Nike designs the retail store of the future

"Sports brand Nike have opened an east London store where shoppers can see themselves reflected on motion-sensitive LED walls.



Named NikeFuel Station, the store is located at Boxpark, a temporary shopping centre made from shipping containers in Shoreditch, in the London borough of Hackney.



Runners visiting the store can learn which shoe styles are best suited to them using a digitized treadmill or read information about other products by interacting with touchscreens.



Diagonal wooden panels on the walls reference the architecture of the first ever Nike store in Portland, Oregon, but are adorned with LCD countdowns instead of the painted digits on the original walls."


"Watch Dezeen’s video tour narrated by Nike‘s global creative director Andy Walker below:"



"Here’s some text from the brand:
Nike Opens First Ever NikeFuel Station in London Introducing The NikeFuel Station & NikeiD Studio at Boxpark, East London
Nike opens the world’s first ever NikeFuel Station - a retail space like no other designed for today’s digitally enabled athlete. Featuring a seamless mix of innovative digital services and physical consumer experiences, the store is set to re-define the retail landscape forever.
The cutting-edge store, which is located on the ground floor at Boxpark, the world’s first ever pop-up mall, features engaging digital experiences designed to enable and inspire runners to be the best they can be. From May, NikeFuel Station at Boxpark will also be one of the select stockists of the Nike+ FuelBand, an innovative wristband that tracks movement throughout the day to help motivate and inspire users to be more active.
NikeFuel Station at Boxpark experiences and services include:
• Floor-to-ceiling motion sensing, interactive LED walls designed to encourage you to move more and demonstrate NikeFuel – a new metric that is the measure of a person’s athletic activity
• Nike+ FuelBand interactive experience created in conjunction with AKQA – an engaging motion sensitive installation where consumers see a life-size, digitized reflection on an LCD wall that reacts to movement to create a stunning piece of digital art that can be shared with friends via social networks. The faster you move, the more spectacular the results!
• Augmented reality tools to bring product technologies to life giving consumers access to interactive, animated product information
• ‘Digital mannequins’ – motion sensitive intelligent mirrors that reveal film footage of local runners wearing key products from the store
• Interactive touch screens – providing consumers with information about Nike+ products, forthcoming Nike+ Run Club sessions and the ability to purchase products from the entire Nike collection via Nikestore.com
• Weekly Nike+ Run Club – free running club open to all East London runners
• Physio and nutritionist services – free regular consultations with physios and nutritionists for Nike+ Run Club members
• Gait Analysis – in-store treadmill to allow consumers to ensure runners purchase the right shoe to match their running style
Andy Walker, Global Creative Director, Nike said: “Nike is changing the face of retail with the opening of Nike+ FuelStation at Boxpark. Nike+ products and services have merged the physical and digital worlds to help inspire and enable athletes of all levels to be the best they can be. Now we’re taking this approach one step further by combining innovative products with digital services and interactive multimedia experiences to create a state-of-the-art retail environment.”
Designed entirely in-house by the Nike Brand Design team, the store mixes futuristic interior design and architecture with features inspired by the first ever Nike store, which opened in Portland in 1973. Just like the original store, Nike+FuelStation at Boxpark features the iconic ‘chevron’ shaped bleacher wall coverings that have been given a modern twist with embedded LCD ‘counting’ numbers replacing the hand painted digits seen on the originals."

Sources:  Dezeen & SmartPlanet 

Traditional Camera Shapes are Wrong

From Yanko Design: "Listen to designer Jean-michel Bonnemoy and he’ll have you believe traditional camera form factors were dictated by the need to hold a roll of film in the back. Now that we’re all digital, why are still maintaining that archaism? He maintains the new form factor should be a cylinder – ergonomically better for the hand. The D-CAN concept significantly reduces volume while still providing all the finite controls professional photographers are used to. Hit the jump for the “specs”.

• Large range zoom stabilized USM lens.
• A ring authorizes the focus correction. The focal is lockable.
• Extension cursor for macrophotography
• The lens cap, impossible to lose, includes an electronic flash and the AF-assist illuminator
• The accessory shoe can receive, besides an electronic flash, a directional microphone or a remote control receiver.
• The cursor “function” allows to choose between fixed views or video, pictures reading, intervallometer and power off.
• Cursor “mode” (program, speed or aperture priority, manual)
• Double key ISO (100 to 6400 ISO).
• Sockets for peripheral: microphone, audio headset, power supply.
• The high-definition back screen is used for the aim, the control and the parameter setting by means of a trackball.
• The system of aim offers two configurations:
• - At the level of eye for a precise centring including right in the sun, with precise control of the focus. The magnifier with diopter adjustment gives an image enlarged of the screen.
• - Directly on the directional back screen having raised the magnifier.
• The back block of aim revolves to give access to the memory card, USB and HDMI connectors and energy compartment.
• The lithium battery can be replaced in case of necessity by a set of AA size battery.
• The release button pushed at the halfway mark locks the focus and the exposure.
• Maintained pushed it allows continuous photo mode.
• The function of thumb wheels differs according to the mode:
• - Thumb wheel 1: exposure correction(P, Tv, Av) or choice of the aperture (M).
• - Thumb wheel 2: program shift (P), choice of the shutter speed (Tv, M), of the aperture (Av).

Designer: Jean-michel Bonnemoy"

Source: http://www.yankodesign.com/2012/02/16/traditional-camera-shapes-are-wrong/

A Unique Showroom for Spanish Bathroom Brand Roca

"Zaha Hadid Architects have completed a showroom in London for Spanish bathroom brand Roca.



Undulating white walls surround a reception and lounge area that snakes through the interior of the Roca London Gallery, which is located on the ground floor of a mixed-use building near Chelsea Harbour.



Arched openings lead from the reception into concrete caves, where products are displayed on integrated shelves and lights sit within recessed grooves.


These rooms are formed from a jigsaw of glass-reinforced concrete elements that slot against one another with visible seams.


Around one corner is a glazed meeting room, whilst elsewhere are a series of interactive touchscreens.


Roca intend to use the showroom as a venue for exhibitions, seminars, meetings and other events."

From Zaha Hadid Architects:
"Zaha Hadid, two times winner of the Stirling Prize, celebrates the launch of her third London project, the Roca London Gallery
The Roca London Gallery consists of a single floor measuring 1,100m2, where, as the Zaha Hadid studio intended, it appears that water has sculptured and defined each and every detail of the space.
Roca‟s commitment to design and innovation is clearly visible in the exterior of the building with its distinctive and unique façade which gives the Roca London Gallery its identity. Three almost organic portals which appear to have been shaped by water erosion open up this space to the city.


Click above for larger image
The movement of water is the overriding theme in the Roca London Gallery – flowing and merging exterior and interior spaces. The interior is sculptured white concrete and its state of the art lighting connects each of the different areas whilst serving as a central axis around which the Roca London Gallery revolves.
The interior is fabulous, functional and flexible, featuring cutting-edge, modern, audiovisual, sound and lighting equipment. This technology provides interaction with the brand and the opportunity to discover the company‟s history, its landmark achievements and the values on which all of Roca‟s work is based: the commitment to sustainability and particularly to innovation, design, wellness and saving water.



The Roca London Gallery is intended to be much more than just a display space. Available to an extensive audience that will include everyone from design-savvy architects to design-hungry students, it will become a London hub hosting a wide range of activities such as exhibitions produced in-house or externally, meetings, presentations, seminars and debates, the criteria being a celebration of design in keeping with the Roca brand and company values."

Source: http://www.dezeen.com/2011/10/13/roca-london-gallery-by-zaha-hadid-architects/

Magnetic Bed

“Every so often, we like to take a look at things whose functionality  isn’t measured in gigabytes or megabangs, but instead just look amazing.  This magnetic floating bed, I submit, may be among the coolest things  we’ve ever covered. Designed by Dutchman Janjaap Ruijssenaars, it’s got  enough magnets to keep 900 kilograms (1,984 pounds) floating in the air.  To make sure that the bed doesn’t float away should it become windy (or  “interesting,” wink wink), it’s tethered to the walls by four cables.”


“Technically, the magnetic floating bed is for sale, but at a price of  1.2 million euros ($1.53 million), you’re not likely to find it in your  local mattress store.”




Sources: http://plasmatiger.tk/2012/02/magnetic-bed/ & http://www.interestingengineering.com/2012/02/magnetic-floating-bed.html

Zaha Hadid's London Aquatic Center for the 2012 Olympics

view of pool and stands between the platform bases

"construction for the 'london aquatics centre' for the london 2012 summer olympics by zaha hadid architects is now complete. capable of holding 17,500 individuals at one moment, this facility will be the venue for the swimming, diving, synchronized swimming and water polo events. sheltering the sports events, athletes and supporters is an aluminum clad steel roof which spans 160 meters in length and 90 meters at its widest point. three substantial concrete columns effortlessly support the 3,000 ton sweeping overhead structure. the double curvature parabolic structure visually evokes the form of an undulating wave. on the interior, 850,000 tiles surface the pools, changing facilities and and floors. the cluster of concrete towers including the three meter springboards and diving platforms were formed and cast onsite.



main diving and swimming event pools


a pedestrian landbridge crosses over the training pool supported by a monolithic concrete roof. a repetitive pattern of penetrations within the construction formwork generate voids for skylights allowing daylight to uniformly illuminate the space. ground granulated blast furnace slag, a by-product of steel production, was recycled and added as an aggregate to reduce the necessary concrete content by 50%. the pools' collective volume is ten million liters of water, redirecting excess pool water to be used as toilet water within the restrooms. once the games are completed, the facilities capacity will be reduced to 2,500 individuals while swimming pools, moveable floors and practice diving areas will be added for use by the community.



olympic pools, diving platforms and stands



diving pool


diving platforms


monolithic concrete bases


view from platforms

project info:

program: aquatics centre for 2012 summer olympics and future use
client: olympic delivery authority
architect: design zaha hadid architects
project director: jim heverin
project architect: glenn moorley, sara klomps
project team: alex bilton, alex marcoulides, barbara bochnak, carlos garijo, clay shorthall, ertu erbay, george king,
giorgia cannici, hannes schafelner, hee seung lee, kasia townend, nannette jackowski, nicolas gdalewitch, seth handley,
thomas soo, tom locke, torsten broeder, tristan job, yamac korfali, yeena yoon
project team [competition]: saffet kaya bekiroglu, agnes koltay, feng chen, gemma douglas, kakakrai suthadarat,
karim muallem, marco vanucci, mariana ibanez, sujit nair

consultants:

sports architects: s+p architects (london)
structural engineer: ove arup & partners (london, newcastle)
services: ove arup & partners (london)
fire safety: arup fire (london)
acoustics: arup acoustics (london)
façade engineers: robert-jan van santen associates (lille)
lighting design: arup lighting (london)
kitchen design: winton nightingale (london)
maintenance access: reef (london)
temporary construction: edwin shirley staging (london)
security consultant: arup security (london)
av + it consultants: mark johnson consultants (london)
access consultant: access = design (london)
cdm co-coordinator: total cdm solutions (cardigan)
breeam consultant: ove arup & partners (london)
contractor: main contractor: balfour beatty (uk)
timber sub-contractor: finnforest merk gmbh
site area: 36,875 m2

total floor area:

legacy:
basement: 3,725 m2
ground floor: 15,137 m2
first floor: 10,168 m2
olympic:
basement: 3,725 m2
ground floor: 15,402 m2
first floor: 16,387 m2
seating area: 7,352 m2

footprint area:
legacy: 15,950 m2
olympic: 21,897 m2"

Source: http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/15906/zaha-hadid-london-aquatic-center-now-complete.html