Eugene's Blog – February 2010 Archive (52)

Designed by Phillips, the Sustainable City Light is an intelligent outdoor lighting system inspired by flowers. The solar powered lights feature five photovoltaic petals that open during the day to collect the sun’s rays, before transforming them into energy.



When nightfall arrives, the petals close up while LED lights turn on to brighten city…

Conceptualized by California-based architecture firm Faulders Studio, GEOtube is a new kind of urban sculptural tower proposed for Dubai that uses salt water to grow its own skin.



The building sucks up water from the Persian Gulf (the source of the world's saltiest ocean water) through a 3 mile (4.62 km) underground pipeline, and then sprays it over a…

Through striking visual imagery, Jeff Soto communicates profound visions and fears, nostalgia of his youth, and themes of love, lust, and hope. His inspiration comes from the colorful lifestyle of skateboarding and graffiti, hip-hop and popular culture, and childhood toys.



Environmental…

South African photographer Warwick Saint captures the raw, counter-culture sexuality of his models, while maintaining a refined sense of style that is equally classy. Even if you're not into tattoos, you have to admit - these photos are totally mesmerizing.



Born in 1972, Warwick left South Africa for London after getting his bachelors in Art and Philosophy. He now lives in Brooklyn and works…

By definition, an airplane hangar is a structure that holds planes in protective storage. Using a clever play on words, Kolja Clemens of Germany’s Möbel & Objekt Manufaktur created this wall hook system perfect for hanging up your leather bomber jacket or sylin' blazer.



Clemens created this piece as a tribute to the closing of Berlin’s famous Templehof…

How sexy are these stunning black and white shots by photographer Russell James?



James flew to one of the most exotic places in the world, the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia, to capture this steamy set for Victoria Secret's book titled Sexy.



Born in Perth, Western Australia, Russell James is currently one of the world's leading photographers. Over the past decade, his images have become synonymous with…

Philadelphia-based architecture firm, KieranTimberlake recently won the competition to design the new US embassy in London. Called New London Embassy, it will be built at Nine Elms beside the River Thames, and will include developing the surrounding area into an urban park.



Regarding the “safety” issue, a semicircular pond will function as a protective…

Check out the latest hairstyle trend from LSD s.r.l. photographers. All you have to do is rub a balloon on your head, and voi·là, you're beautiful. Even Santa is sporting the hairstyle. The look is doubly effective if you can pull off the blue steel pose.…

The way Italian sculptor Carmelo Leone molded this hyper-realistic snail from polychrome clay is truly amazing. After staring at this piece for awhile now, it's still hard for me to believe that this snail isn't real.



Carmelo Leone is a self-taught artist who was born in Lecce, Italy in 1954. As stated on his website, "he connotes objects of daily use…

It may not be the most practical way of finding the time, but you have to admit, the Aspiral Clock is pretty cool.



Created by London-based designers Will Aspinall and Neil LambethMade, the Aspiral Clock turns slowly over a twelve-hour period while a loose ball inside marks the current time. When the clock reaches the final twelfth hour, it drops through a…

As his camera dives deep into the eyes of his beautiful models, it's almost as if photographer Chris Fortuna looks into their souls.



I'm especially impressed with how versatile he is with his camera - Some of his shots are taken indoor, while others are staged on a sandy shore. Some are shot in classic black and white, while others maintain a great mixture of…

Yuta Onoda doesn't hold back the emotion in his paintings. Each of his pieces vibrate with energy and are full of life. I feel like I could stare at his illustrations for hours, trying to figure out what they all mean...



Originally from Japan, Onoda has been "shaping his art through various forms of media, finding new avenues to express himself." He currently…

In this series titled Lightbotz, American designer Marcus Tremonto shoots rays of light out of vinyl Munny characters. Created for toy manufacturer Kidrobot, the limited edition handmade characters are inspired by science fiction and video games.



The original dolls are seven inches tall, blank, vinyl figures which can be customized and decorated using…

Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, VitraHaus is a multi-layered structure that recently opened at the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany.



Designed to display the furniture brand’s Home Collection, the five-story building consists of stacked volumes with pitched roofs covered in charcoal stucco. Each end is glazed and shoots…

As we heard from Jamie Oliver's TED Talk last week, there needs to be an "all-out assault on our ignorance of food."



Chinese designer Daizi Zheng created a range of healthy snacks packaged to look like drugs and junk food. Called Stereotype, the project includes carrot sticks…

Who knew robots could be so romantic? In this adorable set by UK-based photographer Gemma Booth, a beautiful woman and her robot companion go on an adventurous date, filled with sightseeing, flowers, and a little cuddling.…

MVRDV recently designed the Water Cube pavilion for the 2012 World Expo in Yeosu, Korea. The structure is designed to express the power and beauty of the oceans, and is composed of water filled basins, which act as both a temperature buffer as well as the main attraction. A bit like being inside an aquarium, the hollow inner sanctum will be lit with water-filtered…