Tag: Design Travel View All Tags

Yes We Can Edition

December 1, 2008 at 11:15 AM | 1 Comment

New York's economy could use a boost from another giant waterfall-style public art exhibit. And while this one might not quite bring in the billions, it's still pretty awesome.

Now on display at the World Financial Center, Canstruction is a competition from the Society for Design Administration, which invited architectural firms to create massive, Legoland-like exhibits, all made entirely from canned goods.

The 40 pieces, from a can Mona Lisa to the AlasCAN Bridge to Nowhere, are on exhibit through December 8. And don't worry about waste; after the show, all the cans get donated to the hungry.

Related Stories:
· Canstruction [Official Site]
· Canstruction Exhibit in New York City [Serious Eats]
· Design Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Canstruction]

A Design Cities Update

November 10, 2008 at 4:00 PM | 0 Comments

Since we last reported on the Design Cities contest at Flickr, tons of photos have been submitted that capture the essence of design in cities. Many of the images frame everyday things like door locks, lighting, signage and architectural details as hidden works of art, laying dormant until the photographer captures them. Color, shapes and lighting come together to bring out the abstract beauty spread throughout city landscapes.

So get busy documenting your city's unique design--or the stuff you notice on your travels, as the contest is accepting entries until December 1. The winning photograph will will be printed on 80,000 specially commissioned posters, and a selection of photographs will be displayed at the London's Design Museum in January 2009.

Related Stories:
· Your Design City Update [Flickr]
· Design Cities Exhibition [Official Site]
· Design Travel coverage [Jaunted]

2016 Is Right Around The Corner

November 7, 2008 at 12:30 PM | 0 Comments

Didn't the Summer Olympics just happen? Yeah, but elsewhere, cities are already gearing up for 2010, 2012 and even 2014. So, asks Good magazine, why not take a look at the logos under consideration for the games in 2016. They're just around the corner!

Chicago, Madrid, Rio and Tokyo are all in the running, after beating out Doha, Prauge and Baku in the first phase of Olympic competition. Though some cities have already lost out, all the potential logos are, in our view, Olympic in caliber. And none are (thankfully) as wacky and experimental as the infamous London 2012 logo.

Related Stories:
· Olympics 2016 Logos [GOOD Magazine]
· Summer Olympic Bids [Games Bids]
· Beijing Olympics [Jaunted]

The Low Budget, High Class Tea Time Set

November 5, 2008 at 3:00 PM | 1 Comment

Now any time can be the right time to live out a low-budget British cultural fantasy. TeaFix is an interesting but totally impractical "tea time" kit that's designed with life on the go in mind.

Housed in a plastic snap-out frame, TeaFix has all the components you need to have a cup of tea wherever you are--just add hot water. A tea bag and 3 lumps of sugar are provided along with dainty white plastic versions of a china cup, saucer and spoon; there's even a lace doily.

Nice idea, this attempt to add a bit of class to the clunky old travel mug, but they'd better get back to the drawing board. Not only does the TeaFix seem like it may melt at any moment, it also looks like a one-time-use kind of deal, an epic eco-fail.

Related Stories:
· Proper Tea Anyone? [Yanko Design]
· Travel Gear coverage [Jaunted]
· High Tea Hotels [HC]

Okinawa's Giant Treehouse Restaurant

October 30, 2008 at 2:30 PM | 0 Comments

Towering above the regular stores and parking lot of the Banyan Town shopping center in Okinawa, Japan is what looks like some strange freak accident of nature: The Naha Harbor Diner is perched 20 feet in the air on top of a gigantic concrete banyan tree. It looks incredibly realistic, almost as if the tree grew freakishly out of control one night, taking the building with it.

The diner is accessible by spiral staircase or in-tree elevator--but not by hanging rope ladder. Locally grown and organic foods are featured, and guests are treated to an awesome view of the Naha Harbor.

--Dan Gould

Related Stories:
· Naha Harbor Diner [Official Site]
· Crazy Banyan Treehouse Cafe in Japan [Inhabitat]
· Architecture Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Green Travel: The Taga Bicycle

October 22, 2008 at 3:05 PM | 1 Comment

Bicycle innovation keeps coming at a super fast pace. And places like the Netherlands, where bike riding is eclipsing automobiles as the preferred method of transportation, are leading the way.

The Dutch have cranked out yet another awesome design in the Taga. This multifunctional urban vehicle combines a baby stroller and a carrier bicycle. The three wheeled ride goes beyond typical conceptions of a bike, becoming a handy tool for harried parents on the go.

But the Taga can do more than haul your kids. Different baskets and cargo carriers can be swapped out of the front section when you have other errands to run. Oh, and we're not the first to lavish praise on the bike: It just won a Eurobike 2008 Award and the Kind and Jugend Innovation Award.

Related Stories:
· Taga [Official Site]
· Urban Family Biking [Swiss Miss]
· Biking Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Taga]

Time for Change: Redesigning the White House

October 7, 2008 at 10:30 AM | 0 Comments

As you've probably heard, everyone is gaga for something new in 2008, and even John McCain and Co. have hopped on board the change-wagon.

But why stop at changing the occupant of the Oval Office? In January, the Storefront for Art and Architecture, a nonprofit urban planning group in New York, figured they would push the whole change thing as far as possible and offer up some ideas for changing the White House itself.

more ›

Design Travel: Your Design City Photo Contest

October 2, 2008 at 2:30 PM | 0 Comments

The good folks over at Flickr are hosting a photo competition that ties in with the Design Cities exhibition being held at London's Design Museum. The exhibit, for its part, "tells the story of contemporary design through cities (London, Paris, Vienna, Dessau, Los Angeles, Milan and Tokyo) at their creative height."

The contest has few restrictions; any photo that represents contemporary design in your city is OK. Whether it's architecture, furniture, interiors or mailboxes, as long as it's great design, it's game.

A selection of photographs will be displayed at the Design Museum in January 2009, and one photo will be printed on 80,000 posters that are to be distributed in creative outlets around the UK.

Related Stories:
· Your Design City [Official Site]
· Design Cities Exhibition [Official Site]
· Design Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

Sci-Fi Travel: Making Islands Invisible to Tsunamis

October 1, 2008 at 2:45 PM | 0 Comments

Scientists in France have come up with a possible way to make islands invisible to tsunamis. This sounds absolutely crazy, but bear with us!

In 2006 researchers got a real cloaking device to work that guided microwaves around a small, flat copper ring as if it wasn't there. Using similar principles, the French scientists have designed a whirlpool-like cloaking device that would channel the destructive waves of a tsunami away from islands, coastlines and oil rigs.

The image above is of a very small-scale version of the protective barrier that would act as the cloaking device. New Scientist has all the technical specs (that we just barely understand), which will hopefully be saving your vacation (and countless lives) in the future.

Related Stories:
· Invisibility Cloaks Could Take Sting out of Tsunamis [New Scientist]
· Islands coverage [Jaunted]

Design Travel: Geek Out with Airport Signs

September 30, 2008 at 12:00 PM | 0 Comments

Showing up at an unfamiliar airport with precious little time to make it to your next gate can be a harrowing experience. At times like this, the airport's signage is your lifeline to clarity--but you don't want to waste time trying to decipher some haphazard jumble of misplaced directional arrows and hard to read text.

To show off some of the best designed airport signage in the world, Dutch design blogger Sander Baumann combed through Flickr to find the absolute best examples. From Seattle to Schiphol, Newark to Bengaluru, Baumann breaks down the science behind sign design.

It's not sexy (unless you're some text-obsessed designer), but it is darn interesting to understand the complex thought that goes into something so seemingly simple.

Related Stories:
· Signs of the Times [Men.style.com]
· Airport Signage: Photo Inspiration [Designworkplan]
· Design Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Architectural Travel: Tokyo's Playground Lofts

September 26, 2008 at 3:00 PM | 0 Comments

Located in the Mitaka area of western Tokyo, the colorful Reversible Destiny Lofts look more like a children's playground than any kind of modern day luxury condo. Reversible Destiny is the of product of New York-based architect-poet-philosophers Arakawa & Gins who believe that comfort should only play a small role in the home--and that by encountering perpetual challenges, residents will stay young and healthy.

Each loft is designed to:

Stimulate the senses and force inhabitants to use balance, physical strength and imagination.

A jumble of weird features like bright colors, tiny doors, oddly placed power outlets and rooms with concave floors will indeed have people feeling like they've stepped into a big-kids playground.

If you're up for the challenge, two rental units are now available. They go for $2,000-$2,400 a month, and short term stays can be arranged.

Related Stories:
· Reversible Destiny Lofts [Official Site]
· ARAKAWA + GINS [Official Site]
· Tokyo Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Design Travel: Illegal Art in Reno

September 11, 2008 at 10:35 AM | 0 Comments

Next time you're in Reno, Nevada, take a little gambling break and keep your eyes peeled for the subversive street art of the Glenn Group.

The group recently won an award at the 2008 Society for Environmental Graphic Design Awards for guerrilla street signs illegally installed around the city to commemorate Valentine's Day and Christmas. The signs, which featured feel good sayings like "Love your enemies" and "Reindeer parking only" were designed to look official, down to the reflective metallic letters and everything.

Reno isn't known for it's street art, and the Glenn Group was hoping to add some subtle excitement and playfulness through symbols of daily life. Probably a good idea. Better to start small, than say, bombing the side of a building with a huge graffiti mural.

Related Stories:
· The Glenn Group [Official Site]
· Guerrilla Road Signs [Neatorama]
· Reno Travel coverage [Jaunted]