Dezeen Showroom: designs by Ronan Bouroullec and Jos Klarenbeek feature among the new rugs released by Dutch textile brand Kvadrat for 2024, under the umbrella name Novelties.
Novelties rugs include Bouroullec’s Corde collection, which Kvadrat describes as “artistic yet utilitarian” and “inspired by the allure of handwritten lines and the intricate art of rope construction”.
The Corde Chevron rug by Ronan Bouroullec features a rope construction that creates the illusion of depth
The rope is twisted from New Zealand wool and cotton yarns of different colours, creating a sense of multidimensionality, and there are two variants: Corde Droit, with alternating horizontal and vertical panels, and Corde Chevron, which has a herringbone-like design.
Also new for 2024 is Klarenbeek’s Echo rug, which bears a highly technical design that draws on the Dutch designer’s background in mathematics.
The rugs create a textural feature in interior spaces
The pattern was created through the intricate weaving of 150 warp and 40 weft threads, and is made from 100 per cent New Zealand wool.
The designers’ rugs are being launched alongside the Yield collection, which features three designs united by their basket weave construction and embrace of natural wool hues.
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Forget about those invisible and impersonal AIs that are supposed to help you at work by composing e-mails, generating images, or even drafting a whole document for you. What you really need is an AI that will take care of your bodily needs while using the computer, whether it’s for crunch time in the office or, more likely, grinding experience points in games. At least that’s the foundation of Razer’s latest genius gaming accessory, a chair that knows your needs and literally gives you a hand, or a claw rather, so you don’t have to stand up for a bite or a drink or even a shave. Yes, this mythical chair is obviously an April Fool’s joke, but it’s an idea that could very well foreshadow the future that is both exciting and terrifying as its name suggests.
Named after the eldritch god but looking more like a Doctor Octopus arsenal, the Razer Cthulhu is a gaming chair that literally has a mind of its own, in addition to its six flexible tentacle-like arms each with a three-finger claw for the hand. The idea is pretty simple, really, and is exactly what it looks like. Just like the robotic appendages of the comic book villain, these arms act as an extension of the user’s own arms, performing extra work that frees up the person to do what they enjoy and do best: play a game.
What this “work” entails really depends on what the chair’s AI would learn from your habits and needs. It could be as simple as holding your drink or assisting you with eating, or it could be as complicated as giving you a massage or even shaving your facial hair. At some point, it could even start playing your game for you, allowing you to play a second game on a different device, like a phone or handheld console, without missing a beat.
Of course, it’s literally impossible to accomplish all these today even with the most advanced AI, especially actions that require precision and dexterity. You could even say it’s a tongue-in-cheek commentary on how we’re becoming too dependent on AI, putting our eggs, and our livelihood, all in one basket. That’s not to say it’s not a tempting idea for the future, at least within moderation. With human life and work becoming more complex, it’s not surprising that people will start wanting to offload some of the more mundane tasks to robots and AI.
Computer chairs are becoming more sophisticated, offering features that span ergonomics and convenience from different angles. There are even some that are like a whole encapsulated space for gaming and entertainment, so a chair with AI features won’t be that far from reality. We can only hope that designs will be more on the conservative and reasonable side rather than outfitting the chair with everything, including a kitchen sink, that would make use feel less human and more like cogs in a machine instead.
Lima, Peru, hosts the annual Latin American Design Festival (LADFEST) from 11 to 12 April. LADFEST Design Week launches ahead of the two-day festival and runs from 4 to 10 April.
The festival hosts a programme of talks, workshops, open studios, design markets and parties, with the event headquarters located at the city’s historic Manuel Segura Threatre.
Contemporary art and architecture event Bruges Triennial returns from 13 April to 1 September.
Centred around the theme of Spaces of Possibility, the event explores artistic and architectural changes to the host city’s historic centre, which is a preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The event’s fourth edition features submissions from 12 international artists and architects, and includes exhibitions and large-scale installations focusing on the concept of revitalisation.
Bruges Triennial is curated by Shendy Gardin and Sevie Tsampalla.
Dezeen is launching a digital guide to Milan design week 2024. Above: the illustration is by Justyna Green. Top image: photo is courtesy of DesignMarch
The festival’s exhibitions, talks, open showrooms, product launches and tours take place across multiple design districts, including 5Vie Design Week, Tortona Design Week, Brera Design District, Montenapoleone District, Milan Downtown and Isola Design District.
Salone del Mobile 2024 takes place from 16 to 21 April and presents the biennial kitchen exhibition EuroCucina, which alternates each year with lighting showcase Euroluce.
Dezeen is launching a digital guide to the Milan design week – stay tuned for its release.
Boston Design Week 2024 follows the theme Designing for the Future, Preserving for the Future. Photo courtesy of MIT List Visual Arts Center
The 11th edition of Boston Design Week returns in April and May, with a series of exhibitions, tours, talks, markets and open showrooms taking place across 12 days.
This year’s event follows the theme Designing for the Future, Preserving for the Future, which addresses design innovation and our responsibility to protect historic design.
The festival is categorised into five key sectors: Architecture and Urban Planning, Landscape Design and Outdoor Life, Design and Social Impact, and Professional Focus and Handmade Design.
Dezeen is a media partner for Boston Design Week 2024.
Dezeen will livestream the DesignTalks conference. Photo courtesy of DesignMarch
Reykjavík-based design festival DesignMarch hosts its annual event featuring a programme of workshops, talks, exhibitions and tours over five days.
One of the festival’s largest events is the DesignTalks conference, which takes place on 24 April at the Harpa conference hall and will be livestreamed by Dezeen.
The talks aim to address topics including our reliance on dwindling resources and the overflow of access to information.
Dezeen is a media partner for DesignMarch 2024.
Concéntrico launches The Street in 10 Year programme. Photo courtesy of Concéntrico 10
Architecture and design festival Concéntrico presents its 10th event, bringing exhibitions, installations and performances to Logroño, Spain.
The events explore urban landscapes, the circular economy, movement in design and the concept of the modern city.
This year also marks the launch of The Street in 10 Year programme, which sees five creative studios find solutions for improving streets in the city.
About Dezeen Events Guide
Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year. The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks.
Inclusion in the guide is free for basic listings, with events selected at Dezeen’s discretion. Organisers can get standard, enhanced or featured listings for their events, including images, additional text and links, by paying a modest fee.
In addition, events can ensure inclusion by partnering with Dezeen. For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide and media partnerships with Dezeen, email eventsguide@dezeen.com.
Oozing mortar joints create a “crusty crown” for The Brick House, a family home in Perth, Australia that has recently been completed by local practice Studio Roam.
Located in the suburb of Highgate, the home replaces an existing cottage on the site that had been occupied by the clients for several years.
Tasked with creating a new home while also allowing for future development, Studio Roam divided the site in half along its length, placing a skinny brick home on one side and a garden and garage on the other that could easily be dismantled to make way for an extension.
Studio Roam has finished a brick home in Australia with “oozy mortar”
“With the demolition of the existing cottage, the lot was reconfigured with a life-long masterplan in mind,” explained the studio.
“The project is the first of two terrace houses envisaged for the site, with the second a mirror image in plan.”
“Inbuilt in the project is wealth creation, financial security, and a family legacy to eventually be passed to the clients’ two children,” it continued.
Sliding glass doors open out onto a wooden terrace in the rear garden
Organisationally, the plan of the home has been flipped, with the bedrooms on the ground floor and the living, dining and kitchen and office spaces above, maximising the availability of daylight on the narrow site.
Large window boxes face the street in front and the rear garden, while along the eastern elevation sliding glass doors open onto a wooden terrace beneath steel beams to enjoy the garden prior to its future conversion.
At the front of the eastern portion of the site, the garage is housed in a lightweight metal structure clad with translucent panels.
The exterior of the home is finished in red brick, with the upper level treated with oozing mortar joints to create a “crusty crown” that will crumble and weather over time.
The brick of the exterior is carried through the interior, given a whitewash finish and complemented by concrete floors, white-painted timber ceilings and plywood cabinetry.
Interior finishes include concrete floors, white-painted timber and plywood cabinetry
“It was always very important to the clients that there was an authenticity in the material language and there was an honesty in the application and detailing of every material,” Studio Roam director Sally Weerts told Dezeen.
“The oozy mortar was something that the clients were instantly on board with which was a lot of fun for us – it’s proven to be one of the more divisive features of the project that people either love or hate.”
Studio Roam flipped the home with bedrooms on the ground floor and communal spaces above
“We really liked the idea that over time this relatively simple brick building would weather and settle into its landscape, collecting sap and insects from the nearby tree canopies,” she added.
In the serene Tsubame City of Niigata Prefecture, Japan, Yoshida Yasuri stands as a beacon of traditional craftsmanship married with modern precision. Celebrating its illustrious 120-year legacy, the artisans at Yoshida Yasuri uphold the age-old Edo-period metalworking techniques, delivering products that promise not just utility but a legacy.
Each nail file produced by Yoshida Yasuri is a masterpiece of meticulous craftsmanship. Unlike the conventional factory-made nail files that often succumb to dullness or bear sharp, injurious edges, Yoshida Yasuri’s files are a product of a painstaking three-stage sharpening process. Artisans skillfully sharpen each 1mm thick stainless steel plate diagonally left, diagonally right, and horizontally – a ritual performed six times on both sides of the file to ensure unmatched fineness and durability.
The precision of Yoshida Yasuri’s files is unparalleled. The traditional tagane (Japanese chisel) is meticulously polished and adjusted with each use, guaranteeing the uniformity of the file teeth. This harmonious blend of visual, auditory, and tactile feedback in their crafting process ensures each file’s perfection.
Yoshida Yasuri offers a singular, sharp-edged nail file, finished in an elegant matte black. This refinement reflects the brand’s commitment to simplicity, functionality, and enduring style. Each file is an emblem of lifelong durability, crafted from high-quality stainless steel that is both rust-resistant and washable.
Yoshida Yasuri extends their commitment to quality into the presentation and care of their nail files. Packaged in a branded storage box, these files are designed for those who appreciate the convergence of aesthetics and practicality. Additionally, Yoshida Yasuri provides handmade leather sheaths, crafted from top-grain veggie-tanned leather sourced from the Tochigi Leather Company. These sheaths are hand-stitched and branded, offering a stylish and durable complement to the nail file.
Yoshida Yasuri’s nail files are not just tools; they are a testament to a 120-year-old tradition of excellence, blending the best of the past with the innovations of the present. They stand as a symbol of sustainable beauty, offering a gentle, yet effective, solution to nail care that respects the natural structure of the nails, promoting health and preventing damage.
As a design website, we’ve had the distinction of covering practically every computer mouse there is. Regular mice, ergonomic mice, vertical mice, gaming mice, inflatable mice, even origami mice… so the BM1 doesn’t come as any massive surprise in terms of the visual design department. Modeled on the Lambda-class T-4A Shuttle from Star Wars, the mouse balances ergonomics with a rather inventive design that pays tribute to one of the greatest cinematic universes of all time.
Crafted by a visionary designer with a profound love for the Star Wars universe, the BM1 Mouse pays homage to one of the saga’s most iconic vessels – the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle. With its sleek contours and unmistakable resemblance to the Imperial Shuttle, this mouse beckons adventurers to embark on a journey through the stars, where every click and scroll resonates with the pulse of interstellar warfare.
For the legions of Star Wars aficionados and gamers alike, the BM1 Mouse offers an unparalleled experience, seamlessly blending the allure of the Galactic Empire with the thrill of virtual conquests. At first glance, the echoes of the Lambda-class shuttle resonate through the sleek contours of the mouse, with its central body mirroring the iconic vessel’s silhouette (if you exclude the wings).
The fusion of form and function reaches its peak with the mouse’s primary features – the left and right clicks, reminiscent of the cannons adorning the front of the Imperial Lambda. Each click resonates with the exhilaration of battle, offering gamers an immersive experience akin to piloting a starfighter through the vast expanse of space.
Beyond its striking resemblance to the Imperial Shuttle, the BM1 Mouse boasts a visual identity that exudes sophistication and ergonomic brilliance. Chamfered edges provide not only aesthetic appeal but also enhance grip and comfort during prolonged gaming sessions. The streamlined shape evokes a sense of speed and agility, reminiscent of the starships that dominate the Star Wars universe.
Not to be overlooked is the mouse’s scroller – a distinctive feature that commands attention with its futuristic design. Easy to spot and effortless to use, the scroller serves as a tool for navigation in the digital realm, guiding users through galaxies far and wide with precision and ease.
Moreover, the visual cues and font selection evoke a sense of futurism, drawing parallels to the technological marvels of the Star Wars universe. The color palette, a delicate fusion of greys, whites, and vibrant primary hues, further accentuates the mouse’s futuristic appeal, transporting users to a realm where technology and imagination converge.
A closer look at the mouse’s underside reveals a flat base adorned with sleek depressions, reminiscent of the underbelly of a spaceship preparing for flight. This attention to detail not only enhances the mouse’s aesthetic appeal but also reinforces its identity as a vessel for digital exploration and conquest.
MAD Architects unveiled a visionary proposal for The Star in September 2021, a dynamic creative hub slated for Hollywood. Although the design was ultimately not chosen for realization, its innovative concepts continue to resonate, offering a glimpse into the future of workplace architecture. MAD Architects’ proposal was characterized by a biomorphic form, lush vertical landscaping, and a commitment to integrating the built environment with nature.
Drawing inspiration from the city’s rich architectural heritage, including landmarks like the Griffith Observatory, Capitol Records Building, Hollywood Bowl, and Cinerama Dome, MAD Architects envisioned the “Star” as a shimmering addition to the urban landscape. Despite its towering presence, spanning 500,000 square feet across 22 floors, the building’s design aimed to harmonize with its surroundings, seamlessly blending into the fabric of Sunset Boulevard.
What set the “Star” apart was its focus on addressing the needs of the post-COVID reality. Recognizing the importance of physical, emotional, and mental well-being in the workplace, MAD Architects prioritized elements like natural light, ample ventilation, and outdoor spaces. The design incorporated tree-filled gardens, terraces, and sky gardens throughout the building, providing employees with opportunities for relaxation, inspiration, and connection with nature.
Collaborating with local design studio SALT Landscape Architects, MAD Architects ensured that the extensive landscape design complemented the building’s architecture, creating a harmonious environment that fostered creativity and productivity. From the ground level to the uppermost floors, every aspect of the “Star” was meticulously crafted to enhance the pedestrian experience and nourish the community’s spirit.
MAD Architects’ proposal for The Star captivated imaginations with its striking resemblance to three funnels stacked within each other, topped by an elegant glass dome. This distinctive architectural form wasn’t merely aesthetic; it was purposeful, accommodating innovative amenities that set the project apart. Among these features was a remarkable funicular track, providing visitors with an exhilarating journey skyward to an enclosed rooftop restaurant, event space, and observation deck. From this vantage point, panoramic views of Los Angeles would have unfolded, offering a unique perspective on the bustling cityscape below.
Central to MAD Architects’ vision was a profound emphasis on public access and engagement. The inclusion of a rooftop garden and observation deck open to all underscored their commitment to fostering a sense of community within the bustling heart of Hollywood. Moreover, the design of the building’s facade, characterized by tessellated glass, served a dual purpose. Not only did it maximize usable outdoor space, but it also maintained transparency for neighboring residents, ensuring that The Star would seamlessly integrate into its urban context without creating barriers or shadows.
Despite The Star remaining an unbuilt vision, its impact continues to reverberate within the architectural community. It serves as a compelling catalyst for conversations about the future of workplace design. MAD Architects’ deliberate prioritization of employee well-being, public interaction, and environmental sustainability resonates profoundly, offering a glimpse into a future where buildings serve not just as functional spaces but as vibrant hubs of creativity and sustainability.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
