Be Open think tank

#BeOpenDESIGN Belgian manufacturer Hulasol has developed an eponymous product that combines a traditional parasol and an outdoor light source that can be controlled by a smartphone app. The aerodynamic and futuristic canopy is manufactured out of polyester, which is treated to withstand water, dirt and mildew, and is available in two finish options – matte black and matte white. Not only it is designed to ensure stability, it can be easily folded away into a compact leaf-like shape for easy storage. Besides, the beautiful eye-catching piece features a base with wheels for manoeuvrability. More parasols with functions beyond sun-shade in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN For those who would like to have fresh herbs close at hand but are worried that gardening pots take up a lot of counter space, designer Igor Abakumov has developed Home Garden, an innovative herb drawer that is built into the kitchen. It comes with an integrated smart system that monitors the moisture and temperature of plants, as well as their freshness and readiness for use, providing access to fresh greenery 365 days a year. We encourage you to share your vision of how you grow your own food in your own unique way by joining our #BEOPENGrowFood Instagram open call. The winner will receive a €300 prize. Find details at beopensocial.com

#BeOpenART Iranian architect Ehsan Kazerooni has collaborated with photographer by George Steinmetz to create a series of digital montages. Named Archeature (Architecture + Creature), the artworks show harvesters from different civilizations and cultures with their faces replaced by patterns and geometries evoking the intricate design of their country’s historic architecture. Kazerooni believes that by studying the historical monuments of different countries, we can know our civilization.

#BeOpenARCH Extension to the Museum of Military History in Dresden, Germany, built by celebrated Polish-American Daniel Libeskind is one of the architect’s best known projects and deconstructivism icon buildings. Completed in 2011, the design boldly interrupts the original building’s classical symmetry with a massive, five-story 14,500-ton wedge of glass, concrete, and steel that thrusts through the neoclassical façade. The extension’s glass volume stands for the transparency of the military in a democratic society, contrasted against the opacity and rigidity of the existing building representing the severity of the country’s authoritarian past.

#BeOpenDESIGN Ptolomeo shelf developed by Bruno Rainaldi for Opinion Ciatti turns the precarious book stack into a design object. Named after Ptolemy I Soter, the Greek general who founded the library of Alexandria, the freestanding bookcase is designed to become "invisible" as its thin shelves are filled with books. The minimal structure is made of stainless steel and can be optionally finished with lacquer in black, white or Corten effect. The bookcase can be complemented with a slightly bigger shelf, which can either serve to support magazines or large-format books or double as a small desk perfectly sized for a laptop or an original bedside table for those favouring a little bedtime reading before going to sleep. More bespoke bookcases in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN Quobus collection by Australian designer Marc Newson is the result of research initiated for the commission of a modular shelving for Milan’s Taschen store in 2015. The bookshelf is composed of naturally curved steel sheets designed as modular elements, which allow for different variations and configurations – from a small bookcase to a monumental wall installation. The round brass screws that are used to attach the modules are intentionally left visible to visualize complete openness and honesty of the creation processes.

#BeOpenDESIGN Design trio Artur Koshatashyan, Kostya Trunov, and Simon Robson have conceptualized a UFO-shaped light that embodies a nostalgic sci-fi aesthetics. Named WOLOLOW, the design comprises a 1:32 copy of the iconic ‘Futuro House’ designed in 1968 by Finnish Architect Matti Suuronen as a portable chalet. Made out of ABS and PC plastic, the product features three brightness levels and seven different light colour modes that can be managed by touching or holding down a button at its top.

#BeOpenDESIGN Cloth is a coffee table from Portugal-based designer Joao Teixeira that merges Scandinavian functionality with Japanese simplicity. The table’s unique feature is the metal bookstand that works as a centerpiece of the table. Its curved bottom establishes an aesthetical relation with the wavy undulating table edge. Most of the components are created using processes like press bending plywood sheets or CNC milled tops, while all hardware is designed to be hidden, which helps keep the minimal aesthetics of the design. All this integrates a sense of durability into the simple build of the coffee table. More Japandi furniture pieces in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN Chicago-based startup Cast21 has designed a fracture cast that takes shape around your hand once it’s filled with a patented mixture of resins that hardens over time through an exothermic reaction. First, the doctor selects a sleeve and slips it on a patient, after which it is filled with the gel. The doctor then adjusts the cast to perfectly hug the limb providing it with the necessary support. Patients are free to choose between a variety of gel colours, opting for combinations and gradients, breaking the stigma that casts need to look exclusively clinical. The resulting cast has a crisscrossed design that enables it to remain breathable while still providing a robust structure around the broken limb. Besides, these casts are completely waterproof, which means the user can shower or even swim in them and their partially open design even allows them to satisfy an itch. More alternatives to conventional casts in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN Brothers Masamichi and Nobumichi Tosa, masterminds behind the Japanese collective Maywa Denki, create original musical devices played by physical movement of motors and/or electromagnets at 100V. Named Tsukuba Series, the instruments can function on their won, when connected to a computer, creating a theater-like performance that accompanies the duo. Their Edelweiss, a self-playing marimba with flowers, unfolds when they play the music and folds when it stops. The Otamatone, a device hooked to the musician’s back, is controlled by electronic finger clicks. Semons, a singing machine with a diaphragm, feeds air into its rubber-based artificial vocal cord, regulated by a computer software.