Month: December 2008

Designboom weblog, design related news, reviews and previews

Trying to collect news via the Quickpost WordPress plugin…but the built in Press it Plugin would bring a better result for this post…darn am I a slow two finger typist. But I want to make this point: I believe Joern Utzon was the ultimate prove that one well designed building can change the future of a city as a brand It can add clout to a city. Everybody who sees this photo will immediately think: “Sydney Opera House”. It has embedded the city in collective memory. May Joern rest in peace…

danish architect joern utzon who designed the sydney opera house died yesterday from a heart attack aged 90. considered to be one of the great architects of the 20th century, utzon designed private homes in his early career before he drew up the opera house in 1957, which later became one of the most iconic landmarks in sydney, australia. utzon received the pritzker prize for architecture in 2003 for his design.

designboom weblog, design related news, reviews and previews

Dutch Design (34): The AVL Wellness Skull via Design.nl

By Katie Dominy / 24-11-2008

Beauty from the inside out.

Sitting for four months outside Vienna’s contemporary art centre Kunsthalle Wien is a giant white fibreglass skull: the Wellness Skull by Dutch artist Joep van Lieshout.

Inside, the skull is set up as a mini health centre, with a selection of relaxation areas. In the neck of the skull is a small bath and a sauna is contained within the head of the skull. When the sauna is turned on, hot air streams out of the eye sockets. Once a month, on a Saturday afternoon, the public can climb inside the skull to take a tour of the facilities.

The skull refers back to the vanity symbol, a prominent theme in Dutch Old Master paintings, especially in the still life, where symbols of transience reminded the viewers that life was short and in the hands of God.

Design.nl