Dezeen Wire: rapper Kanye West has announced via his Twitter feed – @kanyewest – that he is to launch a design company named DONDA, which will be formed of creative thinkers from different industries.
The musician claims to be assembling a team that will include architects, designers and directors and has appealed for anyone interested to contact him at contactDONDA@gmail.com.
Click here to see more stories about Kanye West, including renders of his apartment from five years ago.
Dezeen Wire: the Board of the Venice Architecture Biennale have confirmed that British architect David Chipperfield will curate the architecture sector of this year’s exhibition, as reported on Dezeen Wire back in November, while Italian film critic Alberto Barbera will direct the cinema sector.
You can read more about David Chipperfield here.
Here’s some more text from the biennale organisers:
The Board appoints new Directors: David Chipperfield for Architecture and Alberto Barbera for Cinema
The new Board of La Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta and composed of Giorgio Orsoni (Vice-President), Luca Zaia, Francesca Zaccariotto and Emmanuele Francesco Maria Emanuele, met for the first time on 27th December 2011 in the Biennale offices at Ca’ Giustinian and proceeded to appoint the Directors of the Architecture and Cinema sectors.
The appointments were decided as follows:
David Chipperfield was named Director of the Architecture Sector with the specific responsibility of curating the 13th International Architecture Exhibition, which will be held in Venice, at the institutional venues of Giardini and Arsenale, from August 29th to November 25th 2012 (preview on August 27th-28th).
Alberto Barbera was named Director of the Cinema Sector for a four-year term. The 69th Venice International Film Festival will be held at the Lido di Venezia from August 29th to September 8th 2012.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the President of the Biennale Paolo Baratta declared:
“The Board first wished to thank the Minister for the Cultural Heritage and Activities Lorenzo Ornaghi and the Parliamentary Commissions for having expedited the procedures and having thereby been able, just a few days after their designation, to reach a decision on the appointment of the President and the members of the new Board of Administration of la Biennale di Venezia. La Biennale could only reciprocate by proceeding with the same alacrity to take the decisions required to begin operations on the next four-year period, in particular in the fields for which the decisions were most urgent.
For Architecture, the Board of Administration knew that David Chipperfield had already been contacted, and that he had shown great interest in being appointed as Director of the International Architecture Exhibition of the Biennale. We thank him for accepting and for having patiently awaited the official designation. Kazuyo Sejima’s appointment brought this Exhibition back into the hands of an architect, and Chipperfield’s pursues the same course. After a series of Exhibitions that illustrated the many different ways of approaching the theme of architecture in the contemporary era (sociological, technological, urban), it appeared useful to turn to an architect who demonstrates great interest in architecture as a discipline and raises questions about the elements of which it is composed, about the objectives it pursues, about the constraints that affect it, about the tools that it uses to shape places, spaces, buildings. The next Architecture Exhibition will be characterized by the emphasis on a series of relationships that connect great architects and younger generations that refer to them. This Exhibition will represent a major opportunity to bring both the general public and the world of architecture up to date. This is also why it has already begun to organize the program involving Universities from all around the world, entitled Biennale Sessions, successfully tested during the last edition of the Exhibition.
To continue to pursue the growth of the Venice International Film Festival, and to address the rising competition, the Biennale is committed to promoting the program to renovate the venues already begun last year, which will proceed throughout the next four-year period in the perspective of regenerating the entire Lido area.
To achieve this end, it is essential to create an intense harmony between the Biennale and the City of Venice, on which the completion of this project is largely, if not entirely, dependent; a harmonious relationship with the Lido, with its population, with its tourist facilities; a harmonious development with the city of Venice and with its administrative representation.
This commitment is important and must be steadfastly pursued. The Board of Administration has appointed Alberto Barbera as the Director of the Venice Film Festival for the next four-year period. Barbera will assist and advance this evolution with his recognized professional capacity, his intuition and his creativity. Venice’s position in the calendar of international Festivals must be developed to its fullest potential, along with the Venice Film Festival’s capacity to attract the finest international productions, which are actively promoted in the fall and winter that follow. In addition to his ability to attract quality films, Barbera adds the capacity to engage the many different artistic events related to the language of cinema, and the organizational capacity to develop the Industry Office into a ‘Light Market’ with realistic but significant objectives. Alberto Barbera has confirmed that he is willing to cultivate the possibilities of the Biennale College to develop permanent activities in Venice that will involve young artists. His work with the Museum of Cinema in Turin will undoubtedly prove helpful to this endeavour. Following the development of these activities in Dance, Music and Theatre, the Cinema and Architecture Sectors will also contribute to the instrument of the Biennale College, the growth of which will be actively pursued in the years to come. Just as it has acknowledged the extraordinary results of the International Art Exhibition and the other activities of the Biennale, the Board of Administration expressed its gratitude to Marco Mueller for having contributed throughout eight consecutive years to the growth and recognition of the Venice International Film Festival”.
David Chipperfield in particular says about his project that:
“Participants will be encouraged through a declaration of affinities to make connections with other authors and other works. These dialogues and collaborations may involve a common proposal or a dialogue between projects even as a dialogue of provocation. In this way we wish to demonstrate the existence of a rich culture of architectural practice and research, stimulated by the work of other disciplines but defined by shared enthusiasms and concerns at a time when the singular works of architects are celebrated but the role of the profession and our place within society is continuously challenged.”
Dezeen Wire: New York Times critic Alice Rawsthorn previews the design highs and lows of the coming year, including Thomas Heatherwick’s new double-decker bus for London (high) and the logo for the 2012 Olympic games (low) – New York Times
Dezeen Wire: Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design at Apple, has been awarded a KBE on the 2012 New Year Honours list, published today, for services to design and enterprise.
Australian designer Marc Newson has been awarded a CBE for services to design in the UK and worldwide.
Architect John McAslan and founder of Open-City Victoria Thornton were both awarded an OBE for services to architecture.
See all our stories about Marc Newson ».
See all our stories about Apple »
Dezeen Wire: Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta has died at the age of 80. He was awarded the Praemium Imperiale earlier this year.
Dezeen Wire: English Heritage have announced that the 1986 Lloyd’s of London building designed by Richard Rogers is to be given Grade I listed status. More details on the Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners website.
Dezeen Wire: a team of Dutch designers including Hella Jongerius, architect Rem Koolhaas and graphic designer Irma Boom have been selected to re-design the North Delegates’ Lounge at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The interior will mix classic Dutch and international furniture with pieces designed specially for the lounge.
A curtain with 30,000 partly-glazed porcelain beads will be manufactured by Dutch craftsmen while a large knotted curtain will screen windows on the north facade.
Here are some more details from Hella Jongerius:
U.N. North Delegates’ Lounge
RE– captures the content of the re-design of the North Delegates’ Lounge, which is based on a careful ‘editing’ of the history of the lounge. Existing designs alternate with new designs. Monumental architectonic interventions alternate with ample attention for material details, tactility and colors.
The re-design of the Delegates’ Lounge, one of the most prestigious spaces in the United Nations headquarters in New York, has been adopted by the Netherlands. The donation is part of a tradition. The U.N. headquarters were originally completed in 1952 and financed in part by donations from the member states. Between 2009 and 2013 the buildings are being renovated and the U.N. has asked member states to adopt spaces, in return for which they may provide the renovation design.
After a selection process, in which four Dutch design teams competed with each other, the team assembled by Hella Jongerius was selected. The design team is composed of:
● Hella Jongerius, designer
● Rem Koolhaas/OMA, architect
● Irma Boom, graphic designer
● Gabriel Lester, artist
● Louise Schouwenberg, theorist
The North Delegates’ Lounge is used as a meeting place for thousands of policymakers and diplomats of the 192 member states. It has a key role in the way the U.N. works, as it is an unofficial space where conversation is unrecorded, informal. While all major decisions are taken in other spaces, here many ‘deals’ between nations are actually closed. Friendships are born, or renewed, and animosities are assuaged.
The Dutch design team has explicitly taken into account factors that are of great importance in this context, such as the conventions that apply here, functionality, comfort, timelessness, calm, and safeguarding the privacy of the delegates while facilitating encounters. The team has also taken into account the original design and furnishing of the North Delegates’ Lounge and the changes that it has undergone since 1952.
The mezzanine, a 1979 addition to the lounge, is removed, restoring the original design of the North Delegates’ Lounge. The existing artworks are re-located with a contemporary gesture: by placing them slightly apart from an aluminum wall a glimpse on their backsides is offered. Some furniture items have survived, such as the Peacock Chair, and are mixed with new designs that offer solutions for the special conditions of this space, such as the RE-Lounge Chair and the Bubble Desk. Re-interpretations of Dutch design classics, including a design by Rietveld, alternate with re-interpretations of international designs, including a design by Prouvé. In the entrance area a sophisticated digital information device (e-paper) offers a variety of information. A handcrafted curtain (Knots&Grid) is hung tight in front of the slanted windows of the North façade; it carries many references, including Dutch maritime history. The East façade curtain (Knots&Beads) consists of 30.000 partly glazed porcelain beads; the beads are handcrafted by Dutch craftsmen and bring literally a piece of the Netherlands to the U.N.
In 1952 11 architects of the U.N. Headquarters, including Wallace K. Harrison, Le Corbusier, and Oscar Niemeyer, succeeded in creating a superb work, in which their individual wishes merged in a creation of great smoothness. The Dutch team, aware of this tradition, has also worked together on all its plans. The various interventions are linked to specific names, whose voices were prevalent in the final designs. However, until the final moment all interventions have been open to debate and questioning by all the other members of the team. The result is a multidisciplinary Gesamtkunstwerk that puts the Dutch creative industry in the international spotlight, and offers both old and new perspectives on ‘A Workshop For Peace’ (the expression architect Wallace K. Harrison used to describe both the design process of the U.N. buildings and the global organization itself).
Dezeen Wire: a prototype of Thomas Heatherwick‘s redesign for the iconic Routemaster bus was unveiled in London this morning.
Realised in collaboration with bus manufacturer The Wright Group, the design sees the return of a hop-on-hop-off platform at the back of the bus, which will be in use only when a conductor is on board, plus window strips that wrap around the corners and up to the top deck.
Eight of the new busses are due to be in service by the end of February 2012.
Photographs are by Iwan Baan – we’ll show more as soon as we get them.
Meanwhile you can see renders of Heatherwick’s design that were unveiled in May 2010 in our earlier story here and the winners of the design competition from 2008 here.
Here are some more details from Transport for London:
Prototype seen for first time in the Capital. Seven more buses to follow early next year and enter service on 20 February, 2012. Buses to serve the busy route 38 between Victoria and Hackney. New bus will be the most environmentally friendly of its kind.
The first bus designed specifically for London in more than 50 years arrived in the Capital today.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, committed to build the bus in his election manifesto and he was one of the first to jump on board today when the bus was driven from City Hall to Trafalgar Square to be unveiled in front of Christmas shoppers, tourists and Londoners.
In just under two years the new bus has gone from the drawing board to a fully functioning prototype.
Today the Mayor announced that the first prototype buses will be operated by Arriva and will enter passenger service on 20 February next year on one of the Capital’s busiest routes, the 38, which runs from Victoria station to Hackney.
The new bus has been designed, engineered and built by Wrightbus in Northern Ireland with aesthetic design by the London-based Heatherwick Studio.
It incorporates the most innovative and cutting-edge hybrid technology and will be the most environmentally friendly bus of its kind when it enters passenger service.
A team of 25 engineers and a 40-strong production team at Wrightbus have worked on the first prototypes.
But the manufacture of the bus has stimulated industries across the UK and, in a difficult economic climate, the Mayor is confident that when the bus goes into full production it will create many more jobs around the country.
Cutting-edge technology
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘Christmas has arrived early in the form of this revolutionary new bus whose gleaming coat of red paint and sinuous curves will brighten the day of all who see it humming along our great city’s streets.
‘It is the latest, greatest masterpiece of British engineering and design, and I am certain it will become a much-loved and iconic vehicle akin to the legendary Routemaster from which it draws so much inspiration.’
The new bus received the thumbs up today when it hosted its first event – as a London radio station broadcasted its breakfast show live from the bus – before it was driven through the streets of the Capital to be unveiled at Trafalgar Square.
Children from Kew Riverside Primary School, that won a prize in the original design competition, were also at Trafalgar Square to see the bus arrive.
Transport for London Commissioner Peter Hendy said: ‘It is a phenomenal achievement to get a bus of this calibre from the drawing board to the streets of London in just two years and my congratulations goes to all who have worked tirelessly to make this happen.
‘This bus has been designed from the wheels up with the complex needs of Londoners in mind; it truly is a 21st century bus.
‘It’s stylish and comfortable, and will ensure a smooth ride for all on board as well as an eye catching spectacle for those who will see it glide through the streets of London.’
Passenger trials
Over the next few weeks the bus will undergo testing for certification purposes and will be put through its paces by the Arriva staff who will be responsible for driving and crewing them when they enter service early next year.
In total eight prototype buses will enter passenger service in the first half of next year.
The prototype buses will be trialled in passenger service and the performance and passenger feedback will be evaluated.
If the trial is deemed successful there could be hundreds of these buses operating across London in the coming years.
This new bus will be the most environmentally friendly bus of its kind when it enters passenger service.
In tests at Millbrook Proving Ground, the engineering test vehicle emitted only 640 grams per kilometre (g/km) of carbon dioxide and 3.96 g/km of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) – less than half of the carbon dioxide emitted by a current diesel bus (1295g/km) and under half of the NOx emitted by a current diesel bus (9.3g/km).
In testing, fuel economy was also better than twice that of a standard diesel bus at 11.6mpg
Wrightbus was awarded the contract for engineering design and to build the New Bus for London in January 2010.
London-based designers Heatherwick Studio provided the exterior and interior design and the result is a vehicle that not only has an iconic look but every aspect of its design has at its heart the complex needs of London’s bus passengers.
Designed for London
Critical design features include three entrances and two staircases to deliver speedy boarding, a new seat and moquette design, innovative use of new materials and an open platform at the rear, in common with the iconic Routemaster.
The rear platform will be open when there is a conductor on board allowing passengers to hop on and off at bus stops.
The three sets of doors will ensure easy access on and off the bus and quick access up to the upper deck via the two staircases.
Thomas Heatherwick, of Heatherwick Studio, said: ‘It has been 50 years since a bus was last designed and commissioned specifically for London.
This has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a team to look again at the opportunities for a new open-platform bus.
It has been an honour to be asked by London’s transport authority to take an integrated approach and design everything that you see and experience from the outside down to the tiniest details of the interior.’
Bob Scowen, Managing Director for Arriva London said: ‘Everyone involved with the running of route 38 is looking forward to testing the new bus and putting it through its paces.’
Dezeen Wire: retail expert Mary Portas has published a report on the future of the high street. The review was commissioned by the British government. Read the full report here or check a summary of Portas’ 28 recommendations here.
Dezeen Wire: Dutch architects MVRDV have received threatening emails and angry phone calls after revealing proposals for skyscrapers that resemble the exploding World Trade Centre on 9/11.
We published the project first on Dezeen, prompting outrage from many of our readers. One declared the images “insensitive and offensive” while another claimed “this is like 9/11 freeze framed”.
Above: The Cloud by MVRDV – see more images in our earlier story
In an article titled “Do These Skyscrapers Remind You Of The 9/11 Attacks?” online magazine Fast Co. Design used Dezeen’s reader comments to explain the story, while gadget blog Gizmodo Australia led a piece with the question “What The Hell Were These Architects Thinking?”
In an official statement on their Facebook page, MVRDV apologise for any upset cause and explain that they did not see the resemblance during the design process. However, Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad claims that MVRDV representative Jan Knikker admitted that they in fact did notice, fuelling the debate further.
Most recently, American magazine the New York Post have picked up the story, blasting the towers as “sick” and “a spectacular case of architectural tastelessness” and the BBC reported the story in their televised news program.
You can see all the original images here, or contribute to the debate by adding a comment here.
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