Making Black Fire

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Zaha Hadid's architecture translated into 22 carpet designs

Zaha Hadid Design has unveiled carpet designs inspired by the projects of its late founder, including MAXXI and the Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre.

The designs cover four themes that were typical of Zaha Hadid‘s work: striated lines, ribbon-like projections, pixelated landscapes and organic cellular shapes.

These are applied to 22 hand-tufted carpet designs, woven on Axminster looms.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Design for carpet manufacturer Royal Thai, the collection is named RE/Form after the fact that each design represents reconfiguration and transformation.

“Patterns within each grouping capture Hadid’s signature use of interweaving, layering and play with light and shadow,” said the London-based design studio.

“The designs introduce custom new colours for Royal Thai commercial carpets, with hues of turquoise, red and green in their colour palettes.”

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

The design team highlights the buildings and products whose influence is most easy to spot in the carpets.

The pattern of the Striation carpets mirrors Hadid’s fluid and futuristic design for the MAXXI: National Museum of 21st Century Art in Rome and the sinuous metallic ribbons that flow across the facade of the firm’s recently completed 520 W 28th Street.

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

The pattern of the Pixel carpets recalls the perforated facade of Zaha Hadid Architects’ Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre.

Meanwhile, the undulating pattern of the Ribbon carpets is reflected in the interior of the Zaha Hadid Design Gallery in Clerkenwell, London, as well as complex designs like the tangled 3D-printed Thallus sculpture by Zaha Hadid Computation and Design research group (ZHCODE).

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

Finally, the Cellular carpets look very similar to the lattice forms found in projects such as Hadid’s white gold Skein Cuff, which the team produced in collaboration with Swiss goldsmiths Caspita.

All 22 carpets were on show at The Zaha Hadid Gallery during London Design Festival last week alongside the studio’s recent 3D-printed furniture collaboration with Nagami.

The showcase also included an exhibition by the studio’s Computation and Design research group (ZHCODE).

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

Other rug and carpet designs on show during this year’s London Design Festival included a collection of eight carpets by fashion designer Jonathan Saunders, and a selection of 3D printed and upcycled rugs created by designers across the Netherlands.

The post Zaha Hadid’s architecture translated into 22 carpet designs appeared first on Dezeen.

Zaha Hadid's architecture translated into 22 carpet designs

Zaha Hadid Design has unveiled carpet designs inspired by the projects of its late founder, including MAXXI and the Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre.

The designs cover four themes that were typical of Zaha Hadid‘s work: striated lines, ribbon-like projections, pixelated landscapes and organic cellular shapes.

These are applied to 22 hand-tufted carpet designs, woven on Axminster looms.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Design for carpet manufacturer Royal Thai, the collection is named RE/Form after the fact that each design represents reconfiguration and transformation.

“Patterns within each grouping capture Hadid’s signature use of interweaving, layering and play with light and shadow,” said the London-based design studio.

“The designs introduce custom new colours for Royal Thai commercial carpets, with hues of turquoise, red and green in their colour palettes.”

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

The design team highlights the buildings and products whose influence is most easy to spot in the carpets.

The pattern of the Striation carpets mirrors Hadid’s fluid and futuristic design for the MAXXI: National Museum of 21st Century Art in Rome and the sinuous metallic ribbons that flow across the facade of the firm’s recently completed 520 W 28th Street.

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

The pattern of the Pixel carpets recalls the perforated facade of Zaha Hadid Architects’ Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre.

Meanwhile, the undulating pattern of the Ribbon carpets is reflected in the interior of the Zaha Hadid Design Gallery in Clerkenwell, London, as well as complex designs like the tangled 3D-printed Thallus sculpture by Zaha Hadid Computation and Design research group (ZHCODE).

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

Finally, the Cellular carpets look very similar to the lattice forms found in projects such as Hadid’s white gold Skein Cuff, which the team produced in collaboration with Swiss goldsmiths Caspita.

All 22 carpets were on show at The Zaha Hadid Gallery during London Design Festival last week alongside the studio’s recent 3D-printed furniture collaboration with Nagami.

The showcase also included an exhibition by the studio’s Computation and Design research group (ZHCODE).

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

Other rug and carpet designs on show during this year’s London Design Festival included a collection of eight carpets by fashion designer Jonathan Saunders, and a selection of 3D printed and upcycled rugs created by designers across the Netherlands.

The post Zaha Hadid’s architecture translated into 22 carpet designs appeared first on Dezeen.

Zaha Hadid's architecture translated into 22 carpet designs

Zaha Hadid Design has unveiled carpet designs inspired by the projects of its late founder, including MAXXI and the Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre.

The designs cover four themes that were typical of Zaha Hadid‘s work: striated lines, ribbon-like projections, pixelated landscapes and organic cellular shapes.

These are applied to 22 hand-tufted carpet designs, woven on Axminster looms.

Designed by Zaha Hadid Design for carpet manufacturer Royal Thai, the collection is named RE/Form after the fact that each design represents reconfiguration and transformation.

“Patterns within each grouping capture Hadid’s signature use of interweaving, layering and play with light and shadow,” said the London-based design studio.

“The designs introduce custom new colours for Royal Thai commercial carpets, with hues of turquoise, red and green in their colour palettes.”

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

The design team highlights the buildings and products whose influence is most easy to spot in the carpets.

The pattern of the Striation carpets mirrors Hadid’s fluid and futuristic design for the MAXXI: National Museum of 21st Century Art in Rome and the sinuous metallic ribbons that flow across the facade of the firm’s recently completed 520 W 28th Street.

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

The pattern of the Pixel carpets recalls the perforated facade of Zaha Hadid Architects’ Nanjing International Youth Cultural Centre.

Meanwhile, the undulating pattern of the Ribbon carpets is reflected in the interior of the Zaha Hadid Design Gallery in Clerkenwell, London, as well as complex designs like the tangled 3D-printed Thallus sculpture by Zaha Hadid Computation and Design research group (ZHCODE).

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

Finally, the Cellular carpets look very similar to the lattice forms found in projects such as Hadid’s white gold Skein Cuff, which the team produced in collaboration with Swiss goldsmiths Caspita.

All 22 carpets were on show at The Zaha Hadid Gallery during London Design Festival last week alongside the studio’s recent 3D-printed furniture collaboration with Nagami.

The showcase also included an exhibition by the studio’s Computation and Design research group (ZHCODE).

Zaha Hadid's distinctive architecture is translated into carpet designs

Other rug and carpet designs on show during this year’s London Design Festival included a collection of eight carpets by fashion designer Jonathan Saunders, and a selection of 3D printed and upcycled rugs created by designers across the Netherlands.

The post Zaha Hadid’s architecture translated into 22 carpet designs appeared first on Dezeen.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018 is made from 120,000 interlocking stars

The University of Stuttgart’s ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018 is made from over 120,000 recycled plastic spiked stars that create a self-supporting structure bonded only by friction.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The ICD Aggregate Pavilion is formed from 120,000 interlocking stars

Over a decade of research went into the project, applying lessons from large granular masses found in nature to architecture.

Like grains of sand in a dune or snowflakes in a snowdrift, each individual element of the pavilion is held in place by contact force.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The self-supporting structure is held up only by friction

Students and researchers at the University of Stuttgart built on the work of the 2015 pavilion, which used 30,000 particles, to create an even larger and more complex structure.

The 2018 project is three metres tall and seven metres long, with two interconnecting vaults forming a fully enclosed space inside.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
No binding material was used to create the pavilion

The project aims to demonstrate the construction potential of large particles that can be distributed like a liquid, but form the self-supporting structures of a solid without the need for any binding material.

Injection moulded recycled plastic was used to form the 120,000 hexapods and dekapods, which can be poured like concrete to rapidly interlock and form load-bearing shapes.

To construct the pavilion 725 inflatable yellow spheres were used as formwork, onto which the spiked particles were poured. After the form was created the balloons were deflated and removed.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
From a distance the pavilion has a cloud-like quality

With the white spines sticking out at angles, from a distance the pavilion appears to rest like a square but fluffy white cloud.

The rectilinear form has a cave-like interior with a triangular archway that can accommodate several visitors.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The pavilion is constructed from thousands of spiked stars

Constructing the pavilion from these granular materials had to be done in situ, with the industrial storage space used by the German university to hold the particles was converted into the production space.

The boxes used to store the particles were emptied and stacked up to create the boundaries for the construction process.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The pavilion was constructed by a robot

A custom-built, cable-driven parallel robot was fixed to the walls and beams of the space. The robot moved along the cables and deposited the particles to the exact point selected by the modelling system and deposited them.

The robot is controlled by an interface that uses a parametric modelling environment, and the design and construction process used an image-segregation algorithm to check the structure’s geometric accuracy.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
Yellow balloons were used to create the buildings formwork during construction

Because no external bonding materials or process is required, the pavilion can be dismantled and the pieces used to create entirely different configurations.

Combining structures from nature with the latest technology is an important part of the research done at the University of Stuttgart.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The boxes used to store the particles were used to enclose the structure during construction

Last year they used drones and robots to weave a carbon fibre pavilion in a method similar to the way that moth larvae weave silk webs. In 2016 robots were deployed to stitch together a laminated plywood pavilion structured like a sea urchin.


Project credits:

ICD Institute for Computational Design and Construction: Karola Dierichs, Achim Menges
Research assistants: Christian Arias, Bahar Al Bahar, Elaine Bonavia, Federico Forestiero, Pedro Giachini, Shir Katz, Alexandre Mballa-Ekobena, Leyla Yunis, Jacob Zindroski
Cable robotics: Ondrej Kyjanek, Martin Loucka
Manufacturing: Wilhelm Weber GmbH & Co. KG
Funding: GETTYLAB, ITASCA Consulting Inc

The post ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018 is made from 120,000 interlocking stars appeared first on Dezeen.

Fashion Outfits with Velvet Socks

Le bon goût avait pourtant jugé catégoriquement les sandales-chaussettes hors de propos. Il semblerait néanmoins que le retour en force des chaussettes au cours de derniers mois, et notamment le hold up fashion opéré par les sites de vente de chaussettes en ligne s’apprête à changer la donne. En effet, le velours a toujours été gage d’élégance, de chic, de style. Il fallait donc de douces et chaudes chaussettes en velours pour habiller correctement nos pieds. Les créateurs et stylistes s’amusent donc à les mixer avec sandales, escarpins et mocassins. L’allure de pied en cape, à vous de juger…




ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018 is made from 120,000 interlocking stars

The University of Stuttgart’s ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018 is made from over 120,000 recycled plastic spiked stars that create a self-supporting structure bonded only by friction.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The ICD Aggregate Pavilion is formed from 120,000 interlocking stars

Over a decade of research went into the project, applying lessons from large granular masses found in nature to architecture.

Like grains of sand in a dune or snowflakes in a snowdrift, each individual element of the pavilion is held in place by contact force.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The self-supporting structure is held up only by friction

Students and researchers at the University of Stuttgart built on the work of the 2015 pavilion, which used 30,000 particles, to create an even larger and more complex structure.

The 2018 project is three metres tall and seven metres long, with two interconnecting vaults forming a fully enclosed space inside.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
No binding material was used to create the pavilion

The project aims to demonstrate the construction potential of large particles that can be distributed like a liquid, but form the self-supporting structures of a solid without the need for any binding material.

Injection moulded recycled plastic was used to form the 120,000 hexapods and dekapods, which can be poured like concrete to rapidly interlock and form load-bearing shapes.

To construct the pavilion 725 inflatable yellow spheres were used as formwork, onto which the spiked particles were poured. After the form was created the balloons were deflated and removed.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
From a distance the pavilion has a cloud-like quality

With the white spines sticking out at angles, from a distance the pavilion appears to rest like a square but fluffy white cloud.

The rectilinear form has a cave-like interior with a triangular archway that can accommodate several visitors.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The pavilion is constructed from thousands of spiked stars

Constructing the pavilion from these granular materials had to be done in situ, with the industrial storage space used by the German university to hold the particles was converted into the production space.

The boxes used to store the particles were emptied and stacked up to create the boundaries for the construction process.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The pavilion was constructed by a robot

A custom-built, cable-driven parallel robot was fixed to the walls and beams of the space. The robot moved along the cables and deposited the particles to the exact point selected by the modelling system and deposited them.

The robot is controlled by an interface that uses a parametric modelling environment, and the design and construction process used an image-segregation algorithm to check the structure’s geometric accuracy.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
Yellow balloons were used to create the buildings formwork during construction

Because no external bonding materials or process is required, the pavilion can be dismantled and the pieces used to create entirely different configurations.

Combining structures from nature with the latest technology is an important part of the research done at the University of Stuttgart.

ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018.
The boxes used to store the particles were used to enclose the structure during construction

Last year they used drones and robots to weave a carbon fibre pavilion in a method similar to the way that moth larvae weave silk webs. In 2016 robots were deployed to stitch together a laminated plywood pavilion structured like a sea urchin.


Project credits:

ICD Institute for Computational Design and Construction: Karola Dierichs, Achim Menges
Research assistants: Christian Arias, Bahar Al Bahar, Elaine Bonavia, Federico Forestiero, Pedro Giachini, Shir Katz, Alexandre Mballa-Ekobena, Leyla Yunis, Jacob Zindroski
Cable robotics: Ondrej Kyjanek, Martin Loucka
Manufacturing: Wilhelm Weber GmbH & Co. KG
Funding: GETTYLAB, ITASCA Consulting Inc

The post ICD Aggregate Pavilion 2018 is made from 120,000 interlocking stars appeared first on Dezeen.

Buttoned-down Audio

rotary_knob_headphone_layout

On initial glance you would be forgiven in mistaking these for a regular pair of headphones, due to their conventional form and recognizable features. However, upon further observation, the intuitive and unique features will slowly begin to reveal themselves!

One of the devices most intuitive features centers around the control knobs that can be found on opposing sides of the device. Both their operation and the surface detailing used is reminiscent of the rotary knobs that can be found on both high-end audio equipment and retro machines, making an appropriate connection to its ancestors that came before.

Each of the acoustic chambers not only provides the user with an audio experience that’s free from the disturbance of surrounding noise, but they also introduce an element of high-end ‘feel’ to the product; each is made from a solid piece of aluminum that has been machined with great precision on a CNC machine.

Designer: Fang-Chun Tsai

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headset_04

headset_06

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Demystifying Damascus Steel: The beautifully marbled metal

demystifying_damascus_1

If you want to spot a true EDC enthusiast, gauge their reaction upon saying the words Damascus Steel. Chances are, if they’re a true-blue everyday carry aficionado, even so much as taking the name of the marbled metal will send chills down their spine, and rightfully so… because Damascus Steel is an exquisite metal that’s not just strong, it’s a pleasure to look at, with its wonderful, organic pattern. So, let’s delve deeper into the origins of this steel, the way it’s made, and honestly, how different is it from other tool-worthy steel alloys.

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THE ORIGIN OF DAMASCUS STEEL

The word Damascus (or Damask) comes from the Syrian capital city, where one can date back the very origin of Damascus Steel to as early as 400 A.D. However, it’s worth noting that the steel we refer to as Damascus Steel today is, for the lack of a better term, a fake, or an imitation. The truth is that the traditional method of crafting this sort of steel got lost over time. Some believe that the method of forging Damascus Steel was lost as early as the 1700s, due to a lack of proper documentation combined with cultural suppression by western imperialism. The steel we fondly refer to as Damascus Steel today is actually a patternweld, a steel formed by folding/mixing in cementite (iron carbide) and ferrite (a crystalline form of iron) into the steel to give it its distinct banding effect. The truth is that this sort of steel isn’t considered pure steel, but that’s considered an advantage, especially since it gives the steel a distinct look… and strength too.

Patternweld steel started being referred to as Damascus Steel back in 1973, when popular bladesmith William F. Moran unveiled his “Damascus knives” at the Knifemakers’ Guild Show. While the name Damascus Steel stuck around for any sort of patterned steel since that day, the original Damascus Steel is considered stuff of legends.

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HOW MODERN ‘DAMASCUS STEEL’ IS MADE

Pioneered by William F. Moran himself, the steel we commonly refer to as Damascus Steel today is in fact, created using a technique called ‘billet welding’. Billet welding involves mixing together a variety of alloys of steel and/or iron together by first welding them to each other, and then folding the overall mass multiple times, giving you sandwiched layers fused alloys with different hues. The welding process can be altered to give you different patterns, for example Devin Thomas, a famed knifesmith has practically perfected the process of billet-welding, and can now create a wide series of patterns at will. Knifesmiths also end up choosing and pairing alloys together based on their color contrast and also the properties that they lend to the knife itself, imparting not just a high contrast on the ‘damascus’ pattern, but also strength to the blade, along with properties like corrosion resistance, etc.

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IS IT WORTH THE HYPE?

There are two schools of thought in this matter. In short, purists don’t think Damascus Steel is any good, but enthusiasts love the way the blades look and perform. The long story is that Damascus Steel isn’t pure. It contains a number of ‘impurities’ like cementite, ferrite, pearlite, martensite, etc. that even though enhance certain properties of the blade, the pattern formed on the knife as a result is viewed more as cosmetic, rather than functional. There’s also the argument that the blades formed using billet welding aren’t honoring the original tradition of making Damascus steel blades (as was done in Syria). There are, in fact ways of producing blades that are stronger, either using stronger alloys, or opting for forging techniques like the Japanese San-Mai, that sandwich a harder carbon-steel layer between two stainless steel layers. (San-Mai blades can look a slight bit like Damascus Steel blades at the edges where you see the different hues of the different layers)

As far as enthusiasts and collectors go, Damascus Steel results in knives that look unique and different, not just from other knives, but from each other too, because no Damascus Steel knife boasts of the exact pattern on the blade (there are always minute deviations, much like wood grain). A well-made Damascus blade will stay sharp for longer than most production quality knives too, given the strength-building alloys added to the mix.

So… even though the tradition has been lost to man, many people have devoted their lives to trying and studying past relics and recreating the process. Known as Damascus in the Middle East, or even Wootz in India and Sri Lanka, this patterned, marbled steel has been around for practically millennia, enchanting people with its hypnotic lines, and promising a build quality that is remarkably strong. Used today, not just for knives, but for even pens, wallets, and multitools, the steel we presently call Damascus Steel isn’t going anywhere any time soon!


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Check Out: Demystifying QR Codes: What are they and how do they work

Portraits of Athletes after the Running

Le photographe nord-américain David Robert Elliott a suivi entre 2013 et 2014 des athlètes de course à pied afin de photographier leurs expressions après l’effort. Sa série “I used to believe that I could be the next Larry Bird” en référence à celui qui est surnommé Larry Legend par les médias, légende du baseball, a été publiée sous forme de livre.

Cet ouvrage à la fois documentaire, artistique et purement sportif montre des athlètes juste après l’effort, rouges du dépassement de soi qu’exige l’effort.

A un autre niveau de lecture, on peut voir une forme d’ironie comique dans cette galerie de “têtes de vainqueurs”.

                   

Credits for all pictures : David Robert Elliott’s website