July 11, 2023: Dorte Mandrup convinced the jury with a beautiful and poetic response, expressing great consideration for the community perspectives on Inuit traditional knowledge and the healing potential for the Inuit Nunavut Heritage Centre. The design of the building is informed by the landscape and the movement of the snow and the wind. Drawing inspiration from the patterns formed in snowdrifts by the prevailing wind, kalutoqaniq, which has long served as a natural wayfinding system for Inuit, the building carves into the rocky hillside overlooking Iqaluit and follows the curves and longitudinal features of the landscape.
The Nunavut Inuit Heritage Centre will be built in Iqaluit to honour the Canadian Governments commitment to the Nunavut Agreement which identified an urgent need for a territorial heritage facility. The centre will encourage the growth of local heritage and foster a network of cultural centres across the territory where the Inuit can reconnect with their heritage and find a stronger sense of identity and culture.
Architectural Digest (July 6, 2023) – A tour of Denham Place, a 17th-century country estate situated just 30 minutes from central London. Built in 1688, this historic property is on the market for £75,000,000 and has just completed an extensive 8-year restoration.
An incredible 12 reception rooms, 12 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and grounds inspired by Versailles, make this stately home palatial–and with past residents including the Bonaparte Imperial family, it is a house truly fit for royalty.
The house was constructed in 1688–1701 for Sir Roger Hill, and the architect was probably William Stanton.
Dezeen Films (June 28, 2023) – Photographer Edmund Sumner has created a film featuring eight projects that emphasis the Future is Rural theme of the Japan Pavilion at the London Design Biennale, which was curated by Yuki Sumner. Yuki Sumner aimed to highlight projects by artists, designers and activists tackling issues such as depopulation and an ageing society in rural Japan, in the film.
Architectural Digest (June 22, 2023) – A guided tour of Bedford Quarry House, located an hour outside of New York City. Sitting atop the cliff’s edge of an abandoned quarry, this serene property boasts spectacular views of the lake and surrounding forest.
The boundary dividing these vistas from the interior is figuratively broken by floor-to-ceiling windows throughout–creating a sense of openness and fluidity between nature and the home. Join architect Steven Harris for an in-depth look at his design philosophy behind this unique family residence.
Dezeen Films (June 22, 2023) – Scandinavian studios Henning Larsen and White Arkitekter are designing Stockholm Wood City, which will become the world’s largest wooden construction project and have the “serenity of a forest”.
The project, set to be built in Sickla in southern Stockholm, was dubbed the “world’s largest wooden city” by developer Atrium Ljungberg, which also said it is the world’s largest known construction project in wood.
Stockholm Wood City, which will have 7,000 office spaces and 2,000 homes, is being designed by Danish studio Henning Larsen and Swedish firm White Arkitekter. It will feature nature-informed elements and was designed to have the feel of a forest.
Monocle Magazine (July/August 2023 issue) – Monocle’s annual Quality of Life Survey puts the world’s best cities through their paces and profiles the urban centres on the up.
We also get set for summer by gardening in Hiroshima, dining in Marseille and dancing in Mexico City. Plus: how Bratislava’s bass-playing, architect mayor is helping the city to find its groove.
Architectural Digest (June 10, 2023) – A visit to Joshua Tree in California to tour the awe-inspiring Kellogg Doolittle Residence. The sensational build was designed by organic architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg and his protegee John Vugrin in the 1980s taking over 20 years to complete.
Upon first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking this property was a living creature; the magnificent structure appears skeletal with 26 cast-concrete pieces fanning out in resemblance of vertebrae. An art piece in and of itself, it is no wonder this unique space is considered one of Kellogg’s greatest masterpieces.
Director: Meg Sutton Director of Photography: AJ Young Editor: Daniel Finn Guest: John Vugrin
Sotheby’s (June 5, 2023) – Trained in the school of Art Deco decorators and sculptors, Diego Giacometti was equally attached to the discipline of pre-WWII production standards as to the classical artistic vocabulary deriving from ancient Greece, Egypt and Etruscan decorative arts .
The eminent history and personal connection of these tables and lamps to the artist and one of his dearest friends echo the oeuvre of Diego Giacometti itself— a sumptuous and timeless universe in bronze filled with the unique character and artistic prolificity of a true poet.
The featured ”Racine” Guéridon in particular figures as one of Diego’s most rare and original creations in bronze. The piece shows the sculptor’s prowess at skillfully adapting an organic motif into a strikingly abstract and perfectly balanced composition, which is simultaneously sculptural in its intent and highly functional.
Yanko Design (June 2, 2023) – Augmented Reality has always been Tim Cook’s favorite buzzword, and he’s consistently pushed for Apple to have a presence in this space. It’s expected that all this will culminate in what analysts and leakers call “Reality”, Apple’s first XR headset. This cutting-edge device, expected to be unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, aims to pioneer the relatively uncharted realm of mixed-reality technology.
With a price tag of approximately $3,000, the ‘Reality’ headset has been seven years in the making, and has been apparently filled with controversy too, with a large chunk of Apple’s own employees expressing doubt and disdain. However, here’s everything we know about the Reality headset (or could it be a pair of glasses?) that’s set to launch this Monday.
The headset’s design journey has oscillated between being thick and obtrusive, like your average VR headset, to being as slim as a pair of spectacles, or realistically, a pair of chunky ski goggles. At its heart, however, lies the innovative xrOS, designed to provide an interface that echoes the familiar iOS experience. The new operating system (which is pretty much confirmed thanks to a trademark filed by Apple in New Zealand) is set to revolutionize how users interact with their devices, presenting a traditional Home Screen in an entirely new dimension filled with apps and customizable widgets.
One of the most exciting features of ‘Reality’ is its ability to merge digital elements with the real world. The xrOS software could potentially project AR app interface elements onto actual objects, creating a seamless mixed-reality overlay effect. This represents a significant leap forward in AR technology, blurring the boundaries between the physical and digital worlds. According to MacRumors, the ‘Reality’ device will achieve this using “dual high-resolution 4K micro OLED displays with up to 3,000 pixels per inch for a rich, realistic, and immersive viewing experience.” To operate the device, the user’s hands and eyes will be monitored by over a dozen optical cameras. The user can select an on-screen item by simply looking at it and activate it by making a hand gesture, such as a pinch.
Monocle Magazine (May 2023 issue) – Ever dreamed of ditching the rat race for a life on the land? We meet the new Mediterranean farmers doing just that in the latest edition of Monocle.
Issue 164 also includes an Art Special that puts collectors, galleries and this year’s Art Basel in the frame.
Plus: a guide to the Venice Architecture Biennale and a rare venture into Syria.
Ever dreamed of ditching the rat race for a life on the land?
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious