As Sally Rooney’s bestselling novel gets a TV adaption, director Lenny Abrahamson discusses the challenges of translating the book’s intense emotions and internal monologues to a visual medium, and rethinking the way teenage relationships are portrayed on screen
The post Reimagining Normal People for the small screen appeared first on Creative Review.
In our digital world, it is unusual to find ourselves in unknown territory. Yet, as proven recently, our systems don’t always have all the answers. Which can be a good thing, says WPP’s creative AI lead Perry Nightingale
The post Perry Nightingale on the unknown appeared first on Creative Review.
If, like many, you’re finding it hard to concentrate at the moment, Google Assistant might have the answer. Its Stories of Splendid Isolation series is sharing short clips from various writers, reflecting on the Covid-19 crisis.
There’s a choice of three different authors to listen to each day, with each clip around two minutes long. Writers’ thoughts range from their personal experience of the pandemic, to what life might be like post-lockdown – which, according to Nikesh Shukla, is going to involve a lot of prolonged hugs.
There’s something strangely comforting about the format, which almost feels like being on the phone with each of the authors (aside from Will Self, who’s chosen to read an extract from one of his stories). And if immersing yourself in yet another podcast series feels like too much, this is a possible good alternative for staving off moments of lockdown despair.
To listen to the clips, tell Google Assistant “Talk to Stories of Splendid Isolation”
The post Enjoy some moments of ‘literary respite’ with Google Assistant appeared first on Creative Review.
It’s been a long time coming, but after years of being overshadowed by male-only leagues, women’s football has finally become a major sporting success in its own right.
The FIFA women’s World Cup reported its highest-ever viewing figures last year, with over 260 million people tuning in to watch the final between the Netherlands in the US. In the UK, the success of England’s Lionesses has prompted a massive rise in players at a grassroots level, inspiring 850,000 women to take up the sport, while brands from the BBC to Nike and Adidas have launched campaigns in support of the team.
It’s also a growing sport in Belgium: last year, the Belgian FA announced an ambitious five-year plan to grow women’s football and double player participation from 40,000 to 80,000. Along with investing an additional €3 million into the sport over the next two seasons, the FA plans to visit hundreds of schools to raise awareness of the game at a grassroots level.
Local football clubs have also been working to raise the profile of women’s football and attract new players to the sport. This week, Club Brugge’s women’s team revealed a new name and a slick visual identity created by Studio Dumbar (part of design agency Dept) and independent art director Ludovic Beun.
The rebrand sees the club renamed as Club YLA in honour of Yvonne Lahousse, a Brugge local and diehard fan. “[Lahousse] died in 2006 at the age of 91. She was the ‘mother of the Spionkop’ – the part of the stadium with the most loyal supporters. Her fanaticism was legendary; mere days before giving birth she could still be found behind the goal to cheer on the team,” says Studio Dumbar.
The design aims to reflect Lahousse’s “dynamic, passionate and energetic” spirit, and will be applied to merchandise as well as outdoor ads and digital communications. With its bold black-and-white colour palette, angular typeface and striking photography by Stig de Block, it’s a fresh and contemporary look – one that feels closer to campaigns from the likes of Nike and Adidas than it does to traditional football branding.
“[The club] definitely wanted to stand out,” explains Liza Enebeis, creative director at Studio Dumbar. “Club YLA is more than a football brand. It’s a contemporary brand that mixes sport, football and lifestyle. The brand had to reflect their attitude.”
The custom logotype aims to reflect the physical dynamic of football, with sharp angles referencing arrows and movement, and provides a nod to the slanted lines in Club Brugge’s emblem.
The logotype is used alongside Klim Type Foundry’s typeface, Söhne Breit, in communications: “We specifically choose Söhne to contrast the hard-edged logotype and layouts and create more tension. It’s contemporary and functional with clear letter forms,” adds Enebeis.
Photography, meanwhile, aims to reflect the club’s “down to earth attitude” and urban location, while the colour palette reflects the team’s core colours of black, white and blue.
Credits: Art direction and design: Studio Dumbar and Ludovic Beun. Styling: Kate Housh. Photography: @stigdeblock
The post Studio Dumbar rebrands Brugge’s women’s soccer team appeared first on Creative Review.
The weekend is here and that means surfing on the web and finding ways to upgrade your Netflix and chill set-up. I have become an online furniture critic after spending all this time at home and thinking about how could each piece of furniture be upgraded to something cooler. If you are working from home then desks and chairs are your jam, and if you find a perfect chair then it is a win-win because it works for work and works for bing-watching! That is exactly the justification I am giving myself as I dream of getting this Zero Gravity chair by renowned designer Peter Opsvik. It literally and single-handedly will bring work-life balance!
The Zero Gravity Balans chair was designed to be a blend of relaxation and productivity. It is the vision of what a modern chair should be – multifunctional and aesthetically pleasing. What sets this chair apart is that it has no mechanical adjustment parts, it is made to be so ergonomic that your body movements dictate its positions. You can choose to adjust it at four different angles which gives you room to be flexible with your posture and the chair to mold itself according to the space it is set in. You can sit in whatever position that is comfortable to you from kneeling to the fully reclined – one works for Netflix party and one for working from home. The Zero Gravity Balans chair’s unique form makes sure that no matter how you are seated, your body is constantly close to its balancing point, allowing the slightest shift of weight to bring you from one position to the next. Now only if the gym equipment worked like that too!
You may have heard that recliners are bad for your back, but this chair actually provides increased lumbar support when fully reclined. I am a relatively short person so I appreciate the fact that the headrest is also adjustable, besides you would want it at different levels when you’re working vs when you’re watching TV. This chair encourages better natural posture and mobility through its design. It is smooth, adaptive, and unique – all the qualities I strive for as a person are now in a piece of furniture.
Designer: Peter Opsvik for Varier
RX Architects incorporated part of an unfinished building into this house with a cantilevered upper story on the Rye Nature Reserve in East Sussex, England.
Called Druim, the house was built over an existing foundation and ground floor.
The previous owners of the site had been unable to secure permission for two planned properties due to the area’s protected status, and opted to sell the site complete with a half-finished structuree
RX Architects built on this existing masonry base with a cantilevering upper-storey clad in Siberian larch, positioned to maximise views across the landscape out towards the sea.
“When the [new] owners commissioned us it was on the basis of completing the existing house, but I quickly came to the conclusion the proportions of the house were all wrong to meet their brief,” project architect Rob Pollard told Dezeen.
“A key move here was to re-use the existing foundations and external load-bearing ground floor walls, then place a new steel structure over it so that the first floor could cantilever out.”
The house is split horizontally, with a living, kitchen and dining area opening onto two terraces at ground-floor level and bedrooms on the first floor at either side of a library space.
This library space opens out onto a deeply recessed balcony through glass sliding doors, framing a panoramic view across the site.
“We clad the ceiling in this [balcony] space with the same narrow larch batten strips on the external soffits to create a sense of being partially outside,” said Pollard.
“It almost has the feel of a bird hide overlooking the nature reserve.”
A single-storey games room with an adjacent studio flat has also been created to the west of the main house, accessed via a garden path.
On the ground floor, the existing structure of engineering bricks has been retained and painted with black Keim paint, usually used for marine environments and lighthouses.
“[The Keim paint] seemed fitting for this very exposed coastal location, and the dark colour would compliment the first floor cladding,” said Pollard.
“The top floor will naturally weather and silver and appear very rough and textured, whereas the ground floor will retain a very robust and solid datum feel.”
Above, the more lightweight first floor projects over this base with a steel and timber structure.
The cantilever shelters the entrance and south-facing elevation below.
This contrast continues internally, with a more “robust” and tactile ground floor and a bright, calm upper floor.
“We wanted to keep a calm palette so everything felt very natural in the environment but didn’t detract from the views over the landscape,” said Pollard.
RX Architects was founded in 2016, and is led by Rob Pollard and Derek Rankin.
Also in Sussex, Paul Cashin Architects recently completed the refurbishment of a 19th-century cottage in the seaside village of Sidlesham Quay.
Photography is by Richard Chivers.
The post Larch-clad house by RX Architects cantilevers over landscape appeared first on Dezeen.
Two monolithic concrete walls by designer Luca Fortin are arranged “like an opened book” to form a passageway inside a Quebec City park.
Entre les lignes, which translates as between the lines, separates an urban area of the Canadian city from Chauveau Park located alongside the St Charles River.
It is intended to beckon park visitors to pass through the rounded archway into the wooded space.
“Like an opened book, this work is an invitation to walk through a new landscape, whether real or imaginary,” Fortin said.
“Offering visitors access to a transitionary space between the urban and the natural areas of the linear park of the Rivière-Saint-Charles, framed poetically by the wide arch-shaped portal,” he added.
“Acting both as an entranceway and finish line for its pedestrian public, the piece is an open invitation for contemplation, a catalyst to reawaken a desire to dream and reconnect to the natural landscape shared by all.”
The sculpture comprises two walls formed by stacked concrete slabs that measure eight metres long and four metres high. Fortin used a wooden mould for the concrete to give it a marked texture.
A rounded archway, cut out from one of the walls, straddles the path to form an access point through which park visitors can traverse. The pair are arranged at a slight angle from one another leaving a wide opening on one end that follows the pathway.
Rigid lines and small holes stretch across the grey walls in a manner similar to text-markings.
“Diffused colours, streaks and textures leave abstract palimpsestic traces on the walls, their almost script-like appearance invites viewers to decrypt them as they wish,” Fortin added.
Changing seasons and weather, such as rain and snow, will transform the structure’s composition throughout the year.
“The cycling of the four seasons, with the succession of rain, falling leaves and snow, will change the intrinsic appearance of the concrete, constantly offering passers-by a new version of its story,” the designer added.
Luca Fortin worked with design collective Fontaine/Fortin/Labelle to design a colourful, abstract doorway.
The project formed part of Passages Insolites, an annual public art festival presented by arts organisation EXMURO that asks architects to install unusual passages around the city.
Photography is by Felix Michaud, unless noted otherwise.
The post Luca Fortin constructs concrete passageway for Quebec City park appeared first on Dezeen.
Is it masochistic that I’m already dreaming of the outdoors and looking at products like the Kammock Sunda 2.0, planning my treks and camping trips in my head?
The Sunda 2.0 is an outdoor tent that can be used on land or in the skies. Perfect for any sort of weather, you can pitch the Sunda 2.0 up either on dry ground, or suspend it between trees during the rain or snowfall. I’d personally prefer the latter just for the view! Designed to house up to 2 people, the Sunda 2.0 uses a simplified architecture that allows it to compress into a duffle bag when folded. Assembling it is a breeze too, thanks to its three spines that use tensile integrity to prop the tent up. The tent’s longitudinal design easily fits people over 6-ft tall into it, while its robust construction and reinforced floor makes it practically impervious to damage from the elements. Crafted from Kammock’s specialized Lumos
fabric, the Sunda 2.0 filters sunlight into the tent during the day, illuminating its interiors with a diffused light, while the fabric’s infrared and UV blocking properties keep you protected from sun damage. Designated intakes keep the tent ventilated at all times, while filtering out rain and critters.
The Sunda 2.0 comes equipped with pockets and slots on the inside to store your EDC and personal belongings. When on land, the Sunda 2.0 comes with an inflatable floor to make things comfortable. Take the Sunda 2.0 to the skies and you can simply ditch the inflatable floor to use its durable 40D ripstop nylon fabric base as your hammock-home, suspending it over the ground, or even above a lake or river, using the durable Python hammock straps that come along with each tent, for a room with a lake-facing view!
Each Sunda 2.0 comes with an adventure-proof lifetime guarantee on its construction, and ships in November this year, which coincides perfectly with the holiday season, and should honestly be long enough for this pandemic to blow over so we can all travel outdoors again!
Designers: Henry Parker & Greg McEvilly
Click Here to Buy Now: $345 $420 ($75 off). Hurry, for a limited time only! Over $150,000 raised.
The Sunda 2.0 is both a tent and a hammock. Versatile, lightweight, and easy to use, it adapts to your needs in any terrain. With it, you’re equipped to camp on the ground or in air.
Advanced weatherproof construction, unique ground-to-air convertible design, and effortless, quick setup allows first-time campers and experienced backpackers alike to hike farther with ease and confidence into unfamiliar territory.
A freestanding 2-person tent and 1-person all-in-one hammock tent.
The Sundra has an overall user experience to create an easy to use, incredibly adaptable and durable 3-season tent.
Lightning-fast setup and transition: Transition from a ground tent to a hammock in less than 60 seconds.
Simplified pole architecture: Exterior poles and sleeves boost wind stability during inclement weather and bolster a seamless transition off the ground.
Integrated rainfly: Eliminates excess weight and allows for set-up in a fraction of the time.
Bathtub floor: The bathtub floor is enhanced for strength and provides a waterproof barrier to protect against the elements.
Sunda 2.0 is a spacious 2-person tent that offers the most liveable space of any tent in its category. With 34.75 sq ft of vast interior living space, Sunda 2.0 has room for two adults plus all your gear, kids, or dogs. Sunda’s peak height at 40 inches provides ample headroom and extends the full 100 inch (8 ft 4 in) length of the tent.
Eight feet of length means that there’s enough room for even the tallest camper. Most tents boast about sit-up height, but their high point is usually isolated within a few square inches before the tent wall starts to slope down. Sunda’s pole architecture creates a cavernous interior space without adding extra weight.
The rainfly is integrated with the tent body to eliminate excess weight. The rainfly is seam-sealed with high-quality Bemis seam tape for an extra layer of waterproof protection against heavy downpours. As a core structural component of the tent, the rainfly remains attached when converted from tent to hammock. This new design streamlines and simplifies the transition process for set up in a fraction of the time. In hammock mode, it’s an airy canopy and protection from the elements.
Two large tent doors offer easy in-and-out access while in tent mode or hammock mode. No need to crawl over your friend or partner in the middle of the night again.
The vestibules are 11% larger and provide more dry storage options without adding extra weight. For two ground campers, each person has their own designated space to stash gear or muddy shoes.
Sunda 2.0 features two fly and tent body windows that are accessible from inside and outside the tent. On the rainfly, two additional tie back points at each entry allow for unobstructed peripheral visibility out of the tent and amplified airflow.
The tent walls are made from lightweight and durable Nannoet mesh to increase breathability, while still keeping the insects out. The tent walls double as a built-in bug net for 360º protection in hammock mode.
Sunda 2.0 also has katabatic venting, ensuring maximum cross-ventilation opportunities for cooler breezes to pass through the tent, or warm, humid air to dissipate prior to turning to condensation.
The tent pole architecture boosts wind stability and bolsters a seamless transition off the ground. Four color-coordinated DAC tent poles match pole sleeves on the integrated rainfly for a quick and intuitive setup.
Sunda’s pole structure maximizes interior volume for increased living space without extra weight.
On the interior, four built-in side pockets provide organization to store maps, journals, or late-night snacks. Mesh pockets are within arms reach in both tent and hammock mode for quick access to your essentials.
Across the tent, thoughtfully placed gear loops provide plenty of options to hang lanterns and additional organization accessories. Their Media Kit Organizer (available as an add-on) is designed to perfectly utilize these gear loops to maximize your interior storage capacity.
Light-enhancing Fabric Reflects UV Light
The integrated rainfly is built with our specialized Lumos fabric to provide versatility beyond waterproof protection. From the interior, Lumos acts as a light enhancing fabric to amplify the performance of a single light source for a brilliant glow at night.
While in the daylight, Lumos reflects and blocks infrared and visible light rays from the sun for a cooler tent interior.
Sunda 2.0 features a waterproof bathtub floor where the floor fabric extends up the sides of the tent walls, creating a raised wall similar to a bathtub. Sunda 2.0’s bathtub floor provides a base height of 4″ and extends even taller up to 15″ at the head and foot of the tent to provide additional waterproof protection against inclement weather.
It also includes a YKK snaps that secure the hammock line in place while you’re in tent mode. No more hunting for the line, so transitioning to hammock mode has never been easier!
The 40D ripstop nylon bathtub floor is abrasion-resistant, tear-resistant, and incredibly durable. The bathtub floor doubles as the hammock body equipped to support up to 400 lb for a safe and reliable hang off the ground. PU and DWR coating provides superior waterproof protection on the interior and exterior of the tent.
Sunda 2.0 comes with a separate footprint to extend the life of your tent floor when in ground mode. Durable, 70D nylon taffeta footprint provides extra protection from gravel, roots, twigs, and dry rugged terrain.
Sunda 2.0 transitions from ground tent to hammock in less than 60 seconds.
No tying knots, no second-guessing. A few easy steps let you take camp off the ground for your best night of sleep.
A hammock provides soft support off the ground and curves to the natural arch of your back. Python 10 straps and attached Kanga Claw carabiners are included with Sunda 2.0.
The team has put a great deal of attention into the materials, components, and trims. They opted for the strongest, most durable, industry-leading materials for backcountry camping. Sunda 2.0 strikes a balance between innovative design, lightweight and durable construction.
Click Here to Buy Now: $345 $420 ($75 off). Hurry, for a limited time only! Over $150,000 raised.
We’ve rounded up 10 houses from across the globe with rooms dedicated to yoga and meditation – including a beachfront spot in Mexico and a plywood-covered nook in Canada.
Hatley House by Pelletier de Fontenay and François Abbott, Canada
This gabled house in the Canadian town of Hatley, Quebec features a minimally furnished room clad in plywood. Built above the master bedroom, the nook was designed to offer the owners a space for meditation.
Find out more about Hatley House ›
Lyons Garden by Colectivo Lateral de Arquitectura, Mexico
Mexico City studio Colectivo Lateral de Arquitectura built a beach house on the Pacific Ocean for clients who envisioned a meditative getaway. One room overlooks the waterfront with sliding glass walls and has a large, round lightwell above.
Find out more about Lyons Garden ›
Lai Yard by Ming Gu Design, China
A glazed extension was added to a Chinese dwelling in Nanjing by Ming Gu Design. The studio created the volume as a place for cultivating mindfulness with an area nearby for preparing and drinking tea.
Find out more about Lai Yard ›
Crestview Lane House by Deborah Berke Partners, USA
Deborah Berke Partners has outfitted this residence with separate gyms for a husband and wife in New York’s Hamptons area. Sliding glass doors usher in sunlight and provide access to a grassy lawn and outdoor swimming pool.
Find out more about Crestview Lane House ›
Springhill House by Lovell Burton, Australia
This house was erected an agricultural plot outside of Melbourne for a writer seeking a change from city life. Inside, the room can be divided using a curtain to create a yoga studio or guest bedroom.
Find out more about Springhill House ›
Hill Country House by Miró Rivera Architects, USA
Floor-to-ceiling windows outfit this yoga room to provide views of a rolling meadow in Texas. Designed by Miró Rivera Architects, the residence also provides its own heating and cooling via a geothermal system.
Find out more about Hill Country House ›
DX Arquitectos added a timber-framed extension onto the home of a yoga teacher in Santiago so she can teach classes. The project is for the director of Ashtanga Yoga Chile – the oldest school in the country specialising in this style of yoga.
Mermaid Beach Residence by B.E. Architecture, Australia
A couple with two young children desired a home where they can surf and do yoga, and tasked B.E. Architecture to create it. Located in Queensland, Australia, the abode features several outdoor areas for enjoying the outdoors.
Find out more about Mermaid Beach Residence ›
Creek House by Faulkner Architects, USA
Faulker Architects built a residence near Lake Tahoe as a California retreat for a research scientist who lives in New York City. Inside, a barely-furnished room has floors covered in Japanese tatami mats.
Find out more about Creek House ›
Ceiba House by Jorge Ramírez, Mexico
Architect Jorge Ramírez preserved an old fruit tree when renovating his home in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He then added a studio on top as a place for his wife and himself to practice yoga.
Find out more about Ceiba House ›
The post 10 homes designed for practising yoga and meditation appeared first on Dezeen.
Back in 1985, Iggy Pop teamed up with fellow icon Bootsy Collins for a cover of Sly & The Family Stone’s glorious, 1971 psychedelic funk/soul classic “Family Affair.” He’s released it for free download today—his 73rd birthday. The Godfather of Punk (born James Newell Osterberg Jr) tells BBC 6Music’s Lauren Laverne, “I’ve always loved this song, it came out when I was kinda on the ropes in 1971. There’s a lot of truth in it, especially in the second verse, about all sorts of questions that are coming around again now.” While remaining mostly faithful to the original, Iggy Pop brings his immediately recognizable baritone to the song—which has a lighter, almost ’80s poolside pop vibe this time around.
In celebration of 420, Mister Green and hi-fi audio company Sonos collaborated on a “High Vibrations” playlist that fuses genres, places contrasting tracks back-to-back, and flows with unexpected synergy. “Beautiful sounds to enjoy at any time, but perhaps even more-so if you are being festive. You could start playing it at 4:20PM, but it will also work just as well at 10:15AM,” Mister Green founder Ariel Stark-Benz says. Cosmic, calming, transportive, and entrancing, “High Vibrations” is a journey worth enjoying—loudly.
Faye Webster’s new song (out on Secretly Canadian) addresses a love so strong it makes her want to cry—”in a good way,” the title and chorus declare. Tender moments lead to affirmations, all while a gentle instrumental that melds R&B, folk and soft-rock rolls along. With strings, tinkling keys and classic guitar, the sweet and airy tune ultimately tells the story of joyous, giddy love.
Released via Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Ab-Soul’s newest track spotlights his lyrical prowess atop an ever-changing instrumental that is comprised of samples and splices of Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam,” Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement” and Ab-Soul and Zacari’s own “RAW.” Produced by Devin Williams, “Dangerookipawaa Freestyle” is the artist’s first solo track since 2016 and he returns to form with lyrics that mention TDE CEO Anthony “Top Dawg/Dangerookipawaa” Tiffith, Craig Mack, Michael Jordan, Eminem, the late Mac Miller, John Mayer and more.
Hypnotic and meditative, Jónsi’s new song “Exhale” burns slowly over five minutes, as his breathy vocals rise over piano and dreamy synths. With glitches and echoes punctuating the melody, the tune (written and produced by Jónsi and A.G. Cook) reaches a crescendo with less than a minute left. Throughout, Jónsi sings the mantra-like lyrics “It’s just the way it is / it isn’t your fault / it isn’t your fault / just let it go now.”
San Diego-based musician and visual artist Postcard Boy (aka Garrett Seamans, who also photographs under the alias phylm) ruminates on the freedoms found amidst the agenda-less summer days of youth in “Flight.” The second single to premiere in advance of his forthcoming EP, Limbo (out 19 June), the track honors these fleeting sensation and the warmth of summer friendships. Seamans goes so far as to conclude with oceanic sounds he captured during a road trip along the California coast. It’s the self-directed music video—one that supports the freedom of aimless adventure with undeniable beauty—that ties in Seamans artistry on all levels.
Listen Up is published every Sunday and rounds up the new music we found throughout the week. Hear the year so far on our Spotify channel.
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.
