GamFratesi decorates Copenhagen jazz club with drawings informed by ancient pottery

Interior of Epicurus jazz club

Design studio GamFratesi looked to historic Greek vases when creating the interior of Epicurus, a restaurant and jazz club in Copenhagen, which features smoked oak wood inlays and custom-made lighting.

The hospitality space, located in central Copenhagen, was named for the Greek philosopher Epicurus and was designed as a “culinary and musical house”, according to the studio.

Wood-panelled restaurant in Copenhagen
Original wooden panels were kept in the restaurant

Comprising a 250-square-metre restaurant and a 150-square-metre jazz club, Epicurus’ features wood-panelled walls that create an intimate atmosphere.

GamFratesi preserved and repainted the original panels in the restaurant space and added new smoked-oak wood panelling in the jazz club.

Smoked-oak wood panels next to window
GamFratesi used their own furniture designs for the space

The wood panelling was produced locally, GamFratesi co-founder Enrico Fratesi told Dezeen.

“We smoked the oak together with a local craftsman, aiming for a slightly lighter tone than the industrial smoked oak, which is often very dark and has a more uniform, artificial finish,” he explained.

“Ours retains a more natural look and feel. Instead of industrial lacquers, we treated the wood with oil, in the tradition of Danish craftsmanship.”

Jazz club with wooden panels and large windows
Epicurus is located in a former military gymnasium

The panelling in the jazz club section reaches three metres high, up to the windows of the six-metre-tall space, which used to be a military gymnasium for the Danish Queen’s guards.

It was decorated with playful images of dancers and musicians, for which GamFratesi drew inspiration from historic Greek pottery.

Dancing figures on wooden wall
Dancing figures decorate the club walls

“At GamFratesi, we really enjoy creating designs that have a handcrafted or drawing-like quality,” explained co-founder Stine Gam.

“That’s why we looked at ancient vases and many of those free, organic shapes combined with stylised human figures, depicting scenes of dancing, music, and shared enjoyment, turning the ancient concept into a contemporary narrative.”

Detail of wall decorated with drawings
Hand drawings were digitised and used to make cuts in the veneer

The studio also designed a series of pictures of vases, which decorate the walls of the restaurant.

“Greek pottery, in general, includes a wide variety of types and forms,” Fratesi said. “What fascinated us in particular was the way a single silhouette can be repeated with slightly different proportions each time.”

“We experimented with the handles, the mouth, and the overall shape of the vase to create a more free and expressive language, while still maintaining a strong connection to tradition,” he added.

GamFratesi’s hand drawings were digitised and used to create precise cuts in the wood veneer, after which the inlay was completed by hand using the classic marquetry technique.

Close-up of travertine consoile
Travertine stone was used for a console

As well as wood, Epicurus features a number of travertine details. GamFratesi chose the stone as the designers felt it “was a material strongly connected to ancient history”.

“Beyond that, it also has a natural structure and a visual language that isn’t too aggressive – it feels balanced and subtle,” Gam explained.

White and grey travertine were combined to create a console that makes the transition from the restaurant space to the jazz club, which also features the stone in the form of a wood-and-travertine bar.

“We used three different types of travertine: one for the console and another for the bar, each chosen to maintain a dialogue with the spirit of ancient times – not necessarily Greco-Roman, but more broadly inspired by antiquity – while being interpreted through a contemporary design lens,” Fratesi explained.

View of stage in jazz club
The jazz club part has an acoustic ceiling

The jazz club has an acoustic ceiling and GamFratesi added upholstered furniture to help dampen sound, such as the studio’s own Violin Chair and Beetle Chair by Danish brand Gubi.

Gam and Fratesi also custom-made the lighting for the space, together with lighting brand Lyfa. This includes glass wall sconces, table lamps and cone-shaped pendants.

Images of Greek vases in Danish restaurant
Pictures in the restaurant depict Greek vases

Epicurus is GamFratesi’s first club design.

“Some time ago, we worked on a project that also explored the relationship between music and dining,” Gam said.

“However in that case, our intervention was more limited, as the space was already defined architecturally. So, in a way, this is actually the first real ‘jazz club’ we have designed entirely from scratch – our first venue of this kind.”

Other recent Copenhagen restaurants featured on Dezeen include a space designed to mimic a “home dining” experience and a restaurant with panels made from leftover beer.

The photography is by Emil Vendelbo Stegemejer.

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MAD crowns Fenix museum in Rotterdam with "living room for people"

Exterior of Fenix by MAD

A pair of giant staircases spliced together by Chinese studio MAD rises up through Fenix Museum of Migration, which is set to open in a century-old warehouse in Rotterdam.

The 16,000-square-metre warehouse in Rotterdam’s City Harbour has been converted into a museum by restoration consultants Bureau Polderman to tell stories of migration through art.

Its centrepiece is the Tornardo – a pair of giant helical staircases by MAD that winds up from the ground floor of the building and out from its roof, culminating at a viewpoint overlooking the River Maas.

Exterior of Fenix by MAD and Bureau Polderman
MAD has completed Fenix Museum of Migration in Rotterdam

MAD founder Ma Yansong told Dezeen the Tornado was designed to symbolise movement, paying homage to the theme of the museum.

“They call it a tornado, but that name didn’t come from the beginning,” he explained during a tour of the building.

“The theme migration is about movement, so the staircase is about movement,” Yansong continued. “It’s an architectural element, but also a metaphor, it has a storytelling function, it’s a sculpture.”

Park in Rotterdam with view of the Tornado
Its centrepiece is the Tornardo. Photo by Iris van den Broek

Fenix Museum of Migration (Fenix) was funded by the foundation Droom en Daad, which acquired the building in 2018. According to MAD, it is the first museum in Europe designed by a Chinese architect.

It occupies a 300-metre-long warehouse, known as the San Francisco Warehouse, built in 1923 by Dutch architect Cornelis Nicolaas van Goor.

Once the largest warehouse in the world, it was chosen for the museum for its history as a storage space for the Holland America Line, via which millions of migrants, including Albert Einstein, were transported in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Staircases above Fenix by MAD
The Tornado is formed of a pair of giant helical staircases

Fenix is accessed through large glazed entrances on its front and south elevations, which lead into the skylit atrium centred around the Tornado. A glass roof and entrances were introduced to maximise natural light and indicate the building is now a public space.

Bureau Polderman has preserved as much of the existing fabric as possible, including its textured concrete frame that is exposed throughout the interior.

Externally, windows have been restored with the green finish as in 1923.

Fenix viewpoint by MAD
It culminates at a viewpoint

The Tornado is both constructed from and wrapped in steel. The two spiral staircases meeting at two junctions and also at the top, allowing visitors to “choose either one to go up and come down”.

It was constructed with a rollercoaster specialist and is suspended from a new white framework that slots into the existing structure to reduce visibility and negate the need for support columns.

Museum interior
The staircases rise up from the ground floor

The cladding was polished, chosen to reflect its surroundings and create playful patterns of light. Meanwhile, the steps are finished with 12,500 planks of modified wood called Kebony, designed to emulate a ship.

According to Yansong, the reflective panels are not harmful to birds due to their non-flat and small-scale surfaces. Externally, portions of the polished steel were also brushed to prevent glare.

Converted warehouse in Rotterdam
Original concrete framework is exposed throughout

Where it punctures the roof, the Tornado opens out to a viewing platform with views over both the River Maas and Hotel New York – the old headquarters of the Holland America Line.

At its peak is a 17-metre-long roof canopy, which crowns the top of the elevator. In a construction video, it was captured being craned into place after it was transported by boat.

Another feature of the Tornado is a 12-metre-long cantilever in one of the staircases, carrying visitors out above the roof and over the water.

Interior of exhibition space at Fenix by Bureau Polderman
The artwork on show explores the themes of migration

“The wood is like a ship deck,” said Yansong. “So it feels like departing to a boat, especially on the big cantilever, you feel [like you’re] floating directly above the ocean.”

While serving as a metaphor for the site’s migration history, Yansong also hopes it can help visitors “look forward”.

“I wanted to design something not just a memorial for the past, but to also look forward,” he explained.

“Migration is also about new generations, kids, so I wanted something a little playful, kids like to come and play on the staircase,” he said. “I hope this space will become a living room for people.”

Fenix Museum of Migration comprises four main exhibits, including The Family of Migrants – a collection of 194 photographs taken in 55 countries.

The Suitcase Labyrinth is an installation made up of 2,000 suitcases donated by migrants from around the world, where visitors can also listen to stories about the former owners.

The Suitcase Labyrinth inside Fenix
One of the exhibits is called The Suitcase Labyrinth. Photo by Het Kofferdoolhof

Fenix is complete with a museum shop and eateries, as well as a 6,750 square metres green roof.

To the east is an adjacent building called Plein, which has a separate entrance and is designed as a flexible community and events space that will be curated with local people.

Photography exhibition inside Fenix
There is also a photography exhibition on show

MAD is an architecture studio founded by Yansong in Beijing in 2004. Its completion of Fenix coincides with the launch of an exhibition at the Nieuwe Instituut called Ma Yansong: Architecture and Emotion, which opens on Saturday and will showcase the evolution of MAD’s work since its beginnings.

The studio’s other recently completed projects include a “flying saucer-shaped” hut and the canyon-like One River North apartment block in Denver.

The photography is by Iwan Baan unless stated otherwise. 

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Irenie Studio restores 1840s townhouse in De Beauvoir Square

On the Sq by Irenie Studio

Ethereal curtains crafted from surplus textile samples create distinctive shadows across the original pinewood floors of OntheSq, a neo-Jacobean London home transformed by Irenie Studio.

The Grade II-listed semi-detached 1840s townhouse owes its name to its location on the corner of leafy De Beauvoir Square in northeast London.

OntheSq by Irenie Studio
OntheSq is located in De Beauvoir, London

Interiors firm Irenie Studio collaborated with architect Studio Dera over 18 months to renovate the previously abandoned home, which features four storeys with rooms arranged on either side of a central staircase.

The project included sensitively restoring the roof and upper levels, exposing the existing wooden beams, and adding a half-sunken rear extension to create a ground-level kitchen that opens onto a patio and garden.

Basement of OntheSq in London
Irenie Studio renovated the four-storey home

“People see the project and think, oh, did you paint it and just put in the pieces? No, I did not!” joked Irenie Studio founder Irenie Cossey.

“This place literally stood as an empty carcass for at least nine months,” she told Dezeen.

Oriel windows
The house is “about the windows and the shadows”

The interior is a mix of designer and craftspeople collaborations commissioned by Cossey, united by bold colours, eclectic textures and playful scales.

Among the pieces is the work of textile designer Tomoyo Tsurumi, who created delicate drapery and shower curtains out of old curtains salvaged from the house, woven with surplus Kvadrat textile samples.

Shower curtain by Tomoyo Tsurumi
A bespoke shower curtain was created by Tomoyo Tsurumi

Composed of thin strips, the drapes filter light through the home’s preserved oriel windows and add distinctive detailing to the bathroom.

“When I saw this house, it was about the windows and the shadows,” reflected Cossey. “This is kind of where 2025 and 1840 merge.”

London bedroom by Irenie Studio
Wooden beams were exposed on the top floor

Cossey also maintained the home’s original pine wood floors, which feature in the living spaces and three bedrooms. These were coloured with bespoke paint hues, including a red shade mixed to reference De Beauvoir Square’s rose garden.

Downstairs, the light-filled kitchen extension features more craft collaborations that were informed by the Lewis Carroll novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass – a theme that Cossey said runs throughout the home.

“Glass and scale are all part of the architecture and design,” she explained.

Designer Michael Murphy created a custom upside-down chair from a fallen oak tree, which hangs next to designer Rio Kobayashi’s amorphous dining table crafted from discarded doors found on the site.

The kitchen door was fitted with a subtle keyhole, which was designed to be peeked through when crouching down.

Upside down chair in OntheSq by Irenie Studio
An upside-down chair and a table made from old doors characterise the kitchen extension

This playfulness is echoed in the landscaped garden, where a green door was upcycled to conceal an outdoor drinks cabinet.

Eclectic patterns feature throughout the interior in the form of gridded floor tiles, wall hangings and ceramics. The works of established designers, including Martino Gamper and Bethan Laura Wood, can also be found across the colourful spaces.

Green drinks cabinet outdoors
A bright green door was used to create a garden drinks cabinet

Originally from Dublin, London-based Cossey founded her eponymous studio in 2020.

Elsewhere in De Beauvoir, local studio Architecture For London added a light-filled extension to a Victorian home. The neighbourhood is also home to Goodbye Horses, a wine bar that Leopold Banchini studio designed using “all the elements” of a single oak tree.

The photography is by Jim Stephenson.

The post Irenie Studio restores 1840s townhouse in De Beauvoir Square appeared first on Dezeen.

Airbnb Launches Services, Experiences and an All-new app

We were invited to the LA announcement and got hands on in an experience with artist Shantell Martin

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Airbnb Launches Services, Experiences and an All-new app

We were invited to the LA announcement and got hands on in an experience with artist Shantell Martin

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Become an Otaku Hottie with Megan Thee Stallion. Photo by Adrienne-Raquel, Courtesy of Airbnb

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Airbnb launched in 2008 and forever changed travel for millions of people, created easier rental income for property owners and has had a major impact on housing and investment homes. While this created all kinds of benefits and opportunities, it lacked part of what travelers often seek when traveling—restaurant recommendations, where to find a local expert, or help planning a special event. Airbnb introduced its Experiences in 2016, which extended the brand’s offerings to anyone living in or visiting a location, and today debuted a substantially improved Experiences (along with a subset of curated, celebrity-focused Airbnb Originals), Airbnb Services and a completely new app designed to better integrate these new offerings, further creating more ways to engage with Airbnb.

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Screenshot of airbnb.com

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Screenshot of airbnb.com

Airbnb Services include caterers, private chefs, personal trainers, spa, hair, nails and makeup, photography and massage—tapping into vetted local talent and their access (most have an average of ten years experience). Get your photos taken at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art with Brittany; have chef Clair create a hyper-local foraged meal for you and yours in SF; learn Bugaku with Koshiro outside of Tokyo; or let Josephine lead a private yoga session, aromatherpy facial or energy healing session in London. There are hundreds of resources now available in many cities around the world, with more being added consistently. If you have a service to offer, you can apply here.

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Screenshot of airbnb.com

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Screenshot of airbnb.com

In addition to the range of Airbnb Experiences that you may be used to seeing—having local experts guide you around a city, its arts and culture, monuments and food scene, you can now up your game with the newly added Originals series, featuring experts and celebrities hosting programs and limited experiences designed exclusively for Airbnb, including a multi-sensory experience with Chance the Rapper in LA, dancing with with principal ballerina Francesca Hayward of the Royal Academy in London, learn how to bind books with Guido in Rome, have a Sunday Funday with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City or spend a few hours in a mindful creative workshop with artist Shantell Martin in LA, collaborating, drawing, and enjoying a tea ceremony, as we had the opportunity to do.

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By Julie Wolfson

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By Julie Wolfson

We visited a downtown L.A. greenhouse where the multi-talented artist Shantell Martin led an immersive workshop that coaxes participants to say, “I can draw.” Exercises begin by focusing on allowing the flow of breath to lead the pen. In a collaborative drawing the group shares details of their lives, while harnessing the power of movement by circling the room before each pass to add details to the story. All the while, Martin shares her deep well of knowledge and profound kindness. For one lesson Martin gathers the group around an easel and talks through the DNA of how she approaches her drawings, while swooping a massive Krink marker across the blank canvas. By the end while the group relaxes and drinks tea, friendships are formed through the discovery of new layers to each person in the room.

All of this new content provided the brand with the opportunity to redesign their app, which now better integrates all of these opportunities and lets you book them as easily as you’ve booked an Airbnb stay. Features include a new homepage design, a Trips tab which creates a detailed itinerary with all of the elements you’ve booked, a new Messages platform, and a redesigned Profile.

Services and experiences are a natural addition to an Airbnb stay, and they can also be fun and useful when you’re at home, too. We’re looking forward to seeing how this offering grows and evolves as more experts join the platform.

Seven striking and practical bathroom products

A white bathroom with orange accessories

As the deadline for Dezeen Awards 2025 approaches, we’ve focused on colourful bathroom products with smart technologies and innovative materials to inspire your entries for our new bathroom product design category.

Bathroom brands, designers and manufacturers continue to integrate new technologies and finishes into designs for baths, showers, toilets, sinks, taps and built-in furniture, to balance practicality and comfort in wet rooms.

Ranging from a bright orange centrepiece smart toilet to an egg-shaped bath made for two, these products feature high-quality, easy-to-clean finishes such as composite resin, waterproof cork and corrosion-resistant stainless steel that would make a statement in any bathroom.

Read on to see which products would make a stand-out entry into Dezeen Awards.


Smart resin toilet designed by Samuel Ross

Formation 02 by Samuel Ross for Kohler

Designer and Dezeen Awards 2025 judge Samuel Ross designed this asymmetrical bright-orange smart toilet for bathroom brand Kohler from composite resin.

Formation 02, with its sharp angles, takes cues from brutalist architecture and integrates smart technologies, including a heated seat and nightlight for ultimate comfort.

Find out more about Formation 02 ›


Four BetteBalance basins by Bette in four colours

BetteBalance by Tesseraux & Partner for Bette

A series of slender, titanium steel sinks completes the BetteBalance range, a collection of washbasins designed by Tesseraux & Partner for Bette.

Available in matte black, mint green and satin blue colourways, BetteBalance pivots away from traditional ceramic basins with its rounded steel form, and can be easily built-in or undermounted into a countertop.

Find out more about BetteBalance ›


Vis-a-vis cork stool by Agape in a bathroom

Vis-à-vis by Marco Carini for Agape

Marco Carini’s recycled cork Vis-à-vis stool and Rendez-vous bench provide a relaxing place to perch and double as a side table for the bathroom.

The two-piece collection, designed for Italian bathroom brand Agape, comprises a cylindrical cork stool with a “smiling” shaped cut-out and a bench made from hand-woven cork ropes, all sourced from discarded wine bottle cork stoppers.

Find out more about Vis-à-vis ›


A white bathroom with orange accessories

Kartell by Laufen

Swiss brand Laufen and Italian company Kartell collaborated on a ceramic bathroom range mixed with transparent accessories.

The collection embodies a “widest spectrum of tastes,” from ceramic washbasins and toilets to transparent shelving, mirrors and soap dishes.

Find out more about Kartell ›


Hum tapware by Philippe Malouin for QuadroDesign

Hum tapware by Philippe Malouin for Quadro

Designer Philippe Malouin used a minimalist approach for Italian brand Quadro Design‘s Hum collection, which includes a freestanding basin, bath taps and shower kit.

Each fixture incorporates an elegant design with corrosion-resistant brushed stainless-steel in curved and straight cylindrical elements.

Find out more about Hum tapware ›


Artis by Villeroy & Boch

Artis sink by Villeroy & Boch

Vibrant hues define Villeroy & Boch’s Artis, a surface-mounted washbasin made from the brand’s patented ceramic material.

Available in ten colourways, Artis also features small-scale, round and oval iterations designed for compact residential or commercial bathrooms.

Find out more about Artis sink ›


Meisterstück Oyo Duo bath by Stefan Diez for Kaldewei

Meisterstück Oyo Duo bath by Stefan Diez for Kaldewei

Designer Stefan Diez and German bathroom brand Kaldewei created this egg-shaped tub for two, providing the perfect spot to unwind.

The freestanding, steel enamel Meisterstück Oyo Duo tub adds a spa-like atmosphere and includes two symmetrical backrests for maximum comfort.

Find out more about Meisterstück Oyo Duo bath ›

Enter by 29 May!

Have you completed a similar product? Find out about our product design (bathroom) category alongside all this year’s categories here. Log in or create an account via our new entry platform to begin your entries.

There are just two weeks left till entries close for Dezeen Awards. Submit your projects by 23:59 London time on 29 May to avoid late entry fees.

Dezeen Awards 2025 in partnership with Bentley

Dezeen Awards is the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The eighth edition of the annual awards programme is in partnership with Bentley as part of a wider collaboration to inspire, support and champion design excellence and showcase innovation that creates a better and more sustainable world. This ambition complements Bentley’s architecture and design business initiatives, including the Bentley Home range of furnishings and real estate projects around the world.

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KUKA hirob rehabilitation robot mimics movement of a horse to help rider with improvement of motor skills

Rehabilitation robots, such as exoskeletons designed for gait training after a stroke, surgery, or limb injury, as well as companion robots that assist seniors with loneliness and dementia, are helping patients recover from injuries and mobility disorders while ensuring their independence. A new addition to this growing list is creating a buzz online. It’s called hirob, and it is a robotic arm that mimics the motion of a horse to aid in the rehabilitation and improvement of motor functions in patients.

hirob is the brainchild of KUKA, a global robotics developer known for its industrial robots and automation solutions. The horse-inspired robot is based on the company’s industrial robot arm, which has been reworked to replicate the horse’s movement. Provided with a saddle, the patient can sit on and ride hirob to regain their motor skills and mobility.

Designer: KUKA

According to KUKA, hirob system, based on the KR QUANTEC robot arm – originally an industrial go-getter that handles heavy loads – has been trimmed down to simulate the movement of a horse to enhance motor function in patients with neurological conditions or those recovering from surgery or injury. This lends automation and rehabilitation independence to the existing technique called hippotherapy, which involves therapeutic horseback riding as a common way to improve movement and motor function in individuals.

This robotic therapy solution in the form of hirob, thus helps patients improve coordination, balance, and muscle strength in the back, trunk, and pelvic. It depicts the horse’s multi-dimensional walking motion and rhythm, which feels like being on the back of an actual horse, without the risk of falls. The hirob is a secure and risk-free simulation that allows therapists to work with their patients without the danger of falls. Better still is the adjustable intensity of the horse’s movement that therapists can control according to the patients’ requirements.

To this accord, the hirob allows the patient to sit comfortably on its saddle-style seat while the therapist puts the robotic arm below into multi-dimensional movement in the desired intensity using the onboard physical buttons and a small display monitor. The patient, then reacts to these motions and movements of the robotic horse – in the completely controlled environment – so that the neuromuscular system is tiggered much like in the way when someone rides a horse, of course, without the safety and logistical barriers of riding a real horse for hippotherapy which encourages specific pelvic moments to regain motor skills and improve the back posture. Compared to the existing hippotherapy process, the KUKA hirob is cost effective, safe and a more controlled therapy system. Technological advancements are changing the lives of the mobility challenged for the better every day, and the hirob is a good answer to the unasked question, how!

 

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Ace Your Tennis Training with Acemate’s Revolutionary Rally Robot

Tennis players know the struggle of finding consistent practice partners who match their skill level and availability. Traditional ball machines offer repetitive feeds but lack the dynamic interaction that makes tennis truly engaging and effective for skill development. While these machines can help with basic shot repetition, they fail to simulate the unpredictability, movement, and strategic elements that define real match play, leaving serious players with a significant gap in their training options.

Enter Acemate, the revolutionary tennis robot that transforms solo practice into an authentic rally experience. Unlike conventional ball machines that simply shoot balls in predetermined patterns, Acemate actively moves across the court, tracks your shots with 4K binocular vision, and returns balls with human-like groundstrokes that respond to your play style. This breakthrough technology creates a training experience that closely mimics actual match conditions, allowing players to develop not just technical skills but also the tactical awareness and decision-making abilities essential for competitive success.

Designer: Acemate

Click Here to Buy Now: $1499 $2329 ($830 off). Hurry, only 28/290 left! Raised over $1,001,000.

The robot’s 4K binocular camera system represents a quantum leap beyond the monocular vision found in other training devices. By capturing depth and speed similar to human eyes, Acemate achieves centimeter-level accuracy in tracking both the ball and your movements across the court. This precision enables the robot to position itself optimally for returns while analyzing your technique in real time, providing an experience that feels remarkably natural and responsive compared to the static drills of traditional practice methods.

Players of all levels will appreciate Acemate’s versatile training modes designed to target specific aspects of the game. The Baseline Rally mode delivers customizable groundstrokes that keep you moving laterally and testing your consistency from the back of the court. Mini-court Rally offers gentler exchanges perfect for beginners or warm-up sessions, while Net Rally mode focuses on volleys with controlled feeds that enhance your reactions and hand-eye coordination at the net, addressing the full spectrum of skills needed for complete player development.

Advanced players seeking higher-intensity training will love the Pro-level Simulation mode, which recreates iconic rally patterns inspired by ATP and Grand Slam matches. This feature allows you to experience the rhythm and intensity of professional exchanges, pushing your footwork, shot selection, and stamina to new heights. For serve practice, Acemate functions as both ball boy and coach, delivering balls directly to your hand while measuring serve speed and tracking placement accuracy, eliminating the tedious ball collection that typically interrupts valuable practice time.

This versatility is thanks to Acemate’s mobility system, featuring four Mecanum wheels that allow omnidirectional movement, enabling the robot to glide across the court with surprising agility. This movement capability means you’ll be challenged to hit shots to different court positions just as you would against a human opponent, improving your court coverage and shot placement under realistic conditions. The robot adjusts its positioning based on your shots, creating the dynamic back-and-forth that makes tennis so engaging and developing the spatial awareness that static training simply cannot provide.

The companion app transforms your smartphone or Apple Watch into a powerful training command center, offering real-time performance metrics and customization options from ball velocity to landing spots to shot types. After each session, receive comprehensive reports detailing your performance, as well as actionable insights that guide your improvement with the precision of professional coaching. The robot’s compact form and retractable handle make it surprisingly portable, and compatibility with all court surfaces without special setups maximizes your valuable practice time.

With Acemate, your tennis practices transform from monotonous ball feeding into dynamic, responsive training that mirrors match conditions. Players gain a consistent, tireless partner that adapts to their level while providing detailed performance analytics previously available only to professionals. This breakthrough technology finally solves tennis’s fundamental training challenge, allowing players to develop complete game awareness and tactical skills even when hitting solo on the court.

Click Here to Buy Now: $1499 $2329 ($830 off). Hurry, only 28/290 left! Raised over $1,001,000.

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Bulova Celebrates 150 Years with Art Deco Limited-Edition Timepieces

Time stands still for no one, yet some watchmakers have mastered the art of transcending it. Bulova marks an extraordinary milestone this year with 150 years of uninterrupted watchmaking excellence originating from New York City. The iconic American brand commemorates this sesquicentennial achievement with the release of two exceptional limited-edition timepieces that resurrect the brand’s Art Deco heritage. These anniversary pieces don’t merely replicate historical designs; they reimagine them for contemporary collectors while preserving the essence that made them revolutionary in their time.

Designer: Bulova

The Limited-Edition 150 Art Deco Collection features two distinct timepieces: the elegant Miss America ladies’ watch and a meticulously crafted pocket watch. Each piece carries individual numbering and features case backs adorned with the 150th Anniversary logo, presented in custom-designed cases accompanied by detailed storybooks chronicling Bulova’s rich Art Deco legacy.

Art Deco represented a transformative period for Bulova. This artistic movement of the 1920s and 1930s coincided with the brand’s expansion and cemented design principles that continue to influence its aesthetic approach today.

“With these limited-edition timepieces, we’re bringing the past into the present, reimagining timeless design for the modern collector,” explains Michael Benavente, Bulova’s brand managing director. This philosophy guides the entire collection, balancing historical authenticity with contemporary craftsmanship.

Miss America: Feminine Elegance Reimagined

The 150 Art Deco Miss America watch revives one of Bulova’s most celebrated feminine designs. The original Miss America collection, launched in 1930, captured the evolving role of women during a pivotal era of social transformation. Its influence spanned four decades, establishing Bulova as a creator of timepieces that complemented the changing fashion sensibilities of modern women.

The contemporary interpretation maintains the delicate proportions and ornate detailing of its predecessor. A slender silver-tone stainless steel case measuring just 18.3mm creates a refined presence on the wrist. Six deep blue synthetic sapphires adorn the case, creating striking visual contrast against the metallic surfaces.

Perhaps the most distinctive element of the Miss America is its intricately filigreed expansion bracelet. This elaborate metalwork exemplifies the attention to detail characteristic of Art Deco jewelry, featuring a seamless buckle closure that maintains the bracelet’s visual continuity. The craftsmanship evident in these small details demonstrates Bulova’s commitment to authentic period design.

The silver-tone dial, with its brushed surface and blue hands inspired by vintage watches, continues the vintage aesthetic. A domed sapphire crystal protects the dial while adding visual depth to the overall design. Together, these elements create a timepiece that functions as wearable art rather than merely a timekeeping instrument.

Despite its ornate appearance, the Miss America incorporates modern functionality. The reliable 5Y20 quartz movement ensures accurate timekeeping, while 30-meter water resistance makes the watch suitable for everyday wear. The distinctive tonneau case shape, a hallmark of Art Deco design, features an anti-reflective curved sapphire crystal that enhances legibility.

Production of the Miss America is limited to 600 pieces worldwide, with each watch individually numbered. Available at $1,950, this collector’s piece launched in late March 2025, offering enthusiasts immediate access to this celebration of Bulova’s design heritage.

The Art Deco Pocket Watch: Mechanical Mastery

While wristwatches dominate contemporary timekeeping, the pocket watch represents an essential chapter in horological history. Bulova’s 150 Art Deco Pocket Watch pays homage to this tradition, drawing inspiration from the company’s iconic 1920s designs when pocket watches represented the pinnacle of portable timekeeping technology.

The substantial 45.5mm case provides an impressive canvas for showcasing Bulova’s mechanical expertise. Coin-edge texturing adorns the silver-tone stainless steel case, complemented by a textured bow that connects to a 15.8-inch custom link chain. This chain features a specially designed lobster claw and spring ring closure system that balances security with period-appropriate aesthetics.

Technical excellence defines this commemorative piece. A self-winding Swiss mechanical movement featuring 21 jewels powers the timepiece, offering an impressive 62-hour power reserve. This sophisticated mechanism represents a significant achievement in mechanical watchmaking, providing extended autonomy between windings.

The sterling silver dial showcases intricate central engravings that pay tribute to early Bulova craftsmen. Bold numerals set against a brushed hour ring create excellent legibility, while elegant blued minute and hour hands provide striking contrast against the silver background. These design elements recreate the sophisticated aesthetic of the Art Deco period while maintaining practical functionality.

Limited to just 350 pieces worldwide and priced at $2,950, the pocket watch became available in early April 2025. This exceptional timepiece connects Bulova’s mechanical watchmaking heritage with contemporary craftsmanship, offering collectors a rare opportunity to own a piece of horological history.

Cultural Legacy and Heritage Preserved

The Limited-Edition 150 Art Deco Collection transcends mere corporate celebration, acknowledging Bulova’s profound influence on American watch design during a transformative cultural period. Jeffrey Cohen, President of Citizen Watch America, captures this significance perfectly: “The Art Deco era was a defining moment for Bulova, marked by cutting-edge technology, bold design, and pioneering marketing strategies. With these limited-edition timepieces, we are reimagining that legacy for the modern era, honoring our past while continuing to push the boundaries of craftsmanship and innovation in our 150th year.”

By selecting Art Deco as the focal point for this anniversary, Bulova highlights an era when its design language achieved peak distinctiveness. Founded by Joseph Bulova in 1875, the company has consistently pioneered innovations that transformed watchmaking while maintaining its position at the forefront of design and technology.

The thoughtful presentation enhances each timepiece’s significance. Luxurious custom cases contain the watches alongside detailed storybooks providing historical context about Bulova’s Art Deco heritage. This approach transforms the watches from products into cultural artifacts with rich narratives.

Limited production numbers (600 Miss America watches and 350 pocket watches) ensure exclusivity and collectible status. For enthusiasts, these pieces represent an opportunity to own functional art objects embodying 150 years of continuous innovation. They serve as wearable connections to an influential design movement that shaped American aesthetic sensibilities during a pivotal historical period.

The collection demonstrates how historical designs can successfully adapt to contemporary expectations while connecting generations of watch enthusiasts through timeless design principles. Through these meticulously crafted timepieces, Bulova affirms Art Deco’s lasting influence and ensures this distinctive aesthetic approach will continue inspiring future generations of watchmakers and collectors alike.

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This 1970s House Gets a Sustainable Cork Makeover And It’s Disrupting London Architecture

In the quiet streets of Tottenham, London, a modest 1970s clergy house has been reimagined as an environmentally conscious family home, cloaked in the textured warmth of cork. Known as Nina’s House, the transformation was led by design studio Nina+Co in partnership with ROAR Architects, demonstrating how regenerative materials and thoughtful design can be used to turn a passive facade into an engaging and high-performing community landmark.

At the heart of this “deep retrofit” is cork, a material considered as poetic in its physical presence as it is powerful in its technical performance. Once cold and uninspiring, the building has been made to radiate warmth, curiosity, and intention, as it has been covered entirely in expanded cork panels. Dark, mottled, and tactile, this natural cladding is made to invite the hands of schoolchildren, the questions of neighbors, and the admiration of passersby.

Designer: Nina+Co and ROAR Architects

The use of cork in architecture represents a shift toward biomaterials that are both high-performing and sensorially engaging. As a material, cork combines sustainability with durability, offering a renewable alternative to synthetics while delivering superior insulation. It reduces the building’s embodied carbon and enhances its energy efficiency, making it a strategic material choice for climate-resilient design.

Cork, which is harvested from the bark of cork oak trees, is known as a renewable and biodegradable material with strong insulation properties. In Nina’s House, expanded cork was chosen for its regenerative farming practices, zero synthetic binders, and minimal build-up requirements; no plastic membranes or toxic adhesives were included. Its low-impact manufacturing process uses only heat to expand the cork, further emphasizing its role in environmentally responsible construction.

According to Nina Woodcroft, founder of Nina+Co, cork stands out as a natural material that is not only effective but also appeals to the senses. She emphasized her fascination with cork’s scent, feel, and sustainable story, noting that this project used cork for both function and visual impact. The house, she explained, was intentionally wrapped in a breathable and insulating material to offer both environmental performance and gentle street presence.

Cork’s application at Nina’s House challenges the misconception that natural materials are limited to rustic or niche aesthetics. Instead, it demonstrates how cork can serve as a contemporary architectural finish, one that ages gracefully and contributes to long-term resilience.

Rather than extend the home, the existing footprint was maximized. The ground floor layout was opened up, and the small garage and porch were brought into the thermal envelope, so that a sense of flow and cohesion was created. Budget was directed toward infrastructure: the gas supply was removed, underfloor heating and an air-source heat pump were installed, airtightness was improved, and all glazing was replaced with high-performance alternatives, including suspended film technology and triple glazing.

Expanded cork was made to play a starring role both outside and in. On the facade, it is used as an insulating skin; inside, cork can also be seen in flooring, while walls have been finished with lime-based plaster containing cork granules. In areas where external insulation was not possible, these lime plasters were applied to provide an internal thermal buffer. The decision to leave some internal surfaces raw and sealed with a non-toxic glaze was made both for stylistic and economical reasons, so that practicality could be blended with beauty.

Cork’s versatility enables it to be used beyond cladding. Its acoustic properties make it ideal for interior finishes, especially in homes that aim to be peaceful and meditative. It also helps regulate humidity and temperature indoors, supporting healthier living environments.

Throughout the house, reclaimed and local materials have been used to reflect a low-waste, high-value design ethos. Pine floorboards that were removed for structural work were reworked into ceiling cladding. A statement kitchen island, designed by Woodcroft, was crafted by local artisans from a London Plane tree that had been felled in Soho Square, an urban tree that was given new life by the organization Fallen & Felled. The kitchen also features recycled plastic countertops, by which the home’s dedication to circularity is echoed.

All joinery was made ultra-locally using British Douglas Fir tri-ply board, thereby showing how sustainable design can be used to support local economies while reducing carbon impact.

The cork cladding is expected to last between 15 to 25 years. When its surface has weathered, lime render will be applied over it, so that its life can be extended while its appearance is subtly altered. This long-term approach reflects a preference for resilience over superficial finishes. Cork’s biodegradability also ensures that it can return safely to the earth at the end of its lifecycle, reinforcing the circular logic behind its use.

In total, Nina’s House measures 112 m² (1,206 ft²), modest in scale but grand in vision. Its open-plan layout has been designed to support a young family’s dynamic lifestyle, with zones for connection and quiet being offered. Movement, gathering, and even dancing are encouraged, so that sustainability can be felt less like a constraint and more like freedom.

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Lunar Harvester plans to tap into the Moon’s Helium-3 Reserves to accelerate Quantum Computing

Nobody expected lunar mining to begin with a robot that looks like a cross between a road trencher and a sandbox toy, but that’s what Interlune and Vermeer have built. Designed to dig up moon dust and extract helium-3, this machine isn’t a sketch on a napkin. It’s a functional prototype being tested on Earth right now, aiming to harvest a gas that could change both energy and computing as we know them.

Helium-3 is rare on Earth but relatively abundant on the moon. That’s thanks to billions of years of solar wind bombarding the lunar surface, which lacks a magnetic field to deflect particles. Interlune’s machine drills down about three meters into the regolith, the loose soil covering the moon, where concentrations of helium-3 are likely highest. It can process up to 100 metric tons of regolith per hour and extract helium-3 using a chemical separation system engineered for lunar conditions.

Designer: Interlune

The payoff is steep. Each kilogram of helium-3 is expected to fetch $20 million. That’s partly because it could fuel advanced nuclear fusion reactors without producing radioactive waste. It also plays a key role in cooling quantum computers to ultra-low temperatures, using dilution refrigeration that only works with helium-3. As the quantum industry grows, the demand for this gas will only rise.

Interlune has already secured two major clients. One is the U.S. Department of Energy. The other is Maybell Quantum, a company that sees helium-3 as critical to scaling quantum computing infrastructure. Maybell’s CEO has said every quantum system they deploy needs to get extremely cold, and helium-3 is the only way to do that reliably.

The company’s plan rolls out in three stages. First comes Crescent Moon, a mission launching later this year to scan the lunar south pole for helium-3-rich regions using hyperspectral imaging. Then Prospect Moon will land a prototype on-site to confirm those deposits and test extraction tech. The final step, Harvest Moon, aims to complete full-scale operations and return the extracted gas to Earth by 2029.

Interlune won’t be shipping rocks back home. Only the refined helium-3 will make the trip, which keeps launch costs in check and makes the business model viable. The concept is elegant in its simplicity, grounded in heavy machinery and actual contracts rather than theoretical promise.

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