Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN Jeffrey Simpson and Angus Ware of Sydney-based studio Heliograf recycle ocean-bound plastic from certified collectors into playful lamps. Inspired by the design of disposable sushi soy fish packets, the award-winning Light Soy lamps feature a scaled-up plastic body and a red cap that features a dimmable 3000K LED light source, as well as touch-control dimming and USB-C recharge. At launch, the new lamps are made with 75% recycled polypropylene collected coastal regions of South East Asia that contribute up to 80% of ocean plastic pollution, with a plan to use 100% across all components.

#BeOpenDESIGN Amsterdam-based designer Sebastian Brajkovic investigates the notions of perspective and distortion of form through his sculptural furniture pieces series entitled Lathe. Inspired by a Photoshop function where you can pick a row of pixels and extend them as long as you want, the artist uses computer technology to rom composition. Then he deconstructs historical 17th century chairs and then uses traditional techniques, such as wood carving, bronze casting and hand embroidering, to reconstruct entirely new pieces that strike a fascinating balance between the old and the new.

#BeOpenARCH The 305.3-metre Tulip tower proposed by Foster + Partners would have become the tallest structure in the City of London, if completed. With a viewpoint on top of a thin stem and rotating gondolas fixed to the three sides of the façade, it was designed to look like a tulip flower. The tower was meant to begin construction in 2020, with an opening date planned for 2025. However, in 2021, the concept was criticized by the UK Government as "highly unsustainable," for it would have used vast quantities of reinforced concrete for the foundations and lift shaft to transport visitors to as high a level as possible to enjoy a view. Besides, UK housing secretary Michael Gove concluded that the economic, tourism and educational benefits of the controversial tower were outweighed by the harm it would cause "to the significance of designated heritage assets," such as the nearby Tower of London. More statement building never been built in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Beijing-based studio Open Architecture has revealed renders for the Sun Tower, a tourist attraction in the coastal city of Yantai, China, that will reference ancient human rituals, honoring the sun, moon, and stars, and offer a space for reflection and contemplation. Conceived to look like a giant sundial, the new 50 metre high viewing tower will be constructed from two white concrete conical forms connected and braced by horizontal slabs and ramps. The project will comprise a semi-outdoor theatre on the ground floor, a winding exhibition space, library and observation deck for visitors to enjoy the unobstructed views of the sea. The architects have designed the space within the inner shell of the tower to act as a sound collector, absorbing and amplifying the sound from the sea.

#BeOpenARCH By the Way House developed by Polish studio KWK Promes is characterized by a winding road of white concrete running from the entrance gate to the centre of a riverside plot in Poland, where it appears to fold up to create the ceilings, roof, walls and terraces of the building. In the middle of this concrete shell hides the exact replica of the client's former apartment. The road continues on the opposite side of the house meandering down the slope towards the river, while an observation deck on the terrace of the first floor morphs into a ramp that connects the house with the ground floor level. More extraordinary concrete houses in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN Student designer Lee Hyokk has developed an “almost invisible” that is made out of a chain-link fence. In fact, the Invisible Chair is a fence with some of its preexisting steel wires removed, rebent or reorganized to form the silhouette of a small four-legged armchair. The built-in chair is camouflaged by the fence’s repetitive grid system, which makes it difficult to spot unless the user is looking for it. The designer’s ambition was to incorporate more than just one function to fences that require so much building material to be made. The resulting Invisible Chair provides a rest for those who might need it. More see-through chairs in our blog

#BeOpenARCH The project for Aranya Ningbo Xiangshan by Shanghai-based inter-disciplinary architectural design practice Neri&Hu is nearing completion this year in Xiangshang, China. The expansive project encompasses five distinct building complexes on the edge of land and sea unified by a monolithic plinth that fosters a new public realm for travelers who seek immersive cultural experiences. Rooted in the rich local history of a fortress as the center of culture, commerce, and shelter, the project will include a range of guest rooms and villas, a thermal bath, seaside leisure and dining, and a sanctum.

#BeOpenDESIGN Design graduate Alexia Audrain has won last year's James Dyson Awards with her cocooning Oto chair that acts as a sensory deprivation chamber and helps people with autism self-soothe when they are experiencing sensory overload. People who struggle with processing sensory information such as noise, light or physical contact need to be hugged or held, which helps them focus on the limits of their own body. With its inflatable walls that consist of blow-up modules similar to those used in blood pressure monitors, the chair emulates the feeling of being embraced. Designwise, the chair consists of a beech wood shell and plush interior padded with sound-absorbing upholstery foam and fabric.

#BeOpenDESIGN US-based award-winning product designer Mutian Yu has developed a coconut opener that makes getting delicious and wholesome coconut water as easy as using a teapot. Named Coconut Faucet, the tool is simple in structure and can be inserted into the coconut in a breeze without making a mess and dirtying the drink.

#BeOpenDESIGN Cloud Garden nursery was developed by Tokyo-based architect Junya Ishigami with an ambition sought to recreate the feeling of walking in the clouds. Originally built for the offices, the 2,200sqm space on the 7th floor of a high-rise in Atsugi, Japan, was transformed into a day care and child support centre. The architect signed a series of curved partitions, all of them different, to slot between the existing bulky concrete columns dividing the floor. The result is a mysterious space created through multilayered tangling of many architectural elements that constantly changes itself. The cloud shapes running both across and along the space also help conceal unexpected beams and piping protruding out of the floor.