Panton Tree

The Panton Chair...

... made from a tree trunk!

     

by Peter Jakubik

Tree House in the City

     

I have found yet another tree house that I love.  "Tree House" by Mount Fuji Architects Studio is an home squeezed between other homes in Japan.  The wooden arches gradually rise around a central axis to create a emphasis on height rather than width in this small space.  The space is broken up into four parts, each part having a different height and amount of natural light dependent on function.  For example, the dining room has a higher height with more light, while the bedrooms have lower ceilings with less light. 

 

"It is more suitable to extend the volume vertically rather than horizontally. Similar reason can be found in the nature that a tree enclosed by other tall trees in a deep forest tends to have vertical directivity for its growth."

Budala Pottery

I recently bought this ceramic cup at a craft fair in Athens.  The artist grew up in Turkey and got a lot of his inspiration from the area.

I love the handle,

and the droplets at the bottom.

Check out his etsy for more creations.

Camouflaged Tree House

From the creators of the Macaroni Nursery, come the Tree Hotel by Tham & Videgard Arkitekter.

The hotel itself is a suspended mirror box mounted up a tree trunk.  The mirrors reflect trees, and thus if you aren't wearing your glasses, hopefully you don't even notice the hotel within the vast forest.  The structure is made out of lightweight aluminum with a plywood interior, so it's not too heavy on the tree.  A rope bridge, something like Swiss Family Robinson, leads you up to the tree house.  Luckily, the interior is not also comprised of mirrors.

The interior is large enough for two visitors, including a bed, bathroom, small living room, and roof terrace.

There are windows within this structure, but they are also fairly hidden to blend in with the camouflaged mirrored glass.  Also, the glass is laminated with an ultraviolet color that only birds can see so that no birds will crash into the tree house.

  

Looks cozy to me.  All the materials allow for comfortable living in the harsh conditions of its location (Harads, Sweden - very close to the polar circle).

Japanese-Inspired Teapot

New Jersey's Louie Rigano designed a ceramic teapot with a wooden lid that, when removed, can serve as a cup (on the right).

The body of the teapot is unglazed clay with a rough surface.  The ceramic portion is created by a potter who is allowed to make any artistic decisions desired.  The lid is wood and mass-produced in a factory setting.

Rigano received a Fulbright grant to study and travel in Japan for a year (I want to do this!).  This teapot, as well as everything else he produces while enjoying his grant, is created to honor Japan and Japanese design while incorporating it into a modern, mass-produced form.

Macaroni Nursery

Tellus Nursery School by Tham & Videgard Arkiteker in Telefonplan, Stockholm

In this building is a flat for each group of children and a large communal space in the center.

Reminds me of an Italian baroque courtyard or place - curving exterior walls creating the outline of an oval-like form.

Some windows are covered with the yellow wooden baton design, while others are exposed.

The nursery is located between a forest and very industrial setting, so the architects tried to create a transition or medium to these two opposite environments - a big macaroni.  I really love this building because it's a modern take on some Italian baroque structures, and macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite foods.