As the year comes to a close, we round up the big stories that defined the intersection of architecture, art, design, and technology in 2024. This year, fashion has embraced bold new concepts that redefine norms, like Iris Van Herpen’s kinetic butterfly sculptures at the MET Gala and Coperni’s ethereal Air Swipe Bag crafted from NASA’s silica aerogel. Collaborations fused existing designs with cutting-edge innovation, such as Prada’s partnership with Axiom Space for NASA’s lunar spacesuits and NIKE’s 3D printed Air Max 1000 sneakers with Zellerfeld.

From the runways of Paris to exhibitions in Tokyo, 2024 demonstrated how fashion designs become an experience. Designers embraced sustainability, with MIT’s robotic tailoring redefining garment construction and Adobe’s interactive dress proving technology can be integrated into haute couture. These innovations, alongside cultural statements like Mongolia’s Olympic uniforms inspired by traditional Deel clothing, highlight a year rich in fashion phenomena. Here’s a look back at the top 10 fashion stories that captured our imagination and defined the past 12 months.

BUTTERFLY KINETIC SCULPTURES FLUTTER ALONG IRIS VAN HERPEN’S COUTURE DRESS AT MET GALA 2024 

image courtesy of Iris Van Herpen

At the MET Gala 2024, Iris Van Herpen debuted APSARA, a haute couture creation that brings together fashion and kinetic art. The dress, worn by Mona Patel, embodied the theme of the event, Garden of Time, with golden, reflective lines accentuating pink-hued textiles that cascaded like butterfly wings. Accompanying the dress were kinetic butterfly sculptures, created by artist Casey Curran, which slowly fluttered along Patel’s arms, adding a sense of movement and life to the ethereal ensemble.

The kinetic sculptures were powered by a mechanical system hidden in a discreet box, where translucent wires and a rotating crank animated the delicate pink wings. This intricate mechanism gave the butterflies a lifelike quality, transforming the gown into a living, breathing piece of art. 

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COPERNI REVEALS NEW SWIPE BAG MADE OF 99% AIR USING NASA’S SILICA AEROGEL 

image courtesy of Coperni

Coperni unveiled its groundbreaking Air Swipe Bag during its FW24 show, a creation made of 99% air and 1% glass. The Parisian fashion house collaborated with Professor Ioannis Michaloudis to design the bag using NASA’s silica aerogel, a nanomaterial renowned as the lightest solid on Earth. With a misty, cloud-like appearance, the bag evokes a sense of frozen vapor, resembling a portable CD player. Weighing just 33 grams, the bag is delicate, and users are advised to handle it with care, limiting its contents to light essentials.

Silica aerogel, a cutting-edge material originally developed by NASA, lends the bag its weightlessness and ethereal aesthetic. Aerogel was famously used in NASA’s 1999 Stardust mission to capture comet particles, thanks to its ability to endure extreme conditions, including temperatures up to 1,200°C and pressures 4,000 times its weight. For the Air Swipe Bag, Coperni reimagined this space-age material, creating the largest object ever made from silica aerogel. 

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NIKE AND ZELLERFELD REIMAGINE AIR MAX 1 AS 3D PRINTED SNEAKERS NAMED 1000 

image courtesy of NIKE

NIKE and Zellerfeld partnered to reinvent the iconic Air Max 1 as 3D printed sneakers, dubbed the Air Max 1000, presented at ComplexCon 2024 in Las Vegas. The innovative design incorporates NIKE’s signature airbag cushioning in the heel for enhanced comfort and support, alongside breathable materials and honeycomb-structured midsoles developed through Zellerfeld’s expertise in 3D printing. Known for their work with Moncler and customizable, washable shoes, Zellerfeld ensures the Air Max 1000 offers a custom fit, using foot-scanning technology to tailor each pair to the wearer.

This collaboration aligns with NIKE A.I.R shoes, introduced earlier in Paris ahead of the 2024 Olympics. At ComplexCon, attendees explored the evolution of NIKE’s Air technology, including historical prototypes from Frank Rudy, the inventor of the original air cushioning system. While the Air Max 1000 silhouette was showcased at the event, no release date or market availability has been announced. 

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PRADA AND AXIOM SPACE’S NASA LUNAR SPACESUITS FOR ARTEMIS III MOON MISSION 

image courtesy of Axiom Space

Prada and Axiom Space unveiled the final design for NASA’s lunar spacesuits, developed for the Artemis III mission slated for 2026. The reveal took place at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy, marking a milestone in the collaboration between the luxury fashion brand and the spaceflight company. The suit design, completed after extensive pressurized simulations with partners like SpaceX, will next undergo underwater tests at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and integrated trials with Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle prototypes. A formal design review is scheduled for 2025.

Prada’s involvement introduces innovative manufacturing techniques and material expertise, resulting in a suit layered with a heat-reflective white fabric designed to protect astronauts from extreme lunar temperatures and abrasive moon dust. The suit offers improved flexibility, advanced protective features, and tools tailored for lunar exploration, though specific technological innovations have yet to be disclosed. 

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ADOBE’S FIRST COMPLETED INTERACTIVE DRESS DEBUTS AT CHRISTIAN COWAN’S RUNWAY IN NEW YORK 

image courtesy of Adobe and Christian Cowan

Adobe’s interactive dress, Project Primrose, premiered during Christian Cowan’s FW24 show at New York Fashion Week. The groundbreaking garment merges technology and fashion with 1,264 laser-cut polymer dispersed liquid crystal petals on the upper section and a starry lower half in silvery tones. Beneath its surface, flexible printed circuit boards drive the dynamic shifts in color, alternating between shades of gray and ivory as the model moves. Developed with Adobe’s in-house tools, the dress represents over a decade of research and innovation.

Using Adobe Illustrator and After Effects, Adobe’s Research Scientist TJ Rhodes and Project Primrose co-developer Christine Dierk collaborated with Christian Cowan to map out petal positions, animate the design, and integrate the underlying electronic systems. Every petal and circuit board was hand-sewn into the garment, ensuring the functionality and artistic vision were realized. The project built upon earlier efforts like Adobe’s Project Glasswing, evolving from animated displays in translucent objects to a fully wearable interactive dress.

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AVAVAV LAUNCHES ADIDAS SNEAKERS WITH DETACHABLE RUBBER TOES THAT DOUBLE AS PURSES 

image courtesy of AVAVAV and Adidas

Adidas and AVAVAV partner for Superfinger Superstar, a pair of sneakers with detachable rubber toes that can double as purses. Initially previewed during Milan Fashion Week 2024, these sneakers bring the Stockholm-based fashion house’s signature finger shoes to the Adidas Superstar line. The detachable rubber toes are crafted from full-grain leather, with a rubber midsole, outsole, and shell toes. These ‘gloves for shoes’ are adjustable, using belts on the side with stoppers to ensure a secure fit.

The rubber toes are designed to be versatile, allowing wearers to either attach them to the sneakers for an avant-garde look or remove them for use as purses. While they may not fit large items, their four toe-shaped compartments are ideal for smaller objects like lipstick, eyeliners, or cigarettes. Thanks to the flexible nature of the rubber, they can also accommodate a variety of items.

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MIT’S ROBOT ARM CAN TAILOR A DRESS USING COMPUTERIZED KNITTING AND HEAT-ACTIVATED YARNS 

image by Olivia Mintz, courtesy of MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab

MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab, led by Sasha MicKinlay, introduced the 4D Knit Dress, a groundbreaking innovation in customizable fashion. Created in collaboration with Ministry of Supply, the dress combines heat-activated yarns, computerized knitting, and a six-axis robotic arm typically used in the automotive industry. The result is a garment that can be sculpted to fit any body size and style preference.

The 4D Knit Dress is shaped directly on the wearer’s body as the robot applies precise heat to activate the fibers, creating customizable details like pintucks, pleats, or cinched waists—all without sewing or needles. The dress can also be reshaped or resized after months of wear, allowing users to update its style, making it a sustainable alternative to fast fashion. This single-piece garment eliminates traditional cut-and-sew methods, reducing waste and simplifying retail sizing. 

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AT LAST, CASIO UNVEILS FULLY FUNCTIONAL WATCH RING WITH FLASHING LIGHT AND LCD DISPLAY 

image courtesy of Casio

Casio introduces the CRW-001-1JR, a fully functional watch ring that features an LCD screen capable of displaying the time, date, dual time zones, and stopwatch functions. It even includes a flashing light feature to alert users when a set timer ends, with the screen faintly pulsing to signal the notification.

This launch coincides with Casio’s 50th anniversary in the watchmaking industry and draws inspiration from a playful 2023 toy version. The CRW-001-1JR showcases Casio’s precision craftsmanship, downsizing a traditional wristwatch to 1/10th of its original size and transforming it into a finger accessory. The ring’s default size is 22, but Casio includes silicone size-adjustment spacers for a comfortable fit. Produced using Metal Injection Molding, the watch ring features an integrated case, back cover, and ring. Its LCD display is topped with durable glass, bonded for waterproof performance, and designed to enable easy battery replacements. The screen can project up to six digits, making it a practical option for frequent travelers with its dual-city time display.

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KAZUYO SEJIMA AND ANREALAGE’S KUNIHIKO MORINAGA UNVEIL INFLATED CELL GARMENTS IN TOKYO 

image courtesy of ANREALAGE

Kazuyo Sejima, co-founder of SANAA, and Kunihiko Morinaga of the fashion brand ANREALAGE have joined forces to present CELL, an exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum. The project reimagines clothing as living forms, challenging the boundaries between wearability and architecture. Featuring garments that are constantly inflated by streams of air, the pieces transform into dynamic, bubble-like structures. When the airflow stops, they collapse into lightweight, flowing garments, embodying the concept of movable spaces that exist between clothing and enclosed environments.

Kunihiko Morinaga reflects on the inspiration behind CELL, drawing parallels to hermit crabs that inhabit and outgrow snail shells, questioning whether these shells are spaces or clothing. He describes them as both and neither, existing at the intersection of living and wearing, the ordinary and extraordinary. The exhibition explores the connection between the mansion and its surrounding gardens, with the garments echoing this unity through their interplay of softness and volume. 

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TEAM MONGOLIA’S UNIFORMS FOR PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS PARADE DRAW FROM TRADITIONAL CLOTHING, DEEL 

image courtesy of MICHELAMAZONKA

Team Mongolia’s parade uniforms for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games captivated audiences with their elaborate designs, drawing inspiration from the country’s traditional Deel clothing. Designed by sisters Michel and Amazonka Choigaalaa of the fashion house MICHELAMAZONKA, the uniforms reflect a cultural heritage while embracing contemporary aesthetics. The duo spent three months perfecting the designs, with each set of uniforms requiring an average of 20 hours to produce across six meticulous stages.

For the flag bearers, the designers crafted a sleek, long garment featuring an ornate gold-stitched collar that takes center stage. The athletes’ uniforms feature separate tops and bottoms—trousers for men and skirts for women—paired with vests in Mongolia’s national colors of blue, red, and white. Gold stitching depicts the Olympic torch framed by mountain motifs, symbolizing Mongolia’s natural landscapes and its connection to the Games.

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2023 — 2022 — 2021 — 2020 — 2019 —  2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

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Our top 10 personal technologies of 2024 include a variety of gadgets for individual needs, including the powered exoskeleton pants MO/GO by Arc’teryx and Skip Innovations. At times, they come in the form of accessories, such as the AI glasses of Ray-Ban and Meta, which, after having received a multimodal update, can report history and explain the backstories of famous landmarks and objects. Phones are big this year too, with the release of the world’s first triple-screen smartphone from Huawei, named Mate XT.

Musical instruments are also considered personal gadgets and technologies. They’re now advanced like The Orchid, the retro-inspired synthesizer by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker, which can produce sounds ranging from jazz to sci-fi music. Teenage Engineering brings back the old era because their electronic sample and composer in one plays medieval music. In our list of the top 10 personal technologies, we explore the designs that have made their mark in 2024, including Dyson’s Ontrac headphones and Marko Lazic’s 3D printed phone with an e-ink display.

TAME IMPALA’S KEVIN PARKER RELEASES THE ORCHID

image courtesy of Telepathic Instruments

Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker and Telepathic Instruments have unveiled The Orchid, a retro-inspired synthesizer with a compact design featuring tiny round buttons, a mini keyboard, wheel knobs, and a vintage-radio aesthetic. It produces sounds ranging from jazz and guitar chords to retro-futuristic tones, reminiscent of sci-fi soundtracks.

The Orchid includes 12 velocity-sensitive keys, allowing its small keyboard to mimic the sounds of an 88-key piano by spreading chord notes for a realistic effect. The velocity keys let musicians adjust volume dynamically, changing sound intensity based on how softly or firmly the keys are pressed. Additionally, the synthesizer features a “chord logic system,” enabling users to mix and match countless chord combinations. 

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TEENAGE ENGINEERING’S INSTRUMENT PLAYS MEDIEVAL MUSIC

image courtesy of Teenage Engineering

Teenage Engineering revives the Middle Ages with the EP-1320, their latest release described as the world’s first electronic sampler, composer, and instrument exclusively for medieval music. It comes with a library of ready-to-play instruments, one-shot samples, and medieval phrases. Dubbed the instrumentalis electronicum, Teenage Engineering calls it the ultimate medieval beat machine. DJs and producers can jam directly on the instrument’s pads or connect an external MIDI keyboard to add their unique twist.

Packed with hundreds of medieval sounds, the EP-1320 also includes a line input and built-in microphone for quick, custom sampling. Users can tap the pads to play classic instruments like the hurdy-gurdy, citole, or bowed harp, or mix them with tambourines, chain rattles, and battle toms. If they’re feeling bold, they can throw in clappers, bells, and even coconut horse hooves for an authentic Gothic vibe.The instrument also features foley effects, including swords clashing, farm animals, arrows, and the roar of a dragon.

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APPLE LAUNCHES VISION PRO VR HEADSET

image courtesy of Apple

The Apple Vision Pro launches, and this gadget in our top 10 personal technologies of 2024 aims to blend digital content with the physical world through spatial features. Apple claimed the Vision Pro includes over 600 new spatial experiences that users can control with their eyes, hands, and voice. These experiences let users transform any room into a personal theater for sports, TV, and movies, as well as collaborate and create digital content together. 

Many users appreciate the high-resolution display, praising its contrast, colors, and dynamic range, which they compare to a high-end TV. This makes the VR headset’s entertainment display feel like an upgraded home theater. Some users also enjoyed the immersive gameplay, especially with 3D-capable content, and found that it could function as a combined work, game, and entertainment space. However, there have been mixed reviews, with some users noting a pixel smear that affects the sharpness of the visuals.

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RAY-BAN META AI GLASSES CAN REPORT HISTORY

image courtesy of Ray-Ban and Meta

Meta and Ray-Ban’s AI glasses have received a multimodal update, so they can share landmark histories, object backstories, and scientific explanations. Mark Zuckerberg has demonstrated the new features on Instagram through clips of his Montana weekend trip. While recording his walk, the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses were asked to explain the Roosevelt Arch’s history, how snow forms in simple terms, and whether horses feel cold in snowy weather.

The AI glasses answered in a semi-monotonous voice. For the snow explanation, the glasses amusingly started with a caveman-like grunt before transitioning into the science behind it. In beta testing, as seen in Zuckerberg’s post, the glasses identified landmarks such as Big Sky Mountain and expanded on their significance with detailed information.

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POWERED EXOSKELETON PANTS MO/GO BY SKIP AND ARC’TERYX

image courtesy of Skip Innovations

Arc’teryx and Skip Innovations have joined forces to create MO/GO, powered exoskeleton pants designed to make hiking easier. Arc’teryx provides the apparel, while the exoskeleton technology, made from carbon fiber, is developed by the California-based startup. When worn, the exoskeleton on the sides of the pants lights up, boosting leg strength by up to 40 percent to help hikers move with ease.

The MO/GO pants can make wearers feel 30 pounds lighter when trekking uphill, while also supporting their knees on descents to reduce strain and prevent slips. The technology, which is part of our top 10 personal technologies and gadgets of 2024, targets quadriceps and hamstrings, minimizing muscle fatigue and joint discomfort. A wheel built into the pants conceals the motors, spinning in response to the hiker’s movements and triggering the needed boost.

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SAMSUNG GALAXY RING IN OUR TOP 10 GADGETS OF 2024

image courtesy of Samsung

At the 2024 Mobile World Conference (MWC) in Barcelona, Samsung unveils the Galaxy Ring. This smart ring uses advanced sensors to collect data about the wearer’s health, providing detailed insights. Powered by artificial intelligence, the ring acts as a personal wellness assistant, offering recommendations to help improve health and wellness. Samsung’s goal is to bring its innovations into a small, comfortable device that can be worn 24/7.

The Galaxy Ring, which is included in our top 10 personal technologies and gadgets of 2024, combines technologies from Samsung’s Galaxy products to track health all day long. It gives users insights into their wellness, helping them understand their health better. The company believes that every wellness journey begins with understanding health in depth and over time. Designed for 24/7 use, the ring also focuses on monitoring sleep quality.

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HUAWEI REVEALS FIRST TRI-FOLD SMARTPHONE, MATE XT

image courtesy of Huawei

Huawei launches the Mate XT Ultimate Design, which is the world’s first tri-fold AI smartphone with three large glass screens. The phone features a slim rod structure between the hinges, helping keep the device compact. Thanks to this design, even though the phone has three screens, it feels like just one when folded. The launch also introduces Huawei’s Tiangong hinge system, allowing the phone to easily fold both its internal and external parts. 

When unfolded, the display measures 10.2 inches and doesn’t show any creases or the rod between the screens. Currently, the phone is available in two colors: red and dark black, both with leather covers. The edges of the phone are lined with black gold strips that shine both day and night. Huawei assures users that the Mate XT Ultimate Design is made with steel used in rockets, so it can handle frequent folding without deforming. 

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 ‘OFFONE’, A 3D PRINTED PHONE WITH E-INK DISPLAY

image courtesy of Marko Lazic

Marko Lazic introduces the Offone, a 3D printed phone with an e-ink display designed to run only essential apps like calls, texts, messaging platforms, and taxi services. The phone’s compact size and slim body fit comfortably in the palm of the hand. This concept phone in our top 10 personal technologies and gadgets of 2024 also has an e-ink display, which gives it the appearance of paper.

This choice eliminates screen glare and blue light, which can cause eye strain. Marko Lazic also mentions that optional lighting might be available, so users can read messages and check calls in the dark or at night. The design of the Offone is simple and straightforward, using universal icons instead of text or captions to represent apps. Lazic hopes this will eliminate language barriers, allowing users to navigate the phone using intuitive symbols.

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MORRAMA’S AI TECHNOLOGIES HELP CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH

image courtesy of Morrama

Morrama develops a set of concept Mindful AI tools to support children’s mental health. The team, known for creating mixed-reality glasses that display games, is now using machine-learning data analysis to power these smart tools. Their goal is to help children with emotional and mental well-being. The lineup includes four concept products, all starting with the letter “C”: Calm, Comfort, Create, and Connect. 

Connect is an AI sunflower designed to encourage communication. Create is a ‘MidJourney’ printer, a tube-like, green device that generates line drawings for children to color. It responds to spoken prompts, allowing kids to ask for a specific image, which it then prints, just like how MidJourney creates AI-generated images. Calm uses motion and heart rate sensors, along with a sweat monitor, to track the child’s mental and physical health. Then Comfort, which is a small projector with a built-in speaker that responds to the children’s requests with images and sounds.

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DYSON’S ONTRAC HEADPHONES WITH CHANGEABLE EAR CUPS

image courtesy of Dyson

Dyson launches their OnTrac headphones, with over 2,000 customizable ear cups and cushions. These include options in aluminum, copper, and nickel, crafted with ultra-soft microfiber and foam for acoustic sealing. Designed by Jake Dyson and the Dyson Colours, Finishes, and Materials (CMF) team, the headphones, which have made it to our list of top 10 personal technologies and gadgets of 2024, come in four base colorways.

One standout is the Ceramic Cinnabar, featuring a ceramic-effect painted finish. Users can mix and match finishes across four headphone parts, creating combinations like a nickel cup paired with a copper one, or contrasting in-ear cushions in bold colors like lemon yellow and sunset orange.The OnTrac headphones boast Dyson’s active noise cancellation (ANC) system, which uses eight microphones to monitor surrounding sounds 384,000 times per second. 

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2023 — 2022 — 2021 —

2020 — 2019 —  2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

The post TOP 10 personal tech and gadgets of 2024 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The year 2024 saw designers and architects reimagine material applications in more sustainable and environmentally responsible ways. Zero-waste alternatives replaced traditional construction methods, as seen in ReGrow Willow’s hybrid material system that combines willow and pressed earth for architectural applications. Projects like André Kong Studio’s mushroom mycelium brick pavilion in New York and Studio dreiSt’s recyclable canteen furniture crafted from construction waste pushed the boundaries of conventional techniques.

Natural materials once considered waste emerged taking the place of synthetic options, such as Studio Sanne Visser’s use of human hair yarn applied on furniture and accessories. From Gisung Han’s decomposable stool made of wildflower seeds and potato-based plastic to Studio Arp’s pendant lamp shaped from leather derived from citrus waste, these projects embraced circular design principles. Our 2024 big stories include Mengyan Guo’s sculptural clothing collection crafted from discarded tea leaves, upcycled stools made from spent shower sponges and coffee grounds designed by Columbia University students, and Laura Bordini’s packaging series, which repurposes microalgae and industrial waste biomass to promote ecological regeneration. designboom rounds up 2024’s top 10 projects that stood out for their creative use of materials for practical, and sustainable designs.

FROM CHOW TO CHAIR: UPCYCLED STOOLS MADE FROM SPENT SHOWER SPONGES AND COFFEE GROUNDS

image courtesy of Justin Wan

The Luffa Stoolita explores the potential application of plant-based by-products, particularly their subsequent food wastes, as alternative materials for furniture design and construction. Realized by Columbia University GSAPP master’s students Justin Wan, Paul Edward Liu, and Tim Ting-Hao Chen, the project challenges conventional materiality in the realm of sustainable furniture, while prompting reflection on responsible consumption and waste management. By upcycling natural waste materials, the stool design demonstrates the possibility of extending the life cycle of food beyond its short-lived consumerist lifespan aligned with low-impact design solutions to address the issue of food waste. To ensure environmental sustainability, all materials used in the research and design project are locally sourced. 

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LAURA BORDINI REPURPOSES MICROALGAE AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE BIOMASS TO NOURISH PLANT LIFE

image courtesy of Laura Bordini

Laura Bordini’s By Osmosis explores a circular process in which waste generated by one process becomes nourishment for another. The project showcases the potential of ‘growing materials’, particularly microalgae, in promoting ecological regeneration by actively contributing to fostering plant life.

Using biomass derived from the death of microorganisms recovered from industrial waste centers, the designer demonstrates how this product can be transformed into a biomaterial that stimulates plant growth. Bordini presents a series of products, such as packaging materials, designed to be planted and function as agricultural biostimulants.

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VIENNA’S CONSTRUCTION WASTE BECOMES RECYCLABLE FURNITURE FOR CANTEEN BY STUDIO DREIST

image by Paul Sebesta, courtesy of Studio dreiSt

Bioregional design practice Studio dreiSt unveils Biofabrique canteen, the modular hospitality area of Vienna Design Week 2024. Designed in collaboration with the material-driven project Biofabrique Vienna, the canteen incorporates 1,700 handmade ceramic tiles glazed with metro excavation clay, demonstrating how materials like clay from Vienna metro construction sites and food production residuals can be repurposed into long-lasting, recyclable building components. The golden-brown surface of the ceramic glaze is derived from subway excavation clay and carbolime, while energy-efficient materials like Carbo and Adobe bricks are utilized to construct bar tables and counters.

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HUMAN HAIR SPINS INTO YARN IN STUDIO SANNE VISSER’S INSTALLATION FOR LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

image by Rocio Chacon

Material design research practice Studio Sanne Visser introduces Locally Grown, an interactive installation exploring human hair as an innovative, sustainable material. Presented at the Material Matters Fair during the London Design Festival, the project invites visitors to engage with the full process, from live haircuts to hair spinning and rope-making demonstrations, resulting in an exhibition of design objects made from hair. The installation emphasizes collaboration and circular economy, featuring contributions from nine studios, including Helen Kirkum Studio, Lauren MacDonald, and Wilkinson & Rivera, who integrate Visser’s hair-based materials into a variety of products, ranging from high-quality interior objects to unique accessories.

Sanne Visser emphasizes the collaborative spirit behind her work, stating, ‘I work independently, but I would never say I work alone.’  This ethos is at the heart of the installation, blending collective creativity, ecological responsibility, and innovative design with sustainable material solutions.

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MYCELIUM BRICK PAVILION BY ANDRE KONG STUDIO SPROUTS IN NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDENS

image by Marlon Co for NYBG

Homegrown Wonderland is an organic garden pavilion created by andre kong studio for the New York Botanical Garden’s latest exhibition. As Wonderland: Curious Nature explores the fantastical world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures, the installation features bricks grown from mycelium—the root structure of mushrooms. This innovative materiality reflects the scene where Alice consumes a mushroom and grows rapidly, evoking a whimsical transformation as she outgrows the White Rabbit’s cottage.

Engineered by Arup, the pavilion juxtaposes a quaint, aged timber-frame cottage, scaled down to create an intimate setting, with unexpected walls crafted from full-sized mycelium bricks. The pavilion will be dismantled after its display in the gardens, with the mycelium bricks composted, and the timber will be reused.

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GISUNG HAN’S POTATO PLASTIC-BASED STOOL BLOOMS INTO WILDFLOWERS AS IT DECOMPOSES

image courtesy of Gisung Han

Gisung Han’s Blooming Decay Stool is made from wildflower seeds and potato-based plastic, designed to bloom into flowers as it decomposes. The project stems from the designer’s desire to create various types of bioplastics with artful, sustainable principles and with manufacturability in mind.

‘Does a chair designed with sustainable principles always need to be durable and long-lasting? How about a chair that breaks easily, becoming more beautiful as it deteriorates?’ Han questions. As a result, the stool embraces the beauty of disappearance, envisioned to be disposable and biodegradable, naturally dispersing seeds back into the environment as it ages.

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‘REGROW WILLOW’ POSES HYBRID EARTH CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM STRENGTHENED WITH DIGITAL FABRICATION

image courtesy of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

ReGrow Willow presents an innovative hybrid material system that pairs the tensile strength of willow with the compressive strength of earth for architectural applications. Developed by professorships at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), this comprehensive construction process leverages bespoke digital fabrication and computational tools to advance the synergistic combination of the two natural materials. Embracing lightweight, mobile, and adaptable fabrication equipment, the project embodies a low-impact design philosophy to reduce energy and material consumption, offering a sustainable structural alternative to reinforced concrete.

Championing a circular ethos, the project further seeks to integrate alternative materials and closed-loop systems into construction practices, addressing resource depletion and waste generation. By disrupting the traditional linear model of take, make, and dispose, ReGrow Willow aims to establish a waste-free and fully circular digital construction, closing local material cycles.

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LEATHER-LIKE MATERIAL FROM CITRUS WASTE WRAPS PENDANT LAMP AT LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

image by Stone Stuart courtesy of Studio Arp

Interdisciplinary practitioner Alkesh Parmar, founder of Studio Arp, repurposes orange peel waste into sustainable materials in the Citrus Sinensis project. Incorporating traditional craftsmanship and low-tech processes, the studio explores themes of migration, colonialism, and decentralized design. Showcased at the Material Matters Fair during the London Design Festival, this project includes lighting, objects, and artworks, emphasizing the intergenerational preservation of craft and the sustainable use of natural resources, while drawing on the origins of the orange from the Himalayan foothills.

Through his innovative process, APeel, Parmar transforms waste citrus peel into a versatile leather-like material suitable for diverse applications. In a crucial phase before the orange peel dries, it becomes pliable and moldable, similar to leather, with its properties varying based on the type of citrus and environmental conditions—ensuring an adaptable and sustainable process. Low-tech craft techniques emphasize the potential of local materials, challenging conventional Western design practices.

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ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING BY BIOREGION INSTITUTE REPURPOSES BARLEY WASTE AND SEAWEED

image courtesy of Bioregion Institute

Lab director Alexandre Bau, industrial biochemist Lars Haugen Aardal, and industrial designer Alvise Rizzo from the Bioregion Institute introduce Feddie Packaging, an eco-friendly packaging solution crafted from whiskey distillation byproducts and locally sourced seaweed. This innovative biomaterial offers a low-cost, low-carbon alternative to pulped cellulose, advancing sustainable packaging design.

The biomaterial repurposes draff—the spent malted barley grains left over from whiskey production—as a raw material rich in starch, proteins, and fibers. Typically used as animal feed or compost, draff’s natural properties make it an ideal base for molded pulp packaging. To enhance its functionality, the team combines draff with sugar kelp, a seaweed cultivated along Norway’s coast. This land-and-sea biomass pairing leverages the adhesive qualities of alginate, a natural polysaccharide found in kelp, to create a robust, shock-absorbing packaging material. ‘By converting this waste biomass into a useful product without compromising biodegradability, we extend its life cycle and offer a cheap alternative resource to the molded pulp packaging industry,’ affirms the team. ‘We leverage the residual starch in draff as a natural binder, a key component that provides strength and elasticity to the material.’ 

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SCULPTURAL TOP AND SKIRT MADE OF DISCARDED TEA LEAVES CAN ABSORB ODOR

image courtesy of Mengyan Guo

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2023 — 2022 — 2021 — 2020 — 2019 —  2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

The post TOP 10 reader submissions of 2024 – materials appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

designboom’s top 10 pop-ups and temporary pavilions of 2024 showcase some of the most exciting and thoughtful interventions sparking conversations around sustainability, cultural perspectives, and community engagement. These ephemeral spaces across the world have welcomed visitors at some of the most prolific festivals and institutions — such as UNA/UNLESS’s blue prism at the Venice Art Biennale — or created moments for more casual encounters — such as with Minsuk Cho’s Serpentine Pavilion in the London park. 

Each of our selections offer fresh perspectives on the intersection between art, architecture, and spatial experiences, experimenting with materiality and form in diverse ways. Some embrace minimalist design, such as the monochromatic dining experience in Paris by Carsten Höller and We Are Ona, while others, like WallMakers’ tire-clad pavilion, highlight sustainability through material reuse. Together, these projects — while temporary — speak to architecture’s evolving and long-lasting role in shaping our daily experiences in public spaces. Explore our favourite projects of the year below as we continue our annual BIG stories roundup.

MASS STUDIES’ MINSUK CHO ON THE 2024 SERPENTINE PAVILION ‘ARCHIPELAGIC VOID’

image © Ste Murray

The 23rd Serpentine Pavilion opened its doors to the public on June 7th, 2024. Designed by Seoul-based architect Minsuk Cho and his firm Mass Studies, this year’s pavilion is titled Archipelagic Void. The temporary structure comprises five unique ‘islands’ providing a dedicated platform for Serpentine’s live program from June onwards. A unique void sits in the center, surrounded by a series of smaller, adaptable structures located at its periphery. The layout references the madang, or open courtyard, found in traditional Korean houses. Around the void, each structure of this multifaceted pavilion is envisioned as a ‘content machine’ with a distinct name and purpose, including the Gallery, the Library, the Auditorium, the Tea House, and the Play Tower. Together, the parts create ten spaces surrounding the void: five distinct covered spaces and five open, in-between areas that integrate with the surrounding park and Pavilion activities.

To celebrate the opening of the Archipelagic Void, designboom spoke with Minsuk Cho to find out more about the inspiration behind this year’s Pavilion. ‘I want to create spaces where different people can come together in daily life, where they can just relax and feel at home. Architecture isn’t just about capturing a nice moment in a picture. It’s something you can sit on, climb on, and interact with,’ the Korean architect tells us. Read the full interview here.

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UNA/UNLESS’ BLUE TRIANGULAR PAVILION LANDS IN RENAISSANCE-ERA COURTYARD AT VENICE BIENNALE

image © Agnese Bedini – DSL Studio

UNA/UNLESS has created a vibrant blue pavilion as a collateral event for the 60th Venice Art Biennale. This triangular blue prism appears as if it has fallen from space into the Renaissance courtyard of Venice’s Accademia di Belle Arti. Designed as a temporary extension of the building, it hosts Swell of Spæcies, a politically charged, high-tech installation by Cameroon-French artist Josèfa Ntjam, commissioned by LAS Art Foundation.

The pavilion’s symmetrical, reflective surfaces create a nighttime optical illusion, making it seem to disappear, revealing the courtyard’s hidden fourth loggia. This design engages with the 16th-century setting, visually challenging the city’s strict conservation rules. To spark long-overdue connections between the Venice Biennale and the local art community, the pavilion opens toward the loggias of the Accademia’s sculpture studios while remaining closed off from the courtyard.

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CARSTEN HÖLLER AND WE ARE ONA UNVEIL MONOCHROMATIC DINING EXPERIENCE DURING ART BASEL PARIS

images © Benoit Florençon

For the 2024 edition of Art Basel Paris, the culinary studio We Are Ona partners with renowned artist Carsten Höller to create a striking monochromatic pop-up dining experience. Set in a historic Parisian train station, the exhibition-like project promises a fully immersive, black-and-white scenography — except for the food and drinks, which provide a vibrant contrast. The unique event is inspired by Höller’s Brutalist Kitchen Manifesto and is developed in collaboration with his restaurant, Brutalisten. Chefs Coen Dieleman and Stefan Eriksson bring the concept to life from October 14th to 20th. 

To learn more about this creative culinary collaboration, including the design, scenography, materiality, and overall concept of the pop-up, designboom spoke with Luca Pronzato, Founder and Creative Culinary Director of We Are Ona. ‘The entire restaurant will be designed in black and white,’ Pronzato explains. ‘The only colors will come from the food, the wine, and, of course, the guests themselves.’ Read on for a deeper dive into the project and Pronzato’s insights. Read our full interview here.

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F.O.G. ARCHITECTURE FRONTS POP-UP CAFÉ AND BAKERY WITH PILES OF GRAIN SACKS

image © INSPACE

The Cycle Cycle mobile bakehouse by F.O.G Architecture is a pop-up café and bakery that explores the relationship between food and land. Its overall wooden structure is inspired by a barn, featuring a shading board on the front and rainproof canopy supported on top at the back. Stacks of grain sacks act as a facade and a ladder on the side references a straw shed for resting commonly seen on farmlands. Meanwhile, the mats on the rainproof canopy and the rough texture of the fabric in their primitive state present the beauty of wild nature.

For the facade, the team at F.O.G Architecture combines the form of bricks and tactile sacks, with small openings intentionally left in between to allow activities like coffee making and bread packaging to be seen from the outside, while inviting natural lighting into the Cycle Cycle mobile bakehouse. A semi-private space can also materialize by raising the shading board and releasing the curtains. ‘Details such as the placement of the grain sacks, and the length of the curtain are figured out on site with input from architects, builders, and even random passers-by, adding a sense of impromptu. During construction, we did not put fences up, allowing passers-by to fully engage with the creation of the structure,’ explains the practice. 

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WALLMAKERS USES 1,425 DISCARDED TIRES COATED IN DESERT SAND FOR SHARJAH TRIENNIAL PAVILION 

image © WallMakers

The 3-Minute Corridor pavilion, designed by WallMakers, focuses on tackling global waste concerns through material reuse. Displayed at the Sharjah Architecture Triennial until March 10, 2024, in line with the event’s theme, The Beauty of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability, the pavilion illustrates the substantial amount of daily waste and the potential to transform these materials into practical living spaces. In just a brief three-minute stroll through the passageway, the pavilion, comprising 1,425 discarded tires, sheds light on the staggering scale of human-generated waste — approximately 684,931 tires daily — discarded globally. This structure repurposes tires sourced from Sharjah’s waste facilities, pairing them with locally abundant desert sand, often overlooked in construction.

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MAD ARCHITECTS HONORS CHILDHOOD WITH FLYING SAUCER-LIKE INSTALLATION AT CHINESE ART FESTIVAL

image © Tian Fangfang, courtesy of MAD Architects

MAD Architects introduces The Never Hut, a playful installation at the Guangdong Nanhai Land Art Festival 2024 in Yanqiao Village, China. Conceived as a celebration of childhood wonder and community connection, the centerpiece of the festival reimagines a historic playground as a vibrant gathering space. ‘This project is about capturing the freedom and wonder of childhood while providing a space for the community to gather, reflect, and imagine what lies ahead,’ shares Ma Yansong, founder of MAD Architects.

The distinctive flying saucer-like form of the structure hovers on three tentacle-shaped supports crafted from repurposed fishing nets. Gently swaying in the breeze, the installation creates a kinetic interaction with its natural and cultural surroundings. Building on MAD’s prior work in Nanhai District, including the Timeless Beacon at Taiping Market, The Never Hut highlights the commitment of the studio to combining art, architecture, and local heritage. 

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ALUMINUM CLADS CURVED PORSCHE PAVILION BY MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY IN SINGAPORE

image © DoubleSpace, courtesy of MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY

NYC-based studio MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY and Porsche have teamed up in My Two Cars Garage, a double-curved aluminum pavilion that serves as the backdrop for the debut of the car manufacturer’s electric Macan, unveiled at Singapore Art Week. Built as a monocoque shell, the structural strength of the pavilion lies in the curves of its skin, which carries the load and eliminates the need for internal support. Ιnspired by the Macan’s bodywork, the structure features perforations that let light play through during the day, casting shifting patterns across the floor. Constructed in modular components, each part was prefabricated off-site and assembled on location as puzzle-like modules, minimizing build time and maintaining a look with no visible joints. The result is a continuous, smooth surface that mirrors Porsche’s commitment to refined precision and elegance.

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CJ HENDRY’S FLOWER MARKET OPENS IN NYC, INVITING VISITORS TO PICK A PLUSH BLOSSOM

image © Cj Hendry Studio

Contemporary artist Cj Hendry brings her latest immersive installation, Flower Market, to FDR Four Freedoms State Park on New York’s Roosevelt Island. In collaboration with global luxury beauty brand Clé de Peau Beauté and the Four Freedoms Park Conservancy, this large-scale exhibition invites visitors to explore and interact with a vibrant greenhouse filled with thousands of plush flowers.

Inspired by the natural botanicals found in Clé de Peau Beauté’s skincare products, Hendry’s Flower Market is a 120-foot by 40-foot greenhouse featuring 100,000 individually crafted plush flowers. The artist references Ralph Waldo Emerson, quoting the poet: ‘Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it.’ The installation transforms this sentiment into a physical experience, inviting visitors to walk among the vibrant, hand-crafted blooms.

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ANDRÉS REISINGER SHROUDS HOURGLASS COSMETICS’ NYC POPUP IN A ROSY BLUSH VEIL

image © Hourglass and Andrés Reisinger

Andrés Reisinger brings his billowing Take Over installation to New York City to celebrate the latest product drop of Hourglass Cosmetics, The Unreal Liquid Blush collection. From July 12 — 14th, 2024, the NoLiTa facade was cloaked in undulant pink drapery, bringing a dramatic moment of blush to 14 Prince Street. Of course, pink has become Reisinger’s trademark color, especially since he first began to digitally reimagine cities across the world with fluffy, flossy interventions (see designboom’s coverage here).

While these digital artworks bring an otherworldly quality to familiar streetscapes, the physical manifestations of the so-called Take Over series — so far seen in Miami and Jeddah — are uniquely stunning with their larger-than-life scale when experienced in-person within the context of the city street.

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TADAO ANDO’S MPAVILION 10 WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR ANOTHER YEAR IN MELBOURNE

image © John Gollings, courtesy MPavilion

MPavilion, the flagship initiative of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, opened its milestone MPavilion 10, designed by Pritzker Prize-winner Tadao Ando, in Queen Victoria Gardens, Australia. The spatially pure extension features a large canopy — a 14.4-meter aluminum-clad disc resting on a central concrete column — and two offset squares that create entrances to its center. Concrete walls of varying lengths partially enclose the space to create a tranquil sanctuary reminiscent of a traditional Japanese walled garden. A long horizontal opening running both the length of the north and south walls frames views of downtown Melbourne and the parklands, connecting the city and lush greenery of Queen Victoria Gardens to MPavilion 10’s interior. The geometric forms and symmetry are reinforced by an internal arrangement that is half paved, and half reflecting pool, which mirrors the pavilion canopy, sky, city, and surrounding nature.

While the tenth edition was initially set to run until March 28, 2024, it was announced public access to the pavilion will be extended for another year, through March 2025.

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2023 — 2022 — 2021 — 2020 — 2019 —  2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

The post top 10 pop-ups and temporary pavilions of 2024 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

As we continue our review of 2024’s biggest design stories, we take a look at some of the most exciting installations that crafted immersive multisensory experiences within the public realm. Interactive pieces such as Karolina Halatek’s immersive light sculpture in Tirana, and SpY’s luminous traffic cone set up on the columns of the Aula Academia at Ghent University, are amongst our top 10 installation picks of 2024 submitted by our readers. Highlights include Mathieu Nouhen’s land art installation in France, MARS Studio’s interwoven strings of light glowing in Shenzhen, and ZXD Architects’ enveloping rope net structure stretched over a pond in Changshou Village, which bridged the concept of rural revitalization with contemporary art installation. Varying in materiality, spatial configuration and conceptual exploration, bold designs transformed urban and rural settings all over the world. Here, we spotlight the TOP 10 installations submitted by our readers featured on designboom in 2024. 

5-YEAR-OLD’S SKETCH TURNS LIGHT MAST INTO LUMINOUS BIRD’S NEST INSTALLATION IN ESTONIA

image courtesy of Velvet

Once a major submarine shipyard established before World War I, the Noblessner port in Tallinn, Estonia has now been transformed into a seafront quarter open to the public and the sea. At its heart, a large, elegant, illuminated bird’s nest crowns a former lighting mast, combining metal and light art. Aptly titled Nest, the installation was commissioned by real estate developer Merko Ehitus Eesti and realized by Estonian design agency Velvet in collaboration with lighting design studio UN-LIKE. Crafted from repurposed materials, the sculptural piece breathes new life into a long-unused structure that once littered the environment. Its conception is inspired by five-year-old Stina Onemar’s vision of a bird’s nest adorning the rusted mast, realized to enliven the urban space and instill an appreciation for old and disused industrial objects.

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SPIRAL LAND ART BY MATHIEU NOUHEN CONJURES MYSTICAL UNDERTONES IN RURAL FRANCE

image courtesy Mathieu Nouhen

Artist and architect Mathieu Nouhen transforms an agricultural plot in France into a land art installation with archaic and mystical undertones. Titled Fossile, the temporary artwork reveals a spiral arrangement of stakes, evoking the form of a fossil and symbolizing the only vestige remaining of man’s imprint on this landscape. ‘It is the passage of man that creates strength, abnormality, absurdity. We symbolize a present or past presence. It is a form turned towards humans, but also towards the other inhabitants of this agricultural land, those who will witness the change,’ shares Nouhen. 

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MARS STUDIO’S ISLE OF LIGHT INSTALLATION WEAVES AN URBAN ISLAND OF SHIFTING COLOR IN SHENZHEN

image courtesy of MARS Studio

At the invitation of Glow Shenzhen Organizing Committee, MARS Studio designed a vibrant set of installations to illuminate Futian District Citizen Square. Isle of Light is composed of four curved steel structures with staggered heights and ups and downs, unraveling into a spiraling semi-enclosed form. Intricately woven strings form a thin, hazy display surface, creating a miniature ‘urban island’ set against a backdrop of shifting light and shadow.

In the cyclonic field of light and lines, the installation tries to explore the distance between people, urging visitors to reflect on interpersonal relations. The circular spatial layout, resembling rising mist, envelops visitors and resonates softly with the light. Each spiral component symbolizes a unique individual, and in their continuous circling and overlapping, they prompt encounters and exchanges between strangers and friends.

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KAROLINA HALATEK’S LUMINOUS INSTALLATION TERMINAL IN TIRANA DRAWS ON NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES

image by Ilir Tsouko

Karolina Halatek’s Terminal in Tirana is an immersive light sculpture permanently installed in front of the Mother Teresa Hospital in Albania. Drawing from the profound recollections of patients encountering near-death experiences, the site-specific installation creates a space where art, spirituality, and science intersect. The structure is composed of a single polyethylene cylinder, illuminated from within by solar-powered LED neons, inviting visitors to step into an otherworldly experience reminiscent of those near-death experiences — a transcendental journey through a dark tunnel towards an enveloping, radiant light. Accessible from both sides, the installation is placed as a crown jewel at the center of the landscaped site. The interactive piece encourages viewers to immerse themselves in the transformative power of light, offering a glimpse into what might lie at the threshold of life.

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ZXD ARCHITECTS STRETCHES LARGE WOVEN NET ACROSS POND IN RURAL CHINA, INVITING REST AND PLAY

image by Zhang Chao

ZXD Architects has completed the Soft Square in the rural Changshou Village, Shenzhen, bridging the concept of a public space with contemporary art installation. A large woven rope net structure is stretched over a pond in front of the historic Hakka Houses, offering a unique setting for tourists and villagers to relax and connect with nature.

The space was previously leased as a private fish pond, with its natural shoreline replaced by stone, concrete, and stainless steel railings to ensure safety for pedestrians and vehicles. These modifications disrupted the pond’s appearance and role in the village, clashing with the rural settings and creating a sense of detachment. The architects’ intervention restores spatial and cultural connection as part of a broader rural revitalization effort, complementing the newly established theatre commune.

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PINK ACRYLIC BUBBLES BY NAOONAOO COMPOSE UNDULATING INSTALLATION ALONG SUZHOU’S WATERFRONT

image by Jianing Zhang, courtesy of Naoonaoo

Architecture and art studio Naoonaoo unveils Barbie Mountain, a public installation in Suzhou’s Huqiu District, designed to revitalize a once outdated commercial area near a residential community. The installation features 40 pink acrylic bubbles that aim to bring a sense of new romance and imagination to the waterfront of the city. Traditional Taihushi rockeries and stone pagodas of Suzhou inspire this project, reinterpreting these historical forms through the use of five types of prefabricated acrylic modules. Anchored by a central steel spine, the modules shape an undulating landscape that blends with the surroundings.

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ORANGE TENSILE MEMBRANE ATTACHES TO CURVED STEEL PIPES SHAPING EDDY PAVILION IN SHANGHAI

image by Zhu Qingyan

Atelier Zeros designs Eddy Pavilion for the Head of Shanghai River Regatta and the HiTIME estate. Positioned at the intersection of the Suzhou and Huangpu Rivers on Shanghai‘s northern Bund, the pavilion benefits from its vibrant surroundings and a historic architectural backdrop. The design aims to capture the energy of rowing competitions, highlighting the collective achievements of participants while also reflecting Shanghai’s architectural heritage.

Drawing from the interaction between rowers and water—particularly the eddies formed by oars in motion—the designers employed computer algorithms to generate three Möbius strips that shape the pavilion’s structure. Each strip represents individual athletic effort, while their interconnectedness represents unity and collaboration. The installation creates an abstract whirlpool along the Suzhou River bank, shaping a unique circular visual pathway.

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SPY WRAPS NEOCLASSICAL COLUMNS IN GHENT WITH 1984 LUMINOUS TRAFFIC CONES FOR LICHTFESTIVAL

image by Dave Bruel

1,984 luminous traffic cones embrace the columns of the Aula Academia at Ghent University, casting an ethereal orange glow over the Belgian city. Kicking off the sixth edition of the Lichtfestival Ghent, CONES by Spanish artist SpY disrupts the assumed solemnity of the historic architecture through an unconventional and thornily subversive aesthetic re-envisioning of its front. By day, a stark orange intervention captivates the urban street front, while by night, the artwork bathes Voldersstraat in a warm blanket of light, transforming it into an immersive visual spectacle.

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KRAKEN INSTALLATION MADE OF RECLAIMED WOOD SPREADS ITS TENTACLES IN LYON

image courtesy of UV LAB

Le Kraken by UV LAB emerges as an ephemeral monumental installation gracing the central esplanade of the historic site housing Les SUBS and Lyon‘s ENSBA Fine Arts University. Spanning 25 meters in width, towering 15 meters high, and extending 180 meters in tentacles, Le Kraken commands attention. Built over six weeks using 1000 sqm of reclaimed wood, it represents the collective efforts of 30 professionals and students.

This imposing wooden structure evokes a sense of awe, transporting viewers to another epoch or perhaps an alternate history. Despite its chilling presence, the Kraken invites interaction, drawing visitors to explore its labyrinthine form and uncover its mysteries.

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INTERACTIVE TABLE SOCCER INSTALLATION BY LAAB ENCOURAGES PHYSICAL PLAY AND SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT

image by Otto Ng

LAAB Architects presents Harbour Cup, an interactive artwork showcased at the Science in Art exhibition along Hong Kong‘s Central Harbourfront promenade. Blending sports, science, and art, the installation offers a unique and engaging experience. Inspired by the traditional table soccer game, Harbour Cup introduces a twist—there are no goals and no fixed teams. Players must negotiate and decide whether to compete or collaborate, transforming a familiar game into a platform for reflection and communication.

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2023 — 2022 — 2021 — 2020 — 2019 —  2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

The post TOP 10 reader submissions of 2024 – installations appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Our top 10 motorcycles and scooters of 2024 range from gas to electric and hydrogen. Custom and DIY models are also big this year. They include the Kawasaki motorcycle that holds the Guinness World Record as the land vehicle with the most cylinders (48, in total), and the custom electric monowheel by Make It Extreme, made using discarded tires. Hydrogen is an interest for MIT as the team assembles an electric motorcycle that runs on a fuel cell. It has swappable parts for easy maintenance, plus anyone can try to build it because it is open-source.

Retro designs also influence some of the models, including the Nitro button on the gearless electric motorcycle DAB 1α – inspired by the 2000 game Need for Speed – as well as the real-life Shotaro Kaneda motorbike by Bel&Bel from the 1988 anime, Akira. For the other models, the design elements stand out from the get-go, such as Bandit9’s EVE Odyssey motorcycle with a body shaped like a sniper’s bullet. Our list below of the top motorcycles and scooters of 2024 goes over the design features of these on- and off-road rides.

REAL-LIFE SHOTARO KANEDA’S AKIRA BIKE BY BEL&BEL

images courtesy of Bel&Bel

Barcelona-based creative studio Bel&Bel remakes Shotaro Kaneda’s bike in the anime film Akira as a real-life motorcycle. It has a split-open body and cruises with the signature shade of red seen in the anime’s vehicle. The motorcycle comes with 200 horsepower and electronically controlled anti-lock brakes, two features that weren’t available in the 1980s, the time the anime was set in. Bel&Bel also works on commission, so owners can customize the motorcycle.

Should the owner want, the creative studio may equip the ride with a hybrid engine. It can also feature the recordings of a MiG-21 fighter jet and a 1927 Harley-Davidson motorcycle to accompany its cyberpunk aesthetics, and there’s even a noticeable green static electricity that flutters around the front tire as the rider cruises. The spokeless wheels, surrounded with neon blue lights, resemble giant buttons and remain faithful to the original design.

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BANDIT9’S EVE ODYSSEY MOTORCYCLE SHAPED LIKE BULLET

image courtesy of Bandit9

Bandit9 shapes its EVE Odyssey motorcycle like a sniper’s bullet from a hand-brushed piece of aluminum. It’s streamlined to replicate a 9 mm projectile, and even the tank is fused to the aluminum frame, engineered and manufactured from scratch. A single-sided swingarm flows into the body, and Bandit9 completes it with a hand-brushed steel emblem milled from a single billet.

To stabilize the EVE Odyssey motorcycle, Bandit9 adds a monoshock for when it takes a sharp turn. The front fork looks sculptural, and it hides the telescopic suspension inside it, the one that helps make the ride smoother by absorbing bumps on the road. So far, this model that’s included on our top motorcycles and scooters of 2024 can run on a four-speed manual transmission and can reach speeds up to 110 km/h (68 mph).

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MIT BUILDS AN OPEN-SOURCE HYDROGEN ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE

image by Adam Glanzman, courtesy of MIT

MIT assembles their own hydrogen electric motorcycle that runs on a fuel cell and has swappable parts. This is also an open-source model, so craftsmen can build their own. The hydrogen electric motorcycle successfully took its ride test demo in October 2023, but the technology team said that it would not be entering competitions. They designed the model to only be presented in conferences to help manufacturers optimize their own hydrogen electric rides.

MIT’s team built and tested their hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric motorcycle within their main space at MIT’s Building N5. It took them a year to come up with the prototype, and parts of the components they used were donated to them for this project. The team used a frame from a 1999 motorcycle, with many custom-made parts added to support the electric motor, the hydrogen tank, the fuel cell, and the drive train. 

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ZIGY, A SINGLE-SEATER ELECTRIC URBAN VEHICLE

image courtesy of Andrea Mocellin and DEXET Technologies

Andrea Mocellin and the DEXET Technologies team up to conceptualize Zigy, which is a single-seater electric urban vehicle. It’s as sleek as a microcar, and it resembles a motorcycle, just with four wheels. The chassis is made from thermoplastic composites to make the vehicle lightweight, and a selection of carbon and natural fibers are also chosen for the exterior and interior bodywork panels. It took the team three months to produce the concept design.

For the final design, Zigy gets a piece of glass that curves around the roof and front, which also masks over the sides of the single seat. This doubles as the sunroof for the electric urban vehicle, as well as to offer the rider views of the outside. There’s a seemingly silver edge that belts around the exterior of Zigy, and this also houses the rear and tail lights of the vehicle. The battery pack is located under the vehicle.

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TARFORM’S VERA IS A KEYLESS ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE

image courtesy of Tarform

Tarform releases Vera, which is their keyless electric motorcycle. It’s built for both the city streets and muddy trails, as the vehicle is suitable for both on- and off-road riding. It features air cooling technology for its motor to prevent the vehicle from heating up, and Vera removes the gears and clutches to make way for a direct belt drive. The electric motorcycle comes with an 8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Vera can achieve a maximum speed of over 85 miles per hour and a 100-mile range. It can speed from zero through 60 mph in around 3.5 seconds. It can also receive over-the-air updates, meaning the vehicle can be easily upgraded remotely or using the dedicated app. Tarform’s Vera focuses on design too, given the singular motor case at the bottom of the electric motorcycle and the sloping seat that peaks with an aluminum body frame.

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SCI-FI MEETS CAFE RACER IN REAL MOTORS’ PROJECT: ARES

image courtesy of Real Motors

Real Motors’ first model is called Project: ARES. It’s an electric cafe racer inspired by sci-fi design and movies. So far, it is under development, with several prototypes underway, and Real Motors plans to release production models in late 2025. still , it makes its way to our top motorcycles and scooters of 2024. Its unibody frame hides the engine and components, and this approach makes the design singular and not cluttered.

The team draws their influences from the classic design of a cafe racer, and they also want to emphasize the retro style with a modern twist. The buttons and controls are analog rather than digital, and there’s a small screen that displays the riding information. The team believes that Project: ARES can be comparable to 700-900cc ICE motorcycles in terms of power.

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ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE DAB 1Α HAS RETRO-INSPIRED BUTTONS

image courtesy of DAB Motors | photo by David Duchon Doris

DAB Motors’ inaugural production model is the DAB 1α. Dubbed a gearless electric motorcycle, it comes with a recyclable battery. One of its main features is the buttons and controls inspired by game-console controllers and video games from the 2000s. This model in our top motorcycles and scooters of 2024 only weighs 125 kilograms and can be recharged almost anywhere using a simple home socket or Type 2 charging point.

Looking at its buttons and controls, the design team follows the style found on game console controllers. There’s a blue Nitro button on board too, inspired by the 2000 game, Need for Speed. By pressing thios, the rider gives DAB 1α a boost in speed. A nod to bicycle motocross shows up too with the use of back pegs to support passengers when they hop on the gearless electric motorcycle.

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CUSTOM ROAD-LEGAL KAWASAKI MOTORCYCLE WITH 48 CYLINDERS

image courtesy of Bonhams|Cars

A road-legal Kawasaki motorcycle built by Simon Whitelock holds the Guinness World Record as the land vehicle with the most cylinders, 48 in this case. The vehicle has sixteen KH250 engines arranged in six banks of eight, and each of the 48 cylinders has its own ignition and Mikuni carburetor. The tank is a stretched KH250 component, which doubles as a cover for the electrical and ignition components, and there’s a fuel tank between the middle and lower cylinder banks made from stainless steel tubing.

Simon Whitelock is a fan of multi-cylinder aero engines during the period of WW2. In fact, thge name of his custom-built Kawasaki motorcycle is 2003 Whitelock 4200cc Tinker Toy, which he drew from a B17 Flying Fortress bomber (Tinker Toy is the American equivalent of Meccano). This model, which is included in our top motorcycles and scooters of 2024, went up for auction by Bonhams|Cars and now has an owner.

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CUSTOM ELECTRIC MONOWHEEL MADE OF MOTORCYCLE TIRES

video still courtesy of Make It Extreme, via Youtube

The team Make It Extreme produces a custom electric monowheel using motorcycle tires. Its frame is forged from metal, shaped in a perfect circle to mirror the style of the wheel used in circus shows. They encirle the metal frame with tire padding, custom too, because there aren’t any wheels available with this size. For the chassis, Make It Extreme makes three rollers and a black plastic material on which the wheel could spin.

The wheel can move forward because of the two motors connected to a tire that the design team took from a go-kart vehicle. It’s also non-slip, so cruising along watery roads isn’t so slippery. The motors move well thanks to the two controllers that Make It Extreme tied with a throttle, and the entire monowheel rotates as the rider takes it for a spin. The design team colors the metal frame orange, so it stands out on the road day and night.

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ASYNC’S FIRST ELECTRIC MOTORBIKE X1

image courtesy of ASYNC

ASYNC releases its first electric motorbike named X1. For the inaugural model, the fate of the design lies in the hands of the riders because the final design of the motorbike is based on the gathered feedback from the pool of future owners. Design-wise, the engine is boxed inside a metal-like X cage, and the entire body is trimmed for a minimal look. The cushioned seating is shaped like a V, and the forks at the front are colored brass gold.

It’s possible to install a light indicator in the battery, so the rider knows when to charge their vehicle. ASYNC says that for their co-creation program, the riders can pitch ideas to add more to the current look of the electric motorbike. The vehicle, which is part of our list of top motorcycles and scooters of 2024, is also customizable, which includes the engraving of the owner’s name onto the motorbike. So far, the design team has yet to announce the final design of the ASYNC X1.

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

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The post top 10 motorcycles and scooters of 2024 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The year 2024 brought a wealth of groundbreaking art shows, each pushing the boundaries of art, design, and storytelling. From Emmanuelle Moureaux’s kaleidoscopic 100 Colors Butterflies installation in Shanghai to Julie Mehretu’s sweeping retrospective at Palazzo Grassi in Venice, 2024 showcased a rich tapestry of creativity and innovation. Across the globe, this year’s top 10 exhibitions celebrated cultural heritage, challenged contemporary norms, and reimagined the relationship between art and its audience.

Highlights of our 2024 big stories include Anselm Kiefer’s evocative Fallen Angels at Palazzo Strozzi, Barbara Kruger’s dynamic installations at the Serpentine in London, and Es Devlin’s deeply human Congregation, which shined a spotlight on the lives of displaced individuals. In Milan, the late Gaetano Pesce’s Nice to See You offered a poignant farewell, while the Homo Faber event in Venice brought craftsmanship to life under Luca Guadagnino’s artistic vision. Spanning mediums, cultures, and eras, these ten art events defined the year, offering moments of reflection, wonder, and inspiration. Here are the exhibitions that left a mark on 2024.

EMMANUELLE MOUREAUX’S COLORFUL INSTALLATION VEILS VISITORS AMIDST A MYRIAD OF BUTTERFLIES

image courtesy of Lancôme

Emmanuelle Moureaux’s 100 Colors Butterflies installation at Lancôme’s The Art of Absolue exhibition in Shanghai unveils under the theme Perpetual, Beyond Time. The 48th iteration in Moureaux’s 100 Colors series, the artwork features 40,000 vibrant artificial butterflies arranged in a 10-meter-high circular volume. Attendees walk through a serene path of white butterflies, culminating in an immersive explosion of over 100 hues spanning yellows, reds, greens, and blues, reflecting the philosophy of Lancôme’s Absolue collection.

Inspired by Tokyo’s vivid urban landscape, where she has lived since 1996, Moureaux’s design approach, shikiri—or dividing space with colors—shapes her work. Drawing from the Japanese city’s layered visuals of store signs, cables, and architecture, she uses her 100 Colors series to celebrate the rich, often unnoticed colors of our environments. 

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FONDAZIONE PRADA DELVES INTO PINO PASCALI’S CREATIVE UNIVERSE IN MAJOR EXHIBITION

exhibition view of Pino Pascali, Fondazione Prada, Milan, photo: Roberto Marossi, courtesy: Fondazione Prada, in foreground: Pino Pascali, Vedova blu, 1968, mumok – Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Leihgabe der Österreichischen Ludwig-Stiftung. In prestito dall’Austrian Ludwig Foundation dal 1981, In background: Claudio Abate, Pino Pascali con Vedova blu (1968). Sesta biennale romana. Rassegna delle Arti Figurative di Roma e del Lazio, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Roma, 1968, Photo Claudio Abate © Archivio Claudio Abate

Fondazione Prada in Milan presents a major retrospective of Italian artist Pino Pascali. Curated by Mark Godfrey, the exhibition spans four sections across the Podium, Nord, and Sud galleries, featuring 49 of Pascali’s works alongside pieces by prominent post-war artists, archival photographs, and a documentary. Designed by 2×4, the exhibition offers a comprehensive exploration of Pascali’s innovative approach to sculpture and his lasting influence on contemporary art.

The retrospective recreates environments from Pascali’s iconic shows, highlights his experimentation with materials like fiber cement and synthetic fabrics, and examines his role in key group exhibitions. The Sud gallery features rare photographs and videos that document Pascali’s dynamic interactions with his sculptures. Complementing the show, a conversation with curator Mark Godfrey and artist Peter Fischli, a screening of the documentary Pino, and an illustrated catalog provide deeper insights into Pascali’s artistry and enduring relevance.

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JULIE MEHRETU UNVEILS ‘ENSEMBLE’, HER LARGEST EUROPEAN EXHIBITION AT PALAZZO GRASSI VENICE

Julie Mehretu​, TRANSpaintings, 2023-2024, courtesy of the artist and White Cube. installation view, ‘Julie Mehretu. Ensemble’, 2024, Palazzo Grassi, Venezia. ph. Marco Cappelletti © Palazzo Grassi, Pinault Collection

Palazzo Grassi in Venice hosts Ensemble, the most comprehensive European exhibition of Julie Mehretu’s work. Curated by Caroline Bourgeois in collaboration with the artist, the show spans over 25 years of Mehretu’s practice, featuring more than 50 paintings and prints, including recent works from 2021–2024. Seventeen pieces from the Pinault Collection are displayed alongside loans from international museums and private collections, interwoven with works by Mehretu’s closest collaborators, including Nairy Baghramian, Huma Bhabha, and Tacita Dean.

Set against Palazzo Grassi’s classical Venetian architecture, the exhibition creates a non-linear narrative exploring the artist’s dynamic and collaborative ethos. The dialogue between Mehretu’s art and that of her peers highlights themes of displacement, shared ideologies, and creative interconnectedness. The exhibition is accompanied by a Marsilio Arte catalog featuring essays and conversations with figures such as Hilton Als, Jason Moran, and Caroline Bourgeois, as well as public events at the Teatrino di Palazzo Grassi.

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IN PALAZZO STROZZI, ANSELM KIEFER EXHIBITS GOD’S FALLEN ANGELS USING WAX, SAND, FLOWERS AND ASH

image by Ela Bialkowska of OKNO Studio, © Anselm Kiefer

Palazzo Strozzi in Florence presents Fallen Angels, a major exhibition by Anselm Kiefer, curated by Arturo Galansino. The exhibition explores themes of memory, myth, and spirituality through a dialogue between Kiefer’s works and the Renaissance architecture of Palazzo Strozzi. Visitors are greeted by a monumental new piece created specifically for the palace’s courtyard, setting the tone for the immersive journey.

Drawing inspiration from the biblical story of angels expelled from heaven, Kiefer examines identity, rebellion, and divine symbolism through a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, and photography. Raw materials like lead, wax, sand, and ash are transformed into layered, monumental works that reflect the tension between spirituality and materiality. Processes like electrolysis and fire underscore the physical and symbolic transformations within the pieces.

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ES DEVLIN ON DRAWING 50 PEOPLE DISPLACED FROM THEIR HOMELANDS FOR HER INSTALLATION IN LONDON

image by Tayo Shonibare

In a conversation with designboom, Es Devlin discusses Congregation, her poignant installation of fifty portraits of displaced individuals, hosted at St Mary Le Strand church in London, coinciding with Frieze London. Created in collaboration with the UK for UNHCR and curated by Ekow Eshun, the project brings together art, performance, and storytelling to challenge perceptions of displacement.

The installation features portraits drawn with chalk and charcoal on cardboard, each subject holding an empty box. As the show begins, animated projections created by Devlin fill the boxes with personal objects of significance, offering intimate glimpses into the lives of those displaced by conflicts in countries like Afghanistan, Syria, and Ukraine. For Devlin, Congregation is a metaphorical gathering, inviting visitors to encounter these displaced individuals through their portraits, voices, and stories. The experience is enriched by choral performances outside The Courtauld and soundscapes featuring poetry by JJ Bola and Max Richter’s Recomposed: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. 

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ANTTI LOVAG’S ICONIC MAISON BERNARD FROM THE 1970S HOSTS GENIUS LOCI EXHIBITION IN FRANCE

image © Yves Gellie / Maison Bernard Endowment Fund

The Genius Loci experiential exhibition returns, this time transforming Maison Bernard in Théoule-sur-Mer, France, into a celebration of organic architecture and contemporary art. The 1970s icon by Hungarian architect Antti Lovag welcomes over 20 modern and contemporary artists and designers whose works engage with the distinctive spherical spaces and lush garden of the unique residence. Notable highlights include creations by Marcin Rusak, Safia Hijos, and Xavier Veilhan, along with a collaborative eco-responsible installation by Samuel Nguyen and students from Villa Arson in Nice.

A standout moment comes from dancer and choreographer Némo Flouret, who presents DANCE PARC: a playground project, an architectural promenade performance tailored to Maison Bernard’s dreamlike environment. Curated by Marion Vignal and organized with the Maison Bernard Endowment Fund, the exhibition honors Lovag’s innovative design, blending nature, functionality, and creative freedom. 

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HOW JAPANESE WOODCARVER YUKIHIRO AKAMA SCULPTS HIS ENCHANTING TINY HOUSES

image © Red Photography, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Yorkshire Sculpture Park welcomes Basho no Kankaku – A Sense of Place, the largest exhibition to date by Japanese woodcarver Yukihiro Akama. The show features 55 wooden houses, ranging from four centimeters to 106 centimeters in size, alongside architectural drawings and mini prints. Akama’s whimsical yet thoughtful sculptures blend childlike expressionism with a deep reverence for nature, echoing Japanese architectural traditions.

Akama, who began as an architectural technician, transitioned into woodworking after moving to Yorkshire in 2011, inspired by the region’s lush landscapes. Using traditional tools, he carves each house from a single piece of wood, guided by the material’s natural grain and knots. His designs, influenced by Japanese temples, shrines, and Jomon-era ruins, explore themes of transience and precariousness, often incorporating clay and pebble details for textural depth. For this commission, Akama developed a technique using iron acetate to ebonize wood, creating striking finishes that enhance his captivating creations. 

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NICE TO SEE YOU: INSIDE THE LAST EXHIBITION OF LATE DESIGNER GAETANO PESCE IN MILAN

image courtesy Giorgiana Ravizza

During Milan Design Week 2024, Nice to See You, a poignant monographic exhibition of Gaetano Pesce’s latest creations right before his passing, graced the Sala Accademie and atrium of the Biblioteca Ambrosiana. Part of the 5VIE program, the show featured 30 mostly unreleased pieces crafted between 2023 and 2024, personally selected by the late architect, designer, and artist for their dual nature: functional design and thought-provoking message.

Highlighting works such as the Friendship Lamp, La Grande Chair, and Leaf Shelf, Pesce’s creations invite deeper reflection on the role of design beyond aesthetics or utility. ‘Design must go beyond function and form to carry meaning—addressing political, socio-economic, and personal themes,’  the late Gaetano Pesce had emphasized.

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BARBARA KRUGER RETURNS TO SERPENTINE WITH FIRST SOLO LONDON SHOW IN OVER 20 YEARS

Barbara Kruger: Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You.,(installation view, 1 February – 17 March 2024, Serpentine South)

Barbara Kruger returns to the Serpentine Galleries in London with Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You., her first institutional solo exhibition in the city in over 20 years. Running across the Serpentine South and beyond, the show transforms Kruger’s iconic works into immersive video installations and soundscapes, filling the gallery and extending into public spaces, including Outernet Arts. This site-specific showcase reimagines pieces such as Untitled (I shop therefore I am) (1987/2019) and Untitled (Your body is a battleground) (1989/2019) on massive wraparound screens and exterior banners.

Rooted in bold graphic design, Kruger’s works tackle enduring issues of power, gender, and capital, as she reflects on their continuing relevance. ‘It would be great if my work became archaic…Unfortunately, that is not the case at this point’ Kruger states.

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HOMO FABER 2024 JOURNEYS THROUGH LIFE WITH CRAFTS AND EXHIBITIONS STAGED BY LUCA GUADAGNINO

image by Giulio Ghirardi

The third edition of Homo Faber takes over Venice’s Fondazione Giorgio Cini with Luca Guadagnino and Nicolò Rosmarini delivering scenography for the theme The Journey of Life. Organized by the Michelangelo Foundation, the event unfolds across ten themed exhibitions reflecting the stages of life—from Birth and Love to Afterlife—intertwined with Venetian architecture and craftsmanship.

Guadagnino’s signature flair is evident in vibrant pastel hues, mirrors, and pleated fabric walls, inspired by Carlo Scarpa, culminating in immersive dreamlike spaces that highlight life and death’s duality. Visitors engaged with crafts like Japanese bookbinding, embroidery, and shoemaking, or marvel at intricate displays, such as paper flowers in Sala Bianca and a forest of papier-mâché cypresses. The event also spilled into Venice, with 70 artisanal ateliers opening their doors and collaborations with iconic institutions like Fondaco dei Tedeschi and Cartier. 

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2023 — 2022 — 2021 — 2020 — 2019 —  2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

The post TOP 10 exhibitions of 2024 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

As 2024 comes to an end, we continue our review of the projects that have been submitted over the past year by our readers, with designboom’s top 10 public spaces picks. This year, the world of architecture and design has once again showcased innovation in reimagining public spaces that bring communities together and redefine urban living. Through our submissions portal, we got to distribute thousands of projects that balance functionality, and cultural resonance. From a brick-laid spiral shell library residing in the rural landscape of Zhejiang Province, to post-modern-inspired public restrooms in Fribourg, and a huge sustainable urban surf pool in the heart of Rotterdam, these spaces demonstrate how thoughtful design can transform shared environments into meaningful experiences. Highlighting a diverse spectrum of design approaches, our roundup of the TOP 10 public spaces of 2024 captures some of the most intriguing BIG stories submitted by our readers. Read on to explore the designs that reshaped public interaction in 2024.

HCCH STUDIO STACKS HUNDREDS OF RED BRICKS FOR SPIRAL SHELL LIBRARY IN CHINA

image by Qingyan Zhu | courtesy of HCCH Studio

In the rural landscape of Zhejiang Province, China, HCCH Studio has crafted a brick spiral shell to serve as a conceptual library for the local community. Situated within a high grass field, the structure spans approximately 10 meters in diameter and rises 5 meters high. The project aims to merge contemporary formal expression with vernacular material culture. Constructed using red bricks cast in situ rather than through traditional masonry, the structure presents a continuous surface formed by two intersecting semicircles. This design choice intentionally blurs the boundary between the interior and exterior spaces. The interior is illuminated by natural light filtering through an opening at the top, while small holes in the walls allow visitors to read text inside acrylic balls, fostering a connection between the observer, the mind, and the natural surroundings.

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SNØHETTA’S REVISED LANDSCAPING ENCIRCLES ARCHED PETAL CANOPY IN AUSTIN’S BLANTON MUSEUM

image by Casey Dunn

Snøhetta unveils the redesign of the recently completed three-year transformation of the Blanton Museum of Art campus at The University of Texas at Austin. Announced in 2021, the 200,000 sqft (18,580 sqm) initiative revitalizes the museum‘s entryways, central courtyard, and landscape, creating a cohesive and visually compelling presence. The redesign includes updates to two existing buildings and the integration of Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘Austin’ within the museum campus. The new landscape and reimagined entrances establish a prominent connection between the Texas Capitol Complex and the university campus, enhancing the museum’s role as a public art hub in Austin.

The design, characterized by inclusive gathering spaces, links the civic core of the city to the historic university fabric. A canopy of petal-shaped sculptures, each rising 40 feet and spanning 30 feet in diameter, provides shaded areas with dappled light, creating a shaded microclimate with dappled light. Constructed from perforated panels, these petals manage drainage, allowing passive irrigation into the subgrade. Their curved outlines, inspired by the arched vaults of the museum’s loggia, frame dynamic views of Ellsworth Kelly’s Austin and the Capitol.

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SKYBOWL ROOFTOP AMPHITHEATER BY SOPA INTEGRATES QINGDAO’S URBAN FABRIC WITH THE BAYFRONT

image courtesy of Society Particular (SOPA)

The SKYBOWL project by Society Particular (SOPA) at Hisense Plaza in Qingdao‘s Fushan Bayfront transforms the mall’s rooftop into an accessible public space. Once inaccessible, the mall now engages with the city’s bay views and temperate climate. Originally conceived as an exclusive VIP lounge, the project evolved into an amphitheater that functions both as a communal hall and a public observatory. SKYBOWL aims to bridge commercial spaces with the public realm, fostering community and inclusivity. By integrating the amphitheater into the urban fabric, the design enhances the mall’s connection to its surroundings, enriching Qingdao’s cultural and social landscape, while demonstrating architecture’s role in urban vitality.

The amphitheater’s lightweight and transparent structure minimally intrudes on the existing architecture. It functions both as an independent volume and an integrating interface with the landscape. This design prioritizes programming and organization over mere form, incorporating elevation changes to introduce natural light into a previously dim interior. Featuring a spatial steel structure system, the design minimizes columns and employs a hyperbolic paraboloid shell for enhanced structural efficiency. Z-shaped beams reduce the need for secondary supports.

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CIRCULAR PATTERNS AND BRIGHT COLORS GUIDE VISITORS THROUGH 100ARCHITECTS’ PUBLIC HUB IN EGYPT

image by Essam Arafa Photography

The Hub, a new entertainment destination designed by 100architects for Emaar Misr, spans 60,000 sqm in Marassi on Egypt’s North Coast. This project introduces a distinct approach to public space design, focusing on bold, colorful aesthetics and interactive experiences that engage visitors of all ages. Conceived as a central social space for adolescents and young adults, The Hub complements existing public facilities in the area with its vibrant atmosphere.

The project’s design revolves around the concept of a ‘Big Bang,’ symbolizing vitality and youth through vibrant colors, dynamic forms, and lights. This abstract theme manifests in the design with colorful lines embedded into the ground, guiding visitor movement and enhancing circulation. The layout is organized around three main zones—a multipurpose event space, a playground, and Kids Town—all gravitating around a Central Plaza. These elements are arranged to encourage social interactions and offer flexible spaces for various activities.

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IDEE ARCHITECTS’ QUIN PAVILION HOVERS ABOVE VIETNAMESE FOREST LIKE A STEEL CLOUD

image by Triệu Chiến

Quin Pavilion, designed by Idee Architects, draws inspiration from the afterglow of clouds, framing views of the Ba Vi Mountain range in Vietnam. Located near Hanoi, this serene retreat is nestled within a small forest, offering campers a picturesque vista.

The pavilion’s design embraces the natural terrain, incorporating a meandering wooden pathway that weaves through the woodland and an outdoor pool for relaxation. Bathing and restroom facilities are also included. The structure is attuned to its environment, with a delicate canopy supported by slender columns, ensuring unobstructed views of the surrounding landscape.

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THREE ECOLOGICAL PAVILIONS BY HCCH STUDIO CRAFT UNCONVENTIONAL FOLLIES ON SHANGHAI’S COAST

image by Qingyan Zhu | courtesy of HCCH Studio

Lingang Coast Ecological Pavilions, part of the Shanghai Lingang Ecological Restoration Project, dot the 17-kilometer coastline, unctioning as both landmarks and educational spaces for the public. Designed by HCCH Studio, each of the three pavilions boasts unique characteristics, offering a blend of architectural intrigue and environmental consciousness. The pavilions aim to fulfill three key objectives: creating standout features within site constraints and budget limitations, maximizing spatial efficiency while adhering to floor area ratio restrictions, and incorporating marine science themes into their form and materiality. Set against Lingang’s expansive coastline, the pavilions interact with the landscape as architectural follies, employing unconventional volumes and materials to enhance the site’s otherworldly ambiance.

Designed as individual installations, the pavilions — ‘Membrane Sea Snail,’ ‘3D print Plastic Wave Breaker Splash,’ and ‘Recycled Brick Coral Reef’ — share common characteristics, including recognizable forms, porous structures, and educational exhibits. These distinctive features contribute to their unique identities while ensuring maximum visibility and impact.

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SUSTAINABLE URBAN SURF POOL RIF010 BRINGS OCEAN WAVES TO THE HEART OF ROTTERDAM

image by Adrienne Wildeman

Erik van Ettinger, from the wave technology pioneer Surf Loch, introduces RiF010, an urban surf pool located in the heart of Rotterdam, at Steigersgracht. The facility, spanning 125 meters in length and 25 meters in width, generates ocean-like waves up to 1.5 meters high, rolling toward the Wezenbrug Bridge before resting on the pebble beach. The project includes a concrete basin set within the old quay walls, a wave installation near the Markthal, and a newly constructed beach house that features a restaurant, surf bar, and shop. Notably, RiF010 is powered entirely by sustainably generated energy, supporting both the wave production and the beach house’s facilities.

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REFORM’S UNDULATING ROOF DOUBLES AS PEDESTRIAN PASSAGE AT SHENZHEN PEOPLE’S PARK

image courtesy of Sai Shu

The redevelopment project of the Eastern Entrance of Shenzhen People’s Park, covering 380 square meters, has been undertaken by REFORM as part of the broader People’s Park Quality Enhancement Project. The design aims to improve pedestrian flow and enhance the appearance of the gateway. Positioned between a city street and the park’s eastern plaza, the site faces a 5.8-meter elevation difference. The project involves enlarging outdoor stairs, installing covered handrail elevators, and providing accessible vertical elevators to foster interactions between the entrance and the plaza, sparking a more diverse range of usage scenarios.

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HOLZER KOBLER INSERTS LARGE CUBES WITHIN TIMBER FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNAL SPACE IN GERMANY

image courtesy of Jan Bitter

The Erlebnis-Hus in St. Peter-Ording, Germany, serves as a multi-functional gathering space welcoming people of various ages and backgrounds. Embracing the motto of ‘play within, on, next to, under, and around the house,’ this architectural project by Holzer Kobler Architekturen in collaboration with landscape architects Uniola integrates sustainability into the extended beach promenade. The architects drew inspiration from the traditional local pile construction methods while infusing it with a fresh perspective. The building features an exposed load-bearing structure crafted from laminated timber, while inside this framework, five large solid wood cubes are strategically arranged at different heights and locations. Each cube is dedicated to a specific function, hosting an analog playground, an information center, a store, a restaurant, an office, and sanitary facilities.

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MIRRORED SURFACES EXTEND SWISS LANDSCAPES IN BARAKI’S PUBLIC TOILET RENOVATION

image by Matthieu Croizier | courtesy of BARAKI

BARAKI Architecture and Engineering transforms the public toilets at the Gruyère rest area in Fribourg, originally built in the late 1980s, through the Merya project. Designed in the spirit of post-modernism, the original complex reinterpreted vernacular materials and architectural elements, featuring a masonry base of reinforced concrete with an exterior facing made of local river pebbles. A laminated timber frame supports the two-sloped roof, resulting in a triangular volume with an offset that forms a covered square at the entrance. This space offers views of the Lac de Gruyère lake and the Fribourg Pre-Alps, with four oblique beams anchoring the structure. BARAKI’s approach introduces a large mirrored stainless steel surface that conceals the WC cubicle joints while reflecting the surrounding landscape, creating an illusion of infinite space. The reflective material integrates the building into its environment, minimizing the visual impact of new materials.

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2023 — 2022 — 2021 — 2020 — 2019 —  2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

The post TOP 10 reader submissions of 2024 – public spaces appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

In 2024, the architectural world has brought forth a thought-provoking array of residential projects that redefine how we live and interact with our environments. Whether it’s a house without angles in Prague or a toy-laden facade in India, designboom’s top 10 private houses of the year celebrate diversity with a particular penchant for indoor-outdoor connectivity and a balance between privacy and openness.

Emerging themes unite these explorations — some subtly rooted in their landscapes and vernacular, with others boldly adopting sculptural approaches. Fran Silvestre Arquitectos carves a geometric home into the contours of a Spanish hillside, while Iván Bravo draws from poetic writings to create a concrete monolith in Chile. Sustainability efforts too have introduced some noteworthy architectural expressions, as with nendo’s integration of CO2 absorbing concrete blocks that shape a house that breathes along with its woodland setting. Read on to learn more about our favourite projects of the year as we continue our annual BIG stories roundup.

NENDO SCREENS JAPANESE HOME WITH WORLD’S FIRST CO2-ABSORBING CONCRETE BLOCKS

image © Masahiro Ohgami

Japanese practice nendo introduces dynamic screening walls to a private residence in Karuizawa, Nagano, using CO2-SUICOM, an eco-friendly carbon removal concrete. Along the road lies the distinctive triangular property extending 110 meters in length, pushing the design studio to concoct a creative solution for securing privacy from passing traffic and pedestrians while acting as a foil for basking in the natural surroundings.

With the stacking of concrete, nendo orchestrates the line of sight by adjusting the angles of each block, fine-tuned by occasionally overlapping two rows of CO2-SUICOM. The view is set in one direction in areas with a single row. With two rows, the view on the other side opens up only when the angles in the front and back rows align; otherwise, the view gets obstructed.  

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CHRISTIAN KEREZ’S HOUSE OKAMURA UNFOLDS AS A CLUSTER OF CIRCULAR BRICK VOLUMES IN CZECHIA

image © Maxime Delvaux

In Prague 6, within close proximity to Villa Müller by Adolf Loos, architect Christian Kerez completes House Okamura as a clear example of a very traditional, almost archaic method of constructing brick ‘circles’. The project, designed as an aggregate of column-like volumes, hosts three apartments with 39 rooms, combined. Kerez omitted dividing walls from the interior layout, making the outline of every single space visible from the outside. More so, thanks to their unique configuration, the apartments shift positions from floor to floor so that rooms in the vertical shafts belong to different owners. All spaces within one apartment of House Okamura are open to each other, with the different sizes of the overlapping circular rooms creating unpredictable changes in the direction of these openings.

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OFIS UPLIFTS 1930S MODERNIST DWELLING WITH A CURVED AND FLOATING PAVILION IN SLOVENIA

image © Janez Martincic

Slovenian practice OFIS Architects takes us to the former suburbs of Ljubljana, where the curious Ring House finds shelter amid middle-class villas erected between the wars. The project revitalizes a 1930s modernist dwelling with a light and floating pavilion that follows the cubic building’s original curvatures. While touring the house, one notices semicircular fringes and subtle detailing extending towards the garden, as well as a slanted roof that crowned the originally flat top following a 1980s intervention. In light of that, OFIS sought to restore the building’s original qualities. The first step involved omitting the added roof and introducing a smaller terrace that effortlessly completes the existing volume and features. 

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WALLMAKERS WEAVES RECYCLED PLASTIC TOYS INTO THE EARTHEN FACADE OF THIS HOME IN INDIA

image © Syam Sreesylam

Responding by the ubiquitous presence of toys and the lingering pain of stepping on a LEGO brick, Wallmakers‘ Toy Storey Residence in Vadakara, North Kerala, reimagines plastic waste into a sculptural and sustainable home. ‘Have you ever stepped on a LEGO block?’ asks Vinu Daniel, lead architect at Wallmakers. This seemingly ordinary experience sparked a deeper exploration of the overuse of plastic, particularly in toys, and its potential for repurposing. The resulting home takes shape with a complex, latticework facade of earthen tiles which integrate over 6,200 discarded toys. ‘Plastic has managed to snake its way into almost every aspect of our daily lives,’ Daniel observes, highlighting the stark contrast between traditional wooden toys and the current reliance on non-biodegradable materials.

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FRAN SILVESTRE SHAPES CASA SABATER BY ITS SLOPING COASTAL SITE IN SPAIN 

image © Fernando Guerra

This newly completed home has been designed by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos to descend gradually down a grassy hillside in Alicante, Spain. Casa Sabater’s origins lie in its thoughtful integration with the environment. Departing from the conventional, familiar housing typology, the building unfolds with a clear geometry shaped by the landscape. This coupled with the slender proportions of the construction, extends the dwelling’s perimeter, giving rise to a series of terraced courtyards that lend a unique living experience proudly connected with the outdoors.

The home is designed to navigate the hillside and the existing trees on the site, furthering drawing inspiration from terraces seen commonly among rural landscapes. This logic thus takes shape as an aggregated system ready for potential expansion based on the occupant’s needs.

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STUDIO COCHI ARCHITECTS’ HOUSE IN NISHIZAKI STANDS AS A WINDOWLESS CONCRETE BLOCK

image © Studio Cochi Architects

Designed for a couple and a child, House in Nishizaki by Studio Cochi Architects sits as a concrete monilith in a newly developed residential area in the southern part of Okinawa‘s main island, which was reclaimed by landfill. The site is surrounded by a mix of commercial, residential, and industrial facilities, requiring the architects to find a balance between the chaotic landscape with Okinawa’s natural charm while addressing noise, dense housing, and the constant threat of typhoons to create a comfortable indoor environment. 

With that in mind, the client requested a home that acts as a visual buffer from the surrounding area yet brings in as much daylight and wind as possible. Studio Cochi Architects translates these wishes by crafting a rectangular concrete building that matches the shape of the site.

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LIJO RENY FRONTS THE STOIC WALL RESIDENCE WITH FLUTED TERRACOTTA BLOCKS IN KERALA

image © Turtle Arts Photography

The Stoic Wall Residence in Kadirur, Kerala, was built by LIJO RENY architects for a hot, humid climate with heavy monsoon rains. The dwelling with terracotta blocks hosts courtyards, landscaped areas, and biophilic design elements that connect the house to its surroundings, imbuing its occupants with a holistic sense of wellbeing.

The extensive footprint, exceeding 680 square meters, carefully accommodates the site’s irregular contours, existing trees of varying sizes, a subtle northeastern slope, and accessibility from two main roads. This intricate interplay of natural and physical elements, along with considerations like solar path and seasonal wind patterns, eventually informed the precise positioning of the house.

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‘NEST HOUSE’ FLOATS IN VIETNAM WITH BREEZY, MINIMALIST DESIGN BY ARCHITECT HO KHUE

image © Trieu Chien

Hòa Khánh Nam, Vietnam, is now home to the recently completed Nest House, a project by architect Ho Khue that embodies the dreams of a young couple. This new residence is designed to suit the clients’ professional aspirations while serving as a welcoming, plant-filled retreat for their children to grow in the city.

The project stemmed from the needs of the young clients, a journalist and a teacher, who had outgrown their existing one-story home and sought a more inspiring space that would fuel their creativity and productivity. The artistic husband, who shared his passion for music with the architect, particularly resonated with a heartwarming moment, a piano duet with his daughter. This scene sparked the concept of a ‘bird’s nest,’ a warm environment where the family could grow and pursue their passions, and so the concept of a welcoming ‘grove’ emerged.

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MONOLITHIC ‘HUMO HOUSE’ RISES IN RURAL CHILE WITH FOLDING ARCHITECTURE BY IVÁN BRAVO

image © Marcos Zegers

Humo House completed by Iván Bravo in collaboration with associate architect Martín Rojas and Juan Oyarzún, is located in the rural landscape of Futrono, Chile. The inspiration for this unique residence comes from the verses of Pablo Neruda’s Crepusculario: ‘That nothing binds us / that nothing unites us.’ These lines resonate deeply with the couple for whom the house was built, who despite having a stable relationship, had always lived in separate but nearby apartments in Santiago, Chile.

The house’s exterior and interior are unified by the use of rough wooden slats, creating a cohesive spatial sequence. The pronounced roofs enhance this unity, leading from a spacious living room to the bedrooms. These rooms are symmetrically positioned at the end of a hallway, allowing the inhabitants to enjoy both independence and the feeling of jointly forming their residence.

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CURVILINEAR SOLAR ROOFS OUTLINE POSITIVE ENERGY HOUSE IN COASTAL SHENZHEN

image © People’s Architecture Office

Sited in the Longgang District of Shenzhen, the Positive Energy House is inspired by nature’s resilience and rejuvenation. People’s Architecture Office took on the project back in 2021, transforming an existing dwelling into a net-positive energy building, powered by layers of solar roofs. This new renovation renovation involved adding two additional layers to the existing structure, enveloping it with a well-sealed and insulated skin for better energy efficiency. This new layer creates an interstitial atrium space on the south side of the Positive Energy House, beyond the original building but within the insulated shell. Enclosed with a triple-glazed glass facade, the atrium incorporates operable windows and doors for passive ventilation during mild weather.

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The post TOP 10 private houses of 2024 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Supporting emerging designers since 1999, designboom places open dialogue with its readers at its core. Through our submissions portal, we receive thousands of design projects daily from creatives worldwide, offering a platform to showcase fresh talent. From furniture pieces to small decorative items, these designs contribute to shaping our spaces, making life more practical, creative, and fun. As 2024 draws to a close, we take a moment to celebrate another year of creativity and innovation through hand-picked standout products submitted by our readers.

This year’s submissions showcased an exciting blend of functionality, playfulness, and forward-thinking concepts, featuring a sculptural chair paying homage to Ton’s iconic designs, Yamaha‘s electric guitar series crafted from reclaimed scrap wood, customizable lamp sets using natural leaves, and more intriguing projects. In our annual roundup, we highlight BIG stories dedicated to our top design products of 2024, capturing the spirit and creativity of the year. Read on to see more of our TOP 10 picks of design products.

SWAPPABLE ROCKS AND LEAVES CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN NATURE-INSPIRED LAMP

image courtesy of Thomas Takada

Thomas Takada explores the intricate relationship between humans and nature through his Grandpa’s Lamp collection. Each lamp integrates natural elements that serve as both decorative but also structural components, essential to its function. The lighting objects come with a rock and a leaf, but the designer encourages owners to go and seek out their own too, fostering a deeper personal connection with the natural world. As leaves change with the seasons, this practice offers a reflection of local climates and geological histories. The minimal design is built around standardized steel tubes, which house the electrical components. Left uncoated, the steel develops a rusted patina over time, adding an evolving aesthetic dimension to the lamp.

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YOONMO KOO TRANSPORTS MONOCHROME, TACTILE ARTS OF DANSAEKHWA INTO FURNITURE

image courtesy of Yoonmo Koo

Bringing art into the realm of furniture, Yoonmo Koo’s Dansaek collection reimagines historic paintings as functional objects, integrating them into everyday life beyond the canvas. Inspired by Korea‘s Dansaekhwa movement—a 1950s response to the influence of Western modernism on Korean artistic traditions—the furniture series draws from the movement’s monochromatic aesthetics and embrace of modernist abstraction over realism and formalism. Koo treats wood as a canvas, carving into it and filling the voids with resin to elevate unique textures and create dynamic interplays of light, shadow, and color. The resulting benches and stools, monolithic in form and inscribed with intricate markings, celebrate vibrant hues and gradient transitions, merging art and practicality.

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ULTRAMARINE WOODEN CIRCLES REVISE TON’S ICONIC CHAIR 14 DISPLAYED AT MILAN DESIGN WEEK 2024

image by Julius Filip

Chair-object, or Ode to Chair 14 by designer Jiri Krejcirik pays homage to the iconic Chair 14 by furniture company Ton. Ton displayed the craftwork of Krejcirik’s sculptural chair-object at this year’s Salone del Mobile Milano – Milan Design Week 2024. ‘My Ode to Chair 14 revives the legendary Chair 14. The sculptural chair-object pays homage to this icon. The backrest is constructed from bent wooden circles that applaud the bending craftsmanship of Ton,’ notes Krejcirik.

With its intricate silhouette and bold ultramarine hue, Ode to Chair 14 blurs the line between sculpture and functional design. Remarkably, this chair-object required no new molds, as it was crafted entirely from existing components and molds in Ton’s production. Staying true to Krejcirik’s signature style, Ode to Chair 14 interlaces the heritage of the past with a new innovative design.

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GREG DUBIN’S DUAL RECORD STORAGE AND DISPLAY ECHOES WIRED DESIGNS OF VERNER PANTON

image courtesy of Greg Dubin

Greg Dubin combines record storage and display with On A Wire—a contraption that takes cues from pioneers in modern design, Marcel Breuer and Verner Panton. As record collections expand quickly, collectors resort to several methods to organize their new and frequently listened-to records. Traditional solutions like stacking them on the floor, leaning them against walls, or wedging them between speakers are often proved inadequate, prompting the designer to craft his own solution.

Through sketching and experimentation, Dubin identified the triangle as the most efficient profile for the design. To avoid material waste from hollow triangular shapes cut from sheets, he opted for steel wire—a material capable of withstanding the stress of the design’s tight bends. The result is a functional and minimalist storage solution tailored for the modern collector.

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ROC H BIEL’S MONOLITHIC STEEL STOOLS EVOKE ARCHITECTURAL MARVELS FROM A DYSTOPIAN FUTURE

image courtesy of Roc H Biel

Converging reality and digital artistry, Roc H Biel, introduces a pair of stools that redefine perceptions of everyday objects, evoking architectural marvels from a dystopian future. Each piece of Dystopian Ottomans, crafted from mirror-polished stainless steel, reflects and blends with its environment yet stands as a contemplative art form that balances utility with visual intrigue. Biel adopts a minimalist approach, utilizing single sheets of stainless steel, varying in thickness from 1.5 to 3mm. The fabrication draws from intricate packaging designs and Japanese joinery, where parts intersect and internal tabs, manually bent, secure the structure. Despite their monolithic appearance, these stools are lightweight, each weighing around just 8kg.

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MEXICAN ARTISANS HANDCRAFT SCULPTURAL COPPER MIRRORS FOR MANU BAÑÓ’S OBJ SERIES

image courtesy of Manu Bañó

Designer Manu Bañó delves into the inherent properties of copper with his new sculptural mirror series expanding his ongoing OBJ series. Crafted in Santa Clara del Cobre, Mexico—a town steeped in a long tradition of goldsmith craftsmanship—the pieces are shaped by local artisans, through the traditional technique of hammering thin copper sheets, imbuing them with new strength and three-dimensional form.

The wall and floor mirrors of the OBJ-08 series emphasize copper’s reflective properties, which, when polished, take on a mirror-like finish. These sculptural pieces are designed to occupy spaces typically reserved for paintings on the wall or freestanding sculptures. The wall mirror in particular comprises duplicated, symmetrical forms—one concave and the other convex—intended to be displayed together as a unified piece.

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MIJODA DAJOMI TURNS HEADWEAR INTO RAINWATER COLLECTION TOOL TO TACKLE FRESHWATER SCARCITY

image courtesy of Mijoda Dajomi

Torrent Guardian, the debut prototype of Mijoda Dajomi’s master collection, Daughters of Rain, merges fashion with environmental consciousness. Anticipating a future where a pressing water crisis will loom large, the project sees headwear evolve to function as a rainwater collection tool. Through this fusion of style and sustainability, the designer highlights the urgent necessity of conserving resources by harnessing rainwater while nodding to the need to remain stylish. The innovative hat is capable of capturing up to 5 liters of rainwater while worn, offering a practical yet fashionable response to the global water crisis.

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YAMAHA TURNS INSTRUMENT MANUFACTURING WOOD SCRAPS INTO UPCYCLED ELECTRIC GUITARS

image courtesy of Yamaha Design Laboratory

Yamaha Corporation unveils the concept project Upcycling Guitar, an initiative led by their design team to craft new instruments from defective and scrap wood generated during the musical instrument manufacturing process. Yamaha, known for its extensive use of wood in crafting instruments, faces the ongoing challenge of managing large quantities of cut waste and unused materials. The relationship between a musical instrument and its material is fundamental, shaping its sound, appearance, and feel. Rare woods, often prized for specific instruments, are finite resources requiring years of growth. By repurposing these materials, the company explores innovative ways to design electric guitars that uphold the highest quality standards. The concept focuses on utilizing diverse types of wood, including those traditionally not used in guitar manufacturing, and reimagining their potential in crafting new instruments.

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HANEUL KIM RECYCLES DISCARDED MOVIE THEATER SCREENS INTO LAMPS AND FURNITURE PIECES

image courtesy of Haneul Kim

Designer Haneul Kim collaborates with CGV, Korea’s leading movie brand, to address the issue of recycling waste movie screens from theaters. These expansive screens, often several meters long, are discarded due to damage, contamination, or in theaters’ shutdowns. Upon noticing these perforations on the discarded screens, Haneul Kim recognized a visual resemblance to aluminum perforated plates commonly used in industrial applications. This discovery inspired the idea of substituting the screens’ sound-transmitting function with light emission. Building on this concept, Kim developed designs for portable lamps that repurpose these small holes to create unique light-emitting patterns.

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MINIMALIST ÁTLÓ FURNITURE SERIES HIGHLIGHTS THE LAYERED SYMBOLISM OF DIAGONAL LINES

image courtesy of Norbert Juhász

The Átló collection, designed by Studio Komok, celebrates the elegance and functionality of diagonal lines. This project, featuring an armchair and a sideboard, explores playful geometry, emphasizing the symbolic and structural layered meanings of diagonals. Known for their efficiency in linking distant points, diagonals are commonly found in structures like barn doors and bridges. In the Átló collection, diagonal lines also represent the bridging of different disciplines and individuals through communication and knowledge exchange. Crafted with minimal material usage and basic technology, the furniture collection features a simple yet distinct visual language. Studio Komok’s design utilizes custom plywood with a dark walnut veneer line running through the center, developed locally. This minimalist approach allows for unique forms depending on the viewer’s perspective, highlighting the symbolism of diagonals in both shape and meaning.

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2023 — 2022 — 2021 — 2020 — 2019 —  2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013

The post TOP 10 reader submissions of 2024 – design products appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.