Dezeen in Israel: elaborate origami sculptures diffuse the light from these lamps by Tel Aviv studio Aqua Creations and origami artist Ilan Garibi. More »

Dezeen Screen: this video by Gavin Lucas in collaboration with Order involves a visit to Mr Smith’s Letterpress Workshop in Kennington, London where Smith explains how he likes to design, set and print using traditional wood and metal type to create contemporary typographic prints. Watch the movie »

Dezeen Wire: the developer behind plans for a tower designed by architecture practice AL_A in Shoreditch, East London has withdrawn its planning application – BDonline

The design for a twisted tower on a former industrial estate attracted over a thousand letters from local residents. Developers Londonewcastle say they will adapt the proposal before submitting a new planning application early next year.

See our previous story on the original design for the Huntingdon Estate here, another AL_A project in London that was scrapped recently here and more projects by AL_A here.

Landscape designers Earthscape have opened up their studio in Beppu, Japan, to present their experiments with growing native plants in water from local hot springs. More »

This week on Dezeen our most popular story was the redesign of McDonald’s interiors in France by Patrick Norguet, which encouraged readers to suggest that they redesign their food next, while a mountain lodge that you can ski over by Fantastic Norway also attracted plenty of attention. More »

Dezeen Wire: the Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom hotel by French architect Jean Nouvel has won the “New Build Hotel” category at The European Hotel Design Awards 2011. More »

Five new brands will launch their products at our Christmas pop-up store The Temporium, including a graduate accessory designer, a young duo making hi-tech jewellery and a brand-new fashion label. More »

Readers have been discussing “the abundance of introverted architecture that is coming out of Japan” recently, so here’s another Japanese house that blocks all views to and from the street but still draws light and air inside. More »

Competition: we’ve got together with design brand Republic of Fritz Hansen to give readers the chance to win a Kaiser Idell Luxus lamp worth £600. More »

Belgian practice MDW Architecture has completed a residential complex in Brussels using industrial materials that reference the site’s former use as a scrap metal dealership (photos by Julien Lanoo). More »

Take tea in serene silence with this silicone set by Hong Kong studio Kitmen Keung. More »

Dezeen Screen: as part of the series of Dezeen Talks filmed at the Inside awards in Barcelona, Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs talks to Alberto Miceli-Farrugia of Architecture Project about their renovation of a property overlooking the Grand Harbour in the Maltese capital of Valletta, which won the creative re-use category. Watch the movie »

Flying robots will assemble a six metre-high tower at the FRAC Centre in Orléans, France, next month. More »

Dezeen Wire: pioneering multidisciplinary design consultancy Airside has announced that it is to close in March 2012, stating: “we can’t see a way for Airside to move forward and accommodate all of our individual ambitions.” More »