Berlin-based The Fundamental Group works within the realm of what they call "the architecture of fascination," and their Atlas Table bears this out. Made from alternating, angled blocks of oak and smoked oak, just thinking about what the glue-up must have involved gives me a headache.
This being America, we're not content to only produce the run-of-the-mill stadium luxury suites that we looked at here. While more than one NFL CEO undoubtedly has a swank, over-the-top personal luxury suite in their arena, given the current anti-rich climate they probably keep them under wraps; but somehow photos have leaked of Clark Hunt's skybox at Arrowhead Stadium.
Maybe "skybox" isn't the right word. Hunt owns the Kansas City Chiefs, and he can view their games from within the three-story, six-bedroom luxury suite you see here:
Despite an unintentionally hilarious product video, the Coolbox—billed as "The world's most advanced toolbox"—has successfully, swiftly tripled its funding target on Indiegogo. Before we get into this one, take a look:
First off, I like a lot of the ideas in the design, assuming you'd have the toolbox within arm's reach of your project: The whiteboard would be handy for jotting down measurements; the magnetic lid would help stowing fasteners you temporarily remove and then pop back in; the floodlight, on-board power and clock are all undeniably useful. For transport I'd like to see slightly bigger wheels that could easily roll over an extension cord, but small wheels are better than no wheels. And the handles on either side would make it easier to pull out of the trunk.
Problem: What do you do if you're an arms dealer that likes to entertain at home? When a would-be buyer of a re-fitted Abrams tank comes by with a bottle of rotgut, it's rude of you not to offer him a drink—but your ho-hum Venetian marble bar doesn't really make a statement, and that one that you've got made out of human skulls in the basement is too hard to balance bottles on.
Help is here from UK-based Fallen Furniture, which turns aircraft parts into art furniture. Their impressive, 600-pound, eight-foot-plus Cluster Bomb Drinks Cabinet "conceals an armory of custom-made cocktail utensils," features round glass shelves that rotate on a gold-plated spindle and lets the customer know that you are not a man to be trifled with.
It's not unexploded ordnance, by the way; Fallen Furniture creates these out of unarmed practice units used by the Royal Air Force in the '70s. But your guests don't need to know that. In fact, if you want to test their mettle, push the cabinet over in a fit of rage when negotiations get heated, and watch them scatter before the thing hits the ground. Their expressions will be priceless.
No no, it's not official, but it does look like a group of game designers may have managed to capture the infernally infuriating experience of putting together IKEA flatpack furniture in virtual reality. Höme Improvisåtion as the game is called (complete with appropriate Scandinavian accents) is apparently one creation to come out of last week's Global Game Jam, a 48-hour event challenging developers to create the best games in a presumably messy weekend of pizza and coding.
Declaring itself "the world's most fun and accurate cooperative furniture assembly experience", the below video gives an amusing introduction to the objective and gameplay. Apparently, the game begins as flatpack furniture box lands at it's own whim in your livingroom (we all know that feeling) leaving you to assemble the pieces before the next items arrive. Oh, it gets worse. The creators have refrained from including assembly instructions in the mix (clearly damaged and vengeful IKEA flatpack veterans/victims) leaving you to assemble the objects in your strange, isometric home on the fly. Don't worry though, these sick sadists offer up some useful troubleshooting advice—"If ever you don't know what to do, just think like a Scandinavian industrial designer".
Since ROCCAT swept through the gaming scene like a snowstorm, award after award has rained down on their ingenious products which are all perfectly tailored to meet gamers' needs. ROCCAT is the industry-leading German manufacturer of professional gaming peripherals, and developer of extensively customizable second-screen applications. They develop, manufacture, and distribute our products worldwide from a single source. To support their steadily growing Industrial Design Team, they are looking for an Industrial Designer f/m in Hamburg.
The right person for this job will have 3+ years of product design experience , preferably in consumer electronics, automotive, sports gear or something similar. An outstanding portfolio, preferably with already realized product designs, and at least a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Design or Product Design are required as well. Apply Now.
For butterfingered woodworkers, dropping a project on the shop floor can be bad. But just imagine if your materials of choice were crystal and glass.
Since 2004, California-based artist Jack Storms has been producing these rare "optic sculptures." Created by precision-machining lead crystal and dichroic glass, a single piece can take up to 18 weeks to produce.
While Storms has advanced the art by inventing a lathe that allows him to turn glass like wood, he first learned the "cold-glass" process of joining lead crystal and dichroic glass from a glass artist in New Hampshire. "Working side by side with the artisan for over a year, Jack learned every component and facet of this incredibly challenging and rare art form and eventually was a strong enough sculptor to branch out on his own in 2004 and open StormWorks Studio," reads the bio on his website.
I thought this was a gag, but the website appears to market it in earnest. (At least when translated into English from its original French.) Ram & Row is an endtable that unfolds into...a rowing machine.
Many users will be fine with standard shoe storage products: basic shoe racks, plastic shoe boxes, shoe cubbies or shelves in a closet, over-the-door shoe pockets, etc. But shoe storage can also involve creative designs which some users will appreciate.
The wall-mounted horizontal shoe racks from J-Me (above) come in two styles; one is designed specifically for stilettos and one for shoes in general. The non-stiletto version also comes in two lengths, holding either three or six pairs of shoes. These racks could be used in many different places: an entranceway for shoes-off homes, a bedroom, a closet, etc. Many users have chosen to stack two or more of them, one above the other. The standard racks take up as little room as shoe racks possibly could, so they're going to work well in small spaces. But they won't work in homes with dogs or children who will grab the shoes, unless the racks are placed above their reach (which wouldn't be the normal location).
The ZJUP shoe holder from LoCa, designed by Harrit-Sørensen, was designed to accommodate shoes of all shapes and sizes—and Nicolai Sørensen says it should indeed work for about 95 percent of shoe types. KJUP was also designed to protect the walls from muddy or wet shoes. (Any shoe rack accommodating wet shoes would need to be placed over appropriate flooring, obviously.) The plastic bar holding the shoes in place is a non-spring loaded bar, so it exerts no pressure on the shoes. Because each ZJUP holds just one pair of shoes, it can fit in places where a multi-shoe rack could not.
The Shrine shoe rack goes with a vertical orientation, so it will fit into spaces where a horizontal rack would not. This one won't work if the shoes are wet, though, since the top ones could drip onto the lower ones. The shoes are more on display here than with the previous racks, which will appeal to some users.
We've mentioned the Rakku shoe wheel before. But having seen one of these in person recently, I noted that it's actually somewhat awkward to get the shoes in and out, so it's not a product I would recommend.
Photography by Ray Hu for Core77
Now officially in its fourth year, Beijing Design Week has, like its host country, seen remarkable transformation even during that short timeframe. Even as the homegrown design community explored novel ways of engaging locals, freshly forged partnerships and newly launched initiatives pointed to the commercial potential of the eight-day event, perennially scheduled to coincide with the October 1 National Holiday.
Meanwhile, the neighborhood of Dashilar has taken to the world stage the ongoing urban renewal case study: The ad hoc patchwork of Old Beijing—long a domestic tourist destination, opposite Tiananmen Square—was the subject of an exhibition at the Venice Biennale during the summer leading up to Beijing Design Week. With the grand reopening of the historic Quanyechang department store and Dashilar Guild House within it, event organizers had a new nexus for programming and exhibitions. An elegant three-story outpost bordering the massive construction site across the way from Dashilar, the renovation of the marketplace marks a major step in the development of the neighborhood, which may well look very different next year.
Beijing Design Week 2014:
» Long Time No See
» Scenes from CCD, Curated by Ben Hughes
» Naihan Li Presents 'I AM A MONUMENT' at Gallery All in 751 D.Park
» CAFA Industrial Design Addresses Everyday Issues
BEIJING DESIGN WEEK 2014Now in its fourth year, homegrown talent on display and the revitalization of a historic neighborhood.
LODZ DESIGN FESTIVALMarking its 8th successive year the 'other' LDF took over the Polish city of Lodz with some great original wares.
VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2014Returning for the 8th successive year, this year's main festivities took place in the stunning Schwarzenberg Palace.
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2014Now in it's 12th year, the LDF was back bigger than ever with festivities spreading even further into the metropolis.
Material ConneXion's New Book Series Offers a Handy Guide to the Latest and Greatest Material Innovations for Architects & DesignersReviewed by core jr
A More Beautiful Question, by Warren BergerReviewed by Robert Blinn
'Hello World' by Alice Rawsthorn, a Survey of the Past, Present and Future of DesignReviewed by Ray
'Maker Dad': The Book Us Grown-Up, DIY-Inclined Daughters Wish Our Fathers Would've HadReviewed by erika rae
The Malinalco Project: A Cross-Cultural Collaboration between Masters Students & Master Craftspeople
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Case Study: Designing Everything but the FoodBy Greater Good Studio
WHY WE NEED A NEW HYPER-LOCAL MODEL FOR DESIGN ACTIVISMBy Julie Kim
IN THE HANDS OF GOD: INSIGHTS INTO DESIGN RESEARCHBy frog
WHAT THE FUTURE OF FISH CAN TEACH US ABOUT DESIGNING SYSTEMSBy Cheryl Dahle
Creative Opportunities at Coroflot.com
Get Noticed at DesignDirectory.com
Inspiring Design Work at Coroflot.com
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