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Hipster Fetishization Grows Up in London at One Hundred Shoreditch
Taking over the former hipster haven Ace Hotel in the heart of London’s happening Shoreditch neighborhood, One Hundred Shoreditch is the latest destination from the Lore Group, whose idiosyncratic properties are known for purposeful design narrative threads. Creative director Jacu Strauss tones down the whimsy of Lore properties like the Pulitzer Amsterdam, and amps up the polish: behind their oriel windows and ample terraces, the 258 bedrooms and suites are cream-colored oases with furnishings of bentwood and acrylic.
That doesn’t mean One Hundred Shoreditch is lacking in spontaneous flourishes. In the marigold-toned seafood restaurant, Goddard and Gibbs, a monumental sunflower-yellow sculpture, is perched atop one of the tables—a reference to Strauss’s childhood memories of building rock towers at the beach. In the basement, experimental and acclaimed cocktail master Ryan Chetiyawardana makes a triumphant return with his first opening in three years, Seed Library, a “lo-fi” pivot from his past high-concept projects that often blend scientific methodologies with artful presentations. If subterranean isn’t your vibe, head to the rooftop, where a pink tiled bar, succulents, and cacti bring Palm Springs into the equation, albeit with a striking view of the London skyline. —Jesse Dorris
Work begins on Studio Gang’s apartment tower at Mission Rock in San Francisco.
“The fourth and final component of the first phase of San Francisco’s Mission Rock, a new mixed-use waterfront district rising on a 28-acre swath of land near Oracle Field that was previously home to a beast of a surface parking lot, is now officially underway. As announced last week by the Mission Rock Partners development team (a collaboration between San Francisco Giants and Tishman Speyer), construction on Parcel F, a 23-story apartment tower clad in glazed ceramic tiles and topped with a biodiversity-bolstering “sky garden,” is now underway. The Studio Gang-designed residential high-rise joins three other district-anchoring projects that are currently in various states of progress.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]
Adidas sues Nike for infringing on patents for mobile apps and shoe-fitting technology.
“Adidas AG sued Nike Inc on Friday for allegedly infringing its patents with its mobile applications and shoe-fitting technology, marking Adidas’ first federal lawsuit against its rival in a long-running fight between the world’s two biggest sneaker brands. The lawsuit filed in East Texas federal court said Nike’s Run Club, Training Club and SNKRS mobile apps and Adapt system for adjusting sneaker fits violate nine Adidas patents for exercise monitoring, an “intelligent footwear” system, and other technology.” [H/T Reuters]
A hotel in New York’s Hudson Yards is rising with no legitimate architect of record.
“Amid the glittering geometric towers that dot the Manhattan skyline, the hotel on 11th Avenue in Hudson Yards was designed to stand out. At 642 feet tall, the building soars above the Hudson River, featuring jagged sets of floor-to-ceiling windows that shimmer in the sun. To all outward appearances, Warren L. Schiffman, who is in his mid-80s and retired, was the architect of record on the project. His professional seal and signature were stamped on its design and those of two other large-scale projects in New York City. All share the same developer, Marx Development Group. But Mr. Schiffman said he had no active role in those projects, which raises questions about whether the buildings were approved for construction without the oversight of a registered architect—a requirement in New York to ensure buildings are properly designed and do not pose a safety risk.” [H/T The New York Times]
Marina Abramović will launch her first NFT of a performance at Art Basel this week.
“World-renowned performance artist Marina Abramović is launching her first ever NFT later this week, of The Hero (2001), one of her most personal performance pieces. In the original piece, Abramović sat astride a white steed, bearing a white flag waving gracefully in the wind, set against an expansive landscape of trees and sky in Spain. The piece, released as a film, was a tribute to her then-recently deceased father, who was a Yugoslavian war hero during World War II. Abramović’s NFT will be launched on Tezos, a proof-of-stake blockchain that is considered to be more environmentally friendly and less energy intensive than others. She is slated to announce details of her inaugural NFT during a conversation with CIRCA Artistic Director, Josef O’Connor, at Art Basel on 18 June.” [H/T ARTnews]
LVMH Luxury Ventures acquires a stake in Israeli lab-grown diamond startup Lusix.
“LVMH Luxury Ventures, the luxury conglomerate’s private equity arm, has acquired a stake in Israeli lab-grown diamond start-up Lusix alongside other investors in a $90 million funding round. The bet by luxury’s biggest company, whose “Ventures” subsidiary recently invested in Aimé Leon Dore and Heat, comes as the diamond industry seeks to respond to concerns about the ethics and sustainability of mining virgin materials.” [H/T Business of Fashion]
A newly signed bill is paving the way for a national museum dedicated to AAPI history.
“President Joe Biden on Monday signed what he described as “long-overdue” legislation that could help establish a National Museum of Asian American and Pacific Islander History and Culture. The bill will examine how to make the museum a reality and whether to make it part of the Smithsonian Institution, he said, describing it as a “similar process” to that of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The bill, Biden said, comes at a “critical time,” pointing to one year since the Atlanta spa shootings and the 80th anniversary of the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II.” [H/T CNN]
Today’s attractive distractions:
The most detailed map of the moon ever made shows every nook and cranny.
Interior designers would be wise to use their own home as a marketing tactic.
Marilyn Monroe’s dress shows signs of damage after Kim Kardashian wore it.
Scooby Doo fans can book a stay in the Mystery Machine on Airbnb for $20.