Invented in 1952 by Bernard and François Baschet, the Cristal Baschet (also called a Crystal Organ) is a unique instrument that outputs an even more unique and artful sound. In the video above, multi-instrumentalist and film composer Marc Chouarain explains how it works and demonstrates techniques for turning finger rubs and drags into deep melodic echoes.
According to musician and rare instrument performer Thomas Bloch, models of the crystal organs range from 3.5 to 6 octaves and are made of 56 chromatically tuned glass rods. To play it, musicians rub the rods with wet fingertips. “The vibration of the glass is passed on to the heavy block of metal by a metal stem whose variable length determines the frequency,” Bloch explains. “Amplification is obtained by fiberglass cones fixed on wood and by a tall cut out metal part, in the shape of a flame. ‘Whiskers’ (moustaches), placed under the instrument, to the right, increase the sound power of high-pitched sounds in vibrating by sympathy.”
Ravi Shankar, Damon Albarn (Gorillaz), Daft Punk, Radiohead, Tom Waits, and Manu Dibango are among the musical acts who have used the Cristal Baschet, according to an official Baschet Sound Structures Association brochure. For more from Chouarain, check out his Facebook page.
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An extensive overhaul of Montreal's Olympic Stadium building by local firm Provencher Roy has opened up the facade of the swooped tower to create offices "bathed in natural light".
Provencher Roy designed the overhaul of the structure, which was built for the city's 1976 summer Olympics, for financial institution Desjardins. Its online services division occupies 150,000 square feet (14,000 square metres) spread out over seven of the tower's 12 office floors.
"The thousand of employees of the financial institution now enjoy these modern workspaces, bathed in natural light," said Provencher Roy, which first unveiled the project in 2018.
Designed by French architect Roger Taillibert, Montreal's Olympic Stadium building has a prominent curved tower that juts above the stadium at an angle to overlook the sports field below. Rising 575 feet (165 metres) high, it has held the record for the world's tallest inclined tower since its construction.
The project entailed a number of changes to the stadium. The most significant was replacing the existing facade made of concrete panels attached to the structure, with a glass curtain wall.
The three-sided floor plate is shaped like an isosceles triangle; the two long sides of which are now fronted with glass. The renovation exposed the structure's dramatic angled columns, which form an "architectural promenade" filled with informal seating, collaboration tables, and plants.
Employee workstations are organised in an open-plan, with meeting rooms and amenity spaces around the building's centre. A monochrome palette runs throughout and is contrasted with wooden furniture, and green accents that match the company's corporate identity.
There are also references to the tower's history throughout the project, including murals depicting the Olympic torch-lighting ceremony at the opening of the games, and a faceted lobby ceiling that references Taillibert's original design.
"In addition to ensuring a work environment that encourages exchanges and creativity, the main purpose of the adopted concept was to symbolise the history of the tower," said the firm.
After the Olympic games, the tower was used by a variety of sports-related organisations, before being left vacant for nearly 30 years. The rehabilitation is part of a larger project for Montreal's Olympic stadium, which began in 2015 and includes improvements to the stadium and surrounding grounds.
Desjardins' employees first moved into the building in the summer of 2018. As part of the overhaul, the tower was nicknamed "Montreal Tower", removing its previous reference to the Olympics.
"More than a symbolic place that was once dedicated to the Olympic Games, the Montreal Tower is now an indelible mark on the collective imagination," said Provencher Roy.
Provencher Roy has completed several high-profile projects in its home province Quebec.
Called Sarpanch House, the project is designed to be set apart from its rural surroundings while also offering privacy for the Sarpanch and their family.
A Sarpanch is an elected decision maker who is the main point of contact between the village and the Indian government.
Wrapped by a low rendered wall that surrounds the site boundary, the home is made up of a stack of cuboid forms.
Elevations facing the street are largely blank, with light entering through high-level windows or filtering through batten screens.
A strip of external terraces sits between the boundary wall and the home itself, separating it from the adjacent streets and creating a buffer area that draws light into the interiors.
Internally, Sarpanch House is arranged around a double-height internal planted courtyard space illuminated by skylights.
Surrounding rooms can be opened onto the courtyard to create a single large living and dining space.
To the north, a double-height living room can spill out into the courtyard via a full-height concertina screen of wood-framed glass.
Opposite, a dining area can connect to the courtyard by opening a curtain.
Further to the north, the living room opens out onto a verandah and an external terrace.
This patio leads out to a concrete portal that frames the vehicle access to the site.
On this terrace, a spiral steel staircase leads up to an office area and bathroom.
These areas are kept separate from the living spaces and wrapped by narrow wooden battens.
A straight steel stair within the internal courtyard leads up to the first floor.
An additional seating area leads to a second stair that leads up to the first-floor gym.
On this upper floor, the skylights that illuminate the courtyard below doubles as walk-on glass areas.
This second floor has further living space, and the stepped arrangement of the blocks creates a roof terrace facing east.
A total of six bedrooms – two on the ground floor, three on the first floor and one on the second floor – all have en-suite bathrooms.
They occupy the edges of the home's plan to allow light to enter through small windows.
With new restaurants opening in London all the time, Dezeen editor-at-large Amy Frearson picks out eight where the interior design is just as interesting as what's on the menu.
Having previously designed the notorious Chiltern Firehouse, Studio KO aimed to resurrect "the sensuality and glamour of the 1960s and 70s" in this Soho eatery, which features a menu inspired by the Mediterranean cuisine of southern Italy and France.
Curves are everywhere, in the sumptuous leather banquettes, blue velvet armchairs and in a striking floor that combines colourful terrazzo with patterned carpet.
Spiritland Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, by HOK
Acoustics are everything in this restaurant geared towards music lovers. Located in the Royal Festival Hall, the space has a more theatrical interior than the original Spiritland in King's Cross.
Designed by HOK, the space features velvet curtains, leather seating booths, perforated wooden wall panels and stripy lighting fixtures. Visitors can order sharing platters as they enjoy varied performances.
To mark the 10th anniversary of this already prolific hotel restaurant, French designer Pierre Yovanovitch has completely overhauled its interior. Furnishings in shades of egg-yolk-yellow and deep red are set against a backdrop of bleached wood panelling and salmon pink walls.
The design is intended to match the "refined yet comforting" cuisine of Michelin-starred French chef Hélène Darroze.
Shade of ochre and burgundy are paired with multi-hued marble surfaces, richly toned wooden furniture and golden details in the second branch of this popular Italian restaurant. Design office DayStudio wanted the colour palette to be reminiscent of the Riva boats that can be found dotted along the Amalfi coast.
An open kitchen allows diners to watch chefs hand roll the fresh pasta every day.
Legendary British designer Terence Conran is behind this basement restaurant, located beneath the Boundary London hotel.
As chef Richard McLellan uses many wild ingredients foraged from around London, architecture studio Kirkwood McCarthy designed an interior featuring earthy surfaces and grassy sculptures. High ceilings and a wall of impressive brick vaults give the space a sense of grandeur.
The tropical modernism of Geoffrey Bawa is recreated inside this Sri Lankan restaurant in Soho. Designers Studio Fils and Whitebox London chose stripped-back materials, including aged brickwork, raw plasterwork and dark wood.
Other references to the island country include installations by batik artist Sonali Dharmawardena, paper-style lighting pendants, decorative ceramics and verdant plants.
Cafe Murano Bermondsey, Bermondsey, by GS Contracts
Chef Angela Hartnett serves up simple, regional Italian dishes in this third branch of the popular Cafe Murano. In the same spirit, the interior is simple and spacious, yet made up of a rich palette of materials and textures.
Designed by GS Contracts, the space features vertical glazed tiles in green and white, textured glass, a timber-panelled bar and industrial-style chandeliers.
Custom-made plywood benches and tables create cosy seating areas inside this converted warehouse restaurant, the latest venue opened by New Zealand-based coffee roaster Ozone.
Chefs prepare seasonal dishes with a focus on sustainability. The interior design, by local studio Box 9, follows the same approach. Simple tables are accompanied by Snøhetta's S-1500 chairs, which are made from recycled fishing nets.
This week on Dezeen, Li Edelkoort argued that the disruption and economic standstill caused by the coronavirus outbreak could ultimately lead to a positive outcome for the planet and its people.
In an exclusive interview, the trend forecaster said she hopes that, as our regular travel, production and consumption patterns are upended, humanity would put a better system in place "with more respect for human labour and conditions".
"Anyone still planning public events in the coming months might as well stop organising today and find innovative ways to communicate and relay the information differently," she added.
The Harvard Graduate School of Design, Note Design Studio and the Geneva Motor Show were some of the institutions across Europe and North America that are exploring technology like video calling, live streaming and virtual reality in lieu of being able to assemble in person.
Swiss car manufacturer Micro, for example, decided to unveil its Microlino series of electric vehicles via a livestream, in lieu of being able to present it at the Motor Show.
This week also saw Dezeen launch our new, weekly podcast Face to Face, in which editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs sits down with the biggest names in design and architecture to ask them about their life and work.
In the inaugural episode, Es Devlin discussed how she went from working in theatre design to creating stage sets for pop starts including Beyoncé and Kanye West.
Over in the US, first lady Melania Trump has revealed that a restroom and storage facility on the White House grounds will be replaced with a neoclassical tennis pavilion.
Construction has already begun on the building, which appears to have been designed by the National Park Service and will supplement the complex's existing tennis court.
It features never before seen furniture by the Irish modernist, as well as exploring her work as an architect and artist over the course of 200 original pieces.
The Bunhill 2 Energy Centre, which purports to be the first project of its kind in the world, now provides heating and hot water for residents while helping to lower their bills and reducing carbon emissions.
As the architecture world continues to explore sustainable building materials, Amin Taha's studio Groupwork has developed a concept for a skyscraper made of stone, that would have a 90 per cent lower embodied carbon value than one made from concrete.
The building features cross-laminated timber floors and 30 storeys, to explore of how scalable the material is for large, commercial projects.
