Hasta La Ideas

Dezeen promotion: Expo 2020 Dubai’s Design and Crafts Programme has launched a design platform to present more than 40 local and international designers who showcase stories from the UAE through exclusive curated collections.

MENASA – Emirati Design Platform is a core element of Expo 2020‘s arts and culture programme.

Running for the duration of Expo, from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, MENASA will be located next to Al Wasl Plaza, at the heart of the event.

The initiative will present the work of the 40 designers through a series of curated design collections that seek to tell stories about the UAE while spotlighting innovations in contemporary design and material use.

“The content that we are bringing to Expo through MENASA is innovative, intriguing and will surely capture the hearts and imaginations of our visitors,” said Dr Hayat Shamsuddin, senior vice president, arts and culture Expo 2020 Dubai.

MENASA will also showcase Craft Stories, a series of diverse collections that tell the story of the UAE through crafts and tradition, including safeefa (palm frond weaving), talli (embroidery), sadu (bedouin weaving), gargour making (wire-crafted fish traps), pearl diving, clay and coffee making.

One of the Craft Stories collections on display is 8,000 Waves: The Pearl Diving Story – a collaboration between Todomuta, a Spanish design studio, and Asateer, an Emirati design studio founded by Mohammed Al Suwaidi, who is the grandson of a pearl diver. Together, they have created a collection that includes a wall sculpture, limited-edition candle holders, and incense burners.

Crafted in stainless steel and inlaid with wave-like patterns of mother-of-pearl cut from locally farmed oyster shells, the collection tells the story of pearl diving, a practice that dates back approximately 8,000 years in the UAE.

The works will be shown alongside a series of documentaries, shot on location around the UAE, that will delve into the work of the artisans and the crafts highlighted within each collaboration.

MENASA – Emirati Design Platform’s Designer of the Week aims to show the variety of the Emirati design scene, highlighting the work of 24 designers and organisations from across the UAE, many of whom will present new collections created for MENASA.

MENASA’s space at Al Wasl Plaza will feature a dramatic 13-metre display designed by Carmelo Zappulla and Rami Al Ali, which blends 3D printing with local crafts. All of the exhibited collections will be available for sale.

“Crafts have a special, innate power to communicate a local culture, a nation, and its identity,” said Samer Yamani, MENASA curator and creative director.

“Taking a poetic approach, we are using craft as a communication tool and merging it with design, new technologies, and materials to convey more stories of the UAE and to intensify the experience for our visitors through our exclusive design collections.”

The selection of designers, artisans, and crafts organisations at MENASA – Emirati Design Platform is drawn from 11 countries.

UAE designers and organisations include Alia Bin Omair, Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts, Bil Arabi, Irthi Contemporary Crafts Council, Ammar Kalo, Khalid Shafar and Tashkeel.

International designers and design brands include Estudio Campana (Brazil), Klove Studio (India), and Nicolas Jebran (Lebanon), BD Barcelona Design (Spain) and Iwan Maktabi (Lebanon).

 MENASA – Emirati Design Platform will be open daily for the duration of Expo 2020 Dubai, from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.

More information about Expo 2020 Dubai is on its website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Expo 2020 Dubai as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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With Munich IAA Mobility (formerly the Frankfurt Auto Show) in full swing, I’ve been wading through a lot of kooky concept car renderings, trying to find a single design element with actual substance.

For instance, BMW’s i Vision Circular is a compact car designed around the concept of recyclability. Some of the presentation is just renderings featuring call-outs highlighting recycled content…

…while other parts feature a lot of mood-board-like renderings that convey about as much functional information as an avant-garde fashion show.

But finally, I did actually find something noteworthy in this seemingly wacky seat:

Here the designers have at least taken a stab at a concept for how fully-recyclable automotive seating can be designed:

“The BMW i Vision Circular features a future-proof seating concept that uses only a few materials. The upholstery is made of recycled plastic which rests in an anodized aluminum frame. The back of the slim front seat shell is made of recycled plastic in a terrazzo look. There is a quick-release fastener for disassembly, allowing for metal and textile to be easily separated and reused according to type.”

I desperately want to see more on this. Is the framing designed in such a way that the single shown fastener is holding the entire assembly together (and what is the logic behind making it “quick-release”)? Can this design support airbag modules? How would these elements work with a seat that actually had reclining functionality?

These answers, of course, don’t exist yet.

Volkswagen has unveiled an electric concept car called the “ID. Life.” (Because they’ve joined the annoying trend of inserting punctuation into what’s meant to be read as a single name, we’ll henceforth refer to it as the ID Life.)

The unassuming exterior isn’t much to write about—frankly, it looks like the renderings were done the night before the presentation, in a terrible hurry–but what the designers have envisioned for the interior is pretty radical, and again drives home the point that car brands are now trying to design for the younger generation:

“Its interior has a human touch focused on shared experiences, and its digital technology speaks directly to the needs of young target groups. Access to the vehicle is granted by means of a camera combined with facial recognition software. The interior can be transformed into a cinema or gaming lounge, thanks to a flexible seating landscape. Inductive charging trays for smartphones are integrated into the door pockets.

“…The ID LIFE is a reliable companion for digital experiences of various kinds. In no time at all, its interior can be converted into a cinema or gaming lounge, for instance. A game console and projector are on board, too, while a projection screen that extends from the dash panel as required serves as the screen. Other devices can be connected as required to the 230-volt / 16-amp power supply in the interior.

“For this purpose, the front seat backrests are folded forward to serve as leg rests for the occupants, who can make themselves comfortable on the rear seat, which is moved into a reclining position. A comfortable surface to lie down on can also be created by folding down the front and rear seat backrests completely.”

It does seem strange, or perhaps wistful, that the ID Life’s designers are imagining cars as a place for people to hang out and play videogames or watch movies in together. My understanding of gamers is that they prize their home set-ups, not to mention the convenience of being able to play others online without leaving the house. And I believe the prevalence of streaming services has made watching movies at home, alone, acceptable or even desirable, a trend that may persist even after the pandemic subsides. Apple’s SharePlay, whereby folks can remotely stream content in synchronicity and interact with each other, might plug any social voids felt.

I suspect this might be a case of designers who aren’t in the target demographic, trying to design for the target demographic. Then again, perhaps they’ve read the tea leaves correctly, and in future we’ll all be Fortniting from parking lots.

I truly believe the right furniture designs make or break a home! After all, furniture is an integral part of any home, it sets the tone for it and contributes to the essence of the home. You can express your tastes, preferences, and personality via the furniture pieces you choose for your living space. They are an extension of you. Now, as pleasing as aesthetic and visually intriguing furniture designs can be, people are now shifting towards furniture designs that are more focused on function and utility (that simply put make our lives a whole lot easier) and one such interesting genre is Smart Furniture! Tech-enhanced furniture is a whole new ballgame, catering to our multiple needs, and making our daily lives more comfortable. From smart work desks that run on food waste to smart beds that charge our devices and come along with an integrated home theatre system, smart furniture is in a league of its own! They’re an explosive meeting of IKEA and Tesla! And, we’re exploring a few super innovative and unique designs today.

The Hariana Tech Smart Ultimate Bed was designed to have everything you will need to relax within your bed frame. It has an integrated reclining massage chair with a remote, a built-in Bluetooth speaker, a bookshelf, a reading lamp, an air cleaning system, an area to plug in and charges your devices, a foot-stool that opens up for extra storage, and a pop-up desk for the ultimate WFH setup, Netflix marathon or cozy reading hours. The sound system also features an SD card slot, an auxiliary port, and a USB port. Another interesting detail about the Hariana bed is a password-protected safe box for you to store your most precious belongings – for me, it would be my passport and snacks!

This table is called a Clock and I want you to keep that in mind for the rest of this story. Clock was designed to be compact and fit in the growing trend of smaller living spaces. The designer wanted to create something that seamlessly blended into our workdays (especially when working from home!) without disrupting our office hours or eating habits. The hybrid station converts food waste into energy to power itself wirelessly but also includes the systems to be plugged into a wall if needed. It is an innovative product that combines technology and functionality to sustainably manage waste and encourage more people to shift to natural/renewable energy sources. When you aren’t working, simply slide the parts back and close the product into a slim bench. In its closed state, only the power icon and energy levels are visible, simply tap the power icon to light up the panel.

The IKEA STARKVIND air purifier comes in two variants, a floor-standing model (in black and white) or a side table version (in a dark or light finish) – costing $129 and $189 respectively. Mind you, to have access to all the smart functions via the compatible app, the $35 smart home hub needs to be purchased as well. The air purifier will hit the IKEA stores from October 2021 in the U.S., so keep an eye on this one. While their form factor is a bit different depending on the intended use-case scenario, on the inside they contain the same three-filter system. This layered filtering system captures bigger particles like hair or dust, 99.5 percent of small airborne particles measuring 2.5 micrometers, pollutants, dust, pollen, and even bad odors are not spared.

Meet the COMODO shoe closet that doubles as a pouf to sit on while you wear your freshly cleansed pair of sneakers for the weekend basketball game. The name is derived from the Spanish word “Cómodo” which means convenient and pleasant in Spanish. Design Studio Designer Dot and designer Hyeona Cho have ideated a cool shoe closet loaded with new-age sanitization tech to keep your pair of shoes moisture-free and free from any bacterial or fungal build-ups. Taking inspiration from modern multifunctional furniture that has compactness and minimalism at its core, the shoe closet solves a very basic but important purpose.

Meet the Duoo Bed designed by Andrei Mogila for Zegen which brings a pragmatic approach to winding down after a long day’s work. The aesthetically crafted furniture piece combines minimalism, smoothness, and geometry of lines to appeal to anyone. Duoo is the result of prime attention to detail when it comes to design aesthetics. Usability-wise, the bed brings the convenience of charging mobile devices or battery banks right from the headboard. Plus it has dedicated led night lights on each side for late-night readers which bring the convenience of privacy without bothering your mate. Keeping comfort and visual neatness at the core, Andrei has managed to strike the right balance of form and function.

Designed for use by the public, both the Fluid Cube and the City Snake primarily function as city benches with the same technical attributes. The Fluid Cube is a 9 cubic meter cube structure that partially encloses two parallel benches with an overhead roof for shelter during bad weather. The City Snake, a 7.5-meter outdoor bench that curves and bends to provide unique sitting options to travelers looking for a bit of respite. While the two structures provide seating for the public, they also come equipped with solar panels that generate power for some of the structure’s more technical features. Raised parts of the City Snake accommodates traditional solar panels, while solar cells are overlaid on the Fluid Cube’s glass roof. The solar panels on both of the structures yield power to use the built-in USB charging outlets, the WiFi hotspots, as well as the benches’ lighting systems.

Dubbed the Coway Icon Air Purifier, this is a reworked and modified variant of the plasticky box-like utilitarian purifiers. It boasts a smaller and flatter form factor to sit along a wall, presenting users with more flexibility in room placement. The quiet and powerful Icon integrates smart technologies to be more than a simple box doing its chores – it comes with its own smartphone app that can be used to control the functions of this air purifier remotely. The app also provides a status report of the air quality and its lifecycle, informing when cleaning or replacement is necessary.

Equipped with a built-in 4K projector that can be synced with a series of devices to binge-watch movies/TV shows on a 70-inch retractable screen, the HiBed by  Fabio Vinella (for Hi-interiors) is the epitome of in-bed relaxation. A built-in surround sound system with invisible speakers makes the bed feel more like a movie theatre. The bed is connected to an app and monitors our sleep patterns and movements, adjusting the temperature according to our comfort. It also records body weight, air quality, and noise level to provide a foolproof check on our health. Some good news for the late risers, the HiBed comes with an inbuilt smart alarm system that wakes us up with loud recitations of the weather and daily news.

Designed by Modern Sprout, the Smart Landscape Growframe is a minimal frame that can be mounted on any wall on your home, and whose functionality is more complex than its simple looks! It nourishes all kinds of plants – from ones that seek low light, to ones that seek bright light. Once mounted on a wall, you can slide your favorite plants into the Growframe, and connect to the Modern Sprout app. The app is a complete godsend! The app features an on/off switch and can be used for customizable programming and pairing recommendations for partial shade, partial sun, and full sun plants. You can easily select and switch between light settings.

Kuube comes in three different sizes, each of which offers the same services to varying degrees. The Kuube Nano, their mid-sized bench, is solar-powered and accommodates up to four people, complete with a WiFi hotspot, two USB chargers, two wireless Qi chargers, and a single display screen, which provides environmental information like weather, air quality, and UV index. For the makers behind Kuube, adapting their conceptual design process to help mitigate the current global climate crisis in micro mobile ways (i.e.; city bikes, electric scooters) was their top priority. On the choice to generate each smart bench with solar power, the designers behind Kuube say, “Living in the times of climate crisis we believe it is very important to achieve sustainability in as many ways as possible…Our goal is to achieve sustainable smart cities [through] micro-mobility.”

The post IKEA meets Tesla in these tech-enhanced furniture designed to make your home a smart one! first appeared on Yanko Design.

The World Trade Center was once the tallest building on the planet. Continuing our series marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we look at its place in the history of the world’s tallest skyscrapers.

Park Row Building, New York City, USA (1899)

At the beginning of the century, the 119-metre-tall Park Row Building in New York City was the world’s tallest skyscraper, a title that would remain in the city until 1974, when the Sears Tower completed in Chicago.

Originally an office block for 4,000 people, the 31-storey steel-framed early skyscraper was designed by architect R H Robertson. In the early 2000s, the building was renovated and converted into residential units.

Although the structure was the world’s tallest skyscraper at the time, it was not the world’s tallest building. It is considerably shorter than Ulm Minster cathedral in Germany, which rises to 161 metres.

Singer Building, New York City, USA (1908)

In 1908, the Beaux-Arts-style Singer Building became the world’s tallest skyscraper and, standing at 187 metres high, the world’s tallest building.

Designed for sewing machine company Singer, the building was divided into two distinct parts: a 14-storey base with a 27-storey square tower rising from it.

Despite protests, the office building was demolished in the late 1960s. The SOM-designed One Liberty Plaza skyscraper now stands on the site.

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, New York City, USA (1909)

The Singer Building only briefly held the title of the world’s tallest building, being eclipsed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower a year after it was completed.

The building’s clock tower was inspired by St Mark’s Campanile in Venice. It rises to 213 metres alongside an office building that occupies an entire city block. In 2015, the tower was refurbished and now contains the 273-room New York Edition Hotel.

Woolworth Building, New York City, USA (1913)

Designed by architect Cass Gilbert, the 241-meter-high Woolworth Building was the tallest building in the world from 1913 to 1930.

The tower was created as the headquarters for retail company Woolworth’s, which owned the tower up until 1998.

40 Wall Street, New York City, USA (1930)

Rising to 283 metres, the neo-Gothic skyscraper 40 Wall Street was the first of a trio of buildings to claim the title of world’s tallest in quick succession at the start of the 1930s.

The skyscraper, which was the world’s tallest building from April to May 1930, is currently owned by former US president Donald Trump.

Chrysler Building, New York City, USA (1930)

Completing just after 40 Wall Street, the art deco Chrysler Building designed by William Van Alen is one of the world’s most distinctive skyscrapers.

Although the top floor of the 77-floor skyscraper is only 282 metres above ground, the spire that tops the building’s crown-like roof rises to 319 metres.

Empire State Building, New York City, USA (1931)

The world’s best-known skyscraper, the 102-storey Empire State Building was designed by architecture studio Shreve, Lamb and Harmon.

Its design was changed 15 times during development to ensure that it would be the tallest building in the world, a feat it achieved when it opened in 1931.

At 381 metres tall, the art deco skyscraper would remain as the world’s tallest building until the World Trade Center towers topped out in 1970. The skyscraper remains the 49th-tallest in the world.

World Trade Center, New York City, USA (1971)

Rising around 30 metres higher than the Empire State Building, the World Trade Center ended the skyscraper’s nearly 40-year reign as the world’s tallest building. At 417-metres-high, the North Tower rises two metres higher than the 415-metre-high South Tower.

Designed by US architect Minoru Yamasaki, the Twin Towers were one of the most distinctive buildings in the city before they were destroyed in a terrorist attack on 11 September 2001.

Following the attack, the Empire State Building became the tallest in New York City once again, before the One World Trade Center was constructed on the site.

Sears Tower, Chicago, USA (1974)

Completed shortly after the World Trade Center towers, the 442-metre-high Sears Tower in Chicago took the title of the world’s tallest skyscraper away from New York City for the first time in the 20th century.

The distinctive black 108-storey skyscraper was designed by US architecture studio SOM with a bundled tube structure.

Built for retail company Sears, which was headquartered in the building until 1994, the building was renamed Willis Tower in 1998 when insurance broker Willis Group Holdings became the primary tenant.

Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1998)

The completion of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1998 marked the first time the world’s tallest skyscraper was not in the USA.

Although the roof was only 378 metres high, the architectural tips of the spires topping the pair of skyscrapers reach 452 metres, making it the world’s tallest building according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s official definition.

Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan (2004)

Completed in 2004, Taipei 101 took the title of the world’s tallest building to Taiwan. As its name suggests, the tower is located in the city of Taipei and has 101 floors.

Designed by Taiwanese architects C Y Lee & C P Wang, the 508-metre-high building is over 200 metres taller than any other structure in the country.

Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE (2009)

Rising over 300 metres higher than Taipei 101, the 828-metre-tall Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai became the tallest building in the world by a huge margin when it was completed in 2009.

Designed by architect Adrian Smith while at SOM, the landmark structure is the centrepiece of a large development in the city’s downtown area. Over a decade after the building was built, it is still almost 200 metres taller than any other building in the world.

9/11 anniversary

This article is part of Dezeen’s 9/11 anniversary series marking the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

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