The New York Times Building

New York always deserves (and gets) the best of all, and here is another one! The new 52-story building between 40th and 41st Streets, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, is a new icon in New York. Piano says his goal was to create a skyscraper that embodies sustainability and craftsmanship In a statement about the project, Renzo Piano declared that his inspiration for it was the simplicity and clarity of the city’s street grid and that he therefore wanted it to be simple and transparent: “Towers, as we know, are often symbols of arrogance and power, but this will not be our case….The building’s basic shape is simple and primary, similar to the Manhattan grid. It is slender, and does not use mirrored or tinted glass which render towers mysterious and hermetic subjects. On the contrary, the use of clear glass combined with a pattern of ceramic will allow the building to adapt to the colors of the atmosphere. Blueish after a shower, shimmering red after a sunset.”
The office tower of that project was designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, who designed the mammoth new Bear Stearns & Co., Inc., tower at 383 Madison Avenue that was completed in 2001

The architect’s goal is to blur the boundary between inside and out, between the life of the newspaper and the life of the street. The lobby is encased entirely in glass, and its transparency plays delightfully against the muscular steel beams and spandrels that support the soaring tower.”

“By the time you reach the 14th-floor cafeteria, the entire city begins to come into focus, with dazzling views to the north, south, east and west. A long, narrow balcony is suspended within the cafeteria’s double-height space, reinforcing the impression that you’re floating in the Midtown skyline.”

T-Bone House

Zlatko Antolovic and Alexander Wendlik’s practice COAST completed the T-Bone house last summer. At a modest 150 square metres, this family home near the German town of Waiblingen mixes environmentally friendly technology like Geothermal heating and rainwater collection, with a decidedly un-PC, but very understandable, focus on the client’s pride and joy, a 1974 Porsche Targa

Set in an established orchard outside Waiblingen, the T-Bone house’s sloping site gives it sweeping views of the surrounding countryside. So-called for the T-shaped form of the structure, the house rises above glazed infills on the ground floor to a monolithic form above,

One glazed infill houses the Porsche, venerated like an ancient icon, while the other houses the open ‘living room in the landscape’, with large windows on three sides allowing the greenery to infuse the space

The kitchen is a deliberately sci-fi statement - the architects hint that it references Captain Kirk-era Star Trek - with an angular command bridge-style cooking island. Upstairs things are more introverted, with bedrooms and a small sauna hidden behind a series of sliding shutters. Environmental efficiency has been carefully considered, with a heat pump providing geothermal energy and a rainwater recycling system

Half Candle / Half LED Lamp

With The Design Can’s clever new Self-Destructo Candle, you can literally burn your candle at both ends. The Self-Destructo is a traditional paraffin pillar candle with an embedded LED light. If you replace the battery occasionally, the LED “candle” will last forever. However, if you ever get tired of it - you don’t need to worry about sending yet another gadget to landfill. Instead, just flip the candle over, cut the wick, light it, and watch it slowly melt away. Self-destruction is the future of eco-design

The Design Can is a Brooklyn based creative team focusing on design for exceptional living. Founded by Pratt grads Steven Tomlinson and Jeannie Choe, The Design Can produces humorous and conceptually engaging furniture and interior design products such as the “Self-Portrait Mirror” that we covered in 2005

STUART HAYGARTH’S

London-based designer Stuart Haygarth knows now to turn mass amounts of trash into awe-inspiring treasure. With training in design and photography, Haygarth conceived of the Tide Chandelier while collecting debris that had washed up on the shores of the Kent coastline. The enormous light fixture, measuring nearly five feet in diameter, is composed of a cornucopia of clear plastic refuse, from water bottles to sunglasses

The Tide Chandelier gets is name from its spherical shape, a reference to the moon, whose tidal pull creates the waves that wash up the debris. The mass of plastic objects hangs delicately from monofilament lines suspended from above by a wooden “platform.” Haygarth’s lighting designs are inspired by collections of “banal and overlooked” objects, which, when amassed in large quantities in clever arrangements, take on a new beauty and stunning visual impact

BOOK LAMPS

The Dutch design shop Atelier Bomdesign features several products fabricated from recycled materials. By far, our favorite is the Booklamp (or Boeklampen, in the native tongue), a clever take on reading light- proving that books are for both learning AND lighting. Used books are beautifully re-crafted and shaped into shades that emit a soft glow. As they are handcrafted, the Booklamps are perhaps more art than everyday fixture, and are priced accordingly (200-400 euros).

vase lamp- 2 -for -1

Architect Michelle Kaufmann has become known around the country for her innovative green prefab homes, and now the talented designer is launching a new line of green lighting products, starting with a brilliant 2-for-one vase lamp that holds flowers (or whatever else you want), while also lighting up your room in a sustainable, energy efficient way

Kaufmann’s Vessel lighting sconce integrates a usable vase with an energy-efficient light source, conquering both decorating and lighting concerns in one fell swoop. Always looking for ways to be energy efficient, Michelle designed the Vessel to use either a long-life compact fluorescent bulb or LEDs. And thanks to the cool temperature bulbs, you can fill the lamps with water, flowers, bamboo, marbles and even fish, without the worry of a fire hazard

Vessel is produced in partnership with MK Designs and Flux. And if you hurry, there’s a special 20% discount for retail orders on the Vessel from the Flux website placed before this Sunday, August 26, 2007. The standard price is $295, and the first batch is set to ship sometime before October 30, 2007

SEASCAPE Woven Grass Table Lamp

Simple, organic, and elegant, the Gina Lamp from Seascape is made from supple green materials like woven grass and bamboo. It’s a simple design that would dress up many a bedside table. We love both the natural materials and the way the light shines through it with soft organic elegance

Home Decorating Plan With Your Budget

Decorating your home doesn't necessarily mean breaking your budget. However, most of us have no idea of where to start - budget or no budget. We may have a general idea of what we like (or don't like), but turning those ideas into a reality is not as easy as it seems. With so many styles to choose from, it's no wonder we have difficulties in getting started

The best way to start on your decorating project is to decide where you are now, and what needs that you and your family have that must be incorporated. Are there small children that can be injured if they fall on a table's sharp corners? Do you have pets that will ruin a white sofa?Will you be decorating only one room or your entire house? You will need to decide if you want all of the rooms of your home to be decorated in the me style. Once that decision has been made, you can start planning your first room.

The interior design process begins with a plan. Look through design magazines or home design websites for pictures of rooms that catch your eye. What do you like about them? Is there a common theme? This will lead you to your own personal design tyle. You will probably find that you are especially drawn to certain styles and find some designs that you downright hate!Think about what activities will be done in the room.

Will there be just one activity or more than one? What furnishings will each activity need? For instance, chairs and a table for a sitting area or a desk for an office area.Decide on your budget. How much can you afford to spend on flooring, paint, furniture and accessories? Spend your money on furnishings that are well-built and will get the hardest usege.

Remember that a room doesn't have to be completed all at once if your budget doesn't allow it. Some of the best designs develop over time.When decorating your home, keep in mind that personality is what will keep your rooms alive. Even a sleek, modern style can have personality and doesn't have to be cold and sterile.Interior decorating should first incorporate the practicalities such as budget, space planning and special family needs. Then, worry about the ambience and style of your rooms.Planning your decorating project will help keep it within budget and the final result will be worth the initial effort it took to plan it