Sauce

Against a background of natural terrain and vegetation, is a “red ribbon” spanning five hundred meters, which integrates the functions of lighting, seating, environmental interpretation, and orientation. While preserving as much of the natural river corridor as possible during the process of urbanization, this project demonstrates how a minimal design solution can achieve a dramatic improvement to the landscape.

The Tanghe River Park, located in Qinhuangdao, China, features a new installation of red steel that stretches for 500 meters along the riverbank. It is made of fiber steel, and lit from inside so that it glows red at night.

Four pavilions in the shape of clouds are distributed along the ribbon, which provide protection from the weather, meeting opportunities, and visual focal points.

www.asla.org

Rice Gallery commissioned this installation in collaboration with The Museum Fine Arts in Houston exhibition, The Modern West: American Landscape, 1890-1950.

Rip Curl Canyon was a kind of mythical location in the American West where land and water collide, far from Houston’s flat drained swamps. From its highest point at the rear of the gallery, its steep, crevice-like formations sloped down and gained momentum before breaking apart to form ribbons of curling waves. Like rip currents – narrow, fast moving belts of water – the segments twisted and surged toward the front glass entry wall. The view through the glass provided only glimpses of the unfolding topography beyond and invited the visitor to probe deeper. The steady climbing exploring caused the raw cut cardboard to slowly compress with each footstep…over time this accumulation developed into subtle pathways.

The fabrication processes used to make the natural brown surfaces are in the lineage of those Gehry employed in his legendary “Easy Edges” line of furniture in the 1970’s. Expanding on this knowledge enabled us to create architecturally scaled cardboard structures and introduce double curvature. We used the properties and limitations of the material – determined through building full scaled mock-ups during development combined with a parametric digital interface - to shape the cardboard – ribbons.” The project required laminating over 20,000 strips (weighing approximately eight tons) of curved, industrially die-cut corrugated cardboard in twelve days. Incredibly strong and capable of supporting the weight of several people, the cardboard laminates operate as semi-monocoques with an intermediary plywood armature. The armature was made of standard wood materials – 2 x 4s and plywood – individually cut and CNC routered offsite to conform to the varying dimensions and curvature of the undulating cardboard shells. We digitally developed a language of slotting connections so that these non-standard parts came together like a giant puzzle in four days, required very little structural decision making in the field and gave us the freedom to make improvised choices when installing the cardboard.

San Francisco-based Method has revamped the packaging for its popula Omop floor sweeper keit and Omop microfiber accessory pads.

Made specifically for Method from a combination of paper and bamboo the new brown packaging has an attractive unfinished quality to it - totally unique next to other products packaged in clear clamshells with bright labeling.

The packaging has a minimal quality to it that alone provides it a creative advantage - you want to look at the packaging, touch it and find out what is in it.

The packaging is both compostable and recyclable (mixed paper) and its creation has an interesting story behind it.

The idea for the new design came out of a “Design Safari” a regular creative departure held internally among Method staff. At the safaris staff members share examples of packaging or creative design they like and discuss it with their colleagues.

The new Omop starter kit packaging is compartmentalized. Everything has its own place in a logical easy to open format (unlike many clamshells).

Method’s Katie Molinari says - the internal layout of the packaging is a little like the experience of opening an Ipod box.

Open the lid of the paper/bamboo packaging on the starter kit to find a bottle of the Omop cleaning solution and a microfiber pad nicely laid out in front of you. Dig a little deeper to uncover the Omop unit itself. So simple its actually rather elegant.

The Omop starter kit and microfiber accessory packaging are both made from the new paper/bamboo packaging designed in-house by Method’s design team.

The new packaging replaces the clamshell style packaging the product used before and began appearing in stores across the country last month. Molinari said the Omop itself is basically the same as the earlier version with a few minor enhancements to its durability and functionality.

Consumers will ultimately judge the effectiveness of the new paper/bamboo packaging but from a creative and design perspective its bold and ambitious - fitting well with Method’s goals of continuing to green their packaging.

The packaging won the Institute of Packaging Professionals’ (IoPP) AmeriStar award.

The newly designed packaging is available for both versions of the Omop and microfiber pads.

via Sustainable is Good

The French take their perfume seriously, smelling fabulous is practically a national obsession. That’s why this new fragrance boutique is right at home in Paris. Cult perfumier Frederic Malle’s perfume workshop makes the amateur shopper feel like a seasoned perfumier, with smelling tubes to ‘taste’ the fragrances. Visitors can observe Malle at work and take home a bottle of his latest scent.

The space feels warm and friendly, with a home ambience, helping you relax and settle in to the sensory experience.

An atmosphere to support and engage professional makeup artists and their artists. An unprecedented scale of facility and concept: The first of its kind 6,000 sq ft at 7 west 22 street, New York

The facility is divided into two separate sections, each with its own entrance: A retail/studio and a training area. Unlike other M.A.C Pro stores around the world, this is a full-blown studio and experimentation facility for make-up artists and beauty professionals. With its dramatic open layout, the space is a true feast for the eyes.

M.A.C Pro’s New York store is completely dedicated to serving the pros. At the mixing station, they can hone their skills, test samples and experiment with the product with all of the tools of the trade nearby. The reference library is stocked with books, magazines and other reference materials for those who want to learn more or do research. At the photography studio, they can record their processes and their results. A separate training area, a kitchenette and bathrooms with showers make this an ideal space for some serious learning.

Makeup Art Cosmetics (M·A·C) launched in 1984 when two Canadians, makeup artist and photographer Frank Toskan and beauty salon owner Frank Angelo, opened a single counter in the basement of the now-defunct Simpson’s department store in Toronto. Staffed by professional make-up artists, determined to become the ultimate color authority in make-up, and blessed with an outrageous sense of drama and theatre, M.A.C gained huge popularity among professionals and consumers. The Estee Lauder Companies bought 51 per cent of M.A.C in 1995 and the rest of the shares in 1998. Sleek stores, a vast array of color options, and a sense of professionalism and artistry are still the hallmarks of M.A.C that now has more than 750 stores in 50 countries.

Mixing stations
Paper, Pigments, Powders, Brushes- A space for Artist to experiment and play.

Shopping
All materials M·A·C PRO. Where Artists stock up. Explore What’s New.

Photography studio
Seamless. Equipped with lights and cameras. Artists document progress. Capture visions.Build portfolios.

Library/ archive
Elite and comprehensive collection of reference books. Investigate - Photography. Body Art. Makeup. Fashion. Style. Archived M·A·C materials as well.

Via Coolhunter.com

Fiat has opened a new London flagship showroom - worth the visit even if you have no desire to purchase one of the dinky new 500’s. The Marylebone store features a heavily chromed interior - fresh and modern without being intimidating or overbearing – think Austin Powers love den meets the science lab of the future.

The space is split over two floors. The first floor is the showroom with a handful of vehicles, a whole lot of shag pile carpet and a gift shop to boot. Here you can purchase pretty much anything for the Fiat enthusiast from cufflinks to handbags to miniature models that open up to become USB sticks.

Downstairs is a more minimalist white multi function space designed for corporate meetings, fashion shows and art and design exhibitions. This space currently features the ‘Fiat Workpop 500′ exhibition where prototypes of Fiat accessories that have been designed by 22 young product designers are on display. The public can vote for its favourites, and in a Survivor like contest, the winner’s product will go into mass production and eventually on general sale. Where will you be able to purchase these you may be asking? In the gift shop of course.