Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With by Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle

Madrid-born artist Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle’s latest work, Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With, realizes one of Mies van der Rohe’s unbuilt projects–albeit upside-down. The installation is an inverted, replica of Mies’ 50×50 House project from 1951. The small, house is completely enclosed in glass, with black leather Barcelona chairs, glass-topped tables, and a wood partition, containing a kitchen with a small range, countertop and a French Press with a teaspoon.

Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With, by Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle

Speyside by Jonas Lindvall for de nord

Part of the permanent collection of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Speyside was conceived as a way of tucking away bottles of whisky or spirits in a storage unit with an outer section that can be opened and closed as needed.

Speyside, by Jonas Lindvall, for de nord

Icon: The Astoria Hotel & Restaurant by Verner Panton

The design of the Hotel and Restaurant Astoria in Trondheim included the entry area with the cloakroom, the day restaurant with the wintergarten, an evening restaurant with dance floor as well as a self-service restaurant. Verner Panton used the textile design Geometry I to IV for floors, walls and ceilings in order to give the room a uniform image. The chairs are various versions of the Panton Cone Chair and the Heart Cone Chair. The chairs grouped around the tables and the Topan lights work together to divide the large room into individual seating areas with an intimate note.

The Astoria Hotel & Restaurant, Trondheim, Norway, by Verner Panton, 1960
via: Fine Ting og Sjokolade

Nastrino by Kai Byok for K.B. FORM

Winner of the Red Dot design award of Germany, Nastrino is a custom-made table lamp designed by Kai Byok. Discreetly sanded aluminium profiles give this table lamp with its balanced proportions an independent character. The filigree profiles lead to a vertical foot element which, like the entire construction, does without any visible screws. The optional clamping foot also mirrors the straight-lined design vocabulary. The slim upper arm accommodates the LED technology with up to three anti-glare illumination zones. While the upper joint is held by resilient friction, the lower one is enforced with a hidden spring.

Nastrino, by K.B. FORM

Herzliya Home by Pitzo Kedem Architects

The house was built as a vacation home for a family living abroad. It is situated directly on the coast in the center of the country. The buildings architectural design is based on three central masses that surround a large internal courtyard with a swimming pool at its center. The masses comprise the border and the barrier between the street, the neighbors and the home’s interior and between the internal courtyard and those same spaces. The central theme was to create dynamic walls that allow, on the one hand, the elimination of the boundary between the central courtyard and the internal spaces, and on the other hand, the creation of a changing and dynamic facade that allows for the total closure of the façade or different levels of exposure or concealment.

The side the sea to the west, allows for a richer relationship between the exposed and the concealed. A partition created from six equal metal sections and adjustable wooden slats allows for the total closure of the façade or different levels of blurring between the inside and the outside. The dynamism of the large accordion doors and the adjustable wooden slats allows natural light that enters through them, to play a central role in the homes internal spaces and for the creation of geometrical displays of light against the vertical and horizontal areas and so enrich the material restraint in which the homes spaces are fashioned.

Herzliya Home, by Pitzo Kedem Architects, in Cooperation with Tanju Qzelgin, via: Arch Daily

Strida Folding Bike by Mark Sanders

Probably the best engineered and most versatile folding bike available today. The Strida Folding Bicycle is designed for effortless transportation with its ability to fold in 5 – 15 seconds, making it the quickest, easiest folders to collapse and put back together. The bike weighs only 22 lbs, and its ability to roll when folded allows it to be carried easily into home or office or store on planes, trains and automobiles. Magnets on each of the wheels hold the two wheels together when folded.

With its unique triangular frame construction, lightweight, rustproof frame, the bike is very low maintenance; by using a Kevlar belt instead of a chain, no oil will get on your clothes. The ride is fine, with direct steering and a very tight turning radius. Best of all, the bike is tall so you can ride upright and get a good overview of traffic.

Strida LT, Strida MAS (Mark Sanders Special), Strida SX (Xtra Speed), by Mark Sanders

Exhibition: Soviet Constructivism at ALVA

Recent graduates of the University of Western Australia have exhibited recent work, Soviet Constructivism. Each student selects a building which encapsulates a significant theoretical position in architectural history. In 2010 the Soviet Avant Garde of constructivism was picked as the epoch of exploration. A model of the chosen example will be made to an agreed scale, which will be accompanied by a written paper of not more than 2000 words. The written component is to be a critical analysis of the treatise or manifesto from which the built form is derived. The critical analysis also serves as a reference point for the realization of three dimensional forms of models.

Exhibition: Soviet Constructivism, The University of Western Australia Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts (ALVA).
via: designboom

Tse & Tse Teapot

A clever teapot goes by the name Tse & Tse. The porcelain teapot has a bentwood handle and a lid in stainless steel. The most important detail is probably the unusual shape of the body; the flat side is used for upright storage.

Tse & Tse Teapot, by Tsé & Tsé Associées

Troxell Residence (Paseo Miramar) by Richard Neutra

Originally built in 1956, Richard Neutra’s Troxell Residence perched high above the Pacific Coast Highway underwent a rigorous renovation and expansion to 3,000 square feet. Hughes Umbanhowar Architects followed cues from the original post and beam structure over which interior and exterior finishes of wood, stone, plaster and glass are applied in a simple refined technique to refine the play of space, light and views. A pile supported pool and deck, included in the original plans but never executed, now clings to the natively planted hillside, defining the limit of expanded outdoor living space and void below. 3 bedrooms are located off a common corridor facing west to the hillside, making for consistent, calm morning light. A seamless addition to the master bedroom projects the house further out into space – reemphasizing the overall horizontal composition of the building. From this room and the open plan dining and sitting areas large expanses of fixed and sliding glass welcome framed panoramic views that include downtown Los Angeles and Catalina Island.

Troxell Residence (Paseo Miramar) by Richard Neutra, Pacific Palisades, California, Renovation by Hughes Umbanhowar Architects, Interior Design: Brad Dunning

ie-tag by Naruse Inokuma Architects

ie-tag was part of the exhibition, “Earth: materials for design,” which took place at the Miraikan in Tokyo over the summer. The post-its, created by Naruse Inokuma Architects, are made from the recycled wood of homes and buildings that were torn down. Once used as the material of a home, the wood was recycled into stationary, maintaining it’s original shape but in completely different form.

ie-tag (House Tag), by Naruse Inokuma Architects, via: Spoon and Tamago