Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN Last year, London-based designer Yinka Ilori worked with Lego Group to create the Launderette of Dreams, an installation in London, which celebrates children as "the masters of creative problem solving". Designed to reimagine the everyday community space as a children's play zone, the installation features ten “washing machines,” which contain Lego creations in the drums, lining both sides of the room. Some of these are interactive and include kaleidoscopic light installations. Other highlights include hopscotch floors, a giant Lego mural, which allows visitors to build, disassemble and rebuild the design using Lego bricks, and a vending machine that dispenses toys instead of soap. More than 200,000 Lego bricks were used for the interior and the shopfront, both as a structural material and as objects for play. More exciting Lego showrooms in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN Since 2010, the team at Lego Group has been partnering with Danish brand Room Copenhagen to create oversized building bricks, reimagined into functional homeware. Their latest collection goes beyond toy-like objects made of plastic in bold colours that would look good in a child’s playroom. They have introduced a series of wooden pieces, such as picture frames, wall hangers, book racks and desk drawers, all of which can stack like iconic bricks. All objects are manufactured from red oak sourced from responsible managed forests and are available in either a soaped oak and dark stained oak finish, which makes it suitable for various interiors. More Lego inspired homeware in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Beijing-based interdisciplinary practice DnA_design and architecture has transformed nine abandoned quarries in the mountainous landscape of Jinyun county in China into social hubs. The economy of the province used rely mostly on the profession of the stonemason, but today, 3000 stone quarries have fallen into disrepair. Commissioned by the administration seeking new opportunities to boost the economy of these affected regions, the team has carved into the rocks to form gathering spaces that could accommodate cultural and social activities. Embedded in the historical topography, these spaces, some of which reach up to 38 m in height, create good acoustics and are characterized by dramatic natural illumination, which makes them suitable spaces for performances of opera, art installations and presentations. The individual locations are joined by a footpath that is accessible through stairways due to the height differences.

#BeOpenDESIGN Inspired by organic shapes and movement, Portuguese designer João Texeira has created Cloth, a coffee table that merges Scandinavian functionality with Japanese simplicity for a dynamic, yet balanced look. The design is defined by the curved metal bookstand that works as the table’s centerpiece, helping ground the coffee table, without dominating the available tablespace. The curve is echoed by an undulating table edge and curvy legs, reminiscent of a wavy fabric, just as the table’s name suggests. In order to keep the appearance of the piece sleek and minimalist, the designer hid all of the table’s hardware by using construction processes like press bending for the table plywood elements and CNC-milling for the tabletop.

#BeOpenARCH Local practice Block Architects has renovated an existing building for Duyen Casa II boutique hotel in Cao Lãnh, Vietnam. The architects have transformed the L-shape structure by introducing a new roof that resembles an ornamental veil of brickwork along the long wing that houses five guest suites. The short wing of the building is enclosed with a sheet metal roof, paying homage to its origins. Both were inspired by knitting techniques in handicrafts. Cooperating with the local craftspeople of the vietnamese village, the team used tiles, round steel bars, and bricks to knit smooth curtains to cover the two parts of the house, which not only define the facade but also act as passive cooling sunshades.

#BeOpenARCH London-based practice McInnes Usher McKnight Architects (MUMA) has arranged Storey’s Field community centre in Cambridge, England, around a landscaped courtyard. The walled garden that features lush flowerbeds with wavy boarders provides a secure playground for the children who attend the nursery school on the premises. A large circular porthole as well as an array of smaller openings punctuate its brickwork, throwing patterns of light across the walls. There are similar porthole windows in the walls of the main hall. Set at different heights, they allow children to peak outside and at each other.

#BeOpenDESIGN Using simple manipulations such as cutting and folding, Spanish designer Manu Bañó who currently lives and works in Mexico City has expanded his OBJ furniture collection with a spectacular lounge chair made of sliced brass tubes. The designer has assembled 12 brass tubes in neat repetition, after which each tube has been sliced in half and bent to form the back, seat and legs. When bending the halves, the brass must be heated, which creates the darker visible parts of the chair. The metal is preserved unsealed and retaining all the defects of its manufacture and handling, which helps the chair change its appearance aging beautifully over time. More remarkable chaise longues in our blog #BeOpenDESIGN #designdaily #productdesign #industrialdesign #furnituredesign #thecreatorclass

#BeOpenARCH The Lollipop Ideal Garden, located in China’s Yunnan province, has got its name from its layout. Xi’An City based Dika Kindergarten Design Center organized the building’s program into a shape of a lollipop, a completely circular structure, occupied by an open-air courtyard that is used as a playground area, with an intersecting straight four-storey wing. The new landmark of the city features a pastel pink coloured façade, which softens the roughness of the building’s concrete finish and revives the otherwise monochrome surroundings. The façade is punctuated by circular openings of all sizes along with square and more traditional rectangular windows, and the abutting end at the very tip of the lollipop stick includes a caricature face from which children can slide down its mouth. More creative kindergartens in our blog

#BeOpenNEWS Time to announce February 2022 Artist of the Month! BE OPEN Art online gallery has been created with an ambition to showcase emerging underprivileged artists from every corner of the world. Every month, we offer the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com to choose the best artist among those featured on our website. This February, Nkem Odeh-Ifeyinwa, a visual artist from Nigeria has been voted the Artist of the Month by the visitors of art.beopenfuture.com. Nkem's expressions hovers around Figurativism, Surrealism and Abstract Art, which he executes mostly in mixed media, through juxtaposing newsprints, oil paints, acrylics conte and pastel. Congratulations to the winner! We also take the opportunity to applaud all the featured artists and thank everyone who voted.

#BeOpenDESIGN Are you still working with a back pain? Kiev-based designer Yurii Cegla, the creator of Lul, the innovative hammock-like chair. He has discovered that the spine of an average person receives the same amount of pressure sitting in a static position in a regular chair as the astronaut when the spacecraft takes off. The only difference is that the gravitation load is distributed over a more extended period for the earthbound. This results in osteochondrosis, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, and many other health problems resulting from prolonged static sitting at the desk. The chair provides the user with an ergonomic semi-sitting position that allows them to swing comfortably while sitting in the chair, which positively affects the entire nervous system, stimulates the muscles of the back and legs, and increases blood circulation