Bottega Veneta’s runway outfitted with Gaetano Pesce chairs during Milan Fashion Week. Photography by Matteo Canestraro…
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Gaetano Pesce’s Bottega Runway Steals Milan Fashion Week
Bottega Veneta’s spring 2023 fashion show made headlines for the star power in its seats, but not in the usual celebrity-obsessed context that’s come to define fashion month. Ahead of the runway show, the Italian fashion house announced an “unprecedented commission” in which the venerated Gaetano Pesce was tapped to create the set for creative director Matthieu Blazy’s sophomore show. There, Pesce debuted 400 unique resin-coated chairs—some with his signature smiley faces—situated atop a gloopy, resin-coated floor. Though many fashion week sets don’t live beyond their literal 15 minutes of runway fame, Pesce’s chairs will be exhibited and sold at Design Miami later this year. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz
CapitaSpring building in Singapore designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and Carlo Ratti Associati. Photography by Finbarr Fallon…
BIG and Carlo Ratti complete a garden-filled skyscraper in the heart of Singapore.
“BIG and Carlo Ratti Associati have completed a 919-foot-tall skyscraper in Singapore designed to offer visitors a ‘seamless transition between the garden and the city.’ Located at the heart of Singapore’s financial district, the 51-story mixed-use CapitaSpring building incorporates large pockets of greenery that are framed by sculptural facade openings. It was designed by Danish studio BIG and Italian firm Carlo Ratti Associati on a site containing a public car park and hawker center—a type of open-air market commonly used to sell cooked food. Inside is a mix of restaurants and office spaces, alongside serviced apartments, a replacement hawker center, and gardens that aim to bring nature to the city.” [H/T Dezeen]
Oklahoma City’s landmark egg-shaped First Christian Church meets the wrecking ball.
“Oklahoma City’s preeminent ovate landmark, the First Christian Church, has been demolished. Its destruction follows a lengthy preservation battle that kicked off in 2019 when a new redevelopment-minded owner was reported to be in play to acquire the property in 2019 after the church, its congregation numbers dwindling, had spent three years languishing on the market. That deal ultimately fell through. As reported by The Oklahoman, a glimmer of hope emerged that same year when Crossings Church signed a purchase contract to acquire the 32-acre property; that deal, however, also never came to be after Crossings Church concluded that the cost of renovations exceeded its available budget. First Christian Church has remained in a state of limbo ever since.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]
“Bluer Skies for Brazen Hips” (2022) by Mandy Cano Villalobos at the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington. Photography by Luke Walter…
The Arlington Arts Center in Washington, DC, will reopen as a contemporary art space.
“The Arlington Arts Center, an ambitious non-profit space founded in 1974 by a group of contemporary artists in Arlington, Virginia and only a short metro ride from the White House, will reopen Oct. 1 as the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington. The organization’s board of directors approved the name change in part “to reflect its position as a premiere hub for contemporary art and artists and as the only art museum in Arlington County”, according to an announcement. The new name, leaders at the museum say, more closely matches its function as a non-collecting, kunsthalle-like space.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]
Balenciaga teams with tech and logistics platform Reflaunt to launch a resale service.
“The luxury label is partnering with tech-and-logistics platform Reflaunt to help customers sell on their old Balenciaga clothing and accessories.nIt’s among a number of brands owned by French conglomerate Kering, including Alexander McQueen and Gucci, to experiment in the market for second-hand fashion. The luxury sector was initially wary of online resale platforms, fearing they would cannibalize sales, encourage counterfeits and damage carefully cultivated brands. But the swift growth of the secondhand market, alongside growing interest in resale as a way to solidify brands’ sustainability credentials, has rapidly shifted that attitude among some players. In a statement, Balenciaga described its new resale initiative as a ‘circularity programme.’” [H/T Business of Fashion]
The Niemeyer Guest House renovated by East Architecture Studio. Image courtesy of East Architecture Studio…
East Architecture Studio carefully restores an Oscar Niemeyer guesthouse in Tripoli.
“Located in Tripoli, Lebanon, this renovated guest house stands just inside an entrance to the Rachid Karami International Fair, designed by Oscar Niemeyer between 1964 and 1975. Although incomplete and derelict since the Lebanese civil war halted construction, the 10-hectare site is one of the Middle East’s finest examples of Modernist architecture. After previous grandiose schemes envisioning its revival fell flat, the recent rehabilitation of one of its structures carried out by local practice East Architecture Studio offers a model of how a building-by-building approach could bring the fair back to life.” [H/T Designboom]
Tom Wiscombe and Marrikka Trotter resign from SCI-Arc after months of controversy.
“Nearly five months have passed since the tumultuous March 25 Basecamp panel discussion and the wave of controversies that came after. While the LA-based architecture school has slowly faded from heavy media reporting, the team at Archinect has kept an eye out for any updates and changes coming from the school. However, recent news from the school sent out via email to the SCI-Arc Community has announced essential policy changes and the resignations of Tom Wiscombe and Marrikka Trotter, who have received intense heat from students, alums, and the architecture community at large.” [H/T Archinect]
After recent double-digit growth, sales of plant-based meat are flat-out declining.
“Just a few years ago, with a blockbuster initial public offering from Beyond Meat Inc. and the unveiling of an Impossible Whopper at Burger King locations nationwide, plant-based meats were ascendant. Now, after once enjoying double-digit growth, sales in the plant-based meat category are not just flat but declining, according to data from Information Resources Inc., or IRI. That’s due to possible saturation of the US market as new brands hit the shelves, according to Deloitte Consulting LLP.” [H/T Bloomberg]
