matali crasset: hi matic hotel in paris

designboom was recently in paris where we had the opportunity to pre-view matali crasset’s HI MATIC hotel,
the most recent of her on-going collaboration with patrick elouarghi and philippe chatelet.
located in the young, creative district of rue charonne, where design, fashion, bookshops and organic restaurants rein,
the design of the urban eco-lodging facility seeks to establish a new dialogue between itself, the visitors and the neighborhood.

100% internet based, the hotel is void of all traditional concierge and staff members. a unique code provided at the time of reservation
gives access to the building and to computers where visitors check in, pay and receive their room key, all on their own.

the aim was to keep the hotel fuss free and simple. emphasizing this concept and approach further are vending machines –
located in the lobby and basement – where organic food, books, music and playful objects can be purchased 24 hours a day.

More Info here!

liquid wood: philippe starck with eugeni quitlet created zartan for magis

the zartan chair by philippe starck with eugeni quitllet is a new approach to industrial production in a post-plastic era.
at the magis booth on the milan fairgrounds, designboom spotted this from top to toe wholly natural chair, made of a sort of  ‘liquid wood’.
the new technology uses wood powder (derived from discarded wood pulp-based lignin) which is mixed with a number of other
natural materials (fibers and wax or fish oil) to create a strong, non-toxic alternative to petroleum-based plastics.
under high-pressure conditions, the composite material behaves like melted plastic, allowing it to be injected through
a nozzle into a mold.

philippe starck, in an interview with designboom elaborates:
‘plastic is non-biodegradable and can contain carcinogens and other toxic substances that can cause cancer.
it is based on petroleum, a non-renewable resource that will soon be harder to come by.
I imagine 5 types of different finishes for what you here just see in a raw version of the ‘zartan’ project: bamboo, flax, hemp, jute,
and rattan. this new technology explores the advantages of using natural materials to understand what will be our daily future.‘

More info here!

marco dessí: dakar for skitsch

italian designer marco dessí‘s new stackable aluminum chair ‘dakar’ is a lesson in thoughtful, lightweight construction
created for skitsch. the backrest and back leg cover are formed from one metal sheet demonstrating the
stability and at the same time flexibility of the material. the backrest still gives way like a spring when one leans back.

Read more here!