At TCH, we have always been interested in learning about illuminated
furniture, housewares, gadgets and other items. Lighted bicycle tires, rugs, night clubs and dance floors ... have all been
presented at one time or another on our pages.
A new entry - a lighted sajjadah or prayer rug - comes from a Turkish designer, Soner Özenç.
The Britain-based designer uses light as an integral element in his
imaginative creations. This modern piece that he calls Sajjadah 1426
(1426 is the year 2005 in the Islamic calendar), combines technology
and the Muslim culture.
Sajjadah 1426 is a piece of art and a great example of the
electroluminescent phosphor printing technology. It is also quite
practical. It assists the person who performs the divine service of
prayers, called namaz, not just by creating an amazing atmosphere, but
by actually finding the right direction to pray towards.
With the help of an imbedded compass module, the lighted motifs of the
rug turn brighter the closer the rug is turned toward the direction of
Mecca. This modern sajjadah introduces a brand new experience in the
daily performance of namaz. By Yagmur Uslu viaThe Cool Hunter Turkey
Bodrum in Turkey is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and birthplace to Herodotus. It is also Turkey’s answer to what Cannes is for the south of France. So it’s not the kind of place you want to build a tower block slab bang on the beach.
House ’Ö’ is a building perfectly in tune with its surroundings but still has an eye on modernising the idea of a country retreat. The ornate mosaic of heavy stone is a familiar building practice in the Mediterranean, but the use of large floor to ceiling windows certainly is not.
The building comprises three units joined by glass boxes allowing bags of sunlight in, but also allows the structure to cool quicker than houses favouring large swathes of white concrete as a method of regulating temperature. Inside, there are no separating walls in the central living area. Instead, furniture positioning and small partitions create individual spaces within an open whole. A fitting tribute to cultural and architectural traditions of an area steeped in history, but a refreshing approach to a home in the hills that isn’t all bling and dodgy ‘period’ features. By Matt Hussey