Singapore designers create wellbeing and mindfulness tools for pandemic era

Visions of the Future is a showcase of optimistic projects by Singapore designers, including a soap-making machine, an inflatable textile and a paint for repairing broken sneakers.

Presented by DesignSingapore Council, the exhibition features seven designs that suggest new lifestyle trends and rituals that could emerge in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sheryl Teng has created a pneumatic textile

Some of the objects explore new ways of maintaining personal hygiene. Others serve as tools for improving mental health and wellbeing at a time of increased isolation.

They are all on show at the National Design Centre and in a virtual exhibition on the Visions of the Future website.

With high levels of thermal insulation, the textile has various uses

Designer Sheryl Teng has created Pneumatics Touch, a textile that comes to life with the introduction of air, and which boasts high levels of thermal insulation.

The designer created the material by adding a heat sealer to the pleated fabric. With its inflatable pockets, the textile can be used to provide comfort, warmth and protection in various situations.

Teng's collection includes garments, furniture covers, a space partition and a laptop case.

Ng Luowei and Mervyn Chen have created a rubber paint for repairing trainers

Canvas is a project by designers Ng Luowei and Mervyn Chen that explores ways of mending broken objects.

The pair have developed quick-drying liquid rubber paint, which can be used to both repair and decorate worn-out trainers. Their aim is to reduce the number of shoes that are thrown away every year.

Yingxuan Teo has made a device for producing natural soap

Designer Yingxuan Teo has responded to the pandemic by exploring the future of soap, a product that has taken on new significance since the arrival of the virus.

Teo has looked at ways of encouraging the use of soap but without the need for plastic packaging. Her response was to create a soap-making device so that people can produce their own cosmetics.

Called Mass Production of Happiness, her device uses natural ingredients such as Aloe Vera.

Kevin Chiam's Soap Stickers bring fun to hand washing

Soap is also a feature in Design Probes, a collection of designs by Kevin Chiam. His Soap Stickers bring an element of fun to the ritual of hand washing, particularly for children.

Chiam has also created a handheld device that aims to prevent people from touching face masks, which can lead to fast-spreading of germs.

Poh Yun Ru has designed a cognitive stimulation therapy tool for dementia sufferers

A project by Poh Yun Ru responds to the continual rise of dementia, one of the biggest problems we face as a result of ageing populations.

Rewind is a cognitive stimulation therapy tool designed to keep the minds of dementia sufferers active, particularly at times of separation from families. Using motion tracking, it allows users to associate memories with images and sounds.

Jasmine Quek promotes mindfulness with a ritual of tea making

Mental wellbeing was also on the mind of Jasmine Quek, who has created a modern interpretation of a traditional Chinese tea set, to revive a tradition that promotes mindfulness.

Visions of the Future is completed by Ji Jian Wu, a set of ceramic characters intended as modern amulets. Designer Lin Qiuxia sees these objects as symbols of hope in times of threat.

Lin Qiuxia has created ceramic characters as symbols of hope

"It is a joy to see our young designers' in-depth design research and creative responses to the pressing concerns of today," said executive director of DesignSingapore Council Mark Wee.

"From transforming the act of soap-making into a meditative ritual, to empowering the elderly to hold onto their fading memories, these young designers provide a fresh perspective to everyday issues – and those brought anew in the current climate - that anyone can appreciate."

Called Ji Jian Wu, the characters serve as modern amulets

All seven designs were created with help from Wendy Chua and Gustavo Maggio of design studio Forest & Whale.

Visions of the Future was on show at the National Design Centre from 10 Dec 2020 to 7 Jan 2021. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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The biggest architecture and design stories of 2020

Next up in our review of 2020, editor Tom Ravenscroft takes a look back at this year's most-read stories, including several responses to the coronavirus pandemic, a pair of inflatable latex trousers and Bjarke Ingels' plan to redesign Earth.

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January – China building 1,000-bed hospital in 10 days to treat coronavirus

The most-read story in January was a sign of things to come as the reports that a 1,000-bed hospital was being built at breakneck speed in China became news around the world.

Named Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital, the prefabricated, temporary facility was built to treat the growing number of people infected in Wuhan. It was completed in just over a week.

Find out more about the temporary hospital ›

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

In February, before coronavirus came to dominate architecture and design news, our most-read story was about inflatable latex trousers.

Designed by Harikrishnan for his graduate collection at the London College of Fashion, the collection of billowing latex trousers were made from of up to 30 individual latex panels.

Find out more about Harikrishnan's inflatable latex trousers ›

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

By March the coronavirus outbreak had become a pandemic and was impacting people all around the world. In response to the disruption and lockdowns that were accruing trend forecaster Li Edelkoort made a series of predictions about its impact on the world.

Edelkoort said that the pandemic was "a blank page for a new beginning", in an interview that would become Dezeen's most-read story of all time.

Find out more about Li Edelkoort's prediction ›

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April – Dyson devises 44 engineering challenges for children during lockdown

As many parents faced the challenge of entertaining their children during country-wide lockdowns, our most-read story in April was a series of activities created by Dyson to entertain children in isolation.

Alongside Dyson, British architecture studio Foster + Partners published a series of challenges for kids and furniture company IKEA designed six play houses that could be built with its products.

Find out more about  Dyson's challenges ›

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May – Adidas launches reusable face mask called Face Cover

Adidas was among a number of companies to design and release a face mask this year in response to the coronavirus. Made from a breathable recycled material, the reusable face mask was one of the fastest products the sportswear brand has ever developed.

"The entire process from ideation to production was less than one month," its lead designer said in an interview with Dezeen.

Find out more about the Face Cover ›

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June – Eight key projects by Christo and Jeanne Claude

Following the news of artist Christo's death, we rounded up eight key projects by the Bulgarian artist and his late partner Jeanne Claude.

The artist, who was best known for wrapping buildings in fabric died of natural causes at the age of 84 in his New York City apartment.

Find out more about Christo's key projects ›

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July – Grimshaw unveils design for HS2 ventilation shaft disguised as barn

July's most-read story was about a ventilation shaft for the UK's new HS2 high-speed railway that was disguised as a barn.

Designed by British architecture practice Grimshaw, the Chalfont St Peter Ventilation Shaft will be clad in zinc and bronze and provide air and emergency access to a train tunnel through the Chiltern hills.

Find out more about the HS2 ventilation shaft ›

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August – Xiaomi launches world's first mass-produced transparent TV

In August, Chinese electronics company Xiaomi revealed a see-through television. 

Billed as the world's first transparent TV, the Mi TV LUX uses transparent organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, which eliminates the need for backlighting.

Find out more about the transparent TV ›

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September – Zaha Hadid Architects reveals design for skyscraper on world's most expensive site

UK architecture studio Zaha Hadid Architects' plan to build a sinuous 36-storey skyscraper on the world's most expensive site in Hong Kong was the most-read story in September.

The skyscraper will replace a multistorey car park alongside the Bank of China Tower by IM Pei that was purchased by developer Henderson Land for HK$23.3 billion ($3 billion) in 2017.

Find out more about the world's most expensive site ›

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

BIG founder Bjarke Ingels once again hit the headlines in October with his redesign for the Earth.

Named Masterplanet, the concept was designed to "prove that a sustainable human presence on planet Earth is attainable with existing technologies".

Find out more about the Masterplanet ›

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November – Ten home kitchens that use colour to make a statement

In November we began a series of stories that brings together visual inspiration for the home, with this roundup of colourful kitchens being one of the most popular.

Other pieces in the series included eight cosy living rooms, thirty bathrooms designed by architects and seven bedrooms with statement walls.

Find out more about home kitchens that use colour ›

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December – Natalie Dionne raises Forest House I on three-metre stilts for better light and views

Designed by Canadian architect Natalie Dionne, this forest retreat in southeastern Quebec was the most-read story in December.

The largely wooden house was raised up on stilts to meet the level of the surrounding rocky landscape.

Find out more about Forest House I ›

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Arhitektura finds room for two family homes on a six-metre-wide plot

A narrow site in Ljubljana has become home to The Double Brick House, a pair of matching family residences designed by Slovenian office Arhitektura.

The studio, which recently changed its name from Arhitektura d.o.o, designed the two connected residences for a plot that is 30 metres long, but only six metres wide.

To work with these difficult proportions, the homes have been arranged with one in front of the other. One has its entrance on the front, while the other one is tucked around the side.

The building has an exterior of dark bricks and larch wood

The architectural approach was to make the two properties appear as a single structure, united by dark grey-brown brickwork and larch wood window frames and door reveals.

Because both homes have a two-tiered roof, this gives the building an unusual profile outline.

The two houses are organised with one in front of the other

"Visually, the building is conceived as a monolith, a materially uniform cube, which is sculpturally modified according to the sculptural principle of subtraction," explained Arhitektura, which is led by architects Peter, Boštjan and Aleš Gabrijelčič.

"The facade cladding made of dark brown bricks gives the house its desired uniformity of materiality and corporeality."

The building is located in Ljubljana's Rožna Dolina neighbourhood

The Double Brick House is located in Rožna Dolina, a neighbourhood that was historically very prestigious. But as a result of overdevelopment from the 1930s onwards, the quality of housing in the area has suffered significantly.

By replacing a dilapidated housing building with one of higher quality, Arhitektura hopes to set an example, showing how new developments here can look to the future without being insensitive to the past.

"A new urban matrix is emerging that will gradually outgrow the chaotic suburban tissue," said the architects. "This interim period is, however, full of paradoxes and grotesque gaps between the old and the new."

Window walls allow the living spaces to spill outside

Both homes are arranged over three storeys, with living spaces on the ground floor and bedrooms above. Their layouts are similar, although not identical.

Kitchens, dining space and living areas are grouped together, with a window wall that allows them to spill outdoors.

Bedrooms are located on the first and second floors

Three bedrooms and a family bathroom are located on the first floors, while the second floor accommodates a master bedroom suite that opens out to a roof terrace.

The landscape surrounding the properties is currently unfinished, but Arhitektura hopes that these areas can be developed at a later date, as more properties in the neighbourhood become redeveloped.

The second floor spaces open out to roof terraces

"Despite the lack of a clear spatial vision and broader strategy, the district is slowly being filled with modern facilities which will raise the quality level of both living standards and urban areas," said the architects.

"The further arrangement of the wider spatial environment of the building will be the result of negotiations with neighbours, who may in the future follow the example, replace the dilapidated buildings and improve the general urban condition of the space," they added, suggesting improvements such as pavement repairs and new landscaping elements.

The rear property has its entrance on the side

Peter, Boštjan and Aleš Gabrijelčič founded their studio in 1997. Past projects include an apartment featuring mobile steel furnishings, and Ljubljana's minimalist Ribja Brv Footbridge.

Photography is by Miran Kambič.

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French-Italian fashion designer Pierre Cardin dies aged 98

Pierre Cardin, the fashion designer known for his space-age-informed 1960s dresses, has passed away in Neuilly, France at the age of 98.

As well as his designs, Cardin is famous for being an early adapter of the licensing deals that are a mainstay of fashion houses today, putting his name and brand on products including fragrances, aeroplane interiors and sunglasses.

"It is very difficult to make a name in fashion. When you have one, you need to profit from it," Cardin told AFP last year.

"If I made money through the licensing it was to be free and do something other than fashion."

A pink Pierre Cardin dress from 1968. Photo is by Mabalu, Wikimedia Commons.

The designer's death was announced by his family and confirmed on Twitter by France's Academy of Fine Arts, which made him a member in 1992.

"The Perpetual Secretary, Laurent Petitgirard, and the members of the Academy of Fine Arts are deeply saddened to announce the death of their colleague Pierre Cardin. He had been elected on 12 February 1992 to the chair of Pierre Dux," the Académie des Beaux-Arts tweeted.

Cardin's career began in 1945 when the Italian-born designer started working for fashion designers Paquin and Schiaparelli. After also designing for the stage, Cardin opened his own company and created his famous 1954 "bubble dress".

Orange and black coat by Pierre Cardin, circa 1970. Photos is by ShenkarArchive at Wikimedia Commons

In 1959, he launched the concept of ready-to-wear, rather than tailor-made, fashion, which led to his expulsion from Chambre Syndicale, the haute couture industry's leading body. He was later reinstated.

The 1960s is the decade Cardin is most associated with, when his square-cut dresses with geometric shapes and cutouts came to define space-age chic. His 1964 Cosmos collection introduced unisex designs and in 1969, the designer was commissioned to make a spacesuit for NASA.

In the 1970s Cardin was the first couturier to be on the cover of Time Magazine. He also visited China, becoming the first French designer to trade with the country. He continued working throughout his life, branching out into restaurants and real estate while remaining a fashion designer.

Cardin was made Knight of the Legion of Honour and decorated as a "Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres" in 1983, an award that recognises significant contribution to the arts. The designer was named honorary ambassador of UNESCO in 1991 and opened his own museum in 2014.

Photograph of Pierre Cardin by Wikiwatcher 1, Wikimedia Commons.

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Mizzi Studio uses pink and emerald green for Barbajean restaurant in Malta

Design practice Mizzi Studio paired pink terrazzo with emerald-green velvet and timber to form the bold interior of restaurant Barbajean in Malta.

Serving a menu of modern Meditteranean dishes, Barbajean occupies a prominent corner property in the village of Dingli.

The quiet village sits at the highest point of Malta, and has uninterrupted views out across the ocean towards the uninhabited isle of Filfla.

Barbajean has a pink and green facade

Mizzi Studio's founder, Jonathan Mizzi – who is from Malta – designed the restaurant so that it pays tribute to Dingli and its scenic landscape, but also "injects [the village] with new life".

"Working within the village's particular urban fabric was a key inspiration for us," said Mizzi."We wanted to create a restaurant that would stand at the core of a quintessential Maltese village experience."

Three arches punctuate the restaurant's terrazzo-lined bar

The baby-pink facade of Barbajean has been made to include architraves and coloured doors– two elements that Mizzi says can be seen on the exterior of a typical Maltese home.

Emerald-green timber doors have been built into the facade's trio square openings. Each opening is surrounded by a chunky pink-terrazzo architrave, created by Maltese surface manufacturer Halmann Vella.

Malta-themed artwork has been mounted on Barbajean's walls

The pink and green colour scheme continues inside the restaurant. Rose-coloured terrazzo lines the wall behind the drinks bar, which has been punctuated with three arched niches.

Liquor bottles and glassware are displayed inside the niches, illuminated by neon-pink strip lights that have been installed overhead.

Rosy terrazzo has also been used to craft the surfacetop of the bar counter, the base of which is made from fluted timber that's been stained green. Just in front is a row of pink high chairs with tubular brass frames.

Dining chairs are accompanied by pink-terrazzo tables

A lengthy seating banquette upholstered in emerald velvet winds its way around the opposite side of the room, accompanied by pink terrazzo tables inlaid with flecks of Guatemala Verde marble.

Directly above are a series of prints by Maltese illustrator Ed Dingli, which depict quotidian scenes of life in the village.

In between the prints are custom-made light fixtures designed by Mizzi Studio, which feature curling brass stems and spherical bulbs.

Surfaces in this area of the restaurant are painted a pale mint shade, but another dining nook that lies towards the rear of the plan has been given a cosier feel with dark-green walls and wooden floorboards.

Towards the back of the restaurant is another dining nook

Mizzi Studio was established in 2011 and has offices in both London and Valletta, the capital of Malta. Barbajean isn't the only hospitality space that the studio has designed – last year it completed works on The Serpentine Coffee House in London's Hyde Park.

The venue boasts glass walls and a gold, undulating roof that's meant to resemble the shape of a stingray.

Photography is by Brian Grech.

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Project credits:

Stonework: Halman Vella
Brass fabrication: Anvil and Forge
Joinery and upholstery: Construct Furniture
Custom print artwork: Ed Dingli
Branding: Steves and Co

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