The Honeycomb Restaurant in Shenzhen, China was designed by Japan based Sako Architects.
The white surfaces of the large space undulate in plane, and form six bands of ‘pleats’ that become the boundary for each space. In section, they appear like six ‘honeycombs’. Over 1000 oval shaped holes have been opened on the surface, and a subtle continuity has been established between the two areas.
These holes bulge on the outer surface like empty pots, and enrich the space with an organic expression. Base on such manipulation of space, a hall with ceiling height of 9.2 is form at the outer side, and VIP rooms for private use at the inner side. The diameter, angle, and level vary for each of the 6 honeycombs. Based on such variations, hierarchies are established in terms of VIP room sizes, and ceiling height etc.
The inner side of the white surface is divided up to two levers, of which consist of large room and private rooms as well. A spiral staircase penetrates between the levels, and in the center, about twenty five thousands of acrylic balls hang from the 9.2 meters ceiling above. Drops of water dribble along the lines of acrylic balls, and glitter under the strong ceiling light. It looks like as if a waterfall is running down from the ceiling. This waterfall is an eye-catcher from the entrance and draws customers’ attention to the back of the restaurant.
Floor 3, Zone A, Poly Cultural Center, Haide San Dao, Nanshan, Shenzhen
Miami-based Interior designer Charles Allem, designed the amazing interior of the Mira Hotel in Hong Kong.
Tendence is one of the most important and international design events in Germany and Europe where exhibitors, trade visitors, designers, media, and trend scouts go looking for next year´s trends and ideas.
After five days, from 27 to 31 August, the 2010 edition of Frankfurt Autumn Fair Tendence can report more visitors than last year. “Following a small increase in exhibitor numbers and now almost 57,000 visitors, up eight percent, Tendence is well on the way to making a full recovery.
On over 71,000 square metres of exhibition space in ten halls, 2,130 exhibitors from 57 countries presented the latest products for the home, furnishing and giving in the coming autumn, winter and, in particular, busy Christmas season to an audience of 57,000 visitors from 90 countries. The top 5 nations were Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands, Austria and France. Moreover, the number of visitors from the USA doubled and, altogether, a quarter of all visitors came from outside Germany.
Trends for the autumn / winter season
In the case of home trends, the coming season is set to introduce colourful retro aspects into the living room. Knitted fabrics are more in demand than ever before. Trendy knitted products are not only popular for home textiles, they are even used for flower vases or teapots. A casual, used-look underscores the lively character of furniture and complies with the consumer desire for authenticity. When it comes to colours, the spectrum is dominated by natural shades. The top candidate for the trend colour of the season is dark green. However, this Christmas will be colourful: Father Christmases will do their rounds in lilac and pink while Christmas baubles are no less bold in orange, turquoise, pink and yellow.
Natural materials and colours are also highly rated for gift ideas and there are trendy cases made of felt and leather for the complete range of mobile-communication devices. Amusing printed mottos ensure a humorous note.
www.tendence.messefrankfurt.com
Sam Hecht is a British industrial designer born in 1969. Hecht studied industrial design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and received his degree in industrial design from the Royal College of Art in London. Hetch also worked for architect David Chipperfield and travelled in the US and Japan before becoming head of design at IDEO.
In 2002 Hecht founded Industrial Facility with designer Kim Colin. Some of their clients include Muji, Yamaha, LaCie, Epson, Magis, Lexon and Whirlpool.
French designer Ora-Ãto has conceived a movable white kitchen for Slovenian brand Gorenje, built from a single bloc made of a high-tech composite material resistant to all kinds of weather. The house hold appliances in black glass are displayed within: touch-sensitive multifunctional built-in oven, hob, wall hood, inte¬grated dishwasher with decorative front panel and microwave.
Local vendor aCure from Japan installed the first operational touchscreen vending machine at Tokyo´s Shinagawa Station. Japanese are obsessed with touch screens and vending machines so it was a matter of time for this to come by. The idea was first introduced by Samsung and Coca Cola at the 2009 version of CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow.
Tana Water Bars are advanced water appliances, using a sophisticated filtration system and digital controls. Subtly refined over two generations, the crisp design evokes the silhouette of a vase-a vessel of pure water with understated advanced technology nested within. Tana´s water appliances e a break-out success, effectively changing the culture of water consumption.