Our Channel is where you can learn more about life at H&W – see what inspires us and encourages us to share our thoughts. It usually concerns the world of design, but not always. Channels work best when there’s a back and forth, so please feel free to jump in.
It was fifty years ago that NASA’s Apollo 11 took humans to the moon. Upon the return voyage, the command module Columbia was travelling at a speed of 25,000 MPH as it entered the earth’s atmosphere. The spacecraft’s heat shields protected the astronauts from temperatures of 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit by deflecting and absorbing the extreme heat. NASA said that the Columbia, for a short time, would have resembled a flaming orange ball of fire! Read this month’s Orange.
The runway was filled with excitement at this year’s annual BA fashion show at London’s renown art school – Central Saint Martins. Fashion student Fredrik Tjaerandsen presented his collection of shape-shifting balloons that engulfed the models. As they proceeded along the runway the balloons deflated to form dresses or skirts. All in all, a remarkably creative display. Our favourite, of course, was the orange balloon. Read this month’s Orange.
This striking, 23-storey building in Leeds, England is made from Cor-ten steel, a material that turns rusty-orange as it weathers. The architects say that the work of sculptors Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, who both attended art school in Leeds, influenced their design concepts. In 2010, the Broadcast Tower at Leeds Beckett University was selected by The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat as one of the four best towers erected in Europe. Read this month’s Orange.
California-based industrial design firm AWOL Company created this alpine race helmet for Fast Company’s Porsche Design Challenge. Inspired by the 1969 movie Downhill Racer starring Robert Redford and Gene Hackman, it refers to the moment in the film when a streamlined orange Porsche 911T Sportomatic plows through a pristine snow-covered landscape. We are convinced that the wearer of this helmet will capture the speed and perfect lines of that famous car. Read this month’s Orange.
The atrium at California's Berkeley Art Museum now offers new lounge seating for visitors. Whether you’re relaxing or watching live performances, the benches are sure to please. Their organic shapes are made from a rigid foam substrate laminated to layers of painted plywood. Be careful if you visit – with wireless Internet and built-in power outlets, you may never leave this orange oasis. Read this month’s Orange.
If you find an orange in your stocking this Christmas it may be harkening back to the tale of gold left behind by St. Nicholas. Read this month’s Orange.
