Herzog & de Meuron, setting ground for innovation

Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron founded Herzog & de Meuron Architekten, BSA/SIA/ETH (HdeM) in 1978. A Swiss architecture firm, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland known by their commitment of articulation through materiality.

Their formal gestures have progressed from the purist simplicity of rectangular forms to more complex and dynamic geometries. The architects often cite Joseph Beuys as an artistic inspiration and collaborate with different artists on each architectural project. Their success can be attributed to their skills in revealing unfamiliar or unknown relationships by utilizing innovative materials.

Beijing National Stadium, colloquially as the Bird's Nest, designed for 

use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, China

In 2001, Herzog & de Meuron were awarded the Pritzker Prize, the highest of honours in architecture. Architecture critic and Pritzker juror Ada Louise Huxtable summarized HdeM's approach concisely: "They refine the traditions of modernism to elemental simplicity, while transforming materials and surfaces through the exploration of new treatments and techniques."

CaixaForum Madrid is a post-modern art gallery in the centre of Madrid, Spain. 

Which combined an old unused industrial building with rusted steel.

An amazing structural challenge, the 56 Leonard in NY, watch the animation at http://www.youtube.com/watch? Read more about the project at http://www.dezeen.com/2008/09/14/56-leonard-street-by-herzog-de-meuron/ Visit the building website at http://www.56leonardtribeca.com/

56 Leonard Street, NY.

Browse some other interesting projects as 40 Bond Street in NY http://www.triplemint.com/triplemint/2006/02/40_bond_in_deta.html , the Tate Modern in London http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/transformingtm/, GSAPP animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9KE2DOzlSE&feature=related and the Young Museum of San Francisco http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwXxpB69VPs&feature=related

Laban in Deptford, british college and centre for contemporary dance (2003)

The M.H. de Young Museum is a fine arts museum located 

in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

They designed a Prada store in the fashionable Aoyama district of Tokyo in 2003. Read more about it at http://www.galinsky.com/buildings/pradatokyo/index.htm You may also watch a model animation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xGw1jrUPq0&feature=related and live the whole experience at http://vimeo.com/1449787

And if you wonder what is going on in Lincoln Road and Alton (South Beach, Miami), well it is 11 11, the new multi-space designed by the firm. Visit the website at http://www.1111lincolnroad.com/ and watch the transformation of an iconic corner.

Watch the animation video and the construction progress

Anthropologie, connect with your roots

Anthropologie is a retailer of high-end casual women's apparel and accessories, furniture, and home furnishings run by Urban Outfitters, Inc. Founded in 1992 by Richard Hayne, this new concept was designed to appeal to 30- to 40- affluent professional women with total family annual income above $200,000. Today there are more than 90 stores and each one has its own interior designer, making them almost one of a kind. "One of our core philosophies," explains Anthropologie president Glen Senk, "is that we spend the money that other companies spend on marketing to create a store experience that exceeds people's expectations. We don't spend money on messages, we invest in execution." I may only add that a good design speaks for itself and the nonverbal communication transcends the word in this case.

But what makes it so unique... is the concept of a whole lifestyle that takes us to the roots, to our grandmas and their crochet, the quality of the things done by hand... with time... with love. Is like traveling to the past, when life seamed simpler and luxury was synonym of quality and hours of work. From every blouse, every alpaca coat, vase and plate, sign and book.. there is a a story to tell... there is a sense of history and ancestry... about our own life.

Anthropology (pronounced /ænθrɵˈpɒlədʒi/, from the Greek ἄνθρωπος, anthrōpos, "human", and -λογία, -logia, "discourse") It is a comprehensive study of human beings and our interactions with each other and the environment.

The shopping experience extends to the website www.anthropologie.com, the polished monthly catalog http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/shopbycatalogentry.jsp and a quite creative blog at http://theanthropologist.net/ making Anthropologie one of the most cohesive and successful lifestyle brands.

"After me, the flood"- Valentino

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, born 11 May 1932, is an Italian fashion designer known as the maestro of Italian Couture  and the Last Couturier. Valentino moved to Paris at 17 and after working with Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche, he returned home in 1960 to set up his own atelier in Rome. There he partnered with Giancarlo Giammetti, who took on the financial side of the business, and together run one of the most successful and long lasting firms in fashion. Valentino is known for his quality, meticulous details and mostly for his red dresses, in the bright shade that became known in the fashion industry as "Valentino red".

After 45 years in fashion and love of beauty as he said, he retired in 2007. Alessandra Facchinetti was named Valentino's successor but after two seasons she was replaced by the house's longtime accessory designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. You may visit Valentino's website at http://www.valentino.com/  Taschen collector's book "Una grande storia italiana: Valentino Garavani" compilates his collections and drawings from the 1950s and 1960s. Copies signed by him sold at 5000 dollars each.

Valentino's 45 years in fashion exhibition showcased a retrospective of his work. Took place in Rome at the Ara Pacis, museum designed by architect Richard Meier. Watch it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJMHR0NAdmM&feature=fvw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmWoMJkYkRM&feature=player_embedded

The Aras Pacis Museum houses a monument built in 9 B.C. to celebrate the Romans' accomplishments in Gaul and Spain. The pavilion protecting the Ara Pacis is made up of 500 square metres of special glass to protect the monument from atmospheric agents and pollution. Visit the Aras Pacis and watch its transformation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX9kAgY_fR0&feature=related and a 360° model animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r52HC_yJK-8&feature=related
Read this  New York Times critic about the design of the museum http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/25/arts/design/25paci.html
You may also visit the museum website for upcoming exhibitions at http://www.arapacis.it/

Watch the movie trailer of "Valentino, The Last Emperor" now in DVD.



The latest Valentino's runway collection Spring 2010 designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, watch it at  http://www.style.com/fashionshows/video/S2010RTW-VALENTIN You may also browse through the entire collection at http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/S2010RTW-VALENTIN