Dezeen

News

"Britain could become enormous Los Angeles-style ghetto" - Richard Rogers

Dezeen Wire: British architect Richard Rogers has warned that plans by the UK government to simplify planning regulations could lead to unmoderated urban sprawl, "with rust belts and towns joining each other" – Daily Mail

He added: "If the framework is not improved it will lead to the breakdown and fragmentation of cities and neighbourhoods as well as the erosion of the countryside." Rogers' concerns about the government's new National Planning Policy Framework are shared by environmental campaigners who say they don't offer a clear enough definition of sustainable development.

Richard Rogers was involved in a planning battle in 2009 over his proposed redevelopment of Chelsea Barracks in London – see reports on Dezeen Wire
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Alyn Griffiths | 15 November 2011
News

Wayne Rooney hires architects to design garden shed

Dezeen Wire: England footballer Wayne Rooney has hired architects Pulmann Associates to design a shed in the garden of his £4 million home – The Sun
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Alyn Griffiths | 15 November 2011
Architecture

Hansha Reflection House by Studio SKLIM

A bevelled cantilever contains the living room of this house in Nagoya, Japan, by architects Studio SKLIM. More about Hansha Reflection House by Studio SKLIM

Amy Frearson | 15 November 2011
News

"The London River Park: place for the people or a private playground?"- The Observer

Dezeen Wire: architecture critic Rowan Moore claims that corporate facilities integrated into the plans for the controversial London River Park would turn it into a "gigantic hospitality suite with a fairly nice walkway threaded through it" – The Observer

Moore describes architects Gensler's proposal as "the latest example of a widespread type of the 21st century, the pseudo-public space." He criticises the design for the walkway and rentable pods, describing them as "offensively indifferent" to their historical surroundings and says the project organisers should learn from New York's High Line park in order to turn a good idea into a popular public space.

See our previous story on the 35-metre model of the London River Park.
More about "The London River Park: place for the people or a private playground?"- The Observer
Alyn Griffiths | 15 November 2011
Furniture

Chair 107 by Robert Stadler for Thonet

Austrian designer Robert Stadler has created a new bistro chair for Thonet, a brand famed for their bentwood chairs synonymous with cafe culture that have hardly changed in a hundred years. More about Chair 107 by Robert Stadler for Thonet

Rose Etherington | 15 November 2011
Architecture

House 712 by H Arquitectes

The perforated brick walls of this triangular house in Barcelona overlap at the corners. More about House 712 by H Arquitectes

Amy Frearson | 15 November 2011
News

"Keyed to Detail, No Matter How Crazy" - The New York Times

Dezeen Wire: in her latest article for The New York Times, design critic Alice Rawsthorn explains how Dutch designer Aldo Bakker's expressive process and relentless attention to detail make him "one of the new wave of designers who could be called design-auteurs" – The New York Times

Bakker's products and furniture perform simple functions in ways that Rawsthorn says demonstrate "a quiet confidence, as if every element has been resolved with nothing left to chance." Bakker says of his creative methods, which can lead to each product taking years to develop: “I love having the freedom to pay attention to every detail in my work, no matter how crazy."

See designs by Aldo Bakker on Dezeen and read more articles by Alice Rawsthorn here.
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Alyn Griffiths | 14 November 2011
Dezeen is five: our five most memorable stories

Dezeen is five years old this week! In the first of a series of stories celebrating our anniversary, Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs selects his five most memorable stories of the past five years: More about Dezeen is five: our five most memorable stories

Marcus Fairs | 14 November 2011
News

Design Museum move will "help nurture a new generation of creative talent"- Deyan Sudjic

Dezeen Wire: the director of London's Design Museum Deyan Sudjic claims the museum's new home at the former Commonwealth Institute will offer a platform for future designers and that Britain can regain its reputation as creative power, "provided we go on investing in design" – The Guardian

Sudjic describes the Design Museum's original incarnation at the Victoria & Albert museum as "a little like an upmarket squatter in the V&A basement," but suggests that "contemporary design is now firmly on the cultural agenda." He claims that Britain must support design education in order to stay ahead of emerging economies, adding that "design is a way to create or safeguard jobs."

James Dyson also recently wrote an article on the importance of design to the British economy and we previously reported on the Design Museum's current building being up for sale.
More about Design Museum move will "help nurture a new generation of creative talent"- Deyan Sudjic
Alyn Griffiths | 14 November 2011
News

Sebastian Wrong launches new limited edition design platform

Dezeen Wire: designer and co-founder of British brand Established & Sons Sebastian Wrong has launched The Wrong Shop, his own retail venture focusing on limited edition products by leading designers. More about Sebastian Wrong launches new limited edition design platform

Alyn Griffiths | 14 November 2011
Architecture

Sarpi Border Checkpoint by J Mayer H

Drivers crossing the coastal border between Turkey and Georgia will now pass below a knobbly observation tower by Berlin architect J Mayer H. More about Sarpi Border Checkpoint by J Mayer H

Amy Frearson | 14 November 2011
News

"Maggie's Centre: the jolly green giant"- The Guardian

Dezeen Wire: in a review for The Guardian, architecture critic Jonathan Glancey says that the new Maggie's centre in Nottingham is like something out of a fairytale and "is clearly designed to make visitors smile" – The Guardian

Glancey claims that architect Piers Gough of CZWG and fashion designer Paul Smith, who was responsible for the interior, have triumphed in their attempt at creating a homely environment for those affected by cancer, adding: "From a purely architectural and design point of view, few hospital buildings – this side of the other eight Maggie's Centres built in Britain since the 1990s – are as welcoming."

See our original story on Maggie's Nottingham and subsequent story with more images as well as all our stories on Maggie's centres.
More about "Maggie's Centre: the jolly green giant"- The Guardian
Alyn Griffiths | 14 November 2011
Interiors

Indulgi by Nendo

This boutique by Japanese designers Nendo is full of fake doors. More about Indulgi by Nendo

Rose Etherington | 14 November 2011
Furniture

Wrapping a Thonet Chair by Matthias Pliessnig

In this time-lapse movie American furniture designer Matthias Pliessnig wraps an iconic Thonet chair with strips of steam-bent white oak to create a sculpture. More about Wrapping a Thonet Chair by Matthias Pliessnig

Matt Nazemi | 14 November 2011
Architecture

The Shadow House by Liddicoat & Goldhill

British architects Liddicoat & Goldhill constructed their own north London home using black engineering bricks and slabs of white marble. More about The Shadow House by Liddicoat & Goldhill

Amy Frearson | 14 November 2011
Promotion

Toba eco-stove by MCZ

Dezeen promotion: the Toba eco-stove by Italian brand MCZ has been awarded an IF Product Design Award. More about Toba eco-stove by MCZ

Rose Etherington | 14 November 2011
Furniture

TOR by Lambie & Van Hengel for Montis

Handles on the tops of these pastel-coloured side tables let you easily move them around. More about TOR by Lambie & Van Hengel for Montis

Amy Frearson | 13 November 2011
Interiors

Pupa by Lazerian

Manchester designer Liam Hopkins of Lazerian used waste cardboard from media company Bloomberg to construct a meeting area inside their London headquarters. More about Pupa by Lazerian

Matt Nazemi | 13 November 2011
Architecture

Dezeen archive: artist and designer's studios

Dezeen archive: one of our most popular stories this week featured a glowing art studio in a car park (top left), so we've compiled all of our stories from the Dezeen archive about studios for artists or designers. See all the stories »

See all our archive stories »
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Matt Nazemi | 13 November 2011
Design

Jointed Jewels by Alissia Melka-Teichroew

Qubique 2011: New York designer Alissia Melka-Teichroew of byAMT has added new designs to her collection of 3D-print ed jewellery. More about Jointed Jewels by Alissia Melka-Teichroew

Alyn Griffiths | 12 November 2011