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The first model from the UK-based company Nothing, the Android-based Phone (1) features a transparent back panel and “glyph” interface with lights that sync to flash in unique patterns for every custom sound, including 10 unique ringtones. That way, you know who’s calling, what kind of notification you’re getting, or whether your battery is getting low without even having to pick the phone up off the table. The system uses over 900 LED lights to illuminate four different shapes on the back of the phone, including the charging gauge.

Yes, the lights are bright, but thankfully they’re adjustable (though the phone does come with a warning that the glyph interface may not be safe for people with epilepsy). To silence sounds and enable lights-only notifications, you just flip the phone with the glyph interface facing up. Plus, you can program a daily schedule so the glyphs turn off when it’s time for bed. According to the company, this is just the beginning of what the glyph interface will have to offer.

The phone comes in both black and white, with the former emphasizing the glow of the glyph lights.The interior components are protected by Gorilla Glass on both sides. It’s quite large in size, measuring 6.55 inches with a 1080p OLED screen, making it about the size of an iPhone 13 Pro Max or Google Pixel 6 Pro. And that’s about where the differences between the Nothing Phone (1) and most of its competitors end; the rest of the phone is remarkably iPhone-like, with a power button the right, volume buttons on the left and a speaker, SIM card slot, and USB-C port on the bottom.

Other specs include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ chip; 33-watt fast charging capable of powering up to 50 percent in 30 minutes; a 100-percent recycled aluminum frame; dual cameras with two advanced 50 megapixel sensors, one featuring an ultra-wide lens; built-in studio lighting and night mode; an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate; and an interface that will already be familiar to Android users.

Prior to releasing the Phone (1), Nothing had just a single product on offer: a pair of $99 wireless earbuds call the Ear 1, also with a fun transparent design. Obviously, these two products go pretty well together. How much would you expect the Phone (1) to go for? You might be surprised. Cost-wise, it’s on par with the iPhone SE, Samsung’s Galaxy A series, and Google’s Pixel A series at £399 (about $476 USD).

Unfortunately, the catch is that it doesn’t sound like it’ll be offered to users within the United States anytime soon. Otherwise, it’s now available at Nothing’s London Kiosk, through limited retail partners across the UK, Europe, and Asia, and online.

The post Nothing Phone 1: A See-Through Smartphone with Tron-Like Glyphs first appeared on Dornob.

Furniture artists from the Tokyo-based Nendo Inc. were one of 18 international creative groups invited by Dior to reinterpret the Medallion chair as part of a special exhibition at this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan.

Some covered the chair in surprising fabrics, while others deconstructed it and grafted it back together with extra materials. One group even made it look like it was being sucked into the vacuum of space.

Nendo was one at the few studios with a truly novel take on Dior’s famous design. According to the company website, the team decided to reinterpret the chair with “state-of-the-art technology in continuation of the vision of our founding, ‘graceful fusion of modernity and tradition.’” The traditional Medallion chair is a simplified version of the classic Louis XVI dining seat with a signature oval back and square upholstered seat. The artists at Nendo used these shapes to invert the design, effectually creating a stencil of the chair.

The Nendo artists stripped the chair down to its essence, leaving behind only its most recognizable feature. “The oval cutout in the back of each one conveys the impression that the Medallion chair’s most notable characteristic is floating delicately in midair,” they explain.

Since it’s made from a transparent sheet of 3’ x 6’ chemically hardened glass, the Nendo Chaise Medallion 3.0 might be invisible if not for the missing egg-shape where the original’s back support would be. Constructed using a newly developed method, the curved shape that forms the legs, back, and seat piece was submerged in potassium nitrate molten salt at over 800 degrees Fahrenheit before being allowed to cool and solidify. This process creates an incredibly strong material even at just 3 mm thick. The chemical hardening also provides the chair with more flexural strength and scratch resistance.

Christian Dior created the original Medallion Chair back in 1946 when he founded his design house and was in need of seating for his first fashion shows. In his memoirs, he said he wanted the observers to sit on something that felt “somber, simple, and above all classic and Parisian.” Naturally, he pared down the Louis XVI model, added his own signature fabrics and prints, and furniture history was made. The Medallion has since been featured in many iterations of Dior boutiques over the years and has inspired several of the company’s cases and perfume bottles.

Perhaps that connection to perfume containers is part of the vision behind Nendo’s glass seating offering. In addition to the fully transparent seat, the group also produced one in frosted glass, one in pink ombré, and one in opaque black. The minimalist chairs almost look like a lineup of fragrance vessels, with their delicate shape and striking hues.

Nendo was founded in 2002 by CEO and chief designer Oki Sato, an architecture graduate from Waseda University. Since then, the company has added an office in Milan and grown to over 50 employees. They have won numerous international awards, including being named “Designer of the Year” by Ell Deco International Design.

The Chaise Medallion 3.0 was on display at Milan Design Week 2021 from September 5th through 10th in the Palazzo Citterio.

The post Nendo Gives Dior’s Iconic Medallion Chair a Transparent Minimalist Makeover first appeared on Dornob.

Stronger than glass, various military and commercial applications for this remarkable material are already being tested. What was once used in the science-fiction Star Trek movies, see-through aluminum is now something that – through test mixing with rubies, sapphires and more – is now being tried out in all kinds of ways to create transparency where strength is also required.

For now, it is used in static-free transparent aluminum wrapping for computer parts and other electronics. It is also being tested in otherwise-conventional see-through soda cans and military shielding for vehicles where windows once were. At over ten dollars per square inch, however, it is still not cheap enough for mainstream everyday use – but may be someday soon.

Here are some more details from Science Daily.

“‘What we have created is a completely new state of matter nobody has seen before,’ said Professor Justin Wark of Oxford University’s Department of Physics, one of the authors of the paper. ‘Transparent aluminum is just the start. The physical properties of the matter we are creating are relevant to the conditions inside large planets, and we also hope that by studying it we can gain a greater understanding of what is going on during the creation of ‘miniature stars’ created by high-power laser implosions, which may one day allow the power of nuclear fusion to be harnessed here on Earth.’”

“The discovery was made possible with the development of a new source of radiation that is ten billion times brighter than any synchrotron in the world (such as the UK’s Diamond Light Source). The FLASH laser, based in Hamburg, Germany, produces extremely brief pulses of soft X-ray light, each of which is more powerful than the output of a power plant that provides electricity to a whole city. The Oxford team, along with their international colleagues, focused all this power down into a spot with a diameter less than a twentieth of the width of a human hair. At such high intensities the aluminum turned transparent.”

The post Transparent Aluminum: A Real See-Through Metal first appeared on Dornob.

In place of the plain plexiglass partitions many restaurants have installed as hygienic shields between customers and staff, LG envisions transparent OLED screens that offer additional functionality. Shown in use at a sushi bar at this year’s virtual CES, the 55-inch smart display offers a touchscreen menu. Guests can make their selections and then choose from entertainment like sporting events or TV shows to watch while their food is prepared. Instead of being kind of pointless, the transparency of the screen actually comes in handy, allowing them to maintain visual contact with their server or chef as they watch.

This use in a restaurant is notable for its novelty, and the fact that it’s uniquely well-suited to what will likely be our pandemic-induced “new normal” for the foreseeable future. It allows for virtually zero contact between diners and staff, especially with integrated card readers. Of course, one does have to wonder whether having multiple displays like this would make restaurants even noisier than they already are, and whether being bombarded with entertainment everywhere we go is all that good for us.

But this is far from the only way LG’s latest transparent screens can be used. The company already replaced subway train windows in Beijing and Shenzhen with its displays, showing commuters information about subway schedules, transfers, local weather, and news without cutting off access to daylight or views of the passing scenery. And in its virtual CES show, LG demonstrated how its transparent OLED products can be integrated into a smart bed that rises from the footboard, with cinematic sound embedded right into the frame. A video by Engadget shows all three uses in action, along with other tech from LG’s presentation.

As usual, these aren’t finished products ready to hit the market. LG is just showing off what its transparent display can do, and how other manufacturers could potentially incorporate it into their own products.

“With its superior transparency, Transparent OLED can be used in various fields such as smart homes, smart buildings, and mobility, including autonomous vehicles, aircraft, and subways,” the company said in a recent press release. “LG Display, the only transparent OLED manufacturer in the world, is seeing growing demand for Transparent OLED from these industries.”

The new version of the transparent OLED “realizes 40 percent transparency, providing clear image quality while being crystal clear like glass compared to the existing transparent LCD with only 10-percent transparency,” according to LG, so it’s a pretty considerable upgrade. Maybe it won’t be long before one shows up at a sushi restaurant near you. If you’re interested in seeing more, you can check out LG’s virtual CES 2021 showroom at VXLGDisplay.com.

The post LG’s Transparent OLED Display Doubles as a Pandemic-Safe Partition first appeared on Dornob.

But how do we house all of those people and meet all their needs? Most experts say the answer is vertical expansion. Urban architecture is set to grow taller and taller, and that’s not just limited to offices and apartment buildings. A new concept by architecture firm Carlo Ratti Associati illustrates how even sporting complexes will soon reach up into the clouds, to potentially dazzling effect.

“Playscraper” is a tower of eight stacked tennis courts, each one offset from the one below it for visual interest and alternating views of the city. Developed for RCS Sport, the sport and media branch of European multimedia publishing group RCS MediaGroup, this isn’t just some visionary idea created without a care for whether or not it could really be built. Its architects worked with a team of engineers and technical consultants to come up with a practical design based on a new construction technology that allows for ultra-tall but extremely strong structures. Inspired by the outer shell of a spacecraft, the B-Core slab structure consists of several prefabricated layers of lightweight stainless steel.

Eight of these steel boxes (each featuring transparent walls on two sides) are stacked to a height of 300 feet, offering 60,000 square feet (5,500 square meters) of total playing space. Each floor contains one stand-alone tennis court with a 35-foot ceiling height. As matches are played inside, the action can be streamed outside via electronic facades running along the long sides of each box, letting the public take part in the fun.

“This project would not just create a new icon for sports lovers,” says architect and engineer Carlo Ratti, founder of CRA and director of the MIT Senseable City Lab. “It also experiments with a new type of public space, extending vertically instead of horizontally. The tower is easy to install and dismantle and can be easily moved. This flexible approach fits the circular nature of today’s sports competitions, which move from location to location throughout the year.”

B-Core technology, developed by Broad Sustainable Building (BSB), is the key component of this skyscraper’s likelihood of eventually being built. The B-Core CTS slab consists of two steel panels clipped together with thin-walled internal tubes, with the gaps between the tubes filled with rock wool for thermal insulation.

These panels can be prefabricated and then assembled quickly and easily onsite. In fact, BSB used them to demonstrate how a four-story building could be erected overnight. CTS slabs are ten times lighter than reinforced concrete for far greater earthquake resistance, have 100 times more corrosion resistance than carbon steel, and boast a nearly limitless lifespan. It’s safe to say we’ll see a lot more structures built with this technology in the near future.

The post Playscraper: Eight Stacked Tennis Courts with Transparent Walls first appeared on Dornob.

There’s been a lot of innovation in this space recently, and this new entry to the market brings a particularly novel approach. The SEEUS95 Mask has no ear loops, no straps, and no nose wires or folds that pinch, irritate, or leave deep marks on the skin. Frankly, it looks like something out of a sci-fi movie as well, but that could be a pro depending on your fashion sense. It gently sticks to the face without any adhesives and easily peels off when you want to remove it.

Made almost entirely of clear, reusable, medical-grade silicone, this completely transparent protective face mask has another huge benefit that’s immediately obvious. It can help alleviate accessibility problems currently caused by masks, specifically allowing deaf and hard-of-hearing people to read lips without exposing them to viral particles. The air the wearer inhales and exhales enters and exits through two removable N95-rated filters on either side.

Unlike most fabric options, this silicone mask forms a tight seal over the face, offering additional protection. The flexible material adjusts to accommodate a wide range of facial sizes and shapes without losing that seal. In moments when you need a little more air, like when you’re performing strenuous activities, you can pull the silicone off the contact point under the chin area. The “skin therapy layer” that makes the mask stick is made of a skin healing material called chitosan, an organic biopolymer found in the shells of shrimp. It’s naturally antimicrobial and antibacterial, and it’s often used for post-surgical wounds, to boot.

The filter itself is made of several layers of natural fibers consisting of bamboo, silk, nano silver, and activated carbon. Each of these materials has its own particular antimicrobial and antibacterial properties while acting as physical filters for air that may contain viral particles. The filters were independently tested for efficacy by the Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, consistently blocking between 95 and 99 percent of various particle sizes.

Cleaning it is simple, too. The designers explain that “We designed the Light Warrior Masks to be easily cleaned and sanitized in many ways. If you are on the go and need a refresher, just wipe with alcohol. If you’re at home, just pop in the microwave for three minutes (but MAKE SURE YOU TAKE OUT THE FILTERS FIRST)! Doing a load of dishes? Take out the filters and put the Light Warrior mask in the dishwasher. With a dishwater, some water spotting may occur, but that’s okay; just wipe off the water spots with a soft, clean cloth, and you’re good to go!”

Fresh off a round of crowdfunding on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, the masks are currently in production and set to be sold for $59 each, including four filters. It comes in three sizes: extra small, small, and large.

The post Transparent Filter Mask Sticks to Your Face With Silicone first appeared on Dornob.

Now available in China at a price tag of ¥49,999 ($7,200), the 55-inch TV features an edge-to-edge transparent self-luminous display that aims to make the images seem like they’re “suspended in the air.” When it’s turned off, the Mi TV LUX just looks like a pane of glass. Xiaomi’s spin on OLED technology is what makes this possible.

Most OLED televisions have an opaque reflective back panel, but this version uses Transparent OLED, with all processing units and connections like speakers, HDMI ports, and antenna inputs built into the stand. Xiaomi had a head start on this innovation, since they’re the number one OLED Basic Module (OBM) manufacturer in China.

“Apart from its futuristic design, Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition is also equipped with flagship-level hardware that achieves groundbreaking upgrades in both sound and picture quality,” Xiaomi states. “Its 55-inch transparent OLED panel features a 150000:1 static contrast ratio and an infinite dynamic contrast ratio, offering extra rich blacks and unmatched brightness. Leveraging its DCI-P3 93-percent color spectrum support, Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition is capable of restoring the awe-inspiring colors that bring images to life. Its 10-bit panel displays 1.07 billion color combinations, an extra-wide color spectrum far beyond what the human eye can perceive.”

“Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition also supports AI Master for Audio, allowing the device to intelligently detect the type of content playing and choose a fitting audio mode from a list spanning movies, music, newsfeed, sports, and others. The device takes audio performance a notch higher with Dolby Atmos®️ support. Not a TV, but an art piece, Mi TV LUX Transparent Edition adopts an aesthetic design that combines a 5.7mm ultra-thin body rectangular screen and a round base, creating an ultra-immersive viewing experience.”

This might be the closest we can get to experiencing the kind of entertainment seen in sci-fi movies, like holograms hovering in the air around us, without wearing virtual reality headsets. Obviously, the effect would be amplified if the TV were larger, but maybe Xiaomi will eventually offer bigger models, too.

Not everyone’s a fan of the design, however. Gizmodo UK says that “no one except cartoon supervillains actually want this in their homes.” Whether that’s true is debatable, but critics have a good point: a transparent TV probably won’t replace your regular TV for all viewing purposes, especially when watching movies or shows with dark settings. Blacks tend to get washed out, and whatever is behind your television will affect your ability to see what’s on the screen. Put it in front of something distracting? Your picture will be distracting, too. And putting it in front of a blank wall seems to defeat the purpose.

Would you throw down the cash to have this showpiece in your living room?

The post World’s First Mass-Produced Transparent TV Hits the Market in China first appeared on Dornob.

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning company Shigeru Ban Architects, the two sets of glass-walled restrooms are part of the Tokyo Toilet Project, an initiative launched by the Nippon Foundation to increase public restroom use by dispelling stereotypes that they are “dark, dirty, smelly, and scary.” The new see-through lavatories, which become opaque when locked, were designed to address these specific issues. “There are two things we worry about when entering a public restroom, especially those located at a park. This first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside,” the architects explain on the project website.

The transparent walls allow passers-by to judge the tidiness of the toilets without even entering. They also make it obvious if the facilities are in use or not. When a bathroom stall is locked, crystals in the tinted glass are realigned by an electric current, restricting most of the light from passing through. This creates a frosted look, giving the occupants sufficient privacy. As soon as the door is unlocked, the walls become transparent again.

Another measure of safety intersecting with art is the way the restrooms “light up the park like a beautiful lantern” at night. Each toilet compartment glows in its own vibrant shade: lime green, tangerine, violet, aqua, or fuchsia. Adding to the mystique of these toilets, the walls between the stalls are also mirrored. Reviews on this feature have been mixed, though, as it seems to give users a strange feeling of being watched.

These particular installations, located in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park and Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park, are just two of 17 new restrooms commissioned by the Nippon Foundation in its efforts to “build public toilets that can be used by anyone.” The project dovetails with a countrywide push to make the city more hospitable before the now-postponed Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

“When Japan succeeded to host the Olympic and Paralympic 2020, the word ‘omotenashi’ (a Japanese word that means to wholeheartedly look after guests) was repeatedly presented as the symbol of Japanese hospitailty,” said Mihoko Ueki, project coordinator for the Nippon Foundation’s social innovation team, in a recent interview.

“However, if you take a look at the public toilets, most of them are not accessible for everyone regardless of gender, age, or disability. Considering that, we thought that we [could not truly] show the guests from overseas ‘omotenashi’ as the symbol of Japanese hospitality.”

According to a government survey, up until 2016, 40 percent of Japan’s public restrooms only had squat stalls, requiring trucks to suck out waste and dispose of it elsewhere. Since then, 332 public facilities have been refurbished with more modern, hygienic toilets.

The new Shigeru Ban lavatories certainly fit the desired profile for cleaner, state-of the art toilets with their colorful outer shells and crisp interiors of white tile and chrome. To date, three other public restrooms have been unveiled, including the “Squid Toilet” by designer Fumihiko Maki, itself a courtyard of stalls under a curved roof housed within a children’s playground known as the “octopus park.” Second is the “Modern Kawaya (river hut)” by designer Masamichi Katayama and his studio Wonderwall Inc., and third is the Origata (traditional Japanese method of gift wrapping) toilet, created by designer Nao Tamura. A total of 12 more facilities will be installed by the end of August 2021.

The post Tokyo Designers Bring Transparency to Public Restrooms — Literally first appeared on Dornob.

“If you were to reconstruct the house, you’d cover up some of the most interesting parts,” says architectural conservator Matt Webster, a Menokin Foundation Advisory Council Member. “With glass, we can actually see how an 18th-century building comes together.”

The foundation sees this approach as “revolutionary,” connecting the past to the future in “relevant, daring ways.” The Neo-Palladian home, which stands on a 500-acre property, is one of the best-documented 18th-century houses in America. The conservationists had an original presentation drawing dating to 1769, an extensive Historic American Building Survey from 1940 including photography and 20 sheets of drawings, and a number of research reports and historic images to go off while completing the project.

About 80 percent of the mansion’s original materials have survived, including its sandstone exterior and 1,000-plus pieces of intact interior woodwork, but it did start to deteriorate a bit during the 20th century when it fell into a period of neglect. In the 1960s, a tree fell on the house, destroying half of it. The house was pretty much totally in ruins by the time the Menokin Foundation received it in 1995, at which point they covered it with a steel canopy. Their experts have spent the last 18 years developing a plan to save it and make it available to scholars, preservationists, and enthusiasts for continued learning and inspiration.

In June 2020, construction began on the new glass portion, which is expected to be completed in 2023.

The project’s official website explains that “The Glass House Project, the only initiative of its kind in the world, will preserve the remaining portions of the 1769 house and replace missing walls, floors, and sections of the roof with glass. The glass serves not merely as a protective covering for the fragile original structure, but as part of an integral whole that brings the house back to life. The use of glass as a structural element, blending seamlessly with the 18th-century stone, brick, and timber is a tour de force of design and engineering. This fusion of technology and mission embodies the Menokin Foundation’s commitment to innovation in design and historic interpretation.”

“While traditional restoration methods cover evidence of the human story that historic structures present, the transparent design of the Glass House Project emphasizes the deconstructed architectural elements of the building and provides a literal window into the lives of those who built, lived, and worked at Menokin. Fingerprints are visible in the handmade bricks, marks of hand tools are etched on the timbers, and the successes and failures of the builders are revealed.”

“Views of the surrounding landscape through the glass walls will continually connect visitors to the pristine natural environment and the traces of the tobacco plantation where generations of enslaved laborers once worked. This interplay of interior and exterior, historic past and modern-day design, allows a layered and complex look not only at the house but also the people who lived on the site over the centuries — the Rappahannock, the English settlers and the Lee family, and the people who were enslaved at Menokin.”

The preservationists see this last part as a crucial element in telling the tale of Menokin. The home’s importance lies not only in its past but in its ability to connect historical injustice with contemporary issues, telling the stories of the plantation’s enslaved laborers and the Rappahannock people, who lived on the land for centuries and gave “Menokin” its name.

Part of the project will include a new pavilion made of translucent agricultural fabric built above the archaeological footprint of an 18th-century field slave dwelling, which will glow at night in memorial to those enslaved residents who literally built and maintained the property, making it what it was and what it remains today.

The post Glass House Project: Ruins Preserved With Transparent Addition first appeared on Dornob.

When the people of Auckland were asked what they wanted out of their museum-going experience, the message was clear. They wanted the gallery itself to be a work of art. They wanted an iconic work of architecture that respected all of New Zealand’s cultures and fit well with the gallery’s existing 131-year-old portions. Too often, radical designs are imposed on a site by architects disconnected from both the building’s context and the people living around it. In this case, Aucklanders had their say.

The most recent version of the gallery, officially known as the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, was completed in the fall of 2011 after an arduous 10-year construction period. The cost of completing this renovation? $121 million NZD, or approximately $80 million USD by today’s exchange rates. Its exhibition space was enlarged twofold, giving it the ability to showcase larger international collections alongside their own pieces.

Visitors enter the gallery via a transparent and capacious lobby covered by an undulating roof structure made from already-felled kauri trees. This structure’s golden maritime look comes courtesy of the Sydney-based architecture firm FJMT and the Auckland-based Archimedia, both of whom clearly know how to make an entrance.

Other vaulted roofs can be found in other parts of the gallery, translating a coherent message between its newer and older spaces, which themselves date back to 1887 when the building was mainly used as the city’s Free Public Library and Municipal Office. The oldest portion of the building was constructed in the style of a French château, and the fact that the architects were able to so seamlessly blend that aesthetic with contemporary additions is a complex achievement indeed.

The Auckland Art Gallery is quite the theatrical work of architecture. It’s like a symphony of old and new, stone textures and intricate wooden patterns. Even just standing on the outside and peering through it’s expansive glass at the activity within is exhilarating. This transparency is exactly what most older gallery and museum structures lack. In this way, the art, hidden behind opaque walls and charming architectural styles from the past, often suffers from its container. Few but the privileged feel welcome in older structures. Now opened up to the city with a clearer entrance, the Auckland Art Gallery’s conversation with the city is more purposeful and democratic, even if the art is still kept in galleries out of sight from the street.

The post Auckland Art Gallery’s Mix of Old and New first appeared on Dornob.

The post Floating Home Perches Atop a Glass Layer first appeared on Dornob.

These changes rarely happen without comment from society. Fashion used to instigate uprisings and outrage, from the flapper dresses of the 1920s to the women’s trousers of the 30s, the wild zoot suits of the 40s and 50s, the denim jeans and daring miniskirts of the 60s, and the gaudy flower-powered fashions of the 70s. But that doesn’t stop designers from coming up with some of the weirdest clothes and accessories imaginable—nor does it stop at least a few people from trying them out.

Here are just a few outrageous styles you might see on the streets (or at least at the beach) sometime in the near future:

Velvet Swimwear

Velvet has long been reserved for special occasions, but it’s now making a splash as the “it” fabric for swimwear. The silhouette of each velvet swimsuit may vary, from classic one-piece styles to strappy bikinis. If you thought velvet teddies were daring, hang on to your pearls, because this bathing suit trend is certainly hot.

Harness Shorts

The exact advantage of these “shorts,” may be in question, but that’s a moot point when it comes to fashion. High-waists are in vogue right now, and these shorts also have cutouts on all sides. Even the leanest body will curve out a bit under the fabric, accentuating its humanity. Maybe “Bulges Are Beautiful” will be the new runway mantra!

Ultra Narrow Bodysuits

For under $25, you can pick up a garment with hints of both lingerie and sportswear. Some people find them uncomfortable, but others love the freedom of motion and the daring lines. These garments can be great in hotter weather, and fit naturally into the trend of wearing body suits in combination with some comfy pants, playing with our perception of the line between public and private.

Jeans with Mesh Sides

The fashionable high waist of these jeans makes them a cool power piece, while the sparkly, see-through sides convey a youthful exuberance. Expect to see designers find increasingly creative ways to incorporate layered visibility into their styles.

Transparent Garments

This trend takes that instinct to its natural extreme—full visibility. As cultural confidence grows, clear hats and jackets are giving way to shirts and even pants made from transparent materials, for a look that says “I love my body, and I do things my own way.”

Gridline Pants

These leg-shaped frames are made of tiny strips of fake leather. Their deconstructed design has an industrial, post-modern feel, revealing rather than covering the shapes of the human beneath. Like the other items here, they make a bold statement about the confidence of the person wearing them, and hint at expectations that the world will get even warmer in the years ahead.

The post Prepare Yourself For Extreme Body Positive Fashion first appeared on Dornob.

Aether Architects allowed the city of Shenzhen, China to do just that with “Air Mountain,” an inflatable pavilion created for this year’s Oct Phoenix Flower Carnival. It’s made of just two materials, PVC and air, and its massive play surface is absolutely perfect for climbing and bouncing. On top of that, it contains inhabitable spaces that serve as a venue for the event’s concerts, theatrical performances, forums, and workshops. The outer surface is free to access and open to the public.

The architects say they envisioned Air Mountain as both a multifunctional building and a natural terrain that would allow people to free their imaginations. They explain: “the architectural design of Air Mountain is based on two main thoughts: ‘micro-ecological geometry’ and ‘multidimensional relationship, multidimensional phenomenon.’ ‘Micro-ecological geometry’ is a concept of the process from the basic geometric deformation to final architectural form based on the evolution of the ‘Environment/Event’ demand.”

“‘Multidimensional relationship’ is a concept of ‘fusion/penetration’ between things. Architecture is not a single function solid volume, nor is it a static object…it is a synthesis based on the synchronic combination of multi-element and multi-function. Here, the Air Mountain presents not an independent physical individual, but a fusion of architecture and surroundings, the fusion of different activities, the fusion of different states and behaviors, and the relationship between manmade and natural.”

You might say that’s a lot of lofty language for an inflatable play structure, but Air Mountain is pretty special in a variety of ways. It draws from the surrounding landscape, the needs of the festival, the desires of the public, and a sense of childlike wonder and combines it all in one fun-filled installation. Plus, since it’s inflatable, it offers an incredibly easy way to install, transport, and take down a large-scale temporary structure that’s truly interactive.

It’s fun just to see pictures of adults bouncing on all of Air Mountain’s surfaces with wild abandon. Doesn’t it make you wish you could hop on a flight to China and climb the unusual installation yourself?

The post Air Mountain: This Transparent Inflatable Pavilion is Clearly Fun first appeared on Dornob.

Crates can be an essential part of taking care of our dogs, but they’re not exactly aesthetically pleasing. If you had a choice, would you go with the usual wire or plastic crates sold by pet stores or get an enclosure that more easily blends into your decor? Discerning dog owners with modern homes might just go for the Lucidium: a new dog pen that ditches the look of a “cage” in favor of transparent acrylic.

Made by a company called Clearly Loved Pets, the Lucidium dog pen is a clear indoor enclosure that lets you corral your furry friends while maintaining a visual connection with them at all times. This enhanced visibility can be especially helpful if your dog is pregnant, a puppy, a senior, a troublemaker, or recovering from an injury or medical procedure.

Noting that “the use of a cage is becoming increasingly objectionable” for people who consider their pets to be members of their families, Clearly Loved Pets offers a kinder-looking alternative that fits right in to many interior decor styles without any unnecessary features or frills. The Lucidium also allows pet owners to keep their dogs nearby, grant them plenty of space to move around, and provide them with interesting views, to boot.

The company says that they worked hard to develop “a revolutionary new indoor enclosure for small and medium dogs. With clear acrylic walls, our oversized pens provide a generous space while simultaneously decreasing visual clutter. The three size options will comfortably accommodate your pet(s) while you are gone with space for a bed (or two or three), a water bowl, toys, and a pee pad if needed. The appealing aesthetic allows for favorable placement [right] in the heart of your home. Our pens come in a beautiful selection of colors including pink, blue, green, and matches-everything silver.”

“With research confirming what many have long-known, pet owners worldwide are seeking premium products for their multi-species homes. Clearly Loved Pets’ flagship product, our ‘clear’ paneled, oversized dog pen, addresses the need to protect your pet, and your home, while you are away. The design is intended for use in a family room or other central location so your pet does not feel disconnected from the home and family he/she wants to protect. Most importantly, the guilty feeling of ‘caging’ your dog is gone, as you ensure safety with a comfortable, beautiful, relaxing, ‘bedroom’ for your dog(s).”

Of course, if you’re the owner of a larger or particularly rambunctious pup, you might spot one glaring problem with the sleek design of the Lucidium: it doesn’t have a top to keep jumpers in check. It might work for shorter or older large dogs, however. It’s also pretty easy to put together and clean.

It may not work for everyone, but this transparent dog pen seems like a great option for small dogs in particular, who tend to be highly attached to their owners and in need of confinement while they’re out of the house. Some of these pens are even long enough to accommodate beds, bowls, and puppy pads when necessary.

The Lucidium comes in six sizes, starting at 27 inches tall by 48 inches long at the smaller end and going up to 36 inches tall by 72 inches long at the larger end. Prices range from $379 to $599, and it’s available to order through the Clearly Loved Pets website.

The post Clearly Loved: Acrylic Enclosures Keep Dogs Contained and Engaged first appeared on Dornob.

Jean-Marie Massaud envisioned this particular series of mirror art, subsequently realized by Glas Italia, but his other works address reflections in likewise fanciful ways. They range from clearly-bent reflectors to mirror-surfaced furniture and reflection-distorting wall mirrors. Some of these items can be purchased online, including a selection of Fiction Mirrors at UK store Chaplin’s. You can also check out Massaud’s collaborations with Glas Italia, including the Diva Mirror, pictured above, at the latter’s website.
Glas Italia describes the Diva Mirror as “a floor mirror made of glued smoked glass. The upper and lower part is transparent, while the central part has a special mirror through which the luminous trace of a lamp positioned on the back can be seen. The lamp turns on and off by pulling a red cord.”
“A graduate of ENSCI in 1990, Jean-Marie Massaud is immediately looking for synthesis, reduction and lightness. It addresses the different aspects of design: from furniture to industrial products, to equipment. In 2000, he created Studio Massaud and extended his activity to architecture and development strategies. He collaborates with several prestigious companies such as B&B Italia, Axor Hansgrohe, Dior, Poltrona Frau, Lancôme and Renault. Rejecting trends and fashions, Jean Marie prefers to question the current situation, working on the progress made and possibly proposing answers to contemporary challenges. It is this symbiosis between man, his creations and his natural environment, which Jean Marie Massaud strives to achieve, as a catalyst for innovation, as an economic model and as a life project.”

The post Sculptural Mirrors Seem to Disappear first appeared on Dornob.