4th Floor grooming

Fourth Floor, is the rooftop salon owned by Richard Stepney, that occupies two beautifully designed floors in a building on Northington str, in Camden, London. Of course, the truly discerning (think London luminaries like John Pawson, Jon Snow, and Tom Dixon) have been visiting Stepney for a while now (Fourth Floor has been in business since 1990). Stepney recently celebrated his twentieth anniversary in his Clerkenwell location, which was truly off the map when he first opened in a thirties-era industrial space. [1]

Accessed by a seemingly dodgy freight elevator, Fourth Floor is bright and open with views of the city's skyline and art installations throughout, typically bartered for hair services over the years (it's also how Stepney procured some dental work and a wardrobe of bespoke clothing). The custom shelving, mirrors and lighting were designed by Tom Dixon, who used to have his studio on the ground floor. (We're presuming he has a lifetime supply of haircuts.) In many ways, Fourth Floor is an organic tableau of the connections Stepney has made over the years. [1]

They have a very nice short film, of the premises and atmosphere, where are design details in the space are highlighted. See below :

[1] Ref. http://www.remodelista.com/posts/secret-sources-an-artful-salon-in-london

the Nova Iskra design incubator

Design Incubator NOVA ISKRA, located in Belgrade, Serbia, is an independent, innovative and self-sustainable platform for the professional development and affirmation of young industrial and furniture designers, architects, graphic designers, illustrators and all other young creatives from the domains of graphic communications. NOVA ISKRA's working space represents a junction of encounters, creative exchange, mutual support and joint ventures. The goal of NOVA ISKRA is to create realistic and sustainable connections between designers and manufacturers that will result in products, which should besides enriching domestic market with their cutting-edge design and quality of production, become competent on the global level, as well. Through its program activities NOVA ISKRA provides its members with logistic and education support which covers entire production process from the initial idea to the realization of each original design - idea and product development, copy-right protection, market positioning, PR strategy and other aspects of the process in question. Read more here.

Besides its basic function - to offer working space for its selected members, and to long-term connect them with manufacturers in a constructive and sustainable way - NOVA ISKRA will be implementing numerous other projects, educational programs, professional meetings, lectures and workshops in an effort to attract not only the creative sector representatives, but also the representatives of small and medium businesses and manufacturers. A part of the programs will also be addressed to the general (creative) public interested in innovation and new tendencies in creative sector and creative industry domains.

Architects Petokraka were brought in to create the incubator in a 350sqm derelict building downtown. They incorporated a number of distinct and functional areas for the multi-disciplined creatives can do their thing, but also included more practical elements such as a conference room, kitchen, an office service and a design library. [1] The building is essentially divided into two levels and several spatial units in order to answer all designer's needs, who are direct beneficiaries and users of the space. MAKE mini workshop fully equipped with tools for models production. Centrally positioned and transparent, it represents the Incubator’s most dynamic part. WORK Design Incubator’s working space equipped with 18 office desks, all of them provided with their own electricity supply and connection, 24’’ monitor, storage space, and comfortable working chair. For the utilisation of the rest of the available spaces, continue reading here.

[1] Ref. http://www.weheart.co.uk/2013/02/08/nova-iskra-design-incubator/

the unreal faces of the earth [vol. 1]

These are all real locations, that do seem unreal due to their morphology and geological structures involved, as well as due to lighting conditions and some very skillfull photography.

Mount Grinnell – Glacier National Park, Montana

Mount Grinnell is a peak located in the heart of Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana near Mount Gould and Mount Wilbur. It is named after George Bird Grinnell. From the Many Glacier Hotel on Swiftcurrent Lake the "false peak" of Grinnell Point can be seen.

Zhangye Danxia landform, China

These incredible landscapes look as if they have been painted in the sweeping pastel brush strokes of an impressionistic artwork. But in fact these remarkable pictures show the actual scenery of Danxia Landform at Nantaizi village of Nijiaying town, in Linzhe county of Zhangye, Gansu province of China. Formed of layers of reddish sandstone, the terrain has over time been eroded into a series of mountains surrounded by curvaceous cliffs and unusual rock formations.

Mt. Roraima, Venezuela

Mount Roraima is the highest of the Pakaraima mountain chain in South America. The 31 square kilometer summit area of Mount Roraima is defined by 400 meter tall cliffs on all sides and includes the borders of Brazil, Venezuela, and Guyana. The tabletop mountains of the Pakaraima’s are considered some of the oldest geological formations on Earth, dating back to some two billion years ago. The result is the staggering landscape of Mount Roraima.

The Wave, Arizona

The Wave is a sandstone rock formation located in the United States of America near the Arizona and Utah border on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, on the Colorado Plateau. It is famous among hikers and photographers for its colorful, undulating forms, and the rugged, trackless hike required to reach it.

The Richat Structure – Mauritania

The Richat Structure, also known as the Eye of the Sahara and Guelb er Richat, is a prominent circular feature in the Sahara desert of west–central Mauritania near Ouadane. This structure is a deeply eroded, slightly elliptical, 40 km in diameter, dome. The sedimentary rock exposed in this dome range in age from Late Proterozoic within the center of the dome to Ordovician sandstone around its edges. Exposed within the interior of the Richat Structure are a variety of intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks. Spectacular hydrothermal features are a part of the Richat Structure.

Grand Prismatic Spring – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world. The vivid colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria in the microbial mats that grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The bacteria produce colors ranging from green to red. In the summer, the mats tend to be orange and red, whereas in the winter the mats are usually dark green. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat, and the deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue color of water.

The Stone Forest – Yunnan, China

These formations, caused by the dissolution of limestone, are believed to be over 270 million years old and are a tourist attraction for both overseas and domestic tourists. Geologists say the Stone Forest is a typical example of karsts topography. Approximately 270 million years ago - during the carboniferous period of the Paleozoic era - the region was a vast expanse of sea. Over time, the movements of the lithosphere gradually caused a retreat of the waters and the rise of the limestone landscape. Due to constant erosion by the elements, the area finally developed into the present-day appearance.

Namib-Naukluft Park, Namimbia

ust a quick glance and you could be forgiven for thinking this striking image is a spectacular piece of artwork. But take a minute to look a little closer and you will see it is in fact a photograph - capturing the eerie camel thorn trees in Namibia's Namib-Naukluft Park in an entirely new light. Tinted orange by the morning sun, the soaring sand dune in the background gives the illusion of a painted sky.

Lake Retba, Senegal

Lake Retba or Lac Rose lies north of the Cap Vert peninsula of Senegal, north east of Dakar. It is so named for its pink waters, caused by Dunaliella salina algae in the water that produce a red pigment that uses sunlight to create more energy, turning the waters pink. The color is particularly visible during the dry season. The lake is also known for its high salt content, which, like that of the Dead Sea, allows people to float easily.

Crystal Cave – Skaftafell, Iceland

This ice cave is on the edge of the glacier where it enters into an lagoon near Svínafellsjökull. It is only possible to access it when the lagoon is frozen. Ice caves are in general unstable things and can collapse at any time. They are however much more stable in winter when the cold temperatures harden the ice. Even so we could hear constant cracking sounds inside the cave. It was not because it was going to collapse but because the cave was moving along with the glacier itself. Each time the glacier moved a millimeter loud sounds could be heard.  

the Hamra House in the woods of Gotland

Hamra in Swedish means "hammer", and is used to describe the underlying philosophy of constructing and organising the spaces of this very simple, yet intuitive house in the backwood country of the island of Gotland. The descriptive words come from the brief of the architectural office Dinell-Johansson, responsible for the realisation of the project : "… a house as simple as possible. Equally simple as the barn we wanted to convert to a summer dwelling, but which never showed up on the market: one open space with a large number of possible beds, cooking in the middle, washing facilities outside the house. Planing regulations ruled the placement of the house to the inner part of the plot which at the time of designing was still densly vegetated and scarcely accessible. Hence the house was designed with generic qualities, creating no front- or backside, treating all sides of the site equally. Four large openings 2,4x2m are placed according to rotational symmetry, one in each facade. Facing north is a fixed window, the other three are glazed doors. There is no hierarchy between the doors – anyone can be used as an entrance. Two roof windows add skylight to the interior."

The interior space is dominated by two plywood volumes which, in and above, offer space to play and to sleep. Around and between these volumes entrance, cooking, dining and living takes place. All serving functions are organized along a 90cm wide strip running through the house. All technical equipment and all water and drainage is located along this strip which limited the complexity of installation work. Spacial functions like stairs, storage, closets, bookshelf etc. are also located along the serving strip. In the middle there is the kitchen which consists of a 3,1mx0,9m concrete bench with an integrated fire-place. It is cast in situ and the cupboards are remaining parts of the cast. In this case the formwork plywood has been used for its actual purpose. The furniture is to a large extent assembled out of remaining our reused building material.

[Ref.] http://www.dinelljohansson.se/p/hamra.html

[Ref.] http://www.architizer.com/en_us/projects/view/hamra/22760/#.UYfrgKJTBqA

the Daily Secret for your city

Came across a video lately that I really liked for its photography and music. However, I would like to speak about the underlying business concept. Daily Secret is a daily email with the best that your city has to offer. They send you one secret every day and ask that you share it only with your close friends. Well they also send an occasional sponsored mail, but that is beyond the beauty and simplicity or the straight-forwardness of their business model. Daily Secret is a provider of what most of us in tight, job-driven lives, that have neglected the elements that make us special, may seek ; the uniqueness of close knowledge, the competitive edge that the possession of "secret knowledge" may bring to our social status. This company of people, packs it nicely, and delivers it, everyday to your electronic doorstep. No hassle for you to discover new, or older places, people and activities. Of course, you give something back, in terms of knowledge dissipation and the news-forwarding (that let's face it, you would do either way) to your own social community. Simple, rewarding, efficient and very effective. The latter I mean as an ad-delivery platform (that can be also focused, well-targeted, and potentially measurable). It is good for business whether you are a local, craving to get to know your city, or a foreign traveler, starving for that special experience.

A short but concise description, in their own words : "Daily Secret is a free daily email that makes life just that much more interesting. Each weekday we send you a secret about your favorite city. Whether it's a picnic spot in a forgotten park downtown, an impromptu dance lesson in an open square, or a cocktail in a secret back room, our secrets help you discover those special experiences you never knew existed but now can't live without. Want to hear something crazy? Daily Secret didn't start as a business. In fact, it began as a "good karma" project in mid-crisis Athens, Greece as a way to remind people what they love about their city. It wasn't too long before we realized that cities all over the world were starving for a daily dose of positive energy. Twenty-two cities later... well, the rest (as they say) is history." And that is the story more-or-less.

Tapioca Shakes a.k.a. bubble tea

While roaming this planet, one gets to know the differences between each nation, peoples and civilization. There are a million of identifiable differences, either minute or very profound, but in their multitude, all are diverse and wonderful, in the eyes of those seeking knowledge, or merely new experiences. Well, this is introduction may be too much, but it definitely comes in contrast with our new globalised society, where elements of one culture are infused into others ; with food and drinks being normally the first and easiest to adopt. New in Medellín, Colombia, there is a rather small shop selling "Tapioca Shakes" what is very well known in the East as "Bubble Tea". More info and pictures on Tapioca Shakes ID can be found here and here.

"What is bubble tea ?", you may ask. Well, If you visit Taiwan or Hong Kong you can't help but notice the unique bubble teashops on every corner. Bubble Tea to Taiwan is what coffee or soda is to the U.S. And just like in Taiwan, Bubble Tea shops are popping up all over the world, reaching even Colombia.        

Bubble Tea originated in Taiwan in the early 1980's at a small tea stand. Elementary school children would look forward to buying a cup of refreshing tea after a long, hard day of work and play. Tea stands were set up in front of the schools and would compete for business with the best selling tea. One stand owner became popular with its tea when started adding different fruit flavoring to the tea. When adding flavor, the tea and flavoring needed to be shaken well for a good all around taste. This formed bubbles in the drink, which came to be known as "Bubble Tea." Later in the 80s tapioca pearls were introduced. Most of the time tapioca pearls were served in cold infused tea. After the tea and flavor were shaken well, it topped tapioca pearls that were sitting on the bottom of a clear cup. The tapioca pearls also looked like bubbles, thus also became to known as "Bubble Tea." Bubbles floated on the top your drink and bottom of your drink. [1] For more background info, see also here.

Bubble tea is also known as boba drink, pearl tea drink, boba ice tea, boba, boba nai cha, zhen zhou nai cha, pearl milk tea, pearl ice tea, black pearl tea, tapioca ball drink, BBT, PT, pearl shake, QQ (which means chewy in Chinese) and possible many others.

Bubble tea drinks are a healthy tea, infused by a flavoring that results into a cool, refreshing, and sweet drink with tapioca pearls sitting on the bottom of a clear cup. Sometimes the drink is made with fresh fruits, milk, and crushed ice to create a healthy milk shake. You can also find drinks that are made of powdered flavoring, creamer, water, and crushed ice. Tapioca pearls are black, but can sometimes be found to be white or transparent. Depending on the ingredients of the pearl, the color varies. The white and translucent pearls can be made of caramel, starch and chamomile root extract. The black pearls are made from sweet potato, cassava root and brown sugar, which add the black color.

The consistency of tapioca pearls are somewhere between jell-o and chewing gum (like gummy bears). They are the size of a marble. A clear cup with black balls on the bottom can easily identify bubble Tea drinks. The fat straw is needed so that the tapioca pearls can be sucked up with the drink and eaten. Bubble tea essentially comprises of 4 ingredients [2] :

Flavor :  Flavored powder, flavored syrup, fruit purees or fresh fruit

Creamer :  Powder creamer, half-n-half, full milk or other creamer

Sweetener :  Sugar, simple sugar syrup, fructose or honey

Liquid :  Water, tea or milk

The tapioca pearls, that turn the bubble tea into a Tapioca Shake, add a new element to the bubble tea beverage. Tapioca is distinctive, chewy and ultimately addicting. For an added twist, coconut meat can be added for a new flavor dimension.

[1] Ref. http://www.bubbleteasupply.com/?page=what.html

[2] Ref. http://www.bubbleteasupply.com/index.php?page=components.html

É Prá Poncha : it's time to drink Poncha

As its name indicates, ponchas are the house specialty, a typical Madeira drink which invaded the Continent 9 years ago. The architect Antonio Fernandez responsible for designing É Prá Poncha, was inspired by a cave and tried to work the best with the "depth" and "lack of width" of space. The result was a most stylish hot spot located located in the center of Porto’s nightlife scene. The interior design is made up of indents and layers and was not just there to provide the physical value on the place but also to define the different functioning spaces so it becomes not only a stylish bar design but also functional as well.

The Portuguese nightclub resembles a multi-coloured cavern, complete with chameleonic stalactites that undulate from the ceiling. Located in Porto, the É Pra Poncha bar and club was modeled after natural forms like water dripping from melting ice or eroding limestone hanging from a cave’s ceiling. Mimicking these forms, the entire ceiling of the narrow space is covered with horizontal strata made of lacquered MDF. "Simultaneously these strata wave organically to shape various spaces and create voids and different chambers," says architect António Fernandez. "They develop support services to the bar, like the clean pantry, the dirty pantry, toilets and storage room." Meanwhile, chromatic tones are constantly altered through a series of RGB LED lights, which slowly change over the course of an evening. The space can shift from fiery red to icy blue, likely affecting bar-goers. The bar is located on Porto’s famous Rua da Galeria de Paris, a nightlife hotspot. [1] Read some reviews here.

Poncha is a traditional alcoholic drink from the island of Madeira, made with Aguardente de cana (distilled alcohol made from sugar cane juice), honey, sugar, lemon rind and with different fruit juices according to the version of Poncha, but traditionally lemon juice is used. The drink may be based on an Indian drink called Pãnch/Panch, in Hindi Pãnch/Panch means five and the drink was originally made with five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, lemon, water, and tea or spices. This is also where the English drink Punch has originated from. [2]

[1] Ref. http://retaildesignblog.net/2012/06/03/e-pra-poncha-bar-by-antonio-fernandez-porto-portugal/

[2] Ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poncha

the photography of Kesler Tran

Not much is available on Kesler Tran, except from his work, which is oftenly described as stunning and sensual. Kesler is based in Los Angeles, USA, and is very active with fashion shoots and editorials. Although the assignments that he takes up are commercial, his work transcends the borders of the purely "orchestrated and just paid" work. The way that he captures the underlying poses of his models, the play with the shadows that seem to be the decisive framing factor in his work, or the extensive play with light in other shoots, the choice of locations, the poetry of the moving figures ; the list is rather long, when trying to convey the emotions aroused when viewing his photography, especially his B&W work. Check out the blog for his latest work, where as he says "you'll find a collection of photos taken from test, editorials, jobs, or anything else I find worth sharing" and where he also answers questions.

the elegant Bar&Co space in Helsinki

During last summer in an old bookstore newly renovated, in Helsinki, Finland, Bar & Co was established with a view towards a lounge bar, which would be chic and casual. Old classics and signature drinks, several wines by glass, a good variety of champagnes and specialty beers are available in an easy area, sparsely decorated, with clean lines, and distinct functionality rooms. In the new bar it`s easy to drop by after work or to stay longer. Bar & Co. also provides also casual bar snacks for the late munchies. Bar&Co is the newest culinary project from the duo that created Kitchen&Co.

Kitchen&Co. is a dream come true for long term restaurateurs Kati Jaakola and Filip Stenius whom, in their own words, opened their first "real restaurant" in 2010. In their past the two have founded a successful catering business (1995) and the renowned Soup Kitchens (since 2003) which are located in the old and atmospheric Food halls in Helsinki.

The space itself was designed by interior architect Joanna Laajisto with one great aspect in mind; to outlive the comings and goings of the trends and styles and last through time as the place you’ll always want to socialize in.  Looking at the design, this brief has been fulfilled by capturing the mod & clean Helsinki style. Specializing in fine wines and champagnes, the interior makes you understand that it is all about the refined and simplistic quality. This is a bar where simply by glancing through its 4 separate spaces you understand that it has nothing to do with quantity. [1]

[1] Ref. http://www.yatzer.com/Bar-Co-Joanna-Laajisto-Helsinki-Finland