Inserper-able by Rolf Sachs

Inserper-able by Rolf Sachs

Something a bit seasonal: designer Rolf Sachs has fused two sledges together to make a coffee table.

Inserper-able by Rolf Sachs

Called Inserper-able, the design is made of ash by a Swiss sled-maker in an edition of twelve.

Inserper-able by Rolf Sachs

See all our stories about Rolf Sachs »

Inserper-able by Rolf Sachs

Here’s some more information from Sachs:


Inserper-able by Rolf Sachs

‘inseper-able’ 2010

Two classic ‘Davoser’ ash hardwood sleds are fused together like an ‘inseparable’ couple to create a surreal and sculptural coffee table/bench, which takes your memory back to playful days in the snow.

The ‘inseparable’ is produced by the renowned Swiss sled and luge-maker, Graf Schlitten in Sulgen, using the traditional wood bending technique.

Sofa table
Material: Ash wood, felt
H26cm x W160cm x D50cm
Edition of 12


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Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

Here’s some more nautical design from London designers PostlerFerguson (see their buoy-shaped lamps in our earlier story), this time a set of wooden toy ships. 

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

Top: Container Ship
Above: Oil Tanker

Called Wooden Giants, the three toy boats are based on the three largest cargo ships in the world.

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

Above: Liquid Gas Tanker

The toys were shown as part of the London Design Festival show Translations in September.

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

Translations was curated by Oscar Diaz and presented each designer’s latest project alongside the object or image that originally inspired them – in this case a photograph of the world’s largest container ship.

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

Here’s some information from the designers:


Wooden Toy Ships by Postlerferguson

The Emma Maersk, Arctic Princess and TI Asia are three of the largest cargo ships in the world transporting goods over thousands of miles from continent to continent. From the crude oil pumped into the belly of the tanker in the south Chinese sea to the refinery which produces the main synthetic raw materials to be delivered to factories and manufacturers around the globe, these giant machines are an overlooked but integral part of our daily lives.

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

Behind the sheer gigantic complexity and abstraction of the global logistic system hides an intriguing beauty of radical functionality and almost organic, nerve-like organisation. We aim to translate its machine protagonists into a very familiar format of classic wooden toys and objects. Wooden toys were on the height of success in the middle of the last century and quickly got pushed aside by a tsunami of cheap plastic toys and now barely occupy a niche segment.

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

The Wooden Toy Ship mini-series is about reintroducing a sense of the grandeur of current technological feats to the wooden toy. The quality of the materials, reduced aesthetic and sense of technological optimism draw on the classic language of wood toys, while the updated subject matter introduces essential aspects of global modernism into the home.

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

‘Translations’ acknowledge the fact that objects are just a link on a chain of objects, and cannot be understood in isolation. The exhibition showcases new work by a group of young designers, which use a mix of intuition and observation as a primary tool to generate their ideas. What do they have in common a shovel and a range of outdoor lighting? You may ask.  What about a pencil sharpener and an ashtray?

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

The link could be just a particular shape, a similar way of using them, or simply how the different materials are connected. The designers involved in ‘ Translations’ found inspiration for they projects on dented cars, a shovel, an ashtray, mailing envelopes, the world’s largest container ship, or a lab funnel, for example. In order to explain the designer’s thinking path, each prototype will be displayed alongside to the images or objects that inspired them. Translations’ intends to demystify the creative process by giving a rare insight into what inspire designers, and how they translate ideas into products.

Wooden Giants by PostlerFerguson

Dimensions:

Container Ship:
800mm * 110mm
Birch

Liquid Gas Tanker:

590mm * 98mm
Ash

Oil Tanker:
750mm * 140mm
Maple


See also:

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Buoy Lamps by
PostlerFerguson
More stories from London Design Festival 2010More design stories
on Dezeen

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

This underground railway station with criss-crossing concrete beams is by Hungarian firm Spora Architects and currently under construction in Budapest.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Fővám tér forms part of a new metro line, comprising 10 stations, that will connect south Buda with the city centre.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Three levels of reinforced concrete beams rise up through a void above the platforms.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

At ground level a new square will be created with large glazed areas to admit natural light down into the station.

All photographs are by Tamás Bujnovszky.

All photographs are by Tamás Bujnovszky.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Here’s some more from the architects:


“Fővám tér” – UNDERGROUND STATION BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

The new metro line planned in Budapest is to connect South-Buda with the city center. 10 stations will be constructed in the first step. Fővám tér station is on the left side of the Danube river.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

“Fővám tér” station is a twin station of the Szent Gellért tér, similarily with a complex stucture composed of a cut-and-cover box and tunnels.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

The complexity of the structure is even greater, since here a new tunnel for the tramline and a new pedestrian subway has to be constructed, as well. Having the new underground station, Fővám tér will become a new gateway of the historic downtown of Pest.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

The boxes are supported by three levels of reinforced concrete beams, the structure of which will be similar to a net.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

There are three layers of this network, which keep the walls of the box like a bone-structure.The design of the box is determined by this sight of concrete net-structure.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Due to the construction technology, huge rooms have been created in the inner spaces of the stations. The section of the space is proportional to cross section of average street in Pest , built in the eclectic period in the 19th century, so the station can be interpreted as a inverse street or square under the surface.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Playing on natural light has been an important aspect in the architectural formation of the entire line.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

The main goal is –apart from giving enough light of course- to attend on the interior design and show the architectural forming as much as possible. On the surface of Fővám tér a huge square will be created without traffic.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

This will allow of locating glassy, crystalloid skylights, which will let the sunlight reach the platform level, emphasizing the unique character of the beam network.

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Project credits:
Project: M4 metro line SZT.GELLÉRT TÉR, FŐVÁM TÉR UNDERGROUND STATIONS, BUDAPEST
Location: center of Budapest, Quay of River Danube, Hungary
Client: BKV Rt. DBR Metró Projekt Igazgatóság (Budapest Transport Ltd. DBR Metro Project Directory)
Year designed: 2005
Year built: 2007-2011
Status: under construction
Budget: cca. 20 million Euro/ stationvolume: 7100m2/

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Stationdesign: sporaarchitects Ltd. – Tibor Dékány, Sándor Finta, Ádám Hatvani, Orsolya Vadászteam: Zsuzsa Balogh, Attilla Korompay, Bence Várhidi
General design: Palatium Stúdió Kft. -Zoltán Erő, Balázs Csapó
Construction, installations: consortium of Főmterv, Uvaterv, Mott-Macdonald
Aplied art: Tamás Komoróczky
Photo: Tamás Bujnovszky

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Click above for larger image

Fővám tér by Spora Architects

Click above for larger image


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Cygnet by Aston Martin

Cygnet by Aston Martin

British car brand Aston Martin are to launch a luxury compact city car, called Cygnet, next year.

Cygnet by Aston Martin

The vehicle will be three metres long and offer personalised materials, colours and finishes to make each one unique.

Cygnet by Aston Martin

“Luxury is not constrained by scale,” claims Aston Martin’s director of design Marek Reichman.

Cygnet by Aston Martin

See all our stories about transport design »

Cygnet by Aston Martin

The information that follows is from Aston Martin:


Aston Martin Cygnet to become a production reality in 2011

Designed and built at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters An Aston Martin tailor fit solution for the city offering luxury and individuality

Aston Martin is pleased to confirm that the Cygnet luxury city car – originally shown as a concept car in March – is to go into production in 2011 at the company’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire.

The Aston Martin Cygnet is a city car that sets a new benchmark for compact luxury, building upon nearly a century of experience building high performance sports cars, luxurious long-range grand tourers, and extremely competitive racing machines. Cygnet demonstrates Aston Martin’s commitment to innovation and integrity.

“It is time to think differently. Aston Martin is honest and we don’t make compromises” says Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. “Whatever we do, we do right. If we do performance, we do performance; we don’t downsize or compromise our sports cars. The Cygnet needs to satisfy the demands of emissions and space. It is a car without compromise, just like every other Aston Martin.

“Our customers need a small car for urban and city use, and they want the right tools for the right job, to downsize creatively without compromising intelligence, artistry and personality.”

Cygnet expresses a simple but fundamental idea: in the modern city, scale equates to speed and freedom. At just three metres long, the Cygnet gives the driver a new dimension of freedom, able to slot into gaps in traffic, exploit the smallest parking spaces, consume the least fuel and emit the lowest emissions, all while delivering exceptional levels of quality and comfort.

“Cygnet is small but luxurious, an Aston Martin tailor fit for the city,” says Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s Director of Design. With an almost unlimited palette of materials, colours and textures, each hand-finished Cygnet will be truly unique, a personalised space within the city.

Cygnet is a product of Aston Martin’s unrivalled experience in craft, technology and design. The future city will present a very different luxury brand landscape, as social change and legislation increases the division between urban and anti-urban product categories. With the Cygnet, Aston Martin will be at the forefront of these changes, ensuring the company’s enduring brand image will continue to prosper in new market conditions.

Dr Ulrich Bez continues: “The Cygnet is designed to support our sports cars by providing a greater degree of freedom in the urban context; it is a very special car, a premium but compact package with heart, soul and personality.”

The Cygnet, a tailor fit solution for the city, will help drive Aston Martin into the future. “This car is reality; Cygnet is the natural choice for those who want a premium, bespoke commuter car.”

Further details on the Aston Martin Cygnet including pricing and specification will be announced later this year. The Cygnet will be the eighth major production car Aston Martin has introduced at its state-of-the art factory since 2004, offering further evidence of the company’s ongoing commitment to British manufacturing, backed-up by a dedicated local workforce and supplier network.


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Cargoshell

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This could revolutionize global transport.

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