Daily coronavirus architecture and design briefing: 27 April

Daily coronavirus briefing: today's architecture and design coronavirus briefing includes hacks for hands-free door opening, the Serpentine Pavilion postponement and the widths of New York's sidewalks.

Widths of New York's sidewalks mapped to demonstrate difficulty of social distancing

Urban planner Meli Harvey has created an interactive map (shown above) that tells users the widths of all of New York's sidewalks, or pavements, to show whether it is possible to effectively social distance on them (via Sidewalkwidths.nyc).

Five handle hacks for hands-free door opening

To lessen the threat of spreading the coronavirus, designers are creating door-handle adapters that remove the need for direct contact. Here are five of the most interesting door-handle hacks (via Dezeen).

Ron Arad launches "Smile for our NHS" fundraiser with masks featuring famous artists

Celebrities including Stephen Fry, David Baddiel and Elizabeth Hurley have modelled face masks designed by Ron Arad that will be sold to raise money for the UK's National Health Service (via Dezeen).

Dyson says its ventilator not needed by UK government

James Dyson has told employees at Dyson that the ventilator his company has developed at the cost of £20 million is not needed by the UK government as demand has not risen to expected levels (via BBC).

Artists display messages for key workers on Times Square billboards

Times Square Arts has coordinated a program to place 22 works of art, chosen by New York design museum Poster House and Print Magazine, on billboards in Times Square and other locations in the city (via AdWeek).

Serpentine Pavilion 2020 postponed until next year due to coronavirus

The opening of this year's Serpentine Pavilion, designed by South African architecture studio Counterspace, has been postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic (via Dezeen).

Coronavirus has "blown apart the myth of Silicon Valley innovation" says MIT Technology Review

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the USA's lack of technology innovation, with America's tech firms responding weakly to the virus, says David Rotman writing in the MIT Technology Review (via MIT Technology Review).

Antony Gormley shares seven-day Instagram diary of life in lockdown

British sculptor Antony Gormley is among a handful of artists who have collaborated with White Cube gallery to document their life and work in lockdown via Instagram, in a bid to stay connected during the coronavirus pandemic (via Dezeen).

Keep up with developments by following Dezeen's coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. For news of impacted events, check Dezeen Events Guide's dedicated coronavirus page.

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“I had to constantly pinch myself”: Krzysztof Domaradzki on his custom lettering for Pearl Jam’s latest album

The Polish creative talks us through the reasons why he wouldn't change anything about his life right now.

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Jeremy Deller and PJ Harvey among creatives urging government support for creative industries

After a survey found that half of UK creative businesses can only last until June on existing financial reserves, an open letter urges those in power to support the industry.

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Teresa Eng’s new photo series is a long-form exploration of identity and the Asian diaspora

As her parents immigrated to Canada from China via Hong Kong, the series, titled China Dream, is an intimate look at the country of her ancestors.

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Tadao Ando's Meditation Space captured in new photographs by Simone Bossi

Architectural photographer Simone Bossi has created a new image series exploring the curved concrete of a tiny building by Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

Bossi's photographs feature the Meditation Space, a cylindrical concrete structure outside the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Completed in 1995, the building was commissioned to celebrate 50 years since the UNESCO constitution was brought into force, to offer peace and security to people from all nations.

Tadao Ando designed the Meditation Space in this spirit, as a place where anyone – no matter their race or religion – can pause for a moment of quiet reflection.

Bossi wanted to capture the solitary nature of the space. His photos show the structure bathed in a soft pink light, with other buildings around it, but no people to be found anywhere.

"The Meditation Space is an intense space of silence," he told Dezeen. "There is something unclear and magic; it is a space full of emptiness."

One thing the photographer hoped to convey in his shots was the change in mood, from being outside looking in, to entering the space.

"You perceive a certain source of darkness when looking through, which turns into a bright ethereal one as soon as you are in," he explained.

"I wanted to investigate the rhythm of this transition," he continued. "The weight and the scale of its emptiness made me feel calm, protected, isolated, even overwhelmed somehow, but also extremely free at the same time."

The interior photos reveal the simplicity of the structure, which adds to its sense of monumentality. It is empty inside, apart from a pair of metal chairs that invite visitors to take a seat.

Once seated, there is little to distract. Only the dots on the walls, which are traces of the concrete casting process, and a shaft of light coming down through a gap between the walls and ceiling.

Tadao Ando was awarded the Pritzker Prize the same year that the Meditation Space was completed. His best-known projects include minimal concrete buildings like this one, such as the Church of the Light.

Bossi also tends to favour minimalism in his personal photographic projects. Past shoots have featured Caruso St John's Newport Street Gallery and the Amanda-Levete-designed V&A gallery extension.

"I am fascinated by all those materials that reveal a certain sense of gravity and tactility," he explained.

Photographing the Meditation Space was more challenging than most – the space is difficult to reach, thanks to its position in the courtyard.

Bossi visited on an overcast day at the end of winter, which helped to create diffused lighting conditions throughout the shoot. This allowed the photographer the time he needed to find the best angles.

"Some shots were just a little step forward or a little angle variation from the previous ones, allowing myself to naturally flow deeper into this elusive atmosphere," he added.

Another circular concrete project by Tadao Ando is currently under construction in Paris – the transformation of a historic stock exchange into an art gallery.

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