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Since its Earth Week, we’re highlighting possible solutions to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate global warming. Today, we’re focusing on environmentally-conscious transportation since our combined movement accounts for roughly 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As we look to a future where the movement of goods, vehicles, and ourselves will only continue to increase, we must consider how we can get around more thoughtfully. To put it simply — walk or bike when you can, drive electric, and fly less.

The Bicycle Snake, or Cykelslangen, is a 656-foot long (200 m) ramp in bike-friendly Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built to replace a large staircase, allowing cyclists (roughly 12,500 each day) to easily and safely navigate through the city. One study estimated the European Union could cut its transport greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25% if every country’s cycling rate was the same as Denmark’s.

The Tesla Gigafactory is a lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle factory in Sparks, Nevada. The percentage of electric vehicles on the road has risen sharply in recent years as more car manufacturers have prioritized adding battery-powered options that produce significantly less emissions over the life of the car. When the Gigafactory operates at peak capacity, it produces more lithium-ion batteries in a year than the total amount produced in the entire world in 2013.

The DevLoop test site outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, was constructed to test the aerodynamics of the Hyperloop — a futuristic mode of passenger and/or freight transport that operates through sealed vacuum tubes pushing pods of air resistance or friction at high speeds. The Hyperloop would allow for travel faster than some short-haul flights, thereby significantly reducing emissions for individuals or goods traveling these distances.

Source imagery: VisitCopenhagen / Maxar

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Here’s a final reminder that our SPRING PRINTSHOP SALE ends tomorrow. Use code “SPRING20” for 20% off your entire order, including our new framed prints! Visit over-view.com/shop/prints to check out our entire collection.

Prints seen here include:

1. Boca Raton, Florida
2. Antarctica Sea Ice
3. Golden Gate Park
4. Chicago Polar Vortex

Source imagery: Maxar

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Earth Day is this Thursday so this week I’ll be sharing posts related to places & ideas that mitigate the perils we face with a warming planet. After looking down at the planet for the last 7 years and learning more about how we impact it, I think the complex crisis that we face all comes back to the fact that we have released, and continue to release, too much carbon into the Earth’s atmosphere. Almost everything that we do produces some form of carbon emission in its processing, transportation, or consumption. This excess carbon warms the planet, both in the oceans’ waters and on land, leading to more volatility in our weather, which can disrupt and devastate our civilization that’s been constructed with predictable temperatures, precipitation, and water-levels in mind.

If we’re simplifying the problem of a warming planet, we can also think about solutions in a similarly simplified manner. First, if our activity produces too much carbon, we need to employ smarter, more sustainable technologies to generate and produce the things we need - like electricity, food, transport, etc. Second, we can implement technologies that remove carbon from the atmosphere. The best ones we have at the moment are trees - which have been photosynthetically feeding on carbon for millions of years. Brilliant people are trying to develop others.

So to start off the week, here’s the Westmont Rooftop Solar Project in San Pedro, California. 2 million square feet of solar panels now cover what was previously unused area on the roof of a distribution center. The panels have a bifacial design, meaning they collect reflected light from the surface of the roof in addition to direct sunlight. This enables the panels to generate up to 45% more power than traditional rooftop solar panels and power 5,000 nearby homes. I love this example because it shows that we can not only be more thoughtful about how we generate our energy, but also the land we use to do so.

I have a few posts lined up for the coming days. Here’s to a better future for our one and only home!

Benjamin Grant, Founder
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33.765342°, -118.286512°

Source imagery: Nearmap

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Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, USA. It is surrounded by a major metropolitan area comprised of three main cities — Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater — and upwards of 3.1 million residents. The bay is also Florida’s largest open-water estuary, providing over 400 square miles (1,000 square km) of habitat for a wide variety of wildlife.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3sujiP7

27.762500°, -82.545833°

Source imagery: Airbus Space
© CNES 2020, Distribution Airbus DS

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The Nile River is commonly regarded as the longest river in the world, flowing for 4,258 miles (6,853 km) over 11 countries in northeastern Africa. In this Overview, it is shown flowing north through Egypt, forming a large delta before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. Civilizations since ancient times have depended on the waters of the Nile to flood and fertilize the surrounding desert lands.

See more here: https://bit.ly/3mQnQhD

29.336389°, 31.224667°

Source imagery: Airbus Space
© CNES 2020, Distribution Airbus DS

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Today’s Earth Week post focuses on wind energy, one of the most promising technologies to curb carbon emissions and address global warming in the coming decades. Approximately 314,000 wind turbines currently provide just 3.7% of global electricity, leaving ample opportunity for growth of both offshore and onshore wind farms. Wind farms use less than 1 percent of the land they occupy, allowing for greater land conservation and mixed-use like farming, while power generation takes place. Furthermore, when compared to fossil-fuel powered energy, wind produces significantly less emissions – coal’s carbon footprint is almost 90 times larger, while natural gas is 40 times larger.

Here is a collection of wind farm related Overviews from our collection:
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With the incoming tide, streaks of sediment form around the turbines of the Donghai Bridge Wind Farm in Shanghai, China. This facility was the first commercial offshore wind farm in China and has the capacity to power 200,000 homes.

The Bayannur Wulanyiligeng Wind Farm in Inner Mongolia, China, consists of more than 200 wind turbines and can generate nearly 850,000 megawatt hours of power per year at full operation. This wind farm has the capacity to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 760,000 tonnes annually.

Middelgrunden is a wind farm located 2.2 miles (3.5 km) offshore Copenhagen, Denmark in the Øresund Strait. The farm’s 20 turbines provide approximately 4% of the power for Copenhagen.

Blades for wind turbines are grouped together at a manufacturing facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. Individual blades are transported from this facility to wind farms on top of trucks and then assembled on-site. For a sense of scale, the longest blades here are 350 feet (107 meters) long, or 1.3 times the length of a New York City block.
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Source imagery: Maxar / Nearmap

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Following on from our beloved video snapshot from Melbourne Design Week 2021, today is all about taking a deeper dive into the shows we either visited during our stay or wished we could’ve seen but were unable to for one reason or another.

Underpinned by three overarching principles – Care, Climate & Community – Melbourne Design Week 2021 presented with plenty of heart, silver linings and provocative ideas aiming to design a better world for everyone – the one that not only looks good but is good for the planet too. Also, as our mate, Volker Haug perfectly put in our video – “I really hope the world will learn from this, and things will get better. And on a human level, people are kinder and nicer to each other… and [there’s aren’t] so many f*ckwits around.” Amen!

Let’s take a closer look.

Related: The Good, The Inspiring & The Talented: Melbourne Design Week 2021 Video Highlights.

One of the most Instagrammed exhibition of MDW21 and for a good reason, Wonderstruck by One Two One Two brought together eight designers, asking them to imagine their version of a happy place – a direct antidote to the doom and gloom of 2020. Pictured here — Orange bench by Andrew Carvolth in the foreground and Dean Toepfer’s arresting light sculpture dubbed ‘Memories of you and the light that it brings’. “This object is based upon the joyous and positive memories we rely upon when going through a loss or separation. Each of the five elements in the piece represents a different memory, story, place, or emotion, with each element serving as an independent light source that contributes to the whole. It is through combining and reflecting on these happy experiences that we create our own fantastical and whimsical memory palaces for retreat.” — Dean Toepfer

Ceramics by Kerryn Levy.

Pandemic as Inspiration

Coronavirus and its profound effects chartered high in the minds of many designers, some of whom turned to the pandemic as the core inspiration for their creative output.

Csongvay Blackwood‘s Making Waves exhibition presented the Eltham-based duo’s latest range of ceramic sculptures featuring undulating forms that delivered an evocative series representing the dramatic impacts of pandemics throughout human history. “Pandemics have affected our lives since the ancient Greeks and the Plague of Athens, where disease challenged democratic institutions and human behaviour to the point that it undermined the world’s first democracy,” said Csilla Csongvay and Matt Blackwood. “The hard-edge geometries of Making Waves reference how each step towards hygiene and the common good is the foundation in reducing these pandemic waves from growing into a tsunami.”

Csongvay Blackwood Making Waves. Photo courtesy of Csongvay Blackwood.

2021.5 hybrid sculpture and artwork by industrial designer Tom Fereday and artist Kate Banazi is a physical manifestation of personal experiences from the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of Tom Fereday.

Sydney-based industrial designer Tom Fereday and artist Kate Banazi collaborated on 2021.5 – a hybrid sculpture and artwork that was a physical documentation of their personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presented as part of Community by alt. material, the project was driven by data that captured local COVID-19 case statistics and qualitative diaries Kate Banazi kept throughout the pandemic. Measuring 1.5 meters in length (the good ol’ social distancing guideline), the striking totem became a large-scale rolling press that imprinted graphical lines of Covid data pressed onto a linen artwork. “Each printed line is an honest visual depiction of the emotional torrent and experiences presented by this unique moment time” – one that’s left a permanent imprint on all of us.

Taking a more cheerful approach, Andrew Carvolth and Elliot Bastianon of One Two One Two curated the Wonderstruck exhibition, asking eight participating designers to imagine their version of a happy place – a direct antidote to the doom and gloom of 2020. “It’s fair to say that the last 18 months have been plagued by the grim realities of a world in crisis,” explained Andrew and Elliot. “We want to bring awe and wonder into dark days.” The resulting exhibition erred on the side of fantasy, featuring joyous colour palettes as “an escape from the present into a world of adventurous forms and fanciful outlooks.” Yes, please!

Lamps by Anna Varendorff and artwork by Marsha Golemad in the background.

 

CARING is Sharing

One could argue that to design; one has to Care. In this vein, most exhibitions could and should fall under this core thematic pillar of MDW21, although one of them, in particular, stuck out to me the most. Curated by one of Melbourne’s finest creative talents, Marsha Golemac, Future Inheritance: 20 Speculative Objects for a Time to Come explored how seemingly insignificant objects can be enriched by storytelling. This quietly powerful, perfectly executed exhibition showcased all new works by twenty multi-disciplinary artists and designers Marsha hand-picked herself, and often out of obscurity – she invited each participant to consider how and why value is instilled in objects, regardless of their monetary value. This deeply personal and emotionally resonant exhibition invited observers to imagine a future where culture is valued through design while highlighting the emotional, environmental and social impact of what is left behind.

 

Curated by E tū and Ulla-Britta, the By-Product group exhibition explored how circular economy and open-source knowledge sharing can help reduce waste in design. Rosanna Ceravolo worked with samples and offcuts from Fibonacci Stone to create an arresting coffee table. “I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with my studio sample library. The Australian construction industry generates over 20m tons of waste each year, yet it’s easy to become acquiescent to this fact from within the woke confines of the architecture studio, brimming with indoor plants and keep cups. The towers of physical samples endemic to most architecture studios are both a tangible and visual reminder of the material effects of design and its impact on the environment – be that good or bad. It also serves to track the constantly “evolving” trend-scape which dictates much of what is added to (and removed from) our built form.” — Rosanna Ceravolo

 

Fight for CLIMATE

Unsurprisingly, climate concerns chartered high on the agenda – and for a good reason. Let’s face it – our planet is basically fucked unless we do something about the climate crisis and quick smart. Designers of this world know this better than most.

The most prominent showcase of this thinking was seen at A New Normal organised by Finding Infinity – arguably the week’s flagship exhibition that took out the Melbourne Design Week Award. This was an inspiring showcase of ambitious ideas by fifteen of Australia’s top architecture and design practices (John Wardle Architects, Kennedy Nolan, Ha, Clare Cousins, Foolscap Studio and Edition Office, to name a few) who joined forces to challenge the city with their progressive ideas on making Melbourne self-sufficient by 2030.  The exhibition championed a $100 billion zero-carbon strategy for Melbourne via prototypes, concepts and designs for large-scale, real-world projects for a future city that’s water neutral, powered by renewable energy and generates no waste.

A Sea at the Table by Other Matter and Fluff Corp – a solo show of bioplastic vessels consisting of a range of ceramic items glazed with bioplastic. Photo: Tom Ross.

On a smaller but equally important scale, Other Matter, an experimental studio working with algae-based bioplastics founded by Jessie French, presented A Sea at the Table – a solo show of vessels and objects made in collaboration with Fluff Corp. Comprising a range of items with ceramic ‘bodies’ and algae’ glazes’, the exhibition invited visitors to engage with the possibilities of a post-petrochemical world. Jessie explains that algae-based bioplastic is safe enough to eat and is made of entirely organic materials: an important distinction from many materials described as bioplastics which include a percentage of synthetic ingredients. Further to this, bioplastic developed by Other Matter can be recycled in a home kitchen in about an hour – being vitally different to most ‘bioplastics’ materials that require transport to and processing in a commercial facility.

Curated by E tū and Ulla-Britta, the By-Product group exhibition explored how circular economy and open-source knowledge sharing can help reduce waste in design. Seventeen Australian designers created an object made from waste by-products from their respective practice, making their process and insights open-source for the broader design community. By-product offered online and IRL experience, including a three-day group exhibition in East Brunswick’s Mycelium Studios and a digital showcase of an open-source website exhibiting videos and downloadable resources to help others create from waste.

Exhibition view of JamFactory’s ‘Crafts, Crossovers & Collaborations’.

 

For Designwork 05, Sophie Gannon Gallery presented Volume III, a solo exhibition of ‘puddle’ mirrors by Cordon Salon — a Melbourne-based studio focused on researching, reimagining and experimenting as a method to discover new outcomes in concept, process and design. 

“Volume III was developed in early 2020. With the lockdowns we were unable to show the work and are so pleased to be finally doing so and with the support of the incredible team are Sophie Gannon Gallery it’s very exciting”, says Ella Saddington, creative director of Cordon Salon.

 

Drift by Tom Fereday (looking through to the installation by Nat Turnbull), presented a series of 100 unique cast quartz glass forms, exploring the notion of natural passive finishing.

thomasFlack Studio x Inform Upholstery Design ‘In Transit’ at Friends & Associates’ A World We Don’t Want. Photo: Anson Smart.

 

COMMUNITY Matters

One of this year’s reoccurring themes was the celebration of the Australian artisanal community – the people behind the works and those who make the objects and realise designers’ complex visions.

A fine example of this thinking was JamFactory‘s Crafts, Crossovers & Collaborations. Co-curated by Caitlin Eyre and Brian Parkes, the exhibition highlighted the rich variety of creative output made possible through the intersections of unique networks and connections made possible by the Adelaide institution. The objects celebrated materiality and process as well as the stories of human connection and the collective enterprise behind their creation. For my money, the standout piece in the exhibition – and possibly from the whole event from the ready-to-go product perspective – was the Solute Chandelier, created by product designer Dean Toepfer and glassblower Liam Fleming. The duo managed to augment the centuries-old craft of glass-blowing through the use of modern design technologies like computer modelling and mould making, completed with commercially available lighting componentry. Through working closely together, Dean and Liam were able to marry two very different skillsets through a shared aesthetic sensibility, creating a distinctive product neither designer could have developed alone. Outstanding.

Similarly, at Sophie Gannon Gallery, Cordon Salon developed a range of colour changing, multi-chromatic and transparent finishes for their puddle mirrors, highlighting a remarkable, antiquated process of making mirrors where each end piece is individual and unique. The production method was developed with a Master mirror maker, Luke Price of Outlines Custom Mirror Finishes. “Collaboration is a huge part of our ethos at Cordon Salon, and championing the incredible community of makers in Australia working behind the scenes is really important to us,” says Creative Director Ella Saddington. “By highlighting their craft, we hope to promote their practices to other designers so they may secure opportunities outside the work we make together… It’s never been a better time to invest in our community.”

Community was also paramount at the Friends & Associates group show, organised by Dale Hardiman and Tom Skeehan. Friends & Associates is an ongoing process-based project initiated by Dale and Tom in 2017, having had a significant presence at MDW with hundreds of designers and creatives to date. This year the collective presented another major highlight of the week – a group show dubbed A World We Don’t Want. Taking the view that sometimes to find out what we want, we need to look to the opposite; the show presented thirteen challenging ideas by leading Australian creatives. One such idea came via Flack Studio with Inform Upholstery + Design, who showcased ‘In transit’ – a design classic-inspired coal covered furniture object that examines the designers’ role in the high turnover and blatant consumerism synonymous with the world of interior design.

Also forming part of Friends & Associates were the solo installations by Natalie Turnbull (A Suggestion of a Possibility) and Tom Fereday (Drift) – both of whom offered a more optimistic look at the future. In a humble but thoughtfully presented show, Nat examined our relationship with everyday objects – a chair, a table, a light and a plate – ultimately questioning how we live and the objects we chose to surround ourselves with. Tom’s dramatic installation of 100 unique cast quartz glass forms explored the idea of natural passive finishing. “Harnessing the unique finishing agent of tidal water for a collection of glass objects, Drift is a naive exploration into natural, non-powered processes promoting a conversation of how we may better work symbiotically with nature,” he says. Couldn’t love it more, Tom.

Broached Recall presented by Broached Commissions, in partnership with Elton Group. Don’t act like you’re not impressed.

Chatting to Lou Weis and Laura Clauscen of Broached Commissions.

The second release of Broached Recall and debut exhibition in Australia showcased the precious historical veneer archive of Elton Group, dating back to the 1930s. The highly articulated Recall objects enacted a cutting machine, a modern grid template that absorbed and connected the habits of the past to the material technology of the present.

James Makin Gallery in Collingwood welcomed visitors with ‘The Nature Of An Island’ – a solo exhibition of brand new works by designer Dale Hardiman and ceramic artist James Lemon. See more here.

 

Presented At The Above, Lab by Justin Ridler was an exhibition of the photographer’s recent work. “A journey of connection and informal discovery, where multiple iterations of work emerge through both staged and naturally occurring collisions — offering a vision of a utopian future.” In other words, it was pretty cool.

I’m a sucker for a good interactive moment.

Justin Ridler invited collaborators to join him in a project of play and togetherness. The project developed over multiple existences and through sharing resources, collaborating across disciplines and embracing the new – this expanding library of work was built with a process of unpredictable chaos and resolution. The space At the above was a series of digital and physical works viewers could engage with – the experience further enhanced by immersive digital experiences.

 

New Assemblage presented Future Proof a satellite exhibition of contemporary collectible and exploratory design projects from 21 emerging and established interdisciplinary artists, designers, and makers practices from across Australia and New Zealand. The exhibition responded to the MDW theme ‘Design the world that you want’ by focussing on community building. Activating one of the many vacant shopfronts on Fitzroy’s Gertrude street, the curators, Ella Saddington and Brigitte Owers-Buccianti, invited new and varied exhibitors the majority of whom haven’t had the opportunity to exhibit and MDW before.

Object acter my own heart – Negroni Fountain – Rituals of Decadence by Andrew Hustwaite & Perrin McKirdy, “a refrigerated fountain that is capable of continually pouring a liquid at below zero temperatures.”

Prism Light by Cordon Salon. The light captures of sense of wonder, experimenting with polycarbonate panels commonly used in office ceilings. “By introducing a Multi-layer Polymeric polyester to the inside surface of the panel I was able to add colour variation,” explains Ella Saddington. 

 

Material Exploration

Another key theme of the week was material and process exploration, challenging a myriad of preconceived ideas – aesthetic or otherwise.

One of the week’s personal highlights was the always on-point Broached Commissions, who, in partnership with Elton Group, presented an exhibition of Broached Recall applied-arts objects. Launched initially at Design Miami in 2019, twelve new limited and open edition functional objects continued the line of enquiry “that attempts to expose the design industry’s wilful contribution to a world that is full of products and denuded of life.” For this exhibition, Broached and Elton dived through the archives to select eight heritage timber veneer species paired with Elton Group’s colourful contemporary reconstructed veneer range. By matching new and historical veneers, each Recall object offers a dialogue between the past and present global management of the timber industry. The pieces also successfully reposition timber species that have fallen “out of fashion” over the years, making them desirable and relevant again.

Opus Vincula by Charlie White was an uber-cool exhibition of experimental objects made using curbside mattresses as a source of polyurethane foam the designer transformed into furniture and lighting objects. After being soaked in a cement bath, wet pieces of mattress foam were bound with chains to create sculptural forms, communicating “the aesthetic language of sombre, gothic plasticity.”

Preliminary Structures presented seven contemporary makers and designers working with moulding and casting techniques across ceramic and glass disciplines. Exploring new ideas that reflect on craft’s complicated relationship to industry, sculpture, design and architecture, the exhibition challenged preconceived ideas of industrial perfection and replication, elevating preliminary structures into objects celebrated for their craftsmanship and artform.

A little slice of Milan in Melbourne – the beautiful Articolo showroom designed by David Goss. The Richmond space was transformed by a series of immersive light installations, “exploring the capacity of experimentation through creative collaboration.” The Art of Light showcased interdisciplinary works centred around community and the art of light, including a site-specific 100 Fizi ball installation.

 

Are you still seriously reading this? You’re clearly a bit of a champ. Anyway, I don’t know about you, but I’m pooped. Time to have a nap.

While I’ve got you, I should point out the images below feature some of the show we didn’t get to visit in person, but I wanted to bring them to your attention nonetheless.

Happy browsing!

Growth by Somchai Charoen at Preliminary Structures. Photo: Josephine Briginshaw.

Pixe’l by Kristin Burgham at Preliminary Structures. Photo: Josephine Briginshaw.

Re:Coquo at Modern Times celebrated the idea of being resourceful, creative, optimistic, risk-taking, contemplative, creative and flexible. Photo: Elise Scott.

Ceramics by Luke O’Connor. Photo: Elise Scott.

At Craft Vitoria, Jane McKenzie presented a new body of ceramic sculptures dubbed ‘Play of Light’. In response to the events of 2020, McKenzie has sought a new playfulness in this series of work and was loosely inspired by the Wooden Dolls designed by Alexander Girard in 1952. This can be seen in the embellishment of the sculptures with incised lines, white gloss and golden glaze on the terracotta clay. Photos courtesy Craft Victoria.

Nicole Lawrence’s pop-up showroom featuring the Melbourne designer’s core collection alongside works by Jordy van den Nieuwendijk, Claudia Lau, Brittany Rouse & Leisa Wharington. Photos: Nicholas Wilkins.

Porcelain Bear at Heide Museum – Metro Café Table + Polar Console. Photo: Haydn Cattach.

Porcelain Bear at Heide Museum – Acrobat Flat Bar Floor Lamp on a bed of recycled porcelain gravel. Photo: Haydn Cattach.

This Yellowtrace Promotion is proudly supported by NGV. Like everything we do, our partner content is carefully curated to maintain the utmost relevance to our readers. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Yellowtrace. 

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[Unless otherwise noted, all images © Nick Hughes/ Yellowtrace.]

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For today’s Earth Week post we’re excited to feature the efforts of Project Vesta. This Overview shows the test beach in the Caribbean where they are advancing the science of Coastal Carbon Capture — an elegant natural solution to sequestering CO2 by spreading an abundant mineral called olivine (seen in the second photo). The exact location of the beach will be disclosed in the coming months.

Olivine sand that is placed in coastal waters accelerates the Earth’s natural, long-term carbon-capture process. Here’s how it works: when olivine sand is impacted by ocean waves it breaks down, which sets off a natural process called “weathering” where carbon is pulled from the ocean’s waters and the atmosphere. As a result, ocean acidity is reduced, and over geologic timescales, limestone is also formed — effectively locking the carbon back in permanently. This first Project Vesta test beach will continue to be the site of groundbreaking research, bringing 30 years of lab trials into the real world for the first time with large-scale experimentation.

Source imagery: Maxar / Project Vesta

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Ciao Bella, Bellisimo, Grande!? Now I don’t speak Italian but this new restaurant by Genesin Studio, in collaboration with Walter Brooke, has me feeling some kind of way. In a design that demands attention, the studios played with scale and space to capture the intrigue and established poise of an old Palazzo. Palladiana flooring and gloss stucco rendered walls are balanced with minimal concrete forms to exude Italian elegance that celebrates the bygone era of post-war Venice for this latest venue in SkyCity Adelaide.

Equilibrium is the word in this modernist Italian eatery. Being greeted first by a Carlo Scarpa-inspired concrete entry portal, patrons are invited to take in the expansive space above. Softly turning around the architecture of the building, the restaurant curates a seating plan of 190 patrons around 8 different experiences – an Espresso Bar, Lobby Lounge, Bar Dining, Kitchen Table, High Tables, Private Tables, Dining Room, and Alfresco Dining. But unlike feeling like a restaurant farm, the designers have used different depths and heights within the space and a flowing design language that invites the individual areas to contrast and complement each other.

Like a Negroni, their signature cocktail, the space is dynamic and layered. Pink palladiana flooring with black and white marble terrazzo inlay, an updated take on the Venetian classic, forms the foundation of the space. A very labour intensive tiling technique, the material was laid by some talented tilers locally in South Australia.

Walnut timber was fundamental to the palette. The designers integrated the material through timber joisted ceilings in high void areas and for all joinery, door pulls and loose custom tables, adding a warmth that envelopes the cavernous 2.7m to 5m ceilings.

Finished in a soft summer yellow gloss paint, the venues textured rendered walls have been applied with a trowel finish called Rilievo from Venetian brand San Marco. Adding dimension and a theatrical backdrop to the modernist elements within.

The space is its most open at the main bar, establishing it as the feature of the restaurant. The clean lines and modernist tones of the in-situ concrete sit in calm contrast to the patterned flooring with greenery spilling above from several pots. A blackened steel shelf divides the room with a fine selection of local and international booze. Grey-on-grey 50’s inspired stools by Grazia & Co sit quietly against the concrete, without demanding attention.

Related: Six Projects with Rocking Stone Floors.

This relationship between local and international talent continues with a collection of art and ceramics from Italian ceramic houses Bitossi and Fornasetti mixed with commissioned pieces from local SA artist; James Brown contributed variously sized impasto art canvas sin colour and monochrome and Jeweller & Metalsmith Christian Hall who designed a blackened steel wall piece with reference to mid-century relief mural art.

While there’s plenty to look at in this sprawling space the most eye-catching of all is the external vista looking out on to the River Torrens. Floor to ceiling windows snake around the perimeter with window seating and custom walnut and Arabescato marble inlaid tables. The space continues to evolve as the light and spatial volume changes.

Snag a seat by the window, order a cocktail and be transported to the canals of Venice – even if just for a second.

Related: Antica Morphett Street Pizzeria in Adelaide by Genesin Studio.

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Since its Earth Week, we’re highlighting possible solutions to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate global warming. Today, we’re focusing on environmentally-conscious transportation since our combined movement accounts for roughly 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As we look to a future where the movement of goods, vehicles, and ourselves will only continue to increase, we must consider how we can get around more thoughtfully. To put it simply — walk or bike when you can, drive electric, and fly less.

The Bicycle Snake, or Cykelslangen, is a 656-foot long (200 m) ramp in bike-friendly Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built to replace a large staircase, allowing cyclists (roughly 12,500 each day) to easily and safely navigate through the city. One study estimated the European Union could cut its transport greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25% if every country’s cycling rate was the same as Denmark’s.

The Tesla Gigafactory is a lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle factory in Sparks, Nevada. The percentage of electric vehicles on the road has risen sharply in recent years as more car manufacturers have prioritized adding battery-powered options that produce significantly less emissions over the life of the car. When the Gigafactory operates at peak capacity, it produces more lithium-ion batteries in a year than the total amount produced in the entire world in 2013.

The DevLoop test site outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, was constructed to test the aerodynamics of the Hyperloop — a futuristic mode of passenger and/or freight transport that operates through sealed vacuum tubes pushing pods of air resistance or friction at high speeds. The Hyperloop would allow for travel faster than some short-haul flights, thereby significantly reducing emissions for individuals or goods traveling these distances.

Source imagery: VisitCopenhagen / Maxar

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