Dezeen Guide: April sees the design world descend on Milan for the city's annual festival of exhibitions, installations and parties. We also have five more events in our update this month. More about Dezeen Guide update: April 2014
London studio Haptic references eroded granite rock formations commonly found around the Norwegian coastline with the curving form of this layered timber staircase, created for an office interior in Oslo. More about Arkwright office by Haptic features slatted staircase emulating rock formations
Dezeen promotion: past winners of the New Design Britain awards will show a retrospective of their products at this year's May Design Series in London. More about New Design Britain winners to exhibit at May Design Series
News: Richard Branson has today revealed new architectural designs from Virgin, including a New York skyscraper shaped like a bunch of balloons, a Sydney tower with the form of a space shuttle and a moon hotel that looks like tubular bells. More about Richard Branson launches plane-shaped skyscraper and moon hotel
Milan 2014: a three-metre-long sofa created by Peugeot Design Lab splices together a piece of volcanic stone and carbon fibre to create a mix of the old and new (+ slideshow). More about Ancient volcanic rock and carbon fibre spliced together in Onyx sofa by Peugeot Design Lab
News: plans have been revealed this morning for a series of loaf-shaped skyscrapers to accompany the Cheesegrater, Can of Ham, Toast Rack and Gherkin buildings in central London. More about London's bread-shaped skyscrapers unveiled on first day of April
A group of London-based industrial designers have created an edible water bottle using algae and a technique popularised by El Bulli chef Ferran Adria. More about Edible water bottle replaces plastic with algae
Paris studio Yoonseux Architectes added wooden surfaces and red floors to this school classroom building in the French city of Livry Gargan, to echo the autumnal tones of neighbouring trees (+ slideshow). More about Yoonseux Architectes' school extension designed to match autumnal tree leaves
This egg-shaped spirit decanter by London designer Sebastian Bergne can be positioned at different angles without spilling its contents. More about Sebastian Bergne says bottoms up with tilting egg-shaped decanter
Pointed doorways and openings throughout this house in Kyoto, Japan, were designed by Alts Design Office to mimic the building's gabled profile (+ slideshow). More about House-shaped doorways puncture Hazukashi House by Alts Design Office
Milan 2014: objects made out of lava from Mount Etna in Sicily will be presented by design duo Formafantasma in Milan next week (+ slideshow). More about Formafantasma experiment with lava to create furniture collection
News: as the UK government today unveiled its first independent architecture report, project leader Terry Farrell admitted to Dezeen that public expectations for healthcare buildings "are low" and that architects don't have enough influence to change the status quo (+ interview). More about Architects "don't affect things very much" says Terry Farrell
News: British graphic designer Neville Brody has created a typeface featuring a subtle pinstripe that will be worn by the England football team at the 2014 World Cup held in Brazil. More about Neville Brody designs typeface for England 2014 football kit
Milan 2014: a patchwork of panels on Doshi Levien's Shanty cabinet for Spanish furniture company BD Barcelona references the temporary housing found in cities across Africa, Asia and South America (+ slideshow). More about Shanty towns inspire panelled storage cabinet by Doshi Levien
Milan 2014: products by French design brand Moustache will be exhibited as a "breathing" installation at Spazio Rossana Orlandi in Milan to celebrate the brand's fifth anniversary. More about Moustache products to form breathing installation at Spazio Rossana Orlandi
Dezeen and MINI Frontiers: in this exclusive video interview, musician Imogen Heap demonstrates the electronic gloves that allow people to interact with their computer remotely via hand gestures. More about These gloves will "change the way we make music," says Imogen Heap
News: Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled images of a 40-storey hotel with an exposed exoskeleton that is under construction in Macau, China (+ movie). More about Zaha Hadid unveils sculptural hotel for casino resort in Macau
A wall clad in slabs of red volcanic stone conceals the entrance to this otherwise minimal white house in a suburb of Reykjavík, Iceland, by local office PK Arkitektar (+ slideshow). More about Volcanic stone wall hides doorway into B25 house by PK Arkitektar