This egg-poacher is the epitome of an easy-breezy lazy breakfast!

I can’t begin to tell you how stressful poaching an egg is to the amateur cook. Every chef has their own technique which requires a fair amount of expertise. Some do it in a microwave, some swirl the water before they put the egg in, and some use tea strainers or cups to introduce the cracked egg to boiling water… and while each chef has their own poaching lifehack, none are as easy (and easy-looking) as using OTOTO’s Eggland poacher. Designed as a pool-tube that floats in water, this food-grade silicone device makes poaching eggs absolutely stress-free. Just place the Eggland in almost-boiling water, add a few drops of oil, and crack the egg right into its cavity. The egg looks like it’s lounging away, while the hot water below it cooks it to oozy-yolk perfection. Pull the device out by the handle that’s modeled after an inflatable palm tree, and flip the egg over your ham and cheese sandwich to upgrade it to an absolutely divine Croque Madame sandwich. Now THAT’s what I call a breakfast of champions!

Designers: Lilach Eytan & OTOTO

Izzy Bizu: Tough Pill

With her single “Tough Pill,” vocalist Izzy Bizu (aka Isobel Beardshaw) references classic R&B tunes with her choir-backed verses and sensitive subject matter. Addressing infidelity, regret, and freedom, she uses the track’s title to tell the audience how it felt to be unsure whether a relationship was really over: “You run my heart over like a bulldozer / Don’t know who you’re getting close with on this sofa / Maybe I can answer, you’re moving forward / It’s never over, until it’s over / Tough pill to swallow / My heart gotta know.” The song will appear on Bizu’s forthcoming album, The Things We Do For Love, which is due later this year. 

These wooden toys and their packaging are designed to be eco-friendly for the planet!

Plastic products are a serious problem for our planet. We need more designs that do not end up in our landfills or oceans just to stay there for hundreds of years. Rising up to this challenge are designers Cristina Regidor and Arturo Moreno with the idea of reducing wastage for products like toys, whose life cycles are comparatively shorter. They have created ‘Long Animals’, toys made out of wood that last for a long time and are also well… quite literally long. They went a step further by creating the packaging in wood too. Their entire design (toy + packaging) is environmentally friendly. No plastic. Not even glue! Now that’s some impactful concept!

The toys, featuring a dog and a croc, come as blocks and use dowel pins for assembly. These pins are used to assemble the packaging as well. And all the instructions come engraved on the outer panel. Also, to reduce waste, the inner piece of the packaging that protects the blocks is made of wood residues mixed with the fungus Pleurotus Ostreatus. The mixture is inserted into a mold to grow mycelium, creating a light and ecological protective structure. The designers have definitely rounded up this design well! Kids can now have fun and help save the planet at the same time!

Designers: Cristina Regidor and Arturo Moreno

01

02

03

Dal Pian inserts bright orange staircase in São Paulo office building

Natura Headquarters by Dal Pian Arquitetos

A bright orange staircase and patches of vegetation are visible from the outside of this São Paulo office building, which Brazilian studio Dal Pian designed for a beauty company.

Natura, a cosmetic and personal care company, hosted a competition inviting firms to design its new administrative headquarters building in São Paulo. It selected Dal Pian‘s design for a six-storey glass structure with a facade that partially exposes the internal green spaces and colourful staircase.

Natura Headquarters by Dal Pian Arquitetos

The 29,700-square-metre building houses offices, support and utility areas and green spaces and is located next to the company’s distribution centre on a site surrounded by trees and plants.

It comprises a 100-metre-long glass volume that is clad with laminated panels, topped with a green roof and lifted by a series of round columns.

Natura Headquarters by Dal Pian Arquitetos

The translucent facade is punctured with rectangular voids filled in with lush vegetation. Gardens, grassy patios and reflecting pools are also situated throughout the interiors, connecting the design with its natural surroundings.

Natura Headquarters by Dal Pian Arquitetos

An open atrium in its centre extends to each level of the building to create a “visual connection” among all the spaces. Its open floor plan and clear facade allow natural light to flood the interiors.

“Composed by six floors, the design is set around an integrating void, which permits the visual connection between floors,” the studio said. “The layout prioritises flexibility and creates a large open space to increase the use of natural light.”

Natura Headquarters by Dal Pian Arquitetos

A number of passive strategies were used on the building to minimise its environmental impact and energy use. These include the metal louvres that attach to the north and south elevations to filter light and minimise indoor temperatures, and the green roof which increases its thermal isolation.

Natura Headquarters by Dal Pian Arquitetos

Inside, the studio added a bright orange staircase that meanders upwards and connects the ground storey with the upper levels. Wraparound glass balconies overlook the lower floors, where furnished patios are nestled into patches of vegetation.

Lifts covered with glass walls provide riders with a panoramic view of the office and complement the sculptural staircase.

Natura Headquarters by Dal Pian Arquitetos

An outdoor patio area surrounded by glass walls extends out from the horizontal structure.

The green space has been furnished with outdoor dining tables and benches for employees to enjoy nature on their breaks.

Natura Headquarters by Dal Pian Arquitetos

Other office projects in Brazil include a headquarters building for a timber company that Solo Arquitetos has outfitted with pale wood products and a pink dental manufacturing lab designed by SuperLimão.

Photography is by Nelson Kon.


Project credits:

Architecture: Dal Pian Arquitetos Associados
Authors: Lilian Dal Pian e Renato Dal Pian
Coordination: Carolina Freire
Collaborators: Amanda Higuti, Bruno Pimenta, Carolina Fukumoto, Carolina Tobias, Cristiane Sbruzzi, Filomena Piscoletta, Giovana Giosa, Julio Costa, Lidia Martello, Luis Taboada, Marina Risse, Natalie Tchilian, Paola Meneghetti, Paulo Noguer, Ricardo Rossin, Sabrina Aron, Yuri Chamon
Management: ARC Investment Control
Construction company: HTB
Interior architecture: Athié | Wohnrath
Structure: Modus Engenharia
Foundations: Damascus Penna
Building installations: Tesis Engenharia / Interativa
Air conditioning: TR Thérmica
Landscaping: Sérgio Santana Landscaping
Lighting: Franco Associados
Environmental comfort: Chapman-BDSP
Acoustics: Acoustic Harmony
Cenotechnics: Cineplast
Window consultancy: Crescêncio Consultoria
Building automation: Building Control Jugend
Kitchen: Placontec Consultoria
Accessibility: Pimenta Associados
Waterproofing: Proasp Assessoria e Projetos
Earthwork and drainage: Fat’s Engenharia
Helipad: Siegger
Elevators: Zapp Consultoria
Budget: Action Planning
Legal Consultants: H2, Tekton, IGJ, Negrisolo & Negrisolo

The post Dal Pian inserts bright orange staircase in São Paulo office building appeared first on Dezeen.

How to Create Molds for Small, Tricky Parts, Part 2

Last week in Part 1, industrial designer Eric Strebel showed you how to create the stack-ups for molds for some small action figures. That part was relatively straightforward, but to create the actual molds, some ingenuity is required as the original parts have undercuts. In an effort to get clean parting lines, Strebel shows you his clay fill-in technique.

It’s painstaking work, but worth the time if you want to get the most out of the molds:

Antepavilion juror attacks "pathetic" council for blocking Sharks! installation with court injunction

Antepavilion Sharks! by Jamie Shorten

An installation of five fibreglass sharks by architect Jaimie Shorten for the Architecture Foundation’s Antepavilion project in east London has been hit by a last-minute court injunction by the local council.

Four of the five models had already been lowered into the Regent’s Canal in east London ahead of today’s planned opening.

But Hackney Council’s planning department issued a court injunction last night against the Architecture Foundation, the built-environment charity that organises the annual Antepavilion project.

The injunction alleges that the installation amounts to a “material change of use” of the canal and accuses the organisers of “the display of art installations without the benefit of planning permission”.

It prohibits the organisers from “using the land or facilitating the use of the land for the display of art installations or similar installations” ahead of a hearing at the High Court next Friday.

Antepavilion jury member Russell Gray, whose property company Shiva owns the Hoxton Docks venue for the installation, described the council’s move as “pathetic” and claimed planning offers were “driven by their own egos”.

Antepavilion Sharks! by Jamie Shorten
The injunction has left one of the five sharks stranded inside Hoxton Docks

Work has been suspended on the installation until the hearing, leaving the fifth shark stranded on dry land.

“The work on the installation of the sharks was ongoing last night when a court injunction requested by Hackney Council was issued, which is disputing the change of use on the site,” Architecture Foundation director Ellis Woodman told Dezeen.

It’s the latest in a series of planning battles that have beset the Antepavilion series since it started in 2017. The yearly competition grants a cash prize to architects to design something for the historic canal that cuts through north and east London.

Antepavilion Sharks! by Jamie Shorten
Four of the sharks were already in the canal when the injunction was served

“It was just so pathetic,” Gray told Dezeen.

“It was too late to affect what we’ve done so far. Hackney Council must have been scrambling once they became aware that some sharks were going to go onto the canal.”

Gray believes the council acted after reading an article about the project by Guardian architecture critic Oliver Wainwright.

“It was provoked by some daft article in The Guardian by a guy who presented himself as interested in writing a serious story and then actually wrote a load of childish nonsense that was man-eaters released into the canal,” said Gray.

“What a f*cking asshole.”

Antepavilion Sharks! by Jamie Shorten
The council may have been tipped off by “man-eater” media coverage

Last year’s Antepavilion, a rooftop structure called Potemkin Theatre, was served with a notice from the council after it was built.

Ironically, this year’s Antepavilion brief called for designs that commented on the project’s ongoing battles with planners.

“Applicants to this year’s Antepavilion competition were invited to make proposals that referenced Hackney Council’s ongoing campaign to demolish the previous Antepavilions that have been built at Hoxton Docks,” says the Antepavilion website.

“Part of the brief was engagement with the planning system and some of the nonsense that besets it,” explained Gray.

“You get this kind of situation where they haven’t then got a rulebook to follow, and so they go off on their own mission, which is largely driven by their own egos.”

Persecuting smaller construction projects is a chance for planners to get revenge after being humiliated by the big private developers destroying swathes of London’s heritage for profit, Gray alleged.

“They get their chance to get their own back for being bullied and told to do exactly what they’re told by the big developers,” he said.

Antepavilion Sharks! by Jamie Shorten
This is not the first time Antepavilion has attracted the council’s ire

Architect Jaimie Shorten told Dezeen it was not his intention to provoke this response from the council with his competition-winning pavilion design, which is called Sharks!

“I think they’ve gone off on one quite quickly,” said Shorten, who is a partner at London studio Barker Shorten Architects.

“It’s not done for that purpose. I’m not in business to make trouble for people or myself,” he added.

“I’ve worked as an architect in Hackney for 30 years,” he added. “I’ve done hundreds of applications and not a single one has gone smoothly. You can waste months and months trying to second guess what they want.”

Antepavilion Sharks! by Jamie Shorten
The stranded sharks’ case will have a hearing next week

Shorten’s concept for five sharks in the canal was supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek response to the brief about Antepavilion’s previous planning battles.

The fibreglass creatures are a riff on the Headington Shark, a fibreglass sculpture of a big fish crashing through the roof of a terraced house that caused a row over planning permission with Oxford City Council when it was installed in the 80s.

“The scheme makes reference to an earlier symbol of the tension between authoritarian planning and personal expression, the Headington Shark in Oxford,” according to the Antepavilion website.

However, when asked about the meaning of the project, Shorten replied: “Well, it’s five sharks in a canal.”

In 2019 the winning Antepavilion design was the Potemkin Theatre designed by Maich Swift Architects. The year before that, architects Thomas Randall-Page and Benedetta Rogers built an inflatable theatre on an old coal barge called AirDraft.

The first-ever AntePavilion, Air Duct by PUP Architects, was intended as a provocation to planners. Consisting of a rooftop room disguised as a ventilation duct, it was created as a commentary on the “hypocrisy” of the existing system, which allows air-handling equipment to be installed without planning permission.

The post Antepavilion juror attacks “pathetic” council for blocking Sharks! installation with court injunction appeared first on Dezeen.

Shawn Huckins Hand Paints Famous Portraits With A Twist

À Denver, au Colorado, le peintre Shawn Huckins réactualise les peintures à l’huile de renom, avec un twist contemporain : Internet. À coups de dictons dont le langage est savamment emprunté aux communautés de Facebook, Twitter ou Instagram, Shawn Huckins crée en se posant des questions anachroniques “Que publierait George Washington sur Facebook ?”. Chaque tableau, tout comme les lettres qui composent les dictons, sont méticuleusement peintes à la main. 






Marvelous 3D Creations Inspired by Art Deco

Fubiz et Adobe Stock vous proposent une nouvelle collaboration artistique, autour de l’une des tendances visuelles identifiées par Adobe : “L’Art Déco revisité”.

Nombreux sont les artistes qui utilisent l’art 3D pour remettre au goût du jour ce mouvement artistique par l’utilisation de formes, de texture et de couleurs. 

Deux artistes 3D ont ainsi collaboré ensemble : Matthieu Braccini, un designer 3D et la contributrice Adobe Stock Esther Vicario Azcona – aka Mamba Azul – qui imagine des structures en trois dimensions, entre architecture et abstrait. 

A partir des images d’Esther Vicario Azcona, Matthieu Braccini a imaginé des créations originales, mêlant son univers à celui de la contributrice Adobe Stock. Il nous transporte ainsi dans un monde entre architecture et enchantement serti de références à l’art déco. 

Les deux artistes se sont prêtés au jeu de l’interview croisée, et nous en disent un peu plus leur univers créatif, leur processus de création, leurs inspirations et leur utilisation d’Adobe Stock en tant que créatifs.

Pouvez-vous présenter en quelques mots et nous en dire un peu plus sur votre univers créatif?

Matthieu Braccini : J’ai commencé à dessiner très tôt quand j’étais jeune et j’ai eu ma première tablette graphique à 12 ans. Créer quelque chose de visuel, pour moi c’était une passion, mais je ne pensais pas qu’on pouvait vivre de ses créations. J’ai fait quelques études plus ou moins liées à la culture visuelle, mais j’ai quasiment tout appris en parallèle de manière autodidacte. Très rapidement je me suis lancé en freelance, pour pouvoir pleinement être libre, et faire ce qui m’intéresse visuellement.
Mon univers créatif s’étend petit à petit dans les spécialités de la 3D, en allant vers des choses plus réalistes, à d’autres plus illustratives. Tout ça est encore en construction, mais j’aimerais pouvoir utiliser toutes mes connaissances, pour créer un univers qui m’est propre, englobant plusieurs styles de design. 

Esther Vicario Azcona : Je suis architecte et je partage mon travail entre l’architecture et le monde imaginaire en 3D. Quand je considère l’architecture, je pense à la façon dont elle fonctionnera dans le monde réel, comment les gens vivront dans un certain espace et comment cela se traduira. Cependant, le monde 3D me donne tellement plus de liberté car je ne prends pas en compte la réalité. Je peux imaginer des environnements, des figures et des matériaux, qui n’ont pas à suivre les lois de la physique; tout est possible en 3D.

Matthieu, tu parviens à créer des univers en trois dimensions hypnotisants.Comment en es-tu arrivé à cet univers ? Et quelles sont tes inspirations?

Je sépare l’inspiration graphique, de l’inspiration narrative. Mon inspiration graphique s’est à la base créée par la veille, je voyais des artistes qui me parlaient vraiment, ca me donnait envie de faire quelque chose dans le genre. A côté de ça, j’aime raconter quelque chose quand je crée. j’invente des histoires qui me motivent à créer quelque chose autour, et non l’inverse. Ainsi j’ai toujours fait des petites vidéos autour d’un concept, plutôt que des séries d’images sans réel lien, ou je trouve l’inspiration plus difficile.
Après 2 à 3 vidéos, j’ai trouvé mon style a force de tester des couleurs, des patterns, ou même des moteurs de rendus, qui eux-mêmes donnent un grain à l’image.

Esther, tu crées des formes géométriques en 3D pour imaginer des structures abstraites dans un style de couleur minimaliste. Quelles sont tes inspirations?

J’ai un énorme dossier de référence. J’admire des artistes actuels tels que Peter Tarka, Paloma Rincon, Sixnfive, Man Vs machine et SerialCut.
En plus de ces artistes, mes images 3D sont clairement influencées par le post-modernisme qui à son tour s’inspire de l’Art Déco.
Concernant mon utilisation de la couleur, je cherche l’inspiration dans le monde de la mode et des tendances actuelles de la décoration intérieure.

Comment votre journée type de création est-elle organisée? Où vous sentez-vous le plus à l’aise pour créer? Pouvez-vous nous parler un peu de votre processus créatif?

M.B. : Côté organisation, je ne suis jamais satisfait haha ! Disons que je trouve compliqué d’allier motivation et constance, alors il n’y a pas vraiment de journée type… juste des jours avec ou des jours sans. Quand je sens que je suis motivé, j’essaye tout simplement de rester concentré pendant un maximum de temps.
Ceci dit pour être un peu plus régulier, j’aime travailler en coworking ! Être au milieu des gens qui travaillent me permet de rester concentré sur mes créations. Concernant mon processus créatif, je marche beaucoup au challenge ! 

J’aime la diversité alors, si j’ai envie de faire quelque chose que je n’ai jamais fait avant je me lance pour voir si ça me plaît. J’aime par ailleurs être en évolution dans mon travail, je me vois mal faire deux projets qui se ressemblent à la suite j’essaye donc après chaque exercice, de trouver quelques éléments qui permettent d’agrémenter ce que j’ai déjà fait. Je ne réutilise pas les mêmes patterns ni les mêmes couleurs entre les projets.

V. A : Un jour normal, je me lève, je prends mon petit-déjeuner, je m’habille et ma journée commence lorsque j’arrive à mon atelier.

Le meilleur endroit pour moi pour créer est dans mon étude car je suis entouré de livres de référence qui aident mon processus de création, l’espace est confortable, silencieux et bien éclairé. Mais vraiment, je peux travailler n’importe où, j’ai des pouvoirs de concentration incroyables quand je travaille.
Mon processus créatif commence toujours par rechercher des références, des utilisations similaires à un nouveau brief. Ensuite, je commence la conception, toujours à main levée sur papier. Un enseignant m’a dit un jour que seule votre main est capable de suivre votre cerveau, et c’est vrai. Je prends toutes mes décisions sur papier. Dans un processus créatif, la prise de décision est fondamentale. Enfin, je me tourne vers l’ordinateur. Le résultat final ne correspond pas toujours à la version papier, mais c’est l’idée.

Matthieu, pour ces créations originales, tu as collaboré avec Esther Vicario Azcona, une artiste digitale et contributrice Adobe Stock qui nous plonge dans des atmosphères géométriques minimales et colorées en imaginant des structures en 3D abstraites.  En reprenant ses images, tu as apporté à ses ambiances ta touche personnelle et leur a donné une nouvelle dimension.  Que t’a apporté ce travail collaboratif?

Comme toute collaboration que j’ai pu faire : un point de vue différent, et par conséquent une création que je n’aurais pas pu faire seul. J’aime beaucoup les retours extérieurs ou les collaborations pour justement en s’ajoutant des contraintes, pouvoir créer quelque chose de différent de ce qu’on a l’habitude de faire. 
C’est ici ma première création basée sûre de l’architecture, sans la création d’Esther au milieu, toute la scène aurait été différente. 
La plus grosse contrainte était le placement de la zone de lumière. Par facilité, je l’aurais placée à l’arrière, pour avoir une pleine vue sur un extérieur, et sentir les volumes grâce à cet éclairage. Mais ici, je voulais mettre en valeur la collaboration, et donc mettre le tableau en plein centre, avec un éclairage direct dessus. Ça change complètement la composition ! C’était un challenge, parce que les éclairages de face sont plus durs à gérer pour obtenir quelque chose d’esthétique. 

Esther, tu es une contributrice Adobe Stock. Selon toi, quels sont les avantages pour un artiste de publier ses créations sur la plateforme?

Pour moi, le principal avantage est de pouvoir vendre mes créations dans le monde entier sans quitter mon studio. De plus, le processus de création est très satisfaisant car vous êtes totalement libre, il n’y a pas de commission en jeu, vous décidez.

Adobe a sélectionné la tendance du design «Art Déco revisité» parmi les tendances visuelles de 2020 en matière de design, qui se caractérise par des éléments visuels surprenants, et qui rappellent le style Art Déco.
Que pensez-vous que cela représente? Comment cette notion peut-elle se rapprocher de votre univers et comment s’intègre-t-elle dans votre art?

M.B : Pour moi l’art déco c’est l’art qui nous suit toute la journée qu’on soit au travail ou chez soi, c’est quelque chose de globalisant, qui parle à tout le monde. je trouve du coup la tendance intéressante. on y retrouve la notion de composition, de couleur, de géométrie, ainsi cette tendance de design appliqué correspond bien à mon univers. j’ai donc adapté ce que je sais faire, à cette tendance, avec les couleurs, et les formes qui me parlent.

V. A : L’Art Déco était un style caractérisé par son éclectisme, puisé dans de nombreuses influences telles que le futurisme, le cubisme, l’art de Mésopotamie, l’Égypte ancienne ou le primitivisme africain entre autres. Cela l’a rendu universel et donc populaire dans de nombreuses sociétés. Son style se caractérisait par son abstraction géométrique, sa simplification de forme, son ordre, sa symétrie et son explosion coloriste, son optimisme. Ce mouvement est né entre les guerres, mené par une nouvelle génération désireuse de changer le monde et le style reflète leur vision.

De nombreuses caractéristiques Art Déco peuvent être repérées dans mes projets 3D tels que les formes géométriques primitives, les lignes droites, les angles, la symétrie et l’utilisation de la couleur. De plus, je souhaite que ces projets soient universels et simples. Ils devraient être n’importe où dans le monde et le monde entier devrait être capable de les comprendre et de les apprécier.

Si vous deviez résumer votre travail en une phrase, quel serait-il?

M.B : Plus y a de sens, plus je m’y retrouve !

V. A : L’inspiration existe, mais elle doit vous trouver en train de travailler, pour citer Pablo Picasso.

Zaha Hadid Architects unveils Chinese football stadium with "garden terraces"

Xi'an International Football Centre stadium proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects in China

Plant-filled terraces, a translucent roof and palatial columns adorn the Xi’an International Football Centre stadium that Zaha Hadid Architects is developing for central China.

Set to be built in the Fengdong business district of Xi’an, one of China’s oldest cities, the stadium will contain 60,000 seats and become a venue for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Xi'an International Football Centre stadium proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects in China

Once complete, Xi’an International Football Centre will incorporate a mix of public dining and entertainment facilities and also be used to host other national, international and domestic league games, alongside training academies, performances and cultural events.

Zaha Hadid Architects described this as a “legacy mode of operations” that will ensure the stadium can continue to serve the city long after the 2023 tournament.

Xi'an International Football Centre stadium proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects in China

“Xi’an has a long history of welcoming visitors from around the world,” explained Zaha Hadid Architects. “In the global arena of football, the Xi’an International Football Centre continues this tradition and builds a lasting legacy of new civic spaces, sports and recreational facilities for the city,” it said.

“Integrated within the orthogonal urban grid of Fengdong’s business district, the stadium’s open facades invite the city into the heart of the building to enjoy its public spaces, recreation and dining facilities throughout the day.”

Xi'an International Football Centre stadium proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects in China

The planted balconies of Xi’an International Football Centre, referred to by Zaha Hadid Architects as “garden terraces”, will be built along the stadium’s south-facing elevation.

Sheltered by the overhanging rooftop, these are intended to provide shade from Xi’an’s hot summer climate. They will also host service areas for visitors and viewpoints of Qing Mountain.

Xi'an International Football Centre stadium proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects in China

The remainder of the stadium’s facade will be composed of giant columns and cladding with “sweeping lines” that Zaha Hadid Architects claim will help dissipate northerly winds.

Teamed with the building’s sinuous, overhanging rooftop and south-facing terraces, this cladding is also intended to enhance the building’s fluid form.

Inside, Xi’an International Football Centre’s will have a distinctive saddle-shaped seating area, developed by Zaha Hadid Architects to maximise views of the pitch from all 60,000 seats.

“Digital modelling has defined the geometry of the spectators’ seating bowl to optimise proximity and views to the field of play from all 60,000 seats, generating the most exciting atmosphere for football and ensuring an outstanding match experience for all players and spectators,” explained the studio.

Xi'an International Football Centre stadium proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects in China

All seating will be sheltered by the translucent roof that will be open at its centre, which was designed to ensure there is plenty of natural light and encourage the growth of the grass on the pitch.

The large roof span will be achieved using a lightweight, tensile cable-net structure, which will help reduce its load, material footprint, and in turn, the amount of primary structure required to support it.

Xi'an International Football Centre stadium proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects in China

Zaha Hadid Architects was founded in 1980 by the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid. Today it is headed up by Patrik Schumacher and its main office is in Clerkenwell, London.

Elsewhere in China, the studio is currently developing the OPPO Shenzhen headquarters and the “greenest building” in Shanghai for renewable energy firm CECEP.

The design of Xi’an International Football Centre follows the development of the studio’s 5,000-seat football stadium for Forest Green Rovers that will be built entirely from wood.

Visuals are by Atchain.


Project credits

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)
Design: Patrik Schumacher
ZHA project directors: Charles Walker, Nils Fischer
ZHA project associate: Jakub Klaska, Lei Zheng
ZHA project team: Shajay Bhooshan, Vishu Bhooshan, Jianfei Chu, Chun-Yen Chen, Hung-Da Chien, Marina Dimopoulou, Cesar Fragachan, Michael Forward, Matthew Gabe, Stratis Georgiou, Charles Harris, Yen-fen Huang, Han Hsun Hsieh, Yihoon Kim, Henry Louth, Martha Masli, Mauro Sabiu, Xin Swift, Adeliia Papulzan and Pablo Agustin Vivas
Partner architect: Intelligent Design for Emerging Architecture (iDEA)
iDEA project director: Yan Gao
iDEA project team: Jianyou Yang, Bin Wu, Fiona Huang, Jingshan Zhong, Shishang Deng, Qiongli Lu, Ting Liu, Xinyu Kou, Daria Morkovkina andHaixia Zhang
Structural engineering: Qiang Chang
Local design institute: Arcplus Institute of Shanghai Architectural Design & Research
Sports consultant: Clive John Lewis
Lighting: Lichtvision Design

The post Zaha Hadid Architects unveils Chinese football stadium with “garden terraces” appeared first on Dezeen.

Biodegradable, Bioplastic Drinking Straws That Look and Feel Like Polypropylene Straws

The Phade disposable “eco-straw” is the first commercial product we’ve seen made from Danimer Scientific’s canola-oil-derived bioplastic. Manufactured by Georgia-based WinCup, a purveyor of disposable utensils, cups, bowls and containers, the Phade drinking straw is “a realistic and promising step” towards sustainability for the company, says WinCup President of Food Service Michael Winters.

Unlike paper straws, which have disappointed some consumers, the Phade straws appear identical to the environmentally-unfriendly polypropylene incumbent, and their performance is “very similar” to them; but unlike polypropylene, Phade straws are biodegradable in both the ocean and on land.

However, while the material it’s made from, Danimer Scientific’s Nodax PHA, “will completely degrade in any environment without leaving behind microplastics,” we spotted the following fine print on Phade’s website: “Degrades 88.1% in a marine environment in 97 days per ASTM D6691 (and may or may not further degrade).” We’d like some further clarity on that; does that mean that after 97 days there’s a straw-like remnant, 11.9% the size of the original, that a turtle might choke on? For that matter, what’s to say a turtle wouldn’t choke on the full-size straw when it’s been in the water for only a day? That issue certainly needs addressing.

Whether or not that reckoning will ever arrive, the Bioplastics Division of the Plastics Industry Association has named Danimer and WinCup the joint winners of their 2020 Innovation in Bioplastics Award. The organization defined Phade as “the first commercially sold straws made of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a material verified as a reliable biodegradable alternative to traditional plastic.”

I guess we’ll have to live with baby steps for now, and at least take solace that manufacturer/consumer behavior is changing for the better. “Customer and Market reactions to this innovative and relevant new product launch have been extremely positive,” says Winters, “and we expect very high demand for Phade in the coming months.”