The HAY-produced, moulded plywood Shanghay chair is composed of four small boards that fold around each other to form “the simplest chair imaginable.” Originally conceived for the Danish Pavillion for the Shanghai World Expo 2010, the chair was created to be a single segment of a long social bench that extends throughout both the inside and outside of the pavillion, in collaboration between BIG and Jeppe Hein. Multi-colored and easy to assemble, dissemble and reassemble, these pieces offer the versatility to create whatever hybrid design of the Shanghay you like.

designer: kibisi
producer: hay
material: molded plywood
made: 2010
dimensions: h 78cm x w 50.5cm x d 49.5cm

Ceramica alumina, for the lamp of the future. Lampalumina is a delicate lamp collection by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, utilizing the high-tech, ceramic-aluminum fusion with subtle qualities. Light is of the essence, and this state of the art project aims for a harmonious blend of precision, the solidity and texture of industrial ceramics and the flexibility of the craft. Originally used in aerospace, the free form use of this ceramic sheds light on a lamp that is sleek, soft and interesting looking- maintaining an air of simplicity,while bathed in clean white. This innovative collection offers an introduction to what could become a model for future illuminating products to come.

Lampalumina ­ 2010
High Lampalumina
H 930 * L 200 * l 165 mm

Medium Lampalumina
H 800 * L 200 * l 165 mm

Small Lampalumina
H 670 * L 200 * l 165 mm

Designer: ronan & erwan bouroullec
Producer: bitossi

Wood and metal are furniture staples, but they have been classically rethought by Michael Young for their roles as components of the Lancaster chair. The cast aluminum seat and back are created to be indestructible, without compromising their chic, wearing either dark anodized or machine polished finishes. The wood legs are available in natural ash-wood and dark stain ash-wood. Emeco’s debut of the chair collection by the British designer will introduce the company’s first foray into component-based design. The Lancaster chair is brought together with materials meant to age richly, and maintain its stance as a good, sophisticated standard.

designer: michael young
producer: emeco

The craftsmanship of Murano’s master glass blowers inspired the design of this contemporary light created by Ronan & Erwin Bouroullec. Their idea to use traditional know-how from Venini, Italy gave birth to a lamp that balances the vulnerable nature of classically blown glass with the industrial look of hardware at the base, which is instead supported with a more delicate aluminum cylinder. The Murano glass color palette varies in function to the lamp, and ranges from pale pink to vibrant orange. Throw marble into the mix, and there shines a sophisticated display of light.

designer: ronan & erwan bouroullec
producer: established & sons

The aim of Michael Young’s collection for Zixag is to reflect how technology blends into modern life.Young’s collection of bags for Zixag have a distinctive functional, urban feel and look.The city and studio lines are made of canvas and polyster, depending on the line- offering the wearer a stylish way to tote their belongings. Materially, they are a mixture of soft cottons and tough nylons, hand-sewing and machine moulding. Here is a contrast to make use of.

Designer: michael young
Producer: zixag

ROHO collection sets new standard for bpa-free hydration bottles. The new line of reusable stainless steel bottles fuses modern art with functional design.

ROHO™ is the latest addition to the historically trusted and reputable line of BPA-free Thermos® products. Influenced by global, political, cultural and environmental issues, the new reusable stainless steel hydration bottles feature a variety of vibrant designs to reflect personal style without compromising safety. Offering safety and convenience advantages over current bottles on the market, the ROHO collection raises the bar of what is expected from a hydration bottle.

“Hydration bottles may have a trendy design on the outside, but many are still made with unsafe materials on the inside where attention to detail matters most,” said Kim Flanagan, ROHO brand manager. “The ROHO collection finally combines everything you’ve been looking for in a hydration bottle.”

Uniting innovative design and safety, the ROHO collection hydration bottles are made from 18/8 stainless steel and polypropylene, which means there is no BPA, no aluminum and no interior coating to be concerned about. The long neck shape of the bottle provides an ergonomic hand grip, while beverage capacity is still a generous 24 oz.

The initial ROHO collection will be available in 18 different designs with a variety of colors and graphics offering new ways to express individual style and personality. Each ROHO stainless steel bottle can be identified from other hydration bottles by the distinct leak-proof red flip-top lid.

The striking lid design also features a one-hand push button and an integrated carrying loop.

“The ROHO brand name was inspired by our signature red lid and our global focus,” said Flanagan. “Rojo means red in Spanish, making the brand fun, approachable and memorable.”

The ROHO collection will be available at Target stores and at Thermos.com.
Price: $14.99-$17.99.
Producer: thermos

the farnsworth house is located about 60 miles southwest of chicago.

Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in the late 40s and completed in 1953, the house was a one-room weekend retreat for Dr. Edith Farnsworth, a kidney specialist from Chicago. In the architecture world, the house is a candidate for one of the seven wonders of the world.

Designer: ludwig mies van der rohe

See the full article with many more photos in the e-zine section

In 2009 Chicago’s Burnham plan celebrated its 100th anniversary. With Daniel Burnham, Chicago was lucky to have an urban visionary who not only had credibility but social clout amongst Chicago’s elite. Chicago is also lucky to have a visionary with all kinds of clout who is inspired by Europe, loves all things green, bikes all […]

philippe starck, creator of high-tech lamps, modern-style furniture, and chic hotels, has revealed two highly-anticipated wind turbine designs for home use. “Revolutionair,” the sleek turbines were officially debuted after a lengthy 2 years of research and work. The “Revolutionair” turbine is “revolutionary” because they’re designed for homeowners. That means wind turbines in yards, gardens, or […]

Inventor and entrepreneur James Dyson used a defect in the Airblade drier as the springboard for an innovative table fan. what looks like a modern sculpture is actually a fan—with no blades. Dyson says the device came out of a defect in the Airblade, the energy-efficient hand drier for public restrooms that his company, Dyson, launched in 2006. Despite its jet-like exhaust, engineers noticed that the machine was trapping a lot of air inside. “We had no intention to make a fan,” he says. “But the failure made us curious. We asked, What could we do with this high-speed air?”

The new fan, branded the Dyson Air Multiplier, launched on Oct. 12 on Dyson.com. The 10-inch version sells for $299.99, while the 12-inch model sells for $329.99.

Producer: Dyson