Chanel Celebrates 100 Years of N°5 With a Forested Labyrinth by Es Devlin, and Other News

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Chanel Celebrates 100 Years of N°5 With a Forested Labyrinth by Es Devlin

Launching in tandem with Miami Art Week, the French fashion house and perfumery will transform the city’s Jungle Park, located in the Design District, into a multisensory labyrinth of sight, sound, and scent to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its historic eau de parfum. Longtime Chanel collaborator Es Devlin designed the labyrinth, called FIVE ECHOES, that renders the story of N°5’s origins in sculpture and immersion in nature. In a nod to Coco Chanel’s upbringing in the wooded Abbey of Aubazine and today’s pressing need for urban reforestation, the installation’s 2,000 trees, shrubs, and plants will be replanted in parklands throughout Miami-Dade county once the installation closes to the public on December 21.  

The need for reforestation has been top of mind for Devlin, who unveiled a like-minded “Forest of Transformation” during the London Design Biennale and explores similar themes in another labyrinth that she created for Miami experiential art center Superblue. “If our behavior can define our architecture, then perhaps our art and architecture can alter our behavior,” Devlin said in a statement. “If works of art can help us to see ourselves as part of the biosphere and symbiotically fused with it, if we can start to see plants and animals as equal protagonists as ourselves in life, I believe we have a better chance of making the fundamental behavioral shifts necessary not only to avoid climate chaos, but also to live in a more just, equitable, and joyful way.”

In the Swiss Mountains, a Blocky Build for Audemars Piguet’s Expansion

Rural settings and bold, architectonic forms will never go out of style. Case in point: Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet’s latest addition to its headquarters, nestled in the hilly terrain of Le Locle. Designed by Kuník de Morsier, the Manufacture des Saignoles contains a state-of-the-art factory, office spaces, a central communal area, and research and development labs. 

The architects designed the Manufacture with a delicate touch, paying close attention to orientation and context. “Our approach is resolutely contextual, by setting up spaces that promote exchange, cohesion and connection with the environment in the broadest sense,” says the firm. To accomplish this, Kuník de Morsier designed an addition that keeps a low profile, favoring a horizontal rather than vertical orientation and clings tightly to the curving hillside. Every side of the multi-volume building gets plenty of natural light and stunning views of the Swiss scenery, with workshops facing the north for a calming effect and office spaces facing the south for an energizing boost of sunlight. 

Esrawe Studio and Superflex unveil a colorful facade for Grupo Arca’s Miami showroom.

In Miami’s burgeoning Wynwood neighborhood, Esrawe Studio and Danish art collective Superflex have unveiled a striking ceramic tile installation on the facade of stone distributor Grupo Arca’s showroom. The collaborators assembled the facade, called “Like a Force of Nature,” out of flat and pyramid tiles in a variety of hues reminiscent of global currencies, and arranged using the Fibonacci sequence. “‘Like A Force Of Nature’ evokes the illusion that money is as natural as a volcano or tsunami,” says Superflex. “It explores the disorientation produced by both the intricacy of the natural world and the dizzying economic systems that are rapidly altering that world.”

To no one’s surprise, the world’s most famous architects continue to rake in the millions. 

An updated list from therichest.com outlines the wealthiest living architects. If you’re curious, here’s the top five: Norman Foster, $250 million; Frank Gehry, $100 million; Moshe Safdie, $100 million; Santiago Calatrava, $100 million; and the estate of Zaha Hadid, $95 million. 

Louis Vuitton is planning a tribute to Virgil Abloh at its upcoming Miami menswear show.

Following the passing of its groundbreaking creative director last Sunday, the luxury fashion house will dedicate its Spring-Summer 2022 menswear show to the vital spirit of Virgil Abloh. The brand will present 72 silhouettes from Abloh’s spring-summer 2022 lineup and an additional 30 piece formalwear collection that honors the wishes of its former trailblazer. 

Resale platforms, meanwhile, are capitalizing on Abloh’s passing with surging resell prices.

The price of Nike’s Off-White sneakers—pairs of Air Jordan 1s and 2s that Abloh lent his inimitable touch to—have soared to as much as $10,000 on StockX, courtesy of anonymous sellers looking for a quick cash grab. The move is reminiscent of the price uptick on Kobe Bryant products following his passing in 2020.

Bjarke Ingels Group gets approval to build the world’s first buoyant city in South Korea.

Due to the escalating climate crisis that threatens coastal cities the world over, the first floating city may finally come to fruition. Designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and backed by UN-habitat and OCEANIX, the city—a floating cluster of houses made of myriad hexagonal platforms—will be built off the coast of Busan in South Korea. The city will initially house 10,000 inhabitants, and is projected to grow while producing its own freshwater and energy. “Nine out of 10 of the world’s largest cities will be exposed to rising seas by 2050. The sea is our fate—it may also be our future,” the firm says. 

A new star atop Gaudí’s Sagrada Família Basílica gets described as “aesthetically horrible.”

The star, weighing 5.5 tons and not part of the original design, has offended residents association groups and Gaudí purists, leading to accusations of high-handedness against the Sagrada Família’s supporting foundation. Additionally, a proposed staircase for the basilica’s main entrance would require the demolition of three city blocks, dislocating nearly 1,000 families and businesses.

Today’s attractive distractions:

India Mahdavi teams with Dior to craft a limited range of J’adore perfume bottles.

Ever wonder how to get into Studio 54? A doorman from the famed club tells all. 

Damien Hirst transforms his Drake album artwork into 10,000 Ethereum NFTs.

Room Copenhagen and Lego debut a collection of stackable wooden homewares.