steinway & sons unveils ultra black and ultra white grand pianos in monochrome design

STEINWAY & SONS’ LIMITED EDITION IN MONOCHROME DESIGN

Steinway & Sons elevates its legendary craftsmanship by unveiling the Ultra Black and Ultra White Limited Editions, two strikingly contemporary grand pianos that embrace pure, uncompromising monochrome design. Produced at the Hamburg factory, this collection is limited to just 52 instruments worldwide — 26 in each finish, split between 18 Model B and 8 Model D concert  grands. The most radical design departure is the instruments’ total color saturation, culminating in the all-black and all-white keyboards. At the exclusive press event, the launch was celebrated with a live performance by the Piano Brothers, perfectly matching the evening’s theme.

‘Performing on the Ultra Black and Ultra White pianos in a concert setting was a unique experience. When I first found out that all the keys would be the same color, I was intrigued as to how this would feel, especially in a situation where I was expected to deliver at concert level. Elwin and I had a very short time to acquaint ourselves with the instruments; at first it was a surreal experience, particularly for the Ultra Black. I think this is because the keys on a normal piano are predominantly white, so for every single key to be black took some getting used to. But after a few hours of playing, it became much easier – particularly as I was playing the Ultra Black for 90% of the concert – so we spent a lot of time together. As with every Steinway, each of the pianos had its own personality – both Elwin and I were so pleased that they complimented each other perfectly,’ comments Dominic Ferris, one of the musicians, after having debuted the pianos.

Steinway & Sons’ Ultra Black and Ultra White Limited Editions | all images courtesy of Steinway & Sons

FROM HERITAGE TO NEW EXPRESSIONS IN PIANO MAKING

Since its founding in 1853, Steinway & Sons has set the uncompromising standard for sound, craftsmanship, and design in piano making. As the choice of nine out of ten concert pianists, the brand balances a deep heritage with continuous innovation. The Ultra Black and Ultra White editions mark a departure from the classic finish, experimenting on new expressions with a sharp, modern design sensibility. 

‘We were looking for a design in a pure and yet modern style, with a smooth and sleek charm, a design that exudes elegance and sophistication. We started experimenting with the colours of the cast-iron plate and the soundboard. We did the first renderings with the standard keyboard and at that moment, we simply asked ourselves, what if… and once we saw the monochrome keys on each piano, we knew we had reached the concept we were looking for,’ explains Camilo Daza Tapia, Head of Product Management at Steinway & Sons Germany. The entire limited run is produced at the company’s factory in Hamburg, Germany, a facility that, along with its New York counterpart, maintains the brand’s global standard.

the contemporary grand pianos embrace pure, uncompromising monochrome design

ULTRA BLACK & ULTRA WHITE ENSURE UNCOMPROMISING PERFORMANCE

The design of the two editions is meticulous and total. The Ultra Black strikes with a bold, all-black identity. Its rim is finished in Jet Black, celebrated for its dramatic depth, and the monochrome look is carried through every detail: a stained black underside, a black-stained soundboard, and a cast-iron plate in Liquid Black Yellow. Even the metal fittings are Black PVD, extending the palette with a subtle sheen, culminating in an all-black keyboard.

the most radical design departure is the total color saturation, culminating in the all-black and all-white keyboards

The decision to invert the traditional keyboard color raised functional questions, yet the design team had a precise solution: ‘We knew it was going to be an unexpected if not puzzling visual surprise for some pianists, so we decided that the 36 sharp and flat keys should have a matte surface, and the 52 keys for the basic notes should have a polished surface, which makes them perfectly distinguishable,’ explains the Product Manager. This subtle, tactile difference ensures the pianist’s required orientation is maintained. The functionality was confirmed by internal testing.

‘We are lucky to have many colleagues at Steinway who play the piano well, some even professionally. They were the first ones to have had access to the prototypes. When we saw the ease with which one of them started to play Rhapsody in Blue and another played some boogie-woogie, all our worries disappeared immediately,’ Daza Tapia further explains.

the Ultra Black and Ultra White Editions are limited to just 52 pianos worldwide

Conversely, the Ultra White is a striking contrast, featuring a Pure White rim — a luminous, soft white radiating clarity and brightness. It features a washed underside, a white-stained soundboard, and a high-gloss white cast-iron plate, accented by chrome metal fittings and studio double casters. In a discreet design move, both pianos only feature an engraved Steinway logo on the front, leaving the sides completely clean.

Additionally, both models are equipped with Steinway’s SPIRIO | r technology, the world’s most advanced high-resolution player piano. This technology uses Steinway’s patented sensor system to capture every nuance of the performance. It’s an innovation to preserve live performances for the next generation, replicating the artist’s exact motion to create an experience that feels authentic, unfiltered, and immediate. The feature allows the instrument to play live and even share performances in real-time globally via SPIRIOCAST.

both models are equipped with Steinway’s SPIRIO | r technology

The launch also celebrated a collaboration with Bentley Motors, where the Ultra Editions were mirrored by a Bentley Flying Spur Speed finished in Arctic White with a Piano Black veneer interior. The partnership underscores the shared tradition of craftsmanship, with both brands exchanging knowledge on woodworking and veneering to create objects designed to last for decades. 

‘As part of this partnership, we didn’t just design side by side. We exchanged knowledge. Bentley’s team visited our workshops and our artisans visited theirs. And what came from it was a deeper understanding – that precision and passion aren’t industry-specific. It has been and continues to be a conversation, a dialogue between two worlds, discussing the best of craftsmanship in the details. It is about the finishes, the story behind the wood, mastering the veneers, the way every line, every curve, every stitch carries intention,’ the Product Manager concludes.

the Piano Brothers live at the press event in Hamburg

the Ultra Editions were mirrored by a Bentley Flying Spur Speed in Arctic White with a Piano Black veneer interior

project info:

name: Ultra Black and Ultra White Limited Editions

company: Steinway & Sons | @steinwaygermany

product: 52 grand pianos — 18 Model B in Ultra Black; 18 Model B in Ultra White; 8 Model D in Ultra Black; 8 Model D in Ultra White

partnership: Bentley Motors | @bentleymotors
location: Steinway & Sons Manufactory, Hamburg, Germany

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self-sufficient bivouac shelter by carlo ratti produces its own water and electricity in the alps

Carlo ratti’s alpine structure to debut at 2026 winter olympics

Carlo Ratti Associati introduces the self-sufficient wooden alpine bivouac shelter that can produce electricity and collect water on its own in the Alps. The project is a collaborative work with Salone del Mobile.Milano, which is set to debut as an urban pavilion during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. After that, it is to be moved by helicopter to its permanent place in the Alps to serve as a safe resting point for climbers and trekkers. The main goal of the bivouac shelter is to become a structure that can work by itself in remote mountain areas. 

In fact, the one Carlo Ratti Associati has designed can source its own energy, collect its own water, and support basic needs without outside help. It is because the design team used digital technology to study the local environment and build the structure so it fits well into the Alpine setting. They started it with a 3D scan of real rock formations in the Alps, where the scan captured the shape, size, and angles of the rocks to help the designers understand how the natural landscape is formed. Using the data, they designed the shelter’s shape and structure to follow the forms found in the mountain rocks, which made sure the design would fit well with the ground and weather conditions.

all images courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associati

bivouac shelter that handles its own electricity and water

Carlo Ratti Associati’s efforts result in a small prefabricated building made in pieces that can be transported easily, so the design can also be repeated or adjusted for other sites if needed. The bivouac shelter that can handle its own electricity and water uses cross-laminated timber for the main structure to make the remote installations easier when airlifted by helicopter. The team adds aerogel insulation to protect the bivouac shelter against extreme temperatures and a metal layer to strengthen the outer shell and protect the surface from snow, ice, and wind. 

Then, there’s a glass front wall that allows natural light to enter and offers a direct view of the surrounding mountains. As mentioned, the bivouac shelter produces its own electricity through a five-kilowatt photovoltaic system placed on the roof. The power is stored in an integrated battery system that keeps the lights, sensors, and digital communication systems working even when there is no sunlight. Because there are no rivers or lakes nearby, the bivouac uses an air condensation system to make drinking water. The system works by cooling air until moisture turns into liquid, and it can produce several liters of potable water per day, enough for a small group of climbers. The structure also includes network connectivity, allowing emergency contact if needed.

the structure also provides space for mountaineers to rest, sleep, and take shelter from weather changes

red warning light that turns on in low-visibility conditions

Traditional mountain shelters are often painted in bright colors to make them easy to find during fog or storms. The team at Carlo Ratti Associati took a different approach because its bivouac shelter that can take care of its own water and electricity matches the tones of its natural surroundings to reduce visual contrast. Instead of paint, it uses a red warning light that turns on automatically in low-visibility conditions. This way, the shelter remains visible when safety requires it but blends with the terrain the rest of the time. 

Inside, the structure also provides space for mountaineers to rest, sleep, and take shelter from weather changes during their hike break. The project has two phases. The first phase will take place in Milan during the 2026 Winter Olympics, where the structure will be installed as a temporary pavilion that presents the design to the public. After the event, the bivouac will be dismantled, lifted by helicopter, and transported to its final mountain site. There, it will be reassembled and permanently fixed on the Alpine terrain, becoming the self-sufficient bivouac shelter with its own electricity, water, and essentials.

there’s a glass front wall that allows natural light and offers a direct view of the surrounding mountains

the shelter remains visible when safety requires it but blends with the terrain the rest of the time

the structure is set to debut as an urban pavilion during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan

the structure uses a red warning light that turns on automatically in low-visibility conditions

project info:

name: Bivouac

design: Carlo Ratti Associati | @crassociati

event: Milano Cortina 2026

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francis kéré arrives in northern germany with timber and rammed earth museum ehrhardt

a new museum dedicated to photography and contemporary art

Museum Ehrhardt, designed by Francis Kéré, has broken ground in the small village of Plüschow near the Baltic Sea. The work marks the architect’s first cultural project in Germany and his first museum building in Europe. Covering 1,400 square meters, the timber and rammed earth museum is dedicated to photography and contemporary art, with a focus on the work and legacy of Alfred Ehrhardt (1901–1984), a leading figure of the New Objectivity movement, a German modern realist movement which arose in the 1920s as a rejection of romantic idealism.

The site sits beside Schloss Plüschow, a historic castle that now houses an artist residency and gallery. The new museum adds a contemporary layer to this context, engaging with its rural surroundings through material honesty and spatial restraint. Rather than standing apart, the building integrates with the landscape, encouraging a quiet dialogue between past and present.

images © Kéré Architecture

francis kéré’s structure of timber, clay and rammed earth

The architecture of Museum Ehrhardt reflects architect Francis Kéré’s long-standing interest in local craftsmanship and environmentally responsive design. Constructed mainly from timber and clay, the building’s structure is defined by a central rammed earth wall that runs along its main axis. This wall, formed with a rough yet precise texture, anchors the space both physically and atmospherically. It balances humidity and temperature while shaping the rhythm of the galleries.

Above this earthen spine, a timber framework spans the museum’s full width. Designed for future dismantling and reuse, the wooden structure embodies a circular approach to building that prioritizes adaptability and longevity. Developed in collaboration with HK Architekten from Austria, the framework demonstrates a meticulous understanding of material performance and joinery, combining regional craft traditions with forward-looking engineering.

Museum Ehrhardt in Plüschow introduces Francis Kéré’s first museum in Europe

museum ehrhardt’s integration with landscape

The museum’s outer form is defined by a timber pergola that recalls the familiar geometry of rural gable roofs. Its contours trace a vernacular silhouette while allowing the roofline to open toward the surrounding fields and sky. A roof garden extends across the upper level, acting as a biotope that visually and ecologically binds the museum to its setting.

At ground level, a garden unfolds from the museum café, designed with subtle topographical shifts that guide rainwater into collection areas. This system reduces dependence on external water sources and supports the vegetation that softens the building’s perimeter. The landscape and architecture are conceived as one continuous surface, each of which supports the other through an economy of means.

Francis Kéré’s design language remains calm and tactile. Clay, timber, and rammed earth create a sense of groundedness appropriate to the rural setting, while the open layout encourages fluid movement between interior and exterior spaces.

a timber framework designed with HK Architekten allows for future reuse

a central rammed earth wall defines the spatial rhythm of the exhibition halls

the wall’s thermal mass stabilizes humidity and temperature throughout the building

wood and clay construction connects the museum to northern Germany’s craft traditions

project info:

name: Museum Ehrhardt | @everhartmuseum

architect: Diébébo Francis Kéré | @kerearchitecture in cooperation with HK Architekten | @hk.architekten

location: Plüschow, Germany

status: broken ground

photography: © Kéré Architecture

design team: Leonne Vögelin, Mathis Zondler
contributors: Andrea Maretto, Daniel Melendez, Gökçe Senol, Gudrun Müller, Klara Johnsson, Oskar Haushofer, Benjamin Gabler, Carolin Ackermann, Lara Schöllhorn
partners: Engineering: Merz Kley & Partner GmbH
fire safety: Fire & Timber Ing.
building services: Knecht Ingenieure
building physics: Hafner Weithas Bauphysik
lighting design: Bernd König Lichtplaner
landscape: Erik Dhont Landscape Architects
project management: GAPP GmbH, Antony Gross, Felix Bodenmüller
client: Dr. Jens Ehrhardt, Elke Weicht-Ehrhardt

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201 flip-flops beat for meriem bennani’s installation at lafayette anticipations in paris

201 flip-flops turn Lafayette Anticipations into a living orchestra

Artist Meriem Bennani transforms the familiar flip-flop into a vibrating instrument of collective rhythm with her large-scale installation Sole Crushing, on view at Lafayette Anticipations in Paris until February 8th, 2026. The project fills the foundation’s entire vertical space with 201 flip-flops animated by a pneumatic system and synchronized to a musical composition created in collaboration with musician and producer Reda Senhaji (aka Cheb Runner).

Originally presented at Fondazione Prada in Milan (find designboom’s previous coverage here) and now entirely reimagined for Lafayette Anticipations, Sole Crushing becomes an immense polyphonic instrument. The installation invites visitors to wander through an organic environment of moving percussion instruments, including a sprawling island of sandals that crawl across the floor, vertical ladders and spiral structures covered in shoes, and a massive drum suspended from the top floor, commanding the whole ensemble. Each flip-flop, connected by two air tubes, strikes against materials like wood, plexiglass, fabric, or metal, producing a range of percussive tones that merge into a collective pulse.

all images by Aurélien Mole

Meriem Bennani channels collective energy through rhythm

Meriem Bennani’s rhythmic structure draws from Moroccan musical traditions, particularly dakka marrakchia, a ritual of drumming and chanting that builds to a peak of spiritual intensity. The Moroccan artist, together with Reda Senhaji, translates this energy into a contemporary orchestra, merging the hypnotic repetition of protest chants with the ecstatic cadence of football crowds and communal ceremonies. ‘I try to recreate moments of collective catharsis, rituals, atmospheres of big stadiums, and chaotic states of exaltation or revolt,’ Bennani says. ‘What interests me is to recreate what we feel in those moments of social utopia, where, without explanation, everyone knows what they are supposed to do within a group.’

The title Sole Crushing plays on the English expression ‘soul-crushing’, something emotionally numbing or draining, by swapping ‘soul’ for ‘sole.’ The pun literalizes the phrase through the slap of rubber soles beating rhythm and noise, evoking the sonic unity of bodies in motion. Bennani’s sandals become a democratic medium, being inexpensive, ubiquitous, and universally understood. The artist recalls being drawn to the flip-flop’s simplicity and material elasticity, its capacity to deform, bounce, and resist rigidity. ‘They’re polymorphic,’ she explains. ‘They can change shape and become something else. In a way, they escape the rigidity of authority and rules.’

This slipper, found everywhere from Moroccan markets to beach resorts, thus becomes a social metaphor. In Bennani’s hands, it symbolizes the tension between playfulness and resistance, the joyful, rebellious energy of the crowd. The artist connects the object’s humorous familiarity with its latent potential for dissent: the flip-flop as weapon, meme, or political symbol, from viral clips of shoes thrown at leaders to sculptures commemorating these gestures.

artist Meriem Bennani transforms the familiar flip-flop into a vibrating instrument of collective rhythm

duende, dakka, and digital humor

Bennani’s installation channels the duende, the mysterious force described by Federico García Lorca as the soul that possesses the flamenco dancer, and fuses it with dakka marrakchia, the Moroccan tradition that summons transcendence through repetition. These cultural references are filtered through the artist’s signature language of irony and pop sensibility, merging high and low, sacred and absurd.

Air circulates through its pneumatic network like breath through lungs; rhythms ripple upward, guided not by a single conductor but by a collective pulse. Bennani likens this to the maâlem, the heartbeat figure in Moroccan ensembles, who leads through rhythm rather than authority.

In this work, Bennani extends her ongoing investigation into how bodies, technologies, and symbols shape shared experience. Her practice, which spans sculpture, video, and kinetic installation, combines realistic elements and fantasy to reveal the hybrid nature of contemporary culture.

Sole Crushing is on view at Lafayette Anticipations, Paris

the large-scale installation fills the foundation’s entire vertical space with 201 flip-flops

the filp-flops are animated by a pneumatic system

synchronized to a musical composition created in collaboration with Reda Senhaji

inviting visitors to wander through an organic environment of moving percussion instruments

each flip-flop is connected by two air tubes

flip-flops strike against materials like wood, plexiglass, fabric, or metal

Meriem Bennani’s rhythmic structure draws from Moroccan musical traditions

the sandals become a democratic medium

Meriem Bennani in front of her installation

project info:

name: Sole Crushing

artist: Meriem Bennani | @meriembennani

curator: Elsa Coustou

location: Lafayette Anticipations | @lafayetteanticipations, Paris

dates: October 22nd, 2025 – February 8th, 2026

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DS+R completes cartier flagship in miami design district with undulating glass facade

Cartier Flagship Reopens in the Miami Design District

The newly renovated Cartier flagship in Miami’s Design District stands at 147 NE 39th Street, its expanded form conceived by Diller Scofidio and Renfro as a fluid dialogue between architecture and the street. The building’s undulating glass facade carries a rhythm that catches the changing light and suggests a sense of motion. Across the curved surface, a delicate pattern has been translated from a 1909 Cartier brooch. It appears and disappears with each shift in sun or shadow, softening the boundary between interior and exterior.

Elizabeth Diller, founding partner of Diller Scofidio and Renfro, describes the facade as a surface ‘to draw in passersby while knitting together the store and the street.’ The resulting skin is at once transparent and veiled. It extends an invitation while preserving a sense of privacy. Its curvature subtly mirrors the flow of pedestrians along the district’s shaded walkways, and aligns Cartier’s architectural presence with the Miami Design District’s open atmosphere.

images courtesy Diller Scofidio and Renfro

Interiors by Laura Gonzalez

Inside, the Cartier Flagship in Miami unfolds through a sequence of rooms designed by Laura Gonzalez with Diller Scofidio and Renfro, where each level offers a distinct tonal shift. The ground floor sets a tone that is bright and open to the sunlight that filters through the etched glass. Organic forms echo the nearby coastline, while the palette moves between coral hues, soft greens, and muted golds.

A central staircase in the shape of a seashell winds upward through the boutique, its sculpted form lined with subtle iridescence. It acts as a connective spine, carrying the visitor from the public display areas to more private lounges above. Gonzalez describes the design as ‘a sensory journey,’ and this is most apparent in how each floor carries its own temperature — vitality at the entry, calm in the upper rooms, and ease on the terrace.

the Cartier flagship in Miami Design District has been reimagined by Diller Scofidio and Renfro

hand-finished spaces infused with natural motifs

The design language of the architecture and interiors converges in the treatment of materials. Diller Scofidio and Renfro’s glass surface dissolves into Gonzalez’s use of vegetal motifs that climb columns and trace ceilings. The dialogue between the two practices creates a layered environment — technological precision meeting hand-finished craft. The motifs recall Miami’s coastal vegetation but are filtered through Cartier’s visual vocabulary of line and detail.

Light plays a central role throughout. During the day, the etched facade refracts the Florida sun into softened gradients. In the evening, the building becomes a lantern that glows with diffused warmth. This modulation of light heightens the sense of intimacy within, allowing the architecture to frame the jewelry rather than compete with it.

The experience concludes on the rooftop terrace, where a garden of tropical plants and colorful tiles opens to the sky.

the undulating glass facade carries a subtle rhythm that reflects the movement of the street

interior designer Laura Gonzalez conceived the boutique as a sensory journey

a seashell staircase connects the boutique’s levels in a continuous sculptural sweep

natural motifs and crafted details link architecture and interior design

project info:

name: Cartier Flagship

architect: Diller Scofidio and Renfro | @diller_scofidio_renfro

brand: Cartier | @cartier

location: Miami Design District

interior design: Laura Gonzalez | @lauragonzalezofficiel

photography: courtesy Diller Scofidio and Renfro

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in maison belle époque, perrier-jouët houses europe’s largest private art nouveau collection

a glimpse INSIDE Perrier-Jouët’s Maison Belle Époque

Nestled in the heart of Épernay, Champagne, Perrier-Jouët’s Maison Belle Époque opens its doors only to a rare few. Within its walls, more than two centuries of savoir-faire in champagne-making meet Europe’s largest private collection of Art Nouveau masterpieces — over 200 works by Gallé, Majorelle, Guimard, and their contemporaries — each reflecting the Maison’s enduring devotion to beauty and nature. Beneath the residence, three underground levels extend into the chalky soil, preserving thousands of bottles in various stages of fermentation, quietly connecting the art above to the craft below.

On the occasion of the Maison’s ongoing collaboration with Design Miami.Paris and its 2025 activations (find more in our Paris guide here), designboom was granted exclusive access to this historic residence, where Art Nouveau’s sinuous forms intertwine with contemporary commissions by today’s leading designers and artists, continuing Perrier-Jouët’s living conversation between art and design. Read on to explore the historic venue, the identity of the Maison, its connection to design and art, and its close relationship with the Design Miami fair.

all images courtesy of Perrier-Jouët, unless stated otherwise

A Heritage Steeped in Art Nouveau

Built in the late 18th century, La Maison Belle Époque captures the Perrier-Jouët spirit, where art and nature meet in a constant, creative exchange. The story began in 1811, when Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose-Adélaïde Jouët combined their shared passions for winemaking, botany, and the arts to found the iconic champagne house. That same vision still resonates through the Belle Époque home in Épernay, where the largest private collection of Art Nouveau in Europe unfolds like a living gallery. Inside, visitors encounter unexpected treasures: an original Toulouse-Lautrec painting, a whimsical mushroom-shaped door by Hector Guimard echoing the organic entrances of the Paris Métro, and a room devoted to glassmaker Emile Gallé, whose delicate creations first gave visual form to the Maison’s signature floral identity. Throughout, Japanese influences appear in subtle references to the Japanese anemone, the flower that became Perrier-Jouët’s emblem, alongside furniture adorned with sculpted insects, carved vines, and blossoms that seem to grow naturally from the materials themselves. A bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin, gifted by employees for the Maison’s centenary, adds a quietly human note.

Perrier-Jouët’s Maison Belle Époque opens its doors only to a rare few

Contemporary pieces Inside the Maison

Alongside its historic pieces, the Maison also houses a striking collection of contemporary works commissioned over the years by Perrier-Jouët from artists around the world. In the hallway, the kinetic table Ephemerā by mischer’traxler unfolds a delicate landscape of vibrantly colored metal plants and insects representing species that are current, extinct, or rediscovered. From a distance, the intricate garden seems to sway to its own rhythm, yet as a visitor approaches, the plants sense the presence and retreat, folding gracefully back into the surface. The work becomes a living metaphor for the fragile dialogue between humans and nature. First presented at Design Miami 2014, the piece now finds a permanent home within the Maison, embodying Perrier-Jouët’s vision of art as an evolving ecosystem.

Above the Maison Belle Époque bar, a luminous installation by glass artist Ritsue Mishima catches the eye. Titled All’ombra della luce (In the Shadow of Light), the work was first unveiled at Design Miami 2015. Here, light and shadow are the two protagonists: light evokes the rhythm of the vineyards and the bloom of summer in the Maison’s garden, while shadow recalls the stillness of the cellars where champagne quietly comes to life. Hundreds of suspended glass disks reinterpret Perrier-Jouët’s signature anemone motif. Each unique piece refracts halos of light and soft ripples, creating a suspended, dreamlike choreography that transforms the room into an inverted garden of glass and glow.

the Ephemerā kinetic table by mischer’traxler

Perrier-Jouët & design miami present the Design for Nature Award

Building on a partnership that began in 2012, Perrier-Jouët and Design Miami have once again joined forces to celebrate the intersection of art, design, and nature in the French capital. For the 2025 edition, the collaboration took over the legendary Maxim’s restaurant in Paris, transforming it into La Parenthèse Belle Époque, an immersive installation that reimagined the venue’s storied interiors through the lens of Perrier-Jouët’s heritage. Stained glass and arches adorned with Émile Gallé’s signature anemones framed vintage decorative objects and archival posters, creating a vibrant dialogue between Art Nouveau and contemporary design.

It was within this evocative setting that Perrier-Jouët and Design Miami presented the inaugural Perrier-Jouët Design for Nature Award. The new initiative invites designers to explore sustainability as a catalyst for cultural and environmental progress. Each year, the award will honor a designer whose practice embodies both a responsible approach to materials and production and a creative spirit aligned with the ethos of Art Nouveau. The selected designer will be commissioned to create a unique work to be unveiled at Design Miami the following year.

the largest private collection of Art Nouveau in Europe unfolds like a living gallery

image © designboom

image © designboom

image © designboom

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balkrishna doshi’s final project unfolds in spiraling steel forms on the vitra campus, germany

Balkrishna Doshi’s final work opens on the Vitra Campus

The Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany, welcomes a deeply personal and spiritual addition with the completion of the Doshi Retreat, a contemplative space designed by Pritzker Prize laureate Balkrishna Doshi together with Studio Sangath, led by his granddaughter Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and her husband, Sönke Hoof. The project marks both Doshi’s first built work outside of India and the last he conceived before his passing in 2023.

Designed as a winding subterranean path, the steel retreat guides visitors beneath the surface of the Vitra Campus, bringing together Indian philosophy with meditative spatial rhythm. Along its curving walls, soft tones of gong and ceramic flute echo through hidden recesses. ‘This architecture was born from a dream Doshi had of two interweaving cobras,’ explains Khushnu Panthaki Hoof, a poetic image that finds form in the spiraling movement of the structure and symbolic reference to Kundalini, the coiled energy said to lie dormant at the base of the spine in yogic tradition.

all images by Julien Lanoo, courtesy of Vitra, unless stated otherwise

brass mandala sits in the center of the steel retreat

An audio system, embedded into concave cavities in the ground, diffuses layers of gong and flute tones that accompany one’s passage through the space. The soundscape is not composed as music but experienced as vibration. ‘It is sound, resonating through the visitor’s body, that erases the boundary between self and structure,’ observes Hoof.

At the culmination of the path, visitors encounter a contemplation chamber illuminated by a hand-hammered brass mandala crafted in India. Its reflective surface scatters light across the interior, suggesting an inner cosmos of still movement, a fitting metaphor for Doshi’s lifelong search for harmony between material and spirit.

The Doshi Retreat is built from forged and formed XCarb® steel, a low-carbon-emissions material made from recycled steel and produced with renewable energy, donated by ArcelorMittal. Over time, its surface will weather to a natural patina through controlled corrosion, merging with the earthbound tones of the surrounding landscape.

Following Doshi’s passing, Studio Sangath in Ahmedabad continued shaping the retreat in close dialogue with his vision. Together, they translated its conceptual rhythm into physical form, weaving it into the fabric of the Vitra Campus.

the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany, welcomes the Doshi Retreat

a contemplative space designed by Pritzker Prize laureate Balkrishna Doshi

Doshi’s first built work outside of India and the last he conceived before his passing in 2023

designed as a winding subterranean path

the steel retreat guides visitors beneath the surface of the Vitra Campus

bringing together Indian philosophy with meditative spatial rhythm

a poetic image of two intertwining snakes that appeared in the late architect’s dream takes form

project info:

name: Doshi Retreat

architects: Balkrishna Doshi with Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof of Studio Sangath | @studio_sangath

location: Vitra Campus | @vitracampus, Weil am Rhein, Germany

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motorway that recharges electric vehicles while driving undergoes testing near paris

Electric vehicles can recharge on motorways

A motorway that can recharge electric vehicles as they drive on the road has announced early test results on the A10 path, about 40 kilometers southwest of Paris. Named Charge as You Drive, the project is a collaboration between VINCI Autoroutes, Electreon, VINCI Construction, Gustave Eiffel University, and Hutchinson. The way it works is that under the asphalt of the A10 motorway, engineers have placed induction coils along 1.5 kilometers of road. These are connected to an electrical power supply and controlled by sensors and software, so when an electric vehicle with a receiver coil drives over this section, energy moves from the road coil to the receiver coil using a magnetic field, recharging the automobile, especially the heavyweight ones like delivery trucks and vans.

The receiver then sends this energy to the vehicle’s battery while it moves, and the automobile doesn’t need to stop or plug in since its ride is being recharged automatically through the road with a process called dynamic wireless charging. The catch is that each electric vehicle needs to have a receiver installed before it gets recharged on this motorway. For the A10 test, four types of vehicles were equipped: a heavy truck, a utility van, a passenger car, and a bus. These prototypes are used to measure how well the system works in real driving conditions with other traffic.

all images courtesy of Electreon

Early tests results from trials on A10 motorway

Before the motorway installation, the materials and structure were tested for two years. The work started in September 2023 in VINCI Construction’s Road Research Center in Mérignac, where different materials were tested to check their strength and durability. The goal was to find materials that would not wear out quickly when heavy vehicles drive over them. Then, researchers from Gustave Eiffel University carried out large-scale tests at the LAMES laboratory in Bouguenais. They used machines called traffic simulators to copy the weight and stress of 25 years of truck traffic in only a few weeks. These tests showed that the coils and pavement stayed in an ideal condition.

The French authorities later on gave permission for the system to be installed on a live motorway, and now the initial tests have started. The coils were embedded in the A10 surface, and the test section was opened for normal traffic. Three laboratories from Gustave Eiffel University monitored the road during the first real-world trials, and their early results have shown that the system can deliver more than 300 kilowatts of peak power and over 200 kilowatts of average power in stable conditions. This means that electric vehicles, even large trucks, can be recharged with enough power while driving at motorway speeds. Dynamic charging is now being tested in several countries, including the United States, China, South Korea, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Norway. The A10 project is the first time this technology is used on a motorway with normal traffic to see if it recharges electric vehicles while driving. 

bus charging wirelessly in Balingen, Germany

Toyota RAV 4 being recharged while driving on the road

early results show that the system can deliver more than 300 kilowatts of peak power

in Gotland, Sweden, Electreon ERS powers bus and truck

under the asphalt of the road, engineers have placed induction coils to recharge the electric vehicles

project info:

name: Charge as You Drive

companies: VINCI Autoroutes, Electreon, VINCI Construction, Gustave Eiffel University, Hutchinson | @ vinci_autoroutes, @electreon_wireless, @universitegustaveeiffel

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from zaha hadid to wes anderson, these are midjourney’s most copied architects and artists

Top architects and artists used for AI prompts on midjourney

A study finds that Zaha Hadid and Wes Anderson are some of the top architects and artists used in prompts to generate AI images and videos on Midjourney. Conducted by the web-based video editing platform Kapwing, the research has studied how users refer to famous names and styles when creating their images and videos with AI. The findings show that the most used architect name on Midjourney was Zaha Hadid, with 63,103 mentions, with the next one being Frank Lloyd Wright at 13,361 mentions. Other architects frequently used on Midjourney to generate AI images and videos include Tadao Ando, Frank Gehry, Peter Zumthor, Kengo Kuma, Bjarke Ingels, Le Corbusier, Richard Meier, and Jean Nouvel. 

For the directors, Wes Anderson was the most mentioned, with 92,378 prompts. His name was used more than the combined total for Tim Burton (57,000), Christopher Nolan (22,246), Ridley Scott (20,109), Guillermo del Toro (19,755), and Stanley Kubrick (16,758). Among illustrators, the fantasy artist known as WLOP was the most used name, with 166,415 mentions. Then, there’s Greg Rutkowski following with 134,695 mentions, who is also involved in a legal case against AI companies for using his name and style without permission. The study on the most copied architects and artists on Midjourney to generate AI images and videos also found that anime is one of the most repeated visual subjects in prompts. The most used titles were Akira with 53,333 mentions and Naruto with 40,494. Works by Studio Ghibli, such as Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, also appeared frequently.

Zaha Hadid as the most used architect in AI prompt | all images courtesy of Kapwing

Midjourney Discord server counts keyword frequency

The study team started by building a list of 897 keywords, and each keyword was a name or topic used to inspire AI-generated images. These keywords came from eight groups: artists, illustrators, film directors, architects, cities, media franchises, fast-food chains, and anime. The researchers used a public online database called Midlibrary to collect examples of popular names from each category. 

Then, they used the Midjourney Discord server to count how many times these keywords appeared in AI image and video prompts (for example, one prompt could be ‘in the style of Wes Anderson,’ or ‘a building by Zaha Hadid’). The total data included 4,929,594 prompts, showing how often people use references from real architects, directors, and artists when working with AI.

Wes Anderson is the most used artist for AI prompts on Midjourney

Art Nouveau poster designer, Alphonse Mucha is the most-used artist appearing in 230,794 Midjourney prompts

digital artist, WLOP is the most prompted Illustrator, appearing in 166,415 Midjourney images and videos

Akira with 53,333 mentions is the most-used anime on Midjourney prompts

Star Wars with 160,495 mentions is the most-used franchise as AI prompts

project info:

name: The Most-Used Prompts For AI Videos and Images

platform: Kapwing | @KapwingApp

study: here

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petersen museum in los angeles shows over a century of automotive design by aston martin

Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin

The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles opens a new exhibition, Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin, tracing the British company’s evolution from its 1913 origins. Installed in the Meyers Gallery, the presentation gathers more than a dozen vehicles that embody the changing language of speed and craftsmanship that has defined Aston Martin for over a century.

The Aston Martin exhibition is the first in the museum’s history. The collection of models is organized to convey the shifting priorities of automotive design, which evolved from the pragmatic, streamlined sculpting of post-war racing prototypes to the expressive surfaces of contemporary hypercars.

The exhibition will be open to the public on October 30th, 2025 at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, and will be on view through October 2026.

1979 Aston Martin Bulldog | all images courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

over a century of lineage shows at the petersen museum

The visitor’s experience at the Petersen Museum exhibition begins with early Aston Martin icons like the 1949 DB2 Prototype. Its compact proportions and upright stance reflecting the lean efficiency of a post-war era when aerodynamics were still an emerging science. The subtle curvature of its aluminum panels catches the gallery lighting with a quiet assurance, revealing the hand-formed nature of its construction.

Nearby, the 1961 DB4GT Zagato — designed in collaboration with legendary coachbuilder Zagato — shows an entirely different presence, one that’s much more minimal and distinctly Italian in its interpretation of British engineering.

1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

sculptural concepts

The exhibition deepens in tone as it moves into the experimental period of the late 1970s and 1980s, led by the 1979 Bulldog. It’s a single, wedge-shaped concept that embodies the era’s fascination with aerospace geometry. Its gullwing doors and sharply folded planes appear less ornamental, a physical record of an era captivated by the future. The Bulldog showed at the Petersen Museum’s wedge car retrospective earlier this year, see designboom’s coverage here!

A few steps away, the 2015 Vulcan and 2021 Valkyrie Spider chart the brand’s transition into the modern age. The track-only Vulcan’s long carbon-fiber hood stretches across the floor like a shadow, its use for racing evident with its vents and contours. The open-top Valkyrie Spider, by contrast, feels almost architectural: an exploration of lightness and airflow, its structure revealing how Aston Martin has adapted Formula 1 knowledge to the scale of the road.

1964 Aston Martin DB5 (No Time To Die)

The Return to Formula 1

At the center of the gallery, the AMR23 race car signals Aston Martin’s current direction. With its layered carbon elements and purposeful asymmetry, the machine marks the company’s return to the top tier of motorsport under the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One® Team. Its green bodywork is both matte and reflective, shifting tone under the controlled lighting as though in motion even while still.

This moment in the exhibition connects engineering performance with the qualities of proportion and refinement that have defined Aston Martin’s identity for more than a century. The progression from the 1949 DB2 to the AMR23 race car demonstrates technological advancement along with a continuation of the aerodynamic, craft-centric design language.

2012 Aston Martin One-77

For Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, the exhibition brings a rare chance to frame design history as living practice. ‘This exhibit not only celebrates the iconic vehicles that have made Aston Martin a symbol of prestige but also highlights our continued innovation,’ he says. 

1955 Aston Martin DB3S

project info:

name: Performance and Prestige: A History of Aston Martin

museum: Petersen Museum | @petersenmuseum

on view: October 30th, 2025 — October 2026

photography: courtesy Petersen Automotive Museum

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