A Dutch architecture powerhouse, UNstudio, creates a new concept for Louis Vuitton's new flagship store in Japan. Exactly where and when their new 10 story building will be debuted is still kept a secret. It is meant to fuse LV's classical and modern qualities to bring out the true essence.
According to UNstudio: "The elements that represent the classical values connected to the Louis Vuitton brand are implicitly present throughout the design. The element that moves through all the scale levels of the design is the leaf shape. The leaf is found in the floor plan, in the section and in the elevation. Leaf-shaped openings in the façade give the building a strong identity with landmark potential, while complying with the necessity for discreetness with respect to visibility from the outside. The leaf shape can be seen as bearing a connection to the famous Louis Vuitton monogram."
Some additional project details:
Client: Louis Vuitton Malletier
Program: Flagship store / Landmark building. Retail, café, spa, bookstore, event and exhibition space.
Building surface: ca. 6.000 m2
Building volume: ca. 40.000 m2
Building site: 746 m2
Competition dates: Nov 2006 – Feb 2007
Credits
UNStudio: Ben van Berkel, Caroline Bos, Astrid Piber with Mirko
Bergmann and Sebastian Schott, Ger Gijzen, Cristina Bolis, Juliane
Maier, Albert Gnodde, Andreas Brink, Michael Knauss, Morten Krog,
Silvan Oesterle, Machteld Kors.
Advisors:
Structure, SMEP: Arup, Amsterdam
Lighting design: Arup Lighting, Amsterdam
Façade Engineering: Arup GmbH, Berlin
via DeZeen
This dream chapel is located in Japan. It calls "Leaf Chapel", a project designed by the architect Klein Dytham. It is perfect wherever you look at: the special romantic lights, the chapel is very close to a pool that seems to be a lagoon, and the wide shape of it makes all the ceremonies so close and intimate. I really love this project, specially because I'm planning my wedding. It´s a pity Japan, is so far.
In few words, this chapel mix modern style with romantic shapes... that make the place so nice and warm. Beautiful work!
Via The Scoop.
What is greenwashing? Greenwashing is the creation or promotion of a products or ideals that exhibit environmentally sound qualities without actually performing at a less consumptive level. For example, the illusion of buying bamboo chairs imported from Vietnam over oak chairs from your native state. Yes, bamboo is a very renewable resource, but once the deforestation and glue toxins and shipping fuels and packaging are considered, its much better to just buy local furniture that doesn't require so much processing. Read a similar article on the greenwashing of the Chinese Olympic Gardens here.
In preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics Beijing has festooned the grounds with lush sculptures portraying a greener version of China than we’re used to seeing. But artful topiary design is no replacement for creating a cleaner city at its height of pollution. Read the full article.
From Taschen. $39.99. 566 pgs.
"Not only an in-depth exploration of contemporary design practice, this book is also a rallying call for a more sustainable approach to product design of every type, from lighting and furniture design to consumer electronic equipment, transportation, product architecture, and environmental design. Visually stunning and highly informative, Design Now! illustrates the latest work by 90 of the world’s leading designers and design-led manufacturing companies, while also featuring in-their-own-words statements that give a unique insight into the nature of 3-dimensional design today. Additionally, the editors’ introductory essay authoritatively outlines the main issues facing designers, manufacturers and consumers, and offers a perceptive vision for a better way forward that focuses on the need to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Design Now! is essential for anyone interested in design and the road towards a greener future."
Selected designers and design-led companies featured in the book: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Ecotricity, Naoto Fukasawa, Zaha Hadid, Intelligent Energy, Jonathan Ive & Apple Design Team, LOT-EK, Ross Lovegrove, Marine Current Turbines, Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson, POC, Philips Design, Seymourpowell, Tokujin Yoshioka, and more.
Edited by Charlotte J. and Peter M. Fiell who run a design consultancy in London. They have lectured widely, curated a number of exhibitions, and written numerous articles and books on design, including TASCHEN’s 1000 Lights, 1000 Chairs, Design of the 20th Century, Industrial Design A-Z, Scandinavian Design, Graphic Design for the 21st Century, Designing the 21st Century, and domus 1928–1999.
This week I'll be writing my last post of the "Nó Design" series (at least, for now!), and I chose to show you an interior design project (all furniture design included) with their Signature. This entertainment place is filled with movement and interaction: rotating armchairs, tables with lights and multi-functional couches. Objects that respond to various stimuli, to keep up with the hyperactive rhythm of a youthful environment. The project seeks an active relation among users and objects, and encourage contact among all the users of this space.
On Sunday 20th of July, the Serpentine Gallery opened this summer's Pavilion to the public. The commissioned architect is none other than Frank Gehry. The pavilion is his first work in the United Kingdom, so it was hotly anticipated. The timber structure – designed and engineered in collaboration with Arup – is anchored by four massive steel columns and is comprised of large timber planks and a complex network of overlapping glass planes that create a dramatic, multi-dimensional space.
Frank Gehry and his team took inspiration for this year’s Pavilion from a fascinating variety of sources including the elaborate wooden catapults designed by Leonardo da Vinci as well as the striped walls of summer beach huts. Part-amphitheatre, part-promenade, these seemingly random elements make a transformative place for reflection and relaxation by day, and discussion and performance by night.
Frank Gehry said: 'The Pavilion is designed as a wooden timber structure that acts as an urban street running from the park to the existing Gallery. Inside the Pavilion, glass canopies are hung from the wooden structure to protect the interior from wind and rain and provide for shade during sunny days. The Pavilion is much like an amphitheatre, designed to serve as a place for live events, music, performance, discussion and debate. As the visitor walks through the Pavilion they have access to terraced seating on both sides of the urban street. In addition to the terraced seating there are two elevated seating pods, which are accessed around the perimeter of the Pavilion. These pods serve as visual markers enclosing the street and can be used as stages, private viewing platforms and dining areas.
The Pavilion is the architect’s first built structure in England. He has collaborated for the first time with his son Samuel Gehry. Since 2001, Peter Rogers, Director of Stanhope, has donated his expertise to all aspects of the Serpentine Gallery Pavilions and he continues to play a major role. The Pavilion is a fully accessible public space in the Royal Park of Kensington Gardens, attracting up to 250,000 visitors every Summer and is accompanied by an ambitious programme of public talks and events.
Photography by Iwan Baan and Luke Hayes.
I may be biased about that title claim but the City Museum in St. Louis, MO is truly what it says it is, a place where the imagination runs wild. And when you view life as a visual medium anyway then come across something like the City Museum, trust me, you think you've discovered what could possibly be the eighth wonder of the world.
Housed in the city's 600,000 square-foot former International Shoe Company, the museum is an eclectic mixture of children's playground, funhouse, surrealistic pavilion, and architectural marvel made out of unique, found objects. The brainchild of internationally acclaimed artist Bob Cassilly, a classically trained sculptor and serial entrepreneur, the museum opened for visitors in 1997 and to the delight of young and old alike.
Cassilly and his longtime crew of 20 artisans have constructed the museum from the very stuff of the city; and, as a result, it has urban roots deeper than any other institutions'. Reaching no farther than municipal borders for its reclaimed building materials, CITY MUSEUM boasts features such as old chimneys, salvaged bridges, construction cranes, miles of tile, and even two abandoned planes. Cassily was recycling before it became the thing to do, and in the meantime has managed to create the perfect playground for the mind.
He said while building the different themed rooms and tunnels it was as if he were a child in his bed at night and whatever he imagined they built. Situated within the historic shoe factory's spiral conveyor tunnel system, with branches burrowing down into the earth and towering 135' into the surreal industrial space are the Enchanted Caves.
Emanating from deep within the heart of CITY MUSEUM, with branches burrowing throughout the museum space. Cassilly calls the caves a powerful symphony, fusing muse-like sculptures, petrified dragons, convoluted stairways and crystalline bodies into a fascinating cathedral of concrete.
Cassily just keeps adding to the museum too as time and attention allows. A more recent addition was Monstro City on the outside of the museum where you can crawl and climb above ground almost to the rooftop of the building high above the city ground.
Since there is no way I can begin to completely explain the wonder and excitement the City Museum produces, my recommendation is to plan a visit whenever you are passing through St. Louis. You won't be disappointed.
To make your plans, City Museum's website has all the details you need and even more pictures. But I assure you, it doesn't do the museum the justice that only a visit can.
How to select the right ceiling fan...
In addition to style and design, there are several other considerations to make when selecting a modern fan.
Ceiling Height:
The more space between the blades and the ceiling, the more effectively your fan will circulate and distribute air. However, building codes require that the blades of a ceiling fan be at least 7 feet above the floor. Generally, we recommend hanging the fan as far down from the ceiling as is visually appropriate, while maintaining the 7-foot blade clearance above the floor. When dealing with higher ceilings, one-third the distance to the floor is a good guideline. We generally recommend one of our hugger models for 8-foot ceilings. Keep in mind that optional light kits may add several inches to the overall length of the fan.
For example, some of the blades on Modern Fan models (Nimbus, Pharos, Halo and Cloud) are positioned at the top of the fan body. When hung with the shortest down rods, the blades on these models are very close to the ceiling, reducing the volume of air movement. Consequently, these models are best suited for ceiling heights that can accommodate use of a slightly longer down rod.
Blade Diameter:
In nearly all cases, a 52-inch blade span is the most appropriate selection. A 42-inch blade span should be reserved for smaller rooms or narrow spaces (10 foot by 10 foot and smaller), or when airflow to the area above the blades is
blocked or restricted by architectural elements (beams, walls, cabinetry, etc.). Occasionally two 42-inch fans may be a desirable alternative to one 52-inch fan. Smaller fans are available with a 36-inch blade span for exceptionally small or narrow spaces. See: Altus and Cirrus models for an example.
Lighting:
Most Modern Fans are available with a choice of standard incandescent or energy-saving compact fluorescent lamping. Our CFLs provide 75% energy savings and lamp life up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. While
dependable for well-balanced, warm light, keep in mind that most CFLs are not dimmable.
Fan lights generally function well as a primary light source for a space, but may not be satisfactory as the only light source in a room. This will depend on factors such as room size, wall/ceiling color and intended use of the space. Be
sure to evaluate the wattage listed for each fan light and the amount of light your space requires.
Controls:
Many Modern Fans do not use pull chains. Therefore, in order to operate your fan at different speeds and switch the light independently of the fan, you need to select the appropriate control. Please refer to the controls section of the fan catalog or manufacturer web site for more information.
Typically, any control ordered with a fan that has been configured with an energy-saving CFL will be supplied in a
non-dimming version. Unless stated otherwise, controls are designed and intended for operation of a single fan or fan and light. Some fans are available for controlling multiple fans, however separate switching must be planned for any lights associated with grouped fans.
Whatever controls are used, it is critical that the products are operated with fan speed controls and not generic dimmers or rheostats. Dimmers and rheostats intended for operation of light fixtures will cause motor noise and may shorten the life of the fan motor, voiding the warranty from most manufacturers.
Damp Locations:
Not all fans are suitable for damp locations and most are not suitable for wet locations. Make sure to determine your climate and check with the catalog or web site prior to ordering the fan fitting these descriptions. While you can expect years of trouble-free performance from fans suitable for damp locations, when installed in humid or coastal environments, the degree to which the appearance of a fan may be impacted by the environment will vary widely. A fan’s specific finishing process, as well as the intensity and nature of exposure that it will encounter in a given application will directly affect longevity of its finish and appearance.
You should closely consider these factors when selecting fans for use in damp locations:
Brushed Aluminum and Galvanized finishes will typically outlast all other fans. These surfaces will not rust or peel, however, they will weather as a result of oxidization and exposure to salt or other corrosive conditions.
Bright Nickel and Matte Nickel finishes are also well-suited for exposure to reasonable conditions, but may show signs of weathering more quickly and visibly.
Coated Finishes (Gloss White, Titanium, Textured Nickel, Gloss Nickel) may be subject to peeling over time when exposed to sun, salt, and/or other corrosive conditions.
An additional consideration is blade construction....
Over time, plywood is subject to warping and/or de-lamination. While fan blades are easily replaceable when necessary, injection-molded, plastic blades supplied with fans will generally outlast plywood blades. See the Velo, Velo Hugger and Pensi as examples.
Using this example of "Modern Fan", all but three Modern Fan models (Aurora, Aurora Hugger and Lapa) are rated and marked as “Suitable for Damp Locations”. Note: Modern Fans are not rated, nor intended for use in applications classified as Wet Location.
Sloped Ceilings:
Not all ceilings are flat of course, so you have to make sure that you select a fan that can accommodate your ceiling slope. Make sure you check with the manufacturer or sales person regarding fans and adapters that will accomplish your goal. Otherwise, you will be installing and uninstalling soon enough.
As an example, the Eclipse and Stratos fans from Modern Fan, require use of an optional adapter (#SAE or #SAS) for sloped ceilings and will accommodate slopes up to 31 degrees. While the Pensi fan and all Hugger models do not adapt to slope ceilings. The #LHK Hugger Kit (for the Lapa) is intended for flat ceilings only.
All other Modern Fan models hang from a ball and socket mechanism that allows for installation on ceiling slopes up to 33 degrees. The #045 slope adapter can be used for ceiling slopes that exceed 33 degrees and up to 45 degrees.
Best of Luck!
