Be Open think tank

Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! Wishing you nothing but the best this holiday season. Yours, BE OPEN Team!

#BeOpenDESIGN Italian industrial designer Andrea Ponti has developed a collapsible suitcase that offers great capacity when in use and is compact enough to be stowed away even in small spaces when empty. Titled Jollying Pebble, the suitcase comprises an innovative hybrid construction – two extra-tough shells form the front and back protect the contents, while the soft sides of durable water and tear-resistant textile make it easy to expand or fold down the suitcase to more than half its size using one hand, allowing for hassle-free storage when not in use. More innovative suitcases in our blog

#BeOpenARCH Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA) has topped the Tottori Takahama Café with a viewing rooftop shaded by a sculptural wooden pergola that looks like a ‘staircase to the sky’. Built from cross-laminated timber and reinforced concrete, the two-storey structure offers breathtaking views of the surrounding sand dunes of the coast. In the nighttime, warm-toned lighting permeates the textured facades enlivening the appearance of the building.

#BeOpenNEWS Time to honor the winner! Our #BEOPENCleanEnergy Instagram open call was dedicated to promoting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular focused on SDG7, calling to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all". BE OPEN praises everyone who sent visuals that represent a safer and more sustainable world, achievable with affordable and clean energy, as a way to celebrate people’s ability to creatively interpret the reality around them. Our congratulations and the €300 prize go to Instagram user Bacchetta who has been selected from a shortlist of submissions with the highest number of likes by Instagram users.

#BeOpenNEWS The minimalist desk developed by Portuguese designer Joao Teixeira features a few non-obvious places to keep everyday items that would otherwise clutter the surface of the tabletop. The design is characterized by a curved integrated panel that runs around the table’s sides and back and features a gap creating a space for objects like books or cables. Seemingly floating on top of the back panel, are a wooden tray and canister. A cutout and a unique rail system enable the two minimalist wooden containers slide across the panel to suit the user’s needs. More minimalist desks in our blog

#BeOpenNEWS In Be Open, we strongly believe that creativity is integral in the shift to sustainable existence. We are launching a competition inviting students and graduates to come up with innovative ways of advancing sustainable energy systems. The Better Energy by Design competition is open to students, recent graduates and young professionals from across the globe. Prize money ranges from €2,000 to €5,000 and individuals must submit their entry by 31 January 2023. With this competition we aim to raise awareness about SDG7 and contribute to achieving it via recognizing, showcasing and promoting the best design ideas and their creators. More information at designbetterenergy.com

#BeOpenART French artist Bina Baitel had carte blanche to design an inflatable wishing fountain in the historical Cour d’Honneur of Monnaie de Paris to complement the Currencies & Wonders exhibition in September 2022. As its name suggests, the Inflatable Wishing Fountain invites visitors to resuscitate popular beliefs by throwing a coin into the fountain to attract good fortune. The monumental installation pays homage to the original Roman fountains as well as to the classical building, which houses the collections of the Monnaie de Paris, while its golden hue echoes the colors of the metal coins are produced from. More projects bringing new life to historic fountains in our blog

#BeOpenDESIGN French designer Arthur Hoffner has designed a series of interior fountains combining ancient forms with unexpected materials, such as funnels, sponges, lengths of recycled piping, syphons, chromed tubes, copper pipe collars and PVC vessels. The utensils are combined with pieces of rope forming the mechanism that produces the stream of water.

#BeOpenARCH Spanish-born architect Santiago Calatrava redesigned St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in NewYork that was completely destroyed in the collapse of World Trade Center Tower 2 during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The new building directly addresses traditional Greek Orthodox liturgy while paying homage to the church’s relationship with the broader World Trade Center memorial site. The exterior of the church is comprised of four solid stone clad towers that define a square in plan. A circle inscribed within the square consists of a drum and dome constructed at its exterior of thin stone/glass laminated panels that are illuminated from behind. The interior draws from Byzantine architecture and landmarks, specifically a mosaic in Hagia Sophia that shows the Virgin Mary as the ‘Throne of Wisdom.’

#BeOpenARCH Commissioned by Galerie Philippe Gravier, Paris-based Studio Odile DECQ has installed a functional art piece in the Jardin des Tuileries during the 2022 edition of the Paris+ par Art Basel art fair. Aptly named The Green Pavilion, the installation comprises a glass pavilion with a pyramidal roof that evokes historic orangeries of the past. Herbs such as rosemary and thyme were displayed in the structure alongside laurel and citrus trees. The plants surrounded a simple metal table and bench seating used to host events during the fair.