New Kyoto Town House / Alphaville Architects

Faceted wooden panels divide the interior of this house in Kyoto, Japan, by architects ALPHAville.The steel structure allows for an open interior where all floors are visually linked.Photographs are by Kei Sugino and K Takeguchi.The information that follows is from the architects:New Kyoto Town HouseThe most characteristic feature of this house is the polyhedral form of the partition walls. They

World Building of the Year winner announced

World Architecture Festival 2012: the Cooled Conservatories designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects at the Gardens by the Bay tropical garden in Singapore have been awarded the World Building of the Year prize at the World Architecture Festival in Singapore.Completed earlier this year, the two shell-shaped structures are the largest climate-controlled greenhouses in the world and form part of Bay

Innovation Tower at Hong Kong Polytechnic University by Zaha Hadid

Architect Zaha Hadid was appointed last month to design a new building on the campus of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.Called the Innovation Tower, the building will house the institute’s School of Design.Below is text on the project from Zaha Hadid Architects, followed by a press release from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University:–INNOVATION TOWER, HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY [HONG

Astrup Fearnley Museet by Renzo Piano Building Workshop

This art museum by architect Renzo Piano straddles a canal in Oslo’s harbour .Named the Astrup Fearnley Museet, the museum of contemporary art opened to the public this weekend and was completed in collaboration with local firm Narud-Stokke-Wiig.A curving roof of fritted glass unites the three timber-clad buildings that comprise the complex, while two bridges cross the canal to link them at

Chengdu Contemporary Art Centre (CCAC) by Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) will provide the city of Chengdu with an Art Center. This 200,000 square-meter complex is composed of collection of arts, performance, leisure, and congress venues. It accommodates three auditoria, an art museum, an exhibition centre, a conference centre, a learning centre, bars, restaurants and shops.The Chengdu Contemporary Art Centre (CCAC), Zaha Hadid Architects,

Out of the Woods at the V&A museum

London Design Festival: every scrap of material and minute of production time was carefully recorded during the manufacturing of these twelve wooden chairs, helping the Royal College of Art students that designed them to measure each one’s sustainability.Above: Floating Chair by Bobby Petersen and Tom GottelierTop: Well Proven Chair by James Shaw and Marjan van Aubel The data was used to produce

Ostrich Pillow by Kawamura-Ganjavian

This squishy headgear by Spain and Switzerland-based studio Kawamura Ganjavian creates the perfect conditions for a power nap at your desk, at the airport or in the library (+ movie).The Ostrich Pillow’s padded sides allow the wearer to take a warm and comfortable nap. The eyes and ears are covered while pockets provide a cosy space for hands when leaning on a desk.“Seeing as we all spend more

Chocolate Bar by Bro.Kat

Chocolate appears to be dripping down the walls at this cafe in Opole, Poland, by interior designers Bro.Kat.Located in the market square, the cafe only occupies a 30-square-metre unit but the designers have built a mezzanine to fit extra seating areas into the space.“The chocolate melting on the walls is the only embellishment of the room,” said designers Roma Skuza and Bogna Polańska, before