“During the busy festival season, concertgoers often face annoyance from long beer lines that can cause them to miss parts of the show. To improve customer experience, One Two Beer’s automated system allows festival staff to place cups side by side, then, with one press of a button, the mobile tap heads descend to fill the cups from below. This bottom-up approach prevents foaming, so pouring happens rapidly. “
“Concert attendees benefit from precious time savings and no more missed songs, while vendors benefit from labor savings. The automated system provides faster service to reduce frustration during peak times.”
It does indeed look faster than the average human could consistently do it:
It’s impressive enough that this chair is made from a single piece of plywood. It’s outright astonishing to learn it was designed and made in the 1930s. According to the UK’s Victoria & Albert Museum:
“Designed in 1934 by Gerald Summers and manufactured by his London company, The Makers of Simple Furniture, the chair is made from a plywood sheet consisting of 13 layers of cross-grained veneer.”
“The sheet was first cut with four straight lines, which outlined the position and width of the arms and back legs. While the glue between the plys was still wet, the sheet was then pressed in a wooden mould for eight hours. The mould articulated the curve of the chair’s legs and arms, leaving only the front legs to be cut out after the moulding process was finished.”
“Summers was one of a group of European designers working in the early 1930s to push the formal and structural limits of new furniture materials such as plywood.”
It seems wildly improbable, but 50-year-old videogame pioneer Atari has not only survived, but are re-releasing the Atari 2600 as the 2600+.
The original 2600, released in 1977, cost $190 (about $920 today); the new 2600+ runs $130. And it’s not only backwards-compatible with original 2600 and 7800 game cartridges, but comes with a 10-in-1 game cartridge featuring the classics.
The cartridge slot is just a smidgen wider, which Atari says will reduce sticking. And the video connector has been upgraded to HDMI, and it features a widescreen mode for modern TVs.
The overall design of the console hasn’t changed, nor has the joystick. Sadly, it only comes with one joystick—perhaps that says something about the target buyer?
The Atari 2600+ is up for pre-order now and will ship in November.
Cool new humanoid robot design! This one is by startup Apptronik, which was once part of UT Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Lab, so this one might not kill us.
It’s called Apollo, and it’s meant to steal jobs from assist warehouse and factory workers, “eventually extending into construction, oil and gas, electronics production, retail, home delivery, elder care and countless more areas,” Apptronik writes.
The company says it’s “the first commercial humanoid robot that was designed for friendly interaction, mass manufacturability, high payloads and safety.” It does indeed look friendlier than the robot rabble we’ve been seeing lately. I like its flat white face, and hope it’s made of dry-erase material so you can scrawl obscene sketches or draw your own nose and mouth on it.
In actuality, its face is an e-ink display, allowing you to literally read its lips.
Would also be fun if the chest screen can play Space Invaders, with the ‘bot compelled to stop whatever it’s doing and remain in place for as long as you want to play.
Something I really dig, that we haven’t seen in those other ‘bots, is that it’s got a red “Off” button on its back. I was thinking I’d like to see it on its forehead or chest, but it makes more sense on the back—that way it can’t see you coming and defend itself.
As punishment, its legs can be removed and replaced with a plinth that you bolt to the floor. It will think twice before attempting to organize another revolt.
Conversely, you can reward sufficiently subservient models by gifting them a wheeled platform. Insist the other, legged robots refer to him as the “centaur” of your operation.
Did you know? When you fire a robot, you give it a cardboard box. It has to take itself apart and put all the pieces inside the box.
The company says the robot will be commercially available in 2025.
“The concept behind this chair is to evoke a captivating sense of asymmetry that is visually appealing. Its design aims to convey a feeling of weightlessness, allowing the air to gracefully flow through the chair’s various components.”
“The chair’s structure is crafted using stainless steel pipes of varying diameters, ingeniously interconnecting to form a continuous line and shape.”
“As for the seat, it is composed of painted plastic and consists of two distinct parts seamlessly attached to the pipes. This arrangement creates a seat with an intriguing open space within, only visible from the chair’s rear perspective.”
US studio Avenir Creative has completed the renovation of a historic hotel in Montgomery, Alabama, restoring a trio of buildings in accordance with local heritage.
Close to the riverfront, the 117-room Trilogy Montgomery has reopened following an extensive overhaul by Chicago-based Avenir Creative.
Trilogy Montgomery’s airy lobby features whitewashed brick walls and eclectic furniture
Three buildings — two early 20th-century warehouses and a Greek revival mansion built in 1851 — were combined to create a seamless interior flow totalling 72,000 square feet (6,690 square metres) while retaining the character of each.
“With a commitment to honoring Montgomery’s past while embracing a bright future, the hotel offers a welcoming, inspiring, and inclusive space for all,” said Avenir Creative.
The Montgomery House Bar pulls from the region’s jazz heritage
The new main entrance was created into a four-storey, red-brick building on Coosa Stree, where guests arrive into a spacious lobby that leans fully into the warehouse aesthetic.
Tall ceilings with exposed wooden beams, whitewashed brick walls, exposed services and ductwork, and metal-framed partitions all add to the industrial aesthetic.
The Kinsmith restaurant is decorated with deep blue-green hues across richly patterned wallpaper and textiles
The wooden reception counter, which looks like a giant vintage speaker, is positioned in front of a large library shelving unit with a rolling ladder.
A mixture of antique and contemporary furniture creates an eclectic feel that continues into the adjacent atrium lounge.
The portion of the hotel housed within a Greek revival mansion is ornately decorated
“Designed as a homage to the region’s multicultural history, elements throughout the hotel pull from materials and motifs important to the city,” Avenir Creative said.
“The back wall of the front desk has a wood pattern inspired by church window architecture as the King Memorial Baptist Church where Martin Luther King Jr was the pastor is a large part of the community.”
A muted colour palette of greens and grey in the guest bedrooms is contrasted by brighter accent chairs and carpets
The guest rooms have lofty ceilings and full-height windows, with those on the upper floors enjoying views across the city.
A muted colour palette of greens and grey in the bedrooms is contrasted by brighter accent chairs and carpets, while flooring is either maple or pine and works by local artists adorn the walls.
On the roof, an expansive terrace called Waterworks offers plenty of casual outdoor seating among potted plants
Over in the mansion portion of the hotel, which was originally built for a prominent local merchant, Corinthian column capitals and ornate plasterwork lend a very different aesthetic.
The hotel’s restaurant, Kinsmith, is decorated with deep blue-green hues across richly patterned wallpaper and textiles, while the bar interior blends olive green leather banquettes, purple velvet curtains and sand-hued walls – all colours also found in the stone bar counter.
“The Montgomery House Bar pulls from jazz influences with chandeliers that resemble trumpets and lush fabric banquettes that create a cozy jazz lounge environment,” said Avenir Creative.
Hallways feature checkered floors, and a gallery of vintage photographs and artworks runs up the staircase. Various meeting rooms with gilded mirrors and chandeliers also occupy this section of the hotel.
The Trilogy Montgomery occupies three buildings, including a red-brick former warehouse where a new entrance was created during the renovations
On the roof, an expansive terrace called Waterworks offers plenty of casual outdoor seating among potted plants, as well as craft beers and Southern-influenced small plates.
Dark-toned furniture matches the building’s exterior and a pergola from which string lights are hung.
The adjacent Greek revival mansion houses the hotel’s restaurant, bar and event spaces
Across the American Deep South, former warehouses in what are now considered prime tourist locations have slowly been transformed into hotels that retain the original industrial character.
In New Orleans, the The Eliza Jane Hotel occupies a series similar structures close to the historic French Quarter.
The Apple Watch is probably one of the most popular smartwatches globally, and it’s not much of a shocker when you consider the number of people you see walking or jogging on the street with their Apple Watch wrapped around their wrists. Apple is constantly innovating on the go, and its Apple Watch Ultra is the latest addition to its arsenal of techy goodies. And, we’ve curated a collection of innovative and nifty accessories to perfectly complement your Apple Watch. From the Elago W3 Stand that will teleport users onto a nostalgic journey of time and functionality, to NASA-themed Apple Watch bands – these innovative accessories are a must-have for Apple Watch fanatics!
1. The RSTR Case
The RSTR Case has a stunning transparent crystalline design that is made to be shown off. Designed by Golden Concept, it transforms your Apple Watch Ultra into a shimmering jewel that you can wear on your wrist, and show off. Available in four beautiful colors, the case has been crafted using 50 meticulously engineered parts. The home and action buttons are made from stainless steel and are designed to be slightly larger, making them more accessible through the otherwise chunky case.
2. Sandmarc’s Apple Watch Ultra Band
The Sandmarc’s Apple Watch Ultra Band is an Oyster-style band built from grade-2 titanium, with the perfect color and finish to completely match the Ultra. You simply need to slip the band on, and it transforms your extreme smartwatch into a luxurious-looking haute timepiece. It looks like it was designed by Apple!
3. Mark_B_Case
The innovative Mark_B_Case is designed to power your Apple Watch and keep it functioning without missing a beat. It features a 450mAh battery, which extends your Apple Watch’s utility by three times more. It is designed to be more than a Powerbank case, it is a sleek masterpiece that integrates with your Apple Watch as a case.
4. Y24 Apple Watch Cases
Designed by Y24, this collection of Apple Watch cases is a price-friendly collection inspired by the lifestyle of Tokyo, and truly this echoes in the cool vibe each of them possesses. Y24’s cases are specially designed to uplift the young generation’s style for a unique and innovative identity without compromising on or sacrificing Apple’s originality.
5. NASA-themed Apple Watch Straps
MobyFox’s Apple Watch straps feature seven different NASA-approved designs to choose from, along with 20+ watch faces to match. The straps are crafted from sweat and UV-resistant silicone, and feature a large range of graphical elements surrounding NASA’s rebranding over the ages and the iconic meatball and worm logo styles. The strap-loop also has the year 1953 printed on it, which marks the day NASA was founded.
6. Nomad Sport Band
Nomad is quite well known for its innovative accessories, and its latest limited-edition glow-in-the-dark Apple Watch Sport Band features a cool green phosphorescence that will redefine the way you approach intense workouts and everyday style. It is designed to perfectly complement your athletic and modern journey during the day and night.
7. The Apple Watch Pillbox
The Apple Watch Pillbox is designed as a simple silicone strap and sleeve that can be swiftly attached to your Apple Watch. It offers a tiny pill container right underneath the watch body, allowing you to easily store and carry your medications with you wherever you go. Since you will be almost always wearing your watch, the chances of you forgetting to carry and consume your meds are significantly lowered!
8. The PZOZ Convertor Case
The PZOZ Converter Case is an innovative and ingenious product that you can snap onto your Apple Watch, and convince fool people into thinking that you own an Apple Watch Ultra. Built using polycarbonate, and not titanium, the strap of the watch remains unchanged, while the Action Button on the side is a dummy button that manages to look super real!
9. The W3 Stand
The W3 stand by Elago wirelessly charges your Apple Watch under the guise of a classic Macintosh. It can be placed on your nightstand to charge the Apple Watch’s latest version. It features a Nightstand Mode which allows it to function as an alarm clock, and display the time and messages.
10. The Anker 3-in-1 Cube
The Anker 3-in-1 Cube has MagSafe, allowing it to hold three devices all at once. Don’t be fooled by its simple appearance, because it’s been amped with a ton of functionality. The charging section for your Apple devices can be accessed by lifting the lid like a little treasure box, except that the opening is facing in the direction opposite you. This ensures that your phone can be tilted to face you.
Inverted brick arches crown the Central Somers Town children’s community centre near King’s Cross, London, created by local studio Adam Khan Architects.
The project forms the home of Plot 10, a community children’s play project established in the 1970s that previously occupied a series of self-built timber structures on the site.
It sits adjacent to an apartment block, also designed by Adam Khan Architects and completed with matching arched motifs.
Adam Khan Architects has created Central Somers Town children’s centre
Adam Khan Architects was tasked with creating the buildings as part of the Central Somers Town masterplan, developed by architecture studio DSDHA.
The aim is to provide community facilities and housing for one of the London Borough of Camden’s most deprived areas.
Both buildings are finished in London brick, concrete and red metalwork, and are enlivened by arched forms chosen to evoke a variety of references.
It is the home of community children’s play project Plot 10
“We like architecture that is rich in associations and open to being interpreted by people in multiple, diverse ways and by people of diverse backgrounds and levels of interest and engagement,” founder Adam Khan told Dezeen.
“If you see a palace, a mosque or a sandcastle, that’s fine. If you’re keen on eighteenth-century Parisian hôtel particuliers you’ll notice some affinities. Or, if you live locally you’ll already be familiar with arched openings giving glimpses into planted courtyards,” he added.
It is decorated with arched motifs. Photo by Lewis Khan
In order to provide privacy to the children’s centre, Adam Khan Architects sandwiched the building between two external play areas that are wrapped by brick walls.
Where the centre faces directly onto the street, the studio positioned a series of arched “shopfront” windows that provide an opportunity to display children’s work while obscuring the play areas from view.
The project also includes a block of social housing
“A hierarchy of openings, glimpses into courtyards and deep window reveals quietly satisfy the many and stringent safeguarding and privacy demands, whilst projecting welcome and vitality,” explained the studio.
Inside, the “creative improvisation” that has characterised Plot 10’s history informed a double-height space for “free-form play” across a variety of scales, developed through exploratory workshops with the organisation.
The arched motifs also feature in the housing
In the corner of the building, a timber toilet block is topped by a more private, glazed room, overlooking the play areas below.
On the roof, a crown of inverted brick arches surrounds a playing field, with the parapet framing views out across the surroundings.
“It is difficult to self-build or improvise big, high-excitement structures, so we built two big towers that provide exciting high-level play – including wheelchair-accessible play at higher levels, which is unusual,” explained Khan.
“Then, we made a strong timber armature framing the rest of the playground, allowing easy slinging up of swings, ropes and theatre drapes,” he continued.
There is a rooftop playing field. Photo by Lewis Khan
In the adjacent residential block are 10 social-rented apartments. Each one is triple-aspect, with day-lit hallways, large windows and generous balconies.
The arched motifs of the children’s centre are subtly reflected in an arched entranceway and the gentle wave-like form of a concrete canopy where the apartment block faces the street.
The block contains 10 apartments
Elsewhere in the Central Somers Town development, Hayhurst & Co created the Edith Neville Primary School, which features a landscaped playground.
From a modernist villa in Beverly Hills to a flat in one of Brasília’s iconic Superquadra apartment blocks, the mid-century renovations in this lookbook are a masterclass in updating a period home while retaining its distinctive character.
Originally constructed in the post-war period between 1945 and 1969, mid-century homes have proved enduringly popular due to their prescient emphasis on natural light, clean lines, open floor plans and humble materials such as wood, stone and concrete.
The renovations below see many of these original features retained and restored, supplemented with contemporary additions such as double-height ceilings and furniture by the likes of Tadao Ando and Mario Bellini.
Australian studio Design Theory looked to preserve the “considerable mid-century charm” of this home on the coast of Perth during its renovation (top and above), remaining true to the rich palette of natural materials found in the original design.
Contemporary furniture and lighting with gently curving forms were chosen to soften the rigorous lines of the original architecture and prevent the interiors from feeling like a period pastiche.
A new double-height living room with a pitched roof and full-height glazing was added to modernise this 1960s home in Phoenix, creating sightlines up and out towards nearby Camelback Mountain.
Modernist touches remain on the interior in the form of plentiful wood panelling alongside finishes and furnishings in muted primary colours ranging from teal to mustard-yellow.
This house in Hampstead was originally designed by British architect Trevor Dannatt in 1960 as London’s answer to the post-war Case Study Houses built by the likes of Richard Neutra and the Eameses in California.
When renovating and extending the property for a growing family, local studio Coppin Dockray contrasted vintage and contemporary furniture for a “domestic, lived-in” feel, with pieces ranging from a Togo chair to Mia Hamborg’s Shuffle table for &Tradition.
Historical images helped architecture firm Heusch to restore this Beverly Hills villa to its former glory and reverse some of its “unfortunate transformations” over the years.
Existing terrazzo floors on the ground floor were restored and complemented with fluted glass details and dark timber furnishings, both new and old, including Ando’s cantilevered Dream Chairs and a bookshelf by Italian architect Augusto Romano from the 1950s.
California studio OWIU retained several original elements during the renovation of this 1955 home in LA’s San Rafael Hills, among them the glass-block walls and wooden ceiling beams, which were exposed from under false ceilings and sanded down to reveal their natural colour.
These were contrasted with more neutral contemporary elements such as pale oak flooring and walls coated in Venetian plaster, with assorted lights by Isamu Noguchi and George Nelson – one of the founding fathers of American modernism.
This apartment is located inside Brasília‘s historic Superquadra 308 Sul, the first “superblock” apartment complex constructed as part of architect Lucio Costa’s 1957 master plan for the new Brazilian capital.
Local studio Debaixo do Bloco Arquitetura cut open the building’s exposed concrete walls, opening up its layout to meet the needs of a modern family while preserving period details such as the building’s distinctive white breeze-block screens and its granilite flooring.
When interior designer Kelly Wearstler turned this 1950s beachfront cottage in Malibu into a bohemian retreat for herself and her family, she retained the original wood-panelled walls and selected finishes that were “hand-crafted, rustic and raw” to match the existing material palette.
The interiors feature abundant planting, alongside an eclectic mix of period-agnostic furnishings including a 1980s green marble table by Bellini, paired with a plaster-covered Caféstuhl chair by contemporary Austrian designer Lukas Gschwandtner.
Seattle architecture firm SHED had to make several aggressive interventions when renovating this 1950s building in nearby Shoreline, which was originally constructed as a family home but had previously been divided up to serve as a retirement home.
Working around the existing post-and-beam structure, the studio updated the interior to maximise views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound while enlarging the kitchen and reorganising it around a central island.
A 105-year-old glasshouse from Copenhagen Botanical Gardens has been taken apart and rebuilt in a new location by architecture studio Forma to create a classroom in the west of the city.
Rescued from the brink of demolition, the greenhouse was carefully dismantled and reassembled over a new substructure and floor using as many recycled materials as possible.
Væksthuset is a 105-year-old repurposed greenhouse
Known as Væksthuset, which translates as “the greenhouse”, it is now a plant-filled education and events space with a focus on farming and sustainability.
Copenhagen-based Forma oversaw the renovation for the climate-conscious BaneGaarden, an urban farm and food venue in southwest Copenhagen.
The building was rescued from Copenhagen Botanical Gardens
It is one of the first completed projects by the newly launched studio, which is led by architects Mikkel Bøgh and Nicolai Richter-Friis.
Bøgh told Dezeen that, while it would have been easier to build something from scratch, the result is more meaningful.
“We need to design and build so the projects of today can transform and adapt over time, long after we are gone,” he said.
The greenhouse now serves as a venue for events and workshops
The project began when entrepreneur, activist and BaneGaarden co-founder Søren Ejlersen unexpectedly succeeded in calling off the bulldozers.
Ejlersen – a Danish chef best known as the founder of organic meal-kit company Aarstiderne – had failed in his initial campaign to block the demolition. On the day it was set to be razed, he and a videographer had simply turned up to document the event for posterity.
The old structure has been hung over a new steel frame
“The videographer told me the footage was boring, so I started shouting about how the building was cultural and sacred,” Ejlersen told Dezeen.
“By coincidence, the videographer was wearing a TV 2 News t-shirt. They thought we were filming for the national news, so they stopped the process of tearing the building down.”
The new I-beams are significantly thicker than the original ones
Ejlersen was given all five of the glass sheds that formed the old greenhouse, but he only had room for two at BaneGaarden, a former railyard where nine barns are set in an area of protected woodland.
These are now installed at one end of the site, while the other three were sold and repurposed elsewhere.
Planting boxes line the edge of the walls
The original steelwork no longer functions as the building’s primary structure. Instead, the old frame is hung over a new substructure of significantly thicker I-beams.
“Even though the building had been standing for 105 years, today’s engineers could not calculate with that steel,” said Bøgh.
“The only way we could rebuild was to create a substructure and then put the greenhouse on top as a climate screen.”
The flooring was repurposed from the former Bella Center, an old convention centre building recently converted into a sports facility, while the doors were sourced from a local school.
Not all of the glass had survived, but the panels that did were all reinstalled on the side walls. Security glass was then sourced for the roof panels, to ensure they won’t shatter if a tree branch falls on them.
Inside, it is filled with both recycled furniture and large custom-made planting boxes.
There are no foundations, so the building could potentially be dismantled at a later date. However, the design team hope it will become a permanent resource for the local community.
The doors were sourced from a local school
It serves a range of uses, as a venue for talks, education workshops, dinner events and weddings.
“We like to bring people here to clear their minds, to showcase impact so that we give them a new direction,” added Ejlersen.
Væksthuset is located at BaneGaarden in southwest Copenhagen
Other recent greenhouses on Dezeen include a glass pavilion with a pyramidal roof designed by Odile Decq to evoke historic orangeries, a unfolding glasshouse by Heatherwick Studio cand a timber-framed “orangery” attached to a renovated garage.
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