One problem with AR/VR goggles is that they don’t make the wearer look adequately silly.
Another issue is that they cannot produce odors. This new invention, meant to be “directly mounted on the upper human lip” using adhesive could solve both issues:
I should admit that this device, developed by researchers at the City University of Hong Kong (CityU), is actually an impressive accomplishment. While smell-producing devices for VR do exist, they’re limited to “big instruments to generate odours in a closed area or room, or an in-built bulky VR set,” says Dr. Yu Xinge, Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at CityU. That Dr. Yu and his team shrunk it down to this size is remarkable. And because it sits directly under one’s nose, “it can provide an ultra-fast olfaction response.”
So each of those little squares are called OGs, for Odor Generators.
Here’s how they work:
“[Our odour generator] is based on a subtle heating platform and a mechanical thermal actuator. By heating and melting odorous paraffin wax on OGs to cause phase change, different odours of adjustable concentration are released. To stop the odour, the odour generators can cool down the temperature of the wax by controlling the motion of the thermal actuator.”
The research team also developed a second, larger version with a mask form factor. This can fit nine OGs into it:
Using different paraffin waxes, the researchers were able to develop 30 different scents, “from herbal rosemary and fruity pineapple to sweet baked pancakes [and] even less-than-pleasant scents, like stinky durian.” It’s not clear if each OG can produce a single scent or multiple scents.
So what is the application, beyond being able to smell gunpowder while playing Call of Duty? While the demo video shows a person virtually smelling different types of flowers…
…the researchers do cite a potentially useful medical application: “Helping amnesic patients recall lost memories, as odour perception is modulated by experience, leading to the recall of emotional memories.”
Outside of entertainment, I can’t immediately think of any applications. Perhaps it might be useful as a form of silent signaling within VR?
Anyway, for the upper-lip version, I do have a suggestion for giving the form factor more visual appeal:
The art that most people can relate to is photography. It is something incredibly personal, much like any form of art. One takes a photo with great thought and emotion, which they will later treasure and discuss.
The only recollections that one can have that are closer to the actual event are those captured in photos. It is the only tangible form of expression of your recollection. Sometimes even the slightest details are captured, which your mind might overlook and forget about, but just a quick glance at a particular picture might bring back a thousand memories associated with it. This new camera-projector concept enhances the intention behind creating such memories.
Since its creation in the 19th century, photography has advanced significantly. What for some people began as a hobby is now incorporated into our daily life. With the development of technology, photography has changed over time, from recording moments to producing works of art.
With every advancement in technology, from film cameras to digital cameras and from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras, photographers have advanced their trade. The development of smartphones and AI-powered editing software has made photography more widely available than ever.
Smartphones don’t provide a unique aesthetic to videos produced, since we are so used to having them the interactions are less intentional. The goal of this project is to force user intention in digital creation and nurture communal growth through sharing of memories
Intentional photography has become increasingly popular as it allows photographers to capture the beauty of life in its simplest forms. Whether it’s capturing a sunset, a family gathering, or just everyday moments, intentional photography helps us appreciate and remember the little things that make life meaningful. Having said that, with the sabotaging evolution of technology, people have started taking these moments for granted. Because one can click unlimited shots without any restrictions, the value of each one is lost.
Curation is an important part of photography, as it helps us to create art that speaks to us on a deeper level. We can use our photos to tell stories, express emotions, and trigger memories. By carefully selecting our photos and arranging them in an aesthetically pleasing way, we can create images that are unique and meaningful. With the dominating involvement of social media, people have started curating moments just to capture and share them online. There is a relatively superficial approach to capturing. The actual nostalgic value lies in the candid and natural shots.
What differentiates a professional from others is the analog approach toward photography. They believe setting up a few shots is more satisfying than taking a ton of photos because it makes them really think of what they’re capturing. The wait between taking the photos and seeing them is what excites them the most.
Have you ever sat down with your grandparents and browsed through your photos of when you were a baby? Those albums were the real memories that initiated conversations. Bringing those albums as compilations for modern times and improving the nostalgic qualities.
Since the intention of this project is to incorporate the tangible aspect, the material of the product is of utmost importance. Natural ceramics have the value of nostalgia, softness, and warmth that this project requires. It is ergonomic and a sense of touch builds a holistic experience.
The capturing device’s interactivity and functionality could be changed to encourage intentional use. Currently, we disregard the process as something that happens every day. Still, if constraints are put in place, such as restricting users’ daily recording time, the intention behind documenting is further increased. Features that make the experience more analog are by separating sight and sound elements.
After developing 3 prototypes, an organic shape conquered the hearts! Resembling a stone, the projector sits on any countertop and acts as a base for the USB pebbles. This design was most appreciated as the memories were stored in a decorative manner looking like stacked pebbles which add value to the interior design while serving as a topic of conversation. Its natural organic shapes complement the ceramic material as well which makes it perfect!
The product comprises 3 components:
The projector: All of the system’s products have a home in it. The organic form prevents the item from appearing tech-y. For both aesthetic and safety reasons, it comes with a lens cap. A small foundation that enables users to tilt the projection a few degrees to align it with their wall. The stone is perched atop the disheveled area. consists solely of a power port. The stones and camera both have storage for all data. Allow for flexibility in positioning with minimum ports.(image 10)
The camera: The basic purpose of a camera, which was once taking individual pictures, has changed. When audio is being recorded, a picture will also be taken in addition to the sound byte. A photo will be overwritten and the video will play over the audio if a video is recorded without any sound. On this device, users won’t be limited to taking solely images. For each picture, there is a 10sec recording time limit for both audio and video. A mode slider and a capture button are the user’s two points of engagement. Simply sliding to the selected setting activates the camera and slides back the lens cover to expose the sensor and microphone. The camera is set on top of a stone to sync the data, and NFC is used to send the files. Through the projector, the camera is wirelessly recharged.(image 11)
The stones: Between the camera and projector, which hold all the data, are the USB stones. They act as the projector’s interface for basic operations like play, pause, fast forward, rewind, etc. Users are instructed to press in that location by the dished surface on top. Additionally, it has a pleasant shape in the hand, which invites consumers to take it up and feel it. The three sizes of the stone signify three different storage options. Small content lasts for two weeks, medium for a month, and large for three months. After using up all the available storage, users can also buy more stones.(image 12)
As well thought this project is it might be a task to convince the audience to develop this patience and use it on a regular. Social media overpowering all underlying emotions might sabotage the quality of this project. Since the evolved polaroid cameras give out instant photo results with similar film photography qualities. The flexibility of capturing stills can also be considered as sometimes the photographic art is expressive in itself and in case if someone clicks a still, it should not get overwritten as that would develop resentment, losing its purpose.
Dezeen’s new editorial series, AItopia, is all about artificial intelligence. In this guide, we explain the key terms in the field and why they matter.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is usually summarised as computers performing tasks that would otherwise require a human brain, such as playing chess, recognising faces, driving a car or reading a piece of text and picking out the important information.
It is an area filled with jargon, so Dezeen has produced this glossary of some of the most common and important terms. All of the definitions were written by a human.
Machine learning
Machine learning is when computers use experience to improve their performance. It underpins most of the advanced capabilities of AI systems.
Rather than humans programming computers with specific step-by-step instructions on how to complete a task, in machine learning a human provides the AI with data and asks it to achieve a certain outcome via an algorithm.
Through a process of ultra-fast trial and error, the AI can very quickly start to spot patterns – including those that humans may not be able to identify – and use them to make predictions about what is likely to help it achieve the desired outcome.
For example, an AI may be taught the rules and objectives of a game and be left to try millions of moves and work out what is most effective. In a short period of time, the system would transition from making random moves to mastering the game.
Deep learning
Deep learning is a specific type of machine learning used in the most powerful AI systems. It imitates how the human brain works using artificial neural networks (explained below), allowing the AI to learn highly complex patterns in data.
While machine-learning systems are able to get better at tasks they’ve been trained on when presented with previously unseen data, deep learning enables computers to learn to do things they were never trained for.
As a result, it opens the door for machines capable of performing many different tasks significantly better than humans.
Deep learning was pioneered between 2010 and 2015 by DeepMind, a company founded in London by UCL researchers Demis Hassabis and Shane Legg and acquired by Google in 2014.
Neural networks
Neural networks are found in the human brain. They are a series of neurons connected to each other that exchange information, strengthening their connections as they do so and enabling us to learn.
Advanced AI systems use artificial neural networks that mimic these structures, processing data through layers of interconnected artificial neurons to become better at making predictions.
Narrow AI
Sometimes called weak AI, narrow AI refers to AI systems that are only able to complete specific tasks, such as automative driving or image recognition. They may perform these tasks much better than humans, but cannot apply their intelligence to different problems and situations.
All AI systems currently in existence are narrow AI.
Artificial general intelligence
The definition of artificial general intelligence (AGI) is a matter of debate among experts, but at the most basic level it typically refers to a computer being able to perform any intellectual task that a human can.
Such a computer would likely be able to perform these tasks much faster and better than a human would be able to, meaning that the emergence of AGI could have enormous implications for society. Ian Hogarth, co-author of the annual State of AI Report, calls it “God-like AI”: “A superintelligent computer that learns and develops autonomously, that understands its environment without the need for supervision and that can transform the world around it.”
It is often what people are talking about when they discuss the dangers of AI, worrying that AGI could lead to humans becoming obsolete or even extinct. A much-publicised open letter issued in March that called for a moratorium on developing increasingly powerful AI systems warned about “non-human minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us” and “loss of control of our civilization”.
Some experts argue that the warnings are overblown, and there is debate about whether the hypothetical existential risks posed by AGI should be a primary concern, as well as how powerful such a system would be when it arrives. The companies trying to develop AGI, including Google DeepMind and OpenAI, claim that it could help solve the world’s biggest problems such as disease, climate change and poverty, and investment in the field has rocketed in recent years.
Until recently, most people believed that AGI was a long way off. However, in March OpenAI launched the powerful chatbot GPT-4, which has proven itself capable of human-level performance at a large number of reasoning and knowledge tasks, passing the bar exam, beating humans at various games, using reasoning to improve and even deceiving people. A paper by researchers from Microsoft, which is a major investor in OpenAI, concluded that GPT-4 “could reasonably be viewed as an early (yet still incomplete) version of an AGI system”.
Estimates over how long it will be before a true AGI system emerges range between five and 50 years or longer.
Superintelligence
In his influential 2014 book Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies, philosopher Nick Bostrom defined superintellgence as “any intellect that greatly exceeds the cognitive performance of humans in virtually all domains of interest”. Some researchers predict that superintelligence would emerge shortly after the advent of AGI, but others are doubtful it will ever become a reality.
If a superintelligent AGI were to be created, there are concerns over whether humans would be able to control it. Bostrom and University of California, Berkeley professor Stuart Russell have warned that even giving a superintelligent AGI an ostensibly sensible, straightforward task could have unexpected and devastating results.
“If we put the wrong objective into a superintelligent machine, we create a conflict that we are bound to lose,” he said in a 2021 lecture. “The machine stops at nothing to achieve the specified objective.”
The classic example used to explain the difficulty of programming a superintelligent machine without human values is Bostrom’s “paperclip maximiser” thought experiment. A superintelligent AI tasked with producing paperclips uses its abilities of self-improvement to become extremely efficient at making them, flooding the world with paperclips using anything it can find, including the atoms in our bodies. If humans tried to turn off the machine, it would probably find a way to stop us.
Alignment
In the context of AI, alignment refers to attempts to make sure that systems have goals that match human values, in order to reduce the risk they could harm us. Currently, it often involves ensuring that AI chatbots do not engage in harmful content.
However, creating computers with truly human ethics is very difficult and there is not yet scientific consensus on how this would work, even in theory. Alignment has received much less funding than research focused on making AI systems more powerful, and is advancing more slowly as a field.
Singularity
A term borrowed from mathematics, singularity is the hypothetical point in the future at which technology has advanced to the point where it is uncontrollable and irreversible.
Some consider the emergence of an AGI more intelligent than humans to be the most likely moment of singularity. A popular interpretation of the theory holds that after this point, technology would enter a period of rapid, exponential advancements difficult to comprehend, with humans usurped as the dominant beings on Earth.
Generative AI
Generative AI systems are those that can create different types of content, including images, text, videos, music, voice audio and code. They are trained on large reams of data, and by the process of machine learning are able to then extrapolate to produce new data.
Examples include text-to-image generators such as DALL-E 2, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, in which users input a text prompt and the model quickly produces a corresponding image. Chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard are also forms of generative AI.
The emergence of these easy-to-use tools over the past two years have dramatically increased interest in generative AI. The technology has the potential to boost productivity in a wide range of industries, including architecture and design. Zaha Hadid Architects principal Patrik Schumacher recently revealed that the firm is using text-to-image generators to come up with early designs for projects.
However, commentators have also expressed concerns about the potential for generative AI to spread misinformation, both inadvertently and maliciously. The most advanced version of Midjourney is capable of producing near-photorealistic but completely fabricated images.
In addition, the technology can be susceptible to biases and stigma embedded within training data. Others have suggested its ability to mimic existing media so convincingly could have major implications for copyright holders.
Large language models
Large language models (LLMs) are AI systems that use deep learning to understand language. An example is Generative Pre-trained Transformer, which powers ChatGPT.
LLMs are trained on enormous quantities of data to become very good at recognising language patterns, like a highly advanced form of predictive text. As a result, they are less competent at solving maths equations.
Hallucinations
LLM chatbots are prone to stating falsehoods – whether getting facts wrong or making things up entirely. In the industry, these episodes are called hallucinations, though some argue that this term makes AI systems seem more human-like than they really are.
Their tendency to generate casual and convincing mistruths remains a major shortcoming for LLMs like ChatGPT. “No one in the field has yet solved the hallucination problems,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently said in an interview.
This article is part of Dezeen’s AItopia series, which explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on design, architecture and humanity, both now and in the future.
One of the most influential British architects of the past century, Micheal Hopkins was a key figure leading the development of the high-tech style in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
Alongside his wife Patty Hopkins he lead Hopkins Architects, and the couple were jointly awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1994.
Here we take a look at some of the studio’s key projects from its high-tech beginnings to more historically routed buildings and Olympic venues:
Designed by Michael and Patty Hopkins as their own home, Hopkins House (above and top) was completed shortly after the couple established their studio, and became the calling card for the duo’s ethos.
Built alongside Victorian mansions and Regency villas in the north London suburb of Hampstead, the two-storey house was made from lightweight steel and glass and is accessed across a drawbridge.
Photo by Ken Kirkwood
Greene King warehouse, Bury St Edmunds, UK (1980)
Like many of the early high-tech buildings, the storage and distribution space for the Greene King Brewery in Bury St Edmunds is an industrial shed.
Raised above the flood plain on a series of concrete columns, the 2,600-square-metre shed was topped with a steel-truss-roof that extends above the loading bay.
Photo by Dennis Gilbert
Schlumberger Research Centre, Cambridge, UK (1985)
Another early high-tech building designed by Hopkins Architects, the research centre for Schlumberger is defined by three tent-like structures hung from a network of cables supported by a series of masts.
The tented structures, which are made from Teflon-coated glass fibre, enclose a central space designed to contain a drilling-rig test station along with a social space called the winter garden. These structures were surrounded by two independently structured wings that contain offices and laboratories.
Photo by Richard Bryant
Mound Stand, London, UK (1987)
One of the first projects by the studio that was built in a historic context, Hopkins Architects’ stand was built above the existing 19th-century, brick Mound Stand at Lord’s cricket ground.
The structure was supported on six columns that extend up to become masts from which a PVC-coated, polyester fabric roof was hung. The structure was designed to recall “the romantic image of a tent by a village cricket green”.
Photo by Martin Charles
Glyndebourne Opera House (1994)
Set alongside a red brick neo-Elizabethan mansion, the Glyndebourne Opera House was designed to be a highly functional, 1,200-seat venue that was sympathetic to its historic location.
The oval-shaped building was sunk 10 metres into the ground to disguise its scale and was built from hand-made Hampshire red brick to recall the neighbouring building. However, it was topped with a prominent, high-tech fly tower.
Photo by Dennis Gilbert
Westminster Underground Station, London, UK (1999)
Built as part of the Jubilee line extension of the London Underground, the station is defined by its visible superstructure of colossal steel tubes and concrete piers.
The structure also supports the Portcullis House office block that was built directly above it.
Built in a historical location alongside the Palace of Westminster, the six-storey Portcullis House is an example of Hopkins Architects’ high-tech classicism.
The block contains 200 offices for Members of Parliament and is wrapped in sandstone pillars separated by steel canopies and window boxes and topped with 14 ventilation chimneys. It was shortlisted for the Stirling Prize in 2001.
Photo by Paul Tyagi
Evelina Children’s Hospital, London, UK (2005)
The second of four of the studio’s buildings to be shortlisted for the Stirling Prize, the Evelina Children’s Hospital was designed to be “a state-of-the-art facility for children that didn’t look or feel like a hospital”.
Set almost directly opposite the Palace of Westminster in central London, the building consists of two long blocks that flank a skylight central atrium, which contains waiting areas and a cafe.
Photo by Robert Benson
Kroon Hall, Yale, USA (2009)
Designed to demonstrate the values of the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Kroon Hall was created to be the most sustainable building at Yale university and when it completed, the studio believes it was the “greenest university building in the USA”.
Built using local materials including Briar Hill stone and Yale forest timber, the building incorporated rooftop photovoltaics, solar hot water heaters, rainwater harvesting and ground source heat pumps. It was awarded an LEED-Platinum sustainability rating.
One of the signature buildings built to host the 2012 Olympic Games, the 6,000-seat venue velodrome is defined by its hyperbolic paraboloid-shaped roof.
The building’s form, and its cable net roof, were designed to reduce the overall volume of the building with “the compact, ergonomic form – affectionately known as the Pringle – expressing the building’s function”.
Wood has been the material of choice for furniture designers since ages galore. And no wonder! There’s something about wood that instantly adds a sense of zen and calm to any living space it is placed into. It puts your mind at ease, while managing to radiate a feeling of warmth and tranquility. It’s a minimal material that holds a strong personality without any additional frills and tassles. And I truly believe a well-crafted piece of wooden furniture can add a magical touch to even the simplest of living spaces. Minimal, clean, and almost always soothing, beautifully designed wooden furniture helps add the ultimate finishing touch to a room. And we’ve curated a collection of wholesome wooden furniture designs for you – from a minimalist stool that combines wood and webbing to a table that is the physical manifestation of a wormhole in the form of furniture!
1. The KNOT Stool
The KNOT Stool is a uniquely designed stool that is flat all around, equipped with neither a curved surface nor corner. You can observe the various layers of wood that makeup all its parts, providing the stool with a rather brutalist aesthetic that is toned down because of the painted surfaces.
Why is it noteworthy?
The three wooden pieces can be painted in the same or different colors. The decorative webbing strap that wraps around the top of the stool’s legs can also come in complementing or contrasting colors, not to mention being made of different materials.
What we like
Adds a whimsical + fun element to your interiors
Clean and minimal design
What we dislike
Seems to be designed more for viewing rather than sitting
2. Wormhole Coffee Table
Designed by Olivier Gomis, this mind-blowing coffee table is an ingenious effort to convert the hypothetical wormhole into a physical manifestation. Wormholes can hypothetically connect two disparate points in spacetime via a tunnel, and Gomis brings this concept to reality through this table.
Why is it noteworthy?
The shape of a table is already quite eye-catching on its own. It’s almost like a wooden plank that has been bent so that the two ends are on top of each other and then joined together by a double cone. These are then glued together with sheets of maple veneer in between, which give the appearance of those faint light lines that form the grid.
What we like
A lamp was installed in the center of the hole, giving the table an eerie appearance in the dark
What we dislike
The inward curving section provides a risk for products that could roll inside and get stuck like a marble or a coin
3. Live Edge Collection
Beomsuk Ko designed a beautiful collection of storage furniture called Live Edge. The furniture pieces celebrate the natural grain of wood and were designed by Ko for Kobeomsuk Furniture, the South Korean furniture brand of which he is the founder.
Why is it noteworthy?
The furniture collection includes a glass cabinet, a walnut TV stand, and a freestanding shelving unit. All the pieces in the collection are beautifully designed with a minimal yet attention-grabbing appearance.
What we like
The front panels of the stand truly allow the natural grain of the walnut wood to shine through
It is a true celebration of the natural texture of wood
What we dislike
Large, bulky, and space-consuming pieces
4. The Centenniale Coffee Table
Designed by architect and designer Joanna Laajisto for the Finnish brand Nikari, the Centenniale coffee table is a sturdy and minimal coffee table built using 100-year-old wood.
Why is it noteworthy?
The coffee table was designed by embracing the cracks and imperfections of the old timber. The entire coffee table was constructed from a single piece of wood, and it features a sharp-edged and elongated tabletop that is supported by blocky and chonky legs with rounded edges.
What we like
The different elements of the table beautifully showcase the unique and versatile variations and textures in the timber
What we dislike
Aesthetics are a tad bit simple and unassuming
5. The Intension Design Tripod Standing Desk Pro
Built from walnut, birch, or black wood, the Intension Design Tripod Standing Desk Pro can be assembled and disassembled within seconds, and it’s great for working from home in small office spaces. It allows you to work anywhere, anytime!
Why is it noteworthy?
The desk weighs only 13 lbs, and it’s an excellent product for traveling or setting up without any assistance. You can use it to work, play board games, or as a more permanent fixture in your home.
What we like
You can adjust the angle of the desk to flat or at an incline to maximize comfort
What we dislike
Not a very aesthetically pleasing design
6. The Loop Chair
Designed by Annabella Hevesi, the Loop Chair is the kind of straightforward and simple furniture piece that instantly makes you fall in love with it, because of how minimally and cleanly it is designed.
Why is it noteworthy?
Built using wood, the Loop Chair has a traditional and archetypical character accentuated with tricky and progressive details that lend an air of character to it. The form of the chair follows a trapezoidal shape elevated by smooth ellipsoid curves, creating a furniture piece that is visually and geometrically intriguing.
What we like
The surface of the chair is exceedingly soft, while the edges and curves are pretty sharp, creating an interesting contrast, that builds the character of the chair even further
What we dislike
From afar, the Loop Chair looks like any other simple wooden chair
7. Allieva
Whynot Design designed the Allieva desk for Foppapedretti – one of the most well-known Italian brands for baby products and wooden furniture since 1945. The Allieve Desk is a foldable wooden workstation that meets the ever-growing need for compact and functional furniture designs in our modern homes.
Why is it noteworthy?
This sleek, foldable work desk is meant to fit in any space, making it perfect for small houses and dorm rooms. Despite compromising on size, Allieva is aesthetically pleasing. It takes up as little space as possible and measures only 7 inches deep when folded.
What we like
The workstation can be set up easily with a simple gesture
Comes with a large compartment at the base of the table that allows you to keep everything
What we dislike
The folding and unfolding mechanism could be considered tedious by some
8. The Arqus Desk
The Arqus Desk was designed by the Italian studio Orlandini Design for Narbutas. It is a part of the Arqus collection and is designed to be a counterpart or lighter replacement to the heavy and bulky furniture designs we find in modern corporate offices.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Arqus Desk is marked by light lines and distinctive metal legs and showcases a lighter and subtler type of furnishing in office spaces.
What we like
The “expressive” metal legs and the optionally asymmetrical desktop shape signify and capture the manager’s ability to adapt and adjust to changing circumstances
What we dislike
Despite being designed to a be softer and lighter piece of furniture, it does seem to be quite a space-consuming piece
9. The Nodding Chair
I love cozying up with a good old book; however, sitting in one position and reading for hours on end can be a curse for my back. Hence this unique product concept was created to function as the perfect chair for bookworms!
Why is it noteworthy?
While rocking chairs are good for relaxation, they’re not always good for floors and, if you’re like me, for our eyes and peace of mind. The designer thought of a new way to have a chair that can be comfortable and still let your body have its range of natural motion while reading, resting, or even writing (if you’re used to that). The Nodding Chair can be tilted forward and backward, letting you make smaller movements that won’t make you too nauseous.
What we like
Creates less pressure on the floor so you won’t get marks and scratches
Allows the chair to move with you as you occasionally change positions while reading
What we dislike
The seat itself doesn’t seem to be that comfortable as it’s just plain wood and there’s no cushion
Not everyone may consider the chair comfortable
10. The Fortune Chair
Designed by Hyeyoung Han and Hanyoung Lee, the Fortune Chair is really a mix between a bean bag, chair, and a pod, and it also happens to look like a fortune cookie.
Why is it noteworthy?
The chair includes a fortune cookie-inspired wooden outer wall, which functions as a covering frame that surrounds the user. This outer wall creates a cozy, comfortable, and private space for the user to sit in.
What we like
Irrespective if you’re working in a corporate office or at home, the Fortune Chair functions as a little oasis for you to work in peace, much like the office pods we find today in commercial offices
What we dislike
We’re not sure how comfy it would be to sit for long periods of time
Setting the work of the well-known Italian photojournalist in the context of historic Roman architecture
Italian photojournalist Letizia Battaglia, who passed away in 2022, is an integral, international figure in photography and beyond. Through her work as a photographer and activist for 50 years, Battaglia documented the lives of everyday people and illustrious personalities, through life and death; she ferociously chronicled Italy and, in particular, Sicily, her region of origin.
The striking new anthological exhibition Letizia Battaglia Senza Fine celebrates her in the spectacular context of Rome’s Terme di Caracalla (aka the Baths of Caracalla). For the occasion, the prestigious archaeological site—directed by Mirella Serlorenzi—has opened new areas and populated them with the black and white photos of Battaglia.
The curator, Paolo Falcone, selected 90 images from her archives and arranged them with power and intention. “On the occasion of the exhibition at the MAXXI Museum in 2016, the photos were suspended from above,” he tells COOL HUNTING on the occasion of the opening, “while now they float thanks to our choice to use glass panels.” In fact, the display of the photos is inspired by a 1968 project by Lina Bo Bardi for the Museo de Arte de São Paulo. Shortly before she died, Battaglia had the opportunity to admire that famous exhibit during a trip to Brazil and was fascinated.
The exhibition aligns perfectly with the distinct spaces of the Terme di Caracalla, where installations by contemporary artists, concerts by international pop singers and a summer opera season much loved by Romans are regularly performed.
As Falcone says, “This new project maintains the tradition of composing a unique work, athematic, timeless and devoid of hierarchies where iconic photographs, travel notes and daily life build an open narrative to know and discover the many aspects of Letizia Battaglia. A constellation of photographs where love and pain, sweetness and drama, passion and commitment tell moments in our history.”
Letizia Battaglia Senza Fine runs now through 5 November at the Terme di Caracalla.
Images courtesy of F. Caricchia for Terme di Caracalla
The Design Museum has announced that Agerman Ross will take up the post of chief curator, which is currently held by writer and Dezeen contributor Justin McGuirk, this autumn.
McGuirk will remain at the museum and head up its climate crisis-focussed Future Observatory programme.
“Johanna Agerman Ross is hugely respected across the cultural and design sectors. She is a writer, teacher, magazine founder, consultant and curator,” said Design Museum director and CEO Tim Marlow.
“Her experience ranges from museums and academia to publishing and journalism, wide-ranging but rooted in the understanding, exploration and mediation of design,” he continued.
“She has all the attributes to be an outstanding chief curator at the Design Museum and I’m very much looking forward to working with her.”
In 2011, Agerman Ross founded the quarterly design journal Disegno. She had previously edited the architecture and design magazine Icon, which was launched by Dezeen’s founder Marcus Fairs. She continues to oversee Disegno as its director.
Since 2016, Agerman Ross has worked at the V&A museum in London as its curator of 20th-century and contemporary furniture and 20th-century product design.
At the V&A, Agerman Ross’s achievements have included co-curating the museum’s permanent gallery Design 1900-Now alongside Corinna Gardner and leading the initiative Make Good: Rethinking Materials, which is an annual symposium that explores the use of natural and renewable materials in design and architecture.
The writer and curator also volunteers for the charity Young Women’s Trust, assisting women seeking work with CV writing and job application letters.
Shanghai-based studio Wutopia Lab has created Deep Time Palace, an underground museum in Changchun featuring a wavy concrete roof with eye-shaped openings.
Located on the southeast corner of the Palace Museum of the Manchurian Regime site, the new museum is the largest fair-faced concrete building in northeastern China, according to the studio.
The underground museum is made from fair-faced concrete
Named Deep Time Palace, the 16,650-square-meter museum comprises two underground levels with passages that connect to the Manchurian Regime Palace to the west and the Museum of the History of Northeast China Under Japanese Occupation to the north.
“I believe the art museum should adopt a more modest approach,” said Ting Yu, chief architect of Wutopia Lab. “With this in mind, I have concealed the art museum, avoiding any alteration to the established ambiance above.”
Two eye-shaped openings on the roof introduce natural lighting into the underground space
The choice to use fair-faced concrete and a large-span structure, commonly found in industrial buildings, pays homage to the city’s industrial past and creates a vast open exhibition space.
“When envisioning the space, I aimed to utilize the underground structure as a starting point to convey the sense of ‘depth’,” Yu said.
“I also wanted to challenge our conventional mindset of a linear timeline by introducing an immense scale that would disorient viewers.”
A steel mesh shell with curved glass creates an arched dome as the main entrance of the building
The studio used steel to form the structure of the thin-shell concrete roof covering the museum, which spans over 10,000 square meters.
This is covered in green plants and can be used for social activities as well as parking.
Two eye-shaped skylights were added to the roof, allowing natural light into the underground space.
“While underground structures typically serve as refuges, the interplay of natural light uncovers the profound ‘depth’ concealed behind the grandeur of the museum, imbuing it with a sense of spirituality and sanctity,” said Yu.
A single-layer steel mesh shell with curved glass frames the main entrance of the museum at the north side of the building, where visitors are taken to the main hall of the underground museum via a series of steps.
The wavy roof on the south side of the building resembles a wingspan
The top of two entry gates, positioned on both sides of the glazed facade, slightly lift up into wavy forms that resemble a wingspan.
The sweeping roof extends to the plaza south of the site, where its cross-section forms the back entrance of the museum.
Wood materials used in the lounge area create warmth
Wutopia Lab also unveiled its newly established Wuto-Art at the opening of the museum, showcasing an art installation made of perforated aluminum panels, which the studio is known for using in its projects.
British-Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori has created two oversized chairs decorated with a colourful Dutch wax-like print for his Types of Happiness installation in east London.
The two 10-feet-high chairs, which were made from an internal steel frame with fibreglass padding and painted a high-gloss colour, are located on The Line art walk in east London’s Royal Docks area.
Originally designed as part of a wider collection of six chairs that were informed by different emotions, the two chairs on The Line represent happiness and pride.
“The chairs drew on the colours of the underpass and colours that represent happiness,” he added.
“The original six chairs were normal-size; these are larger versions of two of them.”
The chairs form part of The Line art trail
Both Types of Happiness chairs were decorated with strong colours and covered in a pattern reminiscent of Dutch wax prints – also known as African wax prints and Ankara – which are common in west and central Africa.
One features a brown-and-orange eye print, while the other has blue and green leaves and berries on an orange background.
Yinka Ilori designed them to represent happy feelings
Creating these two chairs for The Line, which bills itself “London’s longest public art trail”, was a flashback to Ilori’s beginnings as a designer when he often worked with chairs.
“I’ve always been obsessed with chairs, collecting chairs around London and sort of retelling their stories,” Ilori said.
“I’m basically looking at the chair, whether it’s someone’s auntie’s or your grandmother’s chair passed on to their son or daughter, and reimagining their narratives but trying to incorporate my personal stories onto those chairs,” he added.
“I’m then passing that narrative on to allow the user to add their own story. It’s about looking at how mundane objects can be a platform to keep stories or share memories, and about going back to my original roots of chairs and storytelling.”
They have a Dutch wax-print pattern
Ilori revealed that he will continue to explore chairs this year and is working with a fashion brand to create a number of them for an installation during the Frieze Seoul art fair.
The Line art walk runs from Queen Elizabeth Park in east London to The 02 building in southeast London. As well as being part of The Line, the launch of Types of Happiness coincides with a number of cultural events taking place in the Royal Docks area under the banner At the Docks.
This video shows Cabin Anna, a modular timber cabin created by architectural designer Caspar Schols with sliding walls that open its interior up to the elements.
Cabin Anna was constructed from a flat-pack structure and comprises sections of wood, metal and glass mounted on sliders that allow its form to be reconfigured.
All of the steel sliders are manually operated to let the inhabitants experience the natural surroundings of the De Biesbosch National Park in the Netherlands, in which the cabin is located.
The building was designed as a small home, with ground floor and mezzanine sleeping areas, a bathroom with an in-floor tub, an outdoor shower and a kitchen.
The cabins feature sliding walls that can be operated manually
Since then, the designer has developed a series of commercially available flat-pack cabin structures that can be used for residential or office spaces.
These all feature manually-operated sliders, something Schols feels is necessary to create a connection between the cabins’ inhabitants and nature.
“Your whole body is involved in opening up the whole cabin,” he said. “Propelled by your body, the cabin prepares the brain to open up and connect to the natural environment.”
The cabins allow inhabitants to immerse themselves in their natural surroundings
Other cabins in the wider Anna Collection include Anna One, a series of cabins due to launch in 2024 that will enable buyers to assemble the cabins themselves.
As with the rest of Schols’s structures, the cabins were designed to suit a wide range of uses, including meditation spaces and artist’s studios.
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