Hasta La Ideas

Design students from the Chelsea College of Arts have staged an exhibition at Yorkton Workshops in Hackney that acts as “a microcosm of London” and explores the issues keeping its residents up at night.

The show, called People and Places, was curated by Dezeen Award-winning designer Liang-Jung Chen and includes projects that find new uses for hyper-local materials – from broken locks left behind by bike thieves to clay foraged from Hampstead Heath.

Created by 14 designers from eight different countries, the works on display also broach more far-flung topics around belonging and emigration, including a set of zero-gravity tableware designed for space travel.

“The cohort is quite diverse in all aspects,” Chen told Dezeen. “Not all of them are young. Some of them decided to change their career path and came into design at middle age. I really feel like it’s a microcosm of London.”

Among the projects that reference the city most explicitly is 20,000 by Cameron Griffin, a furniture collection named after the number of bikes stolen in the capital every year.

It features stools made using the many useless bike locks left behind on fences and bike racks in the wake of these thefts.

“The problem is, because the keys are not there, you can’t really open the locks,” Chen said. “So he salvaged the metal rods and bolted them together with the actual lock part to create a kind of collage of different locks.”

Austrian designer Hannah Rot found local clay in Hampstead Heath, a sprawling heathland in north London, which she left unfired and extruded to create a series of tubular lampshades.

Although these will break more easily than their fired counterparts, they can be endlessly re-moulded into new shapes.

“It’s a unique response to the pursuit of sustainability,” Chen said. “There’s a saying in design that if you make something desirable, it’s sustainable because people are not going to throw it away. But here, she takes the opposite route.”

For South London designer Rush Barnett, the focus was on London’s drinking culture, which inspired him to create a sculptural ceramic wine fountain and matching drinking vessels.

Based on Ancient Green kylix cups, these were designed to form a mask over the user’s face when they take a sip, portraying various grotesque expressions associated with excessive drunkenness.

Other students explored the growing popularity of alternative wellness remedies to deal with the everyday stress of living in London, with Samuel Sant presenting a series of kinetic incense burners while Yve Belle made a tactile tool kit for dealing with sensory overload.

Jaeun Sim focused specifically on mourning, creating a hybrid between a traditional Korean offering vessel and a fidget toy, designed to encourage ritualistic spinning and prompt emotional processing.

A number of international students took the People and Places exhibition as a chance to reexamine their relationship with home.

Among them was Palestinian-Jordanian designer Sanad Khoury with his sculptural water fountain that flows almost in slow motion, filling up a bowl drip by drip as an allegory for his endless wait to find a home.

And there’s Maria Gil, who formed a wardrobe from rebar and translucent fabric, offering a “retro-speculative” imagining of what postmodern design would have looked like in Poland if creative expression hadn’t been heavily policed under Soviet control.

“I think her experience of living in London really prompted her to explore her Polish roots because Eastern Europeans are less represented or don’t feel very seen in the European design industry,” Chen said.

“So, very early on, she made up her mind to really ask: why is that? Why is Polish design not as trendy as Scandinavian?”

Instead of focusing on her native Latvia, Klinta Locmele chose to explore where we will live in the future with a collection of zero-gravity tableware designed to make humanity’s migration to Mars more pleasurable.

The six-piece collection features a spikey spoon and plate, to which food can be skewered while carefully placed ridges catch any liquid.

“In zero-gravity environments, liquids will only stick to the surface,” Chen explained. “So you need the grooves and the spikes to increase the surface area.”

The exhibition at Pearson Lloyd’s Yorkton Workshops, which also featured work by Jianming Fang, Romeo Hodges, Selina Zhu, Zac Slater and Haochun Wang, was organised entirely by the students.

“They had to do an independent show, entirely outside of the university context and resources,” said Chen, who took home a 2021 Dezeen Award for her own work before becoming an associate lecturer at the Chelsea College of Arts.

“So they did this pretty much on their own.”

The projects were displayed on pieces of felled timber, loaned from the London Green Wood workshop at Hackney City Farm and subsequently returned to be made into spoons, bowls and other products.

The photography is by Romeo Hodges.

People and Places was on show at Yorkton Workshops in London from 17 to 18 May. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world. 

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Local studio Henkai Architekti has created Pustevny Gateway, a wood-clad visitor centre with a matching bell tower on the Beskydy Mountains ridge in the Czech Republic.

Designed to replace an existing service building, the visitor centre and viewpoint are built on micro-piles and topped by a green roof with a diagonal ridge.

The structure is made from glued laminated timber (glulam), with the sides of the centre clad in timber shingles in a nod to local construction techniques.

“Our desire was to sensitively complement an architecturally significant place within its local context,” Henkai Architekti co-founder Daniel Baroš told Dezeen.

“Therefore, we drew inspiration primarily from the valued buildings already standing here,” Baroš added.

“I have in mind especially the hermitages by architect Dušan Jurkovič from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and the high-quality upper cable car station by Kamil Mrva.”

Henkai Architekti chose to work with wood as it is a traditional and local material that can also be used in a variety of ways.

“Traditionally, it has historically been used in the landscape for building all elements of the above-ground parts of buildings,” Baroš said.

“It allows for a minimalist material aesthetic. Shingles have historically been used for roofs and cladding of more stressed facades of wooden houses.”

The material also has practical benefits, according to the architect.

“In a mountain environment, it fulfils the function of a ventilated facade of a modern wooden building,” Baroš explained. “At the same time, it is a fulfilment of the socially accepted and demanded principle of connecting to the roots of the local historical building footprint.”

The Pustevny Gateway building, which has a waiting room-cafe, facilities for parking lot staff, a bus stop shelter and toilets, is located close to a cable car building designed by architect Kamil Mrva.

A terrace covered by a roof extends from the building, offering views over the mountain valley.

Henkai Architekti also designed a bell tower, set across from the visitor centre, as part of the project.

“The bell tower is a local traditional symbol of human presence in the landscape,” Baroš said.

“It is an orientation and anchoring point that completes the overall spatial composition of the imaginary gate. The bell rings either automatically every hour or manually by rope on special occasions.”

Next to the bell tower, the studio placed a stone “portal” leading to a forest path, as well as seats where visitors can rest.

So far, Pustevny Gateway has been well-received by visitors since being completed earlier this year, Henkai Architekti said.

“From personal encounters with people directly on site, we have received positive feedback,” Baroš said. “But of course, the surrounding landscape is primarily responsible for this. It can conjure up unique atmospheres. It’s always beautiful in the mountains.”

Other recent viewpoints on Dezeen include an observation tower in Slovenia topped with a crystalline cafe and a sculptural concrete lookout on the Belgian coast.

The photography is by Boys Play Nice.

Project credits:

Architect: Henkai Architekti
Traffic solutions: Milan Koňař
Statics: Static Solution [Tomáš Fremr, Martin Lecián] Main contractor: Navláčil stavební firma
Subcontractor: Jiří Blažek
Interior contractor: Kraus Joinery

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We really did get a new Ducati Panigale before we got GTA 6…

The all-new Ducati Panigale V4 storms onto the scene for 2025, boasting a sharper design and a performance edge honed to perfection. This seventh-generation evolution brings a dramatic facelift nearly 7 years after its last iteration in 2018, featuring a 916-inspired headlight and integrated winglets that scream MotoGP heritage. Underneath the redesigned bodywork, a lighter double-sided swingarm replaces the signature single-sided unit, contributing to a significant weight reduction. While the heart of the beast remains the Ducati-derived Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine, it now meets Euro 5 regulations while maintaining its exhilarating power.

Designer: Ducati

The visual transformation of the Panigale V4 is immediately apparent. The new fairing, characterized by a shorter, more compact profile, pays homage to the iconic Ducati 916 while exuding a modern, aggressive aesthetic. The integrated winglets, directly inspired by Ducati’s MotoGP race bikes, enhance aerodynamic efficiency and contribute to the bike’s imposing stance. The overall design strikes a perfect balance between heritage and cutting-edge style.

Beneath the sleek exterior lies a meticulously engineered chassis. Ducati has made the bold decision to replace the signature single-sided swingarm with a double-sided unit. While this departure from tradition may surprise some, it’s a move driven by performance considerations. The new swingarm contributes to a significant weight reduction, enhancing agility and responsiveness. The aluminum monocoque chassis, now paired with the double-sided swingarm, forms a rigid and lightweight foundation for the motorcycle.

At the heart of the 2025 Panigale V4 is Ducati’s MotoGP-derived Desmosedici Stradale 90° V4 engine. This Euro5-compliant engine delivers the same impressive power as its predecessor while weighing less. The 1,103cc liquid-cooled four-cylinder engine produces 209 horsepower and 89.5 ft-lbs of torque. When equipped with the optional Akrapovič track-only race exhaust, the engine’s output can reach up to 228 horsepower. This engine is paired with a top-tier suspension setup, featuring a fully adjustable 43mm Showa BPF fork and a Sachs mono-shock. The bike also replaces its previous Brembo Stylema braking system with new four-pot Hypure calipers and 330mm discs, shedding more than two ounces of unsprung weight.

For those seeking even more performance, Ducati offers the Panigale V4 S variant. This model includes a third-generation version of Öhlins’ SmartEC suspension, lightweight forged wheels, and a race-ready Lithium-ion battery. These enhancements make the V4 S even more capable and track-ready. Ducati is expected to release an R-spec or Superleggera version in the future, further expanding the Panigale V4 lineup with even more specialized models.

The 2025 Ducati Panigale V4 and V4 S will roar into dealerships next month, with starting prices of $25,995 and $33,895 respectively.

The post 2025 Ducati Panigale V4: A Revolutionary Leap in Superbike Engineering first appeared on Yanko Design.

The Royal Institute of British Architects has unveiled its shortlist for this year’s Stirling Prize, made up of six British buildings that are “purposeful yet unassuming”.

All shortlisted projects are in England, with just two of the six located outside of London.

These are Phase 2 of the Park Hill estate regeneration in Sheffield by Mikhail Riches and the Wraxall Yard holiday accommodation in Dorset by Clementine Blakemore Architects.

In London, the four projects vying for the prestigious prize include the Chowdry Walk social housing by Al-Jawad Pike and The Elizabeth Line infrastructure by Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation and Atkins.

Jamie Fobert Architects’ overhaul of the National Portrait Gallery with Purcell is also shortlisted, alongside the King’s Cross Masterplan by Allies and Morrison and Porphyrios Associates.

RIBA president Muyiwa Oki praised the six shortlisted projects “for placing regeneration and restoration front and centre”.

“These projects demonstrate the ingenuity and diversity of architecture today,” said Oki.

“From major national infrastructure to brave and brilliant council-led housing, these varied schemes are united in making sensitive contributions to elevating everyday life,” he continued.

“Whether raising the bar for social housing, upgrading city transportation or repurposing dilapidated buildings to create heritage-conscious urban and rural developments, each scheme thoughtfully adapts elements of our existing built environment,” added Oki.

“This is purposeful yet unassuming architecture – architecture that brings joy to people’s lives and strengthens the fabric of our society.”

Chowdry Walk in Hackney by Al-Jawad Pike comprises 11 homes of which seven are available for social rent.

Described by RIBA as “an exemplary blueprint for social housing”, the staggered two-storey block runs parallel to a throughway for pedestrians and cyclists.

Another housing project on the list is the latest phase of regeneration at the brutalist Park Hill estate in Sheffield, which has been led by Mikhail Riches – the studio behind the RIBA Stirling Prize 2019 winner Goldsmith Street.

The studio’s aim for to preserve as much of the original building fabric as possible for Phase 2, while improving its energy performance and modernising the apartments inside.

Mikhail Riches is the only shortlisted studio this year to have previously won the prize, which is deemed the UK’s highest accolade for architecture.

Allies & Morrison was shortlisted in 2008 and 2012 for Royal Festival Hall and New Court Rothschild Bank respectively, while Jamie Fobert Architects was shortlisted in 2018 for New Tate St Ives and Grimshaw for London Bridge Station in 2019.

Other projects on the 2024 shortlist involving existing buildings are the renovation of the National Portrait Gallery in London by Jamie Fobert Architects and Purcell, and Wraxall Yard in Dorset.

Wraxall Yard is a holiday retreat slotted within the shell of an old dairy farm, designed by Clementine Blakemore Architects with a focus on being highly accessible to wheelchair users.

The largest project on the list is the biggest expansion to London’s underground railway network for more than a century – The Elizabeth Line.

Hailed by RIBA as “a mammoth feat of construction and collaboration”, the project was overseen by Grimshaw, Maynard, Equation and Atkins to carry 200 million passengers each year.

The sixth and final shortlisted project is the 20-year-long redevelopment of King’s Cross by Allies and Morrison together with Porphyrios Associates, which has involved the transformation of industrial wasteland into a range of public spaces, offices and educational facilities.

The RIBA Stirling Prize was first awarded in 1996 and is bestowed annually to the architect behind the building considered as the most significant of the year.

As with previous years, the 2024 Stirling Prize shortlist was selected from the winners of the RIBA National Awards, revealed earlier this month. The winner will be announced on 16 October 2024.

The winning project will be selected by a jury consisting of architects Alex Ely of Mae and Benedetta Tagliabue of EMBT, alongside Autodesk consulting director David Light, Cambridge university professor Minna Sunikka-Blank and Chanel’s head of arts and culture Yana Peel.

Last year’s winner was The John Morden Centre by Mae – a daycare centre for the residents of the Morden College retirement community in London.

Previous winners include The New Library at Magdalene College by Níall McLaughlin Architects, Newport Street Gallery by Caruso St John and Liverpool Everyman Theatre by Haworth Tompkins.

The post RIBA unveils Stirling Prize 2024 shortlist appeared first on Dezeen.

Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis has created four rotating glass pillars for the plaza of Atlanta’s High Museum of Art.

Panorama consists of four rectangular pillars clad in glass panels of orange and red ombre that rotate to offer visitors  “a different perspective of their surroundings” when passing through and around the installation.

Located in the central Woodruff Arts Center’s Carroll Slater Sifly Piazza, the installation builds upon an initiative to commission interactive, outdoor works of art and design for the space, which has included pieces by architecture studio SO-IL and Spanish designer Jaime Hayon in the past.

Similar to Marecelis’s past work, which spans installation, spatial and product design – Panorama uses light and glass to manipulate space.

Viewers are meant to pass around and between the rotating pillars, which sit closely together in the centre of the plaza.

“By entering the space between the pillars as they rotate, visitors are given a seamless visual experience that offers a different perspective of their surroundings,” said the team.

“As the pillars move, they will act as magnets to their surroundings, pulling light into a desaturated space to generate colorful reflections, increasing the visual impact of the work.”

The High Museum of Art (the High) is the first major US institution to commission work from the Rotterdam-based designer, according to its team.

“Sabine Marcelis creates projects that are sensitive to their surroundings using reflective glass as a material to question our initial impressions,” said the High curator Monica Obniski.

“Through the experience of Panorama, Sabine is asking us to set aside preconceived ideas and embrace an open mind toward new experiences.”

Panorama will be on view at the High until 1 December 2024.

Located in Atlanta and founded in 1905, the museum features a campus designed by architects Richard Meier and Renzo Piano.

Recently, Marcelis designed colourful plinths for the Euro 2024 group games and created a series of domestic scenes within the VitraHaus loft in Germany using the brand’s well-known pieces.

The photography is by Fredrik Brauer

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