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.

Christmas Card

I do enjoy this holiday greeting from Moooi, furniture design based in Amsterdam.

After looking around the site some, I decided this is one of my favorite of Moooi designs.

Tick Clock Click Tock

 

Chinese designer Yen-Wen Tseng created the "Hand in Hand Clock," which has hands linked with two pivoting arms.




 
Shay Carmon and Ben Klinger of Studio Ve created Manifold Clock, which is connected by a piece of paper that curls and unfurls.




 
Swedish designers Humans since 1982 have designed "The Clock Clock," composed of several small clocks whose hands spell out the time.

Steamboat Belly

Tan Lun Cheak of the Little Thoughts Group has designed the "Glowbelly Steamboat" to reinvent the kind of central cooking unit used in his family during the Chinese new year.  It is made of pyro-ceramics, so it can withstand extreme heat or be put in the freezer.  When not used for cooking, it can be turned upside down and made into a lamp.

"THE TOWER OF DROPLETS"

I don't really know what to make of this project. Crab Studio's skyscraper entitled "The Tower of Droplets" won the Taiwan Tower Conceptual International Competition.

Sir Peter Cook and Gavin Robotham are the creators of the tower:

"The entire tower is inspired by the creation of energy. Living energy which must be……… Visible living energy SYMBOLISING THE VISIBLE ENERGY, ENTERPRISE AND INVENTIVE OPTIMISM OF THE TAIWANESE PEOPLE... The principal purpose of the tower is to CREATE ALGAE."

So this tower is supposed to create algae used for fish and plant food as well as biofuel for engines. If it indeed will work as described, then sure that sounds great. Visually, however, it only catches my eye because it looks as what I would imagine would be a futuristic Dr. Seuss environment, located in space of course. Yet, it's fascinating to me. Unfortunately, the algae-tron won 2nd in the competition, so for now all we have are images to imagine the Tower of Droplets in all it's majesty.

While look at Crab Studio's website, I found that I really love Sir Peter Cook's illustrations.

Shoes+Sculpture+Architecture

Sarajevo native Tea Petrovic designed a collection of shoes inspired by Russian sculptor Nuam Gabo and Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.  This collection, Petrovic's graduating project, is composed of Gabo's "linear construction... the idea of levity, transparency, and complex structure" and Calatrava's "accent on detail."

one of my favorites of the photos

nice shadows

some Gabo work:

Linear Construction in Space No. 4 by Naum Gabo

Construction in Space with Crystalline Centre by Naum Gabo

and Calatrava:

NYC Ballet by Santiago Calatrava

Light Rail Train Bridge in Jerusalem by Santiago Calatrava

All three have great work.  Read the dezeen article for more pictures of Petrovic's collection.