Buster + Punch’s Eye-Catching Solid Metal Architectural Accents

A commitment to form, function and material from the London-based design studio

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Design

Buster + Punch’s Eye-Catching Solid Metal Architectural Accents

A commitment to form, function and material from the London-based design studio

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Courtesy of Buster + Punch

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How often do our fingers reach for a handle or swipe at a light switch without consideration for the design or materiality of the hardware we soft often touch? And yet, these details—generally small, and often less attention grabbing that other design elements—have the potential to make all the difference in each room of a home. This is evidenced by the impact of the work of London-based design studio Buster + Punch, who approach every dimmer, toggle, cabinet pull and pendant lamp with a sculptural artistry and care for functionality.

Courtesy of Buster + Punch

Buster + Punch excels at transforming these commonplace components into spectacular points of design. This underpins the mission of the brand’s founder, architect and industrial designer Massimo Buster Minale. “We used to say that we wanted to simply ‘end ordinary,’” he tells COOL HUNTING. “By that we mean take items that we interact with multiple times throughout the day and instill them with something more dramatic—a moment that stops you in your tracks and makes you appreciate your interiors more on a functional but also physical level because we’re still very much sensory beings.”

Courtesy of Buster + Punch

Minale’s vision has expanded since the brand’s debut in 2013. Now, the Buster + Punch ethos pairs their early mantra “with the desire to create a destination, a brand that you can turn to and select detailing, lighting, accessories and furniture that elevate your interiors with a seamless finesse. In a few minutes on our site, you can curate the pieces that will elevate and transform your spaces the instant you unbox and fit them.” This encompasses an array of lighting options, as well as sleek cabinet hardware, switches and outlet covers, and door knobs, handles and double-sided pulls. Their pieces are also applicable to every room in a house.

Courtesy of Buster + Punch

There are two immediate points of differentiation between Buster + Punch and others in this hardware space: geometries and materials. “I’m an architect by trade, and that’s an industry based heavily on ergonomic standards proven to be optimal for our bodies and movements,” Minale explains of their unique shapes. “Buster + Punch collections use a range of precise engineering techniques to refine the solid metal our pieces are made from and enhance function while adding form.”

Courtesy of Buster + Punch

“Two of our main ‘looks’ feature a knurling wherein the format of the pieces within the collection are driven by the techniques,” he adds. “A cross knurl needs a wider gauge on a door handle or furniture knob to give the necessary purchase to use it effortlessly. Another of our looks, Linear, has a linear knurling, which offers more grip and lets us slim down the profile elegantly without compromising the function.” 

Courtesy of Buster + Punch

As for the use of premium materials only, Minale says, “We love solid metal as a brand. It’s something I carried through from when I was making custom motorbikes [in addition to his work at Foster & Partners]. When you make something in solid metal it’s imbued with a weight and presence that you don’t get with other materials.” Buster + Punch employs high-grade stainless steel, brass, aluminum and a smoked bronze. “Sometimes we’re using the best metal for a specific application,” he adds, “other times we’ll force the metal into forms and shapes it’s more reluctant to conform to—but that’s part of the fun.” 

Courtesy of Buster + Punch

Minale cannot emphasize enough that Buster + Punch is a not a “do not sit” brand. The best way to understand the gravity and finesse of their products is to find one of their stockists and feel the pieces for yourself. “It’s then you’ll understand why we’ve devoted ourselves to solid metal architectural detailing and design fittings for a decade,” he says. “Details are everything in an interior full stop.” Not only do we agree with his assessment, we believe that the brand and their ware live up to these words.

Contemporary furniture meets beaux-arts interiors at Brussels gallery Objects with Narratives

Grand Sablon 40 gallery by Objects with Narratives in Brussels

Collectible design gallery Objects with Narratives has opened its first permanent brick-and-mortar outpost inside a historic 1920s fur atelier in Brussels.

The gallery occupies 2,000 square metres over three floors of a landmark beaux-arts building on the Place du Grand Sablon, originally constructed as the sales room and workshop of Belgian furrier Raymond Mallien.

Blue chaise longe and metal side table by Lukas Cober
Objects with Narratives has opened a gallery in a 1920s fur atelier

Over the following century, Grand Sablon 40 went on to house a museum and the auction house of Yves Saint Laurent co-founder Pierre Bergé before Objects with Narratives (OWN) took over the building.

“When we figured out that the space was available, we couldn’t say no,” said Nik Vandewyngaerde, who founded OWN with his brother Robbe and longtime friend Oskar Eryatmaz.

Seating and tables inside Grand Sablon 40 gallery by Objects with Narratives in Brussels
Pieces on show include a pillow-shaped coffee table by Ben Storms

Most of the ground level still features the original beaux-art interiors of Mallien’s fur boutique from 1921. The former shop floor with its gilded mouldings, wall frescoes and giant chandeliers now serves as the gallery’s front room.

Next door, a wood-panelled boardroom houses OWN’s library of material samples and catalogues and is used for meetings with clients and designers.

Grand Sablon 40 gallery by Objects with Narratives in Brussels
Mircea Anghel’s copper sideboard (right) was shaped with dynamite

“The light bulbs have been changed but all the rest is original,” Vandewyngaerde said of the interior.

In the back and on the upper two storeys, OWN worked with the existing whitewashed industrial spaces that once housed Mallien’s workshops.

Offering a dramatic contrast with the gilded splendour of the boutique, these now house a classic “white cube” gallery space, an open floor for exhibitions and a showroom styled to evoke a modern residence.

Translucent resin console table by Laurids Gallée
Laurids Gallée’s resin console picks up the colours of a nearby fresco

For the front room, OWN selected freestanding furniture that would leave the protected interior untouched and have the visual gravitas necessary to not be dwarfed by its surroundings.

“The room itself is so powerful, so it needs pieces that are very, very strong,” Robbe Vandewyngaerde told Dezeen. “If you just put a nice vase there, it’s going to be lost.”

Mirroring black-and-white photos of the original interior, OWN arranged the furniture into loose seating areas with standout pieces including a marble coffee table shaped like a giant pillow by designer Ben Storms and Mircea Anghel‘s Lose Control sideboard, formed by exploding dynamite in a copper frame.

To complement the blue skies painted across the room’s frescoes and ceiling vaults, OWN introduced a translucent resin console table by designer Laurids Gallée and the flowing fibreglass Wave chaise by former surfboard maker Lukas Cober.

The furrier’s boardroom has largely maintained its former layout and is now centred on a circular charred-timber table surrounded by sculptural seating by designers Lisa Ertel and Alun Heslop.

The other gallery spaces will host a rotating roster of exhibitions and events with a particular focus on championing homegrown design talent.

Grand Sablon 40 gallery by Objects with Narratives in Brussels
The meeting room features seating by Alun Heslop (left) and Lisa Ertel (right)

For the gallery’s opening, which coincided with the Collectible design fair at the beginning of March, there were dedicated solo shows by Belgian designers Ben Storms and Lionel Jadot.

“We used to work more with international artists – and we still do,” Nik Vandewyngaerde said.

“But we’ve started to focus more on Belgian artists because we’re now here, to support the local economy. But also because it’s easier in a way to be closer, to give more direction, to visit their studios.”

Burnt timber bench by Lisa Ertel
The wood-panelled room also serves as a library of materials and catalogues

OWN started life in 2022 as a nomadic gallery for collectible design, highlighting work from a small roster of friends and acquaintances of the Vandewyngaerde brothers – both trained architects who cut their teeth at studios Herzog & de Meuron and OMA respectively.

Grand Sablon 40 marks OWN’s first investment in a brick-and-mortar gallery and will offer a more permanent home for its designers outside of fairs like Collectible, PAD or Art Brussels.

“It’s a lot of money but we had a very good last year and we believe in the space,” Robbe Vandewyngaerde said.

Ben Storms solo exhibition at Grand Sablon 40 gallery by Objects with Narratives in Brussels
Solo shows by Ben Storms (above) and Lionel Jadot are housed on the upper floors

Despite only one of the founders being based in Brussels, the trio says the capital of the European Union was an obvious choice for the gallery’s first outpost.

With the rebirth of the industrial area around the Brussels Canal – soon set to house various maker studios and an outpost of the Centre Pompidou inside a former Citroën factory – OWN believes the city is on track to be Europe’s next cultural capital.

“It doesn’t have the allure yet of Paris or London,” Robbe Vandewyngaerde said. “But a lot of artists are coming here to live because they cannot afford Paris, they cannot afford Amsterdam, they cannot afford London.”

Lionel Jadot solo show at Grand Sablon 40 gallery by Objects with Narratives in Brussels
The white cube spaces provide room for more customised displays

“Brussels is still a capital city that has a city feeling but it’s much more accessible,” he added. “It’s going to take five to 10 to 15 years. But I do feel like Brussels is a place that’s going to be competing with London or Paris.”

The city’s Collectible design fair hosted its seventh edition this month, with standout projects including a games room curated by OWN, a daybed upholstered in wet clay and a homeware collection that wears traces of its CNC fabrication as decoration.

This year will also mark the fair’s expansion into the US with the launch of its inaugural New York edition in September.

The photography is by Tijs Vervecken.

The post Contemporary furniture meets beaux-arts interiors at Brussels gallery Objects with Narratives appeared first on Dezeen.

FranklinTill shares nine principles for a shift to regenerative materials

Regenerative exhibition by FranklinTill

Design research agency FranklinTill has compiled a list of principles to help designers, makers and brands avoid greenwashing when sourcing textiles.

By making it easier to identify textiles that have a greater positive impact on people and planet, FranklinTill hopes to enable a shift towards regenerative materials.

“We can only move towards a regenerative approach to textiles by understanding the full lifecycle of our materials,” said co-founder FranklinTill Caroline Till.

“As designers, makers, brands and manufacturers, we need to think of materials not as static and linear, but as dynamic, evolving systems, to holistically consider the full impact to the wider ecosystem they are a part of.”

Regenerative exhibition by FranklinTill
FranklinTill has curated an exhibition setting out its nine principles

The defining characteristic of regenerative materials, according to Till, is that they restore and nourish the ecosystems they are part of.

“Sustainability, by its very definition, is all about maintaining the status quo, while regeneration seeks to actively heal and put back better,” she said.

FranklinTill first unveiled its nine principles of regenerative design in an exhibition at the Heimtextil trade fair in Frankfurt in January, with a second show planned for the Techtextil fair in April.

In an online exclusive, we are also unveiling them here. Read on to see all nine, with captions written by FranklinTill and examples of material innovation in practice:


Agave textile production in Mexico
Designer Fernando Laposse works with local communities in Mexico to process sisal, a fibrous material made from agave leaves, which he turns into hairy furniture

Enriching Communities

“To go beyond sustainability and become regenerative, we must focus on both the social and the environmental impact of production.”

“This means spotlighting how materials are made and by whom, looking to improve livelihoods with better pay, working conditions and future prospects.”


Bulrush plants used for BioPuff material
British manufacturer Ponda produces BioPuff, an insulating fibre filler material, using bulrush plants grown on natural wetlands

Replenishing the Land

“Focused on high yields with an over-reliance on pesticides and water, modern industrial farming damages land.”

“Regenerative farming works holistically to reverse this, rebuilding organic soil matter and sequestering carbon in soil, wetlands and trees, retaining water and reducing the use of artificial pesticides and fertilisers.”


Yak khullu wool is made by nomad families on the Tibetan Plateau
Lifestyle brand Norlha creates apparel and homewares from yak khullu wool, which is handcrafted by nomad families on the Tibetan Plateau

Preserving Heritage

“Many indigenous practices are regenerative by nature, working with the land and local communities.”

“By acknowledging and celebrating the value of cultural heritage and craftsmanship and learning from its ecological wisdom, we can protect valuable skills and knowledge from being lost to technology and globalisation.”


Textiles made from sunflowers
British textile brand Climafibre produces fabrics from sunflowers, a species that can be grown with minimal intervention, fertilisers or watering

Restoring Biodiversity

“Regenerative practices must take a multispecies approach to encouraging biodiversity.”

“Acknowledging the threat of extinction, addressing the causes of loss, and reviving habitats for diverse plants and wildlife aids ecological restoration.”


Charlotte Werth has developed a printing process that uses bacteria to create pigments
Designer Charlotte Werth has developed a fabric printing process that uses bacteria to create pigments

Biological Fabrication

“The convergence of science and design offers huge potential for new materials, from living microbial systems to synthesising nature’s regenerative powers.”

“Growing and extracting next-generation materials using innovative, highly productive processes can create plentiful resources from minimal input.”


Keel Labs produces a textile industry yarn from kelp
US-based Keel Labs produces Kelsun, a seaweed-based yarn, using an abundant polymer found in kelp

Naturally Abundant

“Highly productive, resilient raw materials that grow with little human intervention offer naturally high yields, strengthen soils and capture carbon.”

“These abundant, versatile crops could help move the focus away from traditional natural material fibres that require high levels of water, pesticides or fertilisers.”


Desso carpet tiles by Tarkett use post-consumer waste
Circularity is built into all of the design and manufacturing processes for Tarkett‘s Desso carpet tiles

Reclaiming Material

“Extracting raw materials, making products, then discarding them and their byproducts is contributing to the global waste problem.”

“By putting useful waste streams back into production, we can better utilise existing resources and avoid waste altogether.”


Haelixa creates a distinct DNA code for each supplier, brand, collection or material
Haelixa is bringing transparency to material supply chains by applying distinct DNA codes to raw materials, using a customised spraying system

Radical Transparency

“By using science and technology to create tools and processes that capture and record data along supply chains, we can understand the social and environmental impact of the materials we consume.”

“Encrypting materials helps brands track their footprints and life cycles, and communicate this information to customers in a meaningful, trustworthy and accessible way.”


Sanne Visser works with human hair
Dutch designer Sanne Visser uses traditional rope-making techniques to turn human hair into handspun yarns

Cultivating Localism

“By supporting the local sourcing, production and consumption of materials, we can avoid globalised transportation and reduce carbon footprints.”

“Focusing on availability, seasonality and resourcefulness means embracing non-standardisation, often improving local environments as well as extracting from them.”

The post FranklinTill shares nine principles for a shift to regenerative materials appeared first on Dezeen.

One week left to save 20 per cent on your Dezeen Awards entry

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There’s just one week left to save 20 per cent on entry fees for Dezeen Awards 2024! You still have enough time to enter and pay less.

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Dezeen Awards 2024 in partnership with Bentley

Dezeen Awards is the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe. The seventh 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.

The post One week left to save 20 per cent on your Dezeen Awards entry appeared first on Dezeen.

6″ Pocket Lounge Short in Indigo Sunrise

Nice Laundry’s 6″ Pocket Short is well-proportioned, well-priced, comfortable (one of our editors ran a half-marathon in them) and come in many patterns, some of which are limited edition. The 6″ inseam shorts have pockets, a drawstring, and a Micromodal stretch nylon interior.

Sony Xperia 1 VI phone design might lose what makes it special

It might come as a surprise to some that Sony actually makes smartphones. Actually, it might even come as a bigger surprise that it still makes smartphones at this point in time. Its mobile business has definitely fallen on hard times, forcing the brand to exit some global markets and sell only through online channels in others. Despite all that, Sony still believes that a smartphone has a place in its portfolio, especially as a means to access its treasury of entertainment-related content. That has been the guiding principle behind the design of its premium Xperia 1 smartphone series, but it seems that the product line’s sixth iteration will make some small but significant changes that almost undermine all of that in one fell swoop.

Designer: Sony (via zackbuks on Weibo)

Truth be told, the Sony Xperia 1 design has always been an oddity among its peers even today. It easily stands out from the crowd almost literally because of its extra tall and narrow body, designed to support a 21:9 screen aspect ratio that Sony has been advertising as the perfect format for ultra-wide content. It also distinguished itself with its 4K display resolution when all its competitors continue to play in 2K or even 2.5K figures only.

The latest rumor, however, changes the narrative a bit. According to the source, Sony will be downgrading that 4K resolution to something like 2K+ or QHD+, more in line with other high-end smartphones in recent years. More importantly, it is also making the screen a bit wider and shorter to achieve a more “normal” 19.5:9 aspect ratio, again similar to flagship devices from the likes of Samsung and Apple. It’s by no means going to be significantly smaller, as these leaked images show, but it definitely changes the shape of the phone to be less distinctive.

It sounds perplexing that Sony, which has never really minded smartphone trends and fads, would make such drastic changes, but it might all boil down to price. Sony Xperia phones have been notorious for their higher price tags compared to their peers, so downgrading one of the most expensive and uncommon components could actually do a lot to drive the cost down. Unless, of course, Sony decides to offset those savings by including features and hardware that incur just as much expenses.

That’s not to say that the Xperia 1 VI will be bereft of any notable features. Another selling point of the phone is its use of camera hardware close to Sony’s own Alpha line of mirrorless cameras. That said, its photography prowess has rarely been praised mostly because the phone barely reaches people’s hands, so making the next Xperia flagship more affordable could actually help remedy that situation.

The post Sony Xperia 1 VI phone design might lose what makes it special first appeared on Yanko Design.

Bentley launches Bentayga Mulliner to offer the "ultimate in comfort and space"

Bentayga Mulliner by Bentley

Promotion: Bentley‘s bespoke commissioning division, Mulliner, has unveiled its flagship SUV that aims to combine the performance of a supercar with the comfort of a limousine.

Designed to offer the “ultimate in comfort and space”, the Bentayga Mulliner builds on the brand’s focus on prestige, presence and personalisation.

The car aims to provide high levels of comfort while giving drivers full off-roading capabilities as well as supercar performance from its 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

“The launch of the Bentayga Extended Wheelbase Mulliner defines a new pinnacle for the Bentayga family and indeed the Bentley model range, adding a new level of modern craftsmanship to the already potent combination of supercar performance, go-anywhere ability, driving dynamics and limousine rear cabin of the Bentayga EWB,” said Bentley.

Bentley has unveiled an SUV model that combines supercar performance with “limousine-like” rear cabin comfort

Combined with the car’s driving and handling performance – it can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 180 miles per hour – its extended wheelbase creates more internal cabin space than its luxury competitors.

Within the car, Mulliner has added a range of new design features and bespoke enhancements designed to “make every journey an occasion to be savoured”.

The cabin interior is defined by a streamlined, high-gloss veneer, quilted upholstery, which envelops the seats and doors, and a diamond-milled, aluminium finish across the centre console.

These luxury finishes are complemented with high-tech additions including illuminated 3D treadplates and LED welcome lamps, which project visuals onto the floor.

The interior of the Bentayga Mulliner
The car is equipped with cabin comfort-enhancing features such as airline-style seats that ensure passengers are kept at optimum thermal temperature

The highly customisable interior can be fitted with either four or five seats that each benefit from Bentley’s latest postural technology, which offers 22 ways of adjusting the seats to support the comfort and wellbeing of passengers.

The Bentley Airline Seats were informed directly by the experience of high-end flying. In Relax Mode, they can recline to nearly 40 degrees, while Business Mode moves the seat to an upright position that’s more suitable for working.

In line with the brand’s ethos, the interiors are personalisable with nearly 4,000 colour combinations. Buyers can choose from a selection of eight curated tri-tone colour combinations such as the warm-toned Flare or cool-toned Storm, or specify their own palette using any three colours.

These hues are designed to complement the soft, olive tan leather lines of the car’s cabin. The leather is tanned using organic by-products from the olive oil industry, a technique that requires less water than the conventional tanning process. This keeps the leather free of harmful metals, minerals and aldehydes and seeks to encourage a healthier interior environment for users.

All the interior materials were carefully considered, with the cabin’s thick, deep pile overmats made from a specially selected wool variety, chosen for its cleanliness and purity of colour, while the cabin carpet is made from 100 per cent recycled nylon.

Bentayga Mulliner by Bentley
The car is described by the brand as “the pinnacle of Bentley’s overall model range”

With roots that can be traced back to 1760, before the birth of the motor car, Mulliner has worked with Bentley since 1923 creating everything from special features and finishes to entirely new coachbuilt vehicles.

The Bentayga Mulliner stands alongside the Flying Spur Mulliner, Continental GT Mulliner, and Continental GTC Mulliner – each the flagship of their respective model lineups.

To learn more about the car, visit Bentley’s website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen as part of a partnership with Bentley. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

The post Bentley launches Bentayga Mulliner to offer the “ultimate in comfort and space” appeared first on Dezeen.

Studio Aisslinger transforms historic Berlin art squat into Fotografiska Berlin

Graffiti artwork at Verōnika Restaurant at Fotografiska Berlin

A former department store that became a famous artists’ squat is now home to Fotografiska Berlin, a photography museum featuring interior design by German designer Werner Aisslinger.

Once the second-largest shopping arcade in Berlin, the building is best known as the Kunsthaus Tacheles, home of the Tacheles artist collective, who occupied it from 1990 to 2012.

Fotografiska Berlin exterior
Fotografiska Berlin is located in the former Kunsthaus Tacheles. Photo is by Patricia Parinejad

Aisslinger’s Berlin-based office, Studio Aisslinger, has transformed the former artist spaces into a new location for Fotografiska, which also has venues in New York, Shanghai, Stockholm and Tallinn.

This follows a major renovation overseen by architects Herzog and de Meuron, which included a pyramid-shaped roof extension and the addition of apartments and office spaces.

Fotografiska Berlin interior
The venue combines exhibition galleries with hospitality spaces. Photo is by Patricia Parinejad

As a for-profit organisation, Fotografiska’s model is different from other museums and galleries in that it blends exhibition space with hospitality.

Fotografiska Berlin stays open until 11pm, allowing visitors to combine an exhibition visit with dining or drinks.

The design responds to this with spaces designed in the spirit of a members’ club. There are seven floors, including a restaurant, two bars, a cafe, a bakery, a shop and a ballroom.

Fotografiska Berlin exhibition galleries
Historic graffiti is preserved throughout the interior. Photo is by Nicoló Lanfranchi

“It’s a complex cosmos that reminds one of a large hotel, only with exhibitions rather than overnight stays,” explained Aisslinger.

“A house like this doesn’t live from ticket sales alone. If you wanted that, you would have to calculate with state aid,” he continued.

“But that’s not what’s supposed to happen here. That’s why the many catering and event areas play a very important role.”

Fotografiska Berlin cafebar
A ground-floor cafe and bar features velvet seating booths. Photo is by Patricia Parinejad

Aisslinger said the aim was to create interiors that weave together the building’s different layers of history.

Located on the corner of Oranienburger Strasse and Friedrichstrasse, the building was first inaugurated in 1909 as the Friedrichstrasse Passage.

It was repurposed many times over the following decades – during the Nazi regime the building served as the headquarters for the party’s German Labour Front and its SS corps – and was due to be torn down before the Tacheles group moved in.

As the Kunsthaus Tacheles, the building became a symbol of the post-reunification era, filled with large-scale graffiti works that are now protected by preservation orders.

Fotografiska Berlin shop
The department store’s original floor tiles are retained in the museum shop. Photo is by Patricia Parinejad

“We tried to let the historic substance shine through a new use,” said Aisslinger.

“It was important to give the substance room to breathe. But that doesn’t mean that we frame the old walls and graffiti-like pictures and illuminate them with spotlights. It was more a question of proceeding carefully.”

Fotografiska Berlin graffiti
Studio Aisslinger’s design aims to balance old and new. Photo is by Nicoló Lanfranchi

Many spaces are characterised by a careful balance between raw, industrial materials and more comfortable, luxurious elements, including decorative lamps and heavy, patterned fabrics.

The Verōnika restaurant on the fourth floor is a key example of this.

Verōnika is a restaurant organised around a central bar
Verōnika is a restaurant organised around a central bar. Photo is by Nicoló Lanfranchi

The space incorporates one of the building’s best-known artworks – depicting former German chancellor Angela Merkel with a mohawk hairstyle – in a private dining room featuring solid wood furniture and velvet upholstery.

The ground floor has more of a casual, public feel. The cafe bar has fluted tiles and curving leather and velvet banquettes, while the shop features both original floor tiles and steel and wood shelving systems.

Bar Verōnika
Industrial materials are paired with soft lighting and patterned fabrics. Photo is by Patricia Parinejad

The level of intervention varies throughout, depending on the nature of each space.

A light touch was adopted for the grand double-height ballroom, known as the Golden Hall, which was used as a theatre venue by the Tacheles.

A different approach was required for Bar Clara, which is located under the new pyramid-shaped roof. Offering a panoramic view of the city skyline, it combines mirrored walls with shades of smoky grey, light blue and purple.

Fotografiska Berlin ballroom
The ballroom space was previously used as a theatre. Photo is by Nicoló Lanfranchi

Fotografiska Berlin opened in September, although some of the bar and restaurant spaces came later.

Some critics have questioned whether a private museum is an appropriate use of a building that had become synonymous with Berlin’s underground creative scene after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Aisslinger, whose previous projects in the city include the 25hours Bikini Berlin Hotel, believes the new model brings back the social spirit that came to define the Kunsthaus Tacheles.

Bar Clara at Fotografiska Berlin
Bar Clara is a rooftop space offering panoramic views. Photo is by Nicoló Lanfranchi

“The Tacheles was always an event space as well,” he said. “It was always a bit more. In this respect, one can say that this social aspect already existed in the house and that it is being brought back to life right now.”

“We want to look ahead to the future whilst embracing the past, and to do so in a casual way,” he added. “That is very Berlin.”

Main image is by Nicoló Lanfranchi.

The post Studio Aisslinger transforms historic Berlin art squat into Fotografiska Berlin appeared first on Dezeen.

This Smart Ring Tracks Everything From Your Heartbeat To Sleep And Even Your Immune System

While Samsung’s Galaxy Ring is still months away from an official launch, its announcement is proof that the smart ring is the next frontier of the health wearable space. The problem with smartwatches like the Apple or Galaxy Watch, you see, is that they aren’t for everyone. Not all people wear watches, and for the ones who do, there’s a large subset of people who prefer analog timepieces rather than gadgets with screens and sensors. Rings, on the other hand, have a distinct advantage – they’re smaller, sleeker, lighter, and unlike watches, you can wear multiple, combining your wedding ring or any ring-based jewelry with a health-tracking wearable ring. The smart ring market is at the precipice of expansion, and months from now you’ll see hundreds of brands jumping on the bandwagon… but if you’re looking for one now, the Vera Ring is a compelling pick. Designed to be incredibly sleek, breathtakingly light, and completely waterproof, the Vera Ring does everything a health tracker can do and more. It monitors your heart rate 24/7, tracking your heart health, respiratory health, stress levels, sleep quality, and even combines multiple metrics like body temperature, heart rate variability, and stress levels to tell you how good your overall immunity is.

Designer: Vera Health

Click Here to Buy Now: $249 $349 ($100 off) Hurry! Only 126 units left!

The creators of the Vera Ring make a compelling argument – in the regular world, you’re bombarded with metrics and data everywhere. Businesses thrive on data, programs require data to run, AI systems are entirely beholden to their databases – but there’s hardly any good real-time data-measuring for your body. Unless you’re wearing a smartwatch 24/7, you have no way of being able to get a broad yet focused overview of your health. That’s where a smart ring comes in. The Vera Ring looks and feels exactly like your everyday ring, but sits on your finger and tracks your body metrics all day all week. With a battery that lasts for 7 full days on a charge, the Vera captures a weekly holistic portrait of your health, presenting all that information to you in a way that’s easy to digest. You can see if your heart’s healthy, if you’re running normal body temperature, if you’re sleeping well or sleeping enough, if you’re stressed or relaxed, and even track menstrual cycles. More so, the Vera app also recommends tweaks to your lifestyle to help you improve your health, and catches health issues before they become serious or irreversible.

The beauty of the Vera Ring lies in its design. 2.5mm thick and 7.5mm wide, the Vera is an icon of minimalism, with a metal finish on the outside, and a medical-grade resin inner that holds all the components in place. The tiny ring weighs anywhere from 5.2 grams (0.18 ounces) to 8.5 grams (0.29 ounces) depending on size, and is hermetically sealed, making it completely waterproof so you could wear it everywhere, even in the shower or the pool. The only time you really need to take it off is when it’s low on charge, and the ring comes with its own holder/charger that lets you dock it and charge it in mere minutes.

Slip the ring on and it begins tracking all your vitals, sending complex data to the Vera app where everything is simplified into easy-to-digest bits. The ring has a 6-axis accelerometer, a skin temperature sensor, and multiple PPG sensors that measure blood volume variations to detect heart rate, blood oxygen, and multiple other metrics pertaining to your health while you’re awake or asleep. Data in real-time gets sent to the Vera app, where an intuitive dashboard gives you scores based on different domains like your heart health, sleep health, stress levels, and even your overall immunity, calculated as a culmination of multiple factors. The app lets you monitor your scores over days and weeks, and does so not just for your ring, but for your entire family, allowing you to check up on your elderly parents, see if your kids are getting enough physical activity or sleep, or if you or your partner are feeling stressed. For women, the Vera also helps effectively track menstrual cycles, giving them a holistic snapshot of their body through the week and the month.

What really seals the deal is that the Vera Ring focuses on the essentials, doing the job of a health-tracking watch but without a distracting screen. You aren’t inundated with notifications, or with a constant need to keep looking at how many steps you’ve taken (I’m guilty of wanting to complete my Apple Watch activity ring every single day) – the ring silently and diligently tracks your vitals 24×7, connecting to your smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0 to present you with information only when you access the Vera smartphone app.

The Vera Ring comes in 6 different finishes (3 matte metal and 3 ‘precious’ chrome metal finishes) and multiple sizes to fit a variety of fingers. Each ring is also accompanied by a battery stand that can charge the ring and can even hold enough power to juice your Vera Ring 30 times over. The Vera Ring starts at a discounted $249, ships globally with a 1-year warranty, and backers get a lifetime subscription to all the Vera app’s features.

Click Here to Buy Now: $249 $349 ($100 off) Hurry! Only 126 units left!

The post This Smart Ring Tracks Everything From Your Heartbeat To Sleep And Even Your Immune System first appeared on Yanko Design.

Cedar-Clad Tiny Home Expands With A Slide-Out Section & Supports A Total Off-Grid Lifestyle

Dubbed the Grand Sojourner Layout 3, this neat and quintessential little home was designed by Häuselin with a unique slide-out section that lets the owners enjoy the benefits of a compact model when towing, and a spacious and luxurious model when it is parked. This impressive tiny home maximizes its flexibility with an optional off-grid capability as well. This model is the latest in Häuslein’s Sojourner series, and it is founded on a triple axle-trailer while measuring 30 feet.

Designer: Häuslein

The tiny home is finished in red cedar and black aluminum, imparting it with a classy and minimalist exterior. The tiny home’s slide-out section is optional, but this increases the home’s width from a road-legal of 8 feet to roughly 11 feet. The slide-out section is manually operated and is based on two sets of rails. It can be pushed out by two people, and then locked into place, and does not permit any rain or wind to enter.

The slide-out section may sound minimal, but it does make the living room seem larger and more spacious, much like a normal fully-sized home. The living room can also be configured as an office or bedroom if needed. Next to the living room is the kitchen which accommodates a sink, cabinetry, a drawer dishwasher, fridge, full-size oven, and stove. There is also shelving and a cute breakfast bar that can seat two people. The kitchen is further connected to a bathroom which contains a vanity sink, shower, storage space, and a washer/dryer. There is an option between a traditional flushing toilet, composting toilet, and an incinerating toilet.

The Grand Sojourner Layout houses two bedrooms. The master bedroom can be accessed via a storage-integrated staircase, with a lower floor section that allows residents to stand upright. The bedroom also includes a double bed, storage, and a skylight. It has a ceiling height of 5 feet. The second loft-style bedroom can be reached via a removable ladder, and it can also be used as a storage or multipurpose room if need be. The tiny home is equipped with solar panels and a battery system, as well as a tank/pump setup, allowing it to run off-grid.

The post Cedar-Clad Tiny Home Expands With A Slide-Out Section & Supports A Total Off-Grid Lifestyle first appeared on Yanko Design.