Inspiration

Designing with streaks of light that seemingly cut through a space or define edges is becoming more sophisticated as luminaires and the technologies behind them do. The effects can be anything from ethereal to edgy and futuristic (regarding the latter, think “Tron,” the original 1982 film). Whatever the ambiance or energy you’re trying to imbue…

As Pei Cobb Freed and Partnerscelebrates the 60th anniversary of its founding this year, the interna tional firm is showing no signs of slowing down in its progress with significant commissions across the globe. This week, the practice revealed designs for a new high-rise building in Shenzen set to form a soaring landmark at the gateway…

Not traditionally considered a leader in local cuisine, London’s newly burgeoning restaurant scene h as placed the English capital on the foodie map. Compared to Paris, Rome, and other European culinary destinations, the London food scene hasn’t always had a stellar reputation. However, over the last decade, the city has seen a shift from the traditional,…

Some of the most memorable graphic works by midcentury architect and designer Alexander Girard live on in upholstery textiles, etched glass, and art panels. Starting today, they’re also being offered in a customizable stationery line, both printed and digitized, through Paperless Post. The popular etailer of invitations, greeting and holiday cards, and notecards has launched…

More than perhaps any other city in Canada, Toronto has called upon the stars of the architectural w orld to solidify its status as a center of cultural and artistic significance in North America. Ever since Will Alsop’s outlandish OCAD Sharp Center for Design was completed just over a decade ago, the big names have been…

In the past few decades, in addition to the traditional role of collecting, preserving, and sharing collections, galleries and museums are increasingly becoming involved with supporting local, national, and international communities. Beyond exhibition spaces, cultural institutions house a myriad of mixed-use spaces, including process labs, artist-in-residence wings, and immersion rooms. Given that today’s cultural institutions…

A short while ago, we published an in-depth feature on designs for the dead covering every typology from Thomas Willson’s towering, pyramidal mausoleum to Katrina Spade’s highly organic alternative. It appears that architects have come a long way since Willson’s outlandish monument to mortality; just as Spade illustrated that a contemporary approach to the handling…

Recognizing that one can’t compare apples to oranges, Marvin Windows and Doors expanded the scope of its annual Architects Challenge, now in its seventh year: six distinct categories were formed to include both residential and commercial as well as traditional and contemporary projects. “Marvin’s products complement diverse design styles, given their flexibility,” says Christine Marvin,…

Easily identified by their dramatic V-shaped silhouette, butterfly roofs provide a visually striking alternative to traditional roof design. Two downward sloping surfaces meet to form a middle roofline, creating a shape that resembles a butterfly in flight. Typically found atop homes in the southwestern United States, the butterfly roof is an iconic feature of mid-century…