Universal Design Studio rides the pop-up wave with Fruit of the Loom

Barber and Osgerby‘s architecture arm has designed two pop-up shops for the launch of Seek No Further, a new label from sportswear manufacturer Fruit of the Loom (+ slideshow).

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
Berlin store. Photograph by Ragnar Schmuck

Universal Design Studio has transformed a small gallery space on Redchurch Street in London and another space in Berlin’s Mitte district.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
Berlin store. Photograph by Ragnar Schmuck

In London, the studio was faced with an unusual long and narrow 21 square metre space. An illusion of double depth was created with a mirrored back wall.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
Berlin store. Photograph by Ragnar Schmuck

A single 6.5-metre-long rail suspended from the ceiling showcases the Seek No Further capsule collection created by Dorothée Loermann, former creative director of womenswear for Parisian fashion label Surface to Air.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
Berlin store. Installation by Sarah Illenberger. Photograph by Ragnar Schmuck

In Berlin, the original 60-square-metre gallery space has been retained as a raw backdrop for a series of geometric shapes and plinths, some coated in soft pink silicone or royal blue flock as well as display blocks of yellow cast glass wax. These objects can be rearranged to transform the space for various events that will take place in the store.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
Berlin store. Photograph by Ragnar Schmuck

“The brief from Dorothée Loermann was to create an effortless and fun environment with a particular focus on a tactile experience,” said Alexey Kostikov, senior designer at Universal Design Studio.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
Berlin store. Photograph by Ragnar Schmuck

“Dorothée challenged us to put together an unconventional material palette using the materials that are not typically associated with retail interiors. We approached a small local mould-making workshop and went through a series of experiments with various materials and techniques. The design development evolved around those experiments.”

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
Berlin store. Photograph by Ragnar Schmuck

Both of the pop up stores will be open for four months.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
London store. Photograph by Michael Bodiam

Here’s some information from the designers:


The Stores – Berlin and London

The capsule collection will be available at the Seek No Further pop-up stores in London and Berlin from March 2014.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
London store. Window installation by Gary Card. Photograph by Michael Bodiam

Universal Design Studio has transformed a gallery space in London’s Shoreditch and Berlin’s Mitte district into two pop-up stores for the launch of Seek No Further. With an emphasis on the process of making and reflecting the brand’s innovative approach to materiality and detail, the stores’ key message is simplicity.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
London store. Photograph by Michael Bodiam

Collaborating with artisans and art technicians, Universal have experimented with unconventional materials like glass wax, flock coating, cast concrete and silicone to create the handcrafted sculptural display pieces. In London, the capsule collection is displayed on a single 6,5m long rail suspended from the ceiling, set against the raw concrete wall.The long and narrow space of the gallery is further emphasised by the mirror-clad back wall, creating an illusion of double-depth.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
London store. Photograph by Michael Bodiam

In Berlin, set within the raw shell of the gallery, solid, bold geometric shapes form a varied landscape. In both stores, an understated monochrome palette is juxtaposed with royal blue flock coating, translucent yellow display blocks of cast glass wax and sculptural objects coated in soft pink silicone.

Seek No Further for Fruit of the Loom by Universal Design Studio
London store. Photograph by Michael Bodiam

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Barber and Osgerby’s Design Museum exhibition “could almost be called the aluminium show”

British designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have curated an exhibition at London’s Design Museum containing a selection of objects paused part-way through the manufacturing process, which they joked reveals their obsession with aluminium.

Marbled glass cylinder at BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Marble still attached to its coloured glass cylinder at the In The Making exhibition

The 24 objects on show at Barber and Osgerby‘s In The Making exhibition have all been paused at a different stage of completion, chosen to demonstrate the way it’s made or to show it when its most visually interesting. “Some of the items are more beautiful and sculptural than the finished pieces,” said Barber during a tour of the exhibition.

Thonet chair back and legs at BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Bent-wood back and legs of a Thonet chair at the In The Making exhibition

At the entrance to the exhibition sits an aluminium section that would form the front of a London Underground train. The chunk of metal is instantly recognisable as belonging to a tube carriage even taken out of context.

Cork stoppers at BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Cork stoppers as they are extracted from bark at the In The Making exhibition

Seeing the train front in isolation also allows visitors to gauge the scale of the piece and the qualities of the material, which is true of all the objects on display.

Clay brick block at BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Staffordshire Blue Brick before it is cut into sections at the In The Making exhibition

Other aluminium items include the flat perforated outer skin of the duo’s Olympic Torch before it has been joined into its 3D form, a drinks can without its top and the case of an Apple MacBook Pro.

Clay brick block at BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Staffordshire Blue Brick before it is cut into sections at the In The Making exhibition

“This could have be called the aluminium show,” said Osgerby. “There are a number of aluminium pieces in this exhibition, which I think demonstrates the importance of the material – not least in its recyclability but also its malleability.”

Optic lens Swarovski glass at BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Partially finished optic lens at the In The Making exhibition

Arranged along two black corridors, the objects are presented under spotlights like sculpture or jewellery. “Each object has been lit in this way to really try to animate the design and give it an importance,” said Osgerby.

Objects at BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Objects paused part-way through their manufacture at the In The Making exhibition

Some of the manufacturing techniques are easily recognisable in the objects, such as the creation of pencils, while other more abstract forms are harder difficult to guess, like the conical top of a silicon cylinder used to create semi-conductive chips for electronics.

Tube train front at BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Aluminium front of a London Underground train at the entrance to the In The Making exhibition

A sheet of leftover lurid yellow felt with cut out strips used for tennis balls and the splayed upper of a Nike GS Football Boot were chosen for their graphic shapes.

French horn for BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
French horn in the making. Photograph by György Kőrössy

“We were quite struck by the amazing graphic quality, which is something we’ve really paid attention to in our work,” said Barber.

Cricket bat willow cleft for BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Cricket bat in the making. Photograph by György Kőrössy

Aside from the torch, Barber and Osgerby have also included their designs for a £2 coin to mark the 150th anniversary of the London Underground and the injection-moulded Tip Ton chair for design brand Vitra.

Derwent pencils 9 ply-block for BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Derwent pencils in the making. Photograph by György Kőrössy

Positioned at the ends of the displays are two larger items: a sofa by furniture brand B&B Italia that has been formed into shape with foam but not yet upholstered and a long cuboid of clay that would be sliced up into bricks.

Coca-Cola aluminium drinks can for BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Coca-Cola aluminium drinks can in the making. Photograph by György Kőrössy

Three screens are installed to show the manufacture of the items and visitors can take pamphlets containing more information about each object as they exit the exhibition space. These booklets were designed by London studio Build, which created all the graphics for the show.

Optic lens Swarovski glass for BarberOsgerby In The Making exhibition at London Design Museum
Optic lens in the making. Photograph by György Kőrössy

In The Making runs until 4 May at the Design Museum in London. Photography is by Mirren Rosie, courtesy of the Design Museum, unless otherwise stated.

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Kano computer kit by MAP

Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby‘s creative consultancy MAP has designed a build-your-own computer kit (+ slideshow).

Kano computer kit by MAP

London studio MAP worked with computer company Kano to create parts for the machine, designed as kit for learning about how computers work.

The kit runs on the Raspberry Pi platform – a customisable single-board computer that allows the user to add components.

Kano computer kit by MAP

MAP created a transparent case for the Raspberry Pi board, comprising two C-shaped transparent shells that clip together to secure the cable connections but leave the top open for the user to experiment with adding additional parts.

“We knew that it was important to protect the Raspberry Pi board and we were frustrated to see that most of the cases on the market actually seal the board in a box,” said MAP director Jon Marshall. “Our two-part bumper case provides protection while encouraging Kano users to experiment and make.”

Kano computer kit by MAP

A clear cover can be added over the board to protect the components or a speaker and small amplifier powered directly from the Raspberry Pi can be clipped on the top.

The kit comes as a case full of colourful parts with an instruction manual containing assembly details.

Kano computer kit by MAP

It includes a wireless keyboard, the Raspberry Pi with its customisable case, a speaker module, packaging and accessories. These elements can be used with a generic computer screen or monitor.

The parts are packaged in a bright orange box, designed to fit through a standard letterbox for easier delivery and be used to store the kit when not in use. The inner box is printed to show how the coloured wires connect to the Raspberry Pi board.

Kano computer kit by MAP

“We wanted to create the first computer that anyone can make – simple, fun, and powerful,” said Kano co-founder and head of product Alex Klein.

A Kickstarter campaign to crowd fund the project launches today.

Keep reading for more text from MAP:


Creative consultancy MAP and computer company Kano have together created a hands-on computer kit that you can make yourself. Using the well-known Raspberry Pi as its platform, users can learn and have fun while making it.

Kano computer kit by MAP

The prototype is now complete and a Kickstarter campaign will launch on 19 November. The kit costs $99 or £69. You can buy one for yourself or sponsor kits for a student, school, or institution through Kano’s not-for-profit programme, Kano Academy.

MAP worked with Kano on designing the kit and all of the components as a complete experience. MAP’s design team set out to make the Kano kit as friendly and as fun to use as Lego. The kit includes a new wireless keyboard, Raspberry Pi and a new type of customisable case, a unique speaker module, packaging and accessories.

Kano computer kit by MAP

MAP designed the Kano kit to guide users quickly and intuitively through the set-up. The packaging was designed to be kept and used as storage for the kit and its components, rather than being thrown away. A colourful outer sleeve keeps the kit protected, with the overall size optimised to fit through most letterboxes (reducing costs and making delivery easy). The inner box has a printed diagram of the cable connections to ensure a fast and easy-to-follow set-up. The components are clearly laid out to ease understanding. Reminiscent of a traditional board game, the robust inner tray keeps the components organised when you have finished playing and pack them away.

Kano computer kit by MAP

MAP designed a protective plastic case for the Raspberry Pi computer board that consists of two C-shaped bumpers in clear plastic. These snap around the board making it easy to handle and stabilising the cable connections while leaving both the top and bottom open for experimentation. There are additional clip-in covers that can be added when you want to enclose the Pi, or connect more components. For a first “making” project based on the basic kit, MAP have developed a special cover with a speaker and small amplifier that is powered directly from the Raspberry Pi.

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“We designed a sofa that we would want in our own home”

In this movie filmed at Clerkenwell Design Week last month, BarberOsgerby’s Jay Osgerby tells Dezeen that he wanted to design comfortable, understated sofas rather than statement pieces for their new collection for American furniture brand Knoll.

"We designed a sofa that we would want in our own home"

“The way that we started the project was to think about what we would really, really want in our home,” says Osgerby, one half of London studio BarberOsgerby, who was recently awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for the design of the London 2012 Olympic Torch.

"We designed a sofa that we would want in our own home"

“You don’t want to live with something that is a huge statement. So we decided that we should try to make something that was super comfortable, something that sat back,” he continues.

"We designed a sofa that we would want in our own home"

The furniture collection includes a range of different sizes, from an armchair to a three-seater sofa, which feature prominent cast aluminium legs that can be finished in red, white or black paint.

"We designed a sofa that we would want in our own home"

“We looked at developing a series of cushions as individual objects that seem to be held together by a detail,” says Osgerby. “The foot detail is like a clip holding the pieces together. Because the sofa is really understated – it’s quite quiet – we felt [the foot detail] should be something recognisably BarberOsgerby.”

"We designed a sofa that we would want in our own home"

See all our stories from Clerkenwell Design Week 2013 »
Watch our interview with BarberOsgerby about the Olympic Torch »

The music featured in this movie is a track called Octave by Junior Size, released by French record label Atelier du Sample . You can listen to more Junior Size tracks on Dezeen Music Project.

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Thomas Heatherwick and BarberOsgerby awarded in Queen’s Birthday Honours

Thomas Heatherwick

News: British designer Thomas Heatherwick has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) on the Queen’s 2013 Birthday Honours list for services to the design industry.

London 2012 Olympic Cauldron by Thomas Heatherwick

Heatherwick launched his studio in 1994 and has since worked on several high-profile projects, from the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 to the cauldron for the London 2012 Olympic Games and the redesign of London’s iconic routemaster bus.

Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby

Designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby both received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to design, following their celebrated design for the London 2012 Olympic Torch.

London 2012 Olympic Torch by BarberOsgerby

The Queen’s Birthday Honours are announced in June each year to recognise the achievements of UK citizens. They follow the New Year Honours, announced at the start of each year, which most recently recognised industrial designer Kenneth Grange with a knighthood.

See more stories about Thomas Heatherwick »
See more stories about BarberOsgerby »

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Sofa Collection by Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby for Knoll

Milan 2013: London designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have unveiled a collection of sofas for American furniture brand Knoll at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan.

Knoll Sofa Collection by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby

Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, the duo behind the London 2012 Olympic torch, have designed a series of furniture with cast aluminium legs that can be finished in red, white or black paint.

Knoll Sofa Collection by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby

The range includes two and three seat sofas, an armchair and ottomans, available in a selection of fabrics including leather, as well as side tables and a stool. They are on display at Knoll’s stand C01-D02, Pavilion 20 at the Milan Fairgrounds in Rho, and in the brand’s showroom located at Piazza Bertarelli 2.

Knoll Sofa Collection by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby

The sofas feature in our round up of the best products at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile.

Knoll Sofa Collection by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby

Knoll is also presenting a collection of rotating, sliding and motorised furniture by architect Rem Koolhaas at the Prada exhibition space in Milan – see all our coverage of Milan 2013 here and our map of events taking place across the city here.

As BarberOsgerby, the designers have previously designed limited edition stripy tables for Established & Sons and a tilting chair for Vitra.

See all our stories about design by BarberOsgerby »
See all our stories about sofa design »
See all our stories about Milan 2013 »

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London Underground 150th anniversary coin by BarberOsgerby

London Underground 150th anniversary coin by BarberOsgerby

A Tube train will appear on the back of Britain’s £2 coins next year, designed by British studio BarberOsgerby for the Royal Mint to celebrate the 150th anniversary of London Underground.

London Underground 150th anniversary coin by BarberOsgerby

Above: a sketch for the final design of the coin by BarberOsgerby

The coin by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby depicts a Tube train emerging from a tunnel and has a patterned edge inspired by the dotted lines on the Tube map.

London Underground 150th anniversary coin by BarberOsgerby

Above: a sketch for the coin’s edge by BarberOsgerby

The designers, who received international acclaim with their “cheese grater” design for the Olympic Torch this year, said the £2 coin was the “perfect choice” to commemorate the Tube. “Its form is naturally reminiscent of the Roundel that is the universal logo of the London Underground,” they explained.

London Underground 150th anniversary coin by BarberOsgerby

Above: a sketch for the coin by BarberOsgerby

The designers chose to depict the 1967 Victoria line train due to its aesthetic simplicity and easily recognisable outline.

London Underground 150th anniversary coin by BarberOsgerby

Above: a sketch for the coin by BarberOsgerby

Another commemorative £2 coin has also been created for the Royal Mint by British designer and engraver Edwina Ellis, depicting the roundel logo with an edge inscription that reads “mind the gap”, as Tube passengers are regularly reminded.

London Underground 150th anniversary coin by BarberOsgerby

Above: a sketch for the coin by BarberOsgerby

We’ve published lots of BarberOsgerby projects on Dezeen, including the award-winning Olympic Torch design, which they talked about in a movie filmed by Dezeen, and a tilting chair for design brand Vitra – see all our stories about BarberOsgerby.

We’ve also published a circuit board radio based on the Tube map and a revamped Tube map designed to be more geographically accurate.

Here’s some more information from the Royal Mint:


The Royal Mint celebrates the 150th anniversary of the London Underground with two £2 coins

2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the London Underground and to celebrate, The Royal Mint has struck two £2 coins designed by internationally acclaimed designers.

Each of the new £2 coin designs encapsulates elements of the architecture, poster art, logo and map of the London Underground to create two impressive coins in honour of the world’s first underground railway. These UK coins will be highly desirable to millions of London tourists, Londoners who travel the Underground every day as well as design and transport fans and UK £2 coin collectors. They will also appear in circulation in 2013 so people will be able to collect them from their change in the New Year.

The ‘train’ coin, designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby who designed the world-famous London 2012 Olympic Torch, depicts the front of the familiar Tube train emerging from a tunnel and carries an unusual patterned edge inspired by Harry Beck’s iconic Tube map.

Commenting on their design, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby said, “We are honoured to be part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the London Underground. As well as being the oldest underground railway in the world, as an organisation it has been highly progressive, commissioning pioneering engineering, architecture and art.

The £2 coin was the perfect choice; its form is naturally reminiscent of the Roundel that is the universal logo of the London Underground.”

The coin depicts an approaching train with the outer ring of the coin used graphically to suggest the tunnel wall. The rails traverse the outer ring, contradicting conventions of a concentric frame, while a line references the ‘exergue’ in classical coins.

When considering symbolic representations of the London Underground, the designers found that an image of the front of a train appearing from the darkness of a tunnel represents what many people consider to be the ‘face’ of the London Underground.

The train referenced in the artwork is the 1967 Victoria line train, chosen for two reasons: the designers’ affinity to the aesthetic simplicity it represents; and the wide recognition of this train due to the iconic status it has gained over the years.

A subtle graphic detail inset around the coin edge represents the London Underground line with a number of stations, the last of which conceals the initials ‘B’ and ‘O’ as the Barber Osgerby signature.

The Tube emerging from the tunnel symbolically celebrates the Underground’s transition between the past and the future.

The ‘roundel’ coin, which has been created by British designer Edwina Ellis, whose graphic work includes the design of the Bridge series of four UK £1 coins, bears the London Underground roundel logo which first appeared on Underground station platforms in 1908 – in 1916 Edward Johnson added the official Underground typeface to the bar. The coin features an edge inscription heralding the famous advice: MIND THE GAP.

Speaking about her coin design, Edwina Ellis said, “I shuffled various elements from a treasure trove of graphics, imagery and engineering that forms one of the oldest extant corporate identities. Edward Johnson’s 1916 lettering and his 1920 bulls-eye logo still represent the Underground.”

The obverse of both UK £2 coins features the current portrait of Her Majesty The Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley FRBS.

The 150th Anniversary of the London Underground 2013 UK £2 Two-Coin Set, struck to Brilliant Uncirculated quality, is displayed in a beautiful presentation folder that includes a large fold-out full-colour poster specially designed with ‘Tales from the Tube’, facts from each of the London Underground lines; maps and corresponding UK coinage that shows its evolution over the last 150 years.

The 150th Anniversary of the London Underground 2013 UK Brilliant Uncirculated £2 Two-Coin Set, precious metal versions and the 14-Coin Collection are available from The Royal Mint’s website www.royalmint.com.

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Bench Years by Established & Sons at the V&A museum

London Design Festival: Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Jasper Morrison and AL_A are among the designers who have created benches with British design brand Established & Sons for the central courtyard of the V&A museum (+slideshow).

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

Each of the one-off benches is made from a different material and produced in collaboration with a company specialising in that material. After being on display for the festival they’ll be auctioned off and the money fed back to fund next year’s London Design Festival commissions.

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, the designers of the Olympic torch, made a marble bench with holes bored through (above) in collaboration with Italian studio Tor Art. They were inspired by shrapnel marks left in the V&A museum’s western facade after the Second World War. “It’s something that always fascinated me and Ed on the way from South Kensington tube up to the Royal College when we were students, and so when this project came up we thought it was a nice way to reference that,” explained Jay Osgerby at the opening.

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

AL_A, the architecture practice led by Amanda Levete, worked with Barcelona ceramics company Ceramica Cumella to come up with a bench (above) made of overlapping tiles, glazed with colours inspired by the museum’s ceramics collections. AL_A is also designing a new subterranean gallery for the museum.

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

British designer Alexander Taylor made a bench from mirror-polished stainless steel cylinders (above) with steel specialists Caparo. He explained that making perfect cylinders in steel is tricky because “the material is extruded with an oval profile so it has to be cut and put back together again.”

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

Italian designer Martino Gamper built a wooden bench (above) from slanted planks of thermally modified hardwood, treated to improve its stability and resistance to decay. The angled stripes of red oak, maple, ash, yellow birch and tulipwood provided by the American Hardwood Export Council create an “optical illusion” and “somehow give the impression of animation” said Gamper, adding that the modular system can be extended to any length.

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

British designer Jasper Morrison collaborated with concrete specialists lowinfo to create a concrete bench (above) with narrow runnels along the seat that allow rain water to drain away despite the seat being curved for comfort, while German designer Konstantin Grcic worked with Italian company Bisazza on a glass mosaic bench (below).

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

Portugese designer Fernando Brizio created a cork bench in the shape of a pig’s foot (below) with Amorim Cork.

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

British designer Felix de Pass produced a cream-coloured sheet-steel bench (below) with perforations that help water drain away and disperse heat from the sun. It’s an adaptation of his bench that’s already in production with Established & Sons.

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

Sam Hecht and Kim Colin from Industrial Facility worked with Corian, a material often used for kitchen worktops, to create two benches (below) that mimic the marble plinths found inside the museum.

The Bench Years by Established and Sons

Sadly the final bench in the collection, created by Italian designer Luca Nichetto and glass manufacturer Nardo Vetro, was broken in transit.

Other installations at the V&A during the London Design Festival include Keiichi Matsuda’s data visualisation and chairs by Nendo scattered around the museum.

See all stories about the V&A »
See all stories about London Design Festival »
See all stories about benches »

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Dezeen Olympics: most popular Olympic designs

Dezeen Olympics - Olympic Torch by BarberOsgerby

The London 2012 Olympics are well underway and every day this week we’ll award medals to design and architecture created for the games, starting with the three most popular stories. The Olympic Torch by BarberOsgerby takes the gold, with over 40,000 pageviews. Watch BarberOsgerby talk about their design in our movie interview here.

2012 London Olympic Stadium by Populous

The silver medal goes to the Olympic Stadium (above) with over 38,000 pageviews. You can explore all the buildings in the Olympic Park in our interactive aerial photo here.

Coming in third with a bronze medal is a motorway floating on the River Thames (above) to ease congestion in the city, cunningly unveiled on 1 April with almost 30,000 pageviews.

That’s it for today – we’ll be back tomorrow with another round of medallists!

Meanwhile see all our coverage of London 2012 Olympic design here.

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Critics’ reactions to “cheese grater” Olympic torch winning Design of the Year


Dezeen Wire:
design journalists are divided by the announcement that the Olympic Torch by British designers BarberOsgerby has won the overall prize at the Design of the Year awards, presented by the Design Museum in London.

Edwin Heathcote, design critic at The Financial Times is a fan of the torch, claiming: “The design impressively melds functional and symbolic roles.” Heathcote also worries that the credibility of the overall selections are debatable, adding, “There is, perhaps, a sense that these awards reward the obvious.”

The Telegraph has previously compared the torch to a “cheese grater or an ice cream cone” and a commentor on their announcement of the winner added: “Wouldn’t it be far more symbolic of the modern Olympic spirit if the Torch were made in the shape of a huge syringe?”

Angus Montgomery, editor of Design Week, feels there were more worthy candidates on the shortlist and suggests that the selectors have gone for the “most impactful, rather than necessarily the best design of the year.”

Fashion journalists were disappointed to see the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen miss out to an origami-inspired collection by Issey Miyake.

You can see our previous story about the torch here and our round up of all the category winners here.