Thursday, 26 June 2008 |
We’re constantly in awe of the incredible ideas coming out of the world of retail and hospitality interior design. Over the last few years we’ve seen an influx of creative new minds enter the field who are redefining the concept and making their own rules. The latest inspiring example of innovative interior commercial design is the new Maedaya Grill & Sake bar in Melbourne, created by local design firm, Architects Eat. The sushi restaurant’s interior, mostly “bound” by ropes, demonstrates the possibility of using ordinary recyclable material for hospitality projects without compromising sophistication.
The rope idea originated from the classic design of sake bottles, which are traditionally secured with ropes. The principal materials for this project are Manila ropes, timber and concrete, all reflecting natural elements such as vegetation and earth.
EAT took a different path with the first-floor function room, which is in stark contrast with the ground-floor “rope” room. Here they have created a modern, minimalist space with white-washed walls, Japanese black-stained timber flooring, simple timber benches and raw stainless steel canopies. By Lisa Evans.
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Thursday, 08 May 2008 |
With its rich, red interior, Le Rouge restaurant in Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old Town) is a delicious fusion of a maharaja’s tent, red-light-district boudoir and aristocratic grandeur. It is not called Moulin Rouge, but it could be. The entire concept is dramatic with lush drapery, ornamental tableware and lighting fixtures oozing with bling and tassels.
Le Rouge is the latest addition to the F12 restaurant empire owned by two chefs, Melker Andersson and Danyel Couet. The chefs interpret classic French and Italian cuisine in Le Rouge using fresh Swedish ingredients. The 125–seat Le Rouge occupies two adjacent buildings, spreads over three-stories and 1,200 square-metres, and includes a dining room, bar, lounge and private rooms. The concept comes from the talented masters of Gothenburg’s Stylt Trampoli AB who were using storytelling as a tool to create and stage-direct restaurants, hotels and resorts long before storytelling became a design cliché. By Tuija Seipell
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Friday, 29 February 2008 |
Bauer is the newest chic bar and eatery in Södermalm — “Stockholm’s
Soho.” Opened on February 28, 2008, Bauer is a refurbished neighborhood
watering hole on Götgatan’s northern end, an edgy-stylish area
constantly changing and looking for a new form. Suitably, the job of
designing Bauer was handed to Stockholm-based Dizel&Sate,
known for aptly fusing street-art subculture with upscale style for
retail and hospitality clients, including Hotel Birger Jarl, and stores
for H&M, Hugo Boss and Peak Performance. Bold walls are their
signature feature. For Bauer, they took inspiration from the Bauhaus
style and from Berlin’s bar and gallery culture. Bold, graphic images
depicting various forms of enjoyment achieve a casual and fun feel
while punching up the black-and-white space and furnishings. By Tuija Seipell
Random archive
Creative Events
Zoop Car
Waterworld
China
Karaoke World
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Tuesday, 26 February 2008 |
Framebar is a refreshing and stylish gathering place in history-rich Athens. It is located in the St. George Lycabettus Boutique Hotel,
in the chic Kolonaki quarter. The most striking of the bar’s many
redeeming qualities is the furniture. It does not really look like
furniture. It is not an end result of a rule-restricted manufacturing
process, but more like a time-warp, a fluid process temporarily halted.
It gives you permission to sit, although it also appears like it could
morph into something else any time. Architect Dimitris Tsigos calls
this a rearticulation of typical furniture using continuous geometries
and heat-formed starron (corrian equivalent) and the Spanish marble
emperador. The cuisine is fresh and healthy, and the DJs and fabulous
lighting make this a cool night spot. By Tuija Seipell.
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Thursday, 21 February 2008 |
Negro de Anglona
is a stylish restaurant in Madrid created in a converted 17th century
Spanish palace, Palacio de Anglona, by architecture and interior design
virtuoso, Luis Galliusi. Known for his ability to combine unexpected
elements and to create elegant spaces, Galliusi has designed houses,
stores, hotels, restaurants, offices and clinics in Madrid, Paris,
Cairo, Mexico, Morocco, Indonesia and Miami. His client list includes
Manolo Blahnik, Chanel and Phillippe Starck. In the seven rooms of
Negro de Anglona, Galliusi has shown his usual flair. He has combined a
strong, black-and-white color palette ˜ including enormous
black-and-white, back-lit images of castles ˜ with ornate
floor-to-ceiling drapery and other, strong decorative elements. The
task of overseeing the predominantly Mediterranean menu has been
trusted to the 24-year-old chef, Aitor García Cerro. By Tuija Seipell
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Thursday, 17 January 2008 |
Rijeka, Croatia-based architect, Petar Mišković, is known for his
unconditional faith in black and white. He is also known for his
cooperation with Zagreb-based conceptual artist, Ivana Franke, who has
studied and worked in Croatia, Japan and Finland. The two drew
attention in 2004 for their work for the Croatian Pavilion of La
Biennale di Venezia – Metamorph, 9th International Architecture
Exhibition in Venice.
Now those with a sweet tooth and a ticket to Zagreb can enjoy another
example of the incredible pair’s work in the Importance Galleria
Shopping Centre at the corner of Vlaska and Smiciklasova Ulici
(Streets). There, you will find Piece of Cake, a tiny bake shop where
less is more and things are not always as they seem. The space is
shaped like a truncated pyramid and everything in the shop — the neon
tubes, the orange sign and the counter — adheres to the principle of
foreshortening perspective. It feels like an empty funnel, looks cool,
and apparently, the pastries are yummy, too. By Tuija Seipell
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Friday, 11 January 2008 |
They’re everywhere you turn in nearly every corner across six
continents – McDonald’s iconic golden arches have led us to familiar
and welcoming surrounds for over half a century. But even at the most
recognisable burger chain on Earth, change is inevitable.
As we’ve become more health conscious McDonald’s responded with a
selection of salads and fruits. As we’ve become more international,
McDonald’s responded: Norway serves the grilled salmon McLak, Japan
serves green tea-flavoured milkshakes, Israel serves McShawarma, a pita
filled sandwich. And now, as we’re becoming more design-conscious,
McDonald’s is responding once again.
Across the globe, McDonald’s is recreating its brand in practically
every way possible. Here at the Cool Hunter we’re obviously most
interested in the design. So now it’s your turn. Have you
come across a cool, fresh recreated McDonald’s out there in the
world? If so, let us know – send us your images to
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. By Andrew J Wiener
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Wednesday, 09 January 2008 |
No More Excuses
OK, so the holidays are over, and just like your best friend, when you
ask us if those jeans make you look fat, we’ll say absolutely. And we
know, especially after a solid month of cooking, eating, baking,
eating, drinking and eating the last thing you want to do is figure out
what to have for dinner tonight. The nutrition and health professionals
at Eat Fit Food have
devised the perfect balance between diet and exercise by preparing low
fat, low carb meals and delivering them directly to you every day.
Naturally anyone can sign up for Eat Fit Food’s services, but those of
us who can hardly find time to eat three full meals each day and those
of us who are tempted to snack on whatever is around throughout the day
now have a beacon leading us to a world of healthful, nutritious food
options. Each program can be tailored to meet personal
preferences including increasing or decreasing portion size and special
dietary requirements. Just imagine sliding on your sexiest pair
of jeans and not even thinking twice about asking us how you look. By
Andrew J Weiner
(Eat Fit Food is only available in Sydney – mention The Cool Hunter and receive a 10% discount).
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Friday, 07 December 2007 |
The Wapping Project
is the brainchild of acclaimed theatre director,
Jules Wright. Based in London's too-cool-for-school east end, it has
been at the forefront of this cities renowned contemporary arts scene
since way back in 1984, and things are still going strong.
Housed on the banks of the Thames in the Wapping Hydraulic Power
Station - which once generated hydraulic power for Central London, this
is more than simply an arts company. The Wapping Project combines
restaurant Wapping Food, which, like a perfectly choreographed dance
sequence, flows it's way through the Engine and Turbine Houses.
Looking something akin to a Vitra catalogue shoot, guests dine amongst
the gorgeous original brickwork, heavy duty machinery and of course
art, making this for a very unique dining experience.
To achieve a perfect combination between art and food, much like it's
hand picked art's programme, the Chefs are also commissioned by Wright,
propping this to be one of London's most novel and exceptional
restaurants.
With a menu that changes daily, an in-house butchery and a quirky,
internationally applauded art's agenda, a visit to both Wapping Food
and The Wapping Project is always going to be a memorable affair. By Brendan McKnight.
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Friday, 09 November 2007 |
Michael Young
— the Hong-Kong-based British designer of practically everything — has
just designed a startling black bottle for Japanese Nikka Whisky. The
man who in addition to interiors and installations has designed
furniture for Cappellini, lighting for Artemide, barware for Schweppes,
Jewellery for Georg Jensen, polo shirts for LaCoste and bikes for
Giant, seems to be able to find new ways to express old ideas.
Nikka Whisky Co., Ltd
has made whisky since 1934 when Masataka Taketsuru returned from
Scotland where he had became the first Japanese person to learn whisky
making. Japan is now the world’s second-largest producer of single-malt
whisky. One of the most popular in Japan is the 37% Black Nikka whisky,
available at corner stores throughout Japan in tiny, medium and
enormous (as in 4 liters) bottles. Nikka is part of one of the world’s
largest beverage conglomerates, the Asahi Brewery Group. For everything about Japanese whisky, check out Nonjatta: By Tuija Seipell
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Tuesday, 28 August 2007 |
The boutique juice industry is crammed with players already – now you can add a new one to the list. Wild Bunch & Co produces a mouth watering range of healthy juices including vegetable juices which are bulging with energy boosting vitamins. But our favourite thing about this Singapore based company is the packaging. Smooth and ergonomic, the bottles are like little design pieces decorating your refrigerator. By Billy T
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Monday, 25 June 2007 |
If decidedly unfashionable cuckoo clocks, Tyrolean kitsch and yodeling
form your memories of Austria, update your impressions next time you
are in Innsbruck. It is hard to not look up in Innsbruck, the
provincial capital of Tyrol, with the Nordkette Mountains hulking all
around. But focus a bit lower and zero in on the new Town Hall. The
Dominique Perrault-designed building
is on the Old Town’s (Altstadt) main artery, the 17th century
Maria-Theresien Strasse.
Go up to the rooftop Lichtblick Cafe (also by Perrault) and marvel at
the magnificent 360-degree views. The place is fashionable, sleek and
definitely void of Alpen-kitsch. The walls are floor-to-ceiling glass
and the roof is a translucent membrane allowing daylight through. At
night, the entire cafe looks like a large glowing lighting fixture in
the sky.
The 54-year-old Perrault is highly regarded for his ability to allow
landscapes to be transformed but not interfered by his buildings. His
notable upcoming projects include the EWHA Women’s University in Seoul,
Korea (2008), the new Mariinski Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia
(2009), and the Olympic Tennis Centre in Madrid, Spain (2009). By Tuija Seipell.
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Monday, 21 May 2007 |
Wine making is in the genes it seems. Following in the footsteps of Lisa
McGuigan of the McGuigan wine empire – who launched her own boutique
label Tempus Two ten years ago – is the new brand Kid You Not, created by the fourth generation offspring of the Brothers Brothers
clan. The cute name - an irreverent reference to the family link - also
hints at the brand’s sense of fun and adventure. Expect interesting
drops in red and white including distinctive European blends known as
Viognier Roussane, originating from the Rhône Valley in France, and
Tempranillo Graciano, inspired by the great Riojas of Spain. By Laura Demasi
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Thursday, 19 April 2007 |
Spain's National Museum, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid opened 15 years ago in a
hospital designed in 1769 by Francesco Sabatini, the court architect to
King Charles III.
The Reina Sofia Museum, named after Spain's Queen Sofia, soon needed
more room and in 2005, it gained a spectacular extension. Designed by
the Parisian architect Jean Nouvel with Madrid's b720 Arquitectos
and Alberto Medem, the 8,000 square-metre (86,000 square-foot)
extension is a full-blown Nouvel with his trademark of constant
interplay of transparency, shadows and light. (This is the same Nouvel
whose work Brad Pitt so admires that he and Angelina Jolie named their
daughter,
Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, after him).
The extension consists of three pavilions arranged around a central
court and covered with a canopy of polished, lacquered aluminum
stretching over from the existing building like a large, ominous
shadow. To allow shafts of light to flow in, Nouvel has punctured holes
into the aluminum plane.
Madrid-based Vidal y Asociados Arquitectos was then presented with the challenge of designing
the interior of the museum's 890-square-metre Arola Restaurant without
hindering, changing or covering any of Nouvel's outrageously bold
building details. The rocket-red, shiny, bulging ceiling, the glass
walls and all the concrete and metal had to become part of the interior
of the restaurant named for its culinary master, two-Michelin-star
restaurateur Sergi Arola.
The resulting restaurant interior defies verbal explanation. The tables
don't look like tables, they are more like parts of an unfinished
experiment. These Band tables plus Sara and RS chairs were all designed
specifically for this space. The lighting -- mainly hidden in the
tables and floors - is wireless and rechargeable so that the wiring
does not intrude the space. All this light adds to the eerie feeling of things moving and constantly
reflecting each other. The atmosphere is both restless and calm,
dynamic and serene. It certainly does not feel like any restaurant
you've seen before. By Tuija Seipell.
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Tuesday, 17 April 2007 |
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If you want good wine with your food but don’t care for the
wine-connoisseur snobbery, you’ve most likely heard of Yellow Tail, the
wallaby-decorated wine brand that debuted in 2001 and made Casella
Wines into one of Australia’s largest.
San Francisco-based Amazing Food Wine Company is taking the
anti-snobbery even further by introducing Wine That Loves. Just order
your pizza and then the Wine That Loves Pizza, and you are all set.
Others in the line up include Wine That Loves Pasta, Wine That Loves
Roasted Chicken, Wine That Loves Grilled Steak, and Wine That Loves
Salmon. Apparently, Chinese food, and macaroni and cheese will have
their pairings soon.
And no-nonsense does not mean no taste or no sophistication. The wines
are developed with the expertise of former Le Cirque (New | | |
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