Hasta La Ideas

A culinary and cinematic exploration draws parallels between plants and film

When NYC-based independent movie theater Metrograph opened in 2016, it brought back the glamour of going to the cinema—something that had been dissipating, along with cinemas themselves, throughout the city. To this day, the theater and entertainment company’s thoughtfully curated selection of cult classics, restored gems and international films garner loyal cinephiles—and inspires younger generations of movie-goers. With Metrograph Expanded, their new immersive bi-monthly initiative led by director of programming Inge de Leeuw, the theater continues to champion cinema; this time with an interdisciplinary and immersive component.

Their debut expansion, Botanical Imprints, is a plant-themed takeover of the Metrograph lobby, restaurant and Commissary bar, along with screenings. The activation in the lobby immediately introduces viewers to the Leeuw’s film-inspired botanical world, with an audiovisual installation of “Landscape Series #1” by celebrated Vietnamese artist Nguyễn Trinh Thi. The almost five-minute video explores how landscapes act as a quiet witness to history. For the piece, Nguyễn combed through old Vietnamese news archives, finding a pattern among its images of people pointing toward a landscape. Strung together in an almost narrative depiction, the pointing figures take on a new meaning as they gesture at the unknown with only the landscape as its speaker.

During the inaugural expansion, Metrograph worked with the artist and research collective Close Encounters to curate a series of nature-themed films including Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Leandro Listorti’s Herbaria and Shireen Seno’s short film To Pick a Flower. These are available to see in the theater as well as through Metrograph At Home, their membership-based streaming service.

“It’s an immersive experience. You can smell it, you can taste it, you can kind of feel it everywhere. I like it that when you come in the lobby you already kind of see that installation and in essence the sound,” says the Leeuw. These various activations—from the lobby to the Commissary, whose menu is inspired and informed by local plants and ecology—tease the connections between films, creating sensorial portals guests can journey through.

“A lot of people really like plants and have a special relationship with them. I think it’s something that—the same as film—you want to preserve for future generations. I feel there are so many similarities between the way we treat plants and cinema,” Leeuw explains. “Like how do you preserve film? What does an image tell you about history and what does the absence in an image tell you about death, which is the same with plants if they are moved to other countries or if they are extinct.”

By crafting various sensorial experiences to coincide with the screening series, Leeuw helps make these connections clearer, sparking more thought between subject and medium. For the director (whose previous work includes the European film circuit, Sundance and fashion and arts collaborations), an inter-disciplinary approach felt right. She explains, “With Metrograph, of course you have At Home, you have the restaurant and then you have the cinema and lobby space. It was pretty natural that it would be very interesting to bring all those things together in a program. When I came to New York, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, we should really do something with the different spaces of Metrograph and connect them.’ Botanical Imprints is the first kind of installment of a series that we want to do every other month.” This includes a potential sequel to Botanical Imprints where the director hopes to create a garden.

This month, the theater will focus on sound. “It’s a bit of a different series that originates in sound, so we are doing a program on Sakamoto, then we’re doing a program on Julius Eastman and Dev Hynes,” says Leeuw. “There’s going to be new work by Sakamoto and we can have his previous work and installations in the lobby.”

It’s clear from the enveloping and cross-genre programming of Botanical Imprints that Metrograph is gearing up for an exciting future that takes the movie-going experience to thoughtful new heights. With Leeuw at the helm, the upcoming expansions are sure to be immersive, creative and thoughtful.

Hero image from “Landscape Series #1” by Nguyễn Trinh Thi, courtesy of the artist

Viennese designer Barbara Gollackner collaborated with Australian chef and restaurant owner Martin Kilga to create the ‘Wasteware’ collection, a range of tableware made using leftover food! The duo created a collection of bowls, plates, and cutlery using industrial and personal food waste. They displayed these products at the Vienna Design Week in 2021, piquing quite a bit of interest, including even mine, now!

Designer: Studio Barbara Gollackner 

“The idea came from the fact that I read about Europe wasting 90 million tons of food every year and at the same time producing around 30 million tons of waste from single-use dishes. So I thought about ‘connecting’ these two issues and trying to make new materials out of food waste,” said Gollackner. To bring the interesting tableware items to life, the studio utilized food waste such as pork skin, and old bread – from personal and industrial waste.  The waste collected was dried out or cooked and then blended into a smooth paste which was held together using mycelium. Water or breadcrumbs were added to the mix if needed.

Once the smooth paste was prepared, it was inserted into a printer and 3D printed in different shapes. The studio was assisted in this by a chef and food designer Peter König. The end result was purple-colored teaspoons, beige bowls, and moss-green cups that form a minimal collection of tableware that can be used multiple times. “The designs had to be super simple shapes – we are just in the middle of the process and we are still experimenting with the right consistency of the printing paste – the designs can not have any supercomplicated shapes, it wouldn’t be possible to print,” said Gollackner.

“One way we use the waste that we produce ourselves, on the other side we use industrial food waste, like pork skin. There are huge amounts of pork skin thrown in Austria by the meat industry,” the designer concluded. The Wasteware collection is a commendable effort on Gollackner’s part to demonstrate that there are smart alternatives to simply throwing away food. Her reusable tableware is an excellent solution to the food wastage problem and a great example of how things can almost always be reused!

The post A Viennese designer shows us what to do with leftover food…make reusable tableware first appeared on Yanko Design.

The final case study in our Timber Revolution series is Ascent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by Korb + Associates Architects, which has been certified as the world’s tallest mass-timber building.

Sited in a neighbourhood near the lakefront, the 25-storey tower has a structure made almost entirely from cross-laminated (CLT) and glued-laminated timber (glulam) except for the base, elevator and stair shafts.

Tallest title “never our goal”

When completed in 2022, the development team said that it had optimised timber usage in such a way that the wood used in the tower will be replaced by natural growth in North American forests in “less than 25 minutes”.

At 86.6 metres it beat the previous tallest mass-timber building, Mjøstårnet in Norway, by a little more than a metre.

But Korb + Associates Architects founder Jason Korb told Dezeen that being the tallest in the world was not the initial goal and that the original brief was for a 19-storey tower.

After finding additional parking to meet the requirements of the multi-family parking stall laws in the city, the project was able to add a few floors.

“And so all of a sudden, we were within three feet of the tower in Norway. And so we tipped up the roof, and that’s basically how we crossed the line. It was never our goal,” he said.

“The developers will do what makes sense for them. They’re not trophy hunters.”

Coalition building for mass timber

Korb believes that the proof of concept and model created for working with city officials on mass-timber buildings were more important aspects of Ascent’s legacy than its record-breaking height.

He said that from the very start, the design team communicated with the building and fire officials as a “coalition-building” exercise.

“The height limit for heavy timber construction was 85 feet [26 metres],” Korb told Dezeen. “But there’s a section in the International Building Code that basically allows for a performance-based path to approval instead of the prescriptive language and the building code.”

“So they accepted that as a potential approach and then we had a way to move forward,” he continued. “As luck would have it, the commissioner had a background in forestry and was acquainted with the technology.”

“He didn’t give us a blank check that day – that was in May of 2018. But he directed his staff to sort of work with us to see if there was a path. And that’s sort of how it all got started.”

“This is not something that you go and slam down anyone’s throat. It’s a permission-based path to approval because the code is a floor, not the ceiling.”

Commissioned by New Land Enterprises, the structure took only two years to build, with Korb working with engineering firm Thorton Thomasetti for structural elements and Oregon-based Timberlab for sourcing and design assistance.

It has a concrete-framed podium at the base that is six storeys tall and the 19-storey timber tower rises from the podium. The columns and beams are made out of glulam while the floors are made of CLT.

The core containing the elevator shaft and staircase is made of concrete to help the building deal with wind and seismic shifts, as well as for fire safety reasons.

“All of these buildings have concrete and steel, there’s no avoiding it,” said Korb. “Even the tower in Norway, which does not have concrete above the grade, has a bunch of steel in it, it’s needed.”

“Our cores are concrete; they go all the way up and they have to be either concrete or steel-brace frame because they pick up all the lateral forces.”

“We think it was the first three-hour fire testing”

Thorton Thomasetti associate Alejandro Fernandez, who worked on the project, said that the city required a three-hour fire rating for the columns as part of the performance-based agreement, so the team worked with the Forest Products Laboratory to optimise the columns to meet this standard.

“We think it was the first three-hour fire testing on columns,” said Fernandez, adding that the floor CLT floor plates had a two-hour rating, meaning the components can burn for two hours without losing structural integrity.

Fernandez agreed that the collaboration between the project team and the city was essential because of the lagging codes in the US when it comes to mass-timber construction.

“The US is a leading industry in so many things, but in regards to mass-timber adoption it has been very behind,” he said. “It was able to go from being very behind, to having the tallest timber building in the world.”

“I think that’s a very big moment to push this technology and to stay on the leading the world stage,” he added.

Because of requirements preventing external wood exposure and because of the developer’s desire to capture the lake views, the exterior of the structure is made almost entirely of glass and metal panelling.

“The glass on the building, which is a very high-performing glass, is a function of their desire to capture views, basically. It was not a decision that we made,” said Korb.

Working with high timber costs

Both Korb and Fernandez agreed that many of the drivers behind the project were economic – from the real estate perspective of the facade to the cost restrictions of the timber.

Much of the wood was sourced from Austria because sourcing high-quality supplies from North American manufacturers would have been too expensive.

Korb noted that exposures on the interior also had to be carefully considered, as several extra inches had to be added to the columns for the wood to be exposed, and often simply installing drywall was a more efficient option.

“Because if a column was in a bathroom or closet, for instance, there was no reason to expose [the timber],” he explained.

Economic benefits were compounded by the labour usage that the project enabled. Because of the prefabricated panels, fewer workers are required on each floor, and because there is no setting time – like with traditional concrete construction – finishes can be added much sooner.

Korb estimated that the project used about 25 per cent of the onsite labour required for a concrete structure and that it was completed in about half the time.

Both Fernandez and Korb believe that the tower will provide further proof of concept for developers who are looking to create innovative structures from timber, but Korb added that mid-rise developments like these that “attract people to the urban core instead of the sprawl” are a “good” thing.

Korb + Associates Architects is currently working to create a similar structure in St Louis, which Korb said will likely be taller than Ascent.

The photography is courtesy of Korb + Associates Architects.

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Timber Revolution

This article is part of Dezeen’s Timber Revolution series, which explores the potential of mass timber and asks whether going back to wood as our primary construction material can lead the world to a more sustainable future.

The post Worlds’ tallest timber tower replaced by forest growth “in less than 25 minutes” appeared first on Dezeen.

Emerging London studio Fardaa has converted an abandoned basalt barn on the Isle of Mull in Scotland into the Croft 3 restaurant, which is characterised by raw plaster walls and exposed timber beams.

Located on a sloping coastal plot, Croft 3 is spread across a renovated stone barn and a new extension – both designed by Fardaa as the studio’s first completed project.

The updated barn contains the main dining hall while the extension was clad in neutrally hued slats of larch and includes the chef’s kitchen as well as the foyer and visitor facilities.

Although its stone walls and a series of small openings were still intact, the barn was a ruin that had lost its original hay loft floor and roof.

Fardaa restored the structure using lime mortar and salvaged basalt and punctuated the facade with additional rectilinear windows that face the nearby Loch Tuath bay.

“Adaptations to the structure are intended to feel appropriate to the existing form, but we didn’t believe that they needed to pretend to be original features,” said Fardaa director Edward Farleigh-Dastmalchi.

“The scale of the [new] windows is similar to that of the existing doorway, for example, but bigger than the existing windows,” he told Dezeen.

“The result of this approach is a level of ambiguity between old and new – a layering or palimpsest.”

Fardaa created a pared-back space for the main dining hall, which was enclosed by an exposed timber roof,

Salmon-hued, exposed plaster walls were interrupted only by chunky white skirting boards, while the floor was made from American white ash flooring.

It was simply furnished with reclaimed French cafe chairs with green-tinged frames, rustic benches and long communal tables carved on the island from a single Douglas fir tree.

Described as “unprecious”, Fardaa designed the minimalist interiors to reflect the restaurant’s remote and exposed location and welcome guests in wet coats and muddy boots.

“The interiors and furniture were designed to create a convivial and human-scaled experience, despite the grandeur of the space,” explained Farleigh-Dastmalchi.

“New windows are set low, focussing views and light at a seated level, tables are narrow to bring people closer and deep windows present opportunities for informal extra seating.”

The adjacent timber-clad extension features two anchor-like solid stone pylons positioned at its southwest and northeast corners that nod to the renovated barn.

According to Farleigh-Dastmalchi, Croft 3’s sustainability measures include working principally with timber and making repairs and alterations to the barn using stone gathered from the site.

“We prioritise embodied carbon reduction from the outset of projects, limiting the immediate carbon footprint,” said the director.

“Retaining structures were designed out, vastly reducing the use of concrete, instead working with the natural bearing capacity of the ground rock to support the access track above.”

A number of other restaurants have been designed in remote locations to enhance the dining experience. These include a combined eatery and adjoining house for its chef in northern Spain and a glazed restaurant on stilts that cantilevers over a hillside in China.

The photography is by David Barbour.

The post Fardaa explores “ambiguity between old and new” at Isle of Mull restaurant appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen Showroom: an acoustic study pod that can be folded away for storage and portability is among 16 new products featured on Dezeen Showroom.

Mono study pod by Philip Bogaerts and René Vullings for Bogaerts

Designers Philip Bogaerts and René Vullings created an acoustic booth for office furniture brand Bogaerts that has a three-step foldaway design as well as handles and wheels that allow it to be easily transported.

The Mono pod features a built-in cushioned seat and compact desk. It is lined on all sides with acoustic felt made from recycled plastic, creating a quiet work and study zone.

Mono was recently featured on Dezeen Showroom alongside a collection of lamps that takes cues from Greek mythology and a table with a telescopic base that allows its height to be adjusted.

Read on to see more of the latest products:

Hemera lamp by Voltra

Lighting company Voltra has created a table lamp that references the myths of Ancient Greece.

Hemera lamps come in tall, medium and short formats, which are characterised by a duo of bell-shaped shades that sit inside each other.

Find out more about Hemera ›

Passport work table by Herman Miller

Office furniture brand Herman Miller has released a compact table that has telescopic stand, allowing for the height of its tabletop to be adjusted.

Passport work table is suitable for domestic and workplace environments and can be fitted with optional hooks for bag storage as well as privacy screens.

Find out more about Passport ›

Pavilion O modular office partitions by Kettal

Spanish brand Kettal has created a partition with modular components designed to zone flexible office environments.

Pavilion O is made from a lightweight aluminium frame that can be left open to the rest of the interior or closed off, and can be customised with a range of finishes including wood, fabric and glass.

Find out more about Pavilion O ›

Lamiere tiles by Apavisa

Spanish brand Apavisa has designed a collection of tiles that have a mottled finish, which is informed by oxidised metal.

Lamiere tiles come in four sizes and thickness formats and are suitable for use in both indoor and outdoor areas.

Find out more about Lamiere ›

Petrine lighting collection by Nightworks

New Zealand-based lighting brand Nightworks Studio has created a range of lights characterised by extruded brass tubes.

The Petrine lighting collection includes a single pendant lamp, double pendant lamp as well as a wall mounted light, and can be fitted both inside and outside.

Find out more about Petrine ›

Pavilion H outdoor seating area by Kettal

Kettal has created a modular structure intended for use in private outdoor areas to create covered seating and dining zones.

Pavilion H has a frame made from lightweight aluminium and can be made bespoke by adding wooden panels, gridded planters or sheer curtains.

Find out more about Pavilion H ›

Three Hole Basin Mixer tap by Grohe

German bathroom brand Grohe has created a collection of tapware that features smooth, flowing lines and customisable elements.

Included in the collection is a Three Hole Basin Mixer tap that is wall mounted and available in a myriad of finishes.

Find out more about Three Hole Basin Mixer tap ›

Garden dome by Hypedome

Garden furniture company Hypdedome’s signature project is a hemispherical structure that can be used outside for a myriad of purposes.

The geodesic Garden domes are made from hexagonal panels of solid polycarbonate, which are weather resistant and 200 times more durable that glass, according to Hypedome.

Find out more about Garden dome ›

Tasman pendant light by Nightworks

Nightworks has created a series of modular pendant lights that take cues from the waves of the Tasman Sea in the South Pacific.

Tasman pendant lights come in three segment types: single, double and triple waves. The lights are made from aluminium and all contain LED lighting technology.

Find out more about Tasman ›

Giro outdoor seating by Vincent Van Duysen for Kettal

Kettal has created a range of outdoor seating in collaboration with architect Vincent Van Duysen that has arms and backs made up of layers of taut rope.

Giro outdoor seating includes outdoor sofas and chairs that are contemporary versions of Orkney chairs, which uses rope strung round a wooden frame to create a sturdy seat.

Find out more about Giro ›

Bündner Side Table by Joana Vilaça Studio

Portuguese design brand Joana Vilaça Studio has created a minimalistic side table that references life in the Swiss Alps.

Bündner Side Table comes in either oak or ash timber that can be finished in a variety of ways and is designed to be assembled by the user.

Find out more about Bündner Side Table ›

Grand Bitta seating by Rodolfo Dordoni for Kettal 

Nautical mooring ropes were architect Rodolfo Dordoni’s main focus when designing this range of outdoor seating for Spanish brand Kettal.

Grand Bitta seating comes in six seating types and is also available in armless modular segments, allowing users to make bespoke banks of seating.

Find out more about Grand Bitta ›

Abhito furniture collection by Satyendra Pakhalé for Ca’lyah

Danish brand Ca’lyah worked with Indian designer Satyendra Pakhalé on a collection of furniture made from solid birch wood.

The Abhito family of furniture consists of chairs, stools, benches and coffee tables that can be finished in natural, white or black.

Find out more about Abhito ›

Basin Mixer tap by Grohe

Grohe’s Atrio Private Collection contains a range of sanitaryware and plumbing fixtures designed to form cohesive, streamlined bathroom suites.

The Basin Mixer tap carries the same elegant curved shapes of the other items in the range, and has a variety of customisation options available valve heads in different shapes and finishes.

Find out more about Basin Mixer ›

Plumon by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal

Designer Patricia Urquiola‘s outdoor seating collection for Kettal is centred around the idea that furniture can change its “clothing”.

Plumon has detachable, ribbed fabric upholstery tailored into one removable garment, which can be changed depending on the tastes of the user over time.

Find out more about Plumon ›

Dezeen Showroom

Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen’s huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

Dezeen Showroom is an example of partnership content on Dezeen. Find out more about partnership content here.

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