Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Hotel nhow Berlin

The nhow Berlin is Europe’s first ever music hotel, uniting music lovers from all over the world to stay and play together.
Located on the river Spree in an area where creativity is flowing, you can be sure that stepping outside the hotel will bring you as much creative inspiration as being inside. With a stunning exterior by architect Sergei Tchoban that nicely complements the dramatic interiors by Karim Rashid, the entire experience feels like it’s moving to the beat of a different drum.
Catering to musicians and other creatives, the hotel features a recording studio with panoramic views of Berlin in cooperation with the legendary Berlin Hansa-Studios as well as its very own music manager. About 30 TV and 50 music radio stations integrated in a state-of-the-art entertainment system. The hotel is constantly hosting live events and concerts and there is always a top DJ spinning in the bar.
Additionally, there are tons of other amenities. Fabrics Restaurant nicely complements the musical theme with funky soul food — modern Franco-German — from Berlin native Head chef Patrick Rexhausen.










Are you packed yet?
What: nhow Berlin
Where: Stralauer Allee 3 10245 Berlin, Germany Stralauer Allee 3 10245 Berlin, Germany (map it)
How much: Rates start at about $150 USD/night.
Highlights: Free wireless internet and Satellite TV, a high-tech fitness center and spa, limousine service, and parking.
Design draw: Super stimulating interiors designed by Karim Rashid and a cantilever exterior design by architect Sergei Tchoban that overlooks the river Spree.
Book it: nhow-hotels.com

Chalkboard office



I like the idea behind these old-school looking chalkboard office accessories.

Monday, July 18, 2011

iPhone SLR mount



Photojojo‘s new iPhone SLR mount is one of the coolest iPhone add-ons I’ve seen so far. No need to spend $1000+ on a DSLR body, simple get this adapter and use your own Canon EOS or Nikon SLR lenses with your iPhone 4 – with depth of field and manual focus. You can even hang it around your neck just like your real DSLR using two loopholes on either end of the case.

21 Google Plus circles you can actually use



This infographic on 21 Google Plus circles you can actually use made me chuckle.

Monday, July 11, 2011

P-Tree by Aandeboom


Unable to prevent revellers urinating against their trees, Roskilde Festival in Denmark installed tree-mounted urinals by Dutch designers Aandeboom.  The urinals are made of rotational-moulded plastic and can either connect to the main sewage system or a tank with a pump. 50 of the orange urinals were strapped to tree trunks for the festival last weekend.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Torre Telefónica Diagonal ZeroZero by EMBA



Criss-crossing lengths of aluminium cover the glass facade of this Barcelona skyscraper by Spanish architects EMBA. The 25-storey Diagonal ZeroZero tower is located at the north-east end of a road that spans the entire city, overlooking both the city centre and the sea.  The building has a diamond-shaped plan and a 40 metre-high atrium on the ground floor, which is open to the public. Upper levels contain a two-storey auditorium, open-plan offices and a boardroom for telecommunications company Telefónica.




HERE&(T)HERE



In Milan during Salone, Secondome presented a new series of sculptural objects called Here&(T)here by Fabrica.

Animal Font


Takashi Kawada created an iphone app called Animal Font which lets you write out a message in animal shaped balloon typography and send it to friends via email.


Friday, July 1, 2011

Cité de l’Océan et du Surf by Steven Holl and Solange Fabião



Steven Holl Architects have collaborated with Brazilian architect Solange Fabião on this wave-shaped museum of the sea in Biarritz, France, which opened this week.  The Cité de l’Océan et du Surf has a cobbled plaza over the concave roof, which gently descends to meet the sloping ground.  The galleries of the museum are contained within this curving concrete block, while two acid-etched glass boxes at one end accomodate restaurants and a surfer’s kiosk. The museum houses exhibitions about scientific issues associated with the sea and tides.




Agbaria House by Ron Fleisher Architects



Tel Aviv architect Ron Fleisher has designed a house in an Israeli-Arab village that combines traditional Islamic architecture with modernism. The facade features Arabic mashrabiya lattice screens and vents at the top of the house allow breezes to circulate. The house is entered through a double-height vaulted entrance hall, based on a traditional liwan, around which the private areas of the house are arranged. The Agbaria House is located on a steep hillside in the village of Musmus in the Haifa district of Israel.