Design & Lifestyle Blog

15 Oct ’12

CityLife Architectural Project Commissions Zaha Hadid Among Others For Its Design| Architecture

 

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The former trade fair area of Milan (Fiera di Milano) comprising 255,000 square meters was the subject of an architectural competition in 2004 for a residential and commercial project. City Life won the competition with designs by Arata Isozaki, Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid and Pier Paolo Maggiora.

The complexity and the scale of the work involved in the re-qualification of the former Milan trade fair area led the partners of CityLife to commission the design of the project to a group of architects rather than a single designer. The choice fell Zaha Hadid, Arata Isozaki and Daniel Libeskind, architects of different origin, culture and background, but who share the distinction of having gained extensive experience by working on some of the most advanced expressions of international architectural culture of recent years.
CityLife is the result of the combined efforts of this group of architects, along with contributions from an array of other professionals and consultants who have ensured the project’s structural, plant design, environmental, urban planning and economic sustainability.

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4 Sep ’12

Maison & Objet September 7-11 2012 & Paris Design Week September 10-16 2012 | Exhibitions

The event most designers await twice a year is almost here. Maison & Objet, one of the world’s most highly anticipated design & trade exhibitions will take place on September 7-11 2012 at Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte, France. And this year the Maison & Objet 2012 chosen designers are: Fernando & Humberto Campana.

“The Campana brothers have eco-design in their veins. Born 250km from São Paulo in a region with abundant natural resources, from their childhood they were immersed in a culture of craftsmanship and now offer «alternative», iconoclastic, joyful design, which opens new vistas for everyday life. The path they have taken from the day Humberto created a little studio for handmade objects 30 years ago through the twentieth anniversary of the Estudio Campana, celebrated in 2009 at the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, is a testament to a shared spirit of passion and everlasting brotherhood.”

Dates / Opening Time

From 7 to 11 September 2012 – Fall-Winter 2012/2013 Collections
Paris Nord Villepinte
Opening Time
From Friday to Monday: 09:30am to 07:00pm.
Tuesday: 09:30am to 06:00pm.

Entry fee is 60€, unless you book online it’s 57€.

Free Shuttles are available as well.

While you’re there try to be part of the Paris Design Week which takes place between September 10 -16 2012.

 

 

The first PARIS DESIGN WEEK comprised 100 venues and 180 participants. The 2012 edition includes 150 venues throughout the city and more than 200 participants. In an eventful atmosphere, showrooms, design galleries, art galleries, concept stores, architecture and design agencies, cultural institutions but also hotels and restaurants, will present their latest collections, thematic exhibitions, international brand presentations and latest expressions in culinary design in the dynamic style characterizing MAISON&OBJET. PARIS DESIGN WEEK 2012 is a rich outstanding offer of french and international creativity, this year three large centers of interest have become more visible which are Now! le Off, the Caroussel du Louvre and the Marchés Paul Bert and Serpette flea markets in Saint-Ouen.

www.parisdesignweek.fr

All relevant info can be obtained from Maison & Objet website.

24 Jun ’12

Beirut Design Week 2012 | June 25-30

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: , , — Sahar @ 8:10 pm

The MENA Design Research Center is organizing the first Beirut Design Week.

Beirut Design Week -unlike fairs and exhibitions- is a whole week dedicated to exploring all
aspects of local design and design thinking throughout Beirut. As an annual event, participating
designers will showcase their work by opening up their shops and showrooms till later hours
in the evening and host small events. During Beirut Design Week, a series of conferences,
exhibitions, talks, workshops, and film screenings will also take place in various parts of the
city simultaneously.

Beirut Design Week 2012 is dedicated to promoting all Lebanese designers, who have
been playing a vital role in the formation of the city’s contemporary design identity and culture.
These include fashion designers, product designers, furniture designers, communication
designers, interior designers, architects, design educators, design thinkers, social designers,
design researchers, publishers, and galleries.

Beirut Design Week headquarters is the Ministry of Tourism in Hamra. There you can find
the catalogue and ask for any information about events and places. It is also where the main
exhibition,
DESMEEM, will be held.

The DESMEEM EXHIBITION is open everyday at the Ministry of Tourism from the 25th till 30th
from 9:00 am till 8:00 pm.

For a PDF file of the schedule and details for the entire event including the map, please click here.

 

1 Apr ’12

House Reforma In Mexico | Residential Design

reforma house 1

 

This is a beautiful residential villa in Mexico by Central de Arquitectura emphasizing horizontal stone and concrete structure. The balance in open and closed areas, the harmony in use of materials is just amazing. The water feature, large glass panels, and wooden floor deck suggests the perfect harmonious structure.

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16 Mar ’12

Tom Dixon Introduces New Lighting Fixtures

EtchWeb03

 

Milan 2012 will witness the launch of  ‘Luminosity’, a showcase of new lamps, lights and shades presented in a series of illuminated environments, at MOST, a festival of design, innovation and culture to be held at the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

Luminosity is an exploration of light. On a mission to illuminate and furnish the future, we aim to de-mystify preconceptions of artificial light and to educate people on the future of lighting. New Products introduced by Tom Dixon include:

EtchWeb02

 

Etch Web is a vast 65cm wide shade with an unusual open structure, designed to cast atmospheric angular shadows when lit. An irregular pentagon shape is repeated 60 times across the body to create a total sphere. The enormous globe is astonishingly lightweight, weighing only 980 grams, with a correspondingly ethereal visual attitude. Formed from copper anodized aluminum through a process of digital photo-acid etching, an oversized LED bulb is suspended within the center of Etch Web to make it the ultimate shadow play pendant.

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8 Mar ’12

Brooke Shields’ Manhattan Home | Celebrity Homes

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I came across Brooke Shields’ Manhattan home renovated in collaboration with designer David Flint Wood and MADE architects while browsing Architectural Digest and thought I would share it with you regardless of my opinion, after all it’s a celebrity’s home.

brooke-shields-david-flint-wood-new-york-home-15-guest-room-lg

 

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31 Jan ’12

Étienne LeRoy Launches Limited Edition Sheeshas

Filed under: Compliments & Accessories — Tags: , , , , , — Sahar @ 4:05 pm

shisha-HD-V2small copy

The sheesha world seems to be at rise more and more, just when we hear about new smoking bans we hear about new sheesha places popping up. To divert the very “public” aspect of the sheesha, many brands have been designing exclusive and high end designer ones such as Porsche Design (posted previously), Aridiem  (earlier post as well), and now Étienne LeRoy.

From Étienne LeRoy :

The Swiss Made Étienne LeRoy sheeshas launched a few days ago are setting a new standard of quality and refinement in the art of sheesha smoking. Designed and manufactured by eukapis sàrl, a Lausanne based company, the Étienne LeRoy sheesha will be presented during the Big Boys Toys Show in Dubai in February 2012.

Swiss luxury goods are legendary. Not only have Swiss designers and artisans gained a well-deserved reputation for making the world’s most valued timepieces, they have excelled in other areas as well. Carrying on this ancient Swiss tradition, the Étienne LeRoy team have decided to ally the Eastern tradition and modern Swiss design to create the best sheesha ever made. They chose the highest quality materials and have worked with the most highly skilled artisans to achieve their goals.

 

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4 Jan ’12

AGI Architects Design Wafra Living Complex in Kuwait | Architecture

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This is another project in Kuwait designed by an international architecture firm. I have no idea if it will actually be realized or just a concept for the WAF competition. I found the project interesting in terms of utilizing the best features of the location and enhancing others, allowing a great view for most tenants in addition to privacy and spaces to enjoy sports. In terms of aesthetics, I guess the openings are a bit too busy, but I would support it any day if it will be built with the exact characteristics mentioned by the architects.

 

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The design for the ‘Wafra Living’ complex by AGi Architects won the first prize in the future project/residential category in the WAF 2011 competition. The proposal consists of a high rise building set back from the street and an L-shaped building defining the street edge, conceived to maximize privacy within the community, whilst providing ample natural light and usable indoor and outdoor common spaces. Cuts have been made in the front building in order to provide better views for the lower floor apartments in the back tower. The proposal combines at different levels domestic and collective scales, private and public, within the complex, whilst at the same time traces the way to merge in the neighborhood by offering part of the ground floor level (where the pedestrian and car access are) to community life through the retail facilities included. At level +6.00 m is created a “High Square”, a community space for the tenants to enjoy sports or any other leisure activities in a more private environment.A “veil” climbs the façade as an occupiable layer that conceals the various service spaces within the apartments that do not directly relate to the public. It also hosts the fire escape stairs, separated away from the cores to be placed in this secondary circulation layer that faces the inner courtyard of the complex.

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