Cologne needs a new start in terms of design and creativity
Once a radiant star in the constellation of design events, Cologne finds itself at a crossroads, grappling with the delicate balance between tradition and innovation. In bygone eras, the city, with marquee events such as the Passagen and IMM in January, stood as a beacon for design and furniture, birthing the latest trends. However, the luminosity has dimmed, and cities like Frankfurt am Main are ascending to claim the title of the “World Capital of Design.”
For years, Cologne has clung to tried-and-true methodologies, while the wellspring of innovative and groundbreaking ideas appears to have run dry. The once dynamic design scene is witnessing a waning significance, cast in the shadows of burgeoning metropolises. The critical inquiry that beckons us: What has become of the once-unbridled creativity that flowed through Cologne’s streets?
Designspotter Creative Media Agency probes into this quandary, conducting a discerning analysis of the current state of affairs. Acknowledging the importance of traditions, Cologne boasts an indisputably rich history in design. Yet, while other cities surge ahead, Cologne seems entrenched in a standstill.
The challenge, therefore, is to navigate the fine line between tradition and innovation. How can Cologne harness its illustrious past to sculpt an inspired, forward-thinking design landscape? The narrative transcends mere aesthetics, delving into the realms of technological, digital, and societal progress.
It’s an opportune moment for Cologne to redefine its design identity and reclaim a prominent position on the global stage. Let’s collectively engage in contemplation, envisioning how Cologne can once again become a stalwart player in the international design arena.
Your opinion on Cologne as a design city counts
What are your reflections on this intriguing juncture? Share your insights and join the discourse as we navigate the evolving landscape of design in Cologne.
Each summer, the population of Nantucket swells, roughly, to 80,000 individuals looking to bask in the island’s natural beauty and its quaint New England village environs. In the off-season, those numbers dip to 14,000. While some of the upscale shops, restaurants and bars shutter for those months—some accommodations, like Greydon House, not only remain open but schedule thoughtful programming to support guests and tap into the splendors of a destination that just so happens to be magnificent all year long. Greydon House, a boutique luxury property (that was once the home of a sea captain), embodies 20 distinct guest rooms and an intimate, elegant Venetian-inspired restaurant—all designed by Roman and Williams. Not only is the hotel conveniently located (a quick walk from the ferry), but it’s also a partner of Tradewind Aviation, which offers guests discounted private charters on their fleet of Pilatus PC-12 aircraft during the winter months.
by Douglas Friedman
To step into Greydon House is to understand the charm of Nantucket. An eclectic assemblage of design establishes a whimsical and enveloping environment. The warmth of natural wood complements nautically themed artworks and numerous patterned textiles. Roman and Williams struck a balance between classic and contemporary, cozy and elevated in the guest rooms and public spaces. But Greydon House is more than timeless design.
For the winter months, the hotel has looked both inward for packages and programming and across the island for partnerships on behalf of its guests—including a bike and helmet initiative with the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce. A “Long Stay Package” for bookings beyond 14 days includes unique perks like being able to check your phone at the front desk for a digital detox, and a suite of complimentary services. A collaboration with nearby Lavender Farm Wellness encompasses everything from cold plunges and massage therapy to juice cleanses and guided mindfulness meditation.
Whether heading to Nantucket to slow down or to seek out adventure in the often blustery wintertime weather, Greydon House is an enchanting place to return home.
by Douglas Friedman
Garison Beale—the General Manager of Greydon Hotel Group (which includes Greydon House and a series of guest houses like the standalone three-bedroom Craftsman-style property named, 52 Union, and the five-bedroom renovated farmhouse with a pool, 23 Madaket, as well as sister properties the Periwinkle Inn, Martin House Inn and Anchor Inn)—says, “I love the gray lady, our name for the fog that comes in during the off-season. It’s super-romantic and a lot of people get it. People write stories about it. For me, being on island in the off-season is so great. It’s when my wife and my boys get to explore for ourselves, hiking snow-covered paths. There are still great restaurants open, too. There’s nothing like going to Via Mare and sitting in front of the fireplace. There’s even a better sense of community than in the summer.”
by Douglas Friedman
In the off-season, Greydon House maintains the same standard of service—with friendly, helpful staff. “We make sure that the staff delivers the highest end level of service because we clearly have the highest end product and design,” Beale says. He adds, “We have general contractors walk into Greydon House all year long to see the bathrooms in guest rooms because they had clients stay with us and ask them to replicate what we’ve done. It’s exactly what they want in their house. We know we have a great design. And we know we have a great team that augments that.”
by Douglas Friedman
The food at Via Mare is as comforting as the atmosphere. The restaurant is operated by a team that’s well-established across Nantucket. “We’ve been with them since the beginning of 2019, the end of 2018,” Beale says. “They were already established on the island with Ventuno. They took over 21 Federal and established their own beloved Italian restaurant there. The chef and co-owner, Andrea Solimeo, is from Italy. All of his concepts come from Italy. They’re based on his family’s recipes. Their team is really clued into the island. They recently took over The Corner Table, the cafe across the street from Greydon House, too.”
by Tim Williams
“We love to have people in the off-season,” Beale says. “It’s obviously romantic but it’s a fun time to come visit, too. There are so many little things that people can do. In many ways, you can almost get more value in the off-season because everyone is willing to give you one-on-one attention.” With the ease of access through Tradewind Aviation, the opportunity to explore without summertime congestion and accommodation as pleasing and pleasant as Greydon House, the off-season opens Nantucket to travelers looking for something different than beach days.
Red brickwork and perforated metal panels bring an industrial feel to this compact infill home in Dublin, which has been completed by Irish architecture studio Gró Works.
Located on Dublin’s southern perimeter, the home by Gró Works was designed to reflect both the nearby Victorian redbrick terraces and the more “utilitarian” quality of the backstreet it overlooks.
Red brickwork and perforated metal panels define the home’s exterior
“The materiality and design language intend to strike a balance between the robust, utilitarian rear lane that it abuts and the ornate neighbouring terraces,” explained the studio.
Responding to its location, the organisation of the home was reversed, with bedrooms placed on the darker ground floor and a large living space above to benefit from natural light.
The home’s materiality is reflective of the surrounding area
A door concealed in the ground floor’s perforated metal cladding leads directly from the street into a sheltered porch and bin store, allowing entrance to the home proper to be set back.
Once inside, a small entrance area leads to the two bedrooms and a bathroom, with a staircase leading directly up to the open-plan living, dining and kitchen area. A workspace has been placed behind a slatted wooden screen.
Two large skylights and an almost full-height window illuminate this space. To the northwest, a small covered balcony overlooks the home’s entrance, partially wrapped by vertical metal louvres.
The interior spaces are illuminated by two large skylights
Contrasting the metal ground floor, the upper storey is finished in red brick, with a Flemish brick bond interspersed with vertically laid sections to “add a novel twist”.
Internally, the concept of “robust” materials is continued, with the structure’s blockwork left exposed and painted white for the walls, complemented by metal window frames and wooden flooring.
“The structural steel frame, blockwork walls and roof timbers are exposed, expressed and celebrated where possible. Joinery pieces, warm oak floors and linings are layered upon this frame to add comfort,” explained the studio.
“Custom joinery pieces allow for every corner of the dwelling to be used efficiently and practically,” it added.
Exposed blockwork features on the interior
Due to space limitations, utility and plant areas are housed in an external forecourt, and the home was granted planning approval without car parking requirements.
“We believe that the project provides a potential prototype for city living where public transport and public amenity are ample,” said the studio.
“Given the need for housing provision in all shapes and forms, this may offer one solution for similar urban brownfield developments.”
White walls are complemented by metal window frames
Gró Works is based in Ranelagh, Dublin, and is led by Donal Groarke and Ultan Ó Conchubhair.
Dutch architecture studio i29 has nestled a bamboo-clad house among trees in Limburg, the Netherlands, aiming to connect its residents to the surrounding woodland.
Named Open Park Villa, the home offers multiple views of the outdoors, with extended sightlines running through the building.
Open Park Villa is a house in Limburg by i29
According to i29, this design responds to the basis of the client’s brief, which asked the studio to create a home that embraced the surrounding greenery.
“The client wanted to have a home which gives the feeling that the home is everywhere on the plot, but being present in a very honest way in relation to the green surroundings,” the studio told Dezeen.
It is clad in bamboo and formed of five interconnected volumes
Open Park Villa is part of a wider development that has transformed the site of former military terrain into a green residential area, filled with 43 unique homes.
Clad in untreated bamboo, the house is defined by five interconnected orthogonal volumes placed around existing trees, each broken up by the large glass windows and doors.
The home is arranged around a central courtyard
Inside it comprises a spacious ground floor with living areas and an open-plan kitchen diner arranged around a central courtyard, while three bedrooms occupy the first floor.
Dutch studio i29 orientated the volumes to ensure natural light can move through the interior of each one during different parts of the day.
Its plan is organised to maximise natural light
Each of Open Park Villa’s living spaces is treated uniquely with different ceiling heights and finishes to create a diverse living experience. In the living area, this was achieved by sinking the room into the landscape, which i29 said creates a “surprisingly different atmosphere” from the rest of the house.
“Although it has an open connection with the kitchen, it feels like a completely different room with a different connection to the outside,” said director Chris Collaris.
The material palette is designed to blend with the natural surroundings
Throughout the home are bespoke details including built-in closets for internal storage and custom-made furniture for the outdoor dining area on the wood-decked patio.
Uncoloured bamboo is used as cladding inside and outside the building, with fastenings hidden behind the panels for a minimalist look.
This flush facade finish also helps the house blend in with its verdant surroundings, with the help of complimentary tones of sand-coloured cement flooring and stone, oak and fir detailing inside.
For the i29, this allowed it to achieve its goal of maintaining a connection to the outside, “even in the deepest point inside the home”, it said.
The living area has been lowered slightly into the landscape
While preserving the landscape, the positions of the orthogonal volumes between the trees also help to keep the Open Park Villa cool in the summer.
This natural cooling technique works in tandem with high-quality insulation and an air-source heat pump.
Views of the outside are prioritised throughout
Founded by designers Jaspar Jansen and Jeroen Dellensen in 2002, i29 is a Dutch studio specialising in architecture and interior design.
Power banks might be so common and boring these days, but there was a time when people thought they were more trouble than they were worth. Having to fumble around for a battery pack and cable to quickly plug in a phone may sound like too much of a hassle, so mophie, one of the oldest players in this game, came up with an alternative solution a long, long time ago. The battery case was the answer to that problem, making the iPhone “wear” its extra battery at all times. That design, however, hasn’t been seen for years, making you think battery cases have gone extinct. That was almost the case, pardon the pun, until the recent announcement that the mophie Juice Pack is making a comeback, but apparently only for three out of four iPhone 15 models.
When you first hear about it, battery cases sound like the best of both worlds. You get an extra battery to make sure your phone never runs empty, but you also don’t have to juggle with a separate pack like with a normal power bank. That’s theoretically true until you realize just how much that extra power will cost you in other aspects. Especially when you consider that batteries from five years ago were pretty thick despite having low capacities.
With significant improvements in this area, mophie thought it was time to bring its juice pack back to life, offering a battery case for the current generation of iPhones. The basic concept remains the same, with the battery “hiding” inside the sizable case that wraps around the iPhone like a very thick bumper. Of course, it also functions as a protective case, so that rugged and bulky appearance isn’t without its merits.
Like in previous iterations of the juice pack, there are LED dots on the back to indicate just how much charge the case has left. It also supports passthrough USB-C charging, so you don’t have to worry about having to remove the case just to charge the iPhone itself. That said, given the thickness that the battery adds to the back, it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that it also prevents any sort of MagSafe functionality from working.
The mophie Juice Packs will go for $99.95 for all three iPhone models, though there are different capacities, starting at 2,400 mAh. The iPhone 15 Plus is notably missing from the list, apparently because mophie didn’t want to waste resources on a model that isn’t even selling well. Then again, it remains to be seen how many iPhone users will be willing to bulk up their phones and lose MagSafe compatibility at the same time just for the convenience of not having to plug in a power bank.
The 10 regions that will make up the Neom mega project in the northwest of Saudi Arabia have now been announced, including an “upside-down skyscraper” and mirrored linear city The Line. Here we look at all 10.
Originally clouded in mystery, details of the planned Neom mega-development in northwest Saudi Arabia are now becoming clearer following a series of announcements over the past year.
Neom stated that the mega scheme, which will cover 26,500 square kilometres in northwestern Saudi Arabia, will contain 10 distinct developments that it terms regions. Aquellum, which was announced last week, is the 10th of these regions to be announced.
Of these regions, The Line – a planned 170-kilometre-long city – is by far the best-known, most ambitious and most controversial.
By far the best-known and largest project within the Neom development, The Line is planned to be a city for nine million people that will stretch 170 kilometres across the north of the country.
According to Neom, the entire city will be contained within two parallel, 500-metre-high, linear skyscrapers standing 200 metres apart that will be clad with mirrored facades.
The concept for the linear city was created by US studio Morphosis, with numerous other architects set to design individual, 800-metre-long sections of the city.
“I can’t think of anybody that wouldn’t want to be part of this project,” said Morphosis founder Mayne in a documentary created by the Discovery channel on The Line, while Cook Haffner Architecture Platform co-founder Cook said that “if it succeeds, it will be a new Babylon”.
Set to be built on the coast of the Red Sea near the town of Duba, Oxagon is planned as a floating port city to connect with ships travelling through the Suez Canal.
The distinctive octagonal port, which was designed by Danish studio BIG, will be located partly on land with a large floating structure protruding into the sea. According to the developers of Neom, this off-shore section will be the “world’s largest floating structure” when it is completed.
Along with the port facilities, the development will contain a cruise terminal and oceanographic research centre.
“Oxagon will contribute to redefining the world’s approach to industrial development in the future, protecting the environment while creating jobs and growth for Neom,” said Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“It will contribute to Saudi Arabia’s regional trade and commerce and support creating a new focal point for global trade flows.”
Trojena is planned as a ski and adventure resort in the mountains of the Tabuk region of Saudi Arabia, around 50 kilometres from the Gulf of Aqaba. The resort gained global attention in 2022 when it was announced that it had won the right to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games.
Being masterplanned by German studio LAVA, the development will be arranged around an artificial lake with one mountain topped by a ski resort also designed by LAVA.
Outlining the thinking behind the masterplan of the Trojena, LAVA project director Lukas Kronawitter said there was a holistic harmony between the buildings and landscape.
“People both experience the architecture and the natural landscape at once – there’s a holistic harmony to the different components of the master plan that also creates diversity and variety that can be experienced at a daily level for the residents,” he said.
Planned to be the first to complete of Neom’s 10 regions, Sindalah is a luxury island resort that is under construction in the Red Sea near the planned site of The Line.
According to the developers of Neom the island resort, which is being designed by Italian superyacht and architecture studio Luca Dini Design and Architecture, will welcome its first guests this year.
The resort will contain three large hotels with 413 rooms and 88 villas, along with 333 apartments that will be arranged around a marina and several golf courses.
“Sindalah will be Neom’s first luxury island and yacht club destination in the Red Sea, providing a scenic gateway to the Red Sea that will become the region’s most exciting and attractive tourism location,” said Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“It will be a destination where travellers can experience the true beauty of Neom and Saudi Arabia, above and below the water, making Sindalah the future of luxury travel.”
One of six hotel resorts planned to be built on the Gulf of Aqaba coast, Leyja will contain a trio of “luxury high-end boutique hotels” designed by Shaun Killa, Mario Cucinella and Chris van Duijn.
The hotels will be located within a valley with 400-metre-high walls, with the Adventure hotel, designed OMA partner Van Duijn, consisting of a series of stepped volumes that cling to the rockside.
Italian architect Cucinella will design the Oasis hotel, which will appear as a series of geometric forms rising from the rocks, while Killa Design founder Killa will design the final hotel, named Wellness, which will have mirrored facades like The Line.
Neom unveils pair of jagged skyscrapers for luxury resort on Gulf of Aqaba
Also located on the Gulf of Aqaba coast, Epicon will be a tourist destination that features two jagged, interconnected skyscrapers designed by 10Design.
The jagged skyscrapers, which will be 225 and 275 metres high, will contain hotels and luxury residences and be clad in steel.
Alongside the skyscrapers will be a beach resort with a 120-room hotel and 45 beach villas.
Another tourist development on the Gulf of Aqaba, Siranna will be a hexagonal-pillar-shaped hotel designed by architecture studio Woods Bagot.
Designed to “blend into the adjoining mountain”, the 65-room hotel and 35 private residences will only be accessible from the sea.
“Emerging from the rugged coastal terrain, the hexagonal pillars are distinctive, yet complementary to the surrounding mountains and flora,” said Neom.
“The architecture will pay homage to the heritage of the local area and seamlessly blend into the adjoining mountain and wadi.”
Also on the Gulf of Aqaba coast, Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura is designing an immersive events space that Neom describes as the “theatre of the future”.
The venue will be accessed from a 64-metre-high entrance clad in staggered stone blocks.
“Utamo, like a film, needs a dramatic ascension, then a turning point,” said architect Ricardo Emilio Bofill, the son of late architect and studio founder Ricardo Bofill.
Planned for 3,000 residents, coastal yachting town Norlana will also be built on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba.
Designed by architecture studio 10 Design, the town will have numerous apartments and hotels wrapped around a 120-berth marina.
“Historically settlements have been founded by water, and so the heart of Norlana is the marina,” said 10 Design managing principal Chris Jones. “It’s this bowl of vibrancy from which you can migrate to the different communities.”
The development will have a focus on sport and also contain an 18-hole golf course, equestrian club and tennis club.
Designers from ten high-profile companies have joined forces to help improve access to clean water and sanitation across the globe as part of the Design for Good consortium. Its CEO Fazilat Damani shares five of the most promising.
Design for Good (DfG) was originally launched in 2022 as a non-profit alliance of ten businesses from different industries, including tech companies Microsoft and Philips and London’s Royal College of Art.
Working in two-year cycles, designers from each of these companies are donating their time and skills pro bono, collaborating in teams to tackle one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out by the United Nations.
“The sustainability challenges identified by the United Nations are too large to be addressed by any single institution,” DfG co-founder Ben Sheppard told Dezeen.
“We are delighted to see many of the world’s leading companies, including direct competitors, uniting as part of the DfG alliance in order to have an increased chance of making lasting, sustainable change together.”
Need for clean water underlies all other SDGs
DfG’s first cohort has already completed the research and prototyping stage for 26 different solutions to address Sustainable Development Goal number six: access to clean water and sanitation.
Now, in the second half of the two-year cycle, the teams are focused on implementing these ideas in collaboration with various development organisations.
According to DfG’s chief experience officer Fazilat Damani, the ten founding members voted for water and sanitation as the first SDG to tackle since it is also one of the most fundamental.
“SDG six kind of permeates all the other 16 UN SDGs,” she explained. “Take quality education – sanitation and water is important because if you drink unclean water, you get sick and you can’t go to school.”
“So it goes through all of them,” she added. “And there’s a lot of breadth in terms of the type of innovations that can come through.”
DfG will choose a new SDG to tackle every two years, with education set to be the theme of the next cycle starting in September 2024.
“It’s absolutely amazing to see how our designers can shift their thinking from designing in a commercial setting to designing for vulnerable communities,” Damani said.
“They’re really passionate about human-centred design, wanting to understand how these communities live and how it’s different from what they know so that they can innovate something that can genuinely solve a problem.”
Below, Damani shares five of the most exciting projects that have come out of the first cohort so far, including a DIY toilet and a gamified handwashing kit for children.
Germ Buster
This portable handwashing kit includes a germ-monster stamp that – much like viruses and bacteria – takes at least 20 seconds to wash off in a bid to teach children about the importance of proper hand hygiene.
The set also includes a monster-themed mesh bag (top image) filled with dry soap sheets, plus a bottle holder that screws onto a PET water bottle and can be hung up so that kids can wash their hands no matter where they are.
“What’s neat about this is that it’s designed for children and it plays into this playfulness,” Damani said.
“They love stickers and things like that. And by having a stamp, they can visually see okay my hands are clean and just have a bit more fun with learning how to be hygienic.”
The team is now hoping to work with a consumer packaged goods company to turn the Germ Buster concept into reality.
Team 118
Led by designers from Microsoft, Lixil and management consultancy McKinsey & Company, this collaboration with the Liberian Youth Parliament for Water sought to improve access to period products in the West African country of Liberia.
Instead of presenting a one-size-fits-all solution, the team developed a kind of match-making app, which recommends an appropriate product based on the financial resources and sanitation facilities available to people in the local area.
From menstrual cups to reusable pads, the app also shares details about how these period products should be used and cleaned, and how they can be locally sourced or DIYed.
“This is all about self-empowerment and female liberation,” Damani said. “To ask for a menstrual product is a bit embarrassing. There’s still a stigma around it. So this is about allowing a female to be self-sufficient.”
“We take for granted that now we have everything at our disposal,” she added. “We have underwear, we have menstrual cups, we have tampons. But in other vulnerable communities, they don’t even know half of this stuff exists.”
With the app completed, the team is currently working out a distribution model via social media.
WaterStarters
Regular maintenance is one of the key hurdles standing in the way of a reliable water supply in rural Kenya, with research suggesting that up to 40 per cent of hand pumps in sub-Saharan Africa are broken at any one time.
Social enterprise WaterStarters aims to tackle this issue by using a franchise model to encourage locals to make a business out of establishing and managing a groundwater pump for their community.
To support them through the maintenance process, a team of designers from Philips and McKinsey & Company created an app that prompts users to conduct check-ups and provides guidance on how to fix any issues through tutorials as well as voice and video calls.
“We’re not only focusing on maintenance but it provides an income-generating opportunity for an entrepreneur in the vulnerable community,” Damani said.
“So they can take ownership of this. They can generate money and they’re fully equipped with how to do the maintenance so they’re not left on their own. They have a support system in place.”
Currently, the platform is being trialled in Kenya’s Kajiado County so that feedback can be gathered to build an app store-ready version. Once implemented, the team believes the initiative could help to bring clean water to 63,000 people within two years.
Sabal
Sabal is a make-your-own-toilet kit, designed to offer girls and women living in urban slums across India a safer and more sanitary alternative to shared community restrooms.
Faced with paying fees for unhygienic public toilets and the added risk of violence at night, nearly a quarter of women in these communities frequently hold their pee or refrain from drinking liquids to avoid bathroom use, according to research conducted as part of DfG.
Created by a team of designers from the Royal College of Art (RCA), Philips, Lixil and McKinsey & Company, the Sabal kit allows women to take back their agency by creating a DIY toilet for themselves using readily accessible materials.
The at-home version consists of a bucket topped with a plastic toilet seat and lined with a compostable bin bag, which can be tied up and composted after the urine is solidified using an absorbent powder.
Meanwhile, the portable version is housed in a carrier made of an old sari and contains a Shewee-style portable urinal, a torch, rape whistle and reusable wet wipes.
“It’s like a toilet in a purse,” Damani said. “You can also build these kits so that you can then sell them and use it as an income-generating opportunity.”
“A prototype has been made for this one,” she added. “And what we’re doing right now is working with development organisations to see who wants to take it forward and really hone in on some of the aspects of culture to make sure we don’t offend anyone.”
People’s Public Toilet Builder
The World Toilet Organisation partnered with designers from the RCA, PepsiCo, Nestle and McKinsey to create the “world’s first” centralised guidelines for designing public toilets in different regions across the globe.
The project aims to compile often disparate, incomplete and hard-to-find information into one central online compendium for the first time, to ensure that all communities can have access to safe and hygienic restrooms that are appropriate to the local culture, climate, building codes and affluence level.
“If you’re an architect or if you’re a community member and you need to build a toilet in a country that’s predominantly Muslim, for example, there are certain standards that need to be held up around that,” Damani explained.
“So it would be great if you could just put in your context and it spits out everything that you need.”
The team has designed a prototype user interface for the platform and is now looking to work with a large language model AI to spot and fill any gaps in the data.
“It’s still at a kind of idea phase,” Damani added. “We’re looking to partner with one of our alliance members or a development organisation that can actually invest the money in this particular expertise to help build out the back end.”
A pared-back palette of raw materials creates a calm backdrop for PSLab‘s lighting products inside the brand’s Berlin workshop and showroom space, designed in collaboration with Belgian firm B-bis architecten.
The newly opened studio occupies the ground floor and basement of a 1907 residential building in the city’s Charlottenburg district.
PSLab has opened a new workshop and showroom in Berlin
PSLab, which designs and manufactures light fixtures for architectural projects, set out to create a showroom where customers can experience lighting effects in a home-like environment.
“PSLab is not a digital platform where clients pick and buy products,” the company’s founder Dimitri Saddi told Dezeen. “Therefore the physical space as a ‘home’ is most important for one-on-one communication.”
“In Berlin, as with all our studios, we wanted to design a canvas to show the quality of our light and to show the process of our bespoke design approach by integrating a material library of endless opportunities and possibilities.”
The space includes a materials library with a movable ladder
Working together with B-bis architecten, the design team looked to create a contemporary space that contrasts with Charlottenburg’s classical architecture whilst retaining references to common elements like colonnades, arches and symmetrical forms.
The entrance takes the form of a large zinc-and-glass sliding door that is set into the facade of the building on Niebuhrstrasse. Moving the door aside reveals a full-height opening that welcomes visitors into the studio.
The interior was designed to present the brand’s lighting to its best advantage
Inside, a double-height space with a six-metre-high ceiling allows lighting products to be hung in various heights and configurations.
Arched openings on either side of the staircase void lead through to a garden room that looks onto a leafy courtyard. Daylight streams into the space through large windows to create a tranquil atmosphere.
The workshop space includes a materials library where visitors can touch and explore the physical qualities of the brand’s lighting products. A movable ladder provides access to items on the library’s upper rows.
The cosy basement level is a place for informal conversations with clients. A projector in this parlour space also allows the team to display the company’s extensive digital library.
The basement serves as a cosy lounge
Throughout the studio, PSLab chose materials and finishes including lime wash, concrete, zinc and textiles that focus attention on how the space is lit rather than its architectural features to create a kind of “sacred place for light”.
“It is all about monochromatics and textures, which are specific to the location,” said Mario Weck, a partner at PSLab GmbH. “The atmosphere lets people focus on our approach.”
Gantries provide support for various light sources
On the ceiling of both the front room and garden room is a grey-steel gantry that helps unify the spaces whilst supporting various light sources as well as technical elements, much like on a theatre stage.
Furniture is mostly built in, with simple cushions providing casual seating while cylindrical wooden side tables and coffee tables offer somewhere to place a cup or catalogue.
The showroom is set in Berlin’s Charlottenburg
PSLab has studios in Antwerp, Bologna, London, Stuttgart and Beirut, where the firm originated. For its UK headquarters, the company commissioned JamesPlumb to convert a Victorian tannery into a space that evokes the “quiet brutalism” of the former industrial building.
Previously, the lighting brand has collaborated with Parisian studio Tolila+Gilliland on the design of an Aesop store in London featuring felt-covered walls and slim black pendant lights.
As the tech world descended upon Las Vegas for CES 2024, BLUETTI, a name synonymous with portable power solutions, has once again set the gold standard with its latest offerings designed for recreation, emergencies, work, and overall energy independence. From the versatile SwapSolar system to the rugged AC240 power station, BLUETTI’s lineup this year is nothing short of a power-packed promise for both adventurers and home users. We visited the BLUETTI booth to speak to their Director of Portable Power Systems, Phillip Fischer. Phillip explained to us what BLUETTI’s been achieving in the past year, what are the new exciting products they’re debuting at CES, and why portable power stations should be on everyone’s wishlist for 2024.
If you’re still one of those power-station skeptics in the year 2024, Phillip has some rather sage advice to give you. Sure, the average power station user is the outdoorsy type, using it to provide energy to camping sites, RVs, and other outdoor excursions/activities… but what BLUETTI’s power stations also do is provide aid and assistance during emergency power cuts. Whether it’s one of their larger devices, or even the small portable ones, BLUETTI’s power stations can be potential life-savers when the power runs out. The same power station can play multiple roles, whether it’s necessity or leisure… with the added benefit of helping you do things like shift to a solar grid too to help reduce power bills.
Leading the power-station charge at CES this year is the BLUETTI SwapSolar, a dynamic duo comprising the AC180T portable generator and the MultiCooler portable fridge. The AC180T can easily be confused for its sibling, the AC180 – but what really sets it apart is its game-changing hot-swappable battery system. With 1,433Wh capacity, 1,800W output, and 2,700W lifting power, the AC180T features two detachable batteries that can either be used simultaneously, or in a scenario where one battery is removed from the AC180T and placed in the MultiCooler portable fridge. Imagine never running out of power because you can instantly replace depleted batteries with charged ones.
But that’s not all. The MultiCooler is the Swiss Army knife of portable fridges. Acting as a fridge, freezer, and, believe it or not, an ice maker, it redefines the concept of portable cooling. Featuring a 40-liter compartment with temperature control from -20°C to 20°C (-4°F to 68°F), the MultiCooler can chill a staggering 65 cans of soda (or any beverage of your choosing) or keep the sausages frozen for a picnic. It also boasts the ability to make ice from moving water, a feature that Phillip mentioned was “really cool” (pun intended!)
Next up, meet the AC240, BLUETTI’s rugged outdoor companion following the legacy of the AC60. Tailor-made for the wild, this power station is both water-resistant and dust-proof, boasting an impressive IP65 rating. Whether you’re facing a dust storm in the desert or a downpour in the mountains, the AC240 won’t let you down. With a robust 2400W of power output and a 1536Wh LFP battery, it’s built to last. And if you thought that was impressive, the AC240 can expand its capacity to a whopping 10kWh with four B210 expansion batteries. BLUETTI didn’t stop there. They also showcased their revamped portable generators and home storage products, including the AC60P, AC2P, and the modular AC500 and AC300 series.
In the midst of unveiling these technological marvels, BLUETTI also took a moment to highlight its Lighting an African Family (LAAF) program. This initiative underscores BLUETTI’s commitment to social responsibility, bringing sustainable solar energy to African families. With over 100,000 families already impacted, BLUETTI is powering more than devices; it’s powering dreams.
This flexible study space in Jongno-gu, Seoul is designed by YounghanChung Architects in an attempt to “eliminate unnecessary spaces as much as possible”. Dubbed Tiny Forest, the two-story building was built for a retired university lecturer, who wanted to have a separate space from her main home – a space that would function as a study, and as an intimate space to host and entertain guests. The space is inspired by a sarangbang which is found in traditional Korean homes, where usually the man of the house hosts guests or indulges in hobbies.
Designer: YounghanChung Architects
“Spaces as a hobby space or study have gradually loosened in the frame of housing, and lost the power of their original function,” said founder Younghan Chung. “However, the desire to escape from the house and experience a space like a microcosm for oneself is desperate for all of us living in modern times…[so] this building was intended to create a small private room,” he said.
Tiny Forest was designed to be a dedicated study and relaxation space, a serene zone that is nestled away from the hustle and bustle of the main house. The building is made up of two stacked cubes, with the upper cube a little rotated, while both are supported by a steel frame, and clad in corrugated metal in the color white. The different floors of the space were designed as single and flexible spaces, each one amped with a bathroom and generous storage space. The spaces are defined by minimal fittings and fixings, creating a smooth and quaint area. “Conventional structural methods can trap the choreography of users with diverse ways of life within a strictly prescribed framework,” said Chung.
The ground floor features an exposed steel structure in the color white, as well as a massive shopfront-style window that provides views of the street, while also holding an external bench. The space above is wood-lined creating a warm and minimal ambiance, and is equipped with built-in desk space and bookshelves alongside one wall. An external spiral staircase connects both the two floors and is located at the rear of the building. While another staircase connects the western side of the upper level to a tranquil rooftop garden.
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