Home Made Delicate Food Delivery
on Milan’s via Tortona is homey in a supremely stylish way. And it
should be, being as it is located right at the epicenter of Salone del
Mobile. Owner Monica Bangari with architects Riccardo Salvi and Luca
Rossire envisioned a real home and created a cozy flow from the living
room to a little garden (by landscape architect Carlo Callari of
Milan’s ARePA studios). The fabulous AGAPE bathtub on the patio is an
example of the clever partnership deals that the architects made with
several prominent suppliers – all of whom are keen to be present where
the world of design mingles. The suppliers, including the architects,
are listed as “sponsors” on the restaurant’s website, which perhaps is
an indication of their home-grown version of “let’s all work together
for a common good and forget being so greedy.” Salvi and Rossire have
collaborated since 1998 and completed many innovative projects
including the design of furniture and accessories for various
manufacturers. The food at Home Made is healthy and fresh — slow food
at its Italian finest — and take out is delivered in swanky and lean
50s retro baggies. Handy and simple menus are published online for easy
online ordering. By Tuija Seipell
In 1877, Antonio Fluxá went all the way from the island of Majorca to
England to learn about shoemaking. Whatever he learned there, he put
into action immediately and founded a shoe company that his grandson
Lorenzo turned into Camper Shoes
in 1975. Today, the family's fourth generation is at the helm, the
company is still based in Majorca and its shoes are sold worldwide. If
you were lucky, you received an invite to this fun-and-games Campy
party held in Germany recently, to celebrate the launch of the
Spring/Summer 08 collection. AstroTurf, retro gear, great music and
sand in your sandals. We're in. By Tuija Seipell
To many of us it seems like advancements in technology are moving at an
extremely accelerated pace, but to those who are following in our
footsteps, the rate of change could not be fast enough. For some school
children in Camden outside of London, Gollifer Langston’s
prototype transportable Classrooms of the Future will deliver
information and communication technology (ICT) on a flatbed truck in
the form of an oblong gray pod capable of providing a sufficient ICT
facility that many schools are unable to install within their own
environments.
The mobile classroom will move from school to
school, and is designed to hold 15 students at a time. Once the pod is
delivered, a set of hydraulics expands the unit wider, and creates an
entrance as well as a stage and a small-cinema-sized screen for
presentations and performances. The work space will provide mainly
high school students a place to explore music and filmmaking. The
Classroom of the Future will have capabilities of adapting for
additional needs as technology races beyond what even the next
generation can predict. By Andrew J Wiener
Humlegård House is the stark-looking, year-round residence of a former Finnish TV documentary producer. He moved to this house, located in the town
of Fiskars, 78 kilometers west of Helsinki, from a central-Helsinki
heritage apartment. Many aspects of Humlegård, especially its placement
to respond to the forces of nature, resemble the owner’s childhood
home, a large country manor in central Finland.
Designed by Kimmo Friman of Friman Laaksonen Architects
of Helsinki, Humlegård House is situated on a small, flat hill so that
the north-south line runs diagonally through the building. This is the
traditional way of placing a building so that it functions optimally as
an energy efficient and comfortable dwelling in the harsh, Finnish
climate. Protection from the wind and maximum use of sunlight are
primary considerations, and the placement of rooms is as much dependent
on how much the room needs heat and daylight as it is on how the
residents use each space.
The floor plan resembles the layout of a traditional peasant farmhouse,
split lengthwise into two. The house consists of three multi-function
areas: two large living rooms linked by a loft with a bathroom and
walk-in closet below.
In a typically Finnish fashion, the building appears simple, stark and
utilitarian yet exudes a harmonious and stylish form & function
sensibility. The owner and architect selected each building material
carefully, opting for traditional, natural materials. “I did not want
materials of which we did not have decades of experience,” said the
owner. Horizontal spruce board – left untreated for maximum structure
breathability -- is the main feature of the interior.
The spruce-clad outer facade weathers into a beautiful gray color that
matches the stark surroundings. The east-facing facade is clad with
galvanized corrugated-steel that protects the wall from rain and sun
and also reflects excessive sun away in the summer. The placement of
windows was determined by the requirements of the interior spaces. A
separate, tiny log sauna, also designed by Friman, was built later east
of the main building. By Tuija Seipell
Great interior design isn't just limited to private homes, the retail
world, hotels and public spaces such as art galleries. Smart employers
are realizing that a creative workspace inspires greater productivity
and...you guessed it, creativity. Since we first identified this trend
last year, we've seen many more great examples - so much so that we've
decided to launch a whole new
section on creative work environments around the globe. Like this great
space designed for KULT offices,
located
in a former school atop Mount Sophia in Singapore, the inspiration for
this PR and advertising agency was to return to the uncertainty and
excitement of the classroom laboratory. Remember the fascinating hours
spent in the school lab - setting fire to stuff, cutting slimy things,
peering into microscopes, sniffing foul liquids, adding just a little
bit more of that to this to see what happens? Kult staff step into
their office through a large cut in the wall, which creates an
other-worldly effect as they leave reality behind every morning. A
central island work-space is illuminated by a spectacular, suspended
light ceiling. This techno element is balanced by the ubiquitous views
of nature, delivered by windows situated above each desktop along the
entire length of the office's walls. A contrasting color scheme of
black and white brings it all together creating a modern space that
blends harmoniously with the natural environment.
We're so inspired by cool creative office design that we're going to
make the
subject of our next book: The World's Coolest Creatives Offices; the
second in a
series which kicked off on The World's Coolest Hotel Rooms, this week.
If you know of such a cool creative environment please send us a tip. By Lisa Evans.
The World's
Coolest Hotel Rooms - the first in a series of the cool hunter-branded books has just been
published by Harper Collins Publishers (US). Next in the line will be The World's Coolest Houses, The World's Most
Creative Work Environments, The World's Most Innovate Retail Stores and The
World's Most Creative Guerilla Campaigns in 2009. The World's Coolest Hotel Rooms has been
designed by Sydney-based
design studio, War Design.
Our new hotel booking service - Sleeping Around will also be launched at the end of June along with our online store, cStore - Shop Cool, Shop Global.
The Cool Hunter is expanding and launching some major new projects later this year, both online and offline.
We are looking for a high energy, creative and articulate media sponsorship sales pro based in London.
The ideal candidate will have an outstanding background in online ad
sales working within the global premium and luxury markets.
They will be adept at developing advertising and sponsorship
partnerships and possess a deep rolodex of contacts in the B2C internet
space. The candidate must have a passion for innovation and online
media. A creative thinker, the successful candidate will formulate
original and exciting sponsorship strategies and platforms that will
fit well with the globally established Cool Hunter brand.
Interested? contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
for our requirements.
These Oxford boys "fly
balloons on this fuel called love". So they own my favourite
lyric so far this year. They also sport snaky, crystal
guitar lines and a gurgling brass section - what else can you do but
sit back and lap it up? Encore.
These young
Ontarions, do it straight up. The drum beat makes my neck snap,
the guitars make me want to jump and the whole thing, in all its raw,
snotty glory makes me feel like I did when I discovered punk for the
first time.
Snoop
can do anything he likes, basically. He could ditch the blunts and
8-Balls for a harmonica and some overalls and get all country and
western on us and he'd still drop a hot record.
Perfect pop. Without borders, without barriers. The best song from
hands down the best indie-reggae rock-hop album, ever.
4 - The Presets - 'This Boy's In Love'
Like some forgotten gem from Depeche Mode's bombed out basement, This Boy's In Love
thunders into the list. It's equal parts new romantic fey-pop and pure
dancefloor dynamite. Brilliant.
3 - Vampire Weekend - 'A Punk'
Every time lead
vocalist Ezra Koenig sings that hook: "Look outside, the raincoats
gone" he dangles just one, excruciatingly good 'Say Oh!' off the end of
it. I wish he would have given me a more traditional 'Say Oh, oh,
oh', but the fact he didn't is probably the reason I keep coming back
for more.
Week
old pepperoni pizza, Showgirls, broken English and blatant hipster
narcissism. Yes, the Teenagers have it all. And this Delorean
remix somehow manages to make them even better. Superb.
Oh man. The little
rising synth, warbling like a bird to the sound of children
playing. Is there are more uplifting intro to a song anywhere in
the world right now? MGMT make you pump fists in the air, sing at
the top of your voice, dance like a fool and smile until you
hurt. Thank you MGMT.
Rumor has it that Bangalore Express,
opened a few months ago across Waterloo Station in London, is the first
of many to come. Both menu and decor of this modern, Indian fresh-food
place have received mixed reviews, but we like the inventiveness of the
“scaffolding” used to build the booths and the upper level. Some have
called it a recipe for disaster and other thought it looked like bunk
beds. Both may be true as you do need to climb step ladders to reach
the second level and much of the exposed structure is, indeed, made of
FastClamp, a construction-site scaffolding system.
The interior colour scheme is organic in muted greens and browns. We
love the peacefulness this creates. Bangalore Express is the newest
venture of proprietors Charles Hill and head chef Yogesh Datta who also
run the Painted Heron in Chelsea. By Tuija Seipell
Having spent more than enough time travelling the world, I didn’t think
I’d ever been this excited about yet another art event. But Buenos
Aires and its amazing ArteBA Contemporary Art Fair
have just reminded me how exciting art really can be. Forget the
mainstream Basels and Miamis – this is where the world’s hottest art
event is right now, and this is where the art world is really happening.
Argentineans are an extremely cultured bunch, more than any other
nation, and this is the most important art fair in Latin America.
Absolutely everyone seems to be interested in or involved in art here,
and the massive daily line-ups were events onto themselves. This is
where you meet everybody who is anybody, from artists to collectors to
critics to celebrities to the general public. The entire city and its
incomparable art, cultural and tourism charm is turned fully on and you
are going to love it!
ArteBA is a fantastic meeting point of everything that has to do with
art in the Latin American market – new, avant-garde, exotic,
experimental, traditional; established artists, newcomers and everybody
in between -- you name it, and it is here. Mainly visual artist and
galleries from Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, Colombia and
Uruguay displayed their best and their hottest art. The venerable,
17-year-old, five-day intensive art event had an attendance of more
than 110,000 people, and it came close to having more energy and eye
candy than I could handle!
Argentineans are extremely stylish with an edge, and it seems they are
all good looking. So, I found myself people-stalking a lot as well,
even at the art events where there was more exciting art than I have
ever encountered in any art event in any city. From now on, this is THE
one art event I will attend every year.
In Buenos Aires, my home away from home was Palermo’s Home Hotel, one of the Hotels included in our latest book World’s Coolest Hotel Rooms.
and also Tailor Made Hotel in Las Cañitas. Palermo Viejo is Buenos Aires's equivalent to New York's Soho and it is
definitely the trendiest neighborhood and way much cheaper than Soho. The cobbled streets are lined
with fashion boutiques, amazing restaurants and design shops, mostly one-off local brands,
the really interesting stuff. I liked Arte Etnico Argentino
that sells textiles, furniture and accessories made in tribal villages.
Another amazing area is San Telmo with its antique stores
and the hugely popular Sunday antique market. This is the way antiquing
is supposed to feel like!
I have never experienced a city more extroverted and exotic in its
fusion of night and day, history and future, foreign and local. My
every sense has been heightened here by the overwhelming richness of
sights, sounds, smells and tastes, and by the endless succession of
nightlife, tango parties, special events, dinners, clubs...I’ve had an
amazing time and I have Astrid Perkins and her great team at Think Argentina to thank for pretty much all of it. I have never been looked after better than here in Buenos Aires!
A big thank you to LAN Airlines business class for flying me to Buenos Aires from New York. By Bill Tikos
Movin’ on up, now more than ever encapsulates stunning design,
impeccable service, effortless living from the time the sun rises to
well after the sun sets. We’ve been noticing a rising trend in the
sheer number of luxury residences - we recently told you about an
exclusive collection of seaside properties in Abu Dhabi. And now from New York to Buenos Aires, and from Moscow to
Beijing, we’ll reveal a few more of the coolest luxury abodes.
Many of us have been accustomed to the stylistic cues offered by W
Hotels across the world – but how many of us will actually have a
chance to pick up the phone from our own kitchens and receive
assistance from the ‘Whatever, Whenever’ hotline? Soon, for those
who jumped at the chance to purchase a W-styled apartment in one of
their newest locations south of the World Trade Centre in New York
City, the possibilities will be limitless.
W Residents may share the building with distinguished hotel guests in
the lower portion of Manhattan, but luxury amenities such as a rooftop
terrace, a fitness centre and spa in the sky, a media screening room
and digital lounge, as well as a separate entrance, will be solely for
those permanently living in the upper floors of the luxury tower.
While the W Hotel New York Downtown will take up the first twenty-two
floors, the upper levels have been split into furnished residences
(Floors 23-30) and customised residences (Floors 33-56). Interior
design exceeds expectations, even by W standards, with sleek and
functional kitchen built-ins to a translucent wall from the bedroom to
a ‘peek-a-boo loo.’
A bit further in the heart of Tribeca,
Five Franklin Place is destined be the epitome of luxury
residences. The 20-storey building will contain 55 one-, two-,
three- and four-bedroom units that will be set up as duplex lofts on
the lower floors; single-level city residents above; plus three triplex
penthouses each with a rooftop terrace and serviced by private internal
lifts.
The building itself, designed by Dutch architect Ben van Berkell of
UNStudio, will be wrapped in a series of horizontal black metallic
bands – each of which ungulates as it curves around and hugs the frame
of the structure. The façade is apparently a direct tribute to
the original 19th-century built form of cast iron that shaped lower
Manhattan – and the metallic surface will reflect light while
highlighting the magnificence of the neighbouring buildings.
The building’s façade is not merely about aesthetics, as the bands will also
create shading from the daylight, deflect heat, and guarantee every
residence will have the highest degree of privacy, and simultaneously frame unparalleled views out across Manhattan.
The Loft Residences on the levels have a double-height
living area that maximises the light entering the space. The height
of the great room continues on through a gallery where a white
lacquered library wall ascends up into the second level.
The upper-tier City Residences feature integrated terraces off the
main living areas, and all units are custom-fitted with B&B Italia
kitchens and built-ins throughout. The master bathrooms feature a
circular sliding wall that allows the bathroom to become part of the bedroom and share its spectacular city views.
And for those at the top, the five ultra-luxurious Sky Penthouses are
unmatched in practically every aspect. Again, B&B Italia has
masterfully crafted the space, including the kitchen. Sweeping
views from every room, even the master bathroom, automatically heighten
the occupants’ awareness of their place in the cityscape and the
surrounding environment.
The skylines of our cities are rapidly changing – ingeniously
designed buildings are competing for our attention. But architectural
beauty alone is not going to provide the type of service we’re growing
accustomed to expecting after spending millions on luxury lifestyle. We
feel that the rise of luxury residences has only just begun – and we
want to know all about it. If you are aware of luxury residences we
should investigate, please let us know. By Andrew J Wiener.
Breaking up can be hard. Clearly, nobody told the Futureheads this
little fact of life. After the ‘heads and their label 679 went
splitsville, the band haven’t slowed down a bit.
On their new
cut, The Beginning Of The Twist, the Sunderland four-piece come off all
perky and energised without the strings attached feel that sometimes
comes with the label world.
That track has their classic
neo-wave jerky guitar sound, ideal for kids in Converse All Stars to
freak to at their local indie disco, all mixed with a twist of big-time
production from the golden fingertips of Youth (Primal Scream, The
Verve).
Here I was thinking they’d disappeared with Kaiser
Chiefs to planet suck, but the Futureheads are back and they sound
better than ever. By Dave Ruby Howe.
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