Happy New Year

 
2007 was indeed a wonderfully eventful year in the world of design and art. Here’s hoping that 2008 will be even better. Through this blog I hope to bring more interesting news from Dubai and around the world. Until then keep reading.
 Happy New Year!

New Year greetings from Atelier Hapsitus

Beirut-based internationally-known architect Nadim Karam and his studio have sent this beautiful greeting, which I must share with everyone. When I interviewed Karam who is also an acclaimed artist, earlier this year at International Design Forum, I asked him why a well-known architect and artist like him wouldn’t want to practice in Europe or other more well-established places.  He said he [...]

Cool hotels-part II

Here are some more cool hotels that are on my list for 2008.
Top: Dar Beida is a restored Moroccan House and is undoubtedly is one of the coolest places to stay in the hippie-chic town of Essaouira overlooking the Atlantic ocean, where Jimi Hendrix wrote the hit song Castles in the sand. The house-turned-hotel has been [...]

Zaha Hadid’s Innovation Tower in Hong Kong

Zaha Hadid has come a long way from The Peak competition in Hong Kong at the beginning of her career. Even though she won the competition, the design was deemed too radical an never got built. But here she is once again. Pritzker Prize winner Hadid is now designing the Innovation Tower at the Hong [...]

Zaha Hadid designs Innsbruck railway station

There’s nothing that Zaha Hadid can’t or hasn’t designed. From buildings to cars, kitchens, and now this awe-inspiring railway station in Innsbruck, Austria, in her signature fluid style.

Barcode and graffiti buildings in Russia

Top and Middle: Graffiti-painted public housing blocks
Bottom: Shtrikh Kod (barcode in Russian) in St. Petersburg
Today we are travelling to Russia. Check out this cool barcode building called Shtrikh Kod in St. Petersburg by Vitruvius and Sons. Built in a large centre next to the Volodarsky Bridge with grey public housing all around, the bright red barcode [...]

Design wishlist for 2008

From top to bottom: Taccia lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos; Crochet table for Moooi by Marcel Wanders; Legend Bibliotheque by Christophe Delcourt for Roche Bobois; Barcelona Chair (left) by Mies van der Rohe, Wishbone Chair by Hans Wegner (right); Madamoiselle chairs by Philippe Starck in Missoni prints for Kartell; LC4 Chaise Lounge [...]

Designworks BMW designs Ecopod

Designworks BMW, the industrial design unit of the German marquee, known for the BMW X5 and Z4 models have designed the latest home recycling gadget the Ecopod. The little portable recycling machine and trash compactor can be used to recycle aluminium cans and glass bottles. Just step on the pedal and it looks a lot more stylish [...]

Norman Foster in Oman

 
Blue City project by Foster +Partners in Oman
Gulf countries are outdoing each other with a line-up of star-architects and high-profile projects. The tiny gulf Sultanate of Oman, known for The Chedi Muscat, its pristine beaches and where the mad construction boom has not yet begun has enrolled the services of Foster + Partners for its Al [...]

Abu Dhabi in Businessweek

 
A few days ago, I posted a link from Meteropolis magazine that featured a story on Dubai’s green and sustainable solutions by Stephen Zacks. Now it’s Abu Dhabi’s green and architectural ambitions that make it to Businessweek. Here’re the links.
 http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_52/b4064057939494.htm
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_52/b4064057942729.htm  
Masdar is a multi-billion dollar initiative who are also behind next month’s World Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi where [...]