Hasta La Ideas

Creative agency Uncommon Creative Studio has made “boring” versions of UK landmarks including Buckingham Palace and Edinburgh Castle for Thomas Heatherwick‘s Humanise campaign.

Created to demonstrate how UK landmarks would look if designed in modernist styles, the agency used artificial intelligence to reimagine the landmarks. Along with Buckingham Palace and Edinburgh Castle, Uncommon Creative Studio created alternative versions of the Tower of London, Royal Liver Building, Palace of Westminster and Hovis hill.

“The series of images shows six of the most loved and quintessentially British landmarks stripped of their personality to reveal their boring alter-egos,” said Uncommon Creative Studio, which is a Humanise campaign founding partner.

“Using artificial intelligence, fed with 75 years of soulless development data, UnLandmarks reimagines Britain’s most beloved buildings through the eyes of its most boring architectural trends.”

Uncommon Creative Studio created the visuals for the Humanise campaign, which was launched last year by UK designer Heatherwick, as it believes that images are the best way of conveying the campaign’s message.

“We wanted to bring public attention to bear, to create a conversation around the importance of our built environments and the power of design to do more than inspire but to improve our human health,” Uncommon Creative Studio founder Nils Leonard told Dezeen.

“People are visual though, despite all of the articles, white papers and data on a subject the best way to move people is with something they can see, and then feel,” he continued.

“Taking our most sacred spaces and making them as boring as the rest of our environments is the start of the conversation, the way to bring everyone to the Humanise cause.”

Uncommon Creative Studio aimed to select buildings from across the country that would prompt an emotional response.

“We wanted to find sacred buildings – immortal and untouchable,” explained Leonard. “Then viscerally mutate them with 75 years of bland design.”

“The soul had to leave the building,” he continued. “The buildings we chose are the ones that define our country in the minds of every citizen and visitor – making this point with the icons of our nation felt the only way to get people to look again.”

The neo-classical Buckingham Palace, the main facade of which was designed by architect John Nash, was transformed into an international-style block, while the Charles Barry-designed, gothic revival Palace of Westminster was given a brutalist makeover.

The Tower of London and Edinburgh Castle were given modernist makeovers, while the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool was reimagined with glass and steel facades.

Finally, the studio transformed the housing on Gold Hill in Dorset, which is best known as the location for Hovis bread adverts.

The visualisations were made with a combination of AI graphic tools including Stable Diffusion, ComfyUI, MidJourney and Photoshop Generative Fill, with 200 variations created of each landmark.

“Taking cues from 75 years of soulless building data, we created a database of materials such as clapboard, stone cladding, concrete, glass and steel,” explained Leonard.

“The fittings, trends and familiar design tricks,” he continued. “These were then paired with architectural styles like contemporary international, volume house building and communist monumentalism – this combination built the foundation for our AI prompts.”

To draw attention to the “boring” landmarks, Uncommon Creative Studio created a range of souvenirs featuring the visualisations, which they placed at stalls outside London landmarks.

“Initially people reacted with disgust, which is great, and shock, fascination,” said Leonard. “A bit of outrage that we’d tampered with iconic, beloved landmarks.”

“Then a worry these were real plans for redevelopment,” he continued. “Most people got what we were trying to do.”

Overall, Leonard hopes that the visuals can serve as a “dystopian warning to the future”.

“We hope people realise what we’re taking for granted – that beautiful buildings are not just a luxury, but something that’s at the core of who we are as a nation,” he said.

“The UnLandmarks project spotlights a century-old global issue: how most new buildings have become increasingly soulless, worsening our health and contributing to the climate crisis.”

The visuals form part of the wider Humanise campaign, which was launched last year alongside a book named Humanise written by Heatherwick and a Radio 4 series led by the designer in which he takes aim at boring buildings.

In an interview with Dezeen, the director of the team leading the initiative, Matt Bell, explained what it aims to achieve, while Heatherwick selected 10 “humanised” buildings to explain its ideals.

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The Global Centre for Clean Air Research has published research that found botanical gardens are one of the best ways to cool cities and mitigate the effects of heatwaves.

In its study, the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) at the University of Surrey analysed how different examples of blue infrastructure (water areas and features) and green infrastructure (planted elements) can mitigate urban heating.

It found that botanical gardens can cool city air temperatures by up to an average of five degrees Celsius. Wetlands and green walls were also highly efficient at urban cooling compared to grass parks.

While it has been known that blue and green infrastructure can cool air temperatures, the group hopes that its findings give a comprehensive picture as to why this is and offer town planners examples of how to mitigate heat in their plans.

GCARE founding director Prashant Kumar explained that the diversity of planting, dense canopy cover and the addition of water features found in botanical gardens contribute to its effectiveness at cooling the surrounding air.

“By incorporating green-blue-grey [human-engineered infrastructure for water resources] infrastructure (GBGI) into urban planning, cities can create more sustainable and resilient environments, mitigating the adverse effects of heatwaves and improving overall liveability for residents,” he told Dezeen.

“Botanical gardens feature a diverse array of natural elements, including various vegetation such as tree species, shrubs, and grass, as well as water features like ponds, brooks, and waterfalls,” Kumar continued.

“This combination results in unique cooling mechanisms not typically found in parks and consequently, botanical gardens demonstrate a greater average cooling effect compared to parks.”

According to Kumar, the findings on the effectiveness of botanical gardens can be used to improve the cooling of other green spaces. This could include diversifying plant species, introducing water features, strategically placing plants for shading, and including educational aspects for visitors.

“We can draw valuable insights from botanic gardens to enhance the cooling effectiveness of other green spaces,” he said.

“Botanic gardens offer lessons on selecting heat-tolerant plant species, maximising canopy cover for shade, promoting evapotranspiration through diverse vegetation, strategically designing layouts for microclimate control, conducting educational outreach on green infrastructure, and implementing effective maintenance practices.”

“By implementing these principles, other green spaces can mitigate urban heat island effects and create more comfortable outdoor environments for communities,” Kumar added.

For the research, GCARE studied examples of blue and green infrastructure from across the world and the cooling effects they had compared to the local climate and population density.

Kumar stressed that cooling solutions should be chosen to suit the specific local conditions to achieve the most efficient outcome.

“[The research] highlights the need for region-specific strategies in city planning to optimise the cooling benefits of GBGI,” he said.

“For instance, in temperate climates, wetlands and parks are most effective due to their evapotranspiration and shading properties.”

“In continental climates, green walls and botanical gardens show promise, while in dry climates, pocket parks and wetlands play a crucial role in cooling,” Kumar continued. “Tropical climates benefit from roof gardens due to their microscale impact in densely built areas.”

Sharing Kumar’s sentiment that diverse green spaces are needed to mitigate heat, Phineas Harper wrote that lawned parks should be replaced with urban forests and Arup specialist Dima Zogheib argued more trees should be planted in cities to curb heatwaves.

Top photo of Kew Gardens, London, by David Iliff on Wikimedia Commons.

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British artist-designer Leo Maher has created sculptural lights that tell stories about homosexuality, set to feature in the Alcova exhibition during Milan design week.

A fake mermaid, a flower in drag and an ancient torture practice are all referenced in Maher‘s series, which he has named Something Sticky.

The works were made from various materials, from aluminium to ceramic, combined with found and crafted objects such as sunglasses lenses, resin-dipped flowers and palm tree fronds.

The Design Academy Eindhoven alumnus describes the collection as “a hot-pot of queer culture” that is “deliberately kitchen-sinky in its form language”.

“Like sticky hands gathering breadcrumbs, wet skin on the sand, a lint roller removing hairs from a dinner jacket, the series is given shape by gathering what has been left behind,” he said.

Maher will present four table lamps from the Something Sticky series at Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, one of two historic houses hosting this year’s edition of nomadic Milan design week exhibition, Alcova.

Following on from Maher’s graduation project, Unfamiliar Passions, the designs are all based on myths and stories relating to queerness and its influence on history and culture.

“Through joining various different material elements, each piece attempts to convey the narrative of queer legends, and question the cavernous holes left in the telling of time,” said the designer.

Works set to feature at Alcova include Burl; Diamond of The Forest, which draws parallels between burl wood growth and homosexuality, in that both develop under pressure to conform.

“Burl growth incorporates underdeveloped buds, most commonly a result of some sort of stress or injury,” said Maher. “Inside these complex knots, there is an abundant labyrinth of suppressed pasts.”

Fiji Mermaid highlights a now-discredited narrative about a half-human, half-fish, while Leopard Slug explores queerness in nature by emulating the same-sex mating ritual of a gastropod.

Also at Alcova will be Hairy Matters, a hairy lamp intended to question the gender stereotypes applied to grooming rituals.

Other works from the Something Sticky series, created with support from Dutch cultural fund Stimuleringsfonds, have been exhibited at Copenhagen gallery Tableau, design fair Collectible and Berlin gallery Cabin.

They include Gingering, which references the torture practice of inserting ginger into the anus, and Bee-Orchid, which pays tribute to a flower that has evolved to look like a female bee, in order to attract male bees to pollinate it.

“Stories of queer pasts are just as likely found where we might least expect them,” said Maher.

“Recognising the tears and breaks that exist in the ordinary, [that is] the unpredictable key to our map for discovering hidden queer gold.”

Maher will also present new works for the Alcova exhibition: two wall scones, two candelabras and three pendant lamps.

Standout pieces include Drift Blossom, a lamp combining organic wooden elements with re-purposed antique glass flowers, and Naiad, a hanging lamp combining 3D-printed resin with cast brass.

Alcova takes place from 15 to 21 April 2024 as part of Milan design week. See our dedicated Milan guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.

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French fashion house Saint Laurent will unveil the Villa Planchart Segnaposto collection of 12 porcelain plates designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti in 1957 at Milan design week.

The tableware collection will be showcased in an exhibition called Gio Ponti – Villa Planchart at the Chiostri Di San Simpliciano cloister in Milan during the city’s upcoming design week.

Ponti originally designed the plates after being commissioned to build a house for Anala and Armando Planchart in Caracas in 1953, which became known as Villa Planchart.

As well as designing the house itself – a modernist rectangular building with a butterfly roof – Ponti also created its interior, integrating a number of furniture pieces and lamps he had designed for Italian companies including Cassina and Arredoluce.

The architect, who had previously worked as the artistic director for Florentine porcelain manufacturer Ginori 1735, also collaborated with the company on a collection of porcelain tableware designed especially for the house in 1957.

The plates feature the “symbols and motifs” of the villa, Saint Laurent said. Among the motifs are the letter A, representing Anala and Armando Planchart, as well as a crescent moon, a sun and the polar star.

The Milan exhibition, curated by Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello, will showcase 12 reissued plates from the original Villa Planchart Segnaposto collection.

Saint Laurent collaborated with the Gio Ponti Archives and the Fundación Anala y Armando Planchart for the release of the plate collection.

The new plates were also made by Ginori 1735 and are decorated with gold edges and bright, primary colours.

The rereleased Villa Planchart Segnaposto collection was created by Saint Laurent Rive Droite, the fashion brand’s “curated and creative retail and cultural destination” and will be available in its Paris, Los Angeles and Milan stores.

Ponti created more than a hundred buildings in Italy and globally as well as numerous furniture and product designs.

Among his designs are the Denver Art Museum, which the architect designed in 1971, and furniture pieces including the wooden 811 armchair.

The Gio Ponti – Villa Planchart exhibition will be on view at Chiostri Di San Simpliciano during Milan Design Week on 16 to 21 April. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

The post Saint Laurent rereleases handpainted Gio Ponti plates designed for Villa Planchart appeared first on Dezeen.

Contrary to popular belief, bags aren’t about storage… they’re about access. You see, every bag offers storage, it’s how you use and access that storage that makes a difference. Now most backpack makers recognize that the laptop is perhaps the most critical part of bag design (it needs to have a padded sleeve with a quick-access design), but what about those bags that AREN’T designed for laptops? Well, that’s where things get murky because then bags start becoming vague. They offer storage and expect you to figure out how to store and access your belongings. A sling bag’s design really doesn’t focus on anything, it offers an oddly triangular storage pocket that isn’t specifically designed for anything, and can be annoying to access quickly. A camera bag, on the other hand, is tailor-made just for cameras… not gaming gear or drones. With bags either focusing too much on specific storage or not enough, the ISHO-X5 boldly creates an all-purpose sling bag that shapeshifts to suit your changing demands. Designed to store (and organize) your gear, whether it’s cameras and lenses, drones, gaming tech, or even EDC, the ISHO-X5 doesn’t just offer versatile storage, it offers versatile access too, with clamshell ingress, side-access, and a unique X-Wing divider that lets you segregate your gear efficiently so that you can quickly take them out when you need.

Designer: Gideon Balloch

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The sling format is a unique one because it can be carried in multiple ways. You can either wear it across the front like you would a camera bag, letting you access the contents the instant you see something worth photographing, or across the side or back, sort of like a conventional sling or messenger bag. The ISHO-X5’s rectangular design also lets it easily fit into larger backpacks or travel bags, offering modular storage in ways those ridiculous triangular sling bags can’t.

What the ISHO-X5 gets absolutely right is the idea that bags are about access. The sling offers ample storage, but also lets you access its storage in a variety of ways. The main door opens partially so you can dig in for stuff, or opens fully in a clamshell style so you can actually take your gear comfortably. The bag’s strap attachments actually let you quickly flip the main flap to face upwards, bringing the main door to the top so things don’t fall out as you open the bag. Additionally, the bag also rotates to face a side door to the top, giving you quick access to pull a camera or drone out in an instant, without having to fish other items out of the way.

The ISHO-X5’s compact design packs a surprisingly spacious 5.5L interior, allowing you to carry 80% more gear compared to similar-sized slings. The cuboidal shape of the bag does a remarkable job of being space-efficient, while the compact padding lets you easily store items without worrying about them bumping up against each other. The X-Wing divider helps you further segregate your spaces to suit your gear perfectly. Think of it as bubble wrap that fits in between your items, shapeshifting depending on whether you’ve got a DSLR or a drone or even a Nintendo Switch. The design team sought inspiration from Richard Neutra’s concept of “The Changing House,” a modernist piece of architecture designed with an adaptable multifunctional format, and open layouts. The bag’s cube shape and ample access points pay homage to its architectural inspiration, and the X-Wing allows you to create over 12 different layouts to perfectly organize your specific gear.

If that wasn’t enough, the bag comes with a removable/adjustable strap, external accessory-carrying straps, and a 9-pocket mini panel on the main flap for all your small gear from your passport and AirPods to every single memory card. The outer cover is made from a combination of a high tenacity 100% recycled Nylon 6,6 fabric with a weatherproof carbonate coating, and a diamond ripstop Nylon reinforced with Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE). If that sounds like too much jargon, here’s all you need to know – the ISHO-X5 is weather-resistant and abrasion-resistant, so a thunderstorm or a tumble downhill won’t do anything to the bag or the items inside. Yes, the bag also features YKK zippers to keep everything up to code.

Although designed to be used independently, the ISHO-X5 pairs wonderfully well with your existing backpack or travel case too. Designer Carry Cubo also makes its own bags and backpacks, all with the same materials, aesthetics, and attention to detail as the ISHO-X5. The smart sling bag comes in 3 color options and starts at $169, although YD readers get a 15% discount with the coupon code YANKO15.

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