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Right in the heart of Paris, near the Arc de Triomphe and the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, stands the Origami Building. Situated at Avenue de Friedland in Paris, the building was built by famed architect Manuelle Gautrand for Barclays headquarters.  At first glance, the interesting feature about this building would be the eye-catching marble-skeleton, which resembles folds created in origami. There is a strict building code to follow to maintain Paris's Hausmannian style of architecture. Gautrand's choice of the marble-fold façade ingenuously blends the building with its surrounding structures and, at the same time, brings a contemporary feel that seems to...

We received our moment of frisson when Designerbox #29 arrived and introduced us to the multi-talented artist: Christian Haas.  With projects ranging from tableware, glassware and furniture to interior concepts and special projects with art galleries and magazines, Mr. Haas is an intrepid artist who takes up design challenges of all magnitudes.  His Tools Mr. Haas works with porcelain, glass, marble, wood and light:  His Inspiration Mr. Haas's inspiration comes from his frequent travels to Japan and his work experiences and stays in Munich, Paris, and most recently, Porto. He speaks of the reason behind his choice of Porto:"In Portugal,...

Our first Designerbox finally arrived! #28 came in a chic wooden box, in which contains all the materials required for the designer object, a certificate of authenticity, <The Iconic> intro newsletter and a Wallpaper City Guide of Tokyo. Aptly named "Lumiere Precieuse", designer object #28 is a self-assembling lamp with a cloche that encases the bulb within. The emitted light takes on a new meaning when viewed through the glass case. It [the light] resembles more like a rare artefact that we see in a museum, rather than a mere luminous source that we use for reading or for decorative...

Released in 2013, the Super5 fountain pen is a culmination of ideas and experiences, carefully distilled over the course of 30 years.  Mr. Robert Neuman, Super5 designer, was never completely satisfied with the pens that he had been using since his student days. They write too thick, scratch the paper surface and have frequent ink flow interruption. He decided to take things in his own hands and create a product that will not only satisfy his writing needs, but, at the same time, provide a valuable solution to anyone who encounter the same problems.  The exceptional Super5 fountain pen, produced...

Our featured artist, Whimsical Jade, shares with us some of her works sketched at 'La Specola', while living in Italy for 2 years. 'La Specola' is essentially a science museum that houses numerous exhibits collected by generations of the Medicis. Although categorized under "Science", it may be more accurate to call it a taxidermy museum, considering that more than half of the collection comprises fine animal specimens. Officially inaugurated in 1775, it became the only scientific institution specifically created for the public. At present, visitors have access to 34 rooms, 24 dedicated to zoological artifacts and the remaining to detailed...