In a world where tech innovations continue to shape our future, Shane Chen, the inventor of the Hoverboard, has unveiled his latest creation. Dubbed “The Shane” this two-wheeled electric car concept is set to redefine mobility and revolutionize our urban transportation landscape.

The Shane was officially unveiled today, creating an instant buzz for the radical approach in design. It is crafted to accommodate four passengers and this concept car is nothing like anything seen before with a humungous wheel proportion compared to the body.

Designer: Inventist

Chen’s exciting journey in designing the blueprints of the vehicle began with the idea of merging the agility of a two-wheeled vehicle with the practicality of a car. His innovation combines the compact nature of an electric scooter with the convenience of a four-wheeler, offering a unique solution to urban congestion and environmental concerns. By the look of things, there is no steering column in the vehicle, and directional changes are made by altering the speed at which both individual wheels rotate. These wheels can rotate in place allowing for immaculate parallel parking skills.

The vehicle’s design showcases the perfect balance of form and function. Its sleek, futuristic exterior makes a bold statement, while the interior is designed to offer comfort and style to its passengers. The Shane not only embraces cutting-edge technology but also takes aesthetics pretty darn seriously.

One of the key features of this concept car is its eco-friendly credentials. Operating solely on electricity, “The Shane” aligns with the growing trend toward sustainable transportation. With zero emissions and an efficient electric powertrain, it presents a compelling solution for environmentally conscious individuals. The adaptability of this uniquely shaped vehicle is another notable feature. Its compact size allows for easy maneuverability through congested urban streets. The vehicle can be charged quickly, making it a practical choice for everyday commuting.

Shane Chen’s creation will attract the attention of experts and enthusiasts alike, with its potential to transform the way we navigate our cities. It provides a glimpse into the future of urban mobility, emphasizing sustainability, innovation, and efficiency. This two-wheeled electric car concept serves as a reminder of the power of design and technology in addressing the most pressing issues of our time.

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Dutch studio OMA has completed its first major public building in the UK, Aviva Studios, designed to provide flexible event space for Manchester-based arts and music company Factory International.

Located along Manchester‘s River Irwell, OMA claims the 13,350-square-metre project is “the UK’s largest investment in a national cultural project since the opening of Tate Modern in 2000”.

Led by OMA partner Ellen van Loon, the studio designed a faceted corrugated metal theatre building adjoining a rectangular concrete-clad structure.

The cladding materials were chosen to reference the site’s industrial history and contrast the surrounding red-brick warehouses, flats, offices and television studios.

The larger concrete-clad building contains an event space named the Warehouse, which has a 2,565-square-metre industrial interior designed for a range of functions, such as concerts and exhibitions.

With a capacity of up to 5,000 people standing, the Warehouse can be divided into two separate spaces by moving 21-metre-tall acoustic wall panels along a track.

Next to the Warehouse, in the faceted adjoining building, is the Hall – a 1,603-seat auditorium with a flexible stage designed for various performances, including ballet, theatre and music.

Steel shutters provide sound separation between the Warehouse and the Hall, which can be opened to create one large L-shaped event space through an 11-metre-high arched opening.

“The Warehouse and the Hall can work in tandem – the proscenium opens fully into the Warehouse and allows the stage to run deeper into the building,” said Van Loon. “It is a space that can create multiple opportunities and endless configurations and environments.”

“It is a new type of performance space, a unique crossover between a fixed theatre and flexible warehouse,” she continued.

The theatre and warehouse were built next to existing arches that once held up a historic viaduct, which is where the Aviva Studios foyer was placed.

The public foyer and outdoor spaces stretching along the River Irwell will host year-round public activities, including pop-up food stalls, live music, workshops and markets.

Aviva Studios aims to transform the site into a creative and cultural hub as part of Manchester’s St John’s Quarter redevelopment, led by Manchester City Council with backing from the government and Arts Council England.

The venue opened yesterday with a dance production titled Free Your Mind, a reimagination of the sci-fi film The Matrix directed by Danny Boyle with set design by Es Devlin.

Other cultural buildings completed by OMA include a glass art museum extension in New York and the Taipei Performing Arts Centre, which has a distinctive shape made up of rectangular and spherical volumes protruding from a central cube.

The photography is by Marco Cappelletti unless stated.

Project credits:

Architect: OMA
Technical architects: Ryder Architecture
Construction partners: Laing O’Rourke
Structure and civil engineer: Buro Happold
Services engineer: Buro Happold, BDP
Acoustic engineer: Level Acoustics
Fire engineer: WSP
Theatre consultants: Charcoalblue
Landscape design: Planit.IE

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A hotel overlooking a Japanese castle and a neurodiversity-friendly office building are among the winners of Shaw Contract’s 2023 Design Awards, revealed in this video produced for the brand by Dezeen.

Global flooring company Shaw Contract recognised five winners in the 18th edition of its Design Awards, which celebrate impactful living, working, learning and healing interior spaces around the world.

 

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In total, five Best of Globe winners were chosen by a panel of design professionals from 39 regional winners, which had been narrowed down from over 650 project submissions from 40 countries.

The winners include architecture studio Tatsuro Sasaki, which won an award for its OMO5 Kumamoto by Hoshino Resorts hotel built on Mount Chausu in Kumamoto City, Japan.

The hotel is located in the city centre overlooking Kumamoto Castle and is nestled in amongst the landscape to blend in with its surroundings.

Four workplace designs were also recognised, including Boston Consulting Group’s headquarters in Toronto designed by HOK.

The office features ample open spaces to flood it with natural light and is equipped with circadian lighting to follow people’s natural rhythms and improve productivity.

Another winner was the 345 North Morgan office design by Eckenhoff Saunders, which is located adjacent to Chicago’s metro tracks. The design of the office was informed by classic railway stations and draws from the neighbourhood’s rich industrial history.

Other winners include Swot Design Group’s Naelofar Office in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, which was designed to foster relationships and collaboration in the workplace.

It features meeting rooms with operable glass panels that can be rearranged to open up spaces for functions such as training sessions or events.

Rezen Studio’s Newmont office in Subiaco, Australia also received an award, which Shaw Contract described as an example of “the rapidly evolving office typology which responds to the changes in which businesses are operating”.

“We believe that design has the power to shape the world around us and create a better future for both people and the planet,” said Shaw Contract.

“That’s why the Shaw Contract Design Awards programme is so important to us. It allows celebration of the designers who share our commitment to creating a positive impact in all interior spaces.”

Each winner was awarded a £2,000 USD charitable donation in the name of their studio to an organisation of their choice. They also received a trophy designed by Singapore-based artist Kelly Limerick using recyclable Shaw Contract’s recycled yarn.

Find out more about all of the winners on the Shaw Contract Design Awards website.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Shaw Contract as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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Phone makers have been trying to really make foldables a more common presence in people’s hands, and they have been trying to do so by assuring them of their durability. But while they have been successful on that front to some extent, some people still doubt the practical use of such devices. What makes matters worse is that foldable phones have always been a step behind flagship models in the one area that matters most to users: the cameras. OPPO, however, is now saying that it doesn’t have to be the case, especially with advancements not only in technology but also in design. The new OPPO Find N3 foldable phone is poised to showcase how far foldable phone cameras can go, so we give it a good spin to see if it is the true trailblazer that the brand is touting it to be.

Designer: OPPO

Aesthetics

You might think that once you’ve seen one foldable phone, you’ve seen them all, but there’s definitely plenty of room for improvement and innovation. There are the parts that you can’t see, like the all-important hinge that can make or break the device almost literally. And then there are aspects that you can see, like the materials used to make the phone, the flexible screen that actually gives it its unique functionality and the camera bump that puts an accent on the phone’s back. The OPPO Find N3 definitely touches on these and then some, to create a rather beautiful package that you’ll proudly flaunt wherever you can.

Rather than aiming for the typical business-like appearance of smartphones, OPPO clad its latest large foldable with luxurious clothing that makes it as much a fashion statement as it is a technological marvel. The Classic Black, for example, is anything but standard, covering the back with rich vegan leather. Our review unit dons the Champagne Gold colorway that uses a single piece of glass for the back panel to give it an elegant character. In both models, the OPPO Find N3 sports a sand-blasted metal frame with flat sides to complete the phone’s contemporary aesthetic as well as provide a better grip.

The Cosmos Ring camera design will probably be a bit divisive, considering how large and conspicuous it is, especially on the Gold model where the lens easily stands out. At the same time, the camera’s symmetric design and gentle rise do add a bit of elegance to the composition. That said, the LED flash would have probably been better inside in the ring rather than sticking out like a sore thumb in the corner of the phone.

If there’s one thing that sets the OPPO Find N3 apart from its predecessors, it is the fact that it is noticeably taller, even if it’s only subtly larger. The aspect ratio of the screens is different and, for better or worse, changes the formula in an important way. The first two OPPO foldables were praised for their compact designs which were closer to common phone sizes when folded and were more like standard horizontal tablets when unfolded. This time around, the overall shape is taller, yielding a vertical tablet design instead, almost similar to the design that Samsung and Huawei have been carrying for years. On the one hand, this does suggest having more breathing room for content. On the other hand, it also sadly lets go of what endeared the OPPO Find N to the market and what set it apart from its peers.

Ergonomics

Comfort and confidence are important factors in any smartphone, but they’re even more critical for foldables because of the different shapes they come in and the higher risks of breaking the flexible screen and the hinge. Manufacturers have focused more on strengthening these two parts, but improving the phone’s ergonomics also goes a long way in preventing accidents from happening in the first place. In that regard, the OPPO Find N3’s textured back and flat sand-blasted frame offer a stronger grip without being too rough on the hands.

It also helps that the foldable phone is made to be just as light as a regular phone and incredibly thin whether folded or not. This isn’t just a bragging right because it helps reduce the stress that’s placed on your hand when holding the phone, which means you are less likely to accidentally drop it from fatigue. It also adds more confidence and stability to your grip, making the phone comfortable to hold and enjoyable to use.

The hinge also plays a very important role in improving the usability of the phone, particularly in opening up use cases where the user can hold the device in a different way with more stability. This is particularly useful when taking selfies with the main camera, or folding the phone halfway for difficult angles. One won’t need a tripod or selfie stick to stabilize the device, whether in your hand or on some flat surface.

The taller shape of the phone when folded might prove to be a stumbling block for some since your thumb will have to stretch out more to reach higher elements on the screen. Granted, the OPPO Find N3 is still actually shorter than, say, the latest Samsung foldable, but it’s also considerably taller than the OPPO Find N that people loved for its handy and comfortable size. Thankfully, the design doesn’t have that awkward narrow shape of other “vertical” foldables, so you won’t be clumsily pecking at the keyboard either. The size difference is, unfortunately, a compromise that has to be made to fit more stuff in, especially the cameras that will be the defining factor of OPPO’s latest foldable.

Performance

OPPO definitely pulled out all the stops in decking the OPPO Find N3 with the finest parts, both inside and outside. While the foldable phones look glamorous, they are veritable beasts when it comes to power. The latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 leads the show, followed by the fastest LPDDR5x memory and UFS 4.0 storage technologies available to mobile devices. What all these mean in practice is that you won’t be wanting when it comes to performance, whether you’re gaming, creating content, or simply taking advantage of the advanced user experience features that the phone has to offer.

Of course, the star of the show is that internal display, which now measures 7.8 inches diagonally. It bears a resolution of 2240×2268 pixels, a variable refresh rate of 1 to 120Hz, precise 1440Hz PWM dimming, and support for the latest Dolby Vision and HDR10+ standards. All of these translate to a breathtaking viewing experience, no matter the type of content. Colors are lush and vivid and peak brightness makes the phone usable under the sun. Together with the powerful silicon running inside, the vibrant screen makes the UI feel fluid, responsive, and as smooth as butter. Best of all, the screen’s crease is barely visible and won’t distract you from enjoying your content. It’s still there, of course, if you look hard for it or try to feel it with your fingers, but it might as well be invisible in most cases.

With the OPPO Find N3, however, that screen is probably upstaged by the camera system, and for good reason. Cameras have traditionally been the weak point of foldable phones, primarily because of how much space they need to take up inside these thin devices. In that regard, OPPO seems to have pulled off a miracle by including not just large sensors but even a periscope-style telephoto lens while maintaining the foldable phone’s incredibly thin profile. The result doesn’t just blow other foldables out of the water but even stands head-to-head with some of the best smartphone cameras in the market.

You might downplay the main camera’s 48MP sensor, but it’s living proof that megapixel count isn’t all that matters. The new Sony LYTIA-T808 1/1.43-inch sensor boasts an image quality close to those of the ranking 1-inch sensors without taking up as much space. Ultra-wide cameras are often neglected and left with disappointing sensors, but the OPPO Find N3 flaunts a 48MP Sony IMX581 1/2-inch sensor that complements the main wide shooter quite well. Last but definitely not least, you have an astounding 64MP telephoto camera with a 70mm equivalent focal length, capable of 3x optical zoom and 6x lossless zoom that it pulls off by cropping the full 64MP image to preserve details.

1x

Low Light (1x)

Low Light (3x)

Needless to say, we were thoroughly impressed by the output that these cameras produced, regardless of the lighting condition or location. Colors are pleasant and lush, though probably more on the saturated side by default, and details are rich with very little noise. There is a very noticeable bit of distortion with the ultra-wide angle, but it’s all within expectations.

Ultra-wide

1x

2x

3x

Even more mind-blowing are the results from the telephoto camera, which are just as advertised. Even at 6x zoom, you can still make plenty of details, though it is also where noise starts to seep in just a little bit. The periscope lens also perfectly with portrait mode powered by Hasselblad, creating rich photos with pleasant blurring, accurate separation of the subject and the background, and rich depth. It also helps that the camera app has a friendly wheel interface that not only shows the zoom levels but also their focal lengths.

3x

6x

The OPPO Find N3 runs the latest ColorOS 13.2 version based on Android 13, and some might leave it at that when it comes to regular smartphones. Of course, this is a foldable phone, so it won’t be enough to simply slap on any plain old Android skin and call it a day. Fortunately, OPPO has definitely gone out of its way to provide new experiences that take advantage of the increased screen real estate, features you might not find in other foldables to date. Yes, it has a taskbar at the bottom of the internal screen and, yes, it has an app grid it calls the “App Library.” It didn’t stop there though and added a File Pocket shortcut that presents a visual grid of your most recent files, images, and clipboard items so that you can drag and drop these into the active app. There’s also the “Boundless View” feature that puts a new spin on split-screen multi-tasking that puts two or three apps into a scrolling view so you can enjoy more screen space while still being able to quickly switch between those apps.

A 4,800mAh split battery powers all these features, which is pretty generous as far as foldable phones go. It will definitely last you a day, at least with moderate and mixed use, and you can top it off quickly with SuperVOOC 67W fast charging. The phone, like its predecessors, still doesn’t support wireless charging, which is a bit disappointing for a premium flagship in this day and age.

Sustainability

As one of the top smartphone brands in the market, OPPO has a huge weight on its shoulders to lead the charge in protecting the future of its customers and the planet they live on. The company has implemented several strategies to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment and human welfare. Those efforts, however, primarily focus on the way it does business and produce and ship phones. We have yet to see it make more significant changes in the actual composition of its products, particularly with the use of recycled materials like plastics and aluminum.

The durability and subsequent repairability of foldable phones still remain in doubt even to this day. There is no question that OPPO’s third-generation Flexion Hinge is more resilient than its predecessors, but it’s still a far cry from the guarantees of phones with no moving parts at all. The OPPO Find N3 also bears no formal dust or water resistance guarantee other than being weather-sealed to guard against accidental splashes. IP rating might be an expensive certification, but it undoubtedly adds some peace of mind that the device has met internationally recognized standards at least.

Value

Almost any smartphone user will admit to wanting a bigger screen as long as it doesn’t mean having a bigger device. Ironically, these same people find the concept of a foldable phone alien if not too risky. It’s plain to see that brands are pushing foldable phones, both large and small varieties, to the market in an attempt to make them more commonplace, but the question of the value still remains. After all, why would you risk such an expensive product that might easily break or scratch at the slightest accident?

Fortunately, real-world experience as well as improvements in engineering and design have made those worries pretty much moot. As for the value of a foldable phone, you are getting a future-ready device that can easily adapt to whatever need you might have, whether it’s playing the latest mobile games, binging on trending shows, or taking mind-blowing photos and videos from angles that would have been impossible without some selfie stick. The OPPO Find N3, specifically, makes that last use case a complete pleasure thanks to its powerful cameras, delivering a foldable phone that is finally worth its price in almost all aspects.

Verdict

There is no stopping the march of foldable phones in the market, and each year we see new models promising the sun and then the moon but arrive with plenty of compromises. The latter often revolves around the cameras, constrained by the need to make these devices extra thin, especially when unfolded. Fortunately, there is also no stopping the progress of imaging sensors that are shrinking in size but increasing in capabilities, and OPPO has leveraged those advancements to put three such high-quality cameras on its thin and lightweight foldable hero.

Whether it’s the lustrous surface of Champagne Gold or the sleek leather texture of Classic Black, the OPPO Find N3 puts before you a product that is also a piece of art. It dares to go beyond market trends to put not one, not even two, but three powerful cameras that truly change the game for foldables. And that’s on top of the already impressive combination of hardware and software that truly makes the phone a joy to use for whatever purpose you might have. Sure, we wish it retained its more compact size or that it finally got an IP certification, but at the end of the day, the OPPO Find N3 is easily the foldable to beat, especially for shutterbugs who have long been denied this staple of the smartphone experience.

Aki Ukita contributed to this review.

The post OPPO Find N3 Foldable Phone Review: A Shutterbug’s Dream Come True first appeared on Yanko Design.

Artist Tom Hicks has spent the last six years documenting the built environment of the West Midlands. Here, he picks ten of his favourite photographs from his book Black Country Type exclusively for Dezeen.

From factories and warehouses to shop fronts and underpasses, Hicks explores the structures that make up the post-industrial landscape of the West Midlands region known as the Black Country.

“The Black Country is an area that has a strong tradition of manufacturing, particularly in terms of making things out of steel (known locally as metal bashing), and this has been in steady decline for years,” Hicks told Dezeen.

“The landscape I grew up in is human-made. I’m interested in conveying the changes in the region, largely brought on by deindustrialisation,” he added.

“Some parts of the Black Country feel like the land that planning forgot”

Taken while out cycling, many of Hicks’ photographs focus on signs and handmade lettering on buildings.

“The title of the book reflects the idea that the images are taken in The Black Country and originally featured typography,” Hicks explained. “Letterforms have the ability to locate a building in a certain time period”.

What the artist looks for in the built environment varies from time to time.

“Sometimes I focus on a building that was once grand but has fallen into disrepair,” he said. “Or I focus on a door that may seem like a minor detail, but that reflects the overall architectural style of the building – so it acts as shorthand for a time period and architectural genre.”

“Some parts of the Black Country feel like the land that planning forgot,” he added. “There are improvised and patched-up structures all over the region.”

“I rely on sunlight to illuminate the surfaces of the buildings”

As well as having an emphasis on typography, Hicks’ photographs are unified by a focus on bright colours and sharp lines, and the fact that they are always taken in direct sunlight.

“The vivid colours in the images are all as they appear. I rely on sunlight to illuminate the surfaces of the buildings,” Hicks continued. “Colour and surface material are key focuses for my work.”

“I love the contrast with the name of the region – The Black Country – and the colourful nature of the work,” he added. “Humour is an important part of the Black Country character and I try to convey that where possible.”

Read on for Hicks’ selection of ten photographs from Black Country Type:

Central Snooker Club, Lye, 2019

I love the simplicity of the design of this building – not only in terms of the structure of the building but also the paint job. It took me a while to realise that the colours relate to the order in which you pot the balls in snooker.

This photograph is an example of how the project is documenting change in the Black Country; the building is now a warehouse and has been painted black.

Lollipop, Oldbury, 2021

For many, this conjures up the atmosphere of Miami. In actual fact, this is the side of the Mecca Bingo club in Oldbury, which is in the shadow of the M6 motorway.

When I was taking this photograph, I was stopped by the club’s security team, who informed me that the car park was for members only. My response was to join the Bingo club, and security let me finish the shoot. I still have my membership card.

Smile More Often, Wolverhampton, 2021

This building has now been demolished. It was empty for a long time but when I arrived the demolition crew was on site. For me, this image is tinged with regret, as the building was a sleek sixties design which spoke of the post-war ambition of the region.

SMO means Smile More Often and is the name of a local graffiti crew. I’m still trying to work out how they painted the letters on the building.

Subway, Stourbridge, 2021

Something about this image reminded me of a swimming pool. I gave it the alternative title ‘A Bigger Splash’ in a nod to Hockney.

I took this on a cold winter’s day. So cold in fact that I didn’t want to hang around for too long. I didn’t even dismount from my bicycle – I leaned against the tiled wall and took this before heading off.

Do Not Rush, Stourbridge, 2021

This ‘Do Not Rush’ sign is located at Stourbridge Junction Railway Station. When I saw it, it struck me as a quaint way to say ‘no running’.

For people who have bought this image as a print, it has become a kind of mantra – a reminder to slow down in life.

Adult Shop, Cradley Heath, 2022

This shop is located in part of a now-derelict art deco cinema.

I love the font used on this – it seems more fitting for a balloon shop than an adult shop. Free customer parking seems like a polite touch.

Yellow Roof, Stourbridge, 2022

I’ve always been struck by the vivid yellow of this building in Stourbridge. It’s the main structure of what remains of the Scala Theatre. The unusual yellow roof gets its colour from lichen, which covers the entire surface.

This was a difficult building to photograph as from ground level you can’t see the roof in full. I shot this while travelling on the escalator in Tesco, which overlooks the building!

Industrial Unit Bilston, Wolverhampton, 2022

The building in this image is typical of large swathes of industrial buildings in the Black Country – cheap to construct and functional in nature.

This image represents the more minimal vein of my practice and shows the value of timing. For me, the shadow on the small wall behind the safety rails makes the image. If I’d arrived an hour later, it may not have been there.

Cloud Storage, Oldbury, 2023

Not all my images are of derelict or decaying buildings. I took this image of a newly-built warehouse in Oldbury in the same week it had been completed. The concrete was untouched by delivery trucks.

The cloud that we see in the reflection was in the sky behind me. When I reviewed the image, it appeared to me that the cloud was inside the building – hence the title.

PIES, Tipton, 2023

This image is taken in the beer garden of the wonderfully named ‘Mad O’Rourke’s Pie Factory, which is in Tipton – considered by many as the heart of the Black Country.

The photography is by Tom Hicks.

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