Tuesday, 05 August 2008 |
Let’s face it, most conventional medical interiors aren’t exactly attractive. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to discover that most people are allergic to the blandness and sterility of clinic interiors. Well the new Allied Health clinic in Melbourne, proves that it IS possible for health and design (and a bit of fun) to go hand in hand.
Accommodating the rather unusual combination of podiatry, physiotherapy, pathology, dietetics and psychology, the clinic feels like ‘2001 Space Odyssey meets late nineteenth century Victorian’. Designed by the Melbourne-based studio Chameleon Architecture, the interior juxtaposes elements of heritage, science and future. Ornate period details like crystal chandeliers, cornices, skirting boards and ceiling roses provide a classical backdrop. Exploring the idea of the medical as molecular, large glossy white molecules or futuristic pods are planted throughout the clinic, serving as consultation suites. Once inside the suite/pod, the mood changes again. The interior of the pod, from the walls, ceiling, floors to joinery, is clad entirely in plywood stained with a clear lacquer which enriches and emphasises the grain of the wood. So instead of looking pale under the normally cold and harsh light of clinical spaces, visitors here are instantly bathed in a warm, healthy glow without any treatment having even begun. - Jeanne Tan
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Wednesday, 30 July 2008 |
The aquatic complex Les Bains des Docks (animation here), designed by the 2008 Prtizker-prize winning architect Jean Nouvel
has just opened in the historical Port of Le Havre. Inspired by the
Roman thermal baths, the 5,000-square-metre complex offers an eerily
beautiful atmosphere of tranquility with the fantastic play of natural
light soothing the eyes, the masterful acoustics pleasing the ears, and
the pools and treatment areas taking care of the rest of the body.
Although
the main “colour” of the complex is white, each section’s distinct
atmosphere and hue is created by flowing water curtains, colour walls,
and various textures and surface treatments. Each pool – lap-pool,
children’s pool, whirlpools – is designed, shaped and lit to create a
unique “private space” for its specific users. These seemingly enclosed
areas help minimize echoing and sound carriage – an annoying aspect of
most aquatic centres - as do the varying-height floors and ceilings,
and the acoustic false ceilings. Saunas, a hammam, cold and hot baths,
and a spa area with hydro-massage and aquagym areas complete the
atmosphere of pampering and care. An external lagoon makes the summer
use of the complex even more appealing.
The
Docks in the south end of the ancient port city of Le Havre are the
oldest docks in France. The area is under massive revitalization with
the goal of making this a leisure, culture and shopping neighborhood.
When completed, the area will include residences, a large park, a
tropical greenhouse, cinemas, bowling alleys and a shopping center,
plus a Nouvel-designed Sea and Sustainable Development Centre to be
completed in 2011. The Sea Centre will be a showcase of shipping and
sailing – exploring their economic and industrial significance as well
as their environmental impact on coasts and estuaries. It will be a
120-meter-high metallic structure dominating the port and it will
include exhibit areas, an aquarium, a meteorological station and a
restaurant with panoramic, 360-degree views of Port of Le Havre.
Nouvel’s
well-known public buildings literally span the world from New York to
Reykjavik, Dubai, Soul and Tangiers. Recent interesting buildings
include the bright-red research center for the maker of brakes for
luxury cars, Brembo, in Italy. NouveI's masterpiece for La Philharmonie de Paris will open in 2012. - Tuija Seipell
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Monday, 30 June 2008 |
If you’ve ever wondered what a kinetic ambient reflection membrane is and what it does, we’re about to show you. And if you already know, then you’re way ahead of the game. Check out this video and you’ll see the Flare façade acts as a building’s skin, and computer generation controls movement of a number of metal flake components.
The system is modular and each flake can be programmed to tilt toward
or away from the sun – reflecting light off it’s surface and creating
movement in infinite patterns across the surface of a building thereby
allowing the façade to interact with its surroundings. We wonder if
this could be the beginning of a new direction for photovoltaic panels?
By Andrew J Wiener
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Tuesday, 03 June 2008 |
Movin’ on up, now more than ever encapsulates stunning design,
impeccable service, effortless living from the time the sun rises to
well after the sun sets. We’ve been noticing a rising trend in the
sheer number of luxury residences - we recently told you about an
exclusive collection of seaside properties in Abu Dhabi. And now from New York to Buenos Aires, and from Moscow to
Beijing, we’ll reveal a few more of the coolest luxury abodes.
Many of us have been accustomed to the stylistic cues offered by W
Hotels across the world – but how many of us will actually have a
chance to pick up the phone from our own kitchens and receive
assistance from the ‘Whatever, Whenever’ hotline? Soon, for those
who jumped at the chance to purchase a W-styled apartment in one of
their newest locations south of the World Trade Centre in New York
City, the possibilities will be limitless.
W Residents may share the building with distinguished hotel guests in
the lower portion of Manhattan, but luxury amenities such as a rooftop
terrace, a fitness centre and spa in the sky, a media screening room
and digital lounge, as well as a separate entrance, will be solely for
those permanently living in the upper floors of the luxury tower.
While the W Hotel New York Downtown will take up the first twenty-two
floors, the upper levels have been split into furnished residences
(Floors 23-30) and customised residences (Floors 33-56). Interior
design exceeds expectations, even by W standards, with sleek and
functional kitchen built-ins to a translucent wall from the bedroom to
a ‘peek-a-boo loo.’
A bit further in the heart of Tribeca,
Five Franklin Place is destined be the epitome of luxury
residences. The 20-storey building will contain 55 one-, two-,
three- and four-bedroom units that will be set up as duplex lofts on
the lower floors; single-level city residents above; plus three triplex
penthouses each with a rooftop terrace and serviced by private internal
lifts.
The building itself, designed by Dutch architect Ben van Berkell of
UNStudio, will be wrapped in a series of horizontal black metallic
bands – each of which ungulates as it curves around and hugs the frame
of the structure. The façade is apparently a direct tribute to
the original 19th-century built form of cast iron that shaped lower
Manhattan – and the metallic surface will reflect light while
highlighting the magnificence of the neighbouring buildings.
The building’s façade is not merely about aesthetics, as the bands will also
create shading from the daylight, deflect heat, and guarantee every
residence will have the highest degree of privacy, and simultaneously frame unparalleled views out across Manhattan.
The Loft Residences on the levels have a double-height
living area that maximises the light entering the space. The height
of the great room continues on through a gallery where a white
lacquered library wall ascends up into the second level.
The upper-tier City Residences feature integrated terraces off the
main living areas, and all units are custom-fitted with B&B Italia
kitchens and built-ins throughout. The master bathrooms feature a
circular sliding wall that allows the bathroom to become part of the bedroom and share its spectacular city views.
And for those at the top, the five ultra-luxurious Sky Penthouses are
unmatched in practically every aspect. Again, B&B Italia has
masterfully crafted the space, including the kitchen. Sweeping
views from every room, even the master bathroom, automatically heighten
the occupants’ awareness of their place in the cityscape and the
surrounding environment.
The skylines of our cities are rapidly changing – ingeniously
designed buildings are competing for our attention. But architectural
beauty alone is not going to provide the type of service we’re growing
accustomed to expecting after spending millions on luxury lifestyle. We
feel that the rise of luxury residences has only just begun – and we
want to know all about it. If you are aware of luxury residences we
should investigate, please let us know. By Andrew J Wiener.
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Tuesday, 13 May 2008 |
The work of Belgium’s Rotor Group
is popping up in more and more visible places. Rotor covers a wide
range of projects, from basic design, branding and packaging, to
events, lighting planning, interiors, showrooms, products, trade shows
and art. We especially like the work they have done with Belgian
lighting firm Modular Lighting Instruments
creating events, showrooms and surroundings that defy definition. A
great example is Rotor Designer Toon Stockman’s retro-futuristic
showroom for Modular that pays homage to Modular’s Beam Squad and
consists of six enormous cages supported by a skeleton of fluorescent
tubing. The wild narrative for this installation — a typical Rotor tale
— tells of life-destroying peril but luckily, all will be well and in
about 2069, lighting will be manufactured in peace again. By Tuija Seipell
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Friday, 15 February 2008 |
For eons, walls of greenery have surrounded people and creatures living
in jungles, rainforests and other lush places.
Ancient Asians and
Europeans since Roman times have paid gardeners to create green art and
sculpture for their gardens, from elaborate topiary sculptures and
mazes to vine-covered walls.
And, of course, we’ve seen inventive uses
of built outdoor space — including rooftops, patios and balconies — as
places to bring more green into our overly concrete-covered lives.
Smudging the line between indoors and outdoors, and playing with the
illusion of greenery where it doesn’t really belong, are also the basis
of some recent installations that we like.
Mass Studies, founded in 2003 by Minsuk Cho in Seoul, Korea, has produced some great examples of this. Among them is Ann Demelmeester’s store (pictured above) in Soul. It is one of only four concept stores showcasing the fashions of the Flemish designer.
Green walls are not just visually interesting and environmentally
beneficial, they add a sense of calm and peace that is difficult to
achieve by other means. The inclusion of real, living plants on a large
scale in places where you don’t expect to see them, also adds other
sensory elements — the scent of the greenery, the sound of water,
perhaps the feeling of humidity around the installation. The organic
texture invites touch and inspires conversation — how was this
installed, how is it cared for, who did it?
We’ve found some interesting green installations, such as this school
in the UK and a hair salon in Japan, but we’d love to see many, many
more. We think there’s room for much more creativity and daring in this
arena, so let us know if you spot remarkable and unusual examples. By
Tuija Seipell Send to
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Random archive
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Friday, 08 February 2008 |
For many of us, taking our cars to the garage can be a daunting
experience. Feeling anxious and uncertain over the price and duration
over jobs, use of technical jargon and the like. This may soon be a
thing of the past, thanks to the launch of the major rebranding
programme for car care network HiQ, starting with their new concept
centre opening in Nottingham, UK.
The aim was to revolutionise the way fast fit car care is delivered and
to develop a fresh retail concept that would set new standards in this
sector. And it looks like they have come up with the goods.
Designed by the London team at Fitch, the brand has been repositioned
by using simple language, illustrations, and the centre itself has
clever features like glass walls that allow customers to see onto the
garage floor for themselves.
We have seen this uncomplicated, tell it like it is mentality popping
up all over the place, especially as banks try to re-align themselves
with their customers. It is now nice and refreshing to see this
evolving into other touch points of consumers' lives. I wonder if this
approach would make going to the dentist any better? By Brendan McKnight
Random archive
Xploding Cars
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Monday, 04 February 2008 |
It's not easy these days to create a point-of-sale display that truly
stands out in the hectic visual environment of an average busy
department store, yet alone one for Selfridges in London.
Manchester based True North were given the task to create a 'can't miss
it' bespoke display system for Adidas Originals within the Offspring
concession at the Oxford Street store.
Taking inspiration from the product itself where an Adidas shoebox
becomes a table and the shoebox lid, a chair, they have created a
display and "trying on" area where customers can fully immerse
themselves in the brand. Launching this week, we suspect these will be
the hottest chairs in London. By Brendan McKnight
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Tuesday, 29 January 2008 |
A house attic does not evoke images of style and chic design.
Rather, we find ourselves thinking of dark, cobweb-infested, damp and
dreary crawl spaces. We think of attics as leftover space under the
roof where we abandon unwanted stuff – outdated clothing, old books,
grandma’s hat boxes, grandpa’s hunting gear, coin collections and bags
of seashells from that long-ago beach holiday.
But as space in our urban areas is at a premium - not a square metre
can go to waste. Architects and designers are starting to see the
potential of this extra space, and offer solutions that meet the needs
of the most demanding style freaks. Sunlight, additional rooms, extra
bathrooms — it is all possible in the attic. Starchitects around the
world have made dramatic rooflines trendy, so we can all give up on our
visions of the embarrassing drywalled and pine-paneled disasters that
attics tended to morph into, every time we tried to make them livable.
Within very few square metres, designers are finding space for
sleeping, cooking and eating, and using the sloping rooflines to create
impressive skylight windows.
We can all see the delightful benefits of maximising the amount of
livable and usable space – even if it involves clearing away the
precious collections of bric-a-brac we’ve spent generations
accumulating. Ample sunlight penetrating the attic apartment means than
even nocturnal arachnids are sent packing. By Andrew J Wiener and Tuija Seipell
We're looking for more attic renovations, if you spot one, send to
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Friday, 25 January 2008 |
Looking for somewhere to hold your next meeting? We think we have come
across two fine options that are certain to liven up any dull encounter
with the suits.
Who needs a board room, when you could have a Cratehouse. If you think this merely looks like a bunch of yellow
crates sitting on two shipping containers, then you are correct,
however this is fast becoming the town of Castleford in West Yorkshire,
England's biggest landmark. Move over Big Ben.
The brainchild of German artists Wolfgang Winter and Berthold Horbelt
who have been creating art landmarks for public spaces all over the
world since 1992, the Cratehouse uses recycled, everyday objects to
create a functional space for shelter, meeting and entertainment. The
containers are homage to the industrial heritage of the town and the
crates are there to remind us not to take the objects that contribute
to our contemporary lifestyles for granted.
Whatever your take on it, if you are ever in the area be sure to stop
of by, it will definitely be a talking point in your holiday photo
album.
Next up we have the Dot Dot Drawing Room, which was installed as
part of the Inside Out programme at the Cragside estate in
Northumberland, England. This was the country home of Lord Armstrong
and was the first house in the world to be lit using hydroelectric
power, hence it has been in the care of the National Trust since 1977.
So what exactly is this unusual looking structure you may be asking.
Designed by London based Tod Hansen, this piece was commissioned to
provide an opportunity for visitors to have an alternative experience
of Cragside while the house was closed for rewiring.
This 'sculptural chamber' remodels the house's exotic cushioned drawing
room into an iron-clad vault and aims to fuse the two worlds of
Victorian domestic interiors and modern industrial superstructures.
Looking something straight from the Cluedo game board, we wonder what
other opulent interiors could also be transformed this way. By Brendan
McKnight
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Tuesday, 22 January 2008 |
The Nobel Peace Centre
in Oslo, Norway is housed in a former Victorian railway station, and
within, an original Nobel Prize medal is the only historical item on
display. The museum was not built as a memorial to those who won the
Prize in the past, but a dynamic, contemporary space explaining the
story of the Nobel Peace Prize as well as providing a number of events
and exhibitions throughout the year.
Beginning in mid-October when the new Peace Prize laureate is
announced, the golden Passage of Honour allows visitors to track each
step of the event. Throughout the remainder of the year a documentary
on that winner is played.
The main focus of the Centre is the Nobel Field, where all the Peace
Prize laureates are displayed in a virtual garden of 96 LCD screens
dispersed throughout the space. A small motion sensor beneath each
display screen activates when approached, and a short video with
information about Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King
Jr., as well as every other laureate including Al Gore can be viewed. By Andrew J Wiener
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Monday, 14 January 2008 |
Many of us are drawn to the ocean in one way or another, and sometimes
a soft, sandy beach is not nearby. Wouldn’t it be great if local
council members of popular coastal areas could find an innovative means
of providing access to our rocky foreshores? One community has
done just that – timber platforms constructed over rugged terrain allow
enhanced enjoyment of the seaside. By Andrew J Wiener
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