Hasta La Ideas

Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson has created an immersive installation named Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day comprised of twenty circular structures during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar .

Created in collaboration with Qatar Museums, Eliasson‘s installation joins over 100 commissioned artworks installed across Qatar that are on view across the country over the course of the tournament.

Situated near UNESCO World Heritage Site Al Zubarah, which is in the northwest of Qatar, the installation was designed to “bring light to the significance” of the heritage site.

“Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day, 2022, is an invitation to resync with the planet,” explained Eliasson.

“It is a celebration of everything being in and moving through the desert site north of Doha at the time of your visit – animals, plants, and human beings; stories, traditions, and cultural artefacts; wind, sunlight, air and shimmering heat,” he continued.

“The installation of these important artworks brings to light the significance of Qatar’s nearby heritage sites, which Qatar Museums is responsible for preserving and protecting,” added Qatar Museums.

Visitors can navigate their way through the steel and fibreglass rings and stand beneath the shelters, where they’ll be able to see their own reflection in mirrored panels on the underside of their tops. The mirrors also reflect the surrounding sandy desert.

“On arriving at the installation, looking up at the mirrored undersides, you will come to realise that you are, in fact, looking down – at the earth and at yourself,” said Qatar Museums.

“Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day continues the Danish-Icelandic artist’s longstanding exploration into the interplay of human perception and the natural world.”

Eliasson arranged 10 of the covered shelters in the middle of the installation to look like a symmetrical five-pointed star face when viewed from above – referencing the designs found in medieval Islamic patterns.

Other structures were formed of two interconnected rings or simple single rings that are fixed to the ground.

“The principles behind such patterns were recently discovered by mathematicians in the West, may have informed some of the sophisticated designs found in Islamic cultures since medieval times,” explained Qatar Museums.

According to Eliasson, the installation created “a sea of interconnections” – hence the name Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day – between individuals and the landscape.

“Above and below, sand envelops you, together with anyone else sharing the space,” he said. “It is a kind of reality check of your connectedness to the ground,” Eliasson added.

“The mirrors connect and perfect what is physically distinct and partial, linking the actual surroundings with the reflected space and creating a sea of interconnections.”

Qatar has invested large amounts into its artistic program in order to attract visitors to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which runs until 18 December. Dezeen rounded up 10 cultural buildings completed in Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Meanwhile, architectural photographer Iwan Baan photographed a selection of public artworks that are on display in the middle eastern country, by artists and designers including Faye Toogood and Richard Serra.

The country has been widely criticised for its human rights record and the conditions experienced by migrant workers in the run up to the World Cup. The Guardian reported that 6,500 migrant workers had died in the country since it won the right to host the tournament in 2010. Although according to football’s governing body FIFA there have only been 37 deaths connected to the construction of the World Cup stadiums.

Shadows Travelling on the Sea of the Day is currently on show in Al Zubara. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The photography is by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Qatar Museums.

The post Symmetry and reflection define Qatar desert installation by Olafur Eliasson appeared first on Dezeen.

We humans sit on a spectrum going from fans of minimalism to lovers of maximalism. Some people get their sense of zen from having decluttered spaces, others gain their sense of personal belonging from decorating their space with things that define who they are. We’re here to say that we support both forms of individualism! Whether you love the idea of Scandinavian Minimalism or workspaces filled with objects near and dear to you, you’re going to absolutely love this selection of nifty desktop accessories! The list includes minimally-driven desktop organizers and tabletop toys, productivity tools like reusable notebooks and brain-stimulating fidget objects, as well as some rather fascinating picks like a stainless steel puzzle that is deeply engaging and a keyboard used by the influencers of the tech world. Take a look at the selection below… you won’t be disappointed!

1. Levitating Pen 2.0

Forget about writing in zero-gravity, this pen is designed to challenge our traditional ideas about pens and their behavior. Seemingly suspended in its holder at a 23.5 degree angle, the Levitating Pen itself is a grand writing instrument. The pen holds a Schmidt ballpoint cartridge, with its ridged design making the pen easy to hold when in use. When done writing, you close the pen’s magnetic cap with a satisfying click and position the pen in its holder that has been magnetized to keep the pen floating in that position. To add to the fun, a simple twist leaves the pen spinning in its place for a good 20 seconds, allowing you to interact with the pen on a whole new level!

Click Here to Buy Now: $85 $99 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, Pre-Black Friday sale ends Nov 24th.

2. NOOE Config 01

NOOE’s tabletop gear does a pretty remarkable job of using minimalism to ‘spark joy’ and get you excited about working. The 5-piece workspace kit, known as Config 01, features a laptop stand, mobile stand, stationery organizer, wire organizer, and a ‘desk rug’ for your keyboard and wrists. All the products are sustainably built using only walnut wood, anodized aluminum, and vegan suede. As a result, NOOE’s Config 01 collection looks like a Nordic-inspired visually cohesive set of productivity-enhancing tools that boost your focus while keeping your desk clean, minimalist, and just drop-dead gorgeous! The laptop and mobile stand elevate your gadgets at the perfect height and angle, with bent aluminum sheet supports and wood-block bases. They’re complimented perfectly by the stationery organizer and ‘wire governor’ which help you declutter your desk while displaying your pens and pencils, and keeping wires accessible yet hidden from view. Finally, the desk rug, made from vegan suede, provides the perfect tactile touch to the experience, keeping your wrists cushioned while preventing your keyboard and/or mouse from scuffing your table’s finish! The only work setup company to win a Red Dot Award, all of NOOE’s products are made in small batches to reduce waste, and are designed to be recyclable.

Click Here to Buy Now: $356 $505 (22% off and an additional 10% off with exclusive coupon code “YANKO10”). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

3. The Tetra Puzzle

Craighill’s puzzles make playing Wordle and Newton’s cradles look like yesterday’s news… With the remarkable all-metal design and their sheer geometric wizardry, Craighill makes some of the most sophisticated tabletop toys that stimulate the senses and the mind. The Tetra, for instance, is a tetrahedral puzzle made using four identical interlocking stainless steel pieces. You’d think it looks pretty straightforward, but pick it up and fidget with it and you’ll realize how far from ‘easy and intuitive’ it actually is. Fidgeting with, disassembling, and reassembling the Tetra requires a fair deal of focus and attention, as well as a probing, exploratory mindset. “It pushes your boundaries — if only a little bit — and invites you to learn something new”, say the makers at Craighill. The Tetra comes in two variants – brushed stainless steel and a PVD-coated black. It’s designed to last a lifetime and provide endless hours of meditative peace and focus while you play with it, and joy while you watch others try and figure out the magic behind its assembly!

Click Here to Buy Now: $63 $98 (20% off and an additional 20% off with exclusive coupon code “YANKO20”). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

4. Keychron K8 Pro

An ergonomic wireless keyboard with the soul of a gaming keyboard, the flagship Keychron K8 Pro boasts a uniquely comfortable and intuitive typing experience. The K8 Pro sports double-shot PBT keycaps that wonderfully guide the fingers, and a specially-crafted internal design featuring a layer of sound-absorbing foam and a silicon pad that help cushion the keycaps as you type to create just the right kind of ASMR-worthy clicking sound. The keyboard comes with QMK and VIA support right out of the box (which means you can reconfigure the keystrokes to suit your personal needs), and Bluetooth 5.1 that allows it to connect to as many as 3 devices together and swap between them (with native support for Windows, Mac, Android, and even iOS devices). For the avid gamer, each Keychron K8 Pro comes with customizable south-facing RGB lights that illuminate your board. You’ve even got the ability to use the wireless device in wired mode (to eliminate lag), as well as the possibility to easily hot-swap every key with almost any 3-pin/5-pin MX-style mechanical switch. The K8 Pro comes with an ergonomic, finger-loving design that can be height-adjusted to positions, and an impressivel 4000mAh internal battery that gives it 100 hours of use (depending on the RGB backlight brightness and flashing pattern). Go ahead and add this one to cart… MKBHD, Unbox Therapy, and Dave2D did!

Click Here to Buy Now: $99

5. The Limbo

You may recognize the Limbo Top from that final fleeting scene in Inception, but here’s something that’ll surprise you – this top pretty much defies reality with its ability to spin for more than 4 hours continuously! Holding the Guinness World Record for spinning continuously for more than 27 hours, the Limbo Top is a fidget toy that’ll warp your brain and make you wonder whether you’re in a dream. The truth, however, is that the top is immaculately designed with a silent motor hidden on the inside. Powered by a rechargeable 3.7V battery, the motor provides the right amount of angular momentum to keep the top spinning for hours without submitting to the powers of friction. Each top comes with a precisely machined design featuring a stainless steel base that allows the top to spin smoothly on any flat, polished surface. The top itself comes in both machined aluminum and titanium variants, and even though the Limbo can spin on any flat surface, you can even grab a special disc-shaped base for your top to spin endlessly on, while you ask yourself if you’re stuck in a dream!

Click Here to Buy Now: Starting from $63 $99 (30% off and an additional 10% off with exclusive coupon code “YANKO2022”). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

6. Quick Access Organizer

The Revov Tray Box is the ultimate organizer to keep your desk effortlessly tidy and clutter-free! If you’re someone who is always falling prey to a cluttered desk or losing your precious stationery or tech accessories then this tray box is the product for you. It makes organizing your everyday tools as effortless as possible. The lid has sections machined to fit objects of a particular size. This makes it easier to know what to put there, so you won’t have to waste precious time making that decision every time. Pretty soon, it will be second nature to put your glasses, AirPods case or keys in those sections, so they won’t have to end up lost in uncharted territory ever again. Interestingly, the lid actually floats a little above the lip of the box, which is positioned in place with the help of strong magnets. You simply need to give a slight push to swing the cover away or to put it back into place.

Click Here to Buy Now: $59 $69 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, Pre-Black Friday sale ends Nov 24th.

7. Stilform INK Fountain Pen

The award-winning stilform INK pen is celebrated as the most successful fountain pen in crowdfunding history! And it is back in its minimal, delightful glory with a few tiny tweaks to upgrade it. Featuring its signature cylindrical style, with two flat edges running length-wise to prevent it from rolling, and of course, its iconic magnetic cap, the stilform INK is the fountain pen to end all other pens. The clever magnetic cap subtly self-aligns as it snaps to the pen, owing to the multiple hidden neodymium magnets, that ensure the cap fits perfectly. Built from machined titanium, the pen doesn’t use any glue or plastic in its construction. In fact, its titanium body boasts an added Diamond-like Carbon Coating to make its surface finish completely scratch-proof! Each stilform INK pen comes impeccably crafted and assembled in Germany, in a variety of anodized colors for the aluminum variant and in DLC black for the titanium variant. Designed to be the best version of a pen, Stilform enthralls with its simplicity.

Click Here to Buy Now: $114. (Buy 2 at 15% off)

8. Analog Productivity System

In an era where distraction has become the norm, Analog promises to help you focus and get more productive. Analog is a physical companion for all your digital tools, and as its name signifies, it makes productivity ‘analog’ and simplified. It helps you prioritize and focus on the most important tasks at hand while eliminating the need to keep checking your phone and getting engulfed by a vortex of endless notifications. You basically physically copy down your tasks, providing yourself with a tangible, and distraction-free view of what you need to get done for the day. You can easily customize and tailor the system according to your working style. Once you’re done noting down your tasks for the day (Today), for the next few months (Next), or for the rest of the year (Someday), you can smoothly slide the cards into a wooden holder.  You can always move the unfinished tasks for the day into the Next section, and prioritize them for tomorrow without any guilt!

Click Here to Buy Now: Starting at $95 $108 (23% off on 3-pack subscription)

9. Coin Bank

If you’ve ever grappled with the dilemma of having and storing loose coins, the organizers are usually functional, until now! This humble coin bank comes with a uniquely sloped top to ensure the coins fall right into the hole, making it as easy as just dropping the coins and watching them slide in. When it’s time to collect those coins, swivel out the magnetic lid to easily access your change. The wooden lid provides a warm compliment to your desk. Use this to store any tiny product lying around your desk while clearing out the clutter ever-present on our desks!

Click Here to Buy Now: $56 $65 (15% off at checkout). Hurry, Pre-Black Friday sale ends Nov 24th.

10. Rocketbook

Designed by Rocketbook, the Rocketbook Pro is meant to be the last notebook you’ll ever need! The reusable notebook promises to be the upscale high-end notetaking companion you’ve been looking for. The Rocketbook Pro boasts modular ‘Page Packs’ that can be swapped out using a magnetic spine. This system allows you to access different kinds of pages – lined, dot-grid, and a combo of both, as and when you like. Equipped with a premium, scratch-resistant hard cover, a lay flat design and a Pilot FriXion pen, the Rocketbook is ready to organise your workspace. The Rocketbook Pro’s patented technology enables you to erase all your notes with a little water. The notebook also comes along with a companion app. An embedded NFC chip automatically opens the app and lets you scan your notes, and transfer them to the cloud destination of your choice – whether it’s a client’s email address, Google Drive or Slack.

Click Here to Buy Now: $50 $55 (10% off).

The post Top 10 Desk accessories gift guide designed to maximise the productivity of your work setup first appeared on Yanko Design.

Urban mobility of the future is majorly going to rely on electric two-wheelers with the freedom of shape-shifting aesthetics. The TRISO Electric Motorcycle is a good example of this longing for an adaptable commuter that is good for any life scenario.

The transforming electric bike is targeted towards the younger lot, generally aged 20 -30 who want to showcase their passion for driving while being considerate to the planet. TRISO has got three riding modes – Eco, Road and Explore – each one leveraging a different shape and riding aesthetics. The switch happens in a matter of seconds, thereby, perfect for any real-time requirements.

Designer: Laurence LAI and 羅 靖軒

Transformation of the bike is perfectly in sync with the shape-changing fabric for a seamless transition. So, the bike goes from a shopping mode in the city superstore to a sports racer without anyone ever noticing. The storage mode is really useful when the need arises, and when not required; retracts back for a slimmer, muscular profile that’ll appeal to the younger lot. The space can be used to store backpacks, helmets, or medium-sized luggage too. High riding position means, it can be taken for a spin on the dirt trails, and agility can be a real trait pro riders can explore.

The 100 percent zero-emission bike gets a simple geometric shape for user-friendly aesthetics which aids in aerodynamic drag reduction too. In the performance mode, it can go up to a top speed of 75 km/h, electronically limited for driving safety. The power delivery of 10kW (14 hp) has enough thump to satiate one’s desire for speed. In the mixed city driving mode, TRISO has a range of 130 km.

The current speed and the battery range are displayed on the cool HUD which is quite unique in its own right. A lot of work has been put into the color combination which really elevates the futuristic feel of the ride. Those cool orange and grey hues mixed with the white on the body frame have absolutely got me drooling over.

The post Transforming electric bike goes from a performance ride to cargo carrier in a jiffy first appeared on Yanko Design.

A good number of people pay very close attention to the shoes they wear, day in and day out. They make sure the shoes are not only comfortable but also stylish, matching whatever look you might have going for that day. A bit ironically, however, most people don’t give their shoes a second thought after taking them off. Most of us take special care of the clothes we wear but are content to just leave shoes by the door, in the closet, or anywhere convenient. The lack of care for footwear, however, will have very negative consequences for our feet down the road, so this shoe styler appliance concept tries to envision an easy and convenient way to make sure you’re always starting the day fresh from head to toe.

Designer: Yeounju Lee

Given how we use them, our shoes are bound to get dirtier and more worn out than our clothes. Despite that fact, few of us probably think of proper shoe care beyond airing them out once in a while. That sad state of footwear comes to bite us back, however, when we start to feel uncomfortable in our own shoes, not to mention get irritated or smelly feet from our beloved sneakers. Just like any chore, it isn’t a matter of just laziness but more because of the lack of tools that make such a task easy and efficient.

Shoe styler appliances are starting to enter into people’s consciousness for these exact reasons. We are already making it easier to take care of our clothes using technology, so it’s only fair and perhaps long overdue that shoes finally get the same treatment. Day starter is such a concept and it focuses on not just storing shoes properly but also cleaning them to keep them in tip-top shape for as long as possible.

At first glance, you wouldn’t even be able to tell that the appliance is designed for shoe care. It looks more like a short cabinet with a stylized ridged door. Behind that door is indeed a sort of storage, one that’s designed to keep shoes sanitized and dry. This would help prolong the life of footwear, depending on the type of material, of course. There are different lengths of “sticks” that either hang your shoes up or keep boots straight so that they don’t get deformed over time.

Day starter, however, isn’t just simply storage for shoes. Using the appliance actually starts with the slide-out tray that you step on when you’ve returned for the day. The details of the design are a bit murky, but at some point, the shoes are washed and dried to clean them before storage. There are even bins for water that you’ll have to fill and eventually empty.

The shoe storage also functions as a shelf, particularly for things you might need when going out. It’s the perfect place to put down keys that you’ll pick up again the next day, turning it into that one place you’ll never forget. The design admittedly has some limitations, such as the number of shoes that can be stored inside at the same time. It does, however, bring to mind the importance of caring for footwear, especially given how we critically depend on them to go places.

The post This shoe styler concept helps you put your best foot forward every day first appeared on Yanko Design.

The latest edition of our weekly Dezeen Agenda newsletter features Studio Sofields’ interiors for the world’s skinniest skyscraper. Subscribe to Dezeen Agenda now!

Studio Sofield has completed the interiors of the Steinway Tower, which was designed by SHoP Architects. The studio also designed the adjoining Steinway Hall, connected to the 435-metre-tall skyscraper.

The 91-storey building is the skinniest in the world and the second tallest in the Western Hemisphere. The tower has 46 residences and an array of facilities including a swimming pool and a bar.

“While celebrating the vibrancy of today, I am a historian by nature and sought to honor and evoke the splendor of our city’s gilded age,” said Studio Sofield founder William Sofield.

Other stories in the latest newsletter include Audi’s updated flat logo, the announcement of Brazilian designer Fernando Campana’s passing and Dezeen’s latest competition with glassware brand Nude.

Dezeen Agenda

Dezeen Agenda is a curated newsletter sent every Tuesday containing the most important news highlights from Dezeen. Read the latest edition of Dezeen Agenda or subscribe here.

You can also subscribe to Dezeen Debate, which is sent every Thursday and contains a curated selection of highlights from the week, as well as Dezeen Daily, our daily bulletin that contains every story published in the preceding 24 hours on Dezeen.

The post Dezeen Agenda features “gilded age” interiors for world’s skinniest skyscraper appeared first on Dezeen.