Archive for the 'News' Category

From Martin Filler at The New York Review of Books…

I wept, but about what precisely I cannot say. Much to my amazement, after having done everything possible to shut out the ubiquitous maudlin press coverage that engulfed the tenth anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, I visited Michael Arad’s National September 11 Memorial in New York City—which was dedicated exactly a decade after the disaster—to find that it impressed me at once as a sobering, disturbing, heartbreaking, and overwhelming masterpiece.

Arad’s inexorably powerful, enigmatically abstract pair of abyss-like pools, which demarcate the foundations of the lost Twin Towers, comes as a surprise to those of us who doubted that the chaotic and desultory reconstruction of Ground Zero could yield anything of lasting value. It is generally held that great architecture requires the participation of a great client, but just how this stunning result emerged from such a fraught and contentious process will take some time for critics and historians to sort out. More…

From Dezeen…

Vienna Design Week 2011: a rotating arm deposits spirals of quartz sand on the showroom floor at crystal company Lobmeyr in Vienna this week, thanks to Canadian designer Philippe Malouin.

Time is a quality that makes Lobmeyr so special.

Not only do their glass objects posses timeless designs, independent of changing fashions, but the calibre of the crystal itself means they stand the test of time. Great investments of time are taken in producing and decorating the crystalware, up to 100 hours for a single object, and this investment differentiates Lobmeyr from other glass manufacturers. We have used the theme of time here to illustrate how unique Lobmeyr is.

The flow of sand through an hourglass is traditionally used to keep track of elapsed time. It is also physical representation of the fine line between the past and the future. Through the machine in this room, the deposition of sand forms not minutes and hours on a clock face but abstract and changing patterns, illustrating the link between time and decoration. The sand also holds a physical connection with Lobmeyr, since it is the raw material from which the crystal is created. More…

From de zeen magazine

Beijing Design Week 2011:a tricycle modified by Canadian artist Nicholas Hanna mimics the Chinese custom of writing temporary messages on the road with water.

To See More…

22-25 September 2011
Victoria House Basebment
37-63 Southampton Row
WC1B 4DA

Following its successful debut appearance at this year’s Salone del Mobile, Milan, designjunction london, will showcase the very best in global design during the London Design Festival.

Under the creative direction of celebrated British designer Michael Sodeau, designjunction london, will take over the impressive surrounds of Victoria House (Holborn, central London) with over 2,000 sqm of exhibition space.

Bringing together a stellar line-up of leading UK and international lighting and furniture brands, the event is set to excite, inspire and challenge anyone with a passion for design.

designjunction will be open from Thursday 22 September – Sunday 26 September from 11am to 6pm. More…

From Dezeen…

Waiting is a common pain point in many health systems. As resources are increasingly overstretched, some degree of waiting is inevitable for most healthcare services. And yet hospital waiting rooms tend to be some of the most uncomfortable spaces to spend time, both physically and emotionally.

Research shows that a well designed waiting experience has the potential to improve the overall perception of a health care service and to optimise care delivery processes.

Gathering insights through site visits to several hospitals and clinics and discussions with care givers and patients, fuelfor has created a system of furniture, interior design, service and signage concepts that aim to make the experience of waiting in healthcare positive, effective and comfortable.

MODU is a modular furniture system that can be adapted to support different types of activities, people and facilities; elements can be reconfigured by a healthcare provider as a service evolves. Moveable arm rests and a choice of different density cushion pads allow people to create their own physical comfort zone. Wheelchair users and children in strollers have designated waiting space alongside their loved ones. More…