Sauce

Japanese architect Akihito Fumita has designed the Nissan Grandrive event hall in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa as part of a renovation of the car maker’s test facilities.

The building is used by Nissan for exhibitions, presentations and lectures. The vehicle track is used to test vehicles in development but also for employees and guests to experience driving the vehicles.

Fumita intends the angle of the building to evoke the anticipation associated with driving a fast car.

The following information is from Fumita:

NISSAN GRANDRIVE
THE EVENT HALL

“GRANDRIVE” is the name of the-450,000m2-vehicle proving ground, located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. This is a renovation project launched in May 2006 and completed in September 2007, including the improvement of the test course that was originally built over 40years ago.

The course is built for the engineering development but also allows Nissan employees, dealers or journalists to experience the pleasure of driving.

Our role in this project was to design the sign by the main gate and a multi-purpose event hall that is right in the middle of the course.

The hall houses rooms for exhibition (2 vehicles maximum) and presentations or lectures. The window-side lobby is for the guest to enjoy the view while waiting for their turn to drive at full throttle.

On designing the hall , “Passion” is a word given from the client. That is what they expected their visitors to feel. We came up with the inclined architecture to express the speed of vehicles and the emotion or anticipation of driving a fast car. Using the brand’s colour red should help uplifting the mind too.

The cantilevered canopy shelters the front paddock from the rain.

Client : Nissan Motor
Site : Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Japan
Site area : 450,000m2
Building area : 741.7m2

Designer : Akihito Fumita , Fumita Design Office Inc.
Site execution and construction : Obayashi Corporation

Having developed a number of temporary architectures and several virtual architectural concepts, the Leonardo Glass Cube is the first permanent building implemented by 3deluxe. On the premises of the Westfalian company glaskoch who distributes glass products under the name ‘Leonardo’ a significant corporate architecture was created that now forms a central element in the brand’s overall communicative presence. As an atmospheric brandworld, the Leonardo Glass Cube conveys to guests and the staff alike the company’s philosophy and visions in an inspiring manner. The open floor plan layout of the clearly designed and multi-functional Leonardo building enables an integrative linkage of product presentation zones, seminar and meeting rooms, inspiring work areas and a lot more besides across a total area of 1,200 square meters.The glass façade of the building represents the passage to a hyper-naturalistic world with heightened aesthetic appeal. A transparent print slides into the insight or outlook as a subtly visible image plane. The graphically illustrated elements displayed on it were derived from the architecture and the surrounding landscape. They create a subtle puzzle, mingling with the reflections of their models in reality.The edificial structure consists of two formally contrasting elements: A geometrically stringent, cube-like shell volume and a freeform positioned centrally in the interior. The undulating, curved white wall encases an introverted exhibition space and its other side circumscribes the extroverted hallway along the glass façade. Three white sculptural structures – so-called ‘Genetics’ – connect the separate zones of the building to each other again.On the glass façade ‘Genetics’ appear again in a two-dimensional version. The superimposed pilaster strips are continued in a network of white concrete pathways that surrounds the entire building and lets it grow together with its location.In the centre of the interior ground floor and basement are connected by a void crossed by bridges. Entering the Glass Cube through the ground-floor main entrance, visitors encounter a space that opens up not just horizontally, but also upwards and downwards. On both floors the wall rolls in to form niches that are used for various functions such as themed product orchestrations and meeting lounges. In particular in the breaks in the wall these lines predominate as a significant graphic design element that is continued on the ceiling as a system of ventilation joints. On the side facing the façade, the material nature of the white surface is visually dissolved by means of a layer of gauze suspended in front. Dynamically programmed artificial light as well as the incidence of daylight sets colour highlights in the purely white interior and create a permanent change of athmosphere.

The interior of the restaurant La Terraza del Casino (Madrid) is re-designed by Jaime Hayon.

An interior project showing the balance of the aesthetic link between past and future using his personal style that connects with the imaginative. An innovative kitchen of the outstanding chef: Paco Roncero.

The project presents new furniture elements created by Hayon in harmony with the restaurant’s needs as well as different hand crafted details, always on the look for that special something that blends art and design.

Taken from Frame magazine

Chocolate shops have been popping up all over the world and this Chocolate Café in Vancouver offers a little more experience than even great chocolate itself. A full espresso and fondue bar along with a line of over 30 different handmade chocolate bars graces the space filling the Café with fabulous aromas and textures.

Each beautifully-packaged bar is made in Vancouver and uses local, organic ingredients whenever possible. Because there are no added preservatives to extend shelf-life, you’ll have to eat them soon after purchase. But with quirky names and irresistible flavors like “Open in Case of Emergency” (fresh mint and Kentucky bourbon) and “Ginger or Maryanne” (candied ginger), no amount of willpower will allow them to sit around for long anyway!

Marc Liebermann (owner)

Mink Chocolate Café
863 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, British Columbia BC V6C map
tel. +1 604 633 6451

Elion headquarters, Estonia newly renovated office may be largely white and grey, but architects Jan Skolimowski and Peeter Loo of Kamp added a fresh note, not to mention a hint of humour, in the form of 50-mm-deep artificial grass, a swing made of wood and rope, and cartoonish faux trees. They didn’t choose green by accident, as it’s one of Elion’s company colours, which are green and blue. The architects felt that using both colours, which had appeared in the former office, would weaken their concept for the new interior design, a plan that relies on simplicity, spaciousness and clarity.

The previous space was a bit ‘too serious’ for their taste, which explains the playful components of the refurbished workplace. 

And the obvious link with nature? ‘It’s a concept I started using two years ago in other projects,’ says Skolimowski. ‘It’s cold in our country most of the time. For about four months each year, everything is light and green. Translating the green in Elion’s logo into the interior as grass, trees and play equipment evokes the feeling of spring year round and contributes to a pleasant working environment.

I like this space that I found in The Architectural Review, it just captured my imagination. I like the private, yet open meeting rooms, and can imagine some scenario daydreams out on the indoor terrace! The kitchen would be an open hub of activity. The old bowling lane directions partition nicely. I just think it would be quite a creative atmosphere and still it’s subtle.

The second branch of the fitness club is located on two below-ground floors of a building. Since the gym is spread out over the two floors, Nendo decided to use a studio with an unusual two-story ceiling to unify the space.

To express the original brand concept of “becoming beautiful through movement”, they chose the theme “rock-climbing on Omotesando” and developed a design that uses the mismatch between a rugged outdoor sport and Tokyo’s fashion district to its advantage. Instead of the usual rough and outdoorsy climbing wall, they came up with the idea of using interior design elements like picture frames, mirrors, deer heads, bird cages and flower vases to create a challenging wall with hard-to-find holds and unusual finger grips.

“We hope that our uniquely Omotesando-style climbing wall inspires newcomers to try out the sport, and starts a new wave in fitness with style”.

Illoiha Omotesando
Tokyo
Fitness Gym

www.nendo.jp