Archinect - News

Architect-designed furniture and products at the 2024 Salone del Mobile

2024-04-19T13:13:00-04:00

Milan Design Week’s Salone del Mobile is set to conclude on Sunday, after a week which has seen the unveiling of a wide range of furnishing products.

“It is here that prototypes and innovations in terms of furnishings, domestic spaces, and lifestyles are presented: bedrooms, living and dining areas, entrance corridors, and service areas, outdoor spaces with their furniture and cupboards, upholsterers, tables and chairs set the scene for a narrative that starts with this room, exploring how the way we live is changing and, consequently, home living and furnishing,” the organizers said about the 2024 edition.

This year’s trade fair has included several products designed in collaboration with architects and architectural designers, continuing a trend that we reported on back in previous years, where we showcased work by Zaha Hadid Architects, Kengo Kuma and Associates, and OMA. To highlight this trend once again, our editorial team has collected some of the standout collaborations betw...

MoMA exhibition on 20th-century Latin American design is a 'gem' says Michael Kimmelman

2024-04-05T13:31:00-04:00

The show is a gem. It focuses on domestic design from six countries (Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Venezuela), produced between 1940 and 1980. Latin America had entered a period of transformation, industrial expansion and creativity. Across the region, design was becoming institutionalized as a profession, opening up new avenues, especially for women.

Critic Michael Kimmelman has heaped praise on the 'Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980' MoMA exhibition in a new piece for The New York Times. As we reported in December of last year, the show looks at the growth of modernism through an industrial and entrepreneurial lens, using a selection of examples from well-known and revered architects and designers such as Joaquim Tenreiro, Lina Bo Bardi, and Oscar Niemeyer.

"The role that women and immigrants played in shaping professional design and developing a national design vocabulary in Latin America will be emphasized, including the work of designers such as Clara Porset in Mexico, Cornelis Zitman in Venezuela, and Susi Aczel in Argentina," MoMA said about their exhibition at the time.

BIG unveils a new sofa piece designed for Natuzzi Italia

2023-10-04T12:45:00-04:00

Furniture brand Natuzzi Italia has unveiled a sofa designed by Bjarke Ingels Group. The Colle Sofa, available online, draws inspiration from Natuzzi Italia’s early iconic designs, “known for their inviting, hospitable style that captures the essence of Mediterranean living,” as the company describes it.

Image credit: Natuzzi Italia

The piece is part of the wider Natuzzi Italia project titled ‘The Circle of Harmony,’ which has included a collaboration with dozens of renowned architects, artists, and designers over the past four years. Described by the company as “a physical and mental place that welcomes the most intimate and social moments by hosting quality time with ourselves and others,” the Colle Sofa features a wide selection of fabric and leather coverings.

Image credit: Natuzzi Italia

“Rooted in Natuzzi Italia's core values — Mediterranean flair, design, harmony, Italian character, innovation, comfort, and sustainability — the 2023 iteration of this philosophy, featuring the Co...

Steelcase reinterprets Frank Lloyd Wright’s Johnson Wax Headquarters furniture with their new Racine Collection

2023-01-27T10:54:00-05:00

Michigan-based manufacturing company Steelcase has announced the creation of the Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Collection, a range of furniture that pays homage to the products designed by the famous architect in 1939 for the SC Johnson Administration Building in Racine, Wisconsin. Having worked with Wright to produce the furniture for the original 1939 building, Steelcase has sought to develop a new range that “reintroduces, reinterprets, and reimagines the classic furniture designs of Wright.”

Frank Lloyd Wright Racine Signature Collection. Image credit: Steelcase

Wright’s relationship with Steelcase began with the Johnson Wax Headquarters in 1939 and has continued through 1985 with their ongoing stewardship of Wright’s Meyer May House in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For their latest endeavor, Steelcase is collaborating with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to launch reintroductions of iconic furniture by Wright, as well as create newly authored designers inspired by Wright’s principles.

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Take a look at some of our favorite architect-designed furniture and homegoods products at Salone del Mobile

2022-06-13T11:52:00-04:00

Milan Design Week’s Salone del Mobile is wrapping up this weekend with another impressive field of new furniture collections gracing its exhibition halls and the international design stage for the first time.

Furniture design has been an increasing hallmark of the architectural trade beginning with the advent of the Baroque Revival style in the 1890s. Iconic pieces from Charles and Ray Eames, Mies van der Rohe, Arne Jacobsen, and Isamu Noguchi have become heavily-copied household mainstays as a result. The 60th Salone was a showcase of architects’ continued experimentation and theorizing within that tradition, featuring designs from OMA, Zaha Hadid, and several other leading international studios.

Every piece in each collection strives to be an individual work of art that carries forward the discipline using the exhibition theme of Design with Nature developed by president Maria Porro. The 2022 Salone has 2,000 exhibitors overall. Scroll down to see our selection of architect-design...

IKEA completes bookcase-inspired store in Vienna, Austria

2022-05-23T10:57:00-04:00

Austria-based architecture office querkraft has completed an IKEA furniture store in the country’s capital Vienna, whose exterior was inspired by bookcases. Designed as a car-free venue, the scheme was developed with the vision of being a “good neighbor” for the surrounding community through a blend of public spaces and an active streetfront.

Photo © querkraft + christina häusler

The scheme’s defining feature is its shelf-like main façade. The 15-foot-deep zone envelops the building to provide shade for the indoors, while also accommodating terraces and greenery. In a move reminiscent of Paris’ Centre Pompidou, the external skeleton also houses infrastructural elements such as lifts, stairs, and building services.

Photo © querkraft + christina häusler

Inside, the 316,000 square foot scheme is supported by a 32x32 ft grid of reinforced concrete columns. From the ground level, a generous void extends up the building, visually linking the five retail floors occupied by IKEA. The top two...

An architect’s advice on boosting creativity in hybrid workplaces

2022-04-06T09:00:00-04:00

In a new thought piece, NBBJ architect Ryan Mullenix presents the findings of NBBJ and the University of Washington’s research into how hybrid workspaces impact creativity. Coincidentally launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research sought to establish the key behavioral and spatial elements which can enable creative workers, including architects, to maintain a creative flair away from their traditional workplace.

The research’s findings may prove useful for creatives long after the pandemic, with evidence including Archinect’s own survey finding that hybrid work options have become a permanent fixture in architectural employment. For example, there are currently 41 open positions on Archinect’s job board offering purely remote working.

According to architect Mullenix, a key finding from research participants was that “control” remains an important part of workplace setting...

Milan's Salone del Mobile announces 2022 dates and theme

2022-03-18T17:44:00-04:00

Milan’s Salone del Mobile has announced dates and theme for this year’s milestone edition of the popular design fair.

This 60th Salone will be held from June 7th to the 12th in the Fiera Milano Rho and will look to reestablish itself coming out of a pandemic-tinged two-year period that has given way to an uncertain global environment colored by war.

According to a press announcement, the aim of this year’s fair is to “demonstrate that it is both possible and crucial to start holding great international events live again, embedding sustainability and environmental awareness into furniture production.”

“The Salone has always been a catalyst for creativity, positivity and energy. We have always been a place of dialogue and construction, in Milan and at the Shanghai and Moscow editions,” President Maria Porro said in a statement.

Previously on Archinect: Salone del Mobile appoints Maria Porro as its new president

“Now, we are as shocked as everyone else by the war in Ukraine and believe ...

Architecture's long relationship with furniture and product design remind us of alternative career paths for architects

2022-01-06T08:37:00-05:00

An architectural background offers a specific level of skills and expertise that individuals can use and leverage outside of traditional employment formats. Take furniture making and product design, for example. This long-standing relationship between architects diving into furniture and product design can be seen in pieces like Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Chair, the Eames' line of iconic chairs, Zaha Hadid's Mesa Table, or my personal favorite Eero Aarnio's Ball Chair.

This merging of craft and discipline has offered individuals with a background in architecture to pursue other branches of design to satisfy their creative interests. In Archinect's Working Out of the Box series, we've had the opportunity to chat with several architects and designers who have pivoted their professional interests into specialized craft-related disciplines such as textile design, sculpture, and furniture/product design. We learn how valuable and multi-dimensional an architecture background can be th...

Savio Firmino unveils chair collection inspired by architectural landmarks, underwritten by the Blockchain

2021-10-01T12:42:00-04:00

Italian furniture and interior design studio Savio Firmino has unveiled a collection of 16 chairs inspired by some of the world’s most iconic architectural landmarks. Titled CITYNG, and designed in collaboration with artist Cosimo De Vita, the collection was exhibited at the 2021 Salone del Mobile in September. The iconic design event, which was curated this year by Stefano Boeri, came one month after the Salone del Mobile appointed Maria Porro as its new president.

Image courtesy of Savio Firmino

The collection of 16 chairs depicts both a geographical journey between West and East and a temporal journey between tradition and contemporary design. “The chair not only becomes a symbolic object of the cities but also symbolically represents their values, traditions, and cultural substratum,” explains Savio Firmino. “It starts in Europe from Florence, the hometown of both Cosimo and the Savio Firmino company, continues to Milan, the city of the Salone and of design par excellence, to t...

Jean Nouvel designs 'dazzling and lasting' kitchen for Reform

2021-09-01T08:54:00-04:00

Jean Nouvel has collaborated with Danish design company Reform on a new kitchen unit, the first designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architect. Described as “tight and minimalist, yet characteristically dazzling and lasting,” the kitchen is defined by an understated, art deco design language. The kitchen is available in black or untreated metal, both featuring a monochrome design activated by diffuse reflections across their surface.

Image: Reform / Jean Nouvel

The kitchen is constructed of steel imbued with vertical ridges, finished in a high gloss, reflective surface. The countertops are available in stainless steel with gray and black Fenix laminate, complimenting and accentuating the unit’s reflectivity.

Image: Reform / Jean Nouvel

“Jean Nouvel and Reform occupy different ends of the design spectrum,” Reform said in a statement. “Where Jean Nouvel concerns himself with creating ‘visual landscapes’, Reform is dedicated to delivering extraordinary, yet accessible kitchen desig...

A&D Goes Carbon Neutral: Innovations in Supply and Manufacturing Chains

2020-09-17T16:25:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Parade, the only online platform dedicated to tracking new product releases for the A&D industry

So the story goes, when Elon Musk’s SpaceX was faced with a $120,000 price tag for a rocket booster actuator, the famed visionary advised his engineer thusly: “That part is no more complicated than a garage door opener. Your budget is $5,000. Go make it work.” Some nine months later, the actuator was finalized at a price tag of $3,900, accelerating production of the rocket while similarly providing impetus to Musk’s objective of verticalizing his supply chain in order to enhance quality, decrease transportation costs, and reduce fossil fuel use.

Keilhauer products are designed for a long, useful life with replaceable components. Their End of Product Life documents may be used as guidance for those wishing to replace product components or dismantle and recycle products at home.

Though arguably the most famous, Musk certainly isn’t the only one bent on innova...

10 new furniture designs for your Friday inspiration

2020-03-13T07:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Furniture.

↑ Asanoha by destilat Design Studio GmbH for Grüne Erde

↑ RigUp Office in Austin, TX by MF Architecture; Millwork: Dovetail; Custom Furniture: KKDW; Photo: Hua Liu, Rachel Deng, Charles Davis Smith

↑ Olivera Chaise Longue by Roberto Guzman for KGBL

↑ Coffeebar in Menlo Park, CA by Walker Warner Architects; Interior Design & live-edge walnut communal table: NICOLEHOLLIS

↑ Hi/Lo House Closet Vanity by Hufft

↑ Sant Antoni Lofts in Barcelona, Spain by ROMAN IZQUIERDO BOULDSTRIDGE; Photo: Adrià Goula

↑ Paper Store in New Delhi, India by Architecture Discipline; Photo: Jeetin Sharma

↑ Saint-Laurent Apartment in Montreal, Cana...

Bobby Berk from Netflix's 'Queer Eye' talks about his new Midcentury furniture collection

2020-03-06T14:20:00-05:00

Bobby Berk from Netflix’s “Queer Eye” visited Mathis Brothers Furniture at Irvine’s The Market Place on Wednesday to promote his debut furniture collection, Bobby Berk for A.R.T. Furniture. The collection, described as Midcentury styling with nods to Art Deco shapes and Parisian style, features dining room, living room and bedroom pieces.

According to A.R.T. Furniture, the collection boasts modular capabilities and captures Berk's "minimalist sensibility with a new mix of materials." As part of the Netflix show, Queer Eye, where each episode features the "Fab Five," a team of gay professionals with expertise in culture, food, fashion, grooming, and interior design provide a complete makeover to a lucky individual on the show. Berk's role usually consists of redesigning the individual's home, but sometimes he provide his expertise in another spatial setting of importance to the person the team is serving.

BIG's first couch is a kit of parts inspired by the video game Minecraft

2020-02-24T16:45:00-05:00

The Voxel consists of four core components: a seat, backrest/armrest, a pillow, and ottoman. The components can be configured in a number of ways, allowing users the freedom and flexibility to customize their optimum layout. According to Fast Company, BIG says the Voxel is inspired by everything from the game Minecraft to the modernism of Mies van der Rohe.

"Very often, architects are a little bit like curators of building components. We source door handles, lamps, window frames, heaters, and so forth. And so everything that goes into our buildings is something that another designer or engineer has done," said BIG partner Jakob Lange in a conversation with Fast Company's Mark Wilson. "The aim with BIG Ideas was to support the creation of the architecture, [when] sometimes we just simply couldn’t find the lamp or chair to fit our building."

An interesting take on the expandable table

2019-10-18T13:49:00-04:00

For all you furniture buffs out there, this table offers an interesting solution in flexibility. Called the Goliath, the table can go from a mere 17 inches to about 10 feet in length. It utilizes a system of rails similar to drawer guides, something that, according Rain Noe over at Core77, caused the table to sag when he used it for woodworking (which he admits as its non-intended function). However, it seems to be an interesting solution for the domestic user.

Virgil Abloh teams up with IKEA for a new limited collection

2019-10-10T14:00:00-04:00

MARKERAD collection, a collaboration between IKEA x Virgil Abloh...This range stylishly fuses functionality with street cred and high cultural references, it brings you statement pieces that challenge tradition. The collection of 15 pieces consists of a range of fashion-forward homewares that cater towards fluid and contemporary living, including a day bed, table, chair, mirror, lighting, bed textiles, cabinet and accessories.

"It’s about elevating the anonymous, everyday icons that we use without noticing. When we put a doorstop on one of the legs of an ordinary chair we create something unexpected – an interruption," said Abloh about the collection.

Denver Art Museum delves into the "Serious Play" behind Mid-Century Modernism

2019-07-09T11:00:00-04:00

Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America, an exhibition currently on view at the Denver Art Museum (DAM), delves into some of the more joyful aspects of 20th Century design.

Highlighting works by Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, Henry P. Glass, Herbert Bayer, Eva Zeisel, and Alexander Girard, among others, the colorful and whimsical exhibition seeks to position play as a primary "catalyst for creativity and innovation," according to a press release.

Armchair for Braniff International by Alexander Girard. Image courtesy of Wright.

The exhibition, co-organized with the Milwaukee Art Museum, is co-curated by Christoph Heinrich, director of DAM, Darrin Alfred, curator of architecture and design at DAM, and Monica Obniski, curator of 20th and 21st Century design at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Presenting over 200 design objects, including drawings, models, textiles, ceramics, playground equipment, and furniture, the exhibition argues that during the Mid-Century era, material innova...

An exhibition with over 300 objects designed by architects opens at Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine

2019-06-06T15:53:00-04:00

At the Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine (Architecture and Heritage City), in Paris, France, a new exhibition has opened featuring the designed objects of over 125 architects. According to the museum, which was first established in 1879 by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, "the exhibition proposes to discover how architects fit into the decorative arts, through the design of furniture, objects and lighting of architects."

Examples of objects on display at Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine.

The exhibition will be on view between until September 30th, and is complimented by several guided tours.

Eight brilliantly playful works of architecture by Stanley Tigerman

2019-06-05T17:50:00-04:00

As we announced earlier this week, Stanley Tigerman passed away at the age of 88. As a full life of work lies behind the Chicago architect, we look back on his uniquely playful and humane architecture, much of which was produced in collaboration with his wife, Margaret McCurry.

1. The Titanic (1978)

The Titanic (1978). Photomontage on paper.

Though he had developed a robust portfolio of built works throughout his 53-year-long career, Tigerman was also lauded as a master communicator through illustration and collage. He owed much of his creative practice to Mies van der Rohe, the modernist architect who dotted the Chicago skyline with perfected black boxes, but he offered this image of Crown Hall, one of Mies' most beloved buildings on the campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), sinking in Lake Michigan as an opportunity to reevaluate the architect's legacy.

According to the Art Institute of Chicago, the photomontage "meant to provoke architects to contend with the Mies...

Can celebrities become successful designers? Terry Crews shows the public it's possible with his third furniture collection with Bernhardt Design

2019-05-25T11:28:00-04:00

The former NFL player is standing on the show floor of ICFF, where his third line of furniture for Bernhardt Design is making its debut [...] Crews says that he’s finding his voice as a designer and finding new opportunities to express himself. The line—dubbed Becca, after Crew’s wife Rebecca King-Crews—consists of a sofa and armchairs, which can be upholstered with any Bernhardt Design leather or fabric. (The collection can also be custom upholstered at the buyer’s request.)

Celebrities entering the field of architecture and design is nothing new. From Brad Pitt pitching his thoughts on the new LACMA design to Kanye West designing homes and visiting a famed Los Angeles architecture school, celebrities find ways to become a part of the profession. However, before the glitz and glam of Hollywood, many celebrities had other passions and pursuits before entering show business. With the news of Terry Crews actively pursuing his career in furniture design he may be the one celebrity we wouldn't want to dismiss.

Sofa from Crews' newest collection "Becca" Image courtesy of Bernhardt Design.

In Crews' case, the former NFL player and actor is not new to the art scene. Before his rise to fame in athletics and acting Crews was an avid illustrator and had a passion for fine arts as a child. He pursued art in college when he received an art scholarship at Western Michigan University. He has frequently shared his experience with art, "I had an art scholarship before I ...

Through the eyes of Verner Panton; a master of color through contemporary expression

2019-01-03T09:38:00-05:00

If you don't know his name, you probably know of his work. Verner Panton's iconic designs have noted him an innovator in furniture as well as atmospheric design. Deemed the "bad boy" of Danish design, Paton's rise as an icon in contemporary design broke through social convention. His take on design and its accessibility to others was his calling card. Obsessed with the needs of individuals, Panton believed that intelligent design should be available for the masses, and not merely set aside for the wealthy.

A less successful experiment is preferable to a beautiful platitude”

The '60s was a time of the search for the psychedelic and social progress, Panton's design theory and ideals fit well within the needs of the time. Famously said, "A less successful experiment is preferable to a beautiful platitude.” A true optimist in the future of design and social mobility, Panton strived to create objects and spaces that provoked the senses. In his new monograph by Phaidon, writers Ida Enghol...

New robotically furnished apartments being tested for space efficiency

2018-09-28T19:25:00-04:00

As Americans cram into ever-tighter urban living arrangements, a question has emerged: Isn’t there some better way to furnish a tiny apartment? Yes. The answer, of course, is robots. Inside a model studio apartment at the Eugene, an 844-unit building on Manhattan’s West Side, sits a blocky, Swiss Army-knife-like unit that looks a little like two-sided armoire with lots of compartments. It’s called Ori. Ori runs on a track and can be activated by voice command...

Companies like Ori and Bumblebee Spaces are testing out robotic furniture in major cities where living space is limited. The Ori system, currently testing robotically-furnished apartments in Manhattan, operates through voice command or your smartphone app moving the modular unit along a floor track. Bumblebee Spaces, testing spaces in Seattle and San Francisco, takes interior robotics to the ceiling by moving furniture vertically from the floor to being stored above your head.

Ikea's design modifications for their new store in India and around the world

2018-08-20T15:29:00-04:00

This week, Ikea opened its first store in India–a feat the company has been planning for many years. But while the big, blue exterior of the store looks the same, the interiors, from the displays to the products themselves, have been subtlety tailored to accommodate cultural differences. It’s a strategy Ikea has used to expand from its origins in Sweden, now reaching 30 markets in Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia...

As Ikea expands into Asia, the brand recently opened their first store in India tailoring their products to the county's culture. This is part of how Ikea introduces their brand to countries around the globe, by keeping their designs mostly the same with subtle, pointed changes for specific aspects of different cultures.

The company sends representatives to potential expansion areas in order to discern what alterations they may need to make. For India, Ikea created furniture designs with new materials to withstand the extreme humidity rather than using their standard material of untreated pine. They also created more stools and folding chair products to accommodate spontaneous family gatherings, common to many Indian households.

Check out the full article for other cultural modifications Ikea made around the world.

A look back at the iconic Mackintosh style and its radical origins

2018-06-08T15:35:00-04:00

What most caught [German critic Hermann Muthesius's] eye was the work of a young couple, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, who were quietly making wildly original furniture, buildings and interiors. These struck him as utterly “divergent from everything that is familiar”. Fusing the sinuous forms of art nouveau with rugged Scots baronial motifs and exotic Japanese touches, their designs were a startling sight – too much for many British critics to stomach.

Couple Charles Rennie and Margaret Macdonald built their Mackintosh name into the art deco icon it represents today, yet the duo's designs were far ahead of their time. The Mackintosh art nouveau style, originating in Glasgow, would go on to be recognized internationally. Take a deeper look into the history behind these radical designs as the city celebrates the 150th anniversary of Charles Rennie's birth.

Zaha Hadid Architects design 3D-printed chairs for Nagami's Milan debut

2018-04-18T16:20:00-04:00

Milan Design Week just kicked off, and one impressive highlight is the debut exhibition Brave New World: Re-thinking Design in the New Age of Technology by brand-new Spanish company, Nagami.

Marking the brand's official launch event, the show at the Nagami pop-up showroom in Milan's Brera Design District features four exquisite chairs—designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, Ross Lovegrove, and Daniel Widrig—that combined computational design and large-scale robotic 3D printing.

Bow & Rise by Zaha Hadid Architects for Nagami

Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
Design: Patrik Schumacher
Design Team: Sebastian Andia

Design description: "Bow and Rise are the latest results of the extensive, ongoing research that Zaha Hadid Architects is conducting within the domains of 3D printing and material experimentation. These chairs combine pristine design informed b...

10 great job opportunities at furniture-designing architecture firms

2018-03-08T12:03:00-05:00

Architects have a long history of designing more than just buildings. Whether to compliment a larger project or as a stand alone object, furniture design usually reflects the studio’s overall character. This week we have rounded up active listings on Archinect Jobs with firms who have extended their practice to furniture design.

Snarkitecture is actively seeking a Design Intern in Long Island City, NY.

Break cabinet by Snarkitecture. Image: Snarkitecture.

The firm is seeking an individual for a full-time, three month internship position beginning in mid March. The right candidate will be interested in working in between art and architecture and exploring the unexpected.

Rios Clementi Hale Studios has an active listing for a Senior Interior Designer/Architect, an Intermediate Architect/Designer and a Landscape Designer/Architect in their Los Angeles office.

IAC exterior seats by Rios Clementi Hale Studios. Image: Rios Clementi Hale Studios.

The right candidates will be interested in ...

The Archisutra is an architect's manual to sex positions

2017-12-05T17:59:00-05:00

London-based architect Miguel Bolivar recently released his side project Archisutra, an architecture and design take on the Kama Sutra. This manual gives you all the data with annotated scale drawings and informative descriptions including categorizations of 'Typical Location' and 'Sustainability'. Each position is inspired by an iconic building and often incorporates the use of designer furniture.

Truss Me, in 'Archisutra' by Miguel Bolivar. Photo: The Archisutra/Facebook.

Archisustra's precise drawings were inspired by da Vinci's Vitruvian Man and Le Corbusier's standard model of the human form, The Modulor. Bolivar explains the project arose from questioning how sex should be considered in design, and furthering the idea that architecture should be centered around human life.

The Pompidou, 'Archisutra' by Miguel Bolivar. Photo: The Archisutra/Facebook.

FixNation & Architects for Animals Fundraise with Cat Shelter Showcase

2017-10-31T13:16:00-04:00

Last week FixNation and Architects for Animals joined forces to raise funds for FixNation’s critical charitable services for Los Angeles’ homeless cats, including spaying and neutering (check out the projects from last year). To raise awareness cat shelters were designed and constructed by thirteen different teams of local architects (some comprising of singular companies, others collaborative), all conceptualizing different aspects of a cat’s life into the design. Also, 28 cat bowls painted by various celebrities, including but not limited to Clint Eastwood, Charlize Theron, Carly Patterson, and Kristen Bell, were showcased and are still being auctioned off to the highest bidders along with the cat shelters. To place a bid on one of the items from the event right meow click here. The evening with FixNation was purr-fectly cat-astic, from the shelters, to the hand painted cat bowls, to the cat themed desserts.

White Jack, by Abramson Teiger Architects

White J...

Bureau Spectacular's first retail project is now open in L.A.'s Arts District

2016-09-12T18:52:00-04:00

Bureau Spectacular etched their mark into Downtown L.A.'s Arts District with the new Frankie flagship store that opened last Friday, celebrating the relaunch of the high-end streetwear label as well as the firm's first retail store design. Frankie founder Kevin Chen worked alongside Jimenez Lai in designing the store. For starters, Lai created the striking graphic novel-like facade on the building's revamped exterior — but that's where the fun starts.

Inside, the 2,000 square-foot retail space has a room-within-a-room setup that alludes to Lai's earlier works like the “Speechbuster / 99 Chairs” sculpture and the “Briefcase House”.

Visitors will encounter one of Bureau Spectacular's Super-Furnitures, described as “a structure too small to be a building but too large to simply be a piece of furniture”. The nine-piece, 28-foot-long modular staircase is an interactive jigsaw structure that can be assembled into a runway or to provide seating, or disassembled into individual pieces for var...