Crown House by 81.WAW.PL

sharp angular sculpted design by the polish architecture firm. m.







Boasting a dramatic roofline and sharply cut windows, this concept, which won the first place prize in the World Architecture Community’s international competition in 2015 and placed as a finalist in Architizer’s A+ awards, reflects the jagged silhouettes of the not so distant mountaintops much in the same way the lake provides a mirror image of the home. Visitors drive up to the house across the edge of the lake, and pull right up to an almost hidden garage. Once inside the two story home, visitors can walk through the living room and out onto the Crown House’s main feature — the deck. A sharp triangle, this area juts out from the home and into the lake, making for a great place for entertaining guests or just taking time to enjoy the surroundings. From the lake, the home’s warm light looks as inviting as it’s lines are sharp.

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Wrap House, Japan by APOLLO Architects & Associates

beautiful exposed structural design + lighting. m.











The client of this project, working in an advertising agency as a graphic designer, acquired a piece of land on a hilltop with a good view-then requested the design of a residence with airiness and openness.

The exposed concrete finish wall with cedar form panel pattern and the galvanized steel panel of the building surface create a clear yet tranquil contrast, producing an orderly exterior appearance of the building. It is not possible to grasp the interior condition from the outside, except the part revealing the wooden structure of the building through a large opening.

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Ducal Table: Limited Series with 17th Century Italian Oak Slab by Nero

stunning! m.







nero mobili is a company that highlights the best of the made in italy tag by creating the perfect blend of classic and contemporary. they work with precious materials of different nature like petrified wood, marble, metals such as aluminum and titanium, and laser cut glass. their continuous research on rare materials, and the idea to transform them, is what makes their creations one of a kind. nero’s product philosophy is that of creating collector’s objects that have a story and are not just a shape, searching for the soul in the piece.

‘ducale’ is a unique table with glass cubes elevating a single slab of italian oak carbon dated to the 17th century, with its certificate of origin. the slab is very large at approx 1m (3ft) in the tightest part by 6.5m (21.3ft) long and 10cm (4”) thick. it is one of the largest tables in the world made from a single piece of wood and comes in a limited series of 4, all originating from the same tree. the legs can be custom designed upon request.

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Ceramic Speakers by Joey Ross

wonderfully detailed and quite eco-friendly. m.








“Simple materials: The Ceramic Speakers are made from porcelain, cork, and Baltic birch. Each material is minimally finished, left to add its natural beauty to the design. The included amplifier is made from stainless steel sheet metal, with a cast iron base and paulownia volume slider. Aside from the electronic components, plastic is completely avoided in the system’s construction.”

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Video — Flemish-Dutch Literature Pavilion by The Cloud Collective

simply stunning especially the wall with mapped video — love it! m.

this october, flanders & the netherlands hosted the guest of honour pavilion for the frankfurter buchmesse. the studios CIVIC & MATTERS of the cloud collective were selected to design and execute the focal point of the event: a central literature salon.

the pavilion celebrates authors and literature foremost, but cultural context and cross-over arts are also given a podium. functions in the pavilion exceed the book alone, and are grouped around the concept of ‘the narrative’ in a broader sense. there are theatre and debate spaces, several exhibitions, a graphic studio, virtual reality spaces, a bookshop, café and salon all coming together under the 2,300 meter squared pavilion.

the cloud collective’s design features semi-transparent plastic sheets, simply stacked to create a variety of walls and volumes. a temporary and low cost material, the plastic towers suggest a number of different routes through the space, offering a powerful sensory experience. close inspection or passive observance of the volumes creates a kaleidoscopic effect of light and matter. clever engineering on the part of the cloud collective made sure that once the frankfurter buchmesse has concluded the walls are all completely demountable and reusable.

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