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"Steve Jobs would never have allowed the pavilion to look like this"

Comments update: readers thought Apple's temporary space in Milan – designed to showcase its new smartwatch – looked "shoddy". Read on for more on this and the other most commented stories on Dezeen this week.

iBotch? Apple presented its Apple Watch at a day-long event in Milan during the city's annual design fair, but some commenters felt the quality of the space fell short of the brand's usual standards.

"Was this done hastily and last minute?" asked regular Dezeen commenter The Liberty Disciple. "Steve Jobs would never have allowed the pavilion to look like this."

"Looks really shoddy and low-budget," James said, while Beatrice described Apple's space as "an enormous branded white box with black steps, dodgy carpet and security guards everywhere".

Not everyone agreed. "I think the focus was all about the watch rather than the temporary space, which is fair enough," replied KateZdrmz. "Putting its designs at the centre of what they do is exactly what the company should be doing." Read the comments on this story »


Lattice House by Sameep Padora
Lattice House by Sameep Padora

Location, location, location: a luxurious house built in Jammu, India, provoked a strong response from some commenters who suggested it was misplaced and divisive.

"Let's live in a cool, modern and expensive house in the middle of a slum," said Rendy. "Had this been a traditional palace it would've been completely wrong and greed-driven."

"If you had been to India you would realise that that is not a slum but a very typical building situation," retorted Janine. "Slums are an entirely different thing, and you would not find this in a slum."

Spadestick attempted to move the debate on by putting "political correctness aside", describing the house as "beautiful on its own". Read the comments on this story »


Wanda-Vista-by-Studio-Gang_dezeen_sq01
Chicago skyscraper by Studio Gang

Angry birds: Studio Gang's 348-metre-high skyscraper in Chicago will feature a facade of reflective blue-green glass, causing concern among some readers for the local wildlife.

"What preventative measures does this particular tower take to protect birdlife?" asked Aardvarkwade.

Despite sharing the same concerns, commenter Guisforyou felt it was "very unfair" to expect protective measures for wildlife from Studio Gang's design and "not the million and one around the world that have the same problem".

Not so, replied Aardvarkwade: "If one is familiar with Studio Gang's work, they would know she has gone to great lengths to look after wildlife. I find it to be a legitimate query." Read the comments on this story »


Philippe Starck
Philippe Starck

No photos, please: leading designers spoke out against selfie-seeking visitors and interview-hungry journalists at this year's Milan design week. But do designers really have it that bad?

"Since returning from Milan I can honestly say that most designers receive the treatment they deserve," argued Izido. "Suck it up, you're paid well enough..."

"Designer divas," shot back Ramon. "A media frenzy generates more attention to their products and more money in their pockets."

Others sympathised with the designers, arguing that their PR companies need to "toughen things up, screen and deflect" members of the public. Read the comments on this story »