon, the amount of plastic in landfill or in the oceans will exceed 12 billion tons by 2050.
According to research conducted by Canowater, UK residents use 38.5 million plastic bottles every day, and only five per cent of these get recycled. They claim that around 16 million bottles end up in the ocean or landfill every day.
Other companies that have committed to reduce their plastic waste include Coca-Cola, L’Oréal, Evian and Walmart, who are all working with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, as part of its drive to accelerate a transition to a circular economy.
PG Tips recently announced it is launching a new tea bag made from 100 per cent biodegradable plant-based materials, while Lego has committed to creating bricks from a sugar cane-based formula.
Also, a new generation of sustainably minded designers is pioneering ways of using recycled plastic as a raw material, as it is often free to source, and can be produced in a wide range of colours, patterns and textures.
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Creative agency Superimpose Studio has launched a series of anti-Brexit billboards across the UK, which feature playful imagery comparing the successful campaign to a disappointing burger.
Designed by Superimpose Studio‘s co-founder and creative director Ollie Olanipekun, the adverts feature imagery of a gourmet burger next to a flattened, cheaper-looking counterpart.
Bold black text reading “Swindled” is set against a yellow background, in reference to promises made by political figures campaigning for Leave during the EU referendum.
A call to action is also placed underneath in smaller font, telling readers “It’s not too late to fix Brexit.”
Images of burgers were used as a symbol of this political message, and are described by Olanipekun as showing “promise versus reality”.
“I was in a room with the country’s most critical and creative minds, discussing a campaign to galvanise the British public to take action. Even Leave voters feel as if they’ve been cheated and promised things that will never materialise,” Olanipekun said.
“The idea of ordering a burger and not receiving what was expected is a feeling that everyone can relate to,” he continued.
Olanipekun chose the colours based on the billboard’s locations – most of which are installed near motorways.
“The yellow and black felt more of a necessity than a choice,” he continued. “Historically it has been used on motorways as road warning signage to grab the attention of drivers at high speeds. Naturally, with our billboard in high traffic areas, it was an ideal fit.”
The project began after Olanipekun was approached by Best for Britain, an anti-Brexit group founded by Gina Miller, to work with other British creatives and political figures on a campaign to galvanise the public politically.
However, the studio, who has previously run global campaigns for Adidas and Burberry, made the decision to take launch into their own hands – after Best for Britain stalled over key bureaucratic decisions surrounding the project.
“Creative differences aside, self-funding this independently allowed us to demonstrate that as a small agency able to achieve this, everyone has a role to play in our future,” Olanipekun told Dezeen.
The billboards are located in London and on other busy roads and motorways in major cities including Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham – which was one of the largest areas to vote to leave the EU in June 2016.
Visitors to the Swindled website can download a graphic of the billboard to share online and find the contact details of local MPs, in case they wish to voice them about concerns over the EU referendum result.
Despite such publicised concerns about Brexit, recent UCAS figures revealed UK universities have received more applications from EU art and design students in 2018, refuting fears that Brexit would lead to a fall in demand.
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A24 has debuted the first official trailer for the new film from It Follows director David Robert Mitchell, titled Under the Silver Lake, a reference to the trendy Silver Lake neighborhood in Los Angeles. Andrew Garfield stars as a guy who falls for his neighbor one night, but wakes up to find she has suddenly disappeared.It’s described as a “delirious neo-noir fever dream about one man’s search for the truth behind the mysterious crimes, murders and disappearances in his East L.A. neighborhood.” A24 will then release Under the Silver Lake in select theaters starting June 22nd this summer…(Read…)
“There are few scientists that can be said to have touched the public imagination. Physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking is one such scientist. He spent his life seeking the answers to the biggest questions in the universe. This video is a tribute to his courage and wisdom. Thank for everything professor Stephen Hawking (8 Jan 1942 – 14 March 2018)”..(Read…)
Bill Nye teaches you scientific slang words and terms. Find out what “arsole,” “hinny,” “champagne tap” and more words mean. “Bill Nye: Science Guy” will premiere on POV on PBS (pbs.org/pov) on Wednesday, April 18, 2018…(Read…)
Focus Features just released the first look at Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, and upcoming 2018 documentary film about the legacy and impact of iconic PBS children’s television host, Fred Rogers. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? comes to select theaters on June 8th.”Wonât You Be My Neighbor? takes an intimate look at Americaâs favorite neighbor: Mister Fred Rogers. A portrait of a man whom we all think we know, this emotional and moving film takes us beyond the zip-up cardigans and the land of make-believe, and into the heart of a creative genius who inspired generations of children with compassion and limitless imagination.”..(Read…)
“The chicken/meatball/eggplant/veal parm hero – not only is it my death row meal, it’s the object of affection for many of our favorite fictional characters. Spongebob buys an entire house made of parm hero, Joey Tribbiani nearly takes a bullet for one, Agent Harris feeds one directly to a parasite plaguing his body. Go way over the line for this Italian-American classic today.”..(Read…)
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