The Lancet (January 2023) – For our 200th anniversary year we have identified five Spotlight subjects of particular importance. Watch as Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief, and other Lancet Editors around the world outline these Spotlights and discuss priorities for the future of health.
This year, we draw attention to the most critical issues impacting health globally, the extraordinary people involved in tackling them, and the voices of those most impacted. For five Spotlights, we will run a programme of activities to bring these issues to life and convene the right people and resources in order to drive change in these areas.
CNET (January 5, 2023) – BMW i Vision Dee is the futuristic mid-size sedan with a new and pared-down design language. The name “Dee” stands for Digital Emotional Experience – and that is precisely its aim: to create an even stronger bond between people and their cars going forward. Future digital functions will go far beyond the level of voice control and driver assistance systems we are familiar with today.
The BMW Head-Up-Display extends across the full width of the windscreen, providing a glimpse of the next vehicle generation. From 2025 onwards, this innovation will be available in the models of the NEUE KLASSE. The BMW Group has also refined its use of colour-change technology. Having unveiled the BMW iX Flow Featuring E Ink, with the ability to change from black to white, at the last CES, BMW i Vision Dee can now curate its exterior in up to 32 colours.
World in 4K – Antalya is a Turkish resort city with a yacht-filled Old Harbor and beaches flanked by large hotels. It’s a gateway to Turkey’s southern Mediterranean region, known as the Turquoise Coast for its blue waters. Remnants remain from Antalya’s time as a major Roman port. These include Hadrian’s Gate, built to honor the Roman emperor’s visit in 130 A.D and 2nd-century Hidirlik Tower, with harbor views.
Wall Street Journal – Apple is facing an uphill battle as it plans to shift its production out of China. Here’s why it’s difficult to replicate Foxconn’s ‘iPhone City’ in Zhengzhou and the company’s finely-tuned ecosystem in countries like India and Vietnam.
CBS Sunday Morning – We leave you this first Sunday of 2023 at Ausable Chasm (known as the “Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks”), near Lake Champlain in New York state. Videographer: Jaime McDonald.
Ausable Chasm, open since 1870, is the oldest and largest natural attraction in the Adirondacks. More than 10 million visitors have explored the chasm on the well-maintained scenic nature trails.
Smithsonian Channel – In 2001, Daniel Libeskind was hired to design a tasteful extension to the Bundeswehr Museum of Military History, in Dresden. His vision was an ingenious feat of architecture that managed to be both modern and respectful of the city’s tragic past.
The Military History Museum in Dresden, Saxony is one of very few museums in Germany that has German war equipment from both World Wars. Some of the most famous large items in the museum include a V2 flying bomb and Germany’s first submarine. The museum aims to explain how the military, armies and war influenced politics and society, and vice versa.
December 29, 2022 – Ginzan Onsen (銀山温泉, lit. “Silver Mountain Hot Spring”) is a secluded hot spring town nestled in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture. The area originally developed around a silver mine; however, these days it is better known as one of Japan’s prettiest onsen towns with historic ryokan lined up along the river.
Ginzan Onsen’s traditionally styled ryokan occupy beautiful three and four story wooden buildings that, with their exposed woodwork and white plaster walls, evoke nostalgic feelings of a bygone era. There is one exception, however, in the Fujiya ryokan at the center of town, which was recently rebuilt by famous modern architect Kuma Kengo. Although purists may find it out of place, its unique modern design incorporates many of the traditional design elements of the surrounding buildings, such as the same exposed wood and white plaster.
Wengen, the car-free village at the foot of the Jungfrau, is located on a sunny plateau and presents you with a breathtaking panorama of the surrounding peaks. A train trip to the Jungfraujoch -Top of Europe is the top! The Lauberhorn Race and the Jungfrau Marathon are two of the many big events on the calendar in Wengen.
The village is located on a sunny, wind-protected terrace at the foot of the Jungfrau, 400 meters above the Lauterbrunnen valley at 1274 m above sea level. The car-free village, steeped in tradition, offers a family-friendly skiing and hiking area all around the Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg.
The Local Project – Through natural material selections, Cheshire Architects has unveiled Waiheke House, a home that embraces its surrounds to become the best modern house in the world. Operating under the rule that grandeur does not need to be shown through scale but rather quality, Waiheke House is a place of respite for its owners with only one and a half bedrooms and a focus on entertaining areas.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the Best Modern House in the World 00:45 – An Island Location 01:05 – The Aspect of the House 01:35 – Tasked with Entertaining 02:01 – The House Plan and its Materials 03:39 – Hidden Openings and Passages 04:22 – Bathing Rituals 05:27 – The Goal Behind the Home 05:43 – Creating a Centred Feeling 06:09 – Becoming One with the Environment 06:33 – A Vessel for Experience 06:53 – A Home Made with Real Materials 07:20 – A Love for the Layered Experience
While the views of Waiheke House are only part of what establishes it as the best modern house in the world, it is how the structure inserts itself into the landscape that is awe-inspiring. Focused on evoking the numerous meanings of ‘shelter,’ Waiheke House acts as a platform that can open or close for the watching of the weather as it changes. Comprised of two pavilions, which are slightly offset from one another,
Cheshire Architects have separated the living spaces to designate a place of reprieve and a place to entertain. The larger of the two pavilions, known as the seaward pavilion, is framed by landscaping. Shaped by the stone wall that curves around and holds the home, the idea of anchoring the seaward pavilion is seen through the home’s distinct architectural theme. To make the best modern house in the world feel warm and comfortable, the use of stone, wood and brass help the house insert itself into the surrounding nature. Created for entertaining, the seaward pavilion is intentionally designed to be small, with only a kitchen, large dining section and lounge.
Framed by glass on three sides, doors butterfly open so that the living areas can connect seamlessly with the lawn. Conceptually thought of as a canopy atop a mouth of a cave, Cheshire Architects has formed the best modern house in the world to navigate a spatial dialect that speaks to both broad ocean views and small, contained spaces. Throughout the house tour, it is evident that the selected surfaces and materials are chosen to act as a vessel for experience – an idea that Cheshire Architects hopes will still be embodied in 100 years as the home ages in place.
Seen in the stacked stone of the wall to the layered floor, Cheshire Architects avoids using crisp whites or laminates and instead imbues the home with richness from natural materials. Throughout the second pavilion, the adaption of narrower halls, lower ceilings and darker tones have been employed to create a dynamic internal contrast. Intended as a retreat for the owners, Waiheke House is a place to align and connect with the natural surroundings. By focusing on simple, high-quality design choices over scale, Cheshire Architects has created the best modern house in the world so that it may amplify what already exists.
DW Travel (December 28, 2022) – Hidden deep in the rainforest and reachable only by plane and boat: The Salto Àngel waterfall, or ‘Angel Falls’ in English. It’s the world’s highest, uninterrupted waterfall, and locals say its waters have healing properties. Join DW’s @joeldullroy on an adventurous journey of discovery in Venezuela’s Canaima National Park!
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