Jean Paul Gaultier And Melissa Team Up Again
Jean Paul Gaultier was one of the first designers to ever collaborate with Melissa back in 1982. Since then, the Brazilian brand of plastic shoes has worked with the likes of Mugler, Patrick Cox, Karim Rashid, Alexandre Herchcovitch, the Campana Brothers, and more recently Vivienne Westwood ,and Zaha Hadid. For spring 2010, Melissa and Gaultier teamed up again to prove that a pencil thin plastic heel can look pretty cool and sexy.
Melissa is celebrating its 30th anniversary with an exhibit in Santa Tereza in Rio, which opened to the public this week, and runs until November 15. Do not miss it of you are in Rio
Plastic Chairs Done Right
There is no more excuse for ugly plastic bar chars: the 3x Eco Chair by Indio da Costa Design is not only chic and modern, but also friendly to the environment. Awarded silver in the ecodesign category of this year’s IDEA/ Brazil, the chair is made from high-resistance recycled raw materials, and boasts a long life cycle. The packaging is also eco-friendly, consisting of a recycled cardboard box that can fit five stacked chairs. Now I need to find in which colors it is going to be available.
The Coolest New Building In São Paulo: Fidalga 727
Out of every single new building being developed in São Paulo right now, the one is by far my favorite. Fidalga 727 is the first residential building in the country designed by the much hyped French-Brazilian design firm Triptyque, and is currently under construction in the neighborhood of Vila Madalena. Its eleven units range from 850 sq. foot apartments to a 3,000 sq. foot penthouse with over 1,150 sq. foot of outdoor space, and each apartment is unique and fully customizable.
For more information about the building, floorplans, and renderings, visit Fidalga 727.
Sustainable Design: Students From Rio Present The Stephouse
One of the finalists at theis year’s International Design Excellence Awards and a bronze winner at IDEA/ Brazil in the students category, the Stephouse was designed by Glória Brandão, Othon de Castro, and students from the UFRJ (or Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) using sustainable materials such as plastic lumber. The 780 sq. foot pre-fab single family home is composed of living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom, and can be built in only three days by a team of 10 people. It uses thermal and photovoltaic solar energy and rainwater harvesting for minimal environment impact, and its cost is estimated at R$ 220K (or approximately US$ 115K).
Click here to watch a video presentation of the project.
Copacabana To Step Into The Future With A New Museum
Avenida Atlântica in Copacabana is about to get a much deserved makeover with the new MIS (or Museum Of Image And Sound), a R$57 million project currently in development on the site once occupied by famous nightclub Help. Seven design firms, four Brazilian and three international, have presented their plans for the museum this week. Brazilian architects Bernardes & Jacobsen, Brasil Arquitetura, Isay Weinfeld, and Tacoa Arquitetos, are competing for the project against the likes of Daniel Libeskind, Shigeru Ban, and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, of the recently opened High Line in New York.
From top to bottom, projects by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Daniel Libeskind, Brasil Arquitetura, Bernardes & Jacobsen, Shigeru Ban, Tacoa Arquitetos, and Isay Weinfeld. Which one is your favorite?
When In São Paulo, Have A Drink At Sonique
I used to complain that there were no cool bars or lounges in São Paulo, but I take that back after this past weekend. On Saturday night I went to Sonique for a friend’s birthday, and it is everything I have been asking for in São Paulo: a place with impeccable design and great music that I can go to with friends for a drink or two after dinner at 11ish, and be done by 2. If you live in a city like New York, that may seem like the norm, but much of São Paulo’s traditional bar culture revolves around draft beer and appetizers on a sidewalk bar in the late afternoon, and the city’s nightlife is all about big clubs which you should not even attempt to go to before at least 1 am. Sonique may just be the antidote for that.
Opened since February (don’t even ask me why I had not been there yet), Sonique was designed by the much hyped French-Brazilian architects Triptyque, and its decor alone would be worth a trip there. The crowd is mixed, 40% straight 60% gay, and pretty cute. If you happen to be in São Paulo, that is one place I would tell you not to miss.
Sonique is located at Rua Bela Cintra, 461.
Picture blatantly stolen from Duda Bairros’ Flickr.
