Friday, July 22, 2011

MUJI Hard Carry Travel Suitcase




I like luggage and MUJI.  Combine the two and I might very well get very excited.  MUJI just introduced a new Hard Carry Travel Suitcase collection which is durable and lightweight polycarbonate with adjustable carry bar. Available in Black, Gray and Khaki. Yet another MUJI product that strikes with a simple and beautiful design. When I lived in Italy, MUJI was my favorite store, even if just to check out the new arrivals.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

RIBA Stirling Prize 2011Shortlist



Hopkins’ hyperbolic paraboloid-shaped Velodrome for the London 2012 Olympics (above) is one of six projects shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize 2011.
The shortlisted projects are:
»  An Gaelaras, Derry by O’Donnell and Tuomey
»  The Angel Building, London by Alfred Hall Monaghan Morris
»  Evelyn Grace Academy, London by Zaha Hadid Architects (see our earlier story)
»  Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects (see our earlier story)
»  Olympic Velodrome London 2012 by Hopkins (see our earlier story)
»  Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford by Bennetts Associates
The prize is awarded annually to the architects of the building that has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year.




Above: Evelyn Grace Academy, London by Zaha Hadid Architects - photography by Luke Hayes. Last year´s winning project was the National Museum of XXI Century Arts by Zaha Hadid Architects.
The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on 1 October and broadcast in the UK on BBC 2 programme The Culture Show on 2 October. 




Above: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford by Bennetts Associates – photography by Peter Cook
Here’s some more information from the RIBA:

RIBA Stirling Prize 2011 shortlist announced
The beautifully simple Velodrome in London’s Olympic Park, the carefully crafted remodelling of the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres in Stratford upon Avon, a highly imaginative London school on a tight urban site, an innovative and vibrant cultural centre in Derry, the transformation of an unremarkable 1980s office building in London into an elegant new office and retail space, and the breathtaking extension of a significant museum in Germany, form the shortlist for the prestigious £20,000 RIBA Stirling Prize.
Now in its sixteenth year, the RIBA Stirling Prize in association with The Architects’ Journal and Benchmark is awarded to the architects of the best new European building ‘built or designed in Britain’.
The winner will be announced on Saturday 1 October at Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham and will be broadcast on a special edition of BBC TWO’s The Culture Show on Sunday 2 October, presented by Kevin McCloud.



Above: Folkwang Museum, Essen, by David Chipperfield Architects – photography by Christian Richters/VIEW
This year is the first time the shortlist includes practices who have all previously been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize; and also includes two RIBA Stirling Prize winners: David Chipperfield Architects and Zaha Hadid Architects.
William Hill is again offering odds on the shortlisted buildings. The six buildings competing for this year’s title and their odds according to William Hill are:
»  An Gaelaras, Derry by O’Donnell and Tuomey (8/1)
»  The Angel Building, London by Alfred Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) (7/1)
»  Evelyn Grace Academy, London by Zaha Hadid Architects (5/2)
»  Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects (5/1)
»  Olympic Velodrome London 2012 by Hopkins (2/1)
»  Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford by Bennetts Associates (4/1)
Ruth Reed, RIBA President, said:
“The RIBA Stirling Prize celebrates architectural excellence and this year we have another outstanding collection of culturally significant buildings on the shortlist; projects that have each made a significant contribution to the evolution of architecture.



Above: An Gaelaras, Derry by O’Donnell and Tuomey
“Creative redevelopment is a strong theme in this year’s list, with a major museum extension, a remodelled theatre complex and the innovative retrofit of an old office building featured, showing how even with tight planning and building constraints, talent and imagination can totally transform existing structures and sites. From recycling to cycling: this year’s shortlist features the first Olympic venue, a beautifully clever exemplar for the UK’s Games. Another ‘first’ is a significant cultural centre in Derry, Northern Ireland’s first building to make it onto the shortlist.
“Finally I am delighted to see a brilliant academy on a tight urban site completing the list; a school project that demonstrates what can be achieved when the architect and clients ‘think outside the box’. I look forward to seeing which project the judges select as the worthy winner.”
The 2011 RIBA Stirling Prize judges who will visit the six shortlisted buildings and meet for a final time on the day of the presentation to pick the winner include: Angela Brady, Chair of the judges and RIBA President (commencing September 2011); Sir Peter Cook – architect and academic, formerly of Royal Gold Medal winning Achigram; Hanif Kara – engineer, Adams Kara Taylor and Dan Pearson – landscape designer and RIBA Honorary Fellow.



Above: The Angel Building, London by Alfred Hall Monaghan Morris – photography by Tim Soar
Previous winners of the RIBA Stirling Prize include: MAXXI Museum, Rome by Zaha Hadid Architects (2010); Maggie’s Centre at Charing Cross Hospital, London by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (2009); Accordia housing development by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios/Alison Brooks Architects/Maccreanor Lavington (2008); The Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach am Neckar, Germany by David Chipperfield Architects (2007).

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.