French architect Jean Nouvel has revealed plans for a subterranean resort and hotel that would be hidden within the rock dwellings of AlUla, a natural region of north-west saudi arabia. located deep within the sharaan nature reserve, the project references the nearby hegra — a famous archaeological location that forms the country’s first UNESCO world heritage site. set to be completed by 2024, the development will include 40 guest suites and three villas. meanwhile, a retreat summit center nearby will feature 14 private pavilions.
Category Archives: Design
Tomorrow’s Restaurant: Multiple Drive-Thru Lanes & Seatless Dining (Video)
Burger King unveiled its new prototype last month, a prototype that it began working on shortly after the pandemic began. It features a much smaller dining room, or no dining room at all, along with two or three drive-thru lanes, walk-up windows and curbside lanes. Some of the options allow for the complete removal of indoor seating.
Burger King’s latest restaurant design assumes that customers will not go back to dine-in service.
It’s not as if the Miami-based burger chain’s latest prototype doesn’t feature indoor seats. But its restaurants are 60% smaller, meaning a much smaller dining room. And one version of it replaces the dining room altogether with patio seating.
But the design is heavy on takeout options, an acknowledgement that consumers have been shifting that way for some time and then went all-in on takeout during the pandemic. It features two or three drive-thru lanes, with digital menu boards and merchandising. A “living wall” provides a view into the kitchen interior featuring Burger King’s broiler. And there’s an external walkup window on the glass façade.
Legendary Automobiles: The ‘Alpha Romeo B.A.T. Concept Cars’ Of 1953-55
Perhaps the most incredible thing that could be said about the B.A.T. series is that the fantastical design is actually functional, with all three examples exhibiting drag coefficient figures that would still land them in the top ten most aerodynamic cars on sale today. Their extreme forms are, in fact, functional.
Predictably, the B.A.T. concepts made a huge splash on the international motor show circuit, leading to Scaglione’s two greatest hits in terms of production figures – the NSU Sport Prinz and Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint. Unfortunately, the B.A.T. concepts would also mark an inflection point for Bertone and Scaglione’s working relationship.
Scaglione’s daughter Giovanna describes it, “Bertone was a little bothered when it happened that in a magazine article they wrote about Franco Scaglione and not Bertone… For example, in an article speaking of one of his works [Scaglione’s] name was mentioned three times and the name of Bertone was mentioned only once…” Though Giovanna does not attribute her father’s sudden departure from the firm to this incident alone, it was clear that Scaglione wanted to strike out on his own, so that year, he handed over the title of chief stylist to Giorgetto Giugiaro and left Bertone for good.
Interior Design Books: ‘Sig Bergamin – Art Life’ (2020)
A vibrant tour of twelve interiors from Brazil to Portugal, Art Life not only celebrates Bergamin’s diverse style, but also highlights his steadfast appreciation for art and history. The result is a kaleidoscopic oeuvre of interiors that serve as cultured dialogues between the comfort of home and the world at large.
Architect and designer Sig Bergamin is known for his eclectic vision and vivid interiors that are the perfect mélanges of chic. A constant traveller, Bergamin loves collecting treasures wherever he goes—totems that inspire and evolve his craft. He is also an avid art collector, a tendency that comes across in each of his meticulously designed spaces, where Warhols, Hirsts and Lichtensteins are seamlessly blended with minimalist and maximalist decor from around the world.
Beatriz Milhazes was born in 1960 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her work is included in important museums and collections such as Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Tate Modern and many more. Milhazes’s practice includes painting, drawing and collage. Characterized by vibrant colors, optical movement and energetic visual cadences, her abstract work fuses a diverse repertoire of images and forms, combining elements from her native Brazilian culture with European abstraction. She lives and works in Rio de Janeiro.
Armand Limnander is the executive editor of W magazine. Prior to that, he was features director at T: The New York Times Style Magazine, the editor of VMan magazine, and a senior writer at Vogue and Style. com. Limnander grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, and moved to the United States to attend the University of California at Berkeley. His books Brazilian Style and Private: Giancarlo Giammetti were published by Assouline in 2011 and 2013, respectively.
Björn Wallander was born in Sweden, where he developed his signature style based in naturalism. His work has taken him worldwide, contributing to global publications including Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Harper’s Bazaar, Architectural Digest India, Vogue India, Vogue Brasil, Casa Vogue, WSJ Magazine, Departures and Cabana. Although he currently resides a couple of hours outside New York City with his dog Kajsa, he considers himself a world citizen, always with camera in hand.
Romulo Fialdini learned photography while working at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP). While working at the museum he met some of the most influential artists, architects, designers and publishers in Brazil, becoming their friend and photographer. Romulo photographs for many magazines like Casa Vogue and Vogue Brazil. His images are sold at Galeria Raquel Arnaud, in São Paulo.
Sig Bergamin, a graduate from the Santos School of Architecture and Urbanism, is globally acclaimed for his unique style in creating audacious spaces. Throughout a brilliant career of more than thirty-five years, he has built a personal brand and style combining eclecticism, ethnic diversity, humor and versatility, the tools of his trade for his projects in Brazil, the United States and Europe. Owner of an architecture firm in São Paulo with offices in New York and Paris, Bergamin is the author of various national and international publications. An integral part of Brazil’s heritage, he has won international awards for his work and is featured on Elle Decor’s A-List and on Architectural Digest’s AD100 list.
New Books: ‘Information Graphics’ (Taschen)
Our everyday lives are filled with a massive flow of information that we must interpret in order to understand the world we live in. Considering the complex variety of data floating around us, sometimes the best—or even only—way to communicate is visually.
This unique book presents a fascinating perspective on the subject, highlighting the work of the masters of the profession, creators of breakthroughs that have changed the way we communicate. Information Graphics has been conceived and designed not just for graphics professionals, but for anyone interested in the history and practice of communicating visually.
The in-depth introductory section, illustrated with over 60 images (each accompanied by an explanatory caption), features essays by Sandra Rendgen, Paolo Ciuccarelli, Richard Saul Wurman, and Simon Rogers. Looking back all the way to primitive cave paintings as a means of communication, this section gives readers an excellent overview of the subject. The second part of the book is entirely dedicated to contemporary works by today’s most renowned professionals, presenting 200 graphics projects, with over 400 examples—each with a fact sheet and an explanation of methods and objectives—divided into chapters by the topics Location, Time, Category, and Hierarchy.
Includes:
- 200 projects and over 400 examples of contemporary information graphics from all over the world—ranging from journalism to art, government, education, business and much more
- Four essays about the development of information graphics since its beginnings
The author
Sandra Rendgen studied art history and cultural studies in Berlin and Amsterdam. Her work both as an editor and in developing concepts for media installations concentrates at the interface between image culture and technology, with a particular focus on data visualization, interactive media and the history of how information is conveyed. She is the author of TASCHEN’s Information Graphics and Understanding the World.
The editor
Julius Wiedemann studied graphic design and marketing and was an art editor for newspapers and design magazines in Tokyo before joining TASCHEN in 2001. His titles include the Illustration Now! and Record Covers series, as well as the infographics collection and books about advertising and visual culture.
New Photography Books: ‘Louis Vuitton Fashion Eye Greece’ – François Halard
Famed for his photographs of interiors, François Halard sees himself as a soul hunter, capturing places that are alive, infused with the spirits of their owners. Here, he presents his very personal vision of Greece, and in particular the island of Symi. Classical sculptures, mineral structures and landscapes rising up from the earth fill the pages, tinted in blue tones, as if under the watchful eye of Halard’s mentor, Cy Twombly. Born in Paris to parents who were interior designers, François Halard initially made his name in the world of fashion. Haute couture, ready-to-wear, still‑life vignettes, portraits — his photographs were featured in magazines like GQ, Vanity Fair and French Vogue. But with his travels taking him far and wide, and after many inspirational encounters with artists, he moved away from fashion to hunt down fascinating homes and the souls of their owners. It is said he has photographed more than 4,000 of them. Inspired by the House’s travel heritage, the Louis Vuitton Fashion Eye collection evokes cities, regions or countries through the eyes of fashion photographers, from emerging talents to industry legends. Each title in the series features an extensive selection of large-format photographs, together with biographical information and an interview with the photographer or a critical essay. After Louis Vuitton City Guides and Travel Books, this third collection presents travel photography with a fashion perspective, as the chosen photographers all infuse their images of great cities, faraway places or dream destinations with their unique vision.
Future Of Ocean Living: ‘Lillyana’ – A Hydrophytic Model For Urban Design
LILLYANA : Architecture & Innovation for the Sea
Author : Arthur Seibert and Clemens Lindner
Nationality : German
Year : 2019
Location : Shanghaï, China
In the context of a rapidly increasing global population growth and the associated shortage of living space, alternative urban concepts in a marine environment are gaining importance under ecological and sustainable aspects. The concept- guideline “renaturation instead of soil sealing” is an effort to react on the challenges of current megatrends in the context of the sea. The underwater city structure is designed for up to 15,000 inhabitants in the vicinity of a large coastal city. “Lillyana” represents an ideal system that can be applied to various geographical and climatic conditions and their specific demands. The form is inspired by hydrophytes – plants that grow above and below the water and benefit from their environment. Through their biometric and biological mechanisms, the shape has been improved for energy efficiency, buoyancy and stability. Thus, the wind-, water- and solar energy production is directly embedded in the design language. The main challenge of this project was to develop a self-sufficient system that could also allow different forms of social life at the same time. To achieve this, we have tried to understand the factors that make an attractive city: “Living”, “working”, “mobility”, “supply” and “recreation” These fields of action provide the framework for our design: Therefore, a superior supply organ will be placed in the centre, from which radially arranged bridge systems will form connections to floating platforms. These are anchored beneath the seabed and represent the quarter centres. From the platforms, supply pipelines, on which various spheres are suspended, lead into the depths. They shift private, professional and social life below the water surface. High attractiveness, beneath as well as above the sea level, is achieved by providing well-located and spatially qualitative living and working areas with a recreation and leisure area, as well as an intelligent infrastructure via a pipeline network.
Descriptive of Author : Splendour of life beneath the surface: “Lillyana” – A hydrophytic model for urban design
Interior Design: ‘Inside Marrakesh – Enchanting Homes And Gardens’ (2020)
Contemporary design meets Marrakesh’s splendid artistic heritage in a fresh burst of color, form, and texture through a panoply of sensual houses and gardens. Noted designer Meryanne Loum-Martin provides entrée into the extraordinary residences of this fabled city’s leading tastemakers.
This exquisite book showcases the stunning properties of the world’s leading design connoisseurs, including Jasper Conran, Lynn Guinness, Vanessa Branson, and Helen and Brice Marden, who have transformed Marrakesh’s exotic style into unexpected but elegant expressions.
The story of design in Marrakesh begins with the contributions of Bill Willis, Yves Saint Laurent, and Pierre Bergé, who fearlessly fused Moroccan elements–zellige tilework, rugs, pottery, fountains, woodwork, metalwork, and tadelakt wall treatments–with a luxuriant mix of furnishings from around the world. We are invited into such lush private places as the gardens of the Villa Oasis, designed by Madison Cox, and the Bulgaris’ tranquil riad.
Full of personal insights, Loum-Martin explores how international design-savvy individuals continue to incorporate such exuberant designs in their work.
Today’s Marrakesh style appeals to a wide variety of tastes–from formal to quirky, from rustic to refined–and is suitable for diverse settings. Eco-friendly materials, including earthenware and natural fibers, contribute to these appealing interiors and gardens. Superbly photographed, Inside Marrakesh abounds with a wealth of unique design ideas.
About The Author
International tastemaker Meryanne Loum-Martin is the proprietor of the award-winning Jnane Tamsna boutique hotel in Marrakesh’s Palmeraie district. Lauded in publications such as Town & Country and Architectural Digest, she has designed porcelain dinnerware for Meissen and an outdoor furniture collection. Award-winning lifestyle and food photographer Jean Cazals‘s work has been published in numerous magazines and cookbooks.
Architecture Tour Video: ‘Hotel MalisGarten’ In Austria, First 5-Star To Be Totally Made Of Wood
In Austria’s Zillertal region, the first 5-star hotel constructed out of solid wood has opened its doors. It’s an outstanding example of sustainable architecture, and was designed by renowned architect Matteo Thun.
New Books: ‘Reflections of Paradise: The Gardens of Fernando Caruncho’
The much-anticipated comprehensive survey of one of the world’s most acclaimed landscape garden designers, famous for his extraordinarily sophisticated use of light and geometry in nature.
Spanish landscape designer Fernando Caruncho has spent over four decades impressing the world with his breathtaking garden designs, which create a perfect union of architectural design within nature. His sources of inspiration are as diverse as Islamic design, Zen Buddhism, and European Classicism, and the control of light, geometrical scale, and use of local materials are key principles of his design approach.
In this book, Caruncho personally curates a selection of twenty-six of his international garden projects ranging from private residences to large agricultural estates and public spaces, including a vineyard in Italy, a private garden in Biarritz, France, and an expansive estate in New Jersey. Caruncho gives readers a glimpse at his creative thought process through inspirational images, ephemera, and selections from his sketches.
About The Author
Fernando Caruncho has been designing gardens for over four decades, but his background is in philosophy. His fascination with pre-Socratic Greek philosophy awakened a deep curiosity about the relationship between man and the natural world, which translated itself into a preoccupation with garden design. In 1979 Caruncho established his own landscape design studio. His first work, accomplished at the age of 21, was a house in Madrid featured in Vogue Decoration. Since then, Caruncho Studio has designed countless high-profile gardens across the globe, ranging from private homes and expansive agricultural estates to public spaces. His work is frequently featured in high-profile publications such as Architectural Digest, Vogue, the New York Times, Elle Decor, and W magazine. Gordon Taylor is a renowned landscape architect and writer. He has written numerous articles and books on herbs, gardens, and garden history.
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