Camouflage, or cryptic coloration, is something living organisms have
developed over millions of years in order to remain indiscernible from
the surrounding environment.
Buildings, something humans have designed and built for thousands of
years, have never been indiscernible from the surrounding environment.
If anything, our egotistical fascination with conquering nature has
meant our buildings are designed to triumph over its
surroundings. Of course, nature inspires building design. But it
rarely seeks to mimic it.
That is, until this twist on nature landed on The Cool Hunter doorstep.
Set among shrubs and budding fir trees, this home has been encased in a
façade matching the greenery around it. The concealing mesh is
permeable to let the sunshine filter onto the house. But it also allows
the light from inside to radiate out. Allowing the build to sit
anonymously by day, but emerge discretely at night. Blurring the
boundaries between what is human, and what is not.
Inside, the materials are organic and neutral. Wood decking and
paneling cover the inside and outer reaches, while neutral colors blend
rooms into a seamless array of angles and hard wood furnishings. But
perhaps what’s more inspiring, is the building’s impact. The structure,
while inherently human, isn’t trying to dominate the landscape it
resides in. The single-storey house will soon be engulfed as the
surrounding woodland matures, and the materials used to give the house
its shape, will darken and merge with the backdrop. It’s an idea based
on nature – to evolve with nature, and to mimic the concept of
nature. Something in our opinion, there should be more of. By Matthew Hussey
The “Chalet” is by far the most famous product of Swiss
architecture. The wooden dwellings with sloping roof and
overhanging eaves, are as much a part of the Swiss landscape as the
Alps themselves. The single storey bunkers traditionally served as
seasonal farms for dairy cattle in the summer months, and haven’t
changed much since these humble beginnings.
But high up on a mountain pass in the Bernese Oberland, a new type of
seasonal home has emerged as a stark contrast to the timber heavy
squats the country is so famed for. With its back turned to the
harsh northerly winds, this contemporary take on the log cabin
straddles the vistas to the south via a huge five meter glass pane that
invites the landscape to fill its vast, open plan spaces.
Swiss planning regulators favor lots of small, pokey windows, this
house is anything but. Rather than shielding its inhabitants from
the outdoors, the house embraces the mountainous terrain, with large
glass doors opening out onto the wooden terrace that appears to float
alongside the house.
With its elegant, concrete slab base, it juts out into the landscape
like a beached vessel. The domineering fireplace runs through the
core of the building, dragging its brutal lines from the basement to
the roof three floors above.
Up the handsome open-tread staircase the bedrooms and bathrooms blend
into a continuous passage that invites you to keep moving. The
large, panoramic windows throughout keep the house light and airy,
while the double insulated walls and thick wood decking keep the cool
temperatures out. The sparse furnishings and sleek lines are a bold
statement that matches the buildings unrelenting exterior. Rather than
cluttering the house with gaudy ornaments and stuffy fixtures, it plays
on the sparse landscape it so elegantly sits in.
Traditional chalets have a tendency to shy away from the landscape,
sealing off its inhabitants to the beauty of the environment it
inhabits. This building however, embraces the countryside with an
unyielding arrogance and swagger. Perching precariously at the
tip of a mountain, it stares boldly at its surroundings. The
interior eschews its contemporary credentials with clean, simple lines
and muted colors. But at the same time, it feels traditional,
homely, and welcoming. A small homage to the portly abodes that
continue to dominate the Swiss landscape. By Matthew Hussey
Some cities put their drinking holes on bold display, all glass
frontage and brazen invitation. Some don't. Melbourne is certainly in
the latter camp, and, not surprisingly, its latest bar offering, New
Gold Mountain, is a hole-in-the-wall affair found down a cobble-stoned
lane way and somewhat reminiscent of a womb. Or the inside of 'I Dream
of Jeannie's bottle.
New Gold Mountain,
is brought to us by a team of four locals who've worked in leading bars
in Melbourne and London. They've teamed with young Australian architect
Cassandra Fahey,
who (for those who follow such things) designed the controversial house
for Australian football sensationalist Sam Newman back in 2000 (the one
with the two story glass frontage embedded with Pamela Anderson's
face). For this project, Fahey took the old tailor's studio on the
outskirts of the city's Chinatown district and created a space that
works to a distinct opium-den theme. Downstairs speaks of colonial-era
Shanghai, with two fireplaces decorated with the Chinese zodiac.
Upstairs is the Poppy Room featuring plush pink fabrics suspended from
the ceiling. And nana-esque furniture. Pretty and comforting. Just as
Jeannie would like it.
And the drinks? They specialize in sours. The music? Something
described as "nouvelle-vague Joy Division revisions". Which certainly
pegs the clientèle into a certain age bracket. A space you might have
to track down yourself, but will certainly envelop you once you're in. Sarah W
Ikea pack furniture in it. Gehry has made furniture from it. Now
architects are shaping spaces with it. Is there any limit to the
creative re-use of corrugated cardboard? With its unique physical
consistency, its decidedly axial strength, and its deadening acoustic
absorption, corrugated cardboard has many inherent qualities. As such
it was the perfect material for this particular sound installation:
Made from 720 half square sheets of 7mm thick corrugated cardboard,
stacked in 360 layers, this cavernous sound space is set within a 2.5m
cube. As a space for listening to and experiencing music, the initial
concept for the design developed from the architect’s ambition to
create a strong spatial intensity and a distinct internal atmosphere.
With an irregular free-form interior set within a regular cubic volume,
the object has a profound duality. Made from one material it also has
an implied solidity that strengthens the architect’s distinction
between inside and out – a distinction that is heightened when the full
acoustic ambience is experienced from within.
Cutting the cardboard took three working days, and assembly just one.
The structure sits under its own dead weight, without any fixings or
glue. And, for those of a technical persuasion, a simple calculation
reveals that the combined compression of the 360 layers of cardboard is
20mm over the 2.5m height, or an average of 500ths of a millimetre per
sheet. All services are integrated within the stack, including cable
runs and apertures for the six-speaker surround sound system. R. G.
My first thought when asked to review a ‘boutique’ hotel was
something along the lines of ‘God help me’. It seems this new breed of
hotel was designed purely for city boys and city girls to pour money
into for the duration of yet another pointless business trip.
Overpriced, understaffed, and all because people want a kooky carpet in
every room.
So it was with a strange recalcitrance that I walked into London’s
Zetter hotel
for my Sunday night stay. The former 19th century warehouse sits on the
Clerkenwell Road amidst design houses and refurbished blocks in the
increasingly trendy Farringdon. Opened in 2004 by Michael Benyan and
Mark Sainsbury – the pair behind acclaimed restaurant Moro in nearby
Exmouth Market – the focus is strongly on cutting edge-design and
eco-friendly living. Natural light floods in from the building's
five-story, semi-elliptical atrium, while a bore-hole drilled beneath
the property provides water purified and bottled for drinking.
The tiny lobby is dominated by its chandelier of pink glass calla
lilies, and offers three options. To your right, a wood panelled, cork
stooled bar, with the Mediterranean themed restaurant beyond. To your
left, a small, perfectly formed reception desk. And straight ahead, the
red mirrored, boudoir themed lifts.
Reaching the fifth floor, the aspects of design suddenly become more
apparent. The large atrium pushes natural light through the building,
and the artwork from local artists breaks up the slightly drab pastel
décor. My room for the evening didn’t feel like your bog-standard
abode. The eclectic mix of original Penguin Classics, wide screen TV
and soft furnishings felt more like an affluent teenagers bedroom than
twenty something playground. The enormous wood decked balcony matched
the room in size, while London’s newly emerging skyline provided the
perfect backdrop.
Add to this ambient mood lighting, free wireless broadband, DVD player
and access to a 4000-track music library, my preconceptions of ‘trendy’
hotels suddenly seemed a bit archaic. The hotel has done away
with the outdated amenities that characterize so many other
establishments. Most rooms don't have a mini-bar or tea- and
coffee-making facilities. Instead, coffee and vending machines on each
floor dispense everything from champagne to disposable cameras.
Greeting fellow travelers in matching robe and slippers while buying a
bottle of champagne is surprisingly relaxing.
What started out as another over priced, poncy Auberge, became a well
thought out, modest getaway for the design orientated traveller. But
then again, there’s nothing worse than a pretentious critic being
proved wrong. By Matthew Hussey
This year's Geneva Auto Show stunned audiences with a car that
teeters on the edge of an optical illusion. Exasis is a transparent
Rinspeed creation has an insect-like body, transparent high-tech
plastic and yellow trim. At first glance, it looks like a large scale
Meccano set, upon closer inspection the image is literally transparent!
Perfect for someone with a Wonder Woman fetish who wants to re-enact
the invisible plane routine. How did that poor woman ever find where
she parked that damn thing? We suggest adorning it with beaded seat
covers ala Taxi Driver style to help it stand out in the crowd. by Andy G
Sydney based artist, Brian Walker, credits his desire to seamlessly
fuse fashion, illustration and the element of surprise as the driving
creative force behind his artworks.
In a time where the line between hyper-realities and those of our own
is becoming finer, the Sydney artist's work speaks a relative language.
The digital artist is inspired by surreal landscapes, the evolution of
fashion and changing popular culture . Walker takes these inspirational
genres and merges them with his concept of 'using photography as a tool
to represent the ideas of the impossible'.
Noting David La Chapelle as a major influence, Walker strives to create
a hyper-real visual language which at first glance appears real, and at
second, evolves into the surreal. More of the Sydney artists work can
be seen at lickthesun.comBy Andy G
Do not let the IKEA-yellow exterior fool you – the multifunctional Agora Theatre, is not displaying home
furnishings, but bustling with performances and new media works. It is
located in Lelystad, the capital of the province of Flevoland in the
Netherlands. The city, established as recently as 1967 and known for
its controversial and forward-thinking city planning, is boldly
building its center, the Centrale Zone, according to a master plan by West 8. In turn, West 8 is known for planning a vast array of exciting 'cityscapes', including a luxury village near Moscow and the waterfront revitalization project in
Toronto.
The Agora Theatre building is the work of UN Studio,
a group with theater, museum and art establishment expertise. The
building itself is worth a visit, even if no performances were taking
place (previews are already taking place). The tranquil cafe, open
during the day, offers beautiful views of the square outside. The
startling pink curving walls of the staircases resemble magnificent
silk ribbons. And the deliciously red concert hall with its unusual
wall surfaces will give you something to look at, even in the rare case
that the performance doesn’t interest you. This is one building that
will change the vibe of the city, both day and night. By Tuija Seipell.
Whilst the surf may be up Down Under at present, it's also letting rip
in Munich. Just outside the “Haus der Kunst” museum, sits a canal
who's wildly gushing rapids have created the cities
underground surfing spot de jour.
The rapids supply local surfing buffs with ample waves, keeping their
surfing skills sharp throughout the winter. It seems its one man at a
time at this surfing hole, so future enthusiasts need to join the
queue. Unlike the Aussies, these German surfers need not worry about
sharks. By Billy T (photographed exclusively for TCH by our German spotter, Gunnar Hämmerle)
"Roaming the globe...so you're in the know" is our motto and with
over 410,000 unique visitors per month and over 1.8 million page views,
thecoolhunter is now read in over 120 countries.
The essence of the Cool Hunter is the ethos of 'global information
channeling' that is not regionally specific, but rather based on
worldwide relevance. To cater for our ever expanding international
market, we now offer geo-targeting advertising on a global scale.
If you have an ad that you want to target and limit to readers in the
U.K or Japan for instance, that's when Geo-targeting comes into play.
Geo-targeting allows your banner ads to display only in certain
territories specified by our clients. Resulting in specified viewing by
your chosen regional target audience. Think of it as specifically
selecting what country your ad will be exposed and viewed in.
Our readers have a insatiable appetite for what’s new, innovative and
cool. Created and engineered for today’s demanding and
discerning pop-culture audience. These readers come from every corner
of the globe and bring with them distinguished tastes and specific
requirements which are met with precision by the manner in which the
Cool Hunter reports.
Our top 15 countries with the most popular hits come from these territories in this order:
1. UNITED STATES 2. UK 3. CANADA 4. AUSTRALIA 5. SPAIN 6. FRANCE 7.
NETHERLANDS 8. ITALY 9. GERMANY 10.JAPAN 11. BRAZIL 12. ARGENTINA 13.
SWEDEN 14. SINGAPORE 15. MEXICO
They were the talk of Balenciaga's Fall 07
showings recently - the new "IT" shoe that is a clear derivative of the
classic Balenciaga style, but appears to have been "built" by a small
child in Denmark. How does one wear such a must-have accessory? With
grey woollen tights or jodhpurs, apparently. Sarah W
Everyone is a pimp or a pinup, according to Simon Charrison and his
cousin James. Not content with the current trend of hair salons -
emaciated stylists, pissed-off pundits and sound systems capable of
melting your face – the two south Australians decided something had to
be done. So they decided to open their own hair salon that
prioritised service over grandiloquence right in the heart of London’s
east-end.
“Both I and Simon have an ‘old-school approach’. The stylists have a
very close working relationship with the clients, old and new, and many
of them come in just for a chat and a coffee. We offer a range of
complementary refreshments in the salon and we even offer beer and
wine, which is always well received, especially by the clients who have
just finished work.”
The styling and design take a similar approach. Vintage Japanese
chairs decked in thick black leather mould to your body while the
vaudeville décor offers a sense of theatre. Simon has been cutting hair for over twelve years and James has worked
in customer service for a similar period. The sense of personal
empowerment at the heart of Pimps & Pinups has attracted the likes
of Green Day, not to mention local bands who regularly feature on the
in house stereo. “The music we play is really important to the
ambience. There’s a lot of indie rock, but Saturdays mainly just
ends up being the ACDC day though,” muses James. By Matthew Hussey
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