The Hoxton Barcelona. Photography by Heiko Prigge…
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In Barcelona, the Hoxton opens a new hotel inspired by Ricardo Bofill’s architecture.
“Named The Hoxton Poblenou, after the neighborhood in the east of the city that was once a hub for the production of textiles where it is based, the 240-room hotel is The Hoxton first Spanish location. Ennismore’s design team looked to the work of the late architect Bofill, whose studio is situated nearby, for the hotel’s interiors. The Spanish architect, who passed away earlier this year, was known for his use of colorful geometric forms and conversion of a dilapidated cement factory into his own studio.” [H/T Dezeen]
A new report shows that the pandemic barely improved New York’s carbon emissions.
“One silver lining during the COVID-19 pandemic’s calamities was a drop in air pollution as economic activity and motor-vehicle use declined. Surprisingly, though buildings account for over 70 percent of New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions, new research shows that changes in occupancy patterns during the first year of the pandemic did not yield comparable air-quality benefits. Improving the city’s emissions will apparently take more than commuters shifting from subways to Zoom.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]
Image courtesy of Prada…
Prada will offer exclusive NFTs to early buyers of a shirt designed by Cassius Hirst.
“Following its first NFT made in collaboration with Adidas, Prada has announced its first solo NFT drop, a venture even more exclusive than the label’s typical products. Dubbed the Timecapsule NFT Collection, the project is a monthly online event that allows shoppers to access both a gender-neutral physical product and a gifted NFT on the first Thursday of every month. The brand’s initial offering will feature a one-off shirt designed in collaboration with artist Cassius Hirst—son of successful (and controversial) artist Damien Hirst.” [H/T Input]
French architect Renée Gailhoustet receives the Royal Academy Architecture Prize.
“French architect Renée Gailhoustet has been awarded the prestigious 2022 Royal Academy Architecture Prize. Given to an individual or practice ‘whose idea or body of work has made a positive contribution to the public and had a significant impact on society’, this accolade has in the past been bestowed to Cristina Iglesias, Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio, and Itsuko Hasegawa.In that spirit, Gailhoustet’s work seems a fitting winner. The architect, who was born in Oran in French Algeria in 1929, set up her own studio in 1964 in Paris. Public housing projects, such as La Maladrerie in Aubervilliers and Le Liégat in Ivry-sur-Seine, make her stand out in her field for her innovative approach and striking form-making.” [H/T Wallpaper]
Puig acquires the fast-growing Swedish fragrance brand Byredo for $1.07 billion.
“Puig is set to acquire Byredo, the Swedish brand known for its crisp, minimalist branding and high-end, gender-neutral perfumes. While the companies declined to provide financial details of the transaction, recent reports of a potential sale to L’Oréal cited a valuation as high as €1 billion ($1.07 billion). Founded by Ben Gorham in 2006, fast-growing Byredo has been at the forefront of the surging niche fragrance market thanks to its products like “Gypsy Water” perfume and “Bibliothèque” candles. Byredo reported 2021 sales of €119 million ($134 million), up 63 percent year-on-year and almost double its pre-pandemic turnover of €62 million ($70 million) in 2019.” [H/T Business of Fashion]
Shibuya Marui department store in Tokyo. Image courtesy of Foster + Partners…
Foster + Partners unveils an all-timber department store building in Shibuya, Tokyo.
“Foster + Partners has unveiled its latest commercial project on the world-famous Shibuya Crossing, in Tokyo, Japan. Dubbed the Shibuya Marui Department Store, the nine-storey retail development is set to become a new space for sustainable lifestyle brands, adopting the highest standards of sustainability and core principles of environmental responsibility and wellbeing. The timber structure’s design and material selection will significantly reduce the embodied carbon of the building, while simultaneously creating a warm and open experience for visitors.” [H/T ArchDaily]
In a viral stunt, a climate change protester attempted to smear the Mona Lisa with cake.
“The Mona Lisa was smeared with cake at the Louvre on Sunday in a stunt that went viral on social media on Sunday. However, because the famed Leonardo da Vinci painting is encased in bullet-proof glass, it emerged from the attempted vandalism unscathed. In what appeared to be video shot immediately following the incident, a person dressed as a woman who was seated in a wheelchair is escorted out of the museum by security guards. The suspect, who has since been identified as a 36-year-old man, was reportedly arrested and placed under psychiatric care.” [H/T ARTnews]
Microdosing inhaler by NewTerritory…
Today’s attractive distractions:
Chemical compounds in bananas can trigger bone-chilling fear in male mice.
Someone made book-accurate AI portraits of Game of Thrones characters.
NewTerritory shares lustrous inhaler concepts for microdosing psychedelics.
Science confirms that early Australians ate the eggs of giant flightless birds.
