DESIGN DISPATCH

An Electric Pink Tree Grows on the High Line, and Other News

Our daily look at the world through the lens of design.

“Old Tree” (2023) by Pamela Rosenkranz. Photography by Timothy Schenck, courtesy of the High Line

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.

Pamela Rosenkranz’s bright pink-and-red tree sculpture stands out on the High Line.

Rising from the concrete jungle of Manhattan’s High Line is a striking 25-foot-tall sculpture by Swiss artist Pamela Rosenkranz, called Old Tree. The sculpture is a brilliant pink and has a delicate network of branches that resemble both a tree and human blood vessels, standing out against the nearby glass skyscrapers. Rosenkranz’s distinct artistic style shines through in the seven layers of reddish-pink paint that make up the trunk, evoking the muscular torso of a body, while the roots and branches resemble a delicate network of veins and capillaries.

Adidas is facing investor pressure to reveal findings from the Kanye West investigation.

Union Investment, one of Adidas’ largest shareholders, is set to demand the company disclose the findings of an internal investigation into misconduct allegations against former collaborator Kanye West at its annual general meeting on Thursday. The head of ESG at Union Investment will urge the company to “transparently clean up the scandal” and release the results of the inquiry. The news comes after Adidas was hit with a class action lawsuit by investors in April who alleged that the company knew about the risks of partnering with West before his controversial comments were made public.

Quilian Riano has been named the new dean of Pratt Institute’s School of Architecture.

Quilian Riano has been named the new dean of the School of Architecture at Pratt Institute. Riano, who succeeds Harriet Harriss, is a founding member of the design firm DSGN AGNC and has held leadership roles at Architecture 2030 and Dark Matter U. “The energy and passion I see coming out of studios and classrooms from students and faculty is palpable as our community is busy addressing the most important social and environmental issues we face through design, technology, planning, and management,” Riano said in a statement.

The Shanfeng Academy building by Open Architecture. Image by Arch-Exist Photography

Open Architecture weaves rooftop gardens throughout a new school in Suzhou, China.

Open Architecture has completed Suzhou’s Shanfeng Academy building, which will serve as a cultural and sports center for the Mountain Kingston Bilingual School’s 2,000 students. The building is divided into five interconnected structures with semi-outdoor walkways and a fifth garden on the rooftop. The enveloping board-formed white concrete pays homage to the traditional “white-wall-graf-roof” architecture of the Suzhou area, while spaces for reading, sports, and arts coexist within the building’s volumes. The building allows natural light and ventilation, reduces energy consumption, and shares facilities with the community outside the campus. Shanfeng Academy combines traditional and contemporary elements to create a vibrant and breathable space for students and the community to connect and thrive.

Connie Butler, the longtime chief curator of the Hammer Museum, will lead MoMA PS1. 

Connie Butler, an esteemed curator and scholar, has been named the new director of MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. She succeeds Kate Fowle, who left unexpectedly last year. Butler has held prestigious positions at top institutions such as the Hammer Museum and MoMA, where she served as the chief curator of drawings. She has curated many notable exhibitions, including the groundbreaking “WACK! Art and the Feminist Revolution” and significant solo shows for artists such as Marlene Dumas, Adrian Piper, and Mark Bradford. 

Nike appears to have ended its partnership with Tom Sachs and scraps future releases.

Nike appears to have ended its partnership with artist Tom Sachs following allegations of workplace abuse at his studio. The decision means that the company will no longer release Sachs’ designs, including the highly sought-after Mars Yard shoes, which can fetch up to $10,000 on the resale market. The complaints against Sachs and his wife, Sarah Hoover, include allegations of verbal abuse, sexual harassment, demeaning work for extremely low wages, and inappropriate behavior. Sachs has also been accused of wearing only his underwear during a Zoom meeting with Nike executives.

“See the art behind AI Art” with Schiele. Image courtesy of the Vienna Tourist Board

Today’s attractive distractions:

These Dutch nuns are desperate to sell their 60,000-bottle surplus of wine.

L.A.’s sushi revolution was fueled by this secret Central Valley ingredient.

Vienna’s tourism board is using cat-themed AI renditions of famous artworks.

X-ray technology reveals a hidden self-portrait within a Vermeer painting.

All Stories