Tuesday, 15 July 2008 |
Progressive design – cutting-edge art – political undertones – socially significant statements on the state of humanity – not exactly what comes to mind in a city like Beijing, but about 45 minutes from the centre of town (ie Tiananmen Square), the Bauhaus-inspired, Soviet-funded former electronics factory complex is transforming into the 798 / Dashanzi Art District. And it is no wonder Nike recently chose the 798 District to open its own gallery: Nike 100 – a retrospective of sorts showcasing 100 Nike innovations from the past fifty years.
A billboard-sized shuffling wall rotates athletic silhouette images across the façade of the building. Upon entry, 100 Apple iTouches welcome visitors, while swooshes and familiar colours pierce through from the gallery space. The dynamic façade feature shuffles across the ceiling of the gallery, and iconic orange shoebox forms are highly stacked along the length before opening up to a massive demonstration space.
Pulling out from the orange boxes as well as in small alcoves along the sides, Nike has chosen ‘100 artifacts from the Battle Against Drag’ – items inspired by Nike’s co-founder and legendary athletics coach Bill Bowerman’s desire to accomplish more with less. Case-in-point – Number 006: sample pieces of 1967 track surfaces with the consistency of gravel evolving to Number 008: the surface of Bowerman’s waffle iron that inspire changing the surface of the sole of running shoes to provide traction on new urethane track surfaces; resulting in Number 009: Tiger track shoe with Waffle Outsole, which helped produce 44 All Americans, 19 Olympians and 12 American record holders under Bowerman’s watch as a coach.
And where would Nike be without its world-class athletes? Various artifacts pay homage to basketball player, Michael Jordan and his Air Jordan shoes. Each component of sprinter Michael Johnson’s ‘Gold Shoe 1’ has been dissected and analysed, and footage of Johnson in motion blaze across display walls.
Anyone planning on being in Beijing this August, or ever, don’t leave without spending at least a half a day wandering around 798 – and once there, learn a little more about Nike and how it’s earned its place in our world at the Nike 100 Gallery. Just do it. - Andrew J Wiener
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Wednesday, 25 June 2008 |
Not so long ago, you didn’t even know the sex of your baby until
the day of birth. Today, we’ll know just about everything there is to
know -- especially now that expectant mommies and daddies can gaze upon
their progeny with the help of Echographic images 4-D. Apparently,
these are the best medical images available. Echographic imagery is not
new, but it has not been widely used for this purpose. For the
old-fashioned among us, who feel that emailing even ultrasound images
of your baby to everyone is intrusive and somewhat disturbing, this is
bad idea. And one might wonder if we shouldn’t be concerned about
interfering with the baby’s scarce months of peace and quiet before
he/she must face our noisy, over-lit world. Add to this our impulsive
need to share every single moment of our rather uninteresting lives
with the rest of the universe, this could become rather tiresome.
However, once the Genie is out of the lamp, there’s no stuffing him
back. So, expect to see images and video of unborn babies all over your
desktop soon. By Tuija Seipell.
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Friday, 20 June 2008 |
From Berlin Germany, Metrofarm Studio has produced a number of stunning, custom built DJ Desks. Having released a concrete DJ table a couple of years back, the new desks, in folded stainless steel and wood painted black and neon orange demand attention. But they're not just for finely tuned vinyl slingers looking for the perfect ergonomic ratios to heighten their musical flow. They're for anybody with a musical mind and an eye for detail, looking to add spark to a lounge room, club or gallery. It's art for the DJ's sake. By Nick Christie
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Wednesday, 11 June 2008 |
Celebrate the winter solistice Sydney–style by taking a dawn yoga class on top of Sydney’s highest building, Sydney Tower. From Sydney Tower’s Observation Deck, yoga devotees will see the sun rise over the glittering Harbour city. If you have an aversion to early mornings don’t panic – dawn on this shortest day of the year – which last for nine hours and 53 minutes - breaks at 7am. If sunsets are more your thing head to the Tower for the 4.54pm sunset and watch the shortest day of the year disappear before your very eyes. By Lisa Evans.
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Wednesday, 05 March 2008 |
Most of us have a personal image of an ideal escape or getaway. A
secluded beach shack hidden on an island paradise - a tucked away cabin
built into a snowy mountainside - a private chateaux set on the quiet,
rolling hills of a vineyard - basically anywhere we feel removed from
the mundane normalcy of our own daily lives.
X.Pace, a Sydney/Singapore-based design studio is on the verge of
helping us redefine the ultimate lifestyle solution - the highly
luxurious Hingarae residences and resort located in Lake Taupo on New
Zealand's north island. Hingarae embodies everything one would
expect from 6 star standards - the ideal balance of extreme luxury,
privacy and ultra-modern built form set upon a pristine natural
environment.
The development will offer twenty eight opportunities to own a
fully-furnished Hingarae Module. Each individual Module is 200
square metres set carefully within 1 hectare of natural
landscape. Oversized glazing allows uninterrupted views to the
surrounding forest, green countryside, snow-capped mountains and
crystal blue lake. The interior design is equally rewarding
offering an exceptional imported blend of modern and futuristic
furniture. The main living space sits on a revolving disc floor
that allows orientation toward the exterior or the LCD screen.
Numerous additions to Hingarae Module ownership include an electric car
for all on-site traveling, personal use of Hingarae's premium luxury
4WD vehicles for off-site travel, access to on-call helicopter,
on-going membership to Jack Nicklaus' Kinloch Golf Club, ongoing winter
season's pass to Mount Ruapehu's Whakapapa (New Zealand's largest ski
area), shared use of Hingarae's motor launch and unlimited access to
the 6 Star Hotel Hingarae and all its facilities including a recording
studio. Hingarae also fully manages and maintains each Module and its
individual acreage.
Nearly every aspect of a superior style of living has been taken into
consideration during the conception and development phases of
Hingarae. Unlike anything in the world, this New Zealand
destination will soon embody the ultimate expression of escape for
those of us able to get in - as prices start from US$1.9 million. As
for the rest of us, we can always hope for an invitation from a
generous friend. By Andrew J Wiener.
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Tuesday, 19 February 2008 |
Cool Spas are popping up everywhere as if they had just been invented,
but in the Bavaria region of Germany — as in many parts of the world
with healing, thermal or mineral springs — baths are part of ancient
history.
Bad Aibling, located some 35 miles southeast of Munich, has
held the official title of a Bad (German for bath, spa, springs) since
1895 but the thermal spas have bubbled up there much, much longer. It
is particularly refreshing to see one of the older facilities, Thermal
Bad Aibling, receive a complete overhaul and emerge as a viable
competitor in the world of spoiled and pampered spa goers.
The most striking new feature at Bad Aibling are the large white domes,
placed seemingly randomly in the hilly landscape, letting the alpine
scenery dictate their placement. Each dome is dedicated to its own
treatment, temperature, ambiance and experience.
In addition to the
fairly standard fare, such as a wide selection of massages, beauty
treatments, saunas and different-temperature baths and pools, Thermal
Bad Aibling offers a beautifully lit Turkish haman plus something no
other spa has — so far. It is an immersive film experience by
LivingGlobe where the guests can enjoy a special 360-degree film
projection and light show produced specifically for Thermal Bad
Aibling. The main outdoor swimming pool areas will open in May 2008,
but hot pools are functional, creating the atmosphere of time-tested
pleasure of soaking in hot water in cold air and enjoying the view. By Tuija Seipell
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Tuesday, 19 February 2008 |
At TCH, we have always been interested in learning about illuminated
furniture, housewares, gadgets and other items. Lighted bicycle tires, rugs, night clubs and dance floors ... have all been
presented at one time or another on our pages.
A new entry - a lighted sajjadah or prayer rug - comes from a Turkish designer, Soner Özenç.
The Britain-based designer uses light as an integral element in his
imaginative creations. This modern piece that he calls Sajjadah 1426
(1426 is the year 2005 in the Islamic calendar), combines technology
and the Muslim culture.
Sajjadah 1426 is a piece of art and a great example of the
electroluminescent phosphor printing technology. It is also quite
practical. It assists the person who performs the divine service of
prayers, called namaz, not just by creating an amazing atmosphere, but
by actually finding the right direction to pray towards.
With the help of an imbedded compass module, the lighted motifs of the
rug turn brighter the closer the rug is turned toward the direction of
Mecca. This modern sajjadah introduces a brand new experience in the
daily performance of namaz. By Yagmur Uslu via The Cool Hunter Turkey
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Tuesday, 22 January 2008 |
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We wish we could tell you the details about this thrill but we must
remain mum (well, almost...). This dramatic, "dark ride"(as in not
open-air) is an exhilarating waterslide illuminated with super-cool LED
lighting. It is one of those experiences you hesitate to try but
when you do, you cannot wait to do it again. As lightheaded and dizzy
as you may feel, do not close your eyes or you'll miss the best part -
the after-effect of the LED lights you just zoomed through. Wait for
the Coolhunter TV, launching later this year, to see this in action. By Tuija Seipell
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Monday, 12 November 2007 |
Recent collaboration between the industrious designer Michael Young and his wife, Icelandic graphic artist Katrin Olina Petursdottir,
resulted in SKIN. It is an exquisite Florentine cosmetic surgery clinic
commissioned by Dr. Jorgos Foukis, guru to the rich and
(determined-to-remain) beautiful.
SKIN is befittingly located in central Florence in Borgo San Jacopo, an
area known already in 1050 for a hospital for the pilgrims on their way
to Rome. SKIN’s 250-square-metre space includes state-of-the-art
operating theaters, meeting rooms, massage rooms, offices and a
reception.
In SKIN, the Hong-Kong-based Young and Olina have managed to fuse
sterile medical with sexy boudoir. The overall feeling of lightness and
illumination is achieved by applying a translucent laminate glazing DuPont
on not only walls, windows and mirrors but on floors as well, allowing
Olina’s beautiful, light-pastel imagery to glow through. By Tuija Seipell
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Wednesday, 31 October 2007 |
For the executive who has grown bored with his Blackberry, and sick of
his stapler, comes this rather over the top stationary
revolution. These elaborately detailed, all metal staplers from jac Zagoory Designs
come in Gorilla, bear, dragon, Lion and more. These excessive must
haves are brilliantly made, and have turned desk accessories into an
art form. Makes you wonder what their sticky tape dispenser will
look like? By Andy G
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Monday, 29 October 2007 |
Stack hats suck. Most kids would rather suffer
abrain injury than endure the humiliation of wearing one. They are
likewearing corduroy flares ..on your head. Thanks to Indigo Snowthe
Hell is taken out of Helmet with their awesome new line of
headprotective gear. Inspired by retro cool Evil Knievel line
designs,these helmets have the competitive edge with their injection of
organicand reptilian face designs. The cobra and black belly snake
skindesigns would make The Fonz weep, whilst the wood grain finish say
'I'm earthy and up for the challenge". Full on flip down eye
wearattached is so 'Magnum P.I' its in a cool class of its own.
Extremesports safety gear has been at a relatively uninspiring stage
for sometime now. It's great to see Indigosnow stepping up to the plate
bytaking designs to the next level. by Andy G
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Wednesday, 22 August 2007 |
Here at TCH, we love riding bikes through the city. There's something immensely pleasing about sailing past scores of traffic with little more than a push of a pedal. And at the same time, you're burning the calories, and doing your bit to stay green. But there's one thing we hate about this simple mode of transport. People like nothing more than stealing them, damaging them, or driving buses into them. While your safe at work crunching the numbers, who's looking after your ride home?
Cue the bike dispensing machine. Brought to you courtesy of bikedispenser.com, a small firm from Amsterdam, the idea is to help facilitate bike rentals in urban areas. Cyclists pay a small fee to hire a bike, and then they can take it where they please. Once they’ve finished, they can return it either to that machine, or another one across town. And because they’ve been fitted with RFID tags, they won’t all have been nicked before you can get one.
Now, if only they can do something about those van drivers… By Matt Hussey
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Wednesday, 15 August 2007 |
The plush amenities of a celebrity rehabilitation centres can be yours, without the lawyer fees of a public DUI. Though its not the "rehab" you may be thinking, Yi Spa in Berlin will have your mind and body rejuvenated in no time, leaving your stress addictions behind.
The site opens with a cryptic passage from writer Khalil Gibran, "I had a second birth when my soul and my body loved one another and were married." Though we're not entirely sure how this relates to facial exfoliation and full-body massages, the feel-good vibe is there, and we'll follow it.
Yi-Spa continues down its unconventional path with eye-opening architecture and interior design. Instead of puritanical white, designers infused bright color (hot pink no less) into the spa's interior - a refreshing change from the stark, minimalist-inspired interiors that characterize most spas. Hard wood floors and white walls contrast with hot pink screens and curtains and dome shaped lighting.
For the high-strung Berliner in your life, you can purchase a "Feel-Good-Schien" loosely translated as a "license to feel good," or as we say in Australia, a gift certificate. By L.Harper
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Tuesday, 17 July 2007 |
It's Saturday night, the music is pumping and you are on a hot date.
Everything is going down fine until the humidity in the club suddenly
turns your hair from Cher to Macy Gray in about 7 seconds.
Fear
not, entrepreneurs, Richard Starrett and Neil Macka, have come to the
rescue with their Hot Iron vending machine. With 500 units already
placed in clubs/gyms throughout the U.K, the Beautiful Vending company
provide coin operated hair straightening hot irons, for the quick and
convenient use of club patrons who's hair has suddenly gone 'poof'.
Using
professional grad GHD tongs, the irons run for 2 minutes per use and
cost $2.00. The vending machines have just arrived in Australia. In Sydney, you'll find them in Ruby Rabbit, Martin Place Bar, Moulin Rouge, Goodbar, Definition Health Clubs. Brisbane: Good Life Gyms. Melbourne: Two Floors and Cushion Lounge. by Lisa Evans
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Tuesday, 12 June 2007 |
We apologise, but the idea of getting on a motorbike and dodging buses and
pedestrians is just not on top of our list of ‘things to do’ before
we die. Mainly because it’ll probably shorten how long we have to get
through our tick-in-the-box achievements. But there is something
inimitably smug in sliding through traffic and being able to park
anywhere you like without fear of some ambitious traffic warden
clamping your wheels.
And now, it’s just got a little bit smugger. Nexx Helmets from the UK have just
released their new collection for 2007. Featuring the Nexx Cross
Aluminium, a dirt bike shaped helmet, equipped with removable inner so
you can make sure your face doesn’t smell like a football boot when
your out and about. It looks pretty good too.
The range features other helmets including the Integral X10. But our
personal favourite is the Nexx Open Face, think Top Gun on the
highstreet. The lightweight frame is perfect for easy carry, and
it knocks the socks off any other helmet we’ve seen recently. Paired
with the other two designs in the range, it’s a bit of a no
brainer between these and the cannonballs most people wear when
scooting round town. By Matthew Hussey
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Monday, 07 May 2007 |
Call it the relentless march of capitalism, or the material
manifestation of our fickle society, but the high street is in a
constant state of flux. Shops change hands at the drop of a hat, and
most of the time, it’s not for the better.
It is precisely this commercial whimsy that inspired Canadian brothers Ben and Hall Smyth to create GrandOpening,
a space that will constantly reopen every three months. Except, rather
than hand over the keys to new owners, the Smyth’s will completely
overhaul the 400-square foot space into something new.
Based in Norfolk Street, New York, GrandOpening is currently a
ping-pong parlour equipped with full-sized table and recording
facilities so you can watch your performances on YouTube. For $6
you can get the table for twenty minutes, and for $50 you get the whole
room for an hour with access to the projector screen and
bleachers.
But it won’t be around for long. Come July, it’ll be gone, replaced by
something equally quirky. Perhaps a cinema, driving range or even a
dominoes emporium, who knows. Even the Smyths are at a loss. All we
know is, in spite of the homogenisation of the high street, there’s
still room for a spot of table tennis. Game on. By Matthew Hussey
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