Nostalgia Thursday
I guess today has really become a day to look back at that crazy time known as my childhood. Retro Junk is quite possibly the most entertaining site I've found in ages. It has commercials, movie trailers, theme songs and articles about everything 80's (and a few early 90's).You haven't lived until you've heard an acapella version of the Gummi Bears theme song. And why o why do I know the words to Denver the Last Dinosaur??Also, Walter Cronkite doesn't want your kids to smoke crack. And can someone help the Encyclopedia Britanica nerd with his report?!So go Inspect it for yourself . . . just don't let Sgt. Slaughter catch you dancing down in Fraggle Rock.
Find the Gamer Inside You
I had to share this great site I discovered today - the Video Game Music Archive. The site has MIDI files of the theme music to all the classic games on every console.When I started jamming out at my desk to the Jungle Level music from Contra and the T&C Surf Design theme - I knew I was hooked.Other classics I recommend Recommend your favorite in the comments
Don't be a Drumhead
From the "Creative but weird" file, comes drum|head - an interactive musical proect developed my Murat Konar. I could try to explain it, but it is just much more fun to watch.Konar is a student at the Royal College of Art whose other interaction design projects include Loopqoob and Scanjam. Loopqoob is a very cool use of a physical interface to create electronic music that involves sensor equipped cubes, and Scanjam turns music making into a very visual process as you physically "lay down" and arrange the tracks right in front of you.
Via We-Make-Money-Not-Art
Captain . . . Caaaavvvvveeeeman
I've seen this a couple places, and it is too cool not to post. The cave house is complete with "mosaic bath,large reception room with open fire, relaxation area and original bread oven." Reminds me of Cesar Manrique's Casa del Campesino which was built into the side of a hill with the same all white walls, and even featured a tree growing in the living room right through a hole in the roof! If you ever go to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, definitely check it out.Anyway, this cave house is in Spain, and can be yours for only 120,000 Euros!Via Space and Culture
South Capitol Transformation
Looks like the National Capital Planning Commission has some big plans for developing the South Capitol Street area of DC, including turning South Capitol St into a "grand urban boulevard" with tons of park space and areas for memorials and museums . . . and of course that proposed stadium that you've heard about. One of my favorite aspects of the DC cityscape are the wide streets with the small urban park areas dotting most corners, along with the wide open public spaces around the Mall adn riverfront. Now, of course this proposed open space for "public gathers, commerative work, civic art and landscaping" is a nice way to sell people on the extensive commercial areas involved in the plan (all referred to subtly as "mixed use" zones "integrated with retail and restaurant elements" and "residential dwellings")- but I love the idea of reserving some of the prime riverfront land for public use while protecting the line of sight views of the Capitol that awes the tourists so. And another museum or cultural site of "architectual significance" will rarely be criticized by PRADE.I do question whether the traffic patterns will be as effective and non-intrusive as claimed, but I have little expertise in that area (full time pedestrian and all).You can read all about the proposal and see some of the plans here.Via Beyond Brilliance.
Ultimate iPod Accessory
Now, as much as I am a Mac enthusiast, and love my iPod - I definitely think that the ubiquitous iPod accessory craze might be getting our of hand. For all those people buying fancy speaker set-ups for your iPod, a $2 cable from RadioShak that hooks your pod to your existing stereo would probably be a lot easier. However, if you want to go all out with your iPod set up - then the Concertino is for you. Sporting a great exterior design, and utilizing proven old school technology - the Concertino is the ultimate iPod home accessory. The unit comes with a tube-based audio amplifier and a set of full range, compact speakers. The site for the product claims, "nothing compares to the unique and charming spectrum of tone colours of a tube based audio equipment." While I'm sure stereo geeks could banter for days about the ins and outs of transistor vs. tube technology - I really dig this combination of vintage and modern technologies and the emphasis on the 'life' of your sound. Of course, no way I'm dropping 3,600 Euros on some speakers, but if I did, these would be first on my list. 
Via Design Sponge.
The Lowdown on LEDs
Archpaper has a great article about recent uses of LED lighting for architectual applications, including the Seoul's Galleria West mall (covered a few months ago in Metropolis I believe) and the new Tokyo headquarters of Chanel. It appears the interactive and customizable opportunities that LED infused exteriors and skins offer is gaining momentum among architects.While the result in the case of Galleria West is somewhat too neon and Times Square-ish for my taste, the possibilities with this technology is interesting. The Chanel building uses the lights to transfrom the facade of windows from their day time transparency to a night glow that can even cast a pattern across the entire face of the building. I definitely think the technology will be most effective when used with subtelty and in tandem with the existing architectual features of a building.Prade's old friend Bruce Mau is also discussed for his contribution to the latest plans for the new Jets stadium in Manhattan which will feature a glass skin that will be illuminated in different ways to adapt to the time and circumstance of the event taking place in the stadium.The feature also has a piece on the MFA in lighting program at Parsons - part of interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to design that makes the school so appealing to me. Photo from Architect's Newspaper, courtesy of Arup Lighting
Via We-Make-Money-Not-Art.
A Common Thread
Apartment Therapy has a great post about Thread Collective - an architecture and landscape design collective in NY.Although their site doesn't feature that many projects, they seem like a group of up and comers, with a great use of different materials, patternns and textures. The two projects that really show the firm's versatility to me are the Wyckoff Starr Studios which incorporates an open, Japanese influenced interior with solar technology and the Dybec Residence re-model - which boasts an extremely cool bathroom and ultra-compact kitchen. They appear comfortable and innovative in both the wharehouse setting and the tight confines of NY apartments.The image below is from the Wyckoff project, and can be seen in a slideshow at Apartment Therapy (although a number of the photos are included in the slideshow multiple times).
Striped Shirts
While we here at P.R.A.D.E. don't generally cover fashion outside of sneakers and design t-shirts, this one was too good to pass up.The Phat Phree has a great rundown of why people that wear striped button downs are soo cool. If you are from DC, these are the people that go out in Adams Morgan, and then stand in line for 20 minutes to pay cover for the chance to buy an overpriced bottle of Absolut just so they are allowed to sit down in their striped shirts at a tiny table with a plastic "reserved" sign on it.The author apparently has a real thing against striped-shirt guys (can you blame him?)
Interactive Animation
Thanks to Josh Rubin, I got tipped off to Han Hoogerbrugge and his work with online interactive flash animation. Hoogerbrugge has been working with interactive flash animation since 1998, and uses the medium for all his animations now.
Hoogerbrugge's work conveys a great sense of the absurdity in everyday life - combining humor and surrealist imagery of our daily interactions. What makes his animations special is the role you play in bringing them to life. You get to play the role of "God" - often tortuing the poor character on your screen and setting into motion his experiences. You trigger his pain and pleasure with a roll of the mouse or a click of the finger - leading to him blowing up, sprouting extra heads, or kicking his smoking habit (literally).
His previous work, the Neurotica series, is a series of 90 of these types of short interactive animations featuring himself as the main character. His new work, called HOTEL, is a longer interactive story with various short segments telling a larger narrative.
Modern Living has some of the coolest animations I've ever manipulated - I think I spent over an hour exploring all the shorts on the site. And HOTEL seems to extrapolate the design principles from Modern Living and put them into a larger cohesive context, making a bigger statement about our perverse voyeurism but also emphasizing the absurdity of daily life.
I highly recomment checking them both out. And expect more from Han in the future, as he assured me he is "busy fighting deadlines" at the moment.
Image from Neurotica Series. All Right Reserved H. Hoogerbrugge.
More on Mayne
For a great overview of Mayne's work with lots of good links check out A Daily Dose of Architecture.Particularly interesting is the comparison of Morphosis's early designs to Mayne's recent work - much less conceptually avant-garde but still innovative and complex.
American Thom Mayne Wins Pritzker
"I'm a fucking dreamer, and I was always told I couldn't do it. But here it is. It's not perfect, but it's as good as I could do, and it's here. And you could do it. Don't let anybody tell you, 'You can't do it.' That's their problem." - Thom Mayne, Metropolis, August 2004 Diamond Ranch High School
Thom Mayne has been named the Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate for 2005, only the eight American to ever be selected for the prestigious prize. The award seals Mayne's transformation from an aging but influential "paper" architect with almost no large public projects to an enormously successful 61 year-old head of a thriving firm with a slew of grand scale public buildings slated for construction.Often called the "bad boy" of So Cal architecture, Mayne had a reputation for winning a host of awards for his designs, but never having any of them built. That all changed for him when his design for the Diamond Ranch High School in Pamona was selected as the winner in a 1997 competition - his first, real public project and a building that remains Mayne's favorite of his works. Since then, Mayne has been chosen to build a number of giant scale public projects - from a Federal Office Building in San Francisco to the Olympic Village for the NYC 2012 Olympics.Check out his firm Mophosis for more examples of his work, and you can get even more information about the Pritzker Prize winner here.
Tees and Kicks
On the personal style front - Definitely go check out Threadless - they are having a sale until Monday on all of their t-shirts. I just picked up these two designs for only 10 bucks a piece.
The title of this one is "Go Japan".
Cool detail on this - the mice are on the backAlso - the new "Music" line of Anniversary Adidas Superstars are dropping tomorrow at select stores - including Georgetown. The limited editions were designed by different music artists, including Run DMC, Bad Boy Records, Def Jam Records, Missy Elliot, and Ian Brown of the Stone Roses. I think I might just have to pick up the Red Hot Chili Peppers version - adding to my already oversized kick collection.
Via Josh Rubin
Concrete Canvas
It is so inspiring to hear of students creating innovative and potentially life-changing designs before they've even received their diplomas.William Crawford and Peter Brewin are industrial design engineering students at the Royal College of Art in London, and their project, Concrete Canvas, is already turning heads among those looking for better temporary shelter solutions for disaster and war ravaged areas of the world.Concrete Canvas is essentially a "building in a bag" - a sack of cement-impregnated fabric bonded to an inflatable inner surface. In order to put up the "rapidly deployable, inflatable concrete emergency shelter," all you do is add water to the bag and fill it up with air - no need to worry about the water-to-cement ratio, as you merely fill the bag up. Twelve hours later you have a concrete structure with 172 sq feet of floor space - that can even be delivered sterile for medical use in disasters.The award winning design offers the portability and ease of assembly of emergency tent shelters, with the durability of prefab buildings - with the cost coming in somewhere in between the two.The idea has already piqued the interest of organizations working in disaster regions, including Monica Castellarnau, program head for Medicins Sans Frontieres in Uganda, who said "If this was available now, we would buy 10 today." As for where the project is at the moment, Peter informed me, "We currently have a 1/8 scale working prototype and we’re trying to get seed funding to enable us to develop a full scale prototype and ultimately set up a company to put the shelters into production."Below are some photos provided to me by Peter of the 1/8 scale prototype and some concept images for deploying the shelters. Enjoy and marvel at the simplicity and practicality of good design.
Via Wired
More Pre Fab Than You Can Handle
Hope you all aren't too pre fabbed out by now, but found a great article entitled "Beyond the Trailer Park" all about an exhibit at the Field Museum in Chi-town called Design Innovations in Manufactured Housing.Lynn Becker's article takes you from the early Sears catalogue to some cutting edge approaches to pre fab, including illustrations. If you can't make your way to Chicago to see the exhibit, this seems like the next best thing.Becker also mentions the Dwell Home - so yet another shout out for my favorite design mag.
Dwell Revisits the State of Pre Fab
The new issue of dwell appeared in my mailbox this weekend, and it is a spectacular issue (and surprisingly thick!) all about modern Pre Fab housing.Dwell introduced me to the concept of prefabrication and its egalitarian design potential, and this latest issue looks at the State of the Pre Fab Union - with great examples of successful current pre fab projects, and interviews with some leaders in the modern pre fab movement. The editor's note at the beginning of the issue really outlines some of the challenges that pre fab has faced in transferring to the mainstream despite strong belief in the potential of mass prefabricated housing from many leading architects dating back to the early 20th century (including Le Corbusier). It also provides some good news for pre fab enthusiasts - pointing out that dwell struggled to find just a handful of examples for their first look at pre fab, but was innundated with options of projects to highlight in this most recent issue. So if your notion of prefabricated housing is the old mail-order Sears housing catalogues or double wide trailers on the back of flat bed trucks - definitely check out the latest innovations and efforts to popularize pre fab around the world. I am a strong supporter of providing access to good design to families of all incomes and backgrounds - and pre fab seems to be the best opportunity to make that access a reality.For more on pre fab - I highly recommend dwell editor Allison Arieff's book, aptly named Pre Fab And definitely check out Fab Pre Fab.
Atomic Shopping
I came across this extremely cool online store called Atomic Warehouse. For you folks in Harrisburg, PA - you can visit the actual place in the flesh at 1021 Market Street. Atomic Warehouse sells everything 20th Century - from Art Deco to Mid Centruy Modern to Retro. Their extensive inventory includes Radios, Televisions, Clocks, Watches, Lighting, Furniture, Art, Advertising Signs, Appliances, and more. I really got a kick out of the Retro-Future Television sets - very Jetsons. Overall there isn't much in the low price range, but almost all of their stuff is under a grand, which is reasonable to have one-of-a-kind vintage design (when people are paying double that over at DWR for a reproduction). Here are a couple of things that caught my eye, but head on over to the site and explore their eclectic mix of retro cool items for yourself.
MC Bruce Mau
Saw Josh Spear's post about Massive Change, and thought I'd post some quick thoughts and other coverage I've found of Bruce Mau's latest "project," which is more like a Pay-It-Forward cultural movement than just a book or an art exhibit.The project is BEYOND ambitious. It includes a book, a major touring exhibition, a radio show, a lecture series, posters, and a website - all seeking to answer questions about the capacity, power, and promise of design. Massive Change hopes to explore the possibilities of what we can acheive in the world across all industries and mediums with our new ability to plan and produce desired outcomes - our ability to "design." It involves asking questions and pursuing solutions based on the assumption that anything is now possible.
Massive Change is a collaboration between Bruce Mau Design and the Institute Without Boundaries, a department of the George Brown-Toronto City College that Mau helped found. You can hear a great interview with Bruce Mau on agglutinations (with flash graphics).
Despite the somewhat irritating way he says "project," a lot of what he's talking about is inspiring - the idea of encouraging activism to foster the possibilities of design in the world. I was interested in his defense of the benefits of some large corporations - it seems strange coming from a "progressive" artist, but I guess understandable considering Mau's need to market his work and his belief in the power of corporations to foster evolution and change through their vast resources and global scale. His ideas about outsourcing were interesting to me, in that he implies that if you are looking at things on a global scale, nothing is being moved "out" of anything.I haven't read the book to go along with Massive Change, but I will say that what I've read recently about his work has definitely piqued my interest. I doubt I'll make it up to Canada to catch the exhibit, but hopefully it will swing through DC some time soon.
Medi-Cargo
I've seen several different plans for utilizing shipping containers as the building blocks for prefab construction. Metropolis has a great article about a firm, Team Hybrid, that is using these standard containers for portable medical aid stations to be delivered to Tsunami struck regions in Sri Lanka. The design is a straighforward approach that uses a hinged canopy to expand the space and divide it into a sort of triage area for interviewing patients and a back area for treatment that also features a kitchenette, bathroom, and space for a generator.The design is simple, but the plan seems to me to be the innovative aspect. The project teams with Doctors Without Borders to staff the container clinics and even move them to suit the local needs. Team Hybrid is using a similar cooperative method for building classrooms for another NGO, the Asiana Education Development.The success of this program could be a boost to selling the idea of the long-term effectiveness of portable, prefab structures - something that Team Hybrid sees as paving the way for truly "nomadic architecture" in which homes and materials can be re-used and passed on. The upscale homes of today can be the schools and hospitals of the developing world in the years to come.
Memories. Sigh.
Yahoo!'s Birthday "Netrospective" of the past 10 years of the internet is a great cybertrip down memory lane, from great breakthroughs like Craigslist to reminders of annoying phenomenon like that dancing baby (which under no circumstances will I link to).I noticed no mention of Google on the page. Funny, huh?
Great Resource
LiveModern is a site that just happens to host Dwell magazine's forums. If you aren't hip to the game by now, Dwell is the best architecture/design magazine out there, in my humble opinion. And if you are reading this blog, my opinion is hopefully interesting to you, or at least mildly amusing.Anyway, LiveModern's Christy has a great compilation of modern design links. Some very cool stuff to check out in your web travels.I highly recommend Fab Prefab from Christy's list.I'll try to post a few more things tomorrow, including things I've come across on my recent "I'll go back to school and study architecture" kick.
Libeskind Does Denver
A friend of mine shared this very cool site, that features tons of pictures of Daniel Libeskind's new extension for the Denver Art Museum being erected. The new space will house the Modern and Contemporary art collection and the collection of Architecture and Design and Oceanic Art. You can read Libeskind's take on the work here.
I really like how he states that his intention is for the visitor's museum experience to begin before even entering the building. Living in DC with the museum-lined Mall downtown, I know that this is definitely a reality for the visitor, so it is wonderful for an architect to recognize that facet of the museum experience. "The spatial spectrum of the museum will choreograph public experience for the visitors greater than the sum of its parts. The visitor experience will begin before actually entering the building proper because the building is conceived as a spectacular urban form within the center of the horizon of the city. The flow of public circulation will therefore be a full three dimensional exploration of the topography of place, time and the unexpected."
Image via Cubistro, © 2005 John Boak(Also covered at Arts Journal and Archidose)
Reason To Love The Internet #1,257
Somebody is actually counting the number of F bombs in Deadwood.Can't wait for the online betting sites to start giving you over and under on these every week.
Goliath Stomps Into Harlem
Last weekend I was up in NY, and decided to take the opportunity to head up to Harlem and scope out a new sneaker spot called Goliath that I heard about on Freshness.Well Goliath is definitely a dope spot, and is now permanently on my rotation of sneaker stores to check out when I hit NYC. The store inhabits an old bar, and the owners have embraced the space's past life, using the old bar as the sales counter, complete with stools and coasters that act as business cards.I had the chance to meet the owner Rosemary Frazier, a true sneaker freak who definitely knows the kicks game. She told me the goal of Goliath is "to be the premium supplier of exclusive sneakers in Harlem." Additionally, Goliath hopes to "introduce apparel brands (10 Deep, Exact Science, Royal Filth) that are rooted in the urban and hip-hop lifestyle, but were not sold in Harlem. To achieve our goal we are committed to providing our customers with great service." The service was definitely friendly and personal, and Rosemary told me she can even identify all her returning customers by their sneakers. When you get that type of attention, you'll probably be coming back. The store has some great t-shirts and other gear like hoodies and warm ups, and the Goliath logo was eye catching enough to make me snatch up one of their t-shirts.The inventory has a good variety, from a slew of colorways of Bathing Apes to some Raygun Dunks, and even a pair of all gold Nike's that my friend @trice had his eyes on. Many of the shoes are imports, and Rosemary told me that the Jamaican colorway of the 95 air max's were on the way, which would make Goliath the first stateside store I know to have them. Prices are not a bargain but are fair, and it is worth making your way up to Harlem (if you aren't from the neighborhood) to support a new stop on the New York kicks circuit.Goliath 175 E 105th StreetNew York, NY 10029
goliathrf@verizon.net
212.360.7683 Store
Tuesday - Sunday 12-7pm
A sample of what Goliath has to offer.
The bar at Goliath - with their extensive selection of hats.
Museum Spaces
I've been travelling like a mad man the past three weekends, but this weekend I'll be staying right here in the uurrrrea. What better way to spend a lazy Saturday in DC than by checking out one of the Museums on the Mall. I'm thinking of heading over to the Corcoran to finally check out FRANK GEHRY, architect: designs for MUSEUMS before it closes on March 21st.
In addition to Gehry's completed museum works, the exhibit features his as-yet-unrealized plans for the Corcoran Gallery of Art, DC; Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY; Ohr-O’Keefe Museums, Biloxi, MS; and MARTa Herford, Herford, Germany.Regardless of your opinion of Gehry's often flashy exteriors, I am glad that he challenges the old notion of a museum as just a container of objects, forcing us to look at how the architecture of a museum can interact with its objects and visitors. I will say that his plan for the Corcoran extension will defintiely stick out in DC!
I love lamp!
Say hello to the newest addition to my apartment. Just purchased from Eric over at Modern50.com. I dig the retro-future style, and that color is a perfect Exorcist, split-pea green. I think I'll call it Marvin.
Aspiring filmmakers . . .
Amazon is teaming up with the Tribeca Film Festival to host a short film competition. Eligible films must be less than 7 minutes in length and encoded into Flash format so that they can be shown online. The details are all right here.Please don't take my idea of 5 straight minutes of me doing my best Deniro Taxi Driver impersonation. "F---ing Deniro and sh%t"
Crash Course
Josh Rubin has some great pictures of Cai Guo-Qiang's new installation "Inopportune" for the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.The work apparently expresses his view of the current state of global politics, and I think he nails the concept with a strikingly fresh workthat will likely interest both contemporary art heads and people that just like cool car explosions and Jerry Bruckheimer movies. Image is property of Josh Rubin.
This is the first of the four stages of the installation, so look for more from the artist, and I'm definitely interested in seeing more. Especially after reading the description of the four stages - "an eerie dream of dazzling lights and ghostly cars, tigers and arrows, explosions and stillness."
The Rules of the Game
No Malice Palace is my shit.My NYC friends will not be surprised in the slightest that I am hyping this place on the blog. Everytime I visit NYC, I try to make to No Malice Palace on at least one of my booze and red bull fueled evenings. Why? Allow me to introduce you to P.R.A.D.E.'s 5 Bar Commandments.1. No cover - To put it simply, would you ever shop at a grocery store that charged you money to get in the door? NO. Why should I pay a bar for the chance to buy their overpriced drinks? And don't say for the atmosphere. That's why I pay the extra for the overpriced drinks when I know I can shake up a mean cocktail at home.2. No guestlist/line - If the place is really too crowded to get in, then I understand. But I sure as hell am not going to be held outside so you can make your lounge look exclusive. And if I see a clip board with names on it - I'm gone. When you go to places with guest lists you can be sure you are going to get the crowd that frequents places with guest lists - and those are just not MY people. I also don't play those bullshit girl/guy quotients - all genitals should be treated equal.3. No Dresscode - I shouldn't have to dress up to impress a bouncer, and places that put arbitrary rules like no sneakers obviously don't understand real style (I'm more impressed by some ill Nike's than your Prada loafers).4. Place to sit - People are not cattle, and shouldn't be herded into a tiny space. Especially with the clumsy ass nature of drunk people. I'm not saying I want the spot to be empty, but I don't want the trip to the bar to be like running the gauntlet. Plus, I want the ability to grab a seat if I feel like it. Couches are preferable, but any seat will do. If I see a "Reserved" sign or you expect me to buy a 300 dollar bottle of f---ing Bacardi, I'm grabbing my coat and leaving. Oh, that's another thing - no coat checks. If the place is not laid back enough for me to toss my coat over the back of a sofa or chair, I don't want to be there.5. Good Music - Now I understand that this is subjective. But this doesn't just mean one genre specifically. I just want the music to be something that I can get into. Endlessly pounding house music, or god awful top 40 hip hop songs are going to guarantee that I'm not going to be there very long. A variety is good, and throwing in some classic tracks with some newer stuff is ideal. A good dj that reads the crowd and varies the sounds accordingly goes a long way for me.So there you have it, the rules to the game. And No Malice comes through on every one. No prentious guestlist or dresscode. Couches to chill out on while I bob my head to classic 90's tribe and hot new dancehall tracks. The crowd is laid back (although could be a little more diverse) and I've never been there and not had a good time. So check it out next time you are near the LES/East village. No Malice Palace197 E. 3rd St. between Aves. A and BThere's no sign, but the friendly bouncer will let you know you're at the right spot.
Jackass Skit or Forward Thinking Design?
We Make Money Not Art has a blurb about Ana Rewakowicz's SleepingBagDress, and mentions one of her previous works, Uniblow Outfits. The rubber latex outfits were attached to shoe pumps that pumped up the suit as you walked. The picture is hilarious to me, and I like the interactive element of the design.Via We-Make-Money-Not-Art
