I typically boiled the rice with water and over a gas stove until I discovered the joy of a rice cooker. Notching up the process is the Joyoung S5 Steam Rice Cooker, which is very unique in the way it functions. Inspired by the locomotive – the first steam engines – the cooker uses steam for cooking the rice.
Describing the process, the designers explain that the rice is not boiled or heated from the bottom, instead it is blasted with steam (120°C) and this ensures that the rice is cooked in minutes. This also means there is no more burnt rice stuck to the bottom of the pan.
As a steamer, you can even steam vegetables, meat and fish, helping you adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Designers: Lv Zheng & Sophia Lim for Joyoung
At a special event at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, celebrated British chef David Allistone cooked a variety of delicious rice-based dishes, including pork belly and asparagus. He said the of the S5:
“The joyoung rice cooker has shown how easy and convenient steaming rice can be. I particularly like the app when you can turn the rice cooker on before you leave work and it will be ready and waiting for you perfectly cooked when you get home. Just add a few ingredients for an easy nutritious evening meal.”
Companies like Rimowa and Supreme may be only revisiting the trend now, but suitcases were considered a fashion statement even as much as 150 years ago. Look at Louis Vuitton’s ancestry and you’ll know that the carrying-cases for your clothes were given as much importance as your clothes were, and while for the most part suitcases today are utilitarian, they also are a part of your sense of style.
Monos is a part of a small but growing movement to take high-street fashion, but make it affordable. While a Louis Vuitton or Rimowa suitcase isn’t particularly in everyone’s budget, Monos makes style accessible by bypassing all premium-brand collaterals, escaping all the brand markups and luxury taxes these high-value brands impose on their consumers. The Monos travel case is simplistic and pristine, with a level of attention to detail creator Hubert Chan says comes from innovative companies like Apple. Every line is sculpted with intent, and every fillet is measured to perfection, giving you a case that is thorough in its design process, down to even the selection of materials and color palettes.
Designed across three sizes, Monos comes in two cabin-compatible variants and a larger check-in variants, giving you enough storage for a week long getaway. The case’s construction is given as much importance as its design details, with the hard-case being made from impact-resistant polycarbonate, along with high-grade aluminum telescopic handles that seamlessly integrate into the case’s forms. The YKK zippers, vegetable-tanned Vacchetta leather trims, and TSA-compliant locks all lend to the case’s pursuit of perfection. On the inside, the Monos travel cases come lined with a soft, waterproof, anti-microbial fabric lining to keep your clothes looking, smelling, and feeling fresh on the inside.
Designed with the same kind of intent that fashion designers make clothes with, Monos is yet another travel case that proves that your suitcases are just as important as the clothes you carry in them, and form a conscious part of your own personal style statement. It just so happens that Monos is one of the only bags to make that philosophy accessible to people without the inflated price tags!
Less is more. Monos is a premium, minimalist luggage, using only the finest quality materials and components. All at a fair price.
Design
“We started by slowing down to mindfully look around us. We studied the ripples in water when it rained. We observed the color gradations in the sky when the sun rose and set each day. And in all these moments, we found a common visual rhythm. We distilled and refined this rhythm into the minimalist, asymmetric progression of lines that would become our luggage’s signature design,” Hubert Chan, designer of Monos told Yanko Design.
“For us, the lines signify change, in all its forms. Travel – and life – changes us. We embrace the fact that nothing can stay the same forever. Our studio’s name (Monos), after all, comes from the Japanese concept of mono no aware – the profound appreciation of the impermanent,” said the design studio.
Light and Unbreakable
Weighing in at only 6.9 lb, 7.1 lb, and 10 lb, the Monos Carry-On, Carry-On Plus, and Check-In are exceptionally light. They built their cases with ultra-light, aerospace-grade polycarbonate, and stripped out all the unneeded junk.
Texturized and powder-coated, their matte finish shell is scratch-resistant. The German-made Makrolon polycarbonate in their luggage isn’t just harder and stronger than your average suitcase’s ABS plastic – it’s nearly impossible to break and it easily bounces back into its original shape.
A Superior Handle
Instead of cheap cast zinc resulting in those flimsy, wobbly handles, Monos used only high-grade aluminum for their tubes. And rather than the usual parallel configuration, they custom-designed the entire assembly to set their telescoping tube at opposing 45 degree angles, which greatly reduces lateral motion and makes the whole handle more solid and sturdy.
As for the handle release button, rather than maneuvering your thumb on the top of the handle where the button is usually found, they found that it actually feels better to squeeze from the bottom. They re-engineered the button and hid it underneath, resulting in a clean, uncluttered handle that’s also more natural to use.
Whisper-quiet Hinomoto Lisof Silent Run 360 Degree Wheels
At a mere 54 decibels, these Silent Run wheels would make a ninja envious. Other Hinomoto wheels are already quiet, but this is a grade above.
Color-coordinated YKK Reverse Zippers
Zippers look better with their teeth hidden. Every Monos suitcase sports color-coordinated YKK reverse coil zippers, chosen for their sleek look and unequalled reliability.
Interior
Their interior lining and the included laundry and shoe bags all use a soft, waterproof, and anti-microbial fabric with subtle pattern detailing. The sized pockets in their side flap keep your small items together and free to be laid on top of, or between your clothes. Ballistic nylon compression straps keep your clothes compact, while being more forgiving of hard items than bulky compression pads. Features include: Carry-On Interior, Check-In Interior,
The inspiration to design the Reverse Sunclock Multifunctional Wall Lamp emanates from the desire to match two inseparable concepts – time and light. The marriage of those into an object that resembles a clock yet exists as a wall lamp initially sprung from the observation of sun clocks. Shadow and light unite and produce the notion of time. In this case the game between light and shadow applied onto a reverse sun clock half fiberglass half brass gives birth to a hybrid product, a ying yang existence of time and light.
“The difficulty of getting in and out of this thing is well worth the tradeoff of owning furniture that pays homage to scorpions.”
“As an architect, I like to have control. With staircases, it’s always bothered me that my clients could choose which foot to place on which step. With this design, I am able to dictate which steps I want you to use your right foot on, and which are for your left foot. You use these the way I decide you use them.”
“I was going for maximum footprint, minimal usable storage space.”
“I didn’t have enough time to finish the project, but I can sell this one ‘in the room’–I’ve already got a bullshit speech prepared about ‘the majesty of trees,’ et cetera.”
“Sure, the hangers are a little pointy at both ends, but I think consumers will be delighted that you can take all of the clothes off of them and assemble them into a perfect cylinder to impress visitors. I estimate the average user will do this at least once a week.”
“I’ll never run out of toilet paper again.”
“Three things I like: Relaxing, reading, and spilling spare change onto my potted plants.”
“When dining, I like to have a white cylinder of light blocking my visibility of the person across from me. I also love this thing because after my guests leave and I close it up, the room is dominated by a hulking white pod.”
“What’s the big deal? Just wash your hands after you use it, you puss. This is a space-saving design.”
“Look–you told me the bike lane needed drainage, but you weren’t specific about how bicycle tires work. So I don’t think this is my fault.”
A top Apple pundit has sparked rumours that the company will stop manufacturing its unreliable butterfly laptop keyboard for its upcoming MacBook computers.
Kuo has suggested that Apple will bring in a new keyboard made from glass fibre that uses more traditional scissor-switch keyboard technology.
In a scissor-switch keyboard, keys are attached with two pieces of plastic that interlock like scissors.
“There have been successful developments in the new scissor keyboard,” Mac Rumors reported Kuo saying.
“The new keyboard could improve the typing experience by offering longer key travel and durability by adopting glass fibre to reinforce the keys’ structure.”
Scissor-switch mechanisms beneath each key offer less room for dust and debris to get stuck underneath keys.
“Though the butterfly keyboard is still thinner than the new scissor keyboard, we think most users can’t tell the difference,” continued Kuo.
“Furthermore, the new scissor keyboard could offer a better user experience and benefit Apple’s profits; therefore, we predict that the butterfly keyboard may finally disappear in the long term.”
Butterfly keyboard frustrated consumers
Kuo predicted that the new keyboard will debut with the 2019 MacBook Air, but won’t roll out for the MacBook Pro until 2020.
Apple brought in its butterfly keyboards four years ago to make its laptops slimmer and the keys quieter. But customers reported that keys were liable to break if even a small amount of dust got underneath.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit accused Apple of rolling out the design in its products despite knowing about this issue.
“We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry,” said an Apple spokesperson.
“The vast majority of Mac notebook customers are having a positive experience with the new keyboard.”
The World Building of the Year, as well as the Future Project of the Year, will be announced at the twelfth edition of the annual World Architecture Festival (WAF), which takes place in Amsterdam later this year.
“We have been inspired by the levels of innovation in this year’s entries, that show the incredible range of ways in which architects are responding to the global climate and biodiversity emergencies we face,” said Finch.
Completed buildings compete for the prestigious World Building of the Year title, while winning conceptual projects will battle for Future Project of the Year.
This year, presentations will be judged by a “super jury”, including architects Anuradha Mathur and Maria Warner Wong, and Dezeen columnist Aaron Betsky.
Last year WOHA’s green community for senior citizens in Singapore was crowned 2018 World Building of the Year, and the Medellin River Parks masterplan in Colombia was named Future Project of the Year.
« Après avoir photographié des mégalopoles comme Tokyo, Dubai, Hong Kong ou Shanghai, pour l’énergie qu’il s’en dégage et l’architecture moderne, j’ai récemment été attiré par la beauté et la nostalgie architecturale de villes plus ancienes comme Paris, Rome ou Venise », révèle Thibaud Poirier. Pour cette série unique, le photographe s’est inspiré de photos du début du siècle dernier et de peintures anciennes de la ville de Venise. « Avec son architecture typique et protégée, l’absence de voiture ou de technologie, la faible pollution qui permet d’avoir un beau ciel étoilé, Venise reste intact. Et c’est ce qui attire autant de touristes chaque année ».
Réalisés sur trois nuits, les clichés singuliers ont été volontairement pris depuis des points de vue précis. « Afin de mettre en valeur les particularités de Venise que sont l’omniprésence de l’eau, les ponts et l’architecture traditionnelle ». Une jolie façon de découvrir la ville à travers la vision de Thibaud Poirier, chère à son travail singulier emprunt d’une poésie majestueuse.
Retrouvez ses images sur sa page Instagram : @tibman
Are you passionate about toys? Would you like to explore the endless world of children’s imagination and creativity with LEGO® Bricks? Do you want to shape the play experiences of children all over the world? Well, here is your chance! Turn ideas into toys We
Block9 co-founders Gideon Berger and Steven Gallagher explain how they built the monolithic IICON stage at Glastonbury in this exclusive video shot by Dezeen at the famous music festival.
IICON is a vast sculptural stage and outdoor dance arena by London creative partnership Block9, which debuted at Glastonbury festival in Somerset, UK, last weekend.
The focal point of the structure is an enormous diagonally-tilted head with a cubical volume inset where its facial features should appear.
“It takes the form of a huge anonymous head with a very large cube intersecting the face” explained Block9 co-founder Gallagher in the movie. “The cube looks a bit like a visor.”
IICON is a new stage and dance arena by London collective Block9. Photograph by Martin Perry
After the sun set over Glastonbury each night, IICON came to life as DJs and musicians playing experimental electronic music took to its stage to entertain up to 15,000 revellers at once.
Looming over the stage is a huge LED screen that appears in place of the face’s eyes.
The visuals on the screen were animated by Block9’s technical team. These were complimented with projection mapping across the surface of the stage structure, as well as lighting design.
The IICON stage features a huge diagonally-tilted head. Photograph by Kamil Kustosz
“The whole thing is video-mapped, so we are able to animate the surface of the head,” explained Gallagher.
As lasers and beams of light swung over the crowd, three-dimensional video mapping created an array of psychedelic effects.
“We have bespoke three-dimensional video content that makes it look like things are sort of growing over the surface, really responding to the shape,” said Gallagher.
The IICON arena’s dance floor can host 15,000 revellers at once. Photograph by Kamil Kustosz
Block9 is best known for its activities at Glastonbury, where it has created immersive themed stages in the festival’s nightlife-focussed South East corner for eleven successive instalments of the festival.
“We’ve been working for the past 11 years as a partnership building temporary alternative realities,” explained fellow co-founder Berger, who also DJs under the name Gideön.
According to its designers, IICON represents a new scale of project for Block9.
“IICON is a monster project,” Berger said. “It takes eight 40-foot shipping containers to move the touring set.”
“It’s on a giant scaffolding substructure with many tonnes of concrete ballast underneath. Then there’s a giant truss which houses the visor, this big architectural monolith.”
While IICON was the scene of a raucous party at Glastonbury, Berger insists that the project has a socio-political message to convey alongside the revelry.
“It’s a pseudo-religious monument to the situation that humankind finds itself in today,” he explained. “The fact that we are heading in some pretty dangerous and scary directions politically and environmentally, and we are just staring at our screens and pressing ‘more’ or ‘like’ or ‘buy.'”
It takes eight 40-foot shipping containers to move the touring IICON set. Photograph by Matt Smith
Block9 stated that IICON’s debut at Glastonbury was only the first leg of the project, as the studio has plans to launch it as a touring venue with an evolved interior space.
“The intention was always for it to be able to go to different cities around the world,” Gallagher said. “What we have here at Glastonbury is chapter one – chapter two will be an interior venue. It will feel like going inside the artwork, going into the music.”
IICON occupies Block9’s site at Glastonbury alongside two other venues which have returned to the festival in successive years – Genosys and the NYC Downlow.
Genosys is a towering post-industrial structure that features vitrines filled with real plants high above a DJ booth.
The NYC Downlow is an infamous temporary gay club, which kick-started Block9’s activities at Glastonbury. The facade, which recreates a building from New York’s meatpacking district in the early 1980s, houses a packed nightclub that hosts disco and house DJs alongside drag queen performances.
Photograph by Allan Gregorio
According to Berger, each of the venues offer visitors a multifaceted and engaging experience of underground dance music culture.
“What we do with all of our projects is combine loads of different disciplines into a temporary alternative reality” he claimed. “The experience is deep, and we are doing everything in our power to facilitate that depth.”
Glastonbury is one of the world’s largest music festivals, which this year took place from 26 to 30 June in Somerset, UK.
Dezeen created a video roundup of the architectural and design highlights at last week’s Glastonbury festival, which becomes equivalent in terms of size to a small city populated by 200,000 citizens during its duration.
A huge “urban living room” forms the heart of the looping MÉCA cultural hub, which BIG and FREAKS have completed beside the River Garonne in Bordeaux, France.
Named MÉCA, an acronym for Maison de l’Économie Créative et de la Culture en Aquitaine, the 18,000-square-metre centre contains a media library, performance space and art gallery in a bid to establish the city as “the epicentre for culture”.
It was designed by BIG and FREAKS to be an extrusion of the city’s promenade, blurring the boundary between the building and public space, that people can walk through and engage with it.
“MÉCA creates a frame for the celebration of contemporary art, film, and performances, giving Bordeaux the gift of art-filled public space from the waterfront to the city’s new urban room,” explained the architecture studio.
BIG and FREAKS first revealed the design for MÉCA in 2012, as part of the Bordeaux riverfront’s revival. It is positioned on the site of a former slaughterhouse between a series of other industrial buildings, which are also being turned into cultural institutions.
Now open to the public, MÉCA forms a home for the visual arts organisation FRAC, alongside the performing arts centre OARA and the literature and movie organisation the ALCA.
Each organisation occupies a third of the building, with OARA and ALCA in the two vertical columns and FRAC in the asymmetric arch, which stretches over the public square.
The entire complex is wrapped in thousands of prefabricated concrete panels, which are sandblasted to create a texture that echoes the local sandstone-buildings throughout Bordeaux.
Directly connected to the city’s promenade via a series of giant steps, the public square is designed by BIG and FREAKS Architecture to be an “urban living room”, while doubling as a stage for city events.
Open to public 24 hours a day, it is hoped that the general public will engage with MÉCA rather than the select few that are interested in the arts.
On the ground floor there is a lobby that is punctured by a “spiral pit” seating area and a restaurant.
The restaurant is visually connected to the “urban living room” via a giant window, and is furnished with bespoke red furniture and cork chairs designed by BIG in a nod to the city’s reputation for wine.
Flanking the restaurant is OARA’s black 250-seat theatre, which is fitted with flexible seating configurations, and an 80-seat cinema belonging to ALCA. These are also punctured by randomly-placed windows to “create transparency” and offer passersby glimpses inside.
FRAC occupies the upper floors of MÉCA, host to with seven-metre-high exhibition spaces lit by skylights, production studios for artists, storage facilities, a cafe and a 90-seat auditorium.
The cultural centre is complete with a seven metre high MÉCA sign that hangs over the public square like “a modern chandelier”.
There is also a permanent bronze sculpture of Hermes by French artist Benoît Maire that is intended to encourage visitors to “reflect on the contemporary culture of the region”.
BIG is an architecture practice with studios in Copenhagen, New York, London and Barcelona, which was founded by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels in 2005.
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