Archinect - News

The Asphalt Art Initiative expands to more cities as new statistics point to improved pedestrian safety

2022-04-19T20:06:00-04:00

Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced a European expansion of its Asphalt Art Initiative on the heels of a new study from the organization and Sam Schwartz Consulting that revealed some eye-opening statistics about the improvement of blacktop spaces in urban areas. A total of 20 new cities will be given grants of $25,000 each as part of the program’s next round of funding, which has to date gone to fund 45 projects in 41 different locations across the United States.

The joint study of 22 different U.S. test cases revealed that arts-driven transportation projects produce, among other outcomes, a 50% drop in the rate of crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists, a 37% drop in the rate of crashes involving serious injury, another 25% drop in road rage incidents between pedestrian and motorist, and a 27% increase in drivers yielding to pedestrians who have the right-of-way, suggesting tremendous public health and safety benefits overall.

Asphalt Art Initiative, Amsterdam. Lead artist: ...

Yinka Ilori on design and design inclusivity

2020-06-17T17:58:00-04:00

Walking into Yinka Ilori’s west London studio from the drab suburban business park outside is to enter an oasis. Floor-to-ceiling shelving is lined with the brightly coloured, upcycled chairs, painted or upholstered in West African fabrics, that made Ilori’s name when he first left college. [...] “My work is very much about inclusivity and how people enjoy design,” says the 33-year-old.

Emerging British-Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori in conversation with The Guardian's Observer Design magazine.

Asked about his growing courage to also take on architectural-scale projects, such as his collaboration with architects Pricegore on the 2019 Dulwich Pavilion The Colour Palace, Ilori responds: "Architecture and design should be for everyone, not just one group. Sometimes it’s not as inclusive as it should be."

Happy Street, London by Yinka Illori. Photo: Luke O'Donovan.

The city of London is hit with color thanks to designer Yinka Ilori

2019-07-30T19:00:00-04:00

This past June, London celebrated its annual London Festival of Architecture. The festival showcases exhibitions, installations, workshops, and other events highlighting architecture and design in the city.

This year, London-based designer Yinka Ilori created two projects that filled the city streets with life through color. First is the multicolored pavilion, "The Colour Palace," built in collaboration with London-based architecture firm Pricegore. Located outside the Dulwich Picture Gallery, the design was inspired by the markets of Balogun in Lagos, Nigeria. Illori used the colorful African textiles found hanging throughout the markets as inspiration for the pavilion.

The relationship between the pavilion and the Dulwich Picture Gallery may seem distant. However, according to the design team, the pavilion drew reference from the gallery through its geometry. Alex Gore, co-founder of Pricegore, expl...