“Sanctuary” by David Best, in Bedworth, England. Photography by Andrew Moore…
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Burning Man artist David Best creates a Covid-19 memorial that can be burned down.
“While Covid hasn’t disappeared, the world has finally reached a stage of the pandemic where it’s time to reflect on who and what we’ve lost, as well as how we might be able to move forward together. Though many of us have grieved privately since early 2020, a new and rather temporary memorial designed by American artist David Best turns the act of grappling with the tragedy into a shared ritual of letting go. On May 21, Best’s work, Sanctuary, opened to the public, rising 65 feet above Miners’ Welfare Park in Bedworth, England. An assemblage of intricate and ornately carved wood pieces, the memorial’s dazzling design is remarkable from its base to its spire, and fits with the emphasis on mesmerizing patterns that serve as a frequent touchstone for Best’s monumental works.” [H/T Architectural Digest]
Nordstrom is phasing out clothing service Trunk Club in favor of e-commerce styling.
“The department store company announced during its first-quarter earnings Tuesday that it would be closing its personalized clothing service and will focus efforts on e-commerce styling. Nordstrom acquired Trunk Club back in 2014 for a reported $350 million. The startup was created during the initial wave of subscription box services, where stylists would ship clothing to customers once they had fashion consultations.” [H/T Business of Fashion]
Ombelle by ODA in Fort Lauderdale. Image courtesy ODA…
ODA unveils renderings of two mirrored skyscrapers planned for Fort Lauderdale.
“New York architecture and design firm ODA-Architecture has released renderings of its Ombelle project, a pair of mixed-use towers in Ft. Lauderdale. Developer Dependable Equities tapped ODA to design the architecture, interiors, and landscape for the 1.5-million-square-foot structure. The development, which comprises two mirrored 43-story towers, will offer 1,100 rental units, 11,217 square feet of retail space, and 27,837 square feet of indoor amenities. Ombelle is proposed to rise at 300 Northeast 3rd Avenue in the city’s growing Flagler Village neighborhood.” [H/T Archinect]
Amazon officially opens its first brick-and-mortar clothing store in Glendale, California.
“Amazon officially opened its first brick-and-mortar clothing store today in Glendale, California. Located at The Americana at Brand, Amazon Style showcases apparel, accessories and shoes for men and women. Customers in the Los Angeles region are invited to visit the retail space to see products from familiar brands and emerging designers. Amazon Style offers an experience that blends hands-on shopping with tech. In-store visitors can select items and scan a QR code with the Amazon Shopping app to find colors, sizes and more product information. The app also enables you to send items to a fitting room or checkout counter, eliminating the need to dig for your size and carry things around the store.” [H/T CNET]
The Gastronomy Open Ecosystem by Bjarke Ingels Group in San Sebastian, Spain. Image courtesy of Playtime…
Bjarke Ingels Group masterminds a culinary innovation hub in San Sebastian, Spain.
“Selected among five invited architects including OMA, Snøhetta, 3XN, and Toyo Ito & Associates., the BIG-designed building for the Basque Culinary Center, is a new food tech hub located in San Sebastian, Spain. The Gastronomy Open Ecosystem (GOe) is in fact a 9,000 m2 project that seeks to push forward the art and science of gastronomic innovation, bringing together food start-ups, researchers, and chefs. Currently in progress, the building will focus on the development of alternative proteins, agricultural robotics, the prevention of food waste, and much more.” [H/T ArchDaily]
The beloved yet worn out Alamo Cube at New York’s Astor Place is no longer spinning.
“The hulking Alamo Cube has come to define New York’s Astor Place over the decades and is celebrated by its neighbors, demarcating the boundary between the heart of the East Village and the valley of ashes—what feels like 40-some unending streets of corporate office buildings—north of it. Its appeal has always been its interactive tactility. The cube spins: A group of friends that join their strength, or a gym bro proving his burly arm muscles to a date, can, with a push, make the cube creak on its axis. But no longer—as of April 27, the cube has been strapped in place by supportive metal implements at its base.” [H/T Hyperallergic]
Today’s attractive distractions:
Arnau Rovira Vidal is photographing some of the world’s most absurd architecture.
The New Yorker’s latest documentary sheds light on Uganda’s grasshopper harvest.
These TikTok “grandfluencers” share what it’s like to have fun and age gracefully.
Scientists think people quarried red ochre at this Wyoming mine 13,000 years ago.
