Michelin Awards Florida for the First Time, and Other News

The Design Dispatch offers expertly written and essential news from the design world crafted by our dedicated team. Think of it as your cheat sheet for the day in design delivered to your inbox before you’ve had your coffee. Subscribe now. 

Have a news story our readers need to see? Submit it here

Michelin Awards Florida for the First Time

For the first time since the inaugural publishing of its restaurant booklet in 1900, Michelin has considered Florida for stars. The prestigious guide has long been seen as the rating authority on dining experiences, though recently some chefs have spoken out against the program’s rigidity and how pressure to maintain its acclaim often stifles creativity and innovation. (As a reminder, chefs don’t receive Michelin stars, restaurants do.)

Still, it’s a big moment for the Sunshine State’s culinary scene, especially in Miami. “This will no doubt put Miami on the map as a culinary destination for diners, but will also attract new purveyors, more ingredients, and even more people who are passionate about working in fine dining,” says James Friedberg, chef de cuisine at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in the Design District. “Miami is such an international city with so many unique restaurants and experiences that deserve acknowledgment.” In total, ten local restaurants received one star, from celeb-chef spots like Thomas Keller’s Surf Club Restaurant in Surfside to New York transplants (Cote, Le Jardinier) to daring ventures such as Boia De, a neon-lit strip mall canteen in Miami’s up-and-coming Buena Vista neighborhood.

Only one restaurant achieved two-star status: the aforementioned L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, a spinoff of the late chef’s now-closed original outpost in Manhattan. “It’s an extraordinary feeling to carry on the legacy of Joël Robuchon and showcase the relevance of French cuisine,” Friedberg says. “The fact that two of our Miami-based Bastion Collection restaurants have been recognized is thrilling. I’m extremely excited to welcome the new audience of diners this accolade will expose our accomplishments to.” —Nate Storey

Michigan is exploring new plans to revitalize the long-abandoned Belle Isle Park zoo. 

“The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is slowly but surely moving forward with a long-term vision to reimagine a swath of long-forsaken land at Detroit’s storied Belle Isle Park that was once home to a modest yet beloved zoo. Plagued by declining attendance and political malfeasance, the zoo was ultimately shuttered in 2002 by disgraced then-mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and never reopened. Although the resident animals are long gone, the old zoo site, sitting in a state of abandonment for two full decades, has remained a popular spot among camera-wielding ruin porn aficionados.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]

A poignant performance of a Ukrainian bride erupts onto the Messeplatz at Art Basel.

“Visible among the crowds crossing the Messeplatz on the preview day of Art Basel was a woman wearing a dress made from red gas masks, each of which was emblazoned with printed cut-outs of the eyes of Vladimir Putin. In her hands she brandished a large Ukrainian flag bearing handprints the color of dried blood. The performance work, Chernobyl Bride, was devised by the Swiss-French artist Isagus Toche prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February as an allegory for a bride “who lost everything” in the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The piece gained new resonance as millions of Ukrainians’ livelihoods were destroyed in the ongoing war, Toche says.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]

The winner of Chevrolet’s new Corvette NFT auction will receive an actual sports car.

“Chevrolet is the latest automaker to jump on the non-fungible token bandwagon, but it’s taking a slightly different approach. Chevy announced plans to auction off a Corvette-themed NFT, but the winning bidder won’t just get recorded on the blockchain, they’ll also get the actual sports car inspired by the artwork. The NFT, which depicts a lime green Corvette Z06 blasting through a cyberpunk landscape, was created by artist Nick Sullo, who goes by xsullo online. The upcoming auction pairs Sullo’s NFT with a custom-painted 2023 Corvette Z06 color-matched to the art.” [H/T The Verge]

Harry Gesner, the California architect best known for Malibu’s Wave House, dies at 97.

“Harry Gesner was an architect who didn’t have a fancy degree—nor, for many years, even an architectural license. In fact, the sum total of his training consisted of attending lectures by Frank Lloyd Wright, then working as a carpenter. The lack of credentials was little deterrent to Gesner, who over the course of his life designed and crafted dozens of prized homes around Los Angeles. He is perhaps best known, however, for the Wave House in Malibu, built in 1957, which juts out over the sand with a series of crested roofs that seem to evoke the forms of the waves that curl just below.” [H/T The Los Angeles Times]

Coinbase is laying off nearly 1,100 people amid collapsing cryptocurrency prices. 

“Coinbase is laying off almost a fifth of its workforce amid a collapse in its stock and crypto prices. The cryptocurrency exchange will cut 18% of full-time jobs, according to an email sent to employees Tuesday morning. Coinbase has roughly 5,000 full-time workers, translating to a headcount reduction of around 1,100 people. CEO Brian Armstrong pointed to a possible recession, and a need to manage Coinbase’s burn rate and increase efficiency. He also said the company grew “too quickly” during a bull market.” [H/T CNBC]

Charles Holland scoops the Davidson Prize with a vision for affordable co-living.

“A proposal for affordable rental co-housing in rural locations designed by Charles Holland Architects in collaboration with artist Verity-Jane Keefe and Sound Advice founder Joseph Zeal-Henry has won this year’s Davidson Prize. Charles Holland Architects’ Co-Living in the Countryside scheme was selected as the winner of the £10,000 prize, which called for projects to respond to the theme of Co-Living—A New Future? by reconsidering current housing models. Co-Living in the Countryside is a model that proposes creating affordable, rentable co-housing in rural locations.” [H/T Dezeen]

Hypebeast opens a seven-story headquarters in Manhattan ahead of an expected IPO.

“Hypebeast, one of the first online platforms to arrive as a source for streetwear culture, is doubling down to the tune of seven stories. Founded by Kevin Ma nearly two decades ago, the company is set to open new headquarters in Chinatown, Manhattan, on Friday, with plans to become a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq by the end of the year. Besides flexing its muscle ahead of the planned IPO, the splashy investment—the building includes a retail store, a coffee counter, and event and office spaces—also suggests the eagerness of a brand that began its life as a blog to cement its position amid the rise of influencer culture and social media platforms flush with similar content.” [H/T The New York Times]

Today’s attractive distractions:

Brush up on queer design history through a tour of LGBTQIA+ activist posters.

Jeff Bezos is donating $10 million to expand his Center of Innovation in Seattle.

Pour one out for Internet Explorer, which Microsoft officially retired this week. 

Logistical issues and low morale are stymieing most employers’ return to office.