Comments
"Hauntingly beautiful"
In this week's comments update, readers discuss whether a proposal for a memorial to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire is appropriate. More about "Hauntingly beautiful"
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Technology
Shape-shifting Cypher sculpture by Ozel Office is controlled by motion
California architecture studio Ozel Office has created a blobby robotic sculpture that changes shape in the presence of people, or through the movements of those wearing a matching virtual reality headset. More about Shape-shifting Cypher sculpture by Ozel Office is controlled by motion
Interiors
Solo Arquitetos softens Brazilian office space with light wood details
Brazilian firm Solo Arquitetos has finished a timber company's offices with its own pale wood products, helping to keep the space light and bright while showing off the merchandise. More about Solo Arquitetos softens Brazilian office space with light wood details
News
Construction workers suffer highest death rate from opioid overdoses in Massachusetts
A new study of opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts has found that the construction industry is the worst affected, while architecture and engineering are the only occupations to have a higher death rate among women than men. More about Construction workers suffer highest death rate from opioid overdoses in Massachusetts
Design
Automated machine by Riccardo Blumer Atelier builds a wall out of soap bubbles
Riccardo Blumer Atelier worked with a team of students to create this machine on show at the Venice Architecture Biennale, which is programmed to build and repair an 11-metre-long bubble wall. More about Automated machine by Riccardo Blumer Atelier builds a wall out of soap bubbles
News
Co-housing not just for "liberals and outcasts" says Studio Weave
Co-living could help solve some of the UK's biggest social problems, from loneliness to the ageing population, according to research by London architecture office Studio Weave and the RIBA. More about Co-housing not just for "liberals and outcasts" says Studio Weave
Technology
Spider-shaped tiny robot could be the future of micro-surgery
Centimetre-sized soft robots could one day be used to perform surgery and enter other tight spaces, using a method devised by researchers at Harvard University. More about Spider-shaped tiny robot could be the future of micro-surgery
Design
Reebok's gel-infused PureMove sports bra firms up in response to movement
Sportswear brand Reebok has applied a texture-changing gel used in NASA's spacesuits to make a bra that adapts to support different levels of movement. More about Reebok's gel-infused PureMove sports bra firms up in response to movement
News
Robots will assemble brick facades of Milan's university science campus
Carlo Ratti Associati is designing a new science campus for the University of Milan, complete with brick facades that will be made by robots. More about Robots will assemble brick facades of Milan's university science campus
Design
Lucy Sparrow stocks up LA supermarket with 31,000 felt groceries
Fuzzy sushi rolls and cuddly avocados feature in this supermarket installation by British artist Lucy Sparrow, which contains over 31,000 felt grocery staples. More about Lucy Sparrow stocks up LA supermarket with 31,000 felt groceries
Architecture
Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei completes "landmark tower and human-scale podium" in Taipei
Japanese firm Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei has completed a 272-metre high office skyscraper in Taipei, which is adjoined to a retail building clad in a delicate metal lattice. More about Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei completes "landmark tower and human-scale podium" in Taipei
Design
Virgil Abloh and Nike to dress Serena Williams for the US Open
Fashion designer Virgil Abloh has teamed up with Nike to design tennis player Serena Williams' kit for this year's US Open, which includes a black ballerina-style dress, a bomber jacket and tagged "Queen of Queens" sneakers. More about Virgil Abloh and Nike to dress Serena Williams for the US Open
Architecture
Casa em Cotia in São Paulo features a snaking pond and a rooftop garden
A ramped walkway and staircases lead like a "continuous drawing" through the stepped levels of this concrete house in Brazil, designed by Una Arquitetos, to end at a lush garden on its roof. More about Casa em Cotia in São Paulo features a snaking pond and a rooftop garden
Interiors
San Francisco's mid-century Phoenix Hotel undergoes rebirth by Liz Lambert
The latest mid-century American motel to be revived as a boutique hotel is this 1950s building in San Francisco, which features colourful guest rooms and a landmarked swimming pool. More about San Francisco's mid-century Phoenix Hotel undergoes rebirth by Liz Lambert
News
Dubai's first skyscraper to be listed in initiative to preserve 1960s and 70s architecture
Dubai's first skyscraper, first library and a clock tower are all set to be heritage-listed, as the UAE's largest city looks to preserve the early buildings that shaped its development. More about Dubai's first skyscraper to be listed in initiative to preserve 1960s and 70s architecture
Architecture
Off-Grid Guest House cantilevers over hillside with Pacific Ocean vistas
US studios Anacapa Architecture and Willson Design have created a concrete-and-glass dwelling for a coastal property in California, with a bevy of sustainable features that minimise the building's impact on the environment. More about Off-Grid Guest House cantilevers over hillside with Pacific Ocean vistas
News
KitKat loses EU court appeal for four-finger chocolate bar trade mark
Nestlé has lost a long-running legal battle to win the European trade mark for the four-fingered design of its KitKat chocolate bar. More about KitKat loses EU court appeal for four-finger chocolate bar trade mark
Architecture
Curving shades arch over terraces of Chongqing housing development by Safdie Architects
Moshe Safdie's firm has completed a set of stepped homes on a hill overlooking the Yangtze River in Chongqing, China. More about Curving shades arch over terraces of Chongqing housing development by Safdie Architects
Architecture
Collins and Turner's Barangaroo House is surrounded by curving timber-clad balconies
Tiered balconies clad in charred timber dowels enclose restaurants designed "in the round" to provide views across Sydney's redeveloped Barangaroo South precinct. More about Collins and Turner's Barangaroo House is surrounded by curving timber-clad balconies
Design
Mobike launches electric bike for dockless sharing
Chinese bike-sharing company Mobike has partnered with Dutch design studio Springtime to create an electric version of its signature orange bicycle. More about Mobike launches electric bike for dockless sharing