The Bund Restaurant - Melbourne

© Photos by CM

Plaza del Torico - b720 arquitectos

"This projects is the remodeling of a square of 1,798.76 sqm surface and arcades that surround it of 1,047.01 sqm, with the renewal of its pavement with basaltic stone pavers. Under gradient, a gallery of connection between the two tanks, Somero and Fondero, and museum area with a total of 409.56 sqm has been projected. This campaign has sought to improve the flow and public participation through the connection between the two tanks that allows the display Albellón and reuse cistern Somero as space for future exhibitions.

The intervention focuses on the complete renovation of the appearance of the square, its pavement, their porches and facades, following a carefully designed lighting. And assumed, in addition, the recovery for the public of the tanks that are placed under the square, elements of great value and artistic heritage."

Architectural Fashion: Frank Gehry for Gaga

"Gehry designed a hat for Lady Gaga to wear to a benefit at LA's Museum of Contemporary Art. It sounds like the move from buildings to headgear was a little challenging for our favorite Canadian-born starchitect, who drew the initial design for the hat on his iPhone: "Since I've never designed a hat before, I was afraid she wouldn't be able to walk....I did have an idea that involved people with sticks holding it up, walking behind her. I didn't know how far I could go with this thing."

The Guggenheim’s Wright Restaurant

"It would have been easy to design the Guggenheim Museum’s new Wright Restaurant, which opens to the public Friday, exactly as Frank Lloyd Wright himself would have wanted it: among the 400 drawings he made for the 1959 building, a few were devoted to a ground-floor dining space, though not one particularly suited to a contemporary audience. “The layout was very simple, almost monastic, with clusters of tables aligned with the portholes,” said the architect Andre Kikoski, who designed the restaurant. But, as he explained, “it wasn’t conducive to social interaction, and it certainly wasn’t about the integration of art.” Rather than executing Wright’s original sketches, Kikoski turned the space — most recently a generic cafeteria with brown carpeting — into a modern homage to the legendary architect, who designed the museum to harmonize with the artwork within.

The Guggenheim commissioned one of Kikoski’s friends and neighbors, the artist Liam Gillick, to develop a site-specific piece that runs around the walls and up the ceiling. Made of extruded aluminum in shades of yellow and orange, it helps museumgoers make a connection between the restaurant and what goes on in the adjacent rotunda.

But most of Kikoski’s efforts were spent attempting to evoke the movement of the building’s signature ramp — short of making diners seasick, of course — by exaggerating the arced perspective of the room and filling it with highly tactile materials. “The same way you view the art differently from different points in the spiral, what you see from across the space isn’t the same as what you see when you get closer,” he said. The wall behind the Corian bar is lined in fiber-optic wood; the metal bar front has a textured patina; and mesh stretched behind the blue leather banquettes is patterned with a tiny version of Wright’s “primitive initial,” the football-like shape of the rotunda’s columns and fountain, which formed the basis for Kikoski’s floor plan. Wright, whose many utopian fantasies were on view in the Guggenheim’s recent 50th anniversary retrospective, was never shy about embracing the future. It’s nice to see the museum thinks along the same lines."

Kanye West Foundation X Karmaloop Auction

"The Kanye West Foundation provides opportunities for young people to engage in the creative and performing arts, and to develop the tools to remain in school and graduate. As a permanent tribute to Dr. Donda West’s extraordinary legacy and passion for education and children, the foundation partners with schools and community organizations to provide underserved youth access to music production and academic support programs that will enable them to unleash their creative ability and reach their full potential. “Loop Dreams”, our music education program, will directly impact the lives of young people. ALL PROFITS FROM THIS AUCTION WILL BENEFIT THE KANYE WEST FOUNDATION."

Check out what's up for auction at http://www.karmaloop.com/klswap/kanyescloset.aspx

'1901' + 'Lizstomania ' - Phoenix (Live Street Performances in Paris)

'Pursuit of Happiness' - Kid Cudi feat. MGMT

'Alive' Where the Wild Things Are Version - Kid Cudi feat. Ratatat

'Crawl' - Chris Brown

Best song off Chris Brown's new album 'Graffiti', awesome vid directed by Joseph Kahn.

World's tallest living wall takes root in Sydney

"Renowned French botanist, Patrick Blanc, has created the world’s tallest vertical garden at a residential development in Sydney’s inner west. However, the 33-storey north-facing green wall is merely a “practice run” for Blanc’s even bigger installation planned as part of the $2 billion Central Park development at the former Carlton Brewery site on Broadway.

The living artwork, currently installed at Frasers Property’s Trio development in Camperdown, uses 4,528 native Australian plants from 69 different species that are fed by a grey-water, dripper-irrigation system. “You can observe many of these species growing wild on maritime cliffs or along the cliffs and rocky slopes in mountainous areas, making this project a kind of ‘Botanical Vertical Garden’,” Blanc said.

In collaboration with Pritzker prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel, Blanc will also add vegetal wall panels to two residential towers as part of the Frasers Broadway development. These living walls are set to reach up to 150 metres in height and cover up to 10 times the area of the Trio prototype. Blanc, who is credited with inventing the concept of a vertical garden, told Architecture & Design that he is experimenting with the use of tubes and pyramids that can be entirely clad in plants as part of his work on the Frasers Broadway project.

As well as providing a green aesthetic, vertical gardens can also offer a reduction in energy consumption through thermal insulation, Frasers Property managing director, Dr Stanley Quek, said. “Not only are Patrick’s vertical garden installations captivating, but also by putting these sustainable pieces in cities we are able to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and have them act as a natural air purification system,” Quek said.

The Trio development, which was designed by Fender Katsalidis, gives every apartment a balcony edged with louvered screens that acts as passive sustainable design and gives the building a “dynamic”, ever changing aesthetic, Karl Fender said."

Tim & Jean - The Next Big Thing

"What is it that makes Australian electro duo Tim & Jean so special? That's not meant as a corny opening line for this feature, that's a genuine question. We really want to know what kind of magic potion is running through the water in their hometown of Perth or how many virgins one needs to sacrifice in order to have what they have. With just one song circulating around at the moment, the blissful synth-pop jam Come Around, Tim & Jean have already blown bloggers and industry types away. Indeed, after wowing Australian audiences as part of Triple J radio’s Unearthed competition, the duo has found itself in the middle of a major label bidding war in the US, cementing its buzz as the next big thing set to go supernova in 2010. On Come Around the kids, and yes I do mean kids as the two are just 15 and 18 respectively, show off a surprisingly masterful knack for melding mirror-ball electronics with stomping choruses and irresistible hooks. With more gold like this on the way now's the ideal time to fall for Tim & Jean as you can bet you'll be hearing a lot of them very soon."

source: http://www.thecoolhunter.com.au/

check them out @ http://www.myspace.com/wearetimandjean

Paint-Free Coke Can Saves Energy, Reduces Pollution

"Designer Harc Lee has created a “naked” Coca Cola can that forfeits Coke’s typical bold red and white stripes in favor of au naturale silver. The aluminum can is created without using any paints or dyes, and stands to greatly reduce pollution and energy use associated with producing and recycling soda cans.

Instead of coloring the can with toxic dyes and paints used on traditional Coca-Cola Classic cans, Harc Lee’s monochrome coke can would use a pressing machine to make the brand stand out from its background. The result is a sleek, updated look fitting for a 21st-century beverage.

Though the can may be silver, its design is decidedly green. By giving up its bold colors, the can reduces air and water pollution that occurs during the coloring process and eliminating the energy and toxic dyes required to give the can its color. Plus, the naked can streamlines the recycling process: before any aluminum can can be recycled, it must first be stripped of its paint. Ditching color during production saves a ton of energy and effort at the recycling plant.

Sure, this is just one type of can in America’s ever-growing lineup of tasty, single-serving beverages. But let’s put things into perspective: according to Gizmodo, Coca Cola produced 67.8 million cans of Coca Cola Classic in 2007. That’s about 24.7 billion cans a year! And if Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero also adopted the naked look, the tally would total about 75.3 billion cans every year.

It’s unclear whether Coca-Cola will pick up the new look, but we should definitely give props to Harc Lee for coming up with such an innovative design. It’s up to consumers to convince advertisers and beverage producers that brands can still retain their own identities even without bright, bold colors on the labels."

source: www.inhabitat.com

Empire of the Sun - Album of the Year @ ARIA's

"For years, Luke Steele has been hailed as the Next Big Thing in Australian music. Last night, the eccentric Perth performer climbed to the pinnacle of Australian music when his band, Empire of the Sun, dominated the 23rd ARIA Awards in Sydney.

Steele and his collaborator Nick Littlemore were the toast of the town when their electro pop duo collected four gongs including Album of the Year, Best Group, Single of the Year and Best Pop Release for its critically acclaimed debut album Walking on a Dream.

These accolades came after the band's success at the recent ARIA Artisan Awards, where it was awarded Best Video, Best Cover Art and Best Producer.

The awards consolidated a big year for the band, which counts Barack Obama and Jay-Z as fans and whose upbeat, sci-fi themed songs have been on high rotation on radio stations."

source: theage.com.au

'Sweet Disposition' - The Temper Trap

House on Carysfort Road - ODOS Architects

"This mid-terrace house in Ireland has been extensively refurbished into a contemporary live/work space. The new structure was conceived as a simple form which connects at ground level with the existing house. The tight site and strict planning constraints defined the form of the new extension from an early stage."

Carysfort Road, Dublin, Ireland, by ODOS Architects, via: The Architectural Review

Pranav Mistry @ TED INDIA 2009: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology

Awsmazing!

'This Is War' Preview - 30 Seconds To Mars

'Kings & Queens'

'This Is War'

1. Escape
2. Night Of The Hunters
3. Kings and Queens
4. This Is War
5. 100 Suns
6. Hurricane Feat. Kanye West
7. Closer to the Edge
8. Vox Populi
9. Search and Destroy
10. Alibi
11. Stranger in a Strange Land
12. L490

New album 'This Is War' out December 8th!

Melbourne and Olympic Park Masterplan

The Melbourne and Olympic Parks masterplan aims to cater for the growing popularity of the Australian Open and to establish Melbourne and Olympic Parks as an unbeatable sports and events precinct.

The proposal places a strong emphasis on the comfort of patrons, with more open space and shade, increased seating capacity, better connections to public transport and the city, and easier movement into and within Melbourne Park.

The plan proposes:

• a new 'town square' with a lightweight roof to provide shade and protection for patrons in the centre of Melbourne Park
• improved player facilities
• more practice courts
• an international broadcast centre and better media facilities
• a roof for Margaret Court Arena
• new headquarters for Tennis Australia
• better pedestrian links between the precinct, Birrarung Marr and the new rectangular stadium.

The Victorian Government has provided $5 million for the preparation of a long term masterplan for the site, and detailed design and costings for the first stage of the project. The masterplan will take over 10 years to implement, and will need to be delivered in a way that allows the Australian Open Grand Slam and Rod Laver Arena to continue to operate.

Stephen Wiltshire draws NYC from memory

"Stephen Wiltshire is an artist who draws and paints detailed cityscapes. He has a particular talent for drawing lifelike, accurate representations of cities, sometimes after having only observed them briefly. He was awarded an MBE for services to the art world in 2006. He studied Fine Art at City & Guilds Art College. His work is popular all over the world, and is held in a number of important collections."

"Glow in the Dark" Book Promo - Kanye West

Awesome concert footage, can't wait for the DVD!

Nike Air Zoom Toki QS Rustic/Sail

'The Air Zoom Toki QS. It comes in a solid brown leather upper with perforated Swoosh, dark brown piping and white sole. Look out for a release soon.'

Apple's new Windows 7 Ad

Can't stop watching this.....trust me!

Apple re-invents the mouse - Magic Mouse

"It's called Magic Mouse. It's the world's first Multi-Touch mouse. And while it comes standard with every new iMac, you can also add it to any Bluetooth-enabled Mac for a Multi-Touch makeover.

Magic Mouse — with its low-profile design and seamless top shell — is so sleek and dramatically different, it brings a whole new feel to the way you get around on your Mac. You can’t help but marvel at its smooth, buttonless appearance. Then you touch it and instantly appreciate how good it feels in your hand. But it’s when you start using Magic Mouse that everything comes together.

The Multi-Touch area covers the top surface of Magic Mouse, and the mouse itself is the button. Scroll in any direction with one finger, swipe through web pages and photos with two, and click and double-click anywhere. Inside Magic Mouse is a chip that tells it exactly what you want to do. Which means Magic Mouse won’t confuse a scroll with a swipe. It even knows when you’re just resting your hand on it."

Available today for $99.

"We Were Once A Fairytale" - Kanye West & Spike Jonze

crazyyyy. "this is my songg!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Through the Wire: Lyrics & Illuminations Book - Kanye West & Bill Plympton

"This is a rare partnership between two geniuses at the top of their crafts -- Kanye West, who was named "the smartest man in hip-hop" by Time magazine, and Bill Plympton, an Academy Award-nominated animator, cartoonist, and illustrator.

Through the Wire is a graphic memoir that illustrates the lyrics of twelve Kanye West songs to tell his story, from his decision to drop out of college to pursue his dreams in music, through his days spent folding chinos at the Gap while struggling at night to make a name as a producer, through the pivotal car accident that eventually set him on the course to stardom and the epiphany of realizing exactly who he had become:

Plympton illustrates each of the songs in detail, his vision of Kanye's world. The songs are annotated with explanations of the references in the songs, biographical components that illuminate the lyrics, and their meaning on a deeply personal level.

The result is a one-of-a-kind book that initially grabs you and stays with you forever."

Wow...2 new book releases in a week...awesome!

HQ Hostel - Bangkok

"HQ Hostel offers a new boutique accommodation. The architects set out to create a unique experience for travellers, within the context of a commercial building that maintains the harmony of the street façade. Great attention was paid to the planning of space and circulation, the building’s drilled aluminium composite façade creating privacy during the day and moving beams of light at night.

Rather than try to deny or disguise the fact that hostel design must consider space efficiency, HQ celebrates this as a positive aspect, with the internal planning and colour palette inspired by the traditional Japanese Ryokan.

The interior finishes are simple and feature robust materials honestly exposed, such as cement, brick and steel, which are combined with thoughtful details such as quality cotton bed sheets and pillows, to create a more valuable experience for the discerning traveller on a budget."

5/3-4 Silom Soi 3 (Soi Phiphat), Silom Road, Bangruk, Bangkok Thailand
(66) 02 233 1598
hqhostel.com

Miike Snow

'Burial' - Amazing new song & video!

'Animal'

'Black and Blue'

Glow In The Dark Tour Photo Book - Kanye West

"Are you ready to glow in the dark? Crash landed alone on an unknown planet for the entirety of his Glow in the Dark set with huge space scapes behind him, Kanye West takes you on a musical and visual odyssey that no antihero has taken you on before. This deluxe volume represents another leg of that voyage, giving you a gorgeous photographic ride through West’s life, both on and offstage, as well as into the intimate technologies of his creative process with top visual artists of today. The instrumentals are tracks from his set remastered to echo John Williams’s famous score ("Jesus Walks" is Vader’s theme). In personal sketches and reference imagery, 3-D models of the holodeck-ian stage, and costume designs (including his Grace Jones–inspired outfits for opening act Rihanna), West once again expands a medium and triumphs in the artist’s epic struggle to be creative. With a CD including previously unreleased instrumentals from the show as well as an interview with tour collaborator Spike Jonze, the book is not only a memento of one of the most successful musical performances of the year, but it is also an experience all its own."

KANYE WEST: GLOW IN THE DARK
- Interview with tour collaborator Spike Jonze
- 288 pages with gatefolds / 9⅝” x 13” / 400 photographs /CD with unreleased music and interview
- HC w/jacket $50.00 U.S., $62.00 Canadian, £30.00 U.K.
- Deluxe edition with Clamshell case: 12½” x 16½” / 978-0-8478-3294-1
- Release date: October 20 2009

Stampd’ LA 2009 Fall Footwear Delivery 2

"Stampd’ LA give us a look into the second drop from the footwear brand’s Fall 2009 delivery. Featured are four styles including their The Cooley Hi, Acid Slow, Boeing, and InDeanne, all utilizing Stampd’s traditional mix of leather and canvas uppers. Each style was produced in limited quantities (250 pairs), equipped with leather lining, leather toe cap and smoothed rubber vulcanized sole. They are now available via select retailers worldwide as well as the Stampd’ LA online store."

Yarra House, Melbourne - Leeton Pointon Architects

"A fluidity of surfaces is witnessed from within the Yarra House designed by Leeton Pointon architects and Susi Leeton architects. Floors become walls; walls become ceilings; and ceiling open up to sky. From approach, the entrance looks like a cave formed by rendered concrete walls. Only the slight and irregular black window frame insertions appear to allow light into the house. But once within, light falls through the double-story void from above in all directions. Light enters through openings in thick off-form concrete and cascades down oak and white plastered surfaces. It then washes over limestone and marble, illuminating art, furniture and every handcrafted and natural surface throughout the house.

The focal point and central pivot of the house is a sculptural circular stair. This transitional element divides the entire double-storey spaces as it stretches out under a steep exterior site.Curved surfaces play against rigid lines in a style that the architects describe as ‘archaic’ – an effortless blend of both the primitive and artistic. Materiality was the primary factor in the selection of timbers, stone and every other interior feature.

The house is sited south of the Yarra River in one of Melbourne’s many beautiful neighbourhoods. The team of architects won an Architecture Award for Interior Architecture at the 2009 Victorian Chapter Awards. - Andrew J Wiener"

CONVERSE SKIDGRIP HI (HUF X 1HUND(RED))

"Team HUF have joined the fight against AIDS in Africa by contributing to the Converse 1HUND(RED) artists project. Lending their creative talents to the Skidgrip hi, Keith Hufnagel and Hanni El Khatib have created a simple monochrome upper covered in an ‘H’ repeat pattern that references vintage skate graphics and type. “We wanted to reference the skate and surf vibe of the 1980s and the Skidgrip was a great, authentic foundation.” The shoe will be available from October 3rd, with a percentage of the net wholesale price going to AIDS relief in Africa."

source: www.sneakerfreaker.com

Enclosed Open House - Wallflower Architecture + Design

"The client’s desire for the home to have a perception of substantial private space has resulted in the development of a spatial program that internalizes spaces such as pools and gardens normally regarded as external to the envelope of the house. By zoning spaces such as the bedrooms and servants’ quarters on alternative levels, i.e. 2nd storey and basement levels, the ground plane is freed from walls that would have been required if public and private programs were interlaced on the same plane.

The site is approximately 25m wide by 48m deep, and because of the intermingling of internal gardens and column-free vistas, there is a continuous and unbroken visual depth of 40m that ties together the entrance foyer, swimming pool, formal living area, internal garden court and formal dining areas.

Environmentally, the contiguous and interconnected space encourage the slightest breezes, whether they are prevailing and therefore air-movement is horizontal, or convectionally circulated, which the courtyards help generate. For the owner, it is the experiential serenity that unencumbered space, a gentle breeze, dappled sunlight and the hush of water rippling on a pond that is priceless in our dense and busy urbanscape."