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The Sherwin-Williams 2022 Colormix Forecast creates big ideas from micro-trends.
Despite the challenges posed by remote work and the recent shift away from yearslong paradigms and toward internet-created “microbursts” lasting only months, Sherwin-Williams director of color marketing Sue Wadden and her team of visual creatives managed to put together its annual Colormix Forecast. “MODE,” an acronym for four curated palettes—Method, Opus, Dreamland, and Ephemera—is the central theme for 2022. The nature-forward Method encompasses neutral tones such as Accessible Beige and Shoji White, while Wadden describes Opus’ hues, including Samovar Silver and Iron Ore, as “goblincore.” Cucuzza Verde, Rosé, and Felted Wool and the rest of Dreamland source inspiration from digital art, a nod to the NFT craze. Finally, Ephemera’s collection draws on nostalgia with a palette inspired by midcentury design: baked-orange Rejuvenate, Peace Yellow, and Sierra Redwood.
The Chicago Architecture Biennial releases the calendar for this year’s programming.
The Chicago Architecture Biennial has announced this year’s program of events, workshops, lectures, and performances that focus on its agenda of reprogramming dormant plots into active communal spaces. Titled “The Available City,” the edition frames the relationship between communities and collective spatial programming and enlists 68 contributors to revamp 16 plots across 12 sites in Chicago. Curated by David Brown, the city-wide intervention of public space debuts on September 12 and collaborates with local organizations, schools, and residents. The comprehensive calendar is slated for release in the ensuing weeks on a rolling basis.
Rolex will demolish its Manhattan headquarters for a new David Chipperfield design.
The luxury Swiss watchmaker Rolex has filed an application with the New York’s Department of Buildings to demolish its ‘70s-era Fifth Avenue headquarters and replace it with a new 25-story office structure designed by British architect David Chipperfield. Renderings depict a contemporary 155,800-square-foot office building with a facade composed of five glass boxes stacked on top of each other. The new tower will house Rolex’s offices and a ground-level retail store. “The quality, precision, and excellence that are associated with Rolex will be incorporated in all aspects of the building,” said Luca Bernasconi, president and CEO of Rolex Watch U.S.A.
The forthcoming Museum of Broadway at Times Square announces a new opening date.
Situated in the heart of Manhattan’s Theater District at 145 West 45th Street, the first museum dedicated to the illustrious history of Broadway is slated for a summer 2022 opening date following pandemic delays. Founders Julie Boardman and Diane Nicoletti imagine the Museum of Broadway to be an interactive and immersive display that operates on three main exhibits: a map room that chronicles the migration of the city’s theaters, a timeline that celebrates the bygone era of Broadway shows as well as the 41 structures that fashion the Great White Way, and a backstage area that simulates the making of a musical. “We really thought it would be this great idea that was a hybrid of both an experiential museum that’s very interactive and colorful and fun,” says Nicoletti, “as well as making sure that we were really getting the integrity of the history of Broadway, by including costumes and artifacts and historic elements as well.”
Jamian Juliano-Villani launches her independent art gallery/party house in Manhattan.
The surrealist artist Jamian Juliano-Villani has acquired a one-year lease on a space in Manhattan’s East Village that will function as a commercial gallery with an added twist. Called O’Flaherty, the 55 Avenue C address draws inspiration from a classic Irish pub and boasts 2,000 square feet that she suggests will be a veiled party spot. “The landlords know that once a month is going to be fucking rager,” says the revelrous artist. Funded exclusively by Juliano-Villani, O’Flaherty plays host to one-off shows to artists, selling paintings at a slightly reduced market rate, in order to enable artists to create works that are unbound by commercial viability. “Our motto is kind of like, if you were going to die in a month and you had to do a fucked up show, what would it be? You can’t do anything wrong,” says Juliano-Villani.
Minecraft is hosting a neoclassical-inspired virtual library that contains censored media.
Rendering a haven that allows press freedom, the non-profit organisation Reporters Without Borders has partnered with creative advertising agency DDB to create a virtual library in Minecraft that enables players to have access to censored books and articles. The Uncensored Library houses articles that are banned in certain geographies and exercises Blockchain cloud storage to prevent political surveillance—only gamers with access to the server have the ability to browse the extensive collection. The digital recreation of a neoclassical structure finds its architectural roots in the New York Public Library and is composed of 12.5 million “digital Lego blocks” by 24 people from 16 countries. “The target was to reach gamers aged between 15 and 30 years old, especially in countries with online censorship, to get them engaged with independent journalism,” comments DDB senior art director Sandro Heierli.
Allbirds launches a line of activewear ahead of a planned IPO valued at $1.7 billion.
The sustainable shoe brand Allbirds has debuted a collection of activewear ahead of a planned IPO. The line includes high-waisted leggings, biker shorts, a running tank, moisture-wicking tees, and lightweight unisex running shorts all made with eucalyptus tree fiber and merino wool—materials that go into its slip-on sneakers. “For us at Allbirds, the disconnect between what we wear to improve our personal health and its negative impact on the health of our planet seemed like an important space for us to tackle,” co-founder Tim Brown told CNBC. “Running apparel is typically made of synthetic materials, derived from barrels of oil.” The new collection specifically avoids the use of polyester, which it says composes 55 percent of all clothing and contributes 700 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year. Allbirds has further committed to halving its per-product carbon footprint by 2025.
Today’s attractive distractions:
Droughts are revealing an edenic hidden canyon underneath Lake Powell.
Some enterprising Gen Z-ers are forgoing chores for riding the NFT wave…
…while this $18 million mansion has one of the first private NFT art galleries.
Mount Etna grew 100 feet taller over six months thanks to recent eruptions.
