Tasty Aegean Bites and Slow-Humming Melodies in Reno, 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

In Reno, Tasty Aegean Bites and Slow-Humming Melodies

Conceived as the meeting point between the American diner and casual tavernas of the Mediterranean, Claio brings cosmopolitan culinary sensibilities to small-town Reno. “The goal was to create a place that exists outside of time, something transportive,” says Anton Anger, whose Brooklyn-based Studio Meadow oversaw the design. Done up in detailed millwork, butterscotch Barragán-esque ceilings, and an array of hand-blown pendants crafted by Anger and his neighbor, the aesthetic induces ‘60s-era optimism. But it also delivers funk in the form of a “super fem Lynchian bathroom” and a vinyl DJ setup with records always spinning.

It’s the perfect setting for Tyler and Aubrey O’Laskey’s “Greek-ish rotisserie” staples. The husband-and-wife team is known locally for Perenn, a bakery, Viennoiserie, and grocery with hyper-fresh offerings thanks to strong producer relationships. They bring the same approach to Claio, where mezze-like Turkish asparagus with labneh and crispy schmaltz potatoes are joined by rotisserie chicken and lamb dishes. The convivial concept is a welcome addition to a town on the rise. “Reno has been growing and changing at a steady clip as of late, with a wild influx of people from the Bay Area drawn by the mountains and skiing,” Anger says. “[Tyler and Aubrey] saw this restaurant as an opportunity to push food forward in a city that really has few options for unique dining.” —Nate Storey

Foster + Partners unveils a master plan to transform the waterfront of Larnaca, Cyprus.

Foster + Partners and Petrolina Group have unveiled a master plan to transform the seafront of Larnaca, Cyprus, into a sustainable neighborhood. The plan aims to enhance the land’s ecological value, rewild existing water canals, and make the existing Larnaca-Dhekelia Road more pedestrian-friendly with new public amenities. Foster + Partners is also developing mobility strategies to connect the master plan with the rest of the city and the wider regions.

Sarah Lucas wins the New Museum’s inaugural Hostetler/Wrigley Sculpture Award.

Sarah Lucas has become the first winner of the New Museum’s Hostetler/Wrigley Sculpture Award, a prize worth $400,000. The British artist plans to make a sculpture titled Venus Victoria for the museum’s plaza after work is complete on a planned expansion. The prize jury praised Lucas’s proposal for its exuberance, vitality, and irreverence, and celebrated it as a radically joyful and unconventional monument celebrating women’s claim to space in public.

Apple is launching a “buy now, pay later” service to compete with Affirm and Klarna. 

Apple has launched its “buy now, pay later” service in the United States, posing a potential threat to the fintech sector dominated by companies such as Affirm Holdings and Klarna. Apple Pay Later will let users split purchases into four payments spread over six weeks with no fees or interest. The service will initially be offered to select users, with plans for a full rollout in the coming months. Loans will be available for online and in-app purchases made on iPhones and iPads from merchants that accept Apple Pay.

Alastair Barford unveils King Charles III’s first official portrait since his reign began.

Renowned oil painting artist Alastair Barford has unveiled the first official portrait of King Charles III since the beginning of his reign. The portrait depicts the monarch wearing a navy blue pinstripe suit, a white shirt, a light pink tie, and a coordinating light pink pocket square. Barford was commissioned to paint Charles after studying him at an event where the king received a bracelet from Amazon Indigenous leader Domingo Peas, a symbol of his commitment to sustainability and work on climate change.

Los Angeles County identifies 33 at-risk structures in the event of a major earthquake.  

In the wake of the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria last month, Los Angeles County has identified 33 structures that would be at risk during a seismic event of that magnitude. The county recommends upgrading the list of at-risk properties to modern standards in the next decade. Officials are concerned about the potential of a magnitude 7.8 or higher quake that could cause significant destruction, leading to the need for changes to building codes for non-ductile concrete high-rises and soft-story residential structures.

Documenta names a diverse selection committee as it searches for its next director.

The search for Documenta’s next director has begun five years after the scandal surrounding the 2022 show. The six-person committee tasked with finding the next curator includes experts from different cultural and geographical backgrounds. Half of the committee members are based in Asia or Latin America, with the other half in Europe; they aim to bring diversity and modernity to the event while addressing previous antisemitism allegations.

Today’s attractive distractions:

Did cursed megahit “Blurred Lines” spell pop culture’s recent nadirs?

More hotels are starting to say goodbye to once-a-day room cleaning.

In order to save water, suburbanites are painting their drab grass green.

Have you noticed how SUVs are becoming bigger and more aggressive?