Be Open think tank

Your creativity can bring you €300! #BEOPENReflections is the topic for our open call inviting people with an eye for beauty around them to share visuals on the subject via Instagram. Don’t forget to add a tag for a chance to win! Rules: beopensocial.com The subject of reflections attracted artists at all times. For your inspiration check out the work ‘Amsterdam Canal Houses’ by the Viennese photographer Wolfgang Suschitzky dating back to 1934. domeischelgallery.com

London-based Heatherwick studio has revealed plans for a ‘gigantic planted pergola’ that will form the focal point of Tokyo’s redeveloped Toranomon-Azabudai district. The masterplan includes a public square, a mix of shops, offices, residences, hotels, spas, as well as a school and a temple with an overarching pergola-like structural system to accentuate the topography of the natural valley through design. "As many new developments around the world can be harsh and sterile we wondered if we could provide a more human-centred alternative by integrating surprisingly intense quantities of planting and greenery," said Thomas Heatherwick. More green facades in our blog.beopenfuture.com

The Glasgow based engineers Andrew Flynn and Martin Keane have created POTR pots, flat pack origami plant pots that are ecofriendly and can water themselves. Made from recycled plastic sourced from nearby locations and flat-packed to be delivered through letter boxes and thus reduce the amount of fuel required for their shipping, POTR pots are 100 times more carbon efficient than traditional plant pots. The quick draw cotton cord which pulls up around the plant to transform the origami sheet into a multi-faceted pot can later be placed with one end in the water and the other into the soil—allowing the plant to draw up moisture when needed. Instagram.com/potrpots

London-based studio Shed collaborated with non-profit organizations Project 0 and Sky Ocean Rescue on the design of a pop-up store in London that supports #PassOnPlastic movement and serves as a visual reminder to consumers of the growing problem of ocean plastic. What at first sight looks like terrazzo texture covering walls and floor of the shop turns out to be imagery of everyday plastic products such as toothbrushes, plastic packaging and bottle caps as visitors approach. According to the studio, this revelation was intended to make visitors reconsider how they dispose of single-use plastic. Read about other projects aimed to increase plastic waste awareness in blog.beopenfuture.com

Your creativity can bring you €300! Our #BEOPENreflections Instagram challenge invites everyone to share visuals of extraordinary effects caused by mirror-like surfaces with our hashtag and become our next winner! Full rules: beopensoical.com We would like to thank all creatives who have submitted their works so far – that is something to get inspired with! Have a look at works by Andrea Guskin, Mikhail Kapychka, Stuart Murphy, Giancarlo Cazzaniga, Sawad Amornvivat, Tsuper Daimos, Carol ‘cbuzzzzz’ and Tinu ’tinyanomaly’. Join now! The entries close September 30th, 2019.

The Moscow based office SKNYPL submitted a proposal for New Korean Garden, an inflatable garden atop the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture. The elements of the garden are made of EFTE, convenient and recyclable material, filled with air to be light and mobile. Designed not only to create a landmark for the city but also to form a contemporary gathering space, the garden features a ’field of relax’ for hedonistic rest as well as a playground for children. Due to the mobility of its inflatable elements, the garden can be reshaped to accommodate conferences and exhibitions becoming a living organism that changes over time. Learn more about inflatable architecture in our blog.beopenfuture.com

The architectural photographer Amey Kandalgaonkar based in Shanghai and Mumbai and known for his inconceivable concepts of buildings offers his idea of how the remains of a church can be repurposed to accommodate a home. Imagining the experience of living inside ruins of a Gothic church with its majestic arches, Kandalgaonkar found his inspiration partially in St. Mary’s Abbey in York. instagram.com/ameyzing_architect/

The Barcelona-based studio AleaOlea was challenged to transform the ancient building of the 13th century Gothic church of Vilanova de la Barca partially demolished as a result of bombing during the Spanish civil war into a multi-purpose hall retaining its original appearance. AleaOlea established a latticework brick façade and a gabled tiled roof that were conceived as a ceramic shell to be supported over the remains of the ancient church. The image of the building is retained from the exterior that reproduces the irregular texture of the stone ashlar, while the perforated brick of the inner façade reinforces the contrast between the old and the new. More respectful church conversions in our blog.beopenfuture.com

We welcome everyone to join our #BEOPENreflections open call presenting an opportunity to win €300 for the most inspirational reflections related visuals posted via Instagram. Rules: beopensocial.com Often a familiar object can produce a far stronger impact on the beholder, when seen mirrored in an unexpected environment. In the Reflections series by the Zurich-based photographer Sebastian Magnani such a simple object as a circle mirror placed on the ground looks like a planet mesmerizingly reflecting the sky against the ground it is on. sebastianmagnani.com

The Thai designer Apiwat Chitapanya developed the Ink Collection for the furniture brand Masaya featuring a chair, a stool and a bench, inspired by the rhythm and flow of Chinese calligraphy. Created using brass, the Ink Collection evokes a dynamic yet fragile aesthetic and resembles either fast cursive brushstrokes or denser and better defined calligraphy characters depending on the particular piece. apiwatchitapanya.com