The architect will add three new buildings to accompany Omega's existing offices, creating a consolidated campus and visitor centre that incorporates exhibition galleries, public plazas and a riverside hiking trail.

Using the engineering technologies of a nearby timber institution, each of the new structures will be built with a solid timber frame. Pillar and beam constructions will be used for a museum building and Omega production hall, while the Swatch headquarters building will feature an undulating timber gridshell.

"I wanted to design something very special and particularly appropriate for this city," said Shiguru Ban at the project launch. "I know that Biel is very famous for its timber technologies – they have the most advanced timber institution."

Describing how the structure of his Centre Pompidou-Metz was tested in Biel, he added: "Timber is the only renewable material for construction in the world. This building is going to be very important, not only for the company, but also for creating a new environment, creating the icon for the city of Biel."

The museum building will form the centre of the campus and will be raised off the ground to open up a new entrance plaza.

The curving body of the Swatch headquarters will branch out from the museum, extending the plaza out across the street.

The project is set for completion in the summer of 2015. It will be the second building Ban has worked on for Swatch, after he completed the brand's Japanese headquarters in Ginza, Tokyo, in 2007.

Ban's other recent projects include a pavilion with cardboard columns in Moscow and a New York store for footwear brand Camper. See more architecture by Shigeru Ban.

Here's a statement from Shigeru Ban:

I was very happy to win this competition to design the Headquarters for Swatch and Omega. This project is very important not only for Swatch and Omega but also for the city of the Biel. I wanted to design something very special and particularly appropriate for this city. And I know that Biel is very famous for its timber technologies – they have the most advanced timber institution. Even the Pompidou Center in Metz – we designed the timber roof and this was tested at the timber institution in Biel. So this city is well known for the timber technology – the most advanced timber technology, that's why most of the building is designed with timber. Actually timber is the only renewable material for construction in the world. So this is also very important for the environment of the future. And this building – this project – is going to be very important not only for the company, but also for creating a new environment, creating the icon for the city of Biel. So this is the aim for this project – not only for functional reasons.

Also I have to explain that the Swatch Group has been working very closely with us. I also won the competition for the Swatch building which is called the Nicolas G. Hayek Center in Tokyo in 2005. We built the 14 storey building in Ginza Tokyo which is the most important commercial area in Japan. This building is also very innovative. We opened them – all the buildings – to the street to take natural ventilation. So the innovation of the building was the most important point which pleased Mr Hayek when we proposed the competition. And the important point of this building is not only the shape of the building but also the innovative idea for the Swatch and Omega companies – as you know, the Swatch is the innovation of Mr Hayek. That was totally revolutionary for the history of watchmaking. So we tried for the project to propose something very innovative as a building, as the Swatch is very innovative for the watch technologies. So that's the kind of common idea between watchmaking and my proposal design for the building for Swatch and Omega. Because this is the second collaboration with Swatch Group, we have already established a very, very good relationship between our company and Swatch and Omega. So although this is a very challenging project, I really believe that the whole process will go very smoothly. And we have very good client, they totally understand the spirit of the design. We also have very good local team. Local architects, local engineers. Everybody was especially chosen for this particularly challenging project. So I have a great confidence that this project will move very smoothly, with a very successful proposal for this 21st century – not only for the city of Biel but also for Switzerland and for the world. Thank you.

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by Shigeru Ban appeared first on Dezeen.

Presented at the Royal College of Art graduate show in London this week, the portable Plug + Play kit includes sensors that clip onto instruments or microphone stands, controlling sound and lighting according to the performer's movements and gestures.

One senses the proximity of the performer to the microphone, for example, while another is activated by twisting the microphone stand.

"It's about having control over things you wouldn't normally have control of as a performer," says Merry, who thinks the kit could bring more engaging performances to electronic music in particular: "With electronic music you can be stuck behind a laptop so you lose that interaction, whereas this lets you control the electronic sounds in a more physical way."

He explains that while shows at a big venue might come with a sound desk and a lighting display, "this is a kit for intimate gigs on a small stage - it's something one person can take with them."

All the components clip together on the back of the lamp for easy transportation. Right now the sensors feed into a control box that relays changes to the speakers and a light, but Merry hopes to make the system wireless so it would be easier to set up.

Neil Merry is graduating from Platform 17 of the Design Products course at the Royal College of Art, where the show opens to the public from 20–30 June.

Other work on display includes a mask that lets you tune your senses like a TV and wooden shoes based on furniture structures.

Other musical projects on Dezeen include a record-playing bicycle, an amplifier that only works when people link hands or touch noses and a combined glassblowing pipe and trumpet.

See all stories about the Royal College of Art »
See all our stories about design for music »

Here's some more information from Neil Merry:

PLUG + PLAY

Plug + Play is a portable toolkit for the performance of electronic or computer-based music. Traditionally, electronic music requires the performer to hunch behind a laptop or synthesiser pushing buttons and twiddling knobs, as a consequence this can the lack live visual performance and on-stage energy of a more traditional band. Using a collection of sensors and lights, Plug + Play provides a means for a more dynamic performance of electronic music by translating gestures and actions into sound and lighting effects.

Each sensor works according to a different method of interaction (Movement, Intimacy, Twist & Slam) and can be worn on the body or attached to an existing instrument. As such, a microphone stand can become a 3D music controller, a maraca a heavy bass line or a raised hand a pulsating synth wave.

My design fits within the existing architecture of a live performance and interfaces with the huge range of sounds provided through modern music software (a sort of advanced, digital equivalent of the guitar pedal). With the increased accessibility of music creation programs on laptops and tablet devices, it has never been easier to produce your own music, however there are currently very few options when it comes to performing this music live. Plug + Play can integrate electronic sounds into a live band, orchestral performance, or simply give electronic artists new ways to create sounds and music. The whole kit can be packed up and easily carried and would be particularly suitable for performance in small music venues, as well as easily integrating into a larger stage set-up, suiting both bedroom producers and more established musicians.

As vocals are a common element in many electronic tracks, I used the microphone stand as my main point of focus for this project. Already featuring as a tool for expression by many performers, each Plug and Play sensor enables this expression and physical interaction to become a central part of the music creation. The result is to turn the simple microphone stand into an instrument in its own right and offer a more tactile and emotive interaction with electronic and digital sounds.

Neil Merry is a recent graduate of Design Products course at the RCA, studying on Platform 17 which focuses on the broad world of consumer electronics and is tutored by Martin Postler and Ian Ferguson. Within my work I look to find meaningful applications of technology that bridge gaps between the physical and digital and provide new spaces for interaction and expression.

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Neil Merry appeared first on Dezeen.

Competition: we're giving readers the chance to win a copy of trend forecaster Li Edelkoort's new book exploring fetishism in fashion.

Fetishism in Fashion was written by Edelkoort to coincide with the Mode Biennale 2013 she has curated in Arnhem, the Netherlands, which is running until 21 July.

The book provides the official catalogue of the biennale and includes work by fashion house Alexander McQueen and designers Formafantasma.

Evolution of taste from birth to adulthood, the psychology of branding and the power of the colour black are all covered in the 248-page compendium.

Full-page photographs accompany short stories and essays by Edelkoort plus fashion writers such as Susan Piët and Valerie Steele, with graphic design by Jeroen Jas.

The hardcover book issued by Frame Publishers comes bound in a red rubber band and is available to order on the company's website.

To enter this competition email your name, age, gender, occupation, and delivery address and telephone number to competitions@dezeen.com with “Fetishism in Fashion” in the subject line. We won’t pass your information on to anyone else; we just want to know a little about our readers. Read our privacy policy here.

Competition closes 16 July 2013. Five winners will be selected at random and notified by email. Winners’ names will be published in a future edition of our Dezeen Mail newsletter and at the top of this page. Dezeen competitions are international and entries are accepted from readers in any country.

See more stories about fashion design »

More information about the publication follows:

Fetishism in Fashion by Lidewij Edelkoort

The newest publication from Frame Publishers is a book about fashion which delves into the world of contemporary fetishism. Its release coincides with the Mode Biennale Arnhem 2013.

Fetishism in Fashion by internationally-renowned trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort explores the world of fashion through a fetishistic lens to reveal an instinctive future for style and culture.

The reference book investigates the evolution of taste from birth to adulthood, the elevation of shoes through ever-higher heels, the psychology of branding, the effects of infantilism, the power of the colour black, the fetishising of objects, and the interaction with skin and the body.

With visually-rich – and sometimes shocking – photography and essays by established authors discussing art, clothing, design, textiles, food and beauty, this in-depth publication sheds new light on the fetishism phenomenon.

More than 50 fetishes are illustrated by inspiring visuals from the likes of Leigh Bowery and Erwin Olaf, boundary-stretching works from designers such as Formafantasma and Alexander McQueen, and eye-opening essays by Susan Piët and Valerie Steele, amongst others.

Bolder, crazier and more outlandish fashions are on the horizon, making this new book a key reference in a new era of experimentation and intense creativity, unveiling the intimate ties that bind us.

Features

» The content of the book may shock, but also inspire and excite
» More than 50 fetishes are illustrated by inspiring visuals
» Filled with articles and imagery covering a wide range of contemporary issues relating to fashion, fetishism and society
» Includes short stories written by author and trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort, as well as contributing authors and experts
» Beautifully packaged, the book is entwined with a rubber band
» Official catalogue of the Mode Biennale Arnhem 2013

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in Fashion to be won appeared first on Dezeen.

After analysing the construction of chairs, Chang used CAD software to design the range before working with craftsmen to realise the maple wood and metal designs.

“I think footwear is a human support structure,” she says. “Their construction is integral to the design and uses the principles of the slotting system found in furniture and engineering.”

One shoe comprises two halves that slot together on pegs, wedged together using a third piece to support the heel. A wide tan leather strap over the top secures the foot.

The heel of another design is formed from strips of wood that create an angular shape, with the base balanced on one edge.

Holes in this section reduce the weight and are detailed with metal, which runs down the exposed underside of the arch into strips on the heel.

Another model, which scoops upward at the toe, has bronze-lined gaps through the middle and in the bottom of the sole.

Chang's references for the collection included London shoe designer and RCA alumni Chau Har Lee, as well as designs by Dieter Rams and Charles and Ray Eames. Also influenced by furniture, Rem Koolhaas' collection for United Nude includes a shoe with part of an Eames chair for a heel.

Other graduating Royal College of Art students presented headdresses covered in hundreds of colourful bristles and plump pastel silicone garments moulded from knitwear at the institution's annual show last month.

We've published a couple of stories about wooden shoes including chunky pairs that clamp around the wearer's feet and carved trainers for K-Swiss.

Previously we've featured back-to-front stilettos that force the wearer to walk in an unusual way and shoes that undergo physical changes to represent stages in a life cycle.

See more shoe design »
See our coverage of graduate shows 2013 »
See more design by Royal College of Art students »

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Rachel Jui Chi Chang appeared first on Dezeen.

Interior designer Ryutaro Matsuura used the see-through wire panels and a neutral palette to create an environment that puts all the emphasis on the shoes.

"When the differences of surrounding decorative environment are suppressed, the items themselves begin to enhance their presence," he explains.

Shoes are displayed on translucent shelves made from a honeycomb resin sandwich, attached to floor-to-ceiling columns of different circumferences.

Matsuura describes the interior as a "shoe forest", with "the merchandise hovering like fruits on trees".

The design gives equal prominence to each product and allows customers to navigate the displays without overbearing design elements influencing their purchasing decision.

Nendo recently designed a store in New York for Spanish brand Camper with white resin shoes covering the walls and we spoke to Miguel Fluxá, head of Camper, who told us why they use different designers for each of their stores.

See more retail design »

Photography is by Nacasa & Partners Inc.

Here is some more information from the designer:

Stores tend to be composed of wall shelves and display tables. In those cases, the priority levels for the items at the store and the flows of customers would be set by the sellers. And hence the selection behaviours of the customers tend to be controlled.

So that made us create a pleasant space where customers can find the goods they have hoped for without bias. That was the birth of the shoe store studded with the same C-shaped wire mesh fixtures.

The fixtures have translucent loose shelves for shoes that are made of honeycomb sandwich resin panels. The merchandise hovering like fruits on trees shows its presence in the store that can be described as a “shoe forest”. Customers can enjoy meeting the merchandise and feel a sense of exaltation.

When the differences of surrounding decorative environment　are suppressed, the items themselves begin to enhance their presence. Therefore we think that spontaneous perceptions would be educed from
customers. And then, imagination and curiosity of the customers would be getting large.

Those feelings will provide a motivation for customers to approach each item, and they will have an opportunity to find the item that really suits. That is what we are expecting.

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by Ryutaro Matsuura appeared first on Dezeen.