I feel queasy writing this, but: A year ago this video went viral. If you’ve not seen it, it’s a guy at a Mets game methodically using a drinking straw to hollow out a hot dog. He then uses the hot dog itself as a straw to drink his beer. As I’m typing this bile is coming up the back of my throat.
Well, Oscar Mayer saw an opportunity, a greenlit a small production run of silicone straws shaped like hot dogs. “Using a delicious Oscar Mayer wiener as its muse,” the company writes, “the Oscar Mayer Hot Dog Straw mirrors the same size and color of a delicious, cooked dog and is made using food safe soft silicone to replicate the feel of a real Oscar Mayer hot dog.”
Architecture firm Kamitopen devised a clever design solution for Majimaya, a confectionary tool shop in Tokyo. The Majimaya brand is best known for their cookie cutters—of which they have a lot. On top of which, being in Tokyo, the multi-floor store has a narrow footprint. Architects Masahiro Yoshida and Yoshie Ishii tackled the challenges gamely.
“There are 3,000 different types of cookie-cutter that we had to display. A layout was required that allowed the customer to see all of them smoothly and that placed no stress on the staff. In addition, there is a problem in that the space is centered around an atrium. The basement and second floor are thus not effective spaces for a shop. We needed to solve the problem in a limited space.”
“Our solution: Evacuation stairs surrounded by protective chain-link fencing, off of which hang 3,000 cookie-cutters in the center of the building. We then arranged 3,000 tin boxes on the sides of the stairs. Each display cookie-cutter has a number, which corresponds with a number on the tin boxes where the customer can select the stock themselves.”
“In addition, during the planning of the building, all floors were connected by split-level floors. While choosing molds, customers are guided to move up and down subconsciously. This solved the space’s unique problems.”
While pursuing his MFA in Advanced Product Design at Sweden’s Umeå Institute of Design, Jakob Kohnle did some “high-level” research. “[I] had the amazing opportunity to follow a pair of cell [tower] technicians very closely for an entire week,” he writes, “during which they constructed a 72-meter (246-foot) tall 5G mast, working up in the mast as well as on the ground.”
These folks need to carry tools up to the top, and safety regulations require the tools be tethered. But “there was a trade-off that had to be made,” Kohnle observed. “With the current systems each tool requires its own tether, which means that more tools equals more ropes, and with that more clutter. Because of this, small to medium sized tools were often not tethered, even though these can still lead to serious injuries.”
Kohnle then designed this clever TetherLock system:
Each tool has two sockets, one to secure it to the climber’s belt or harness, the other to attach the tether. The sockets are designed so that inserting the mounting attachment in one socket automatically disengages the other, while holding the inserted member fast. Kohnle went above and beyond here, straying into Mechanical Engineer territory to work out the mechanism.
“This system enables a quick switch of a tool between the base and the tether, without it ever being unsecured.”
It’s a little difficult to understand by looking at images, but the video makes clear how the mechanism works:
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“The Tether Lock has a simple and reliable construction. Additionally, the parts for the mechanism are the same between all tools making replacement and maintenance easy.”
“The tether and the base can be attached to a harnesses or belt. The wrenches have the TetherLock integrated in the middle for optimal ergonomics and balance. Additionally the design is optimized for lower weight instead of strength to fit the needs of industrial climbers.”
TetherLock won Gold in this year’s International Design Excellence Awards, in the Student Designs category.
If you’re looking for a stunning cabin in the woods to get away to and simply relax, then you’ve reached the right place. Cabins are by far the best type of vacation I’ve come across. They’re a peaceful and tranquil option to abandon your urban life and woes, and simply unwind in nature. If you’re wondering where to head for your next cabin retreat, then you may want to consider the Hideaway House.
The Hideaway House is the perfect safe haven nestled in the midst of nature, providing you a break from your everyday hectic life. It really doesn’t get more secluded than this, the Hideaway House provides you with all the privacy you can possibly dream of. I mean you can only access the retreat through a tucked-away road at the base of the mountain – which could be a pro or a con, depending on the way you look at it.
Pros:
Provides postcard-worthy views of British Colombia’s Gulf Islands
Encourages indoor/outdoor living
Cons:
The access to the home is remote and difficult to get to
The Hideaway House is a blackened timber cabin that is nestled on a 52.7-acre private mountain and is completely surrounded by lush ancient forests. A 700-meter drive through the ancient forest leads you to the summit of a vast natural reserve 500 ft above sea level, which accommodates this reclusive modern residence. The home was originally built in 1998 by Blue Sky Architecture, and it was renovated and remodeled in 2021 by Measured Architecture.
The impressive home features a series of interlocking wooden volumes that rise between sandstone ridges creating an image of a stunning figure against the panoramic Gulf Island backdrop. The interiors of the home are a subtle blend of modern and organic. A tranquil white setting creates a quiet space for a swooping glulam structure.
Polished concrete floors enhance the minimal theme of the home. The home is designed to be both grand and intimate while offering breathtaking views of international waters, and secret peeks of the surrounding grounds. Although the home seems to be located in an extremely remote setting, it is only 20 minutes from Vancouver by float plane!
In a world brimming with innovation and creativity, there are certain designs that transcend their physical form and touch the very essence of our being. Such is the case with the awe-inspiring COSMOS chair, a masterpiece that elegantly intertwines human emotion with the boundless complexity of the universe. Crafted by the visionary mind of Brooklyn-based designer Peter Minsoub Sim, this chair is more than just a piece of furniture—it is an intricate tapestry that beckons us to explore the vast realms of human cognition and connect with the universe on an unparalleled level.
The very first glance at the COSMOS chair triggers a sense of grandeur, as if gazing upon a throne that commands not just a room, but an entire universe. This imagery is not by chance, for the chair’s design is an embodiment of the intricate nature of the cosmos. While the initial impression might be regal, the deeper layers of the design reflect the meticulous intention to encapsulate the universe within a tangible object.
Comprising over 400 distinct parts, the COSMOS chair brings together a harmonious blend of styles from various eras, fusing digital precision with the artistry of human hands. The amalgamation of cast brass, 3D-printed components, and delicate glass elements highlights the chair’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of craftsmanship. This synthesis of modern technology and traditional artistry is a testament to the evolving relationship between the human mind and the tools at its disposal.
COSMOS chair is not just a physical creation; it is a reflection of the intricate interplay between objects and human emotions. The chair draws inspiration from the elements of nature—the sun, the earth, trees, clouds, waves, water droplets, birds, and fish. These elements form the essence of the chair’s design, with a hand-carved sunflower serving as a focal point and cobalt blue glass stars encircling the sun in a celestial halo.
Yet, it’s not just these non-human elements that define the chair’s identity. The chair itself becomes a representation of human presence, both in the space it occupies and in the hands that meticulously shaped it. This harmonious blend of the natural and the human creates an emotional resonance that transcends words and communicates directly with our senses.
COSMOS doesn’t just speak, it communicates in a language that bypasses the confines of vocabulary. The curves, textures, materials, and hues of the chair are the vocabulary of this intricate dialect. Through these visual elements, the chair invites us to contemplate the interconnectedness of the universe and the remarkable symphony of harmony that exists within it. This isn’t merely a fantasy; it’s a profound homage to the physical world we inhabit.
Yet, COSMOS isn’t just a work of art; it’s a functional chair that invites us to experience its intricate beauty firsthand. One can sit within its embrace and be enveloped by the serene forests, expansive oceans, and limitless skies it encapsulates. The brass birds, meticulously positioned, evoke a sense of both scale and significance, reminding us of our place within the grand tapestry of existence.
As we find ourselves seated in the embrace of the COSMOS chair, we are transported to a realm of wonder and curiosity. The chair serves as a vessel for moments of contemplation and introspection, reminding us of the hidden treasures waiting to be discovered within our universe. This design masterpiece encourages us to foster these moments of connection and appreciation, much like the little brass birds that perch, converse, and shine, patiently waiting for us to uncover and cherish their presence.
In spaces both ornate and minimalistic, traditional and modern, COSMOS finds its place as a testament to the cosmic threads that bind us all. A chair, yes, but more so an emblem of the profound relationship between humans, objects, and the universe they inhabit. COSMOS chair is a masterpiece that bridges time, space, and design, igniting a spark of curiosity and wonder in all who encounter it.
The COSMOS chair isn’t confined by traditional categorizations. It defies simple definitions, gracefully dancing between the realms of functional furniture and captivating art. Its ability to evoke emotions and stimulate profound contemplation sets it apart as a beacon of creativity and innovation in the design world. It’s not just a chair; it’s a journey—a journey through the intricacies of the universe and the depths of our own imagination.
NYC has come to life with tennis-tangential activities in advance of the 2023 US Open. From official automotive partner Cadillac‘s Celestiq activation at Zero Bond with American tennis star Frances Tiafoe to a new signature cocktail from Maestro Dobel (the marquee event’s first-ever tequila partner) dubbed the Ace Paloma, the fervor for all things US Open extends far beyond Queens’ USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. After a multi-year hiatus, Lotte New York Palace‘s The Palace Invitational returned for a sixth iteration last week—with one fashionable update. While previous years found some of the world’s biggest tennis stars battling it out on a pop-up badminton court, this year saw seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur, as well as tennis stars Holger Rune, Tommy Paul and Andrey Rublev compete at pickleball.
Hosted in partnership with the Miami Pickleball Club (and their superb players Matt Manasse and Hurricane Tyra Black), the pickleball court occupied the storied hotel’s ballroom. Guests dined on tennis-themed bites from Lotte New York Palace’s executive chef Cedric Tovar and sipped Chateau D’Esclans’ Whispering Angel. Remarkably, Rune and Black tied Rublev and Manasse in match one; Alcaraz and Williams also tied Jabeur and Paul in match two. It was a festive conclusion to an extraordinary event amidst a week of so many.
Gardeners House is a blue-stained timber and terracotta-brick structure in a park in Geneva, designed by architecture studio Cabinet to provide workshops for gardeners and leisure space for locals.
Located near a forest in the municipality of Thônex, the single-storey building is topped with a spherical light in a boxy lantern, intended to help it stand out.
A lantern sits atop the workshop
“Surrounded by trees, it would become invisible, but its urban position is at a strategic point at the crossroads of street and park paths, and our ambition was to make it a public building,” Cabinet founders Fanny Noël and Diogo Lopes told Dezeen.
“All of this seemed like good reasons to make the building more visible and to mark its presence in the urban space.”
Blue-stained timber in a folded pattern covers the exterior
When the lantern is turned on, it lights up the workshop interior and becomes a signal to the residents that the grounds’ gardeners are working.
“By integrating a light moon that illuminates both interior and exterior, the inhabitants perceive when their gardeners are present on site, creating a dialogue between a hermetic program and the surroundings,” said Noël and Lopes.
Gardeners House is located in a park near a forest
The 205-square-metre Gardeners House contains a communal kitchen, shared leisure space and toilet facilities accessed by one entrance, while another leads to two connected workshop spaces.
A central hall connects the workshops and public spaces, as well as an office and changing rooms.
The lantern features a spherical lamp
“The main function of the building is a workshop for gardeners responsible for the maintenance of the park, but we suggested to the client to integrate a bigger kitchen and dining space with independent access that could be used by the inhabitants of the neighbourhood,” Noël and Lopes explained.
“They welcomed this idea, and we hope that events can happen in the future as it would stimulate a closer relationship between the building and the community.”
The building contains workshops and communal space for locals
Gardeners House has a pleated exterior made from blue-stained pine. One facade features a water fountain at the centre and curves around a circle of planting.
Load-bearing terracotta-brick walls support 10-centimetre-thick concrete roof beams, which are left exposed to resemble a pergola and filter light from the skylights above.
The concrete floor slab is built over an underground electrical station, using its concrete walls as foundations to avoid extra use of concrete.
Some window openings puncture the exterior, but for the most part, blank walls were necessary for hanging tools and storing machinery and equipment.
Concrete roof beams were designed to resemble a pergola
“We thought it was important to place some windows in strategic places to provide views to the refectory and the workshop space, while the users welcomed a source of light that could illuminate the depth of the plan,” said Noël and Lopes.
“We took this as an opportunity to design a pergola-like structure that would stand on top of the brick walls,” they continued. “By making the beams cross under the skylights, we produce a series of shadows that evoke outdoor garden structures.”
Gardeners House contains a kitchen
Structural materials are left exposed internally to reflect the industrious and practical function of the building, while the exterior is decorated in lightly-coloured timber with the aim of creating a visually appealing public structure.
“The building is designed in an inverse order of construction – the delicate timber cladding is placed on the outside, and the rough structure is placed on the inside,” said the architects.
“This responds to the intention of being empathetic with the public space and withstand the use that takes place in the interior.”
Walls are made from terracotta bricks
Noël and Lopes were informed by the history of groundskeeper and garden maintenance lodgings when designing the gardeners’ workshop.
“We were interested in the typology of gardeners’ maintenance buildings and found that, prior to industrial structures, gardeners had a house-like structure on site, with a kitchen, refectory and small office,” they said.
“This ambiguity between an industrial structure and a house-like character seemed worth exploring.”
The workshop is built atop an underground electrical station
Based in Geneva, Noël and Lopez founded the architecture studio Cabinet in 2019.
Fellow is dedicated to improving the aesthetic and functionality of the coffee-making experience. Their latest product, Tally, takes on the simple scale and evolves it with a clean design and useful tech. Measurements are precise to the tenth of a gram and lightning fast and the USB-C rechargeable battery lasts for a total of 13 hours which is roughly equivalent to 100 brews. Tally can be used in different modes ranging from simple weight to “Brew Assist,” which guides you through the process of measuring the coffee and water to make the perfect pour-over. There’s also a timer mode that helps manage the interplay between how much water to use and how fast to pour it.
Before works began to transform the notorious Villa 31 slum into an official Buenos Aires “barrio”, Chilean photographer Cristóbal Palma documented its distinct architecture.
Villa 31 is the most well-known “villa miseria” in the Argentinian capital, home to more than 40,000 people including both Chilean nationals and immigrants from neighbouring countries.
Villa 31 is a slum neighbourhood in Buenos Aires
Palma started visiting in 2019 when work was just starting to integrate the neighbourhood into the infrastructure of the city, with sewage systems, running water and connection to the power grid.
His photographs reveal the ad-hoc buildings and dense streetscapes that defined this unplanned part of the city.
Palma photographed Villa 31 before work began to improve conditions
“It was unique from other kinds of favelas because the pressure on land was so great,” Palma told Dezeen.
“It had a funny kind of metropolitan feel because it was so dense, with up to six or seven storeys of construction. I got the sense that, although it was very poor, there was a lot of pressure to have land there.”
His photos offer insight into what life was like for Villa 31’s 40,000 residents
Villa 31 has a definitive border, bounded by a highway on one side and a railway line and station on the other.
This fuelled its isolation, despite a location close to the city centre and adjacent to the affluent Recoleta neighbourhood. Since the 1930s, it had developed without any centralised planning or regulation.
The area is bounded by roads and railway lines
As a result, the resident-built homes were built along narrow, unpaved streets. Cables hung overhead, illegally drawing electricity from nearby power lines, while rain caused the streets to fill up with polluted water.
“The whole thing was very precarious,” Palma said. “Everything felt like it was just about to collapse.”
“But it was also a kind of paradigm of what a city could be if there were no cars,” he added.
“The way people interacted with public spaces felt, in a way, very sophisticated.”
Many of the resident-built buildings were six or seven storeys high
In 2016, the city government started drawing up plans to redevelop Villa 31 and improve conditions for its residents.
The project was not welcomed by all; media coverage revealed that many residents were fearful of the changes, with concerns they would be forced to leave their homes without any eventual benefit.
“It’s very politically charged,” said Palma, “because so many different people have tried to do different things there over the years”.
The streets were unpaved and without sewage systems
The scheme, funded by the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, has already transformed the newly renamed Barrio 31, with more changes still to come.
As well as paved roads, sewage and power, the neighbourhood now has three schools and a bank, and is served by buses for the first time. Residents can also get mortgages to buy their homes.
Many homes were built underneath an elevated highway
Palma felt it was important to create a record of how things were before redevelopment began, offering insight into what life was like for the residents of this neighbourhood.
“In Latin America, these kinds of favelas are usually on the periphery; you don’t get to see them unless you go there. But this one was so very present,” he said.
Some residents invited Palma into their homes
His photos show buildings rising up around the highway flyover, made from an assortment of different materials, while others show rooftops covered with materials, washing lines, water tanks and paddling pools.
He also captured portraits of some residents within their homes.
“From the outside, it looked very homogeneous,” he said. “But once I went in, I noticed all of these different sub-neighbourhoods, some more affluent and some more precarious.”
The photos serve as a record of how things were before works began
“It was so dramatic with the highway going through,” he continued. “Some people could actually touch the highway from their bedrooms.”
Another thing the photographer observed was the lack of nature within the neighbourhood, besides the occasional tree. “It was a big contrast with the rest of the city,” he said.
This tree is one of very few traces of nature that Palma observed
Palma is one of the judges of this year’s Dezeen Awards. He has run his own photography studio, Estudio Palma, since 2008 and is one of the leading architectural photographers in Latin America.
He is currently showing four large-scale prints from the Villa 31 series in an exhibition at Galería Gallo, which is part of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago.
The exhibition Construcción Villa 31 is on show at Galería Gallo from 10 August to 4 September. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
Submit your project before the final entry deadline at midnight Beijing time on 31 August for your final chance to win.
Architecture practice Büro Ole Scheeren has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, London and Berlin. Principal Scheeren considers architecture “a matrix of hybrid narratives from which we can construct future realities.”
“Our large-scale projects are complemented by independent collaborations with filmmakers and artists, as well as research projects exploring my personal interests in cinema, media, and narrative space,” Scheeren told Dezeen.
“Our projects serve as prototypes, engaging new conceptual possibilities and explicitly manifesting how the spaces in which we live and work can be reimagined,” he continued.
“From city-defining structures to intimate spaces, our work embodies a rigorous search for new potentials to realise specific and unexpected solutions inhabited by the lives of people and cities.”
Ole Scheeren among Dezeen Awards China 2023 judges
Dezeen Awards China 2023 launched earlier this year in partnership with Bentley Motors. It is the first regional edition of Dezeen Awards, celebrating the best architecture, interiors and design in China.
Enter before the final deadline on 31 August at midnight Beijing time.
Read on to find Scheeran’s views on the five projects that best represent his work:
Shenzhen Wave, Shenzhen, China
“Shenzhen Wave, the new headquarters for ZTE, one of China’s leading telecommunications and technology companies, is located at the entry to the Shenzhen Bay Super HQ masterplan in southern China.
“A sinuous diagonal ‘wave’ cuts through the building and links its multiple levels, lifting the structure off the ground and cresting up through the roof.
“This key element becomes an open and experiential pathway through the building for light, views, and circulation, encouraging spontaneous encounters between users throughout the structure.
“The building will become a dynamic organism synthesising spaces for formal and informal work, research, innovation, and retreat into a completely new type of architecture for the city.”
“Rather than creating a pair of separated towers, the hotels are stacked on top of one another, thereby occupying a smaller footprint and liberating large parts of the natural landscape on the ground.
“This strategic manoeuvre allows the combined massing to be more structurally and ecologically efficient and creates a memorable and iconic silhouette along Sanya’s shoreline.
“Sanya Horizons’ stacked horizontal volumes are planimetrically curved to embrace the ocean and further enhance the abundant vistas, with every hotel room given its own private terrace and 100 per cent unobstructed sea views.
“Through the offsets and openings between the volumes, a wide spectrum of natural plantings and gardens emerges throughout the building, almost doubling the amount of green space on the site.”
“A system of vertically shifted apartment modules enables dynamic yet rational and efficient layouts for residential units. The horizontal rotation of these modular elements projects living spaces outwards to introduce the concept of horizontal living in a slender high-rise.
“The resulting multiple terraces generated from these horizontal shifts create a physical connectivity between the indoor and outdoor environment.
“Fifteen Fifteen presents a carefully crafted distinctive silhouette that reaches out to engage the space of the city and stands as a new beacon that activates the skyline.
“The tower opens up to embrace both city and nature in a three-dimensional sculpture, respecting views to and from neighbouring buildings, and maximising unobstructed views to the surrounding water, parks, and city.”
“Empire City, a spectacular ensemble of high-rise towers and public spaces, is set to become a new focal point of Ho Chi Minh City, sculpting a symbiotic vision of nature and living within the space of the city.
“Three skyscrapers will soar above a mountain-shaped, garden-like podium, with the central Empire 88 Tower reaching a height of almost 400 meters. Its 88 floors will encompass residences, apartments, a hotel and a public observation deck.
“Breaking open the shaft of the tower and projecting vertical gardens at towering heights, the expressively undulating platforms of the ‘Sky Forest’ will elevate the podium’s urban landscape into the sky.
“Hovering terraces will cantilever in manifold directions around the tower’s central axis, reaching out into the urban context and the peninsula’s natural surroundings.”
“A hybrid of art, culture, event and lifestyle that embodies the multi-faceted overlapping realities of the contemporary art world.
“The ‘pixelated’ volumes of the lower portion of the building subtly refer to the adjacent historic urban fabric, echoing the grain, colour and intricate scale of Beijing’s hutongs.
“The Guardian Art Center represents a new hybrid concept for a cultural institution that transcends the traditional definitions of a contemporary art space.
“Merging the display and presentation of art in its museum spaces with the multifunctional capacities of its exhibition and auction rooms allows virtually any type of usage and event to occur.”
Dezeen Awards China is the first regional edition of Dezeen Awards, to celebrate the best architecture, interiors and design in China. The annual awards are in partnership with Bentley Motors, as part of a wider collaboration that will see the brand work with Dezeen to support and inspire the next generation of design talent.
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