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Tuesday 15 December 2020

Zen and Ion acoustic wall panels by Woven Image

Dezeen Showroom: Textile design company Woven Image has created two acoustic wall panels, called Zen and Ion, featuring embossed textures informed by Japanese aesthetics.

Zen and Ion are modern interpretations of the clean, minimal style that characterises Japanese design.

Zen wall panel by Woven Image — The Zen wall panel takes design cues from Japanese zen gardens

While the Zen wall panel is informed by the lines, curves and grooves of a Japanese rock garden, Ion has a "crystalline" design similar to origami.

The 280-centimetre-high wall panels can be installed without a floor-to-ceiling join line and can be machined or hand-trimmed if needed. The designs can also be pattern-matched for continuous wall installations and double-height ceilings.

Ion wall panel by Woven Image — The Ion wall panel design was informed by origami

Zen's linear design is available in various light and dark colourways, ranging from more muted tones of cream, onyx and blush to deeper shades such as wine, indigo and ivy green.

Ion, on the other hand, also comes in a range of brighter colours including pale blue and peach.

Product: Zen and Ion wall panels
Brand: Woven Image
Contact: enquiries@wovenimage.com

About Dezeen Showroom: Dezeen Showroom offers an affordable space for brands to launch new products and showcase their designers and projects to Dezeen's huge global audience. For more details email showroom@dezeen.com.

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Alexander Lervik designs Kabinett dresser for Adea that doubles as a desk

Kabinett dresser by Alexander Lervik for Adea

Dezeen Showroom: Finnish furniture manufacturer Adea has launched Kabinett, a cabinet for the home office that was envisioned by Stockholm designer Alexander Lervik and also functions as a work table.

Kabinett is part of Adea's newly launched Smartwork range, spanning two products that create a comfortable, ergonomic set-up for working from home.

The furniture items were created in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw the Finnish government offer grants to small and medium-sized companies that came up with new products or innovations while in lockdown.

Lervik designed the dresser to make the best use of space while still looking like a stylish piece of furniture.

Kabinett by Alexander Lervik for Adea — Adea's Kabinett is a cabinet that unfolds into a desk

"At first glance, Kabinett looks like a regular cabinet. But it has built-in features that allow it to be transformed into an entirely different piece of furniture," said Lervik.

"The innovation lies in its function. From a piece of furniture that doesn't look like a table, you get a work table that can be raised and lowered," he continued.

"I've placed great emphasis on making it both aesthetically pleasing and ergonomic. Your body shouldn't be in pain because you're working from home."

Kabinett measures 69 centimetres high and comes in three different formats – Basic, Laptop and Screenlift – that each have an adjustable tabletop.

Product: Kabinett
Designer: Alexander Lervik
Brand: Adea
Contact: elin@lervik.se

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Chispa lamp by Cupra for Marset

Dezeen Showroom: Spanish brand Marset has teamed up with car manufacturer Cupra to create the industrial Chispa light, which "feels like a garage lamp".

Designed for both indoor and outdoor use, the Chispa is portable, waterproof and rechargeable.

It features a gridded frame on top of a chunky base, which gives the light a shape similar to a torch and includes a cord hook that allows it to be hung like a pendant.

Chispa lamp by Marset and Cupra — Marset and car brand Cupra teamed up to create the Chispa lamp

"[Chispa] was born from a collaboration with the automotive brand Cupra, which is why it feels like a garage lamp but high quality," said Marset.

"Its warm, sophisticated light is designed to be a companion for outdoor spaces," the brand added.

"Its structure is protected by a grate that revolves around the diffuser while the base contains an in-built hanging hook."

The light is available in either orange, blue, green or black and has three different mood settings.

Product: Chispa lamp
Designer: Cupra
Brand: Marset
Contact: press@marset.com

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ZAV Architects creates colourful domed cultural retreat on Iranian island of Hormuz

Presence in Hormuz holiday homes in Iran

Iranian practice ZAV Architects drew on the colourful landscape of the island of Hormuz for this holiday community that is housed in around 200 brightly coloured domes overlooking the Persian Gulf.

Described by ZAV Architects as a "cultural residence", the group of buildings is located around five miles from the main town on the Iranian island of Hormuz.

The domed accommodation was designed to encourage tourists to visit the island while being an alternative to standard high-rise holiday apartments.

Holiday accommodation by ZAV Architects — ZAV Architects designed the colourful holiday accommodation on Hormuz

"Presence in Hormuz intends to bring visitors to the forgotten island of Hormuz in order to increase the national and local GDP (gross domestic product) with the help of architecture," explained the studio.

"Often the answer of architecture to designing accommodation by the seaside is a tall elevated structure that overlooks the surrounding landscape," it continued.

"This project scales down a larger development into a multitude of smaller spatial units, forming a field of colonies that interlace in a fluid fabric similar to that of a neighbourhood."

Brightly coloured domed holiday homes — Around 200 brightly coloured domes contain holiday homes and facilities

In total, the development contains 15 holiday homes that occupy multiple interconnected domes of varying sizes. These structures stand alongside other interconnected-domed buildings that contain restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, tourist information and reception areas.

ZAV Architects arranged the domes closely together to create a sense of community and give the development a distinctive outline that was drawn from the island's natural forms.

Domed holiday accommodation on Hormuz — The domes were informed by the islands geography and colours

"The domes have several types and sizes in their arches, which combined create a skyline matching that of the island of Hormuz which was studied thoroughly in our work," said the studio.

"As the project is located in an open area a few kilometres away from the city, its spatial compartments, domes of different colours and sizes, create a skyline topography that matches itself to the colourful landscapes of the island."

Interconnected domes contain holiday residences

All of the domes in development have been painted in bright shades of red, yellow, blue and green to give the community a colourful exterior.

This bold use of colour continues inside the structures, where the interior walls are painted in matching shades and furniture is coloured red, yellow, blue and green to match.

Colourful interiors in Hormuz holiday accommodation — The residences have colourful interiors

"You cannot remove colour from the island of Hormuz – its coloured sand beaches change even the colour of the blue sea, nor of its people, for whom colour is an important mean of expression be it in their clothing, the interior of their houses, or even their food," said the studio.

"The colours surrounding us in Hormuz gave us the courage to be bold like the island."

Red furniture — Furniture is also brightly coloured

Each of the domes was constructed using a low-tech method with a structure made of stacked sandbags, which were filled with soil and sand dredged from Hormuz dock. The sandbags forms were supported with steel and finished with cement.

According to the studio, construction method meant that the buildings could be largely completed by people in the local community.

Yellow furniture — Furniture is coloured yellow, red, blue and green

"It is built with low-tech construction methods which makes possible the contribution of unskilled workers possible, they all became trained masters and operators after work was due and continue to collaborate in projects inside and outside the island," said the studio.

"There are upcoming programs in a community and learning centre where people can improve their hospitality skills as well."

Larger domes contain the developments facilities — Larger domes contain facilities like restaurants

ZAV Architects hopes that the project will contribute to increasing tourism and supporting the local community on the island.

"Architecture is a medium for creating and spreading a sensibility that reconsiders the conventional ways of seeing the status quo, in order to move towards change and improvement," said the studio.

Multicoloured domes — The multicoloured domes overlook the sea

"Architecture is a platform for changing the world and its mission is to spark innovation," it continued.

To do so it needs to design processes rather than objects because processes can take a project to places one cannot predict or imagine at the beginning of the work. So we constantly seek to bring architecture out of its comfort zone."

Holiday accommodation in Iran — The accommodation has views across the Persian Gulf

ZAV Architects is a Tehran-based architecture studio.

It previously designed The Rong Cultural Centre on the island of Hormuz, which was named Cultural project of the year at Dezeen Awards 2019.

Photography is by Tahmineh Monzavi, Soroush Majidi and Payman Barkhordari.

Project credits:

Owner: Ali Rezvani
Client: Ehsan Rasoulof
Structural design: Behrang Baniadam, Rouhi Touski
Civil engineering: Farhad Beigi
Electrical engineering: Pejman Moradian
Mechanical engineering: Saeid Afsharian
Culinary manufacturer: Matbakh Ara
Environment consultant: Salman Rasouli, Roya Yazdizadeh
Accommodation consultant: Nasim Mosavar
Project constructor: Amir Tehrani Nobahari
Construction manager: Hormat Ghasemi
Construction vice-manager: Ramin Koulaghani, Amin Timas
Mechanical constructor: Javad Irandegani, Hamid Haji Posht-e-Gol
Floor constructor: Davoud Etemadi
Fenestration builder: Mehra Company
Interior plaster: Gholamali Abbasi
Exterior plaster: Esmaeil Salimi
Construction painter: Farzad Moharami
Logistics: Nabiollah Timas, Borhan Pouyan, Ali Ghanbari, Ayoub Owj Hormozi, Khalil Owj Hormozi, Abdolhamid Hormozi, Davoud Hormozi, Ali Ghalandari Zehi, Farhad Shadan, Assad Gedri, Abbas Gedri, Ali Ghazi, Majid Bazmandeh, Ali Nasernia, Rahmat Ghalandari, Davoud Mohtaji, Morteza Mohtaji, Mohammad Vahedi, Mosayeb Zarei, Kambiz Naroui, Yasser Naroui, Nassir Narouii, Din Mohammad Naroui, Mojtaba Farhadi, Abbas Nasaji, Esfandiar Khorshidi, Khoubyar Khorshidi, Jalal Bameri, Ghassem Bameri, Enayat Karami, Reza Amirian, Eshgh Ali, Nabi Akrami, Mohammad Moallemi, Sajad Gholampour, Seyfollah Rasouli, Ali Golzari, Soheil Khedmatkari, Hosein Zohouri

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Dezeen's top 10 talked-about stories of 2020

This year had its fair share of provocative stories, from Donald Trump drafting new legislation on federal buildings to Bjarke Ingels plotting to redesign Earth. For our review of 2020, digital editor Karen Anderson looks at 10 of the most talked about.

AIA opposes President Trump's draft rules for Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again

One of the biggest stories this year was news that the Trump Administration planned to introduce an order that all federal buildings should be built in the "classical architectural style".

In response to the draft order, called Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again, the American Institute of Architects called on members to sign an open letter petitioning against it.

The story on Dezeen attracted more than 323 comments.

"Does this sound familiar? Hitler did that." said Pam Weston. "Similar in aesthetics too. Is anyone besides me scared yet?"

"What's the big deal here?" asked Elrune The Third. "This classical style is part of the national identity and design language of the USA. No one will die because Studio BIG doesn't win the next contract for a courthouse."

In an opinion piece for Dezeen, Phineas Harper said the draft order was "the latest example of how traditional architecture is used to disguise racist agendas".

Find out more about the opposition to Trump's draft order ›

Zaha Hadid Architects and Grimshaw among architects to criticise Autodesk's BIM software

The story that received the second most comments this year was news that Zaha Hadid Architects and Grimshaw were two of 17 architecture studios to sign an open letter to software company Autodesk, criticising the rising cost and lack of development of Revit.

The president and CEO of Autodesk responded to criticisms of its software, admitting improvements "didn't progress as quickly" as they should have but rejecting claims it is too expensive.

Readers weren't convinced. It's "like charging 2020 prices for a Cadillac on a 2005 Ford Focus," said UTF.

"This software is bad," agreed Michal C. "My life got way shorter thanks to constantly fighting its limits and bad design. Using it in building design is like doing brain surgery using two bricks as the only tools."

Find out more about criticism of Autodesk ›

Masterplanet is Bjarke Ingels' plan to redesign Earth and stop climate change

In October, commenters furiously debated news that BIG founder Bjarke Ingels is creating a masterplan for redesigning Earth.

Approaching Earth like an architect master planning a city, Ingels calculates that even a predicted population of 10 billion people could enjoy a high quality of life if environmental issues were tackled holistically.

But some readers struggled to take Ingels seriously. "Please wake me up when BIG reveals a plan to redesign human behaviour," said Chris Becket.

Don Griffiths was more optimistic: "Lots of good things come from dreaming and scheming outside the box. This man might not have all the answers, but the future is better attended to by the actions of thinkers from the past."

Find out more about Ingels' plan to redesign Earth ›

Steel and concrete steps cut through facade of Stairway House by Nendo

Opinions were divided over Japanese design studio Nendo's unusual addition to a multigeneration house in Tokyo – a giant decorative staircase dividing the house in two.

Some felt that the sculptural stairway was too much of a health and safety risk. "I can't imagine living there with a kids," worried Salamoon.

And Room advised people to live a little more dangerously. "If everyone here wants a run-of-the-mill cosy little cottage or bungalow or timber-framed three-bedroom suburban potted plant safety palace, why are you reading this magazine?" they quipped.

Cliff Tan weighed in with some important cultural context. "This is really obvious if you are East Asian," said Tan. "In Feng Shui terms, this site, sitting at the top of a long road, invites too much energy into the site," he added. "The staircase takes all this energy and swoops it towards the sky, keeping the rest of the home calm and protected."

Find out more about Stairway House ›

Bjarke Ingels meets Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro to "change the face of tourism in Brazil"

Bjarke Ingels meets Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro to "change the face of tourism in Brazil"

Bjarke Ingels previously made headlines when the architect met with the president of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro to discuss developing a tourism masterplan for the northeast region of the country.

"Glad to still see starchitect clamouring to work with corrupt governments," said WYRIWYG. "As long as the fees are high enough..."

"Yeah, because a Danish architect knows exactly how to deal with beaches and the social background of our country," added Edson Maruyama. "We have great architects and urbanists in the country.

Ingels released a statement defending his decision and rejecting the idea that countries such as Brazil should be off-limits to architects.

Find out more about Ingels meeting Jair Bolsonaro ›

Eva Franch i Gilabert fired as AA director for "specific failures of performance"

Another controversial story in 2020 was news that Architectural Association (AA) director Eva Franch i Gilabert was fired.

The decision was taken by the London school two weeks after Gilabert lost a vote of no confidence in her leadership.

"Eva absolutely deserved an opportunity to lead," said AA Dipl. "AA is a testbed for creative ideas and methodologies and sometimes an experiment doesn't prove successful. Yet AA is the only place where one can try and fail and we should admire the school for that reason. "

Hotel Sphinx also commented: "Surely those of us outside the AA community cannot truly understand what has transpired over the past two years, culminating in this decision."

Find out more about Gilabert's dismissal ›

Coronavirus offers "a blank page for a new beginning" says Li Edelkoort

Some readers reacted with cynicism to Li Edelkoort's predictions for a post-coronavirus future.

Edelkoort described how the disruption caused by coronavirus will lead people to grow used to living with fewer possessions and travelling less.

"How many times has history shown that's not how this works?" responded Rd. "Things will just go back to normal and change will happen slowly over time."

Others found the article comforting. "I take a lot of solace in what Li Edelkoort is saying," said Gerard McGuickin. "In a way, the Coronavirus is perhaps a reckoning for things that have gone before."

Ukrainian architect Sergey Makhno also shared his predictions on how our homes will change once the coronavirus pandemic is over whilst Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky shared his thoughts on how the coronavirus pandemic is likely to change travel.

Find out more about Edelkoort's coronavirus predictions ›

Groupwork designs 30-storey stone skyscraper

Amin Taha's architecture studio Groupwork attracted attention when it designed a conceptual 30-storey stone office block.

The studio said the building would be cheaper and more sustainable than concrete or steel equivalent, but some readers thought it was dull.

"The discussion is all about the material and nothing about the boring design," said Egad.

"I'd rather call it straightforward rather than boring," replied K Anderson. "It's an elegant and well-proportioned tower while taking advantage of the material's natural qualities and production process. Gold doesn't have to glitter.

Taha himself responded in the comments section, saying: "The tower is a simple, sober, yes boring design for the purpose of comparing like for like against standard commercial offices. It is after all only a material, not a style."

Find out more about Groupwork's stone skyscraper ›

Urban planning is "really very biased against women" says Caroline Criado Perez

British writer Caroline Criado Perez wrote a book claiming that cities haven't been designed to suit the lives of women, sparking debate amongst readers.

"I agree with this completely," said Sim. "Last week the design for the longest cycling bridge in Europe was revealed. While it was hailed a triumph, as a woman all I could think of were the evenings I would be cycling home alone and the idea of this bridge scared me."

"Come on!" replied Architecte Urbaniste. "This whole man versus woman urban design discussion is missing the point. Most architecture is designed by teams of people containing both men and women. I've seen groups of women designing completely unliveable urbanism too."

Find out more about Perez's book ›

$Harikrishnan's inflatable latex fashion creates "impossible" proportions$

Harikrishnan's inflatable latex trousers create "anatomically impossible" proportions

The final top talked about story of 2020 was our coverage of menswear designer Harikrishnan's billowing latex trousers. The look was created for his graduate collection at the London College of Fashion.

"I really like the pear shape of the white pants," praised Rose Winkler. "I picture them with the same shaped arms on a stage. They feel very medieval. Reminds me of Popeye when he eats his spinach."

"Absolutely love the concept!" added Karen Thomas. "Mad technical skills have gone into creating such art. Especially the time invested in getting those beautiful beads made. Curious to see what's next!"

Find out more about the inflatable latex trousers ›

Read more Dezeen comments

Dezeen is the world's most commented architecture and design magazine, receiving thousands of comments each month from readers. Keep up to date on the latest discussions on our comments page.

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