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Gabriel Moses Reintroduces One of Byredo’s Defining Fragrances
Byredo is at its most interesting when it swerves out of bounds for a typical fragrance house. The brand has already made an impression with showings at Salone del Mobile and Paris Fashion Week, but recently commissioned rising photographer Gabriel Moses to reintroduce one of its most well-known fragrances: Bal D’Afrique. According to founder Ben Gorham, translating memories to scent was the underlying inspiration for the fragrance—one of the first in the brand’s quiver. As the first of many creatives tapped to reinterpret Byredo’s best-known scents, Moses’ exuberant photography captures Gorham’s nostalgia, resulting in an homage to African culture and the beauty of his Nigerian heritage. —Jenna Adrian-Diaz
Top of Alpbachtal at Hornbarn by Snøhetta. Phtography by Christian Flatscher…
Snøhetta unveils a timber tower and ski stop atop Austria’s Alpbachtal mountains.
Top of Alpbachtal, a timber tower and panorama room designed by Snøhetta, has opened atop Austria’s Alpbachtal mountains at a staggering 6,660 feet above sea level. Inspired by the natural surroundings and alpine building traditions, the tower serves as a landmark that enhances the mountain experience for skiers, hikers, snowshoe walkers, and ski tourers. The first-floor lounge features wooden seating platforms, panoramic windows with 360-degree views of alpine scenery, and a modern Tyrolean-style space that caters to skiers and visitors.
Thomas Hacker, one of Oregon’s most prominent and influential architects, dies at 81.
Thomas Hacker, founder of Portland-based architecture firm Hacker, has died at 81. Hacker was renowned for designing some of Oregon’s most prominent and beloved civic, museum, library, and educational buildings, including the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, Beaverton City Library, and Portland State University’s Urban Center. He was also a highly regarded teacher at the University of Oregon, where he inspired two generations of architects. Hacker’s talent caught the eye of Louis Kahn, who hired him as a draftsman and design assistant; together they worked on some of the 20th century’s most iconic buildings, such as the Capitol Complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.
Cassina has acquired Zanotta, bringing it under the Haworth Lifestyle Design group.
Cesare Cassina and Aurelio Zanotta, two entrepreneurs known for experimentation and risk-taking in design, gave birth to iconic Italian furniture companies that bear their names. Cassina has now acquired Zanotta, which is renowned for its irreverent and experimental furniture, bringing it under the Haworth Lifestyle Design group. With a turnover of $928 million and 2,200 employees, the holding becomes one of the furniture sector’s largest companies.
A herd of robotic dogs will autonomously paint an artwork at this year’s NGV Triennial.
Robotic dogs by Boston Dynamics will become unlikely artists-in-residence at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria, working autonomously to paint a piece over four months. The robots will be trained by Agnieszka Pilat, an artist who regards the machines as “partners of humanity.” The robots are set to be among 100 artists and designers participating in the NGV Triennial, which opens in December and explores themes of magic, memory, and matter.
Angelica Jopling, daughter of White Cube founder Jay, launches a gallery in London.
Angelica Jopling, daughter of White Cube founder Jay Jopling, has launched a new gallery called Incubator that will showcase emerging artists and feature performance and time-based art. The gallery will operate seasonally, with quick-succession solo exhibitions in the spring and autumn, while summer and winter will consist of longer group shows. Jopling, who describes herself as “both a curator and dealer,” said the gallery’s sole income stream will be from selling art, and will feature a biweekly program of performances by poets, dancers, and musicians who will often respond to the current exhibition.
Aspen's RH Guesthouse…
RH lays off 440 staffers as it plans more “design galleries” and forays into hospitality.
RH, the luxury furniture brand formerly known as Restoration Hardware, has laid off around 440 workers as part of a restructuring effort, eliminating numerous leadership positions to streamline its organizational structure and business operations. Despite the layoffs, RH still plans to expand beyond furniture with new showrooms and restaurants, including “design galleries” in iconic buildings and high-end shopping centers. The company is incorporating hospitality into most of its new galleries to drive incremental sales of home furnishings.
Japan discovers an unprecedented 7,000 new islands within the country’s archipelago.
In 2021, Japan discovered a new island after an underwater volcano erupted, leaving a crescent-shaped landmass with a diameter of approximately 3,281 feet in the Pacific Ocean. The country’s recent discovery of 7,000 new Japanese islands, however, surpasses the previous excitement. The Geospatial Information Authority (GIA) used digital technology to count the country’s islands, discovering that the archipelago is composed of 14,125 individual landmasses. Only 400 of these are inhabited—the majority are mountainous, small, and difficult to develop, with many being at the mercy of the weather.
Bocci’s new brand identity by Studio Frith…
Today’s attractive distractions:
One French artist reframes tech as dominance with BDSM phone cases.
Enter the very real—and very complicated—world of water sommeliers.
California’s unseasonably wet winter could lead to major superblooms.
Studio Frith’s new brand identity for Bocci riffs on its spherical fixtures.
