Sep
11

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JKMM architects to design finland’s new museum of architecture and design in helsinki

Category: Design Boom

JKMM to design Finland’s Museum of Architecture and design

 

JKMM Architects wins the international competition to design Finland’s new Museum of Architecture and Design, a landmark waterfront project planned for Helsinki’s historic South Harbour. Emerging from 624 anonymous entries (find designboom’s previous coverage here), the winning proposal, known during the competition as Kumma, is designed to anchor a prominent site by the Market Square and Suomenlinna’s UNESCO buffer zone, offering a new cultural focal point for the city. Set to open in 2030, the museum will unite Finland’s two major design institutions and house a collection of more than 900,000 artifacts.

‘I hope that the planning and realization of the new Museum of Architecture and Design can show the way for how new things can be built responsibly and with skill,’ shares Samuli Miettinen, founding partner and principal designer at JKMM Architects. ‘Architecture and design are deeply human – they are born from dreams and longing, and they gain their meaning in the places where we can experience and live together.’

all renderings by MIR

 

 

a global competition for a new cultural landmark in helsinki

 

Launched in April 2024, the competition drew submissions from across the world, with around 20% of entries from Finland and strong representation from Italy, the USA, France, and the UK. The jury, chaired by Mikko Aho, selected Helsinki-based practice JKMM’s entry for its ability to integrate with the harbor cityscape while maintaining a clear civic presence. The winning design stands out for its sculptural use of recycled brick, its strong urban terrace, and its potential to balance monumentality with approachability as the design develops.

 

Second prize went to Cossement Cardoso (Portugal/Belgium) for the project City, Sea and Sky, while Swiss studio Lopes Brenna received third prize for Moby. A collective of Finnish architects and the French office Atelier Orda were also recognized, the former with a fourth prize for Tyrsky and the latter with a purchase option for TAU.

JKMM Architects wins the international competition to design Finland’s new Museum of Architecture and Design

 

 

south harbour site and urban transformation

 

The JKMM-designed museum is set to rise on a vacant dockside plot in South Harbour, a symbolic location at the threshold between Helsinki’s historic center and its maritime setting. The surrounding landmarks include Alvar Aalto’s iconic Sugar Cube, the city’s Orthodox and Lutheran cathedrals, and the Esplanade Park. The initiative is part of a regeneration strategy that seeks to transform the harbor into a cultural and public district, supported by financial contributions from the Finnish government and the City of Helsinki.

 

When completed, the 10,050 square-meter building will provide a flexible and inclusive civic hub, from exhibition galleries to a design library and open-access public terraces. The program will engage both local residents and international visitors, positioning the museum as a place to explore how architecture and design shape everyday life.

set to open in 2030

 

 

construction to begin in 2027, with opening in 2030

 

Central to the institution’s mission is the idea of ‘democratising the tools of design.’ Beyond showcasing objects, correspondence, models, and photographs from figures like Aino and Alvar Aalto, Eero Aarnio, Maija Isola, and Eliel and Eero Saarinen, the museum offers a platform for public learning. Exhibitions will address the role of design in contemporary global challenges. High-profile touring shows, educational workshops, and participatory programming will aim to make design skills accessible and relevant across social groups.

 

Sustainability was a key requirement of the competition brief, with Helsinki aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030. JKMM’s proposal incorporates climate-smart solutions and was praised for its ecological and social responsiveness. Every competition entry underwent a People Flow Analysis by KONE Finland, and public workshops with user groups shaped the evaluation process. According to the jury, Kumma demonstrates potential to serve as both a resilient and socially inclusive model for future museum architecture.

 

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the opening planned for late 2030. As a future benchmark for sustainable, inclusive design, the new Museum of Architecture and Design is set to embody Finland’s global reputation for design excellence while offering Helsinki a new civic landmark at the edge of the Baltic.

the museum will unite Finland’s two major design institutions

the institution is designed to house a collection of more than 900,000 artifacts

JKMM’s entry stood out for its ability to integrate with the harbor cityscape while maintaining a clear civic presence

balancing monumentality with approachability

sculptural use of recycled brick

part of a regeneration strategy that seeks to transform the harbor

a cultural and public district

the 10,050 square-meter building will provide a flexible and inclusive civic hub

a place to explore how architecture and design shape everyday life

the museum offers a platform for public learning

 

 

project info:

 

name: Museum of Architecture and Design | @admuseo

architect: JKMM Architects | @jkmmarchitects

location: South Harbour, Helsinki, Finland

size: 10,050 square meters

 

collaborators: Akukon (acoustic/AV), Granlund (HVAC/energy), MIR (visualisation), Pentagon Design (service design), Ramboll Finland (structural, electrical, lighting, climate and carbon)

The post JKMM architects to design finland’s new museum of architecture and design in helsinki appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sep
11

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choose your design path at istituto marangoni milano through designboom’s courses

Category: Design Boom

istituto marangoni UNVEILS FIVE COURSES ON 22 SEPTEMBER, 2025 

 

Starting from September 22, 2025, Istituto Marangoni Milano Design unveils five cutting-edge design programs blending creativity with strategy, technology, and culture. From Visual Design (BA Hons) and Communication Design (MA) to Design Innovation for Emerging Technologies (BA Hons), Luxury Boutique Hotel Interior Design (MA), and Product Design for Human-Robot Interaction (MA), each course is crafted to equip future designers with the skills and vision to lead in a rapidly changing world. All programs are held at the Milano Design campus, with applications closing on September 22, 2025, inviting aspiring designers to join a new wave of innovation.

 

 

APPLY HERE FOR YOUR NEXT MILANO DESIGN CAMPUS COURSE

 

Applications for all five programs close on September 22, 2025 – apply now and be part of the next generation of innovators! 

Visual Design – Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons)

 

 

The Visual Design BA offers a deep dive into visual communication as a strategic and creative tool. Students master the full spectrum of digital design, from typography and layout composition to packaging, video storytelling, and social media campaigns. The curriculum blends technical proficiency with marketing insight and cultural anthropology, empowering participants to craft compelling brand identities, editorial projects, and digital experiences that resonate in today’s visually driven world.

 

School: Istituto Marangoni Milano Design
Course: Visual Design – Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons)
Location: Milan (Milano Design campus)
Course dates: 22 September 2025
Application deadline: 09/22/2025

Communication Design – Master of Arts

 

 

The Communication Design MA takes a research-led approach to visual storytelling across digital, social, and experimental media. Over two years, students explore the sociological and cultural forces shaping communication, learning to design integrated campaigns that balance creativity with conceptual depth. Coursework merges art direction, multimedia languages, and emerging technologies, shaping professionals who can navigate fragmented media landscapes with clarity, sensitivity, and innovation.

 

School: Istituto Marangoni Milano Design
Course: Communication Design – Master of Arts
Location: Milan (Milano Design campus)
Course dates: 22 September, 2025
Application deadline: 09/22/2025

Design Innovation for Emerging Technologies – Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons)

 

 

Blending creativity and technical analysis, this BA in Design Innovation for Emerging Technologies prepares students to harness AI, VR/AR, robotics, generative design, and 3D printing in user-centered ways. The program emphasizes critical thinking, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and real-world problem-solving, fostering a mindset ready to drive innovation across industries. Students learn to develop solutions where technological advancement meets human needs and social responsibility.

 

School: Istituto Marangoni Milano Design
Course: Design Innovation for Emerging Technologies – Bachelor of Arts (BA Hons)
Location: Milan (Milano Design campus)
Course dates: 22 September, 2025
Application deadline: 09/22/2025

Luxury Boutique Hotel Interior Design – Master of Arts

 

 

Focused on luxury hospitality, the Luxury Boutique Hotel Interior Design MA equips students to design immersive boutique hotel experiences where storytelling, brand identity, and guest comfort converge. The program integrates design methodology, project management, and industry collaboration, culminating in the creation of a complete boutique hotel concept. Graduates emerge ready to redefine luxury interiors with elegance, innovation, and a deep understanding of experiential design.

 

School: Istituto Marangoni Milano Design
Course: Luxury Boutique Hotel Interior Design – Master of Arts
Location: Milan
Course dates: 22 September, 2025
Application deadline: 09/22/2025

Product Design for Human-Robot Interaction – Master of Arts

 

 

School: Istituto Marangoni Milano Design
Course: Product Design for Human-Robot Interaction – Master of Arts
Location: Milan
Course dates: September 2025
Application deadline: 09/22/2025

 

At the intersection of design and robotics, the Product Design for Human-Robot Interaction MA explores emotional design, cognitive ergonomics, and usability in shaping future human-machine relationships. Through hands-on prototyping, collaboration with industry experts, and research at Scuola di Robotica in Genoa, students learn to transform complex technology into intuitive, human-centered products. This program prepares designers to lead in the rapidly evolving field of human-robot interaction, where empathy meets engineering.

The post choose your design path at istituto marangoni milano through designboom’s courses appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sep
11

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Studio Blackburn’s new identity for Nopinz cycling puts performance first

Category: Design Week

Nopinz, a British cycling brand built for competitive athletes, has come to be known for its obsession with speed and performance. It specialises in aerodynamic racewear and patented innovations that eliminate drag to give riders a crucial advantage.

After almost a decade in the industry, Nopinz felt a rebrand was in order to better reflect where the company finds itself today. They turned to the London-based brand, design, and strategy agency Studio Blackburn, who delivered a comprehensive facelift.

There were a few things the rebrand had to do. It needed to speak to Nopinz’s technical edge, reimagine its tone of voice, and create an identity that could keep pace with the brand’s growing success.

“Our fundamental DNA is that our kit can make you go faster,” says Colin Hatfield, director at Nopinz. “We wanted to celebrate that, and that’s what really drove the brief.”

Studio Blackburn’s rebrand for Nopinz

Hatfield explains how every detail is designed to make riders aerodynamic, especially in time trials, where “it’s just you against the clock, and you’ve got no protection from the wind.”

This obsession – to make riders faster – sits at the heart of Nopinz’s design philosophy.

As Hatfield says, Nopinz’s products are built to slice through the air. This commitment to the performance-driven, technical nature of Nopinz informed Studio Blackburn’s creative decisions, as did the name of the brand itself.

Nopinz is a nod to the brand’s breakthrough innovation – a patented pocket that holds race numbers in place without the need for safety pins.

“Having a negative in the brand name is a bit odd,” says Hatfield. He adds that the team was unsure about the name for a while, until Studio Blackburn flipped the script, turning the negative into a positive, powerful statement.


https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/09/Nopinz_Ethos.mp4

In the resulting brand language, the studio chose to strike out certain words in the messaging (For example, For Weekend Warriors), setting the tone for Nopinz’s voice.

“That line through the word gives us the ability to communicate a message and cross out the words within it that aren’t relevant to the brand,” says Studio Blackburn’s CEO and founder, Paul Blackburn.

“It’s branding in its primal form, in a way. It feels very specific and intentional. By clearly defining what Nopinz is not, the brand effectively establishes what it stands for, setting it apart from other cycling brands.”

The idea instantly hit home with the Nopinz team. “As soon as we saw it, we knew that that was the way forward for us. It was a real eureka moment,” says Hatfield.

The brand language allows Nopinz to say things as they are, giving it a sense of confidence, which is also echoed in the minimalistic slant of the visual system. In their symbolic intent to “eliminate drag,” the team leaned on precise, strong typography, using a custom cut of Greed by Displaay Type Foundry for the wordmark, with the slashed zero (Ø) logo mark built into the typeface.

Studio Blackburn’s rebrand for Nopinz

For the body copy, Studio Blackburn handpicked a single weight of Basel Grotesk by Optimo Type Foundry.

“We chose to work with only one weight because we were confident we could push it and get variation through different type sizing, instead of using lots of different typefaces,” says senior designer Will Cooper.

“Again, that comes from the intention of stripping it back as much as possible, to keep things very concise.” The minimalistic visual voice allows the brand “to speak with confidence,” he says.

“We don’t do minimalism for minimalism’s sake. We tend to pare things back to their simplest and most vital, and then we amplify,” says Blackburn.

“That’s what we’ve tried to do here; we’ve given it a behavioral quality as well, which also represents that ‘lack of drag.’ There’s something very simple and elegant about the way that the brand moves. It’s quick and urgent, but never over-the-top.”

https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/09/Nopinz_Application-Swipe.mp4

Another defining feature of the rebrand is the introduction of a singular, signature brand hue, the Nopinz Zone 5 colour, that punctuates the identity.

Hovering between that line between red and orange, the rich colour injects new energy into the brand.

“In endurance training, athletes work in different zones of effort. Lots of different training applications use colour to track what zone you’d be in,” says Cooper.

“Zone 5, which is sort of that highest anaerobic area of performance, is usually marked by this color that’s not red, nor orange,” making it not just the perfect hue, but also a recognisable one for the competitive cycling community.

“We’ve had some feedback, and people seem to just get it,” says Hatfield. “When you’re in a time trial, Zone 5 is what you’re aiming for, so it just clicks.”

The larger rebrand has already struck a chord with the community.

Bigger rollouts are on the horizon, but the initial reception has been “very positive,” says Hatfield, adding that “people really have an affection for the brand.”

Perhaps the reason the refreshed identity resonates so deeply is that it speaks to Nopinz’s audience in their own language, while priming the brand for its next chapter.

Studio Blackburn’s rebrand for Nopinz
Studio Blackburn’s rebrand for Nopinz
Studio Blackburn’s rebrand for Nopinz
Studio Blackburn’s rebrand for Nopinz

Source

Sep
11

By

AI branding is growing up – with expressive brand worlds taking the wheel

Category: Design Week

It’s bizarre now to think back on how quickly AI slipped into our daily lives, shaping the way we work and live. The global AI market is now valued at nearly $391billion, with forecasts suggesting it could grow almost five-fold by the end of the decade.

But as the sector grows, so too does the need to stand out. A fresh crop of AI brands is entering an increasingly crowded market, yet the products themselves often chart entirely new territory, with tools and services with no clear precedent.

That gives branding a crucial role – not only in setting the stage for these products and articulating what they offer, but also in ensuring they stand apart in a teeming landscape.

What’s striking across this new wave of launches – as well as established AI platforms undergoing a refresh – is a deliberate decision to move away from the default visual tropes of tech.

Gone are the gradients, sparkles, and stripped-back minimalism – in their place, studios are building identities with more texture, personality, and nuance, presenting AI less as a faceless system and more as a relatable partner.

How&How’s new brand for Jupi

When How&How began working on the identity for Jupi, an AI-powered decision-making operating system, they set out to create a brand that looked and felt unlike anything that had come before.

“What we wanted with Jupi was something really out of the category. We wanted it to challenge the conventional, almost chillingly robotic, minimalist, OpenAI-ish aesthetic, and feel more authentic and human,” says Cat How, CEO and executive creative director of How&How.

That ambition was sharpened through strategy led by narrative consultancy FNDR, whose insights underscored Jupi’s dynamic decision-making ability.


https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/09/JUPI-5-Logo-how-agency_L.mp4

The studio decided to focus on this idea of dynamism and translated it visually into a number of elements, from motion that melts like Dali’s clocks to a mascot, inspired by Rodin’s The Thinker, that walks and moves.

The Thinker offered a powerful metaphor for a decision-making operating system. To convey Jupi’s agility and its ability to think on its feet, the mascot was given a pair of legs, allowing it to stride across screens. Its treatment carries meaning too.

The rough, almost-chiselled finish of both the mascot and the wordmark suggests that decision-making is always a work in progress – imperfect, evolving, and in constant flux. Its hand-hewn texture also injects a sense of humanity, a conscious break from the slick, polished perfection long associated with the tech industry.

Elsewhere, the Magritte-esque illustrations, drenched in metaphors and an air of surrealism, add personality to the brand, while giving it a vivid visual voice that’s unafraid to stick out in the crowd.

https://d3faj0w6aqatyx.cloudfront.net/uploads/2025/09/JUPI-25-Components-how-agency_L.mp4

“It’s just really sad, how, when branding for tech, we’re all forced to fall into the familiar tropes of everything having to look blue and trustworthy,” How says. “It was important for us that Jupi look nothing like what we usually see in tech, because it shows that they’re confident about being different.

“There’s a big appetite for things that are different because people see so much of the same stuff nowadays. So the idea is that you either go big or go home.”

As How points out, tech brands face a unique challenge. They’re often selling something intangible, without the immediate sensory cues of a physical product.

That’s why emotion and storytelling become so important – they bring life and clarity to something that mostly exists as code and concept. “It’s certainly easier to sell beer than it is to sell an AI decision-making tool,” How adds.

How&How’s new brand for Jupi

That exercise of taking something intangible and giving it a brand world, that feels immediately human and palpable, was a challenge Parker took on when branding Picco. The AI-powered platform is designed to automate and streamline repetitive tasks for sales teams, enhancing productivity and efficiency.

Rather than presenting Picco as a magical fix-all, Parker framed the brand as a true companion to day-to-day work.

“Particularly in the sales space, where demands are fast-moving and often unpredictable, the identity needed to signal a tool that is light, nimble, and reactive. The narrative wasn’t about replacing people, but about supporting them – removing friction, keeping pace, and helping teams focus their energy where it has the most impact,” says Tyler Eide, creative director and founder of Parker.

Parker’s brand world for Picco

In order to give the intangible product a relatable visual world, Parker rooted the identity in textured illustrations of outdated office tools – fax machines, typewriters, staplers – teasing the brand idea of “out with the old, in with the new.”

By elevating these tools – that literally levitate and leave the screen – the team nods to the past, while signaling progress.

“The whimsical treatment turns what once felt clunky into something light and contemporary, a perfect counterpart to Picco’s bird symbol,” Eide says. “It’s a way of saying: the old technology has had its day, and now Picco is here to take its place.” Meanwhile, the brand’s innate sense of agility is captured in the hummingbird icon and the wordmark that takes cues from performance brands, evoking speed and efficiency.

Parker’s identity for Picco

Together, these playful, narrative-driven elements not only differentiate Picco’s offering, but also give the brand a visual identity that sidesteps conventional norms in tech branding.

“We weren’t interested in making this feel like another piece of ‘tech.’ Instead, the identity is built around a promise: a lighter, more nimble way of working,” says Eide.

Picco’s approach exemplifies a broader challenge in AI branding – creating identities that feel human and relatable while reflecting the sophistication and capabilities of emerging tech.

A key part of this lies in understanding, and responding to, our evolving relationship with digital tools. Leading brands in the space create a sense of optimism about what AI can unlock, while taking responsibility for how it is applied.

“Visually, that means brands are becoming more imaginative, rather than presenting themselves as cold, futuristic utilities,” says Ben Lewin, partner at Otherway.

Otherway’s identity for Robin

In their comprehensive rebrand for Robin, an AI-powered platform that re-imagines legal work, Otherway knew they had to imbue the identity with a sense of humanity, while also underpinning, “the cutting-edge innovation that has gone into making such a powerful platform,” says Jordan Mann, Otherway’s design director.

That considered balance reveals itself in several aspects of the identity. The updated Robin icon stands, “as a beacon of humanity and character, while the majority of AI brands are leaning into a more ‘process’ or ‘precision’ lead brand mark,” says Mann.

The redbreast brand colour is immediately recognisable amidst a sea of cold blues and purples in the industry, and brings the warmth the brand needs. Typography, UI, and the layout system complete the picture with a framework that is precise, authoritative, and robust, speaking to Robin’s technical foundations.

A significant part of the worldbuilding – and arguably its most distinctive feature – is the moving, illustrated landscapes users can actively journey through.

Otherway’s illustrated landscapes for Robin

“The strategic direction was ‘New Legal,’ a punchy provocation that reframes the possibilities of legal within the world of business, from roadblock to driver of growth,” says Mann.

“This drove every decision within the new brand system, but came to life most powerfully within our digital landscapes, framing ‘New Legal’ as a serene and abundant place you can go to, designed to feel like the antithesis of the stressful experience of old legal.”

And he adds, legal can be intimidating, abstract, and often invisible, which makes it hard to visualise in a way that resonates emotionally.

“Illustration gave us a way to turn those intangible ideas into something expansive and optimistic. Ariel Lee’s painterly style was the perfect way to create a world that felt warm and innately human,” says Mann.

“Through her landscapes, we could show transformation – forests opening up, paths emerging, ecosystems flourishing – and give Robin a world that feels inspiring, not transactional.”

Otherway’s illustrated landscapes for Robin

Perhaps the surge of more expressive branding for AI is a response to the evolving role these tools play in our lives. Increasingly, AI is no longer being cast as a flawless, all-knowing, slap-on solution to every problem, but as a partner that works alongside us.

This shift asks designers to imagine identities that feel less transactional and more relational – brands that reassure, inspire, and invite collaboration rather than dictate it.

By weaving together narrative, emotion, type, texture, and illustration, studios are giving form to this change, showing that the most compelling AI brands aren’t distant or mechanical, but instead feel present, human-aware, and supportive.

“Every wave of new tech arrives with a big bang, then slowly finds its place in the world. AI is at that stage now,” Lewin says.

“We’re starting to see AI brands moving away from being seen as ‘machines’ to being understood as ‘collaborators.’

“That doesn’t mean over-humanising or appearing fake. It means designing with empathy and imagination, so people see AI as a tool that works with them, not against them.”

Source

Sep
11

By

explore belgium’s architecture studios through the lens of photographer marc goodwin

Category: Design Boom

photographer marc goodwin arrives in belgium

 

Expanding his ongoing documentation of architecture studios across the world, photographer Marc Goodwin / Archmospheres has now turned his lens to Belgium. This latest chapter follows his series in Japan and Porto, once again offering a glimpse into the daily environments where architecture is conceived and tested. The project emerges in collaboration with local architects, with Goodwin capturing the interiors and atmospheres that define how Belgian practices organize themselves. From Antwerp to Brussels and Ghent, the photography series reveals how architects shape their studios much like their buildings.

 

BINST architects

 

BINST ARCHITECTS is based in Antwerp’s Luikstraat, occupying a 1,056-square-meter space since 2018. The building has had many lives — from a colonial rubber storage facility to a discotheque — before becoming the studio’s new home. With sixty people, the firm emphasizes natural light, tactile materials, and openness balanced with intimacy.

BINST Architects | all images © Marc Goodwin / Archmospheres

 

 

BRUNO SPAAS ARCHITECTUUR

 

In Antwerp, Bruno Spaas Architectuur occupies a 210-square-meter space that once housed a stamp workshop. Since 2019, the small team of one to three has cultivated a calm and connected environment, filled with objects, samples, and books that encourage experimentation.

Bruno Spaas Architectuur

 

 

B-architecten

 

In Antwerp, Goodwin visits B-architecten, a practice of sixty people in a studio spanning 1,200 square meters. The team occupies two historic spaces: Anyplace, once a diamond cutting factory, and B-cinema, the first building in Antwerp specifically built as a cinema in 1913. Since moving into B-cinema in 2024, the firm has emphasized an office culture that inspires creativity and reflects its design-driven identity.

B-architecten

 

 

Brut architecture and urban design

 

From a penthouse in Brussels, Brut architecture and urban design works across 320 square meters with views over the city. Originally built in 1956 and later renovated by OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen, the space offers openness, light, and raw materiality softened by plants. The fourteen-person studio emphasizes shared meals and the balance between collective work and smaller meeting spaces.

Brut architecture and urban design

 

 

Contekst

 

Antwerp’s CONTEKST moved into its 210-square-meter office in 2023, a former notary office from 1906 designed by R. Styfhals. With a team of seven, the practice prioritizes variety and a human-centered approach, shaping functions to support different ways of working.

Contekst

 

 

FELT architecture & design

 

In Ghent, FELT architecture & design has worked since 2014 in a former fabric depot and sewing workshop. The 120-square-meter office is part of a creative coworking space shared with aNNo architecten and MAAT ontwerpers. The team of 11 values the generous scale of the rooms, which allow for large mock-ups and collaborative experimentation.

FELT architecture & design

 

i.s.m.architecten

 

i.s.m.architecten has been based in Berchem since 2010, working in a 100-square-meter former diamond cutting workshop dating back to 1895. The seven-person team embraces informality: ‘Creativity needs chaos. A good office welcomes the mess.’

i.s.m.architecten

 

 

Studio Okami

 

Studio Okami, founded by Hans Vanassche and Bram Van Cauter, inhabits a 150-square-meter office in Antwerp. Once executive rental apartments for the city’s petrochemical industry, the 1971 building was designed by Paul De Meyer and Leon Stynen. Alongside the partners and their office dog, Señor Peña, the space is arranged as ‘a home office away from home,’ combining domestic comfort with workplace focus.

Studio Okami

 

 

ouest

 

In Brussels, OUEST has occupied a 240-square-meter office since 2021. The ten-person practice describes the space not as a traditional office, but as an atelier — a collective project where the group can feel its identity through shared atmosphere and activity.

Ouest

 

 

OYO Architects

 

Located in a renovated 1963 lock keeper’s building in Ghent, OYO Architects brings together twenty-eight people in 1,350 square meters. The space, designed by E. Buyse and reworked in 2022, reflects the firm’s belief that an office should evolve with its people — encouraging spontaneous encounters, communication, and creative growth.

OYO Architects

 

polo.platform Antwerp

 

At Tavernierkaai, Antwerp, POLO.platform has been housed since 1996 in a 1963 office building originally used by shipping companies. The 1,230-square-meter workspace, designed by Raymond Goovaerts, accommodates sixty-three of the firm’s eighty-three staff. Open culture is central: cross-disciplinary encounters happen through shared lunches, project discussions, and spontaneous exchange.

POLO.platform Antwerp

 

 

polo.platform brussels

 

The Brussels branch of POLO.platform has been located since 2016 in the historic Koninlijk Pakhuis, designed in 1906 by Ernest Van Humbeeck. The 470-square-meter space once functioned as storage and later as a venue for cultural events. Today, it continues the studio’s philosophy of encouraging mixing and communication across disciplines.

 

POLO.platform, Brussels

 

 

theo de meyer

 

In Ghent, Stand Van Zaken, led by Theo De meyer, works from a 1,000-square-meter former horticulture site. The practice, which flexes between three and five collaborators, has been based here since 2019. They describe their workplace simply: ‘a generous office.’

 

Stand Van Zaken (Theo De Meyer)

 

 

Robbrecht en Daem Architecten

 

Robbrecht en Daem Architecten established its Ghent studio in 2007 on a former wood storage site rebuilt between 2005 and 2007. The forty-person office spans 1,320 square meters indoors with an additional 2,000 square meters outside, designed by the architects themselves.

Robbrecht en Daem Architecten

 

project info:

 

photographer: Marc Goodwin / Archmospheres | @archmospheres

The post explore belgium’s architecture studios through the lens of photographer marc goodwin appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Sep
11

By

studio KO reimagines 1912 tram depot as the centre for contemporary arts tashkent

Category: Design Boom

Uzbekistan launches first Contemporary Arts Centre

 

The Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent (CCA) in Uzbekistan is housed in a former tram depot and diesel station dating back to 1912, reimagined by Paris-based Studio KO. The project is the first permanent institution for contemporary art and research in Central Asia, launching its first-year program and the announcement of its inaugural exhibition, Hikmah, set to open in March 2026.

 

The inaugural exhibition Hikmah, meaning wisdom in Uzbek, will gather a wide roster of voices, from Ali Cherri and Kimsooja to Nadia Kaabi-Linke, Muhannad Shono, Nari Ward, and Tarik Kiswanson, alongside Uzbek and Karakalpak artists including Shokhrukh Rakhimov, Vladimir Pan, Daribay Saipov, and Bakhtiyar Saipov. Works on view will include Kaabi-Linke’s Flying Carpets, on loan from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; Kimsooja’s participatory Archive of Mind; and new commissions developed through the CCA residency program (find designboom’s previous coverage here). A parallel music program will range from Sufi chants to electronic soundscapes, extending the theme of wisdom into sonic traditions.

aerial view of Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent (CCA) | all renders © Studio KO, courtesy of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), unless stated otherwise

 

 

Studio KO Reimagines Tashkent’s Tram Depot

 

Led by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) under Chairperson Gayane Umerova, the CCA aims to connect local heritage with international cultural production. The institution is steered by Artistic Director and Chief Curator Dr. Sara Raza, who brings two decades of curatorial experience across Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and their diasporas. Her vision grounds the center in Tashkent’s history as a crossroads of Global Majority thinkers and artists, while opening it to contemporary debates.

 

The adaptive reuse of the CCA building plays a central role in the project’s identity. Designed by Wilhelm Heinzelmann, the early 20th-century structure once powered Tashkent’s first tram line and electricity network. Studio KO’s architects Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty describe their intervention as giving the industrial shell a ‘new poetic life,’ working with local materials and motifs to create spaces for evolving artistic encounters.

view on the diesel station facade

 

 

Public Art Festival to Define CCA’s Annual Programming

 

Programming begins in September 2025, with the CCA Artist Residencies, which since 2024 have welcomed international and regional creatives. The 2025 cohort includes sound artist Sarni El-Enany, fashion designer Paria Farzaneh, art historian Vivek Gupta, Afghan miniature painter Jamila Sadat, and Bangkok-based Uzbek artist Dishon Yuldash.

 

Looking ahead, the CCA will anchor its calendar with two annual initiatives: the multidisciplinary Navruz Gala and the citywide Tashkent Public Art Festival.

closeup on the renovated brick facade | image © BCDF Studio, courtesy of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF)

diesel station exhibition space

workshop

lobby reception

view of the lower lobby

public stairs

view of the underground gallery

view of the main courtyard

restaurant

auditorium

view of the library

 

 

project info:

 

name: Centre for Contemporary Art | @cca_tashkent

architects: Studio KO | @studioko (Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty)

original building architect: Wilhelm Heinzelmann (1912)

location: Tashkent, Uzbekistan

 

client: Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation | @acdfuz

chairperson: Gayane Umerova

artistic director & chief curator: Dr Sara Raza

The post studio KO reimagines 1912 tram depot as the centre for contemporary arts tashkent appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

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11

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Finally, Wireless and GaN Charging That’s Tiny And Turbo-fast: Meet the Baseus PicoGo II Series

Category: YankoDesign

The charging accessory market feels a lot like the wild west of consumer tech, a sprawling landscape of promises and pitfalls. For years, we’ve been stuffing our bags with bulky power bricks, tangled cables, and chargers that feel suspiciously warm to the touch. The Gallium Nitride (GaN) revolution promised a new world order, one defined by the simple trifecta of faster, smaller, and safer power. Yet, not all GaN is created equal, and finding a cohesive ecosystem of products that actually delivers on that promise without compromises has been a challenge. It’s a space ripe for a company to come in and create a truly user-focused lineup that just works, elegantly and reliably, for our multi-device lives.

Baseus seems to have taken that challenge personally with its new PicoGo II Series. The series brings a formidable lineup of wall chargers, magnetic power banks, and even a few devices rocking the brand-new Qi2.2 wireless charging standard. From the minimalist commuter to the power-hungry professional, Baseus is making a compelling argument that your charging setup deserves a significant upgrade. The entire lineup is built around a simple but powerful mantra: Faster, Smaller, Safer. The devices begin rolling out now, lining up with ‘Techtember’ and all the new phones being announced around this time. Here are two PicoGo II essentials we recommend.

Baseus PicoGo AE11 Fast Charger 2C+1A 67W

Finding a 67W charger that doesn’t feel like a brick has always been the goal for anyone carrying a modern ultrabook like a MacBook Air. The PicoGo AE11 steps up to this challenge with a design that is one of the smallest in its class. It packs two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, with intelligent power distribution that ensures your primary device gets the juice it needs. A single USB-C port can deliver the full 67W, perfect for most laptops, while using multiple ports allows it to smartly allocate power, such as 45W to a laptop and 20W to a fast-charging phone. This level of versatility makes it a powerful replacement for multiple single-purpose chargers.

The compact form factor is further enhanced by a foldable plug for the US version, making it incredibly easy to slip into a pocket or the small compartment of a backpack. Safety is also a major focus here, with TUV Rheinland certification and high-quality internal components that prevent overcharging by automatically shutting down once a device is full. Baseus also includes its proprietary BCT 2.0 temperature control system, which uses graphene materials and bottom heat vents to dissipate warmth effectively. This ensures the charger remains cool even during prolonged, high-output sessions, giving you peace of mind whether you’re charging overnight or topping up before a meeting.

Why We Recommend It

Frankly, this is the one-and-done travel charger for a huge number of people. If your daily carry includes a MacBook Air, an iPhone, and a smaller accessory like an Apple Watch or AirPods, the AE11 replaces three separate Apple chargers with a single, compact unit. It’s powerful enough for your most demanding device but flexible enough for everything else, all without taking up precious space in your bag. It’s the definition of a practical, no-nonsense upgrade.

Click Here to Buy Now: $23.38 $39.99 (41% off, use coupon code “QXHMN9SZ”). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!

Baseus PicoGo AM31 Magnetic Power Bank 5,000mAh 20W Qi2

The magnetic power bank market is crowded, but the PicoGo AM31 makes a strong case for itself with a focus on design and next-generation standards. As a Qi2-certified device, it delivers a reliable 15W of wireless power to compatible iPhones and other devices, a noticeable step up from the older 7.5W standard. It also offers a 20W wired output via its USB-C port. The 5000mAh capacity is the sweet spot for a daily emergency pack, offering enough power to get most phones through the rest of the day without adding excessive weight or bulk to your pocket.

Beyond the specs, the AM31 excels in its physical design. The aluminum alloy shell is coated in a silicone matte finish that feels premium, resists fingerprints, and provides a secure grip. An 11N magnetic array ensures it snaps onto your phone with a satisfying and secure connection, while a built-in kickstand allows for hands-free viewing in both portrait and landscape orientations. It even supports simultaneous wired and wireless charging, letting you power up two devices at once from a surprisingly compact and stylish package.

Why We Recommend It

Think of this as the perfect “going out” power bank. It’s sleek enough to not ruin the lines of your outfit and powerful enough to save you from battery anxiety on a long night. The combination of Qi2 fast wireless charging and a functional kickstand also makes it a fantastic desk accessory for topping up your phone while keeping it propped up for notifications or video calls.

Click Here to Buy Now: $39.98 $69.99 (41% off). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!

The post Finally, Wireless and GaN Charging That’s Tiny And Turbo-fast: Meet the Baseus PicoGo II Series first appeared on Yanko Design.

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11

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Alice Neel: The Story of Defying Convention

Category: DailyArt Magazine

The post Alice Neel: The Story of Defying Convention appeared first on DailyArt Magazine.

Sep
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The Beautiful Portraiture of Cecilia Beaux

Category: DailyArt Magazine

The post The Beautiful Portraiture of Cecilia Beaux appeared first on DailyArt Magazine.

Sep
11

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Pokémon Just Designed the Tamagotchi Every Millennial Always Wanted

Category: YankoDesign

Remember when Tamagotchis ruled the world? Those little digital pets taught us the pain of responsibility through pixelated death, and frankly, we’ve been chasing that high ever since. Virtual pets have evolved dramatically since those monochrome days, but most attempts feel like footnotes in gaming history. The formula needed something bigger, something with actual emotional investment and brand recognition that could pull normies and nerds alike into the same obsessive care-taking loop. Enter Pokemon, because of course they’d figure out how to make us fall in love with digital pets all over again.

The Pokémon Company, working with the legendary toymakers at Takara Tomy, has just announced a device that does precisely that. It’s called the Poke-Nade Monster Ball, and it’s a high-concept virtual pet that aims to finally deliver on the fantasy of having a Pokémon partner you can actually interact with. This is the natural evolution of the keychain digital pet craze from the 90s, taking the core loop of a Tamagotchi and injecting it with a level of interactivity and Pokémon-specific lore that fans have wanted for decades.

Designers: Takara Tomy & The Pokémon Company

This isn’t Pokémon’s first attempt at a pocket-sized companion, of course. Many of us remember the simple Pokewalker pedometer from the HeartGold and SoulSilver era, or the official Eevee Tamagotchi collaboration from a few years back. Those devices were charming, but they were ultimately limited by their hardware and scope. The Poke-Nade Monster Ball feels different; it feels like a purpose-built piece of technology designed from the ground up to be a premium Pokémon experience. It combines a color LCD screen, a touch-sensitive shell, and a surprisingly deep software package into a cohesive whole, aiming to create a genuine bond between the user and their digital creature.

The entire user experience hinges on its main gimmick, which is baked right into the name. “Poke-nade” roughly translates to “Pokémon petting,” and the device is engineered to respond to physical touch. A gentle stroke might get you a happy reaction, while persistent tapping could put your partner to sleep or elicit a unique animation. The system is apparently sophisticated enough to register the speed and duration of your gestures, unlocking different interactions as your friendship level grows. This tactile feedback loop, displayed through the animations on the screen, is the core of what makes this gadget so compelling from a design perspective. It moves beyond simple button presses into a more intuitive, physical form of engagement.

Inside that 7 cm plastic shell, they’ve managed to pack a roster of 157 different Pokémon, which is an impressive number for a standalone device. Seven of these are featured partners, including Pikachu, Eevee, and the Paldean starters, who get the premium treatment with full voice lines and more detailed animations. The software also includes a battle system and a diary feature that logs all your previous interactions, creating a persistent history with your Pokémon. This gives the toy significant replay value and adds a layer of emotional investment. One interesting design choice is the apparent lack of a traditional evolution mechanic, suggesting the focus is purely on companionship.

You can expect to see this little sphere on shelves in October with a retail price of about $51, and it will support both Japanese and English language options from the start. Weighing around 250 grams, it has a satisfying heft that separates it from cheaper keychain toys. This is clearly positioned as a premium collectible, a dedicated device for fans who want a deeper, more focused simulation than what a mobile app can offer. The Poke-Nade Monster Ball represents a fascinating intersection of toy design and interactive technology, creating a focused, tangible experience that just might capture the magic we all imagined as kids.

The post Pokémon Just Designed the Tamagotchi Every Millennial Always Wanted first appeared on Yanko Design.

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