DESIGN DISPATCH

Ikebana Blooms Inside Hollyhock House, and Other News

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“Ravi GuneWardena: Ikebana for Hollyhock House.” Photography by Hiroshi Clark

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Ikebana Blooms Inside Hollyhock House

Frank Lloyd Wright built his Hollyhock House—the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Los Angeles and his first commission in the city—at the same time he built Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel. Japanese design influences are laden throughout the landmark home, making it an ideal setting for Ravi GuneWardena’s new installation featuring ikebana, the Japanese practice of flower arrangements. “The placement of an ikebana arrangement can inform and define the work itself,” says the architect, who mastered the art under Haruko Takeichi at the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. “The light and space of Hollyhock House appear to have been designed with this art form in mind.”

Each arrangement pays homage to Aline Barnsdall, the home’s original resident, with the dried flower arrangements playing with scale and contrasting with the home’s ornate artworks. The installation will be on view through the fall.

The Brooklyn Tower. Photography by Max Touhey

The Brooklyn Tower, the borough’s only supertall skyscraper, is facing foreclosure. 

A rezoning in 2004 sparked significant development in Downtown Brooklyn, including towers like 1 Willoughby Square and 141 Willoughby, adding more than 20,500 residential units to the area. One of these buildings, the supertall Brooklyn Tower designed by SHoP Architects, is facing foreclosure as developer Michael Stern of JDS Development recently defaulted on a $240 million mezzanine loan due to rising interest rates and tightening financing conditions.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit Taiwan, but stringent building codes reduced its impact.

Earlier this week, Taiwan experienced a 7.4 magnitude earthquake, the strongest in 25 years, resulting in nine deaths and more than 900 injuries due to building damage and landslides. Despite severe structural damage, the country’s stringent building codes, developed in response to frequent seismic activity, minimized casualties, contrasting with countries like Turkey, where lax regulations have exacerbated the impact of earthquakes.

Phoebe Philo will sell her collection exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan.

Phoebe Philo, the visionary British fashion designer who recently relaunched her label, will retail her collection exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman’s brick-and-mortar store after selling it solely online. Bergdorf’s will offer more than  100 styles, including clothing, accessories, and handbags, with a focus on an “exclusive in-store experience” on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.

After years of turmoil, Marlborough Gallery will shut down and sell off its inventory.

The board of trustees of Marlborough Gallery, one of the world’s most prestigious blue-chip galleries representing artists like Bill Brandt, Deborah Butterfield, and Santiago Calatrava, has announced its closure. The decision to wind down operations and disperse its inventory after nearly 80 years follows internal turmoil and legal disputes, with plans to sell artworks privately and donate proceeds to cultural institutions.

The Paramount Theatre. Photography by Evan Joseph

Today’s attractive distractions:

After a major renovation, Brooklyn’s historic Paramount Theatre has reopened.

Dapper Dan drops a new capsule for the “loneliest color” of Sherwin-Williams. 

Kristen Wiig revives her “Target Lady” SNL character for a new commercial.

With an inclusive eye, these artists are redefining portraits of the human body.

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