The Mirrored Cabin Craze Continues in Canada, and Other News

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The Mirrored Cabin Craze Continues in Canada

Canada has a thing for mirrored cabins. Earlier this spring, Arcana debuted a series of sleek timber-lined standalone structures encased in polished stainless steel shells in a secret location two hours outside of Toronto. Now comes Réflexion, two black wooden cabins in the Charlevoix forest near Quebec City. Local firm Bourgeois Lechasseur is behind the concept, an antidote to the traditional rustic typology designed to immerse guests in nature.

Lined with full-height reflective glass walls, the interiors are done up in pale wooden ceilings, monochromatic furniture, and heated polished cement floors. Two bedrooms, an upscale kitchenette, and open communal areas appointed with monochromatic furniture and freestanding fireplaces make the space perfect for a six-person ski trip to Le Massif—or a weekend of rest and contemplation. The facade’s mirrored panels are adorned in a special coating only visible to wildlife in the surrounding woodlands, so dive-bombing birds will never come crashing into the window.

Kalon Studios Opens a Serene Showroom in Los Angeles

Johann Pauwen and Michaele Simmering, the husband-and-wife duo behind Los Angeles furniture studio Kalon, have quietly mastered the art of evoking emotion within everyday objects. A purity of form and materiality imbue their handmade furnishings—from the quintessential Simple Bed and artful IO Crib to the laid-back Rugosa Chair—with a timeless allure endemic to great design. Now, the duo is taking their philosophy to the next level by opening a dedicated showroom at the forefront of sustainability that will also serve as an event space for L.A.’s burgeoning creative community. 

Kalon’s material-driven philosophy permeates the sunny 2,000-square-foot space, which makes deft use of organics such as wood, linen, stone, and metals that reveal their character over time. Their latest furnishings—the new Highland collection and Rugosa’s expanded lineup of ultramarine and moss green upholstery—will rotate throughout the year and sit alongside work by local makers such as Brendan Ravenhill and Bari Ziperstein. 

“With so much of our lives having gone online, we felt it was a powerful moment to channel some of our energy towards creating a physical space in the world, where people could come and experience Kalon and all we stand for, touch the materials, and see how our designs make them feel,” Pauwen says. “So much of our practice is about those materials, and about the cultivation of particular feelings and emotions. All of that is best experienced in the flesh, with our full sensory capacities at work and able to engage.”

X marks the spot at OMA’s wood-clad escalators in Berlin’s KaDeWe department store.

Enlisted by Kaufhaus des Westens for a tip-to-toe facelift, the architecture firm reformulates the nine-storey structure into four quadrants in four different architecture styles—the first completed section introduces a series of wood-clad crisscrossing escalators that bridge the newly formed retail and event spaces. Operating as a central nexus, the installation speaks to OMA’s reinterpretation of typical department stores through a post-pandemic lens. 

A $350 million wellness theme park may soon set roots on Manhattan’s waterfront.

Answering New Yorkers’ cry for more green spaces, wellness centers maker Therme Group has enlisted High Line developer Robert Hammond to create a wellness theme park on Manhattan’s waterfront. “As someone who understands firsthand the healing power of nature and the importance of mindfulness, I believe everyone needs a place where they can comfortably and affordably reconnect with themselves, nature, and the environment around them,” Hammond says. Though the project is still looking for a location, it will become the Therme Group’s first outpost in New York if approved.

Dubai outclasses the Las Vegas High Roller with the world’s largest Ferris wheel. 

The Middle Eastern country has unveiled the Ain Dubai, a tourist trap that rises 820 feet high and set a new world record as the tallest observation wheel, overtaking its famed London and Las Vegas counterparts. Boasting a 1,750 seating capacity and accommodating 40 riders in each of its air-conditioned cabins for up to 38 minutes, the ride offers impressive views of the Dubai skyline from Bluewaters Island.

In Spain, a striking yellow funicular revitalizes a ‘70s hotel nestled near Gran Canaria. 

Commissioned to renovate a defunct hotel in Mogán, Atelier LopezNeiraCiaurri Architecture has fashioned a modern 42-degree funicular that helps facilitate circulation. “We took on the challenge of creating an infrastructure with a soul—strategy and poetics in equal parts,” says the studio. Coupled with renewable energy systems on its roof, the installation sports yellow cabins that offset the surrounding area’s white-washed hues, marking the transit structure as an magnetic attraction that offers sweeping views of the beachside borough. 

The Black Artists + Designers Guild names the Creative Futures Grant’s four winners. 

Upholding the Black Artists + Designers Guild’s commitment to representing Black talent and culture in visual arts, architecture, and interior design, the Creative Futures Grant has named its inaugural class of winners: Abena Otema Danquah, Janiya Douglas, LaRissa Rogers, and Neysa Wellington. Each will receive $5,000 and mentorship from industry professionals to support legacy projects from ideation to implementation. “Mentoring and art education is just as important to me as creating art,” says Dr. Lisa Whittington, a mentor along with Rhonnika Clifton, Nina Cooke John, and Beth Diana Smith. “I find it an honor to help my people—especially knowing that African Americans are at a disadvantage in the arts.” 

Today’s attractive distractions:

Irish revelers once carved faces into turnips in order to ward off dark spirits.

A fearsome dog-sized scorpion ruled the Chinese sea 400 million years ago.

Amazon’s trend-obsessed comedy Fairfax doesn’t quite live up to the hype.

MSCHF is selling 1,000 Andy Warhol sketches, 999 of which are forgeries.