Hasta La Ideas

This week on Dezeen, we investigated how architecture studios working on the Neom mega project are maintaining their silence over human rights concerns.

Dezeen’s editor Tom Ravenscroft spoke to human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and ALQST, which said that architecture studios “can’t ignore” abuses connected to Neom anymore and must “urgently reflect” on their involvement in the project.

In an interview ALQST’s head of monitoring and advocacy Lina Alhathloul said Neom is “is built on the blood of Saudis, and migrant workers, for the benefit of western and international companies”.

We also listed 23 architecture studios that are believed to be working on Neom, including Morphosis, BIG, Zaha Hadid Architects, OMA and UNStudio and revealed what they are saying about the project.

In another interview this week, US editor Ben Dreith spoke to the architects of Legends Tower, a skyscraper that gained approval to have an unlimited height and is now set to reach 581 metres.

“We knew it would be a landmark for the city,” Bruce Greenfield of architecture studio AO said of the Oklahoma City tower. “You’re gonna see it from all over the city. We didn’t want it to be crazy or gaudy.”

Adjaye Associates New York CEO Pascale Sablan spoke out about the impact that sexual misconduct allegations levelled against founder David Adjaye have had on the studio, saying they were a surprise.

“I did my personal due diligence prior to joining the team, and so when those allegations were published, they were a big surprise to me,” Sablan told US publication Architects’ Newspaper.

In design news, we looked at six “not so unusual” furniture designs by American artist Donald Judd. These included Fifth-Floor Bed, his first piece of furniture, as well as the La Mansana table, perhaps his best-known piece.

The table was recently the subject of a dispute that saw the Donald Judd Foundation suing Kim Kardashian for “false endorsement” of “knockoff” tables.

Also this week, we interviewed Grafton Architects founders Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara about their 46 years in practice and how they stay motivated.

“Making buildings was so stressful, so painful and so terrifying in many ways, that there had to be a way of making something that had an emotional quality,” said McNamara.

British architecture studio John Outram Associates Sphinx Hill was in the news this week as it became the youngest listed building in the UK.

Completed in 1999, the home in Oxfordshire was built for a couple with a shared interest in ancient Egyptian culture and has been described as “a tour-de-force of domestic post-modernism”. It is now Grade II-listed.

The latest stop on our North American Design 2024 series, which has previously looked at Mexico City, Detroit, Portland, Guadalajara, Montreal and Los Angeles, was San Francisco.

US reporter Ellen Eberhardt explored 10 independent design studios within the city, creating projects ranging from a boom box made with mycelium to a teeter-totter that reaches across the US-Mexico border.

Popular projects on Dezeen this week included a Big Sur house overlooking the Californian coastline, an Indian house with multi-level courtyards, and a London house that is a “sanctuary for wellbeing”.

Our latest lookbooks featured dining rooms dominated by dark-wood furniture and bathroom design ideas.

This week on Dezeen

This week on Dezeen is our regular roundup of the week’s top news stories. Subscribe to our newsletters to be sure you don’t miss anything.

The post This week we asked if its time for architecture studios to walk away from Neom appeared first on Dezeen.

This takes Pavlov’s bell to a completely different level!

Pets react to different music in different ways. For instance, my doggo would curiously nod his head from left to right and right to left at every note he heard. But he would instantly forget it all and run for the bowl on the first note of his food dropping into it.

Food is dearer to music, but music is a certain entertainer: this is not only true for humans, but for cats and dogs as well. If you agree, there is a musical way to keep your pet entertained and fed when you’re at home or away with the Pet Piano, a cross of an automated pet feeder and a piano.

Designer: The Pet Piano

Essentially a DIY project carried out by YouTube channel Smart Solutions for Home on the behest of YouTuber Aaron’s Animals, the smart piano pet feeder is now a buyable product, available on preorder from the pet piano website. If you’re a DIYer, you can still follow the step-by-step instructions to build a piano for your cat (as it was initially intended to be), otherwise, you can buy a ready-to-ship product and get your pet trained to play Beethoven while keeping her fed even when you are away.

The interesting pet piano is created to release a measured quantity of food whenever the pet presses the key(s). Treat from creating music will be a phenomenal experience for your pet considering that a reward mechanism inculcates a behavioral change in a dog or cat’s cognitive development and mood. So, a reward (food) in return for pressing keys – that make melodious sounds – a positive behavior can in inculcated. As a safety measure, the Pet Piano is created to dispense treats at a moderate pace, which also promotes healthier eating habits.

Further, your pet can also leverage the auto tutoring mode of the pet piano, which automatically trains your pet to level up her piano skills over time. And for days when the pet is not in the mood to play the instrument, the feeder can be scheduled to dispense food – at a scheduled time – through the dedicated mobile app which can also be used to control and monitor the meal portion and other features.

In comparison to other plastic and visually jarring pet feeders, the Pet Piano is made from durable MDF wood in a matte black finish so it can easily merge with your home aesthetic. Usable with cats and dogs of all shapes and sizes, it is provided with a locking mechanism to prevent break-ins and runs off batteries or can be plugged into a power source for nonstop functioning. We can’t guarantee your pianist pet will trend on TikTok, but it’s worth a shot, no?

The post The Pet Piano turns your furry friend into an amateur pianist to dispense treats! first appeared on Yanko Design.

Nothing as a transparent brand reflects its vision in the see-through aesthetics of each of its offerings. The intricate working of the tech is visible, highlighting the beauty of simplicity which has resonated with many fans of the Carl Pei. They’ve focused on audio products, mainly earbuds with an official pair of headphones not far from fruition.

The inspirational transparent design of their phone and earbuds has captured the imagination of designers who’ve mustered up their thoughts on presenting what a pair of Nothing headphones would look and feel like. Case in point, the concept AIAIAI Headphones, Headset 1 and head (1). Now yet another concept pair dubbed Head.Phone (1) caught my attention for all the right reasons.

Designer: Niloy Lahiri

Where this concept design sets itself apart from those other iterations is the smart use of the Glyph interface in the headphones. It’s more aggressive looking with physically moving Glyphs that can be customized to send cool messages to the on-lookers. The texture is very nice, something that Nothing would love. The color and finish of the materials are impressive with detailing in the right places. Transparent design elements flow down to the headbands which give it the typical DNA of the brand.

The ANC, transparency and normal modes can be toggled from the physical glyph interface. The ANC mode is represented by the closing Glyph lights, while transparency has a more open representation. This way, anyone talking to you can visually understand whether you are open to conversations or just in your zone, preferring not to be disturbed. Features and specifications apart from these over-the-ear headphones will freshen up the otherwise predictable market led by consumer-centric options from Sony, Apple, Sennheiser and Bose.

Although the designer didn’t intend to create a pair that is inspired by the Teenage Engineering elements, this concept has telltale good looks. So why wear a pair that seems more or less contemporary, when you could (in the future) get the option to sport a one from Nothing?

The post Nothing Headphones with physical glyph interface let’s you display your mood first appeared on Yanko Design.

EDG Architecture + Engineering and Nate Berkus were among the team that restored a historic building for the Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in New York City.

The Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center (SNMVC) occupies 2,100 square feet (195 square metres) in part of the historic Stonewall Inn, a location noteworthy for protests and riots in support of gay rights in the United States in the late 1960s.

New York studio EDG Architecture + Engineering led the visitor centre’s architectural design and renovation, while designers Chicago designer Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent contributed to the interiors. New York studio Local Projects led the design of its exhibits.

Located at 51 Christopher Street, the visitor centre takes up one-half of the original Stonewall Inn bar, which was opened in 1967 and spanned 51 and 53 Christopher Street.

Featuring curved arches on both facades, the original structure housed horse stables that date back to the 1840s.

EDG Architecture + Engineering said “great care” was taken in renovating the building, which included restoration to its facade and highlighting the passageway that once linked the two spaces as part of the exhibit.

“Great care was taken during the specification of repair materials and methods due to the building’s historical prominence and the necessity for maintaining the façade’s historic properties,” said the studio.

Led by non-profit Pride Live and its co-founders Diana Rodriguez and Ann Marie Gothard, the visitor centre will ultimately serve as an “educational resource”.

It was designed to host multi-media exhibits dedicated to “a rich tapestry of LGBTQIA+ history and culture”, including a theatre for film and events and a replica of the bar’s original jukebox.

“Upon entering the centre, visitors will be guided through a multifaceted learning experience that speaks to today’s generations, encouraging them to carry forward the Stonewall legacy and the ongoing fight for full equality.”

A number of large corporations sponsored aspects of the design.

Visitors are greeted by a Google-sponsored digital exhibit featuring a film showing “the impact of Stonewall’s legacy around the world” before entering the main space.

An installation by artist Fewocious sits near the entrance. The Brooklyn-based NFT artist created the pieces during the centre’s groundbreaking in 2022, which include phrases such as “today I reflect” and “alive”.

An exhibit curated by SNMVC founding partner Mark Segal runs along the length of the main space to one side, depicting the events that led up to the Stonewall uprising, while a long desk backed by rainbow-illuminated shelving sits across from it.

The replica jukebox, which was “supported by Amazon” according to the team, sits in the centre with music curated by DJ Honey Dijon.

Towards the back, a small nook holds a rotating exhibit curated by students of Parsons School of Design and will share “the experiences of young Queer people and allies”.

The small Booking.com Theater is divided from the main area by a grey curtain along the furthest wall.

The project follows the establishment of the Stonewall Inn as a National Monument and an addition to the parks system under President Obama in 2016.

“I’m designating the Stonewall National Monument as the newest addition to America’s National Park System,” said Obama during the announcement.

“Stonewall will be our first national monument to tell the story of the struggle for LGBT rights. I believe our national parks should reflect the full story of our country, the richness and diversity and uniquely American spirit that has always defined us. That we are stronger together.”

Since its opening, the Stonewall Inn bar has undergone a number of changes in ownership, programming, closings and openings, with its origins dating back to a speakeasy opened in 1930.

The visitor centre’s opening on 28 June 2024 marked the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings.

“As the first LGBTQIA+ visitor center in the National Park Service, this day signifies a landmark achievement in American history and honors the relentless spirit that ignited the worldwide LGBTQIA+ rights movement,” said the team.

Led by Rodriguez and Gothar, its transformation into a visitor centre was a six-year undertaking.

The opening comes near the end of Pride month in the US, which has June as a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ people and culture . Recently, American artist Jeffrey Gibson hung colourful tapestries from the ceiling of Kew Gardens that spoke to the artist’s view of “queer nature”; and LGBTQ+ designers and researchers spoke to the evolution of queer spaces and how to protect them.

The photography is by Stephen Kent Johnson.

The post Stonewall monument is “first LGBTQIA+ visitor centre in National Parks Service” appeared first on Dezeen.

Pencil production in New Jersey and the fabrication of massive turbines for wind power in North Dakota feature in this roundup of American industrial facilities photographed by Christopher Payne.

Payne has spent the last decade exploring factories in America, ranging from “traditional industries” like wool carders to the production of contemporary technological machines that he says are often “hidden from view”.

His reasons for creating Made in America stem from the lack of awareness of where products come from, and from American manufacturing “making a comeback” after Covid-19.

“Most people I know have never set foot in a factory,” said Payne. “Decades of global outsourcing and a flood of cheap imports have decimated sectors of American manufacturing and hollowed out once-thriving communities.”

“Yet, we still live in a physical world, and we surround ourselves with material things, and many of these things are still made in America. As environmental concerns and the pandemic have become urgent wake-up calls for us to rethink global supply chains, US manufacturing is making a comeback.”

The book includes close-up photography gathered from Payne’s personal exploration and editorial commissions and has an introduction from British author Simon Winchester.

Payne said that he wanted to preserve the legacy of certain industries while showing the continued innovation and skill of workers – many of whom are featured in the photography.

“All of these places share a commitment to craftsmanship and quality that can’t be outsourced,” he said.

“There is, for sure, a certain romance in the idea of making our own goods here in the US, but it is no longer entirely nostalgia; it is also necessity and opportunity.”

Read on for Payne’s commentary on scenes from twelve industrial facilities in the United States:

S & D Spinning Mill, Millbury, Massachusetts

“In 2010 I discovered an old yarn mill in Maine that reminded me of the state hospital workshops that I photographed for my book Asylum. While most such places had long been abandoned, this mill was fully operational, a scene from the past miraculously coexisting with the present.”

“I learned of other mills around New England, remnants of a once-dominant industry that had moved south long ago, and then overseas, in search of cheap labor. I befriended mill owners, who, in addition to opening their doors, would inform me of a colorful production run, an invaluable tip that transformed a drab, monochromatic scene into something photogenic and magical.”

 General Pencil Company, Jersey City, New Jersey

“General Pencil is one of two remaining pencil companies in the US, and it took five years to win the trust of the owners and gain access to the factory.”

“I focused on essential steps in the manufacturing process to reveal a fresh look at this humble, everyday object.”

Global Foundries, Malta, New York

“There is a familiarity to traditionally made objects like pianos and pencils that makes them easier to photograph than tiny microchips [featured above] or complex, one-of-a-kind spacecraft; they’re recognizable in all stages of production and we know exactly what they do.”

“Whenever possible, I try to include people in my pictures to humanize a subject that might otherwise seem incomprehensible.”

“From the window of a plane, it is impossible to appreciate the size and complexity of a jet engine.”

“Seen up close and uncovered, it becomes an intricate, dazzling work of art, the perfect balance of form and function.”

GE Gas Power, Schenectady, New York

“Gaining access to modern factories is never easy. There are concerns about safety and intellectual property that didn’t exist in the 1940s and 50s, when American companies spent lavishly on annual reports and were eager to pull back the curtain for popular magazines like LIFE and Fortune.”

“Sometimes I’ll make a beautiful picture only to find out later that I can’t use it, prompting me to look elsewhere for a replacement, like this one, which was my second – and successful attempt – at photographing a turbine rotor.”

Corning Inc, Canton, New York

“Glass is an ancient material continually being pushed to new limits, but it is not easily photographed. It’s transparent, reflective, and often quite thin and fragile.”

“Finding this technician hovering over a massive circle of glass, lit up like an ice sculpture, was something I had never seen before, and it remains one of my favorite pictures.”

Rivian, Normal, Illinois

“Car factories are so vast that a golf cart is needed to get around. The environment is visually overwhelming and everything beckons the camera.”

“I never have enough time to show even a fraction of the production process so I search for quiet, simple moments that serve as stand-ins for the larger story.”

Build Your Dreams (BYD) factory, Lancaster, California

“I approach industrial subjects and busy, cluttered factories the same way I do buildings: I try to find an underlying order within the visual chaos.”

“Here, I was able to use the bus frame as a geometric backdrop upon which the action could unfold, like a stage set.”

Interface, LaGrange, Georgia

“New technologies are often integrated seamlessly into everyday products in ways that are indiscernible, as is the case here, where captured carbon dioxide will be fused into the backing of a commercial carpet.”

“Even though the product is ‘high tech’, the manufacturing process still requires the deft touch of the human hand.”

LM Wind Power, Grand Forks, North Dakota

“Clean energy is another booming sector in manufacturing. Wind turbine blades are 200 to 300 feet long (60 to 91 metres), so there’s no elegant way to show their length without including a lot of distracting context.”

“Seen in section, though, the half circle of a blade shell becomes a pleasing composition that fills the frame.”

Relativity Space, Long Beach, California

“Essential technologies like aerospace have been reenergized by the private sector and new technologies, like 3D printing, and some factories I visited had the buzz of tech startups.”

“Relativity Space 3D prints rocket engines, reducing the time to do so from years to months. To work around the UV light of the laser we had to wear protective gear to avoid a nasty sunburn.”

Annin Flagmakers, South Boston, Virginia

“Even in its unfinished state the American flag is instantly recognizable, a whole greater than the sum of its parts.”

“I like to think that a factory is similar, a whole that is only complete when everyone works together as a team. These are the people who make the stuff that fuels our economy, and in this time of social polarization and increasing automation, they offer a glimmer of hope.”

The post Twelve scenes froms America’s “hidden” industrial world appeared first on Dezeen.