Thomas Heatherwick’s Mountainous 1,000 Trees Opens in Shanghai, and Other News

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Thomas Heatherwick’s Mountainous 1,000 Trees Project Opens in Shanghai 

Known as “Shanghai’s Hanging Gardens of Babylon,” the 1,000 Trees project has completed its first phase. Situated near the city’s M50 arts district, the Thomas Heatherwick–designed development is notable for its two mountainous peaks punctuated with 1,000 soaring pillars showcasing more than 70 different species of trees. Taking over the site of a former flour factory, part of which will be preserved with a bell tower set to be transformed into a sightseeing elevator, the new communal hub unites restaurants, museums, galleries, shops, a hotel, a school, and office spaces across an orthogonal grid. Slated to wrap within two years, the project’s second leg will introduce hanging waterside gardens along Suzhou Creek. 

New York architecture firms may soon need to include salary ranges in job postings.

A new bill may require architecture firms in New York City to include salary ranges in career postings. The bill, which recently passed the New York City Council and will now move to the Mayor for enactment, will mandate all employers with four or more employees to include both the minimum and maximum salaries for any position located in the city. Employers who refuse to provide this information will be engaging in discriminatory practices. If the Mayor signs the bill, it will go into effect 120 days later.

Chanel enters clean beauty with a skincare line made with mostly natural ingredients.

No.1 de Chanel will be formulated with up to 97 percent natural ingredients including camellia and derivatives such as petals, seeds, and yeasts, all chosen for their ability to preserve the youthful appearance of skin. Chanel cultivates camellia on its own fields in Gaujacq, France, where the flower is handpicked and made into an oil containing protocatechuic acid and antioxidants. Included in the No.1 lineup is the Red Camellia Revitalizing Serum, Revitalizing Foundation, and L’eau Rouge.

Tracey Emin plans to launch a “revolutionary” art school with rules against smoking.

TKE Studios, named after the British artist’s initials, will be housed at a former bathhouse and mortuary near her own studio in the seaside town of Margate, UK. The school will provide 30 studios for future art students. “People will have to apply, and there’ll be really strict rules,” she told the Times. “No subletting, no smoking, no loud music. And if people don’t want to do the rules then they won’t have a studio there.” Students will also be required to display their work regularly “so there’s like this constant intellectual rigor. People can’t just be passive.” An accompanying artist residency, she says, will encourage artists to relocate to Margate. 

ODA will transform the Fort Lauderdale skyline with a bridging residential tower.

Bridging the commercial corridor of downtown, the cultural district along the riverfront, and the downtown residential neighborhood, 300 West Broward consists of two angular towers connected by the top 11 floors. In addition to 956 units, residential amenities include an outdoor amenity deck with sunset and sunrise pools, lush landscaping, lounge areas, pergolas, and cabanas, a library, and health and fitness center.

Nike sues Lululemon for patent infringement over its Mirror device and mobile apps.

Nike is accusing Lululemon of patent infringement over the apparel brand’s purchase of Mirror, a wall-mounted device that helps guide users through cardio classes and other exercises. Nike claims that it invented and filed a patent application for a similar device in 1983, and has since launched a range of popular mobile apps such as Nike Training Club and Nike Run Club. Lululemon is embroiled in another legal battle after filing a patent lawsuit over Peloton over the design of its leggings and sports bras. 

Amazon’s Alexa and Cisco’s Webex are heading to space on a NASA Moon mission.

Scheduled to be unveiled in the coming months, NASA’s new deep-space rocket will feature versions of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant and Cisco’s Webex video-conferencing platform—the first step to a future the agency hopes will one day include on-board A.I. assistance for astronauts. Dubbed Callisto, the technology will get its first test as part of NASA’s Artemis program, which will send the first woman and the first person of color to the surface of the Moon. Launch is tentatively set for March. 

Today’s attractive distractions:

Scientists discover dinosaur tracks in Wales dating back 200 million years.

Stressed farmers may find solace in John Deere’s new autonomous tractor.

This Missouri county’s new seal looks slapped together in Microsoft Paint.

Enter Casa Organica, a freeform cave-like house tucked away in the earth.