Hasta La Ideas

Don’t you hate it when you see an object, of unknown function, that you instantly want; then you find out what it’s for and have no use for it.

Any guesses as to what this thing is?

So it’s a designey incense burner.

“This solid brass incense burner designed by Sebastian Herkner and made by Francisco Andrade, allows the use of up to nine incense sticks at a time. With three different hole sizes to fit incense sticks of different diameters, the engraved groove lines on the polished brass surface give a sense of scale and also demonstrates the fine craftsmanship of Francisco.”

The €295 (USD $310) object is in production by housewares company Origin Made.

We often underestimate the importance of great office furniture! When in reality we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on our office chairs or typing away on our desks whether we’re working in our home office or a corporate one. Hence, these pieces of furniture need to be not only comfortable but ergonomic, and aesthetic as well. And we’ve curated a collection of furniture designs that meet all these criteria. From the ultimate task chair for you to a minimal cubicle-like furniture system – these innovative furniture designs are not only great for maintaining a healthy posture, but are also super comfy to work on, and will perfectly match the interiors of your modern office. Enjoy!

1. The Flow Wall Desk

The Flow Wall Desk is truly a unique and excellent piece of office furniture intended for office spaces that don’t have a lot of real estate. The desk is quite functional, and yet impressively decorative while managing to maintain a simple and sustainable design philosophy.

Why is it noteworthy?

When “stored” and folded up, it looks like a piece of art on your wall with its minimalist, geometric shapes. Initially, it’s a flat canvas and when you unfold it, it looks like a “spiraling caterpillar” and you realize that it is turning into a desk where you can work, read, or write in your journal.

What we like

• Features a convenient and effective flatpack form
• Multifunctional furniture design that can be easily stored away

What we dislike

• Folding and unfolding the desk whenever you need to use it means we can’t have a constant setup

2. Qyos

Spanish office furniture brand Acitu recently designed its first acoustic meeting pod called Qyos. Qyos was launched to create “islands of privacy”.

Why is it noteworthy?

Qyos is a range of modular and sound-insulated cabins that were created by Actiu’s research and development team. The cabins are ideal for calls or tasks that need your complete focus and attention.

What we like

• Provides an escape from office spaces especially when you have tasks on priority
• Can be easily and effortlessly assembled

What we dislike

• There are similar designs on the market, it has nothing too exciting to set it apart

3. Anthros Task Chair

Anthros designed this innovative task chair with an entirely fresh approach. They used scientific evidence and research to build a task chair that boosts your productivity, improves your posture, and minimizes pain points.

Why is it noteworthy?

Anthros has spent quite a lot of time working with wheelchair users, so they know how important the right seating is. They utilized this experience to create a new and improved modern task chair.

What we like

• Equipped with 4D armrests to adjust the height, pivot angle, depth, and weight to create a completely modifiable experience

What we dislike

4. Beam Collection

Nienkamper’s Beam furniture collection includes a variety of seating and table designs that are compact and curvaceous with a chonky aesthetic that warmly invites you in!

Why is it noteworthy?

The collection is casual and playful, while also managing to have a low carbon footprint! It includes a single lounge chair, two-, or three-, seater.

What we like

• The various pieces are intended to be combined to build dynamic and playful combinations that can be customized to specific work environments.

What we dislike

• Space-consuming and bulky pieces

5. Sphere Office Chair

The Sphere Office Chair was designed by Japanese furniture brand Okamura and is a sleek and good-looking office chair made using recycled fishing nets that were salvaged from the ocean.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Sphere Office Chair features a “3D physical fit shell” with a kinematic structure that effortlessly adapts to the contours of the user’s body. This allows the users to sit for long periods of time on the chair without feeling any discomfort or fatigue.

What we like

• The chair adapts to the contours of the user’s body, making it super comfy to sit for long periods of time

What we dislike

• The aesthetics of the chair are quite similar to other office chairs on the market

6. Cubicle

The design studio Form Us With Love collaborated with Danish manufacturer +Halle to create the ‘Cubicle’ – an interesting and functional “bench and wall system”.

Why is it noteworthy?

Cubicle is designed to replicate and mimic the particular qualities that people seek while searching for seats in an open indoor workspace like a library or a co-working space.

What we like

• Available in a couple of different variations to cater to your customized needs

What we dislike

• Not well suited for smaller spaces or offices with space constraints

7. Eto Desk

Australian designer Tom Fereday created the Eto Desk for the furniture brand King. The sleek desk features minimal angles and integrated smart accessories!

Why is it noteworthy?

The desk is quite sleek and minimal and includes an aluminum frame and a timber veneer top that is available in three finishes – Smoked Oak, American Walnut, and Congo.

What we like

• Features a slim desk built into the design that provides discreet and easily accessible storage for stationery

What we dislike

• Aesthetics are a bit simple and unassuming, which may not be preferred by some

8. Liberty Ocean Chair

Designed by Humanscale, the Liberty Ocean Chair is as its name signifies, built using one kilogram of abandoned fishing nets found in the ocean.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Liberty Ocean chair range claims to be “first task chairs made from recycled fishing nets”, and is a brave and commendable effort on the part of Humanscale to tackle the evergrowing issue of ocean plastic.

What we like

• Claims to be the first task chair made from recycled fishing nets
• Ergonomic and minimal

What we dislike

• The aesthetics of the chair are quite similar to other office chairs on the market

9. Lives Post + Beam Workspace

Designed by Japanese furniture brand Okamura, the Lives Post + Beam workspace is designed to be a flexible + versatile workspace for corporate and commercial offices.

Why is it noteworthy?

The focal point of the workspace is that it includes a frame with sliding wall panels. What’s interesting is that the various wall panels are customizable, so users can customize the square frames with fixed or moveable panels that can be attached to the top rail.

What we like

• Enables companies to create personalized workspaces customized to the personal needs and requirements of their employees

What we dislike

• It’s not available yet, so we don’t know how the actual design will be

10. Nouhaus Ergo3D

This brilliant high-back seating chair isn’t your average ergonomic chair. It features a 3-segment backrest, dynamic lumbar support, 4D adjustable orbital armrests, and a class-4 hydraulic gas-lift main pillar, and is called the Nouhaus Ergo3D.

Why is it noteworthy?

This high-back chair looks like an interesting modern throne, and features a 3-part backrest that conforms to the shape of your spine, providing you with support and comfort via the company’s unique ‘Just-For-Me’ Lumbar Support System.

What we like

• Conforms to the shape of your spine
• The adjustable headrest cushions your cranium through the day

What we dislike

• No option for personal customization

The post Top 10 Office Furniture To Create The Ultimate Productivity Boosting Workspace first appeared on Yanko Design.

Racing sims are the best way to experience the exhilarating in-game action but there’s a caveat. They can be bulky, not suited for small rooms, and also hefty on the pocket if you are on a budget. Logitech wants to get over this predicament with a compact gaming chair that can be folded away when not in use.

Meet the Playseat Challenge X – Logitech G Edition sim racing chair designed to “experience the thrill of racing at home” without burning a hole in your pocket. As Jim Hoey, head of simulation marketing at Logitech explained that the collaboration with Playseat (gaming chair maker) was intended to make the “Challenge X more functional, comfortable and overall, a better racing experience, than traditional desktop gaming chairs.”

Designer: Logitech G and Playseat

The racing sim cockpit chair priced at $299 is far cheaper than the popular options on the market including ones by Logitech and Playseat. The racing chair is somewhat similar to the normal Playseat Challenge Black Actifit which is $70 cheaper. On this version, however, there are tilting pedal mount gear shift mounts that can be opted as extra accessories. Also, this new variant comes with an extra handle to adjust the position according to the user’s comfort.

The lightweight, foldable racing sim cockpit is compatible with all the Logitech G racing wheels and pedals including the Logitech G racing wheel and Logitech G Driving Force Shifter. If you already own them, this will be a worthy upgrade to the collection. Playseat Challenge X – Logitech G Edition is made from a sturdy steel frame and comfort is a given with the breathable Actifit seat material. The seat can be adjusted to six levels for the ideal racing positions which is great if you are a serious racer. Also, they are mindful enough to provide the adjustable poles at the bottom to toggle the positioning of pedals to fit the leg length.

Logitech G has provided a carrying case with the package to easily stow the chair without any hassles. Weighting just 26 pounds makes the task easy we assume. If you want to use it as a regular chair, you can do it by unmounting the steering, pedals and gear shifter. The portable gaming chair in gunmetal color can be bought right away from Amazon or official retailers offline.

The post Ultra-portable Playseat Challenge X – Logitech G Edition sim racing chair folds away when not in use first appeared on Yanko Design.

Dezeen has teamed up with The World Around to stream its Focus: Radical Repair event, where designers will reflect on architecture’s responsibility over the climatic crisis. Watch it live here from 6:00pm to 9:00pm Milan time.

Focus: Radical Repair invites eight interdisciplinary designers to reflect on the historic responsibility that design and architecture have on climate change, while examining the role the industry can play in “creating, inventing and enacting radical forms of repair”.

Throughout the evening, experts will discuss how design can become a leading voice in repairing political, social and ecological issues across communities, and between humans and other species.

The discussions will also focus on how designers and architects can protect vulnerable communities without further harming the planet.

Speakers include architect Yasmeen Lari, who will give a keynote discussing a career dedicated to activism, while coordinator of The Green Wall Initiative, Paul Elvis Tangem, will discuss a project that introduces “radical resilience” in Africa’s dry lands through restoration projects and sustainable land management.

Founder of Space Caviar and creative director of Design Academy Eindhoven, Joseph Grima, will speak about “mapping a new generation of non-extractive architecture practices”, while Chicago-based architect Jeanne Gang will examine how existing buildings can be reinvented and expanded.

Architect Freddy Mamani will also discuss his work exploring the history of the city of El Alto in Bolivia through buildings based on indigenous crafts and architecture, while Japanese architect Junya Ishigami will discuss a radical approach to ecology, landscape and architecture.

Co-founder of Amateur Architecture, Lu Wenyu, will speak about recycling traditional materials in rural China and Nigerian Poet Aziba Ekio will read a poem commissioned for the event.

Focus: Radical Repair was created by non-profit organisation The World Around and art museum Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, in collaboration with design institution Triennale Milano.

In addition to Focus: Radical Repair, The World Around and Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain are also collaborating on two additional architectural public programmes. The second programme will be held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2024. The details of the third programme have yet to be announced.

“The time of business as usual for designers and architects has come to a close,” said The World Around executive director Beatrice Galilee.

“While not uniquely responsible for the climate crisis, architecture as an industry owes a debt to our planet, and there are so many brilliant designers from across the world who are working every day towards repairing the damage: from improving lives of the smallest families to registering change for communities to envisioning a future for tens of millions of people,” she continued.

“I’m so excited to welcome this extraordinary line-up of inspiring speakers to Milan, to me, the most important city for design in the world.”

The event will be curated by Galilee, along with Fondation Cartier director of curatorial affairs Béatrice Grenier and Triennale Milano president Stefano Boeri.

The World Around is a non-profit organisation founded by Galilee, which hosts critical discussions with experts on design, architecture and culture.

The Fondation Cartier is a contemporary art museum that promotes projects, exhibitions, lectures and programmes with practitioners.

Triennale Milano 2023 is a cultural institution based in the Palazzo dell’Arte where it puts on exhibitions, shows, meetings and workshops that “illustrate today’s world from new points of view”.

To view more about the event, visit its website.

Partnership content

Dezeen is a media partner for The World Around 2023. Find out more about our partnership content here.

The post Watch The World Around’s Focus: Radical Repair live at Triennale Milano appeared first on Dezeen.

Chinese studio Neri&Hu has completed a store interior for Ms MIN in Shanghai, China, to showcase the fashion brand’s diverse use of materials.

Located at the Taikoo Li shopping complex in central Shanghai, the 195-square-metre store was designed to evoke a sense of traditional home-based atelier that places materials and craftsmanship at its centre.

“Before the Industrial Revolution, textiles were made by hand in villages across China by individual families; carding, spinning and weaving all took place in farmhouses, indeed a loom could be found in every well-conditioned homestead,” Neri&Hu explained.

“We harken back to the notion of a traditional fabric atelier, showcasing craftsmanship, rich materiality, and a domestic sensibility.”

The space was divided into several zones by a series of floor-to-ceiling open grid wooden structures.

White fabric sheet was hung in between a wooden grid to serve as lightweight semi-transparent partitions situated on left and right side of the shop. These were designed to allow plenty of natural daylight into the store.

“Natural daylight and the chaos of the shopping mall are filtered by the sheer fabric screens, giving the space an overall sense of calmness,” Neri&Hu said.

The same wooden structures with overhanging eaves to the right side of the shop form a series of more private rooms.

These are used as a reception at the front of the store along with a VIP lounge, VIP fitting room and studio area at the rear of the shop.

The central display area was arranged by a series of panels, either made with micro-cement or marble and framed in brass, which form an internal courtyard that can be used as an exhibition space.

These panels can be re-arranged and interchanged to suit the changing fashion trends in motifs every season.

The entire shop was paved with curved roof tiles stacked and inlaid, a traditional pavement commonly found in the region.

Neri&Hu also created custom mannequin figures for Ms MIN. According to the studio, the linen-made mannequins have a skin-like subtle texture.

Neri&Hu was founded by Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu in 2004 in Shanghai. Other recent interior projects completed by the studio include cafe brand Blue Bottle’s latest shop and a flexible office space, both in Shanghai.

The photography is by Zhu Runzi.

Project credits:

Partners-in-charge: Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu
Associate-in-charge: Sanif Xu
Design team: Muyang Tang, Zhikang Wang, Amber Shi, Yoki Yu, Nicolas Fardet
Lighting: Viabizzuno (Shanghai)
Contractor: Shanghai Yali Design Decoration Co.

The post Neri&Hu divides Shanghai fashion boutique with fabrics and marble screens appeared first on Dezeen.