Paris vs. NYC

Paris vs. NYC — a “tally of two cities” is a new project from graphic designer Vahram Muratyan. He explains it as a “friendly visual match between two cities told by a lover of Paris wandering through New York.” I think this is such a fun idea! 

Wizard Pillow

This Harry Potter pillow would be a fantastic addition to any Hogwarts-loving kid's room. It is made by Kim Gadbois, a 2D artist and ballerina who has also stitched up a squishy Ron and Hermione

Lego Wall

I spotted this LEGO Wall over on Unplggd. Way cool, right? The kid in me wants to start playing right away. Hmm…

Architect Barbie

Yes, Architect Barbie.

In Barbie’s 50 years, this is the first time she’s explored architecture as a possible career path. Mattel has partnered with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to conduct architecture workshops with Architect Barbie for young girls at the AIA Convention and Design Exposition, which was this past month. Nice way for encouraging girls to become architects!

Green Berry Tea

This tea packaging and origami bird tea bag by Green Berry Tea are so clever. I love it when designers make something ordinary (like a tea bag) look extraordinary. 

Book Cup

Designed by Rie Akutsu & Koji Shimizu for +d this book cover is shaped like a mug of tea, with the teabag being your bookmark. 

Golden Hills Masterplan by SOM

Architects Skidmore, Owings & Merrill have produced these images to illustrate their masterplan for a 375 hectare site in Danang, Vietnam, that is prone to frequent flooding. 

Located at the mouth of the CU De River, Golden Hills will be set onto a series of terraced levels across the site and will preserve existing natural drainage channels in order to minimise the impact of sea level rises and tidal flooding. 

Designed to accommodate over 30,000 future residents, the masterplan includes different housing types, sports and leisure areas, local shops and cafes, schools and kindergartens, a business district and healthcare facilities, including a hospital.

SOM Wins 2011 AIA Institute Honor Award for Regional and Urban Design

The SOM plan defines new strategies for building municipal infrastructure and high performance buildings. Implementation of the plan could reduce energy consumption within the district by 50%, reduce water consumption by 48%, reduce landfill waste by 80%, and result in a 50% reduction in carbon emissions. Reduction in emissions from office buildings alone would eliminate 215,000 tons of CO2 per year, which is the equivalent of planting 14 million adult trees.

SOM’s vision for the Beijing CBD provides the framework that will enable China’s capital city to grow as a global center for commerce, yet be a green and ecological setting for healthy life.

The Periodic Table Of Social Issues Displays The Worst Elements Of Mankind.

The classic Periodic Table of Elements becomes a tabular display of the worst elements of humankind in the Periodic Table of Social Issues by Dorothy, an art and design collective in Manchester.

Limited 1st edition print of 100.
1 colour screen print poster on 170gsm uncoated art paper
H60 x W80cm

Purchase it here.

Cup handbags

I spotted these cute little cup handbags over on HolyCool. They’re made by Koziol and fit snugly on the side of your favorite cup or mug and hold a special little treat until you’re ready to dunk.

Available through Design3000.

Alarm Dock

Jonas Damon’s Alarm Dock turns your iPhone into an old-school looking alarm clock. All you need is a flip clock app and you’re set. Made me smile.

(via BBlinks)

DIY Shower Curtain

Who said shower curtains have to be a bore? This shower curtain comes complete with a permanent black marker to Draw-It-Yourself. 

The Souk, Abu Dhabi Central Market by Foster + Partners

Foster + Partners have completed a new shopping centre that combines high-end boutiques with independent local food and craft markets on the site of a historic city marketplace in Abu Dhabi.

The new Souk Market has been designed as a sequence of courtyards and alleys, integrating balconies and colonnades.

Sliding roofs and walls enable controlled ventilation of the market and patterned stained glass windows mark the entrances.

Comic and Animation Museum in Hangzhou, China by MVRDV

Dutch studio MVRDV have won a design competition to build a Comic and Animation Museum in Hangzhou, China, formed of eight giant balloon-shaped forms. Each balloon will contain a different function within the museum, including two exhibition spaces that will display cartoons, comics and animations.

The permanent exhibition space will spiral out of its chamber and on through the building to connect with three auditoriums and a comic book library. Where balloons touch an opening is created internally, allowing views between spaces.

Cultural centre in Tirana by BIG

Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group have won a competition to design a mosque, Islamic centre and museum in Tirana, Albania. The three buildings will cluster in a triangle at the corner of the site, with two sides aligned with Tirana’s city grid and the third facing Mecca. Each will twist to curve over a public plaza in the centre, making this public space into an extension of the cultural centre.

The mosque will accommodate 1000 worshippers for daily prayers, with the ability to expand through courtyards and the public plaza to accommodate up to 10,000 people for holy days. BIG won the competition in collaboration with Martha Schwartz Landscape, Buro Happold , Speirs & Major,Lutzenberger & Lutzenberger, and Global Cultural Asset Management.

The information below is from the architects:

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BIG WINS THE COMPETITION TO DESIGN A MAJOR CULTURAL CENTER IN ALBANIA

BIG, Martha Schwartz Landscape, Buro Happold , Speirs & Major, Lutzenberger & Lutzenberger, and Global Cultural Asset Management are today announced as the winning team of the international design competition for a new 27.000 m2 cultural complex in Albania, consisting of a Mosque, an Islamic Centre, and a Museum of Religious Harmony.

The capital Tirana is undergoing an urban transformation which includes the restoration and refurbishment of existing buildings, the construction of a series of new public and private urban structures, and the complete reconceptualization of Scanderbeg Square. This important square is the site of the new cultural complex that will consist of a Mosque, an Islamic Centre, and a Museum of Religious Harmony.

Albania is the crossroads of three major religions: Orthodox Christianity; Catholicism; and Islam. With the recent completion of two new churches, all three religions will now have new places of worship in the heart of Tirana. The complex will not only serve the Muslim community of the city and surrounding areas, but will educate the public about Islamic values and serve as a beacon for religious tolerance.

BIG’s winning entry was selected out of five finalists, including Spanish Architect Andreas Perea Ortega, Architecture Studio from France, Dutch SeARCH and London-based Zaha Hadid.

Alessi’s Light Bulbs

Here’s what happens when Alessi (and three other young designers) try to re-imagine the good old lightbulb. 

Desktop by David Matthew Parker

This desktop is a fun one from artist David Matthew Parker. He enjoys creating puzzle-like patterns and precise rules-based abstracts. The quote is by Eleanor Roosevelt and hopefully it will inspire you each day to take a risk, even if it’s a small one.

Wadi Resort by Oppenheim Architecture + Design

Florida-based practice Oppenheim Architecture + Design have released these images of their proposals for 47 desert lodges at a resort in Wadi Rum, Jordan. The lodges will be carved directly into the sandstone cliff face and the building elements will be made from rammed earth and cement mixed with local red sand.

Sugamo Shinkin Bank by Emmanuelle Moureaux

Horizontal layers of colour protrude out from the facade of this bank branch in Tokyo by Tokyo-based french architect Emmanuelle Moureaux. By night each of the twelve colour bands of the Sugamo Shinkin Bank are brightly illuminated. Three wide light-wells punctuate the interior of the building, which is furnished with coloured furniture and dandelion motif graphics.

The following information is from the architects:

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Sugamo Shinkin Bank / Shimura branch – open 2011/3

Client: Sugamo Shinkin Bank

Concept: Rainbow mille-feuille

Sugamo Shinkin Bank is a credit union that strives to provide first-rate hospitality to its customers in accordance with its motto: “we take pleasure in serving happy customers.”

Having completed the design for branch outlets of Sugamo Shinkin Bank located in Tokiwadai and Niiza, we were also commissioned to handle the architectural and interior design for its newly rebuilt branch in Shimura. For this project, we sought to create a refreshing atmosphere with a palpable sense of nature based on an open sky motif.

12 layers of color
A rainbow-like stack of coloured layers,
peeking out from the façade
to welcome visitors.

Reflected onto the white surfaces,
these colours leave a faint trace over it,
creating a warm, gentle feeling.

At night, the colored layers are faintly illuminated.
The illumination varies according to the season and time of day,
conjuring up myriad landscapes.