Working with graffiti artist Pascal Paquette, a bold and fluid coloured artwork is layered with structures of architectural expression reflecting the diversity of Annie’s curating and fashion sense. The design aims to balance elegance with the tactile richness of the urban environment that surrounds it.

all images © BEN RAHN of A-FRAME

Unexpectedly those sets have been left on location, probably because in the middle of nowhere and because no-one from the local authorities complained and therefore after years some of it have now become ruins, almost as some sort strange archeological sites.

The particular hot and dry climate has helped mantain intact many parts of the sets, or buried under the sand just sections of it. The sets visited are in four different locations.

all images © RÄ di Martino

Developing the car from scratch, appropriately beginning with a sheet of white paper, allowed the team to come up with a no-compromise concept. The entire car was designed around the hybrid drive. The 918 Spyder therefore demonstrates the potential of the hybrid drive to a degree never seen before: the parallel improvement of both efficiency and performance without one being at the cost of the other. This is the idea that has made the Porsche 911 the most successful sports car in the world for 50 years. In short, the 918 Spyder will act as the gene pool for the Porsche sports cars of the future. +info

all images courtesy of PORSCHE

It was this highly complicated plot of land, surrounded by pine trees, that defined a good part of this project. The land, and its perspectives, constantly changing as the hours pass, the colour of the trees, the movement of sun and shadows.

On the one hand, the reduced dimensions of the plot and its complex orography, and on the other the desire to leave the minimum imprint on the land led the architects to seek out a floorplan which, matching the trees that surround it, emerges from a trunk well anchored to the land and opens up in braches on each floor, in such a way that each branch becomes the terrace of the upper level at the same time as it becomes the porch of the lower one.

All this helps create a very formal building, with huge cantilevers facing out to emptiness, the woods and the sea which lie before it. A structure which opens up to these views and the sun, and which thanks to the terraces and the porches confuse the interior with the exterior.

A building which is equally formal in both its volume and the materials which compose it. Concrete, iron, timber and stone combining in a way that emphasizes the character of each one. In the end, the whole building represents a dialogue between emptiness and fullness, between materials, between outside and inside; seeking out a balance between these highly contrasting parts.

all images © ADRIÀ GOULA

With six platforms over four public floors and two levels of underground car parking, the KAFD Metro Station will be integrated within the urban context of the financial district, responding to the functional requirements for a multimodal transport centre and the district’s future vision. The project extends beyond the simple station typology to emphasize the building’s importance as a dynamic, multi-functional public space; not only an intermediate place perceived through quick transitions, but also a dramatic public space for the city.

The design places the station at the centre of a network of pathways, skybridges and metro lines envisaged by the KAFD master plan. Connectivity diagrams and traffic across the site have been mapped and structured to clearly delineate the pedestrian routes within the building, optimize internal circulation and avoid congestion. The resulting configuration is a three-dimensional lattice defined by a sequence of opposing sine-waves (generated from the repetition and frequency variation of station’s daily traffic flows) which act as the spine for the building’s circulation. These sine-waves are extended to the station’s envelope and strictly affiliated to its internal layout, translating the architectural concept to the exterior.

all images courtesy of ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS

‘Talma’ named after a type of cloak describes the chairs construction with a softly padded textile wrapped around a lightweight metal framework, mirroring the way a cloak would wrap the body.

The chair stems from the studio’s ‘Materials driven, process led, industrial design approach’ and research into the traditional construction of upholstered chairs with a view to reducing the material, weight and cost of this typology of product.

‘Talma’ utilises a CNC shaped steel framework to describe the shape of the chair with integrated upholstery straps for support. The framework is wrapped with a custom made textile in collaboration with Innofa with integrated padding. The cover is secured with a series of zips and two fastenings at the front of the chair.

This combination of metal frame and padded textile allows the chair to use a minimal amount of polyurethane foam (a conventional armchair would be covered almost entirely with it) – therefore reducing the carbon footprint of the product.

Benjamin Hubert also unveiled an armchair that weighs just three kilograms during the Milan Design Week 2013.

all images courtesy of BENJAMIN HUBERT

The BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé is the sequel to a new approach introduced at last year’s Concorso in the shape of the BMW Zagato Coupé. Always in search of opportunities for further development, the BMW Group consciously pursues creative exchange with other design studios. It enables two design approaches to merge into a new and exciting initiative that encourages fresh creative impulses.

Thus the close collaboration with the Pininfarina design team has led to a new automotive personality brimming with character and ready to join the high-end luxury class: typically BMW and bearing the refined imprint of Pininfarina. The BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé adds a new dimension to the BMW claim to elegance and exclusivity.

This elaborate creation is a one-off that captivates the observer at first glance with its Italian exclusivity and modern finesse. Generous surface design and taut contours highlight an elegant vehicle body, while hallmark BMW proportions – a long wheelbase, stretched bonnet, short overhangs and a set-back greenhouse with smoothly sloping roofline – imbue the BMW Pininfarina Gran Lusso Coupé with authoritative dynamics even before a wheel has been turned.

Enhancing the powerful impact of the side profile are convex taperings that add a dynamic elegance. The exterior symbolises the modern harmony between power and elegance encapsulated by the V12 engine under the bonnet.

On the inside, the BMW Gran Lusso Coupé shows this consummate blend of contemporary elegance and luxury. Here the melding of exclusivity, comfort and sportiness makes for a unique interior experience. The fluid underlying geometry of the cabin and the classical BMW driver focus are lent a thoroughly new touch through the influence of Pininfarina.

all images courtesy of BMW GROUP

Recon Jet delivers information instantly, effortlessly and unobtrusively via a microcomputer and high-resolution widescreen display. All this is mounted on a precision-engineered, fashionable pair of sunglasses.

Recon has pioneered the miniaturization of affordable wearable technology since launching their first product, for snowsports, three years ago. With Recon Jet, the company is launching a faster, smaller, and more powerful new platform.

Recon Jet includes a dual core processor, dedicated graphics, Wi-Fi, ANT , Bluetooth, GPS, HD camera, and a comprehensive suite of sensors. This makes Recon Jet a connected, standalone computing solution comparable in capability to a tablet or smartphone.

RECON JET from URDesign on Vimeo.

all images and video courtesy of RECON INSTRUMENTS

To underline the effortless superiority of the new S-Class, and its ambition to lead, the radiator grille is now larger, upright and distinctly three-dimensional in design. With its long bonnet, the flowing, domed roof line and the gently slanting rear end, the new S-Class has classic saloon proportions. The size and space have been fashioned in such a way that the S-Class appears prestigious, and the powerful roof line is also in keeping with the car’s sporty coupé-style intentions.

With its clear architecture, the interior design of the S-Class embodies a classic, superior, cutting-edge saloon. The interior’s expressive character derives from a uniquely fluid, sensuously elegant style. Horizontal elements and lines create a setting characterised by visual breadth and calm solidity.

High quality and elegance harmonise with clarity and functionality: the interior design of the S-Class combines ride comfort, spaciousness and user-friendliness to the very highest standard.The perfectly coordinated use of materials and colours produces an exclusive interior seemingly cast from a single mould. There is generous use of wood trim, especially in the dashboard and centre console.

A completely new multimedia generation with intuitive operation and particularly tangible functions thanks to visualisation and animations celebrates its debut in the S-Class. Other innovations include the multi-user system, which allows independent access to the media sources of the entertainment system from any seat.

The innovative Frontbass system developed by Mercedes-Benz‑and used for the first time in a saloon car is a feature common to all the audio systems: the woofers are housed in the firewall, and use the almost 40-litre space in the cross-member and side member as a resonance chamber.

For more information read our other articles on the new S-Class

all images courtesy of MERCEDES-BENZ

In collaboration with conceptual designer Jun Aoki, Leigh & Orange was the architect and lead consultant, delivering the project from schematic design to construction completion. The unique architectural form conveys the subtle fluidity of the overall design from the tower to the transitional skylight, finishing at the three dimensional, curved formed podium structure.

The project has achieved LEED Gold certification accreditation and incorporates several innovative sustainable features, such as recycling rainwater for irrigation, recycled construction waste, reduced water consumption and high-energy and efficient plants and equipment, as well as the creation of a large area of green, visually attractive landscape around the building to absorb heat and soften the hard edges usually associated with an urban built structure.

The overall form flows seamlessly from the transitional fan shaped skylight spanning over 60 metres to the natural light-filled atrium space below, where unique terraced arcades seemingly create an outdoor shopping experience within this luxurious and air-conditioned environment.

The fluidity of form continues its flow onto the skin of the retail mall and is designed to integrate the overall structure and the façade. A 3D shell structure of 175mm reinforced concrete with internal stiffeners is finished with glazed ceramic tiles is capture the subtle sparkle emanating from this dynamic, free from structure.

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