Dior Brings a Polished Touch to Technogym Gear, and Other News

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Dior Brings a Polished Touch to Technogym Gear

Technogym has captivated fitness fanatics the world around with workout gear that combines state-of-the-art technology with refined craftsmanship. The Italian wellness mainstay has now joined forces with Dior to bring an even more refined touch to three limited-edition pieces: the Technogym MyRun connected treadmill, multifunctional workout bench, and exercise ball. The French label reinterpreted each in a pristine white enhanced with a Dior star, the founding couturier’s lucky charm, and the name “Christian Dior” highlighted by five horizontal stripes in contrasting colors. Find them at Dior pop-up stores in Shanghai, London, Beverly Hills, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and Seoul, among others. 

A Former Oaxacan Paint Factory Becomes a Gastronomic Delight 

Housed in a former paint factory, Moza’be is an intimate new arrival to Oaxaca’s dining scene. Local studio Espacio 18 Arquitectura took a holistic approach to the adaptive reuse project, starting with a central patio dotted with low-water cacti and a 100 year-old olive tree that nods to the city’s colonial architecture. Earth paints, polished concrete indoors, clay flooring outdoors, and benches made of green quarry found on-site imbue the restaurant with an organic feel, while open spaces provide breezy cross-ventilation year round. The eco-minded landscape design sets a peaceful desert atmosphere at Moza’be, an oasis of sorts just a few minutes from downtown. 

Grzywinski+Pons infuses a London hotel and co-working hybrid with muted tones.

New York–based firm Grzywinski+Pons imbued its latest project for Locke Hotels with its signature mix of muted colors and tactile materiality, though Buckle Studios is a departure from the brand’s typical long-stay model. Billed as a gallery, lounge, coffee shop, retail concept, and living room, a central feature of the 103-key property in London’s Aldgate East neighborhood is a co-working space for guests and locals to post up in. A mix of traditional hotel rooms, micro studios, and studio apartments are available to book, each one outfitted with custom Grzywinski+Pons–designed furniture and textiles in shades of sage green, grey-blue, and pale pink. “It’s our hope that passersby will feel compelled to come inside to further discern what, exactly, it is, and then feel free to get comfortable and stay a while,” architect Matthew Grzywinski says. 

A laboratory study reveals that cannabis compounds may prevent Covid infections.

Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), two compounds normally found in hemp, have been identified as having potential to stop the virus that causes Covid-19 from penetrating healthy human cells. Researchers from Oregon State University noted that the compounds bound to spike proteins on the virus and blocked a step that the pathogen uses to infect people. “These compounds can be taken orally and have a long history of safe use in humans,” Richard von Breeman, a researcher at the university’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, said in a statement. 

Google doubles down on returning to the office by buying a building in central London.

As part of Google’s multimillion-dollar refurbishment of its offices within Central Saint Giles, it plans to refit the entire building and adapt it for in-person teamwork, hybrid working, and individual workstations. The announcement follows news that Google had delayed its global return-to-office plan due to concerns over the Omicron variant. When complete, the building will accommodate a workforce of nearly 10,000 employees. 

Alicja Kwade and Claudia Comte are among the artists participating in Desert X AlUla. 

Desert X AlUla has revealed the artist list for its second edition, which is slated to kick off in February. The annual outdoor art exhibition sees a cohort of international artists unveil monumental site-specific sculptures across northwest Saudi Arabia’s ancient desert landscape. This year’s edition, organized by founding director Neville Wakefield, co-artistic director Raneem Farsi, and curatorial advisor Reem Fadda, will explore the theme of “Sarab,” the Arabic word for “mirage.” This year’s exhibiting artists are Shadia Alem, Dana Awartani, Serge Attukwei Clottey, Claudia Comte, Shezad Dawood, Jim Denevan, Stephanie Deumer, Sultan Bin Fahad, Zeinab AlHashemi, Alicja Kwade, Shaikha AlMazrou, Abdullah AlOthman, Khalil Rabah, Monika Sosnowska, and Ayman Zedani. 

Oman unveils the world’s largest 3D-printed building made using real concrete.

The German University of Technology, Danish 3D printer producer COBOD, and Mexican cement brand Cemex have completed the world’s largest 3D-printed building using real concrete. Designed as a typical social housing unit in Oman, the 2,100-square-foot structure incorporates a D.fab solution consisting of locally sourced cement, sand, and gravel. The team found that using local aggregate reduced construction costs dramatically to less than $1,000. “With the low cost for the printed materials, on top of the savings from not needing formwork and the minimal crew needed to operate our printers, our disruptive technology is now more competitive than ever before in Oman and everywhere in the world,” Henrik Lund-Nielsen, founder and general manager of COBOD, said in a statement.

Microsoft will buy embattled video game company Activision Blizzard for $70 billion. 

The tech giant announced that it plans to buy the stalwart but troubled video game company Activision Blizzard for nearly $70 billion, a deal of unprecedented value that places a major bet on the metaverse. The acquisition will help Microsoft get a leg up on Sony, its longtime competitor and manufacturer of the Playstation console, while staying ahead of gaming newcomers like Amazon and Google. Activision makes some of the video game industry’s most popular titles, including Candy Crush and Call of Duty, but has been recently embroiled in an employee revolt over accusations of sexual harassment. Its acquisition would make Microsoft the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue. 

Today’s attractive distractions:

The internet can’t seem to get enough of Richard Macksey’s home library. 

An influencer is suing a company for selling a sex doll modeled after her.

Pierre Bismuth started making chocolate bars to poke fun at the art world. 

You can now physically buy NFTs of Victor Vasarely works at Selfridges.