Drawers...In Staircases...Simple!

As with most design it is the simplicity of this idea that makes it so practical. Now you can not only use your stairs for going up and down, but also for storage!

This is a great space saving idea for otherwise cluttered apartments, and could be a great spot to keep your shoes if you live in an apartment with stairs right near the entrance.

Might also be a good place to hide kinky or illegal substances, but nobody really has either of those things do they?

Jantzen Thinks Outside The Box

Michael Jantzen is nothing short of a stalwart for the cliché ‘thinking outside the box’. With a Master of Fine Arts in multimedia Jantzen unconventionally blends/merges ideas in art & architecture, and creates shapes and concepts of functionality beyond the period. Spending the best part of his ‘career’ exploring alternative energy systems in architecture Jantzen founded the non profit Human Shelter Research Institute and further dedicated himself to the development of alternative human shelter systems. Alternative being the operative word! Here are my 3 favourite Jantzen works:

Wind Shaped Pavilion

Because the outer shell of the pavilion is made of lightweight fabric the wind is able to rotate the 6 levels around a central support frame. The cool thing is that as the wind continues to alter the structures shape it generates power for night time illumination, and as long as the wind continues to blow there is slim to no chance that it will ever return to its original shape!

Stairscape

The stairscape is basically a set of unusual stairs for children & adults. Jantzen says that through this work he is challenging status quo concepts of functionality, stating that the stairscape can be a public gathering place to promote communication & physical fitness.

M-House

35 years of research & experimentation went into this sustainable, recyclable, relocatable house. The structure is made up of customizable ‘cubes’ that can be shipped in flatpack and erected in a new location to suit both the environment & the M-House dwellers. Jantzen wants to see other architects designing M-House ‘cubes’ so dwellers can exchange parts. There has actually only been 1 of these houses made and it was sold in March 07 at auction for an undisclosed amount.

It’s impossible not to respect Jantzen for his nobel attempts at challenging both design and concepts of functionality, but it is also impossible not to ask how practical these designs really are. Realistically funding for these types of projects is extremely limited although this may change. There also seems to be certain functionality issues with many of his designs, for example the M-House has no utilities, and I would personally be afraid of entering a multi level pavilion made out of ‘lightweight fabric’. Putting these flaws aside though I send my respect to Jantzen for pushing the envelope and challenging all of the people who say no.

Marc Newson's Qantas Lounge Takes Off

High Flyers be aware: last week Qantas opened their super-luxe first class Qantas lounges at both Sydney & Melbourne international airports.

Amidst an $11 billion takeover bid for Qantas, with $20 million Australian dollars in hand and carte blanc, Marc Newson has designed the ultimate ‘flying star feng shui’ lounge, and you only have to look at the impressive list of features, materials, designers and collaborators to see where all of that money went:
• American oak dividers
• Leather flooring for 80sqm library which holds an array of the latest magazines, newspapers, best-selling books and board game classics.
• Plasmas, Playstation 3’s, PC workstations & wireless (so you can keep up to date with the Callitech Blog!)
• Poltrona Frau leather lounge chairs, recliners & sofas designed specifically for the lounge
• Cappelini dining chairs and tables, also designed specifically for the lounge
• Open kitchen restaurant with menu’s from Australian chef Neil Perry
• Carrara Marble lined showers with individual volume and lighting controls
• Switzerland Quartzite adorns the day spa
• Complementary Payot Paris day spa
• ‘Vertical garden’ with over 8,400 plants designed by Patrick Blanc
• The lounge is managed by French hotel group Sofitel and the service will offer chair side waitering, full concierge service and day spa services.

As is standard with Newson’s designs he has thought about every detail of design and functionality, with “music specially created to complement the atmosphere and function of each area of the lounge”. Newson also sets out to “bring the romance back to travel” which is evident in his use of old fashioned clapper boards to display arrival & departure information.

This kind of luxury coupled with the trend of Australian based companies not owning a company jets makes me wonder if Macquarie executives are flying Qantas!