VENUS- The Natural Crystal Chair That Grows in An Aquarium

"A form born from nature has a beauty that exceeds our imagination."
- Tokujin Yoshioka.

Venus, a natural crystal chair that was 'breed' in an aquarium using the laws of nature. The tiny crystals 'make its appearance over time as if the goddess herself gradually emerges from water.'

Venus embodies a beauty born in coincidence with a state-of-art that pushes the boundaries of creativity.

Photographs taken by Masaya Yoshimura from 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Exhibition 4. Installation named 'Second Nature' which is directed by Tokujin Yoshioka, the creator of VENUS.

The making of VENUS...

Read my post on Tokujin Yoshioka's Tofu Light-fixture.

a+. tokujin yoshioka
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L House- White House With Pink Accent & A Fascinating Library

L House, designed by Philippe Steubi Architekten GMBH. At first glance, the pink accent on this very white house catches my attention but I am much more fascinated by the house library after flipping through the photographer, Dominique Marc Wehrli's work of art.

"The three-sided glazing of the library in the ground floor is mirrored-glass. Depending upon time of day and lighting conditions you can see the stored books or the reflected graden. The uppper floors are implemented in bright lime rendering and the glazings in nature-anodized aluminium."

- Philippe Steubi Architekten GMBH

'This expressive volumetry is a result of the particular form of the plot and the requirement of the constuctor to place a maximal volume on the plot. The space allocation plan was incorporated in this scuptural body by the method of hollow out.

The concept was to string together the requested spaces to one movement going through the house: stretching, extending, narrowing, grinding out form the mass, to a coherant sequence of spaces according to the principle of the enfilade.

Each room receives its completely specific character in size and form (conical entry area with wardrobe and guest WC., large cubic double-storey entrance hall, triangular loggia as color area, double-storey inside rounded library which is downstairs three sided glazed , etc.) so that when entering and going through the house various and surprising space experiences occur.The ground floor walls consists of large washed-out concrete elements (white carrara marble balls with white cement) which are interupted by space-high glazings.'

a+. philippe steubi architekten gmbh
a+. dominique marc wehrli via digs digs
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Arch Avenue Living by Blauraum Architekten- Simple Stunning Architecture 11

Located at Archery Allee 10-12, Hamburg, Arch Avenue Living design by Blauraum Architekten is a 15 unit condominiums converted from a 70's office/ parking building. Completed on December 2oo4, this materially simple architecture with a fascinating in-out facade had won several awards.

Arch Avenue Living adjacent to the triangle districts of Rotherbaum Eimsbüttel and within the vicinity of the sub-center Grindelallee. It is an attractive urban environment in a courtyard of St. Bogenstrasse.

There are 15 different types of layout with a common high ground state and 23 car parking spaces in the basement + a car elevator to apartments above.

The ground floor apartments have a side patio courtyard. The apartments in the upper floors have spacious balconies overlooking the inner courtyard and an additional arch avenue housing like a box. These special elements take on a spatial extension of kitchen, bedroom or bathroom, there is the sauna, the bath and table space. These boxes give in to the arch of the facade of each dwelling which creates their specific appearance.

All apartments have a north / east direction (arc alley) and a south / west orientation (patio courtyard) with generous sun light + uniform open floor plans.

a+. blauraum architekten via
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