Inside Urban by The Emotion Lab

Hot, new Barcelona based design agency – The Emotion Lab, have kicked off their collection with a series of pieces based on the urban world that surrounds us.  Entitled Inside Urban the collection includes a coat hanger inspired by an antenna, a room divider that resembles a traffic barrier and shelving intended to look like scaffolding. Perhaps our favourite piece is the Mirror Light (pictured) inspired by the mirrors that allow motorists to see around corners.

The Emotion Lab is a passionate industrial design studio formed by four up and coming designers from three distinct continents. More than just designing objects, they want to generate and provoke emotions and experiences which we will never forget.

Take a look at their new website over at TheEmotionLab.com

Tempelhof Mountain

Much has been made of Berlin’s contraversial decision to close the iconic Tempelhof Airport in late October 2008.  Many of the protestors who campaigned for it to stay open were concerned that the historical buildings would be turned over to corporations to destroy it’s charm and turn it into luxury housing or private, luxury medical facilities.

Many residents of Berlin have been calling for it to be turned into a giant park, thus keeping Tempelhof alive (it is currently used for events, the largest of which is Berlin’s own Bread and Butter Fashion fair) and open for all.

One man, it seems, has rather grander thoughts on the park idea. Create an artificial mountain. German architect Jakob Tigges ‘ objective is to create a natural habitat for the mountain’s wildlife and at the same time, become a recreation space for everyone in the city. With its peak exceeding 1,000 metres it would be covered with snow from September to March.

More images can be found at the source of this post over at ArchDaily.com

A Week in Your Life: Claesson Koivisto Rune

During this year’s International Week of Design in Milan, Italy, ID Magazine and Moleskine presented A Week in Your Life – 13 Book d’Autore. The exhibit featured thirteen Moleskine notebooks chosen from specifically selected designers and creative thinkers, which are now being exhibited in video form. Watch the first video from Claesson Koivisto Rune below.

We were fortunate enough to attend the opening of the Hotel Skeppsholmen in Stockholm at the end of October. As it was designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune they were all in attendance and we had the pleasure of meeting them.  Not only are they, as you would imagine, incredibly talented, but they are also exceptionally friendly people and a blast to party with.

Fast Tube by Casper

[via Creative Perch]

Wallpaper* Wallspace

Wallpaper* has set up shop in the Claudio Silvestrin & Giuliana Salmaso designed basement of la Rinascente, Milan’s one and only Grande Magazzino or department store. Invited by Rinascente’s boss Vittorio Radice (the man who turned Selfridges around and is currently three years into orchestrating Rinascente’s own renaissance) to ‘curate’ their own corner, the resulting retail space is now open for business.

Silvestrin & Salmaso are responsible for the iconic Lux 11 in Berlin’s Mitte district, itself a member of White Line Hotels.

Madeleine Vionnet, puriste de la mode

Until 31 January 2010 Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris is devoting a major exhibition to Madeleine Vionnet. In 1952, the couturière donated 200 dresses, 750 dress patterns and 75 photo albums to Les Arts Décoratifs. Selected from her major works between 1912 and 1939 and now restored with the aid of Natixis, this exceptional collection of avant-garde designs can at last be shown to the public. Madeleine Vionnet’s entire career was marked by her constant quest for freedom in extremely refined but unfettered designs close to antique drapery, which continue to fascinate couturiers such as Azzedine Alaia, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and John Galliano.

The Hôtel des Académies et des Arts in Paris provides the perfect springboard for a cultural visit to the city.