Photography: Earth from the International Space Station

NASA astronaut Don Pettit recently uploaded a gallery of photos to the Johnson Space Center’s Flickr page.

“My star trail images are made by taking a time exposure of about 10 to 15 minutes. However, with modern digital cameras, 30 seconds is about the longest exposure possible, due to electronic detector noise effectively snowing out the image. To achieve the longer exposures I do what many amateur astronomers do. I take multiple 30-second exposures, the ‘stack’ them using imaging software, thus producing the longer exposure.”
- Don Pettit

Earth from the International Space Station, Photography by Don Pettit, via: Retina

Industry Porcelain by Gentle Giants

This porcelain vases collection is a research on aesthetic of industrial archeology. These vases draw attention to the cultural dimension of industrial architecture, highlighting the need for preservation of these buildings. The collection has an evident inspiration, and is a tribute to the work of two internationally renowned artists: Bernd and Hilla Becher.

Industry Porcelain, by Gentle Giants

Exhibition: Timelessness: Lella & Massimo Vignelli

An exhibition celebrating the Italian architect and designer Massimo Vignelli. On display is a selection of works designed by Massimo and Lella Vignelli over the course of an outstanding career of almost fifty years.

The pieces on display, which are on loan from the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at Rochester Institute of Technology – as well as other examples of the designers’ graphic, furniture, interior and architectural design, which are featured in a slide show in the gallery – are at once disciplined and playful. A trio of colored glass and silver carafes, produced in the late 1950s by the Italian glassmaker Venini and the French silversmith Christofle, strike a perfect balance between formal rigor and sensuality. (Their handles’ U-shaped profile was later translated into plastic for the cups and mugs of the Vignellis’ famous stacking tableware for Heller, which is also on view.) Simple, elegant flatware and glassware (for Sasaki and for an Italian hotel chain) are shown alongside an array of sleek but practical watches for the Swiss company Junod. If the show has a shortcoming apart from its size – what’s there makes you want to see more – it’s that it doesn’t tell the stories behind the products, like the 1962 table lamp for Arteluce that was designed to be shipped flat and assembled at home, or the delicately colored Murano glass barware by Venini that was originally designed for the Vignellis’ wedding.

Timelessness: Timeless Design, June 4 – July 13, at Italian Cultural Institute of New York
via: New York Times

Marionet by Simon Busse for Mox

The name giver of Marionet shows how to do it: only the connections between the (body) parts, joints and threads hold together the marionette; if one of the components is missing it collapses. This principle is equally applicable to the side table, which Simon Busse designed for the Mox Company: Only if all its components interact the table stands firmly. Three flat wooden legs other form the basis and are brought into position by a connective element. A hook on the top side of the connective element holds a coloured elastic band – the marionette’s string. The band runs through the wooden legs towards a tabletop and turns into a carrying handle on the upper side. In order to lock this fragile structure, the tabletop is bevelled downwards, the legs are kept in position and the entire table stands firmly.

Marionet, by Simon Busse, for Mox, Interior Innovation Award, 2012, (German Design Council)

Xieira House II by A2 + Arquitectos

Implemented in a slender lot from north to south, the project born with the aim of building a dwelling with a single floor. The typology was defined according to the best sunlight, as this is one of the richest of this Mediterranean country. So all rooms are oriented to the east, the living room (place more permanent) to south, the kitchen to west and garage to north where the functionality is the symbiosis of the project. The professional link of the owner to the forestry sector, led us to look for sources of inspiration in the region. We are in the west of the country, near the city of Leiria that is distinguished by loggers and mythical forests (created by King D. Dinis in order to protect the city from sand storms from the winds off the Atlantic ocean) this was the turning point of the project which allowed us to take advantage of traditional formwork pine boards used in the concrete in sight walls at core walls of the house.

Xieira House II, Leiria, Portugal, by A2 + Arquitectos, Photography © FG+SG

Zero Jewellery Range by Minimalux

Zero is void of any detailing, decoration or embellishement; just a simple collection of solid metal bands forming a single, subtle style for both men and women. Rings are offered in Sterling Silver, 18ct Gold, White Gold & Platinum. Zero is produced in Hatton Garden, London: one of the finest and most renowned jewellery locations in the world. All the items are mirror polished by hand, hallmarked and machine engraved with the Minimalux mark.

Zero, by Minimalux

Exhibition: Gerrit Rietveld: The Revolution of Space

The Dutchman Gerrit Rietveld (1888 – 1964) was one of the most important designers and architects of the 20th century. He was trained as a carpenter and was associated early on with the De Stijl movement and its central figures, Theo van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian. Beginning in 1918, his work reflects the artistic ideals of this group. Rietveld transformed objects and buildings into abstract compositions of lines and planes, mainly in black, white, grey and the primary colours yellow, red and blue. However, he initially developed his legendary Red-Blue Chair in 1918 without the striking colour scheme from which its name is derived – the coloured version dates from the year 1923. Rietveld’s first architectural project, the now legendary Rietveld-Schröder House, followed in 1924. In search of ways to further develop his radical aesthetic ideas, Rietveld soon distanced himself from the aesthetics of De Stijl. Throughout the 1930s, he pursued experimental work, especially with innovative materials such as plywood and aluminium. One example of the unusual furnishings created out of these materials is the Zig-Zag Chair (c. 1932). After 1945, Rietveld was primarily active as an architect, designing prestigious buildings such as the Dutch Pavilion on the premises of the Venice Biennale. By the time of the major De Stijl retrospective at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 1952/53, Rietveld had attained international recognition as a pioneer of modern design. This Vitra Design Museum exhibition is the first major retrospective on Gerrit Rietveld to be presented to the German-speaking public since 1996. Comprising around 320 objects – including furniture, models, paintings, photographs, films and approximately 100 original drawings and plans – it offers a comprehensive overview of the Dutch designer’s work. In addition, it incorporates comparative works by contemporaries such as Theo van Doesburg, Bart van der Leck, Le Corbusier and Marcel Breuer, thus shedding light on the mutual exchange of ideas and Rietveld’s place in the context of other modernist currents.

Viewed in the light of this new retrospective, many facets of Gerrit Rietveld’s work prove to be astonishingly relevant today. For example, his urban plans appear to have much more in common with current developments than many radical utopian concepts put forth by other modernist architects, since Rietveld’s were based on social aspects rather than dogmatic principles. And with a series of furniture for self-assembly in the 1930s and ’40s, Rietveld anticipated even today’s do-it-yourself trend and the concept of “open design”.

Gerrit Rietveld: The Revolution of Space, May 17 – September 16, at Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany

Adhoc Storage by Bruno Fattorini & Partners for Zanotta

Storage units, made of steel sheet, that can be either open, with drawers or sliding doors. Adhoc stems from the desire to create a home furnishing system with a historically industrial material. The sheet metal has allowed working with 1.5-mm thick plates. Thanks to a special compass opening solution patented by Bruno Fattorini & Partners (patent pending No. MI2011A000131), the door folds away inside the container with no lateral encumbrance, which further minimizes the layout of the containers, already simple and linear, and lends a perception of extreme lightness.

Adhoc, by Bruno Fattorini and Partners, for Zanotta

Point by Paul Smith & Kvadrat & Fritz Hansen for Maharam

New York-based textile design company Maharam has teamed up with Fritz Hansen and Kvadrat to launch Point by Paul Smith. The upholstery textile is a mix of Smith’s signature ‘classics with a twist’ pattern.

“The idea behind this fabric came from traditional Scottish Fair Isle knitting; I love the vibrant mix of colours and patterns that Fair Isle techniques create and have used many variations of it over the years,” said Smith.

Point combines natural tones and accent colours that are available in seven geometric patterns, ranging from traditional to modern. To celebrate the launch of Point by Paul Smith, the textile will be upholstered on a selection of Fritz Hansen’s classic design icons including the Egg, Swan and Grand Prix by Arne Jacobsen and the PK22 chair by Poul Kjærholm, as well as the Alphabet Sofa by Piero Lissoni.

Point, by Paul Smith, for Maharam

Flag Candlestick by Jonas Wagel for Normann Copenhagen

The Swedish designer Jonas Wagell has created this new interpretation of the classical chamber candlestick. Flag’s design was inspired by the little signal flags on floating buoys used to send signals to sailors. Designed to hold a single candle, the candlestick has a classic expression that would suit any interior style. In the old days, the chamber candlestick was used to provide light at night. Today, candlelight is used to create a warm and cosy atmosphere. With clear references to the chamber candlestick, Flag has a recognisable function and modern expression and is easily moved by picking up the little flag.

Flag Candlestick, by Jonas Wagel, for Normann Copenhagen