Hasta La Ideas

The skateboarding brand has broadened its appeal, attracting everyone from the halfpipe to the runway to the football pitch, but it’s still held onto its playful spirit. We talk to MPC’s Richard Skinner about creating fun ads for the brand, even as the stakes get higher

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James Edmonson’s Eckmannpsych and Cheee may look different, but they share a similar spirit.

Eckmannpsych is a revival of Otto Eckmann’s eponymous Eckmann-Schrift, originally released in 1900 at Rudhard’sche Gießerei in Offenbach. Eckmann’s training as a fine artist is evident in this typeface, which is expressive rather than utilitarian. Eckmann-Schrift is an embodiment of the art nouveau style, fashionable at the time of its release.

Cheee is a free interpretation of Aldo Novarese’s Sintex, originally designed in 1973 for the Phototype foundry Visual Graphics Corporation (VGC). Novarese is known for his designs for the Nebiolo foundry, like Microgramma or Stop; Sintex (a space-age design with heavy horizontals and thin stems) is a bit of an outlier in his repertoire.

In revisiting these designs, Edmondson didn’t attempt faithful replicas of the originals. Instead, he took what was good about them and brought those ideas to the next level, replacing (in the case of Eckmann, at least) century-old design decisions with a healthy dose of funk.

Originally drawn as lettering for Vulfpeck’s North America Tour Posters, these free revivals often stray from the originals much further than expected — if Edmonson hadn’t disclosed the influence of Sintex on Cheee, I never would have made that association. With its spaghetti-thin stems and blobby terminals, his interpretation made me think of balloon modeling rather than the distinct shapes of Sintex.

It’s difficult to imagine what would have happened if Eckmann had been reincarnated in San Francisco in the sixties. Eckmannpsych gives us at least an idea. Edmonson’s interpretation of Eckmann’s work carries it to an extreme by exaggerating the contrast, changing the proportions, and making the floral forms of 1900 become more . . . exotic? At any rate, Eckmannpsych looks much more dangerous than the original Eckmannschrift.

2018 was not only a year of excellent type releases; it also saw the birth of Future Fonts, a platform that allows designers to sell typefaces in progress.

Eckmannpsych and Cheee were released as some of the first Future Fonts. Supporting uppercase letters only, one might think of them as digital rub-down alphabets — the low introductory price of $6 seemed fair.

The story could have ended here, but the feedback loop built into the Future Fonts website (and — presumably — its commercial success) encouraged Edmonson to keep thinking about these projects. As a consequence, both designs quickly gained useful additional glyphs like numbers and punctuation, and accumulated additional weights.

2018 was also the first full year in which major design applications (such as Adobe Illustrator) supported variable fonts. Luckily, Edmonson decided to enthusiastically embrace this technology.

Eckmannpsych received a size axis, which allowed users to interpolate the psychedelic high-contrast display variant to a much friendlier looking, wider (almost blobby) text size. This axis alone is worth several lessons in typography: it clearly illustrates the benefit of (and need for) optical sizes.

Cheee was outfitted with a weight axis, which allowed the user to change both heaviness and contrast at the same time. Only a month later, a “gravity” axis was added, which enabled the movement of letter mass up or down (weight being renamed “yeast”). The final axis (so far, at least) is “temperature”, released just in time for Halloween — it entices the user to create dripping letters, revisiting the idea of a Hobeaux dripping with blood.

Edmonson’s playful approach managed to explain the whole point of variable fonts better than any technical demonstration could. Cheee and Eckmannpsych may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I think they teach us two valuable lessons:

• Opinionated revivals are much better than historically accurate ones (I don’t see the “faithful” Eckmanns used very often).
• New technologies are meant to be embraced (and made fun of).

I congratulate Edmondson for effortlessly drawing two of the most impressive fonts of 2018 (and letting everyone take part in their development). I can’t wait to see what he will come up with in 2019!

Swatch recently launched The Big Bold Jelly, a revamped version of its iconic Jellyfish which rocked the 1980s. However, this one promises to be bigger and bolder. Forfeiting the original 34 mm case, Swatch adopted a more impressive 47 mm dial, fully transparent with a semi-transparent silicone strap! This adds a pop of modernity to a beloved classic, and to be honest, prevents us from squinting our eyes whenever we need to know the time.

Crafted from plastic, the case features a height of 44.80 mm and a thickness of 11.75 mm. The larger case has been teamed up with red, blue, and yellow hands, making for a watch that looks as though it likes to have some fun! The splash of color adds a certain edge to an otherwise subtle watch. The Big Bold Jelly’s translucent nature allows you to sneakily watch the quartz movement, an interesting way to pass the time.

The Big Bold Jelly is a quirky timepiece, its transparent elements allow it to remain low-key, while its colorful hands simultaneously call out for attention, creating the perfect contrast! Priced at 110 USD, it’s an affordable watch that makes telling time fun, and isn’t too heavy on the pocket either!

Designer: Swatch

Click Here to Buy Now!

Zaha Hadid‘s recently completed Miami skyscraper One Thousand Museum – one of the late architect’s last buildings – is revealed in a short movie and photography.

Completed at the end of last year, One Thousand Museum is a 62-storey residential skyscraper located on Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami among a row of towers opposite Museum Park.

It rises 700 feet (210 metres) high and has glass facades encased by a curvaceous “exoskeleton” that comprises 5,000 pieces of lightweight glass-fibre-reinforced concrete.

The exterior formwork curves at the corners of the building to form balconies for residences on the lower levels, and then traces sinuous lines higher up that “tuck” in other terraces.

While the curvaceous forms are typical of Zaha Hadid’s style, the exterior was devised to respond to the weather conditions of Miami which is prone to hurricanes.

At the base, these structures widen and splay out to form “rigid tubes”  that are “highly resistant” to demanding wind loads, according to Zaha Hadid Architects.

“The design expresses a fluidity that is both structural and architectural,” said the firm’s project director Chris Lepine.

“What you see is literally structure getting thicker and thinner, as needed,” he added. “There’s a continuity between the disciplines, between the architecture and engineering.”

The tubular elements cover outdoor areas interspersed with a swimming pool and gardens on the ground level – a number of luxury amenities in the condo tower.

Others include the double-height swimming pool at the top of the tower, which is covered by a rippled, metallic ceiling. Called the Aquatic Center, it has large windows that provide views across the city and ocean from the pool, as well as the adjoining seating area.

Residents have access to a spa complete with a sauna, steam room, rain shower, as well as private rooms for treatments and massages.

There is also an all-black multimedia theatre for private movie screenings, a helipad on the roof, the Sky Lounge events space and a fitness centre.

Curvaceous features continue throughout the interior of the building, including larger rounded windows and the slanted, white forms of the reception desk in the lobby that mirror the shape of the curved ceiling above it.

In the lobby, the white surrounding is contrasted by black floor tiling in the lobby that is marked with sinuous lines and a weathered wooden feature wall.

Eighty-three residences are located in the condo tower in a variety of layouts, from four townhouse-style properties to 70 half-floor apartments, eight duplex penthouses that occupy entire floors and one penthouse.

Six of the residences have been completed and fitted out by furniture brands Artefacto, B&B Italia, Roche Bobois, Luxury Living Group and Meridiani.

Zaha Hadid created One Thousand Museum for developers Louis Birdman, Gregg Covin, Kevin Venger, Regalia Group and New York-based Plaza Construction. First unveiled in 2013, it marks one of the last that the architect worked on before she died suddenly in 2016.

One Thousand Museum draws similarities to Hadid’s New York residential tower 520 West 28th, which includes an array of impressive amenities, and curvilinear details.

Project credits:

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Design: Zaha Hadid and Patrik Schumacher
Project director: Chris Lepine
Project team: Alessio Constantino, Martin Pfleger, Oliver Bray, Theodor Wender, Irena Predalic, Celina Auterio, Carlota Boyer Competiton Team: Sam Saffarian, Eva Tiedemann, Brandon Gehrke, Cynthia Du, Grace Chung, Aurora Santana, Olga Yatsyuk
Local architect: O’Donnell Dannwolf Partners
Structural: DeSimone
MEP: HNGS Consulting Engineers
Civil: Terra Civil Engineering
Landscape: Enea Garden Design
Fire protection: SLS Consulting Inc
Vertical transportation: Lerch Bates Inc
Wind tunnel consultant: RWDI

The post Zaha Hadid’s One Thousand Museum in Miami features private aquatic center and helipad appeared first on Dezeen.

Seven galleries worth of thoughtful, provocative pop culture imagery from the acclaimed photographer

The creative forces behind Fotografiska (co-founders and brothers Jan and Per Broman) continue to open international locations that share a mission with their Stockholm flagship. More than photography museums, these social art spaces focus on curatorial topics that push boundaries and address the humanity behind the artistry and craft. Few exhibits could propel such concepts further than Devotion! 30 Years of Photographing Women, an expansion of a retrospective dedicated to the work of German photographer Ellen von Unwerth that debuted in Sweden several years back. Seven galleries in the revitalized faux-Gothic landmark on Park Avenue South highlight von Unwerth’s exploration of gender and celebration of lust and transgressive humor. Further, this inaugural exhibition heralds the capabilities of Fotografiska New York.

Von Unwerth taps into bliss. In this exhibition, her work may have been arranged into seven thematic chapters (play, gender, drama, love, power, passion and lust) but, regardless of classification, all her subjects convey emotion, empowerment, joy and spontaneity. From Bananarama and Rihanna album covers to Dior campaigns, Vogue spreads and celebrity portraiture, von Unwerth’s portfolio crisscrosses cultural milestones and media. Some 30 years ago, she began to work with Claudia Schiffer. Their relationship helped to usher in the age of the supermodel. This is only one example of her influence on fashion.

Passing through the galleries, a cinematic sensation takes hold. A curator assisted von Unwerth in the search through her archive, for images that would accent the show. In the process, the photographer rediscovered many she’d forgotten. On the walls, they collide with force—some illicit a quick reaction, others provoke a double-take. At the end, one understands that von Unwerth will continue to influence photography and the overlap between fine art and commercial work.

Devotion! 30 Years of Photographing Women runs now through 29 March. It occupies one of three exhibition floor spaces in Fotografiska New York. The six-floor, 45,000-square-foot renovation features a ground-floor cafe and bookstore; a Roman and Williams-designed restaurant and bar, named Verōnika, helmed by Stephen Starr; and a top-floor event space with vaulted ceilings and skylights.

Images courtesy of Fotografiska, hero image of Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss for Vogue US 1996 © Ellen von Unwerth