An Israeli Escape Injects New Energy into a Lakeside Destination, and Other News

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An Israeli Escape Injects New Energy into a Lakeside Destination

Nostalgia powered Saar Zafrir while working on his latest commission, the Galei Kinneret Hotel. “I have such fond memories growing up and spending my summers on the Kinneret that despite not generally working in Israel, I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to work on a project that carried so much sentimental value to me,” he says of its location on the ancient Sea of Galilee, in the country’s northern reaches. Inspired by Lake Como’s iconic Villa d’Este Hotel when it first opened in 1946, the property fell into disrepair and has sat empty in recent years. Restoring the original facade and preserving the archeological remains discovered during renovation, Zafrir made sure the interiors were light, minimal, and full of natural materials to achieve a sense of balance. 

The 123 rooms are done up in neutral hues, parquet wood flooring, and organic furniture custom designed by Zafrir’s studio. In a nod to the original owner Lotte Eisenberg’s vision, the eponymous restaurant turns out European-style recipes infused with Jerusalem flavors. Chef Asaf Granit, whose portfolio of restaurants includes the Michelin-starred Shabour in Paris and  the Tom Dixon-designed Coal Office in London, invigorates the hyper-local menu with ingredients grown between the Galilee Mountains and Golan Heights. 

A sprawling installation of green ceramic tiles crawling up archways like runaway ivy point toward glass windows where just outside lies a pool equipped with a glass bottom overlooking some of the found ruins. On the edge, a circular bar punctuated with a tree-like structure by artist Gilad Keinan shades guests from the Middle Eastern heat and is the place for sundowners. The aluminum sculpture recalls Zafrir’s past experiences at Burning Man. Another memory at a property built on them.

Purple is following millennial pink and Gen Z yellow in capturing generational norms.

Now that the heyday of millennial pink and Gen-Z yellow has run its course, color experts are offering up their predictions of which shade will capture the zeitgeist next. All signs point to purple, a natural (and darker) successor to millennial pink that speaks to the rising generation’s fascination with mysticism and solidarity. “What we’ve endured as an entire world, this idea of wanting something hopeful, bright, and optimistic happens when you have these brighter, more energized cues,” Laura Guido-Clark of color consultancy Love Good Color told Business Insider. “I always think of things as being connected to human need and that we’re responding to social, political, economic, and emotional environments.” 

Montauk locals protest mega-dealer David Zwirner’s plans to build an artists’ retreat. 

Though Montauk has long been a destination for famous artists, logistical hurdles have hamstrung David Zwirner’s plans to build an artists’ retreat for “creative getaways” along the Lake Montauk shoreline. Locals are protesting the mega-dealer’s plans to reconstruct 17 cottages and a house, which would involve removing a gravel road leading to the lake and renovating a bulkhead on the shore. Most argue the ecologically minded development would impede their access to the lake and the bulkhead renovation may collapse and harm the surrounding environment. The proposal has been in the works since March. 

Milan is building an intricate network of “super-cycle corridors” to reduce emissions.

Milan has committed to build 466 miles of bicycle highways, which will make cycling the city’s most convenient form of transit. When complete by 2035, the concentric Cambio network will place 86 percent of the city’s population within a short distance of a bicycle path—a move that city officials are positioning as crucial to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and adhere to goals outlined by the Paris Agreement. “It’s a system project that sees cycling as a driving force for development, which integrates environmental protection, safety, economic development and general wellbeing,” the Metropolitan Council of Milan said in a statement.

Masquespacio imbues a restaurant in Spain with desert hues and organic forms. 

Studio Masquespacio has crafted a dreamy sensorial dining experience in Valencia, Spain. A sea of desert-like hues of pink, organic forms, and beige and Arabic accents await patrons at Living Bakkali, a new restaurant whose interior architecture stars. Hidden corners, secluded lounge seats, and intimate nooks with red-cushioned benches and chairs are spread across two levels, creating clandestine moments.  

NASCAR is currently paving a disposable racetrack at the LA Memorial Coliseum. 

New Valley Construction is currently paving over an entire field inside the LA Memorial Coliseum with asphalt in preparation for the NASCAR Busch Light Clash in February. The quarter-mile track, which cost $1 million to build, will only be used for one weekend before being torn up and used for other projects. To build the racetrack, protective layers of plastic and plywood were placed over the field before laying a six-inch base of dirt on top—about 500 truckloads worth. More than 1,560 tons of a special high-performance asphalt are being paved, and will take two weeks to set and cure before the weekend race on February 6.

Marriott is launching a research and development lab to explore new technology.

Located at the company’s new headquarters in Bethesda, the Marriott Design Lab will see the hospitality titan partner with technology companies to gauge how new innovations can help streamline and elevate all aspects of the hotel industry, including construction to in-room amenities. According to Jeff Voris, Marriott International’s senior Vice President of global design, the Design Lab has been in development for some time, but was prioritized after the pandemic disrupted travel. “We want to always keep evolving, and the pandemic caused us to accelerate that to make sure we stayed engaged with customers when they weren’t traveling and to help transition them back into traveling.” One of Marriott Design Lab’s first partners is Ori, a robotics and architecture startup that’s devising space-saving concepts for hotel rooms. 

Today’s attractive distractions:

Detailed footage reveals how electric fields in the clouds can trigger lightning.

A curious badger leads archaeologists to a hoard of 3rd-century Roman coins. 

The Free Black Women’s library leases a new storefront in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

Bottega Veneta celebrates Chinese New Year by taking over the Great Wall.