The Tree Hotel, located at Harrads Sweden, is a place inspired by the documentary film “Trädälskaren” (Treelover) by Jonas Selberg Augustsen and by the idea of creating a comfortable, well designed hotel which allows visitors to live in harmony with nature amongst the trees .

The concept “live in a tree house” has been handed over to a select group of established modern designers and architects. The result is a hotel with a unique collection of rooms, all different, where you can enjoy a comfortable, and truly memorable experience up in the trees.

Rooms available are the “Mirrorcube” by Tham & Videgård Architects, “The Cabin” by Cyrén & Cyrén, “The Nest” by Inredningsgruppen, “UFO” by Inredningsgruppen / Bertil Harström, “A room with a view” by Marge Architects and “Blue Cone” by Sandell Sandberg.

www.treehotel.se

The Pantone Hotel, now open in Brussels Belgium, is located near Avenue Louise, the glamorous shopping and business district.

Impeccably designed by Belgian interior designer Michel Penneman and architect Oliver Hannaert, The Pantone Hotel, showcases the color of emotion with a distinctive hue on each colors guest floor. There are a total of 59 rooms and suites in seven different color palettes. Guest rooms also feature unique photography by Belgian photographer Victor Levy.

www.pantonehotel.com

Tokyo based architecture studio Nendo of Japanese architect Oki Sato have created the new concept for 24 Issey Miyake Store. Based on the concept of the Japanese convenience store, 24 Issey Miyake shops combine inexpensive prices, a large variety of colors and frequent changes in the product lineup. The latest shop, located in Shibuya’s Parco shopping complex also includes a store that specially features Miyake’s Bilbao bag.

www.nendo.jp/en

On November 18, 1999, the Chinese government officially decided that Shanghai would bid for the 2010 World Expo. With support from home and abroad, Shanghai won the bid on December 3, 2002, at the 132nd General Assembly of the International Exhibitions Bureau.

Expo 2010 Shanghai China will centre on innovation and interaction. Innovation is the soul, while cultural interaction is an important mission of the World Expositions. In the new era, Expo 2010 Shanghai China will contribute to human-centered development, scientific and technological innovation, cultural diversity and win-win cooperation for a better future, thus composing a melody with the key notes of highlighting innovation and interaction in the new century.

Expo 2010 Shanghai China will also be a grand international gathering. China shall endeavor to attract about 200 nations and international organizations to take part in the exhibition as well as 70 million visitors from home and abroad, ensuring the widest possible participation in the history of the World Expositions.

Expo 2010 Shanghai China will be open from May 1 to October 31, 2010.

en.expo2010.cnp

Australian architect Matt Gibson has designed a shop interior for the fashion retailer Fame Agenda, located in the Docklands of Melbourne, Australia.

Involving concepts of ‘transparency and illusion’ and bringing customers minds in-between interior and exterior this store plays on the perspective of the ‘arcade’. A random and organic set of arches inspired by Thomas Heatherwick’s sculptural works merge to form a cave like enclosure from within the confines of the rectilinear shell. Providing intimacy and protection from the elevated & wind blown Docklands promenade the organic arches intend to shift the visitor inwards toward the end of the awkward ‘L ‘shaped plan & at the same time provide merchandising benches, walls and ceiling. The arches partially cover existing structural piers & terminate with mirrored cladding behind the sales counter seemingly extending the space and encouraging a play on perspective.

www.fameagenda.com

The Yas Hotel located in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, consists of 252 deluxe and 247 executive bedrooms and combines spectacular architectural design with innovative technology in an unparalleled position overlooking the Yas Marina, Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. The design consists of an undulating cloak of trans¬parent panels which stretch between two elliptical towers of the hotel. The aerodynamic building form evokes ma¬rine imagery of the Arabian Gulf and the curvilinear appearance of the Formula 1 cars and the race track. Working in collaboration with Asymptote of New York, Jestico + Whiles was appointed as interior designers and has created a calming and sophisticated interior to complement the frenetic speed of the Grand Prix.

The Grand Prix circuit divides the hotel into two wings. The first phase, Land Side Wing includes a range of guest suites and a set of specialist restau¬rants. The second phase, Water Side Wing is situated in the Marina itself and includes the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Suites, a restaurant, ballroom and café. Contemporary and well considered natural materials have been used throughout the interior of the hotel, which enhances the lively and comforting environment. Pure white quartz, Carrara marble tiles and bronze mirrors have been selected in bedrooms and bathrooms and fine oak joinery is shaped in reference to the form of wind filled sails of local boats.

From: Jestico + Whiles

www.theyashotel.com

Next March 25th, 2010, the new showroom Davide Groppi in Barcelona will open, in the heart of Born. This is an exhibition space designed by the creative and multidisciplinary hop! design studio. The area is signed by the Italian interior designer Paolo Tosi, who shared, from a long time, friendship and feeling with Davide Groppi and its projects.

This is the first exhibition and single brand sale space of Davide Groppi in Spain, is an innovative concept in many aspects: not only is a place for exhibition and sales, but above all a space for projecting where designers and creatives can offer and share their experiences, united by the taste and the search for minimal and essential light.

Within this space, are located, in fact, other activities related to the design world, from fashion to photography through architecture. 200 square meters where white and black alternate in a game of full and empty; frameless windows and white divisions at different heights, in contrast to the walls with the texture of marble and iron, mark the working areas of the other activities developed into the area.

The showroom is aimed at both designers, architects, professionals and the general public. A space oriented to understand light, performed in its many applications and nuances of purity and functionality.

www.davidegroppi.com

Buensalido+Architects have completed the interior of Via Venetto store in Makati City, Philippines.

“For the first store we designed for Via Venetto, a 30-year old shoe retail store, the brief was to give it a new contemporary image to recapture its market. The dilemna that was initially faced was that it has long established a great reputation in the retail scene, and so veering to far from its original look could alter the market’s perception of it for the worst. We therefore tried to find a balance between maintaining some of its characteristics and infusing them with newer, more contemporary forms.”

www.buensalidoarchitects.com

Sosushi is the first sushi franchising network in Italy. While Sosushi prides itself on their extrovert menu, they also take great pride in the design of each restaurant. This is very evident in the Turin, Italy restaurant designed by UAU Architects. Located deep in the city center of this historical urban city, UAU was challenged to create a modern and trendy space within this small old stationery store. The result is beautiful.

The shop is finished with the amazing Plexwood with matte white and magenta furniture to give an illusion of a spacious interior. The biggest challenge of the project was to optimize the space “in the deep research of order and refinement that distinguish all our architectures, not avoiding pragmatism.”

UAU was able to maximize this small space by working around the perimeter. They created benches and shelves that extended deep into the corners, which in turn, eliminated many awkward nooks and crannies and made the restaurant feel very open.

www.sosushi.it

Robert Restaurant unveils for its clientele an expansive view of Columbus Circle, Central Park, Broadway and Central Park West, hidden for decades since the closure of Huntington Hartford’s museum. Celebratory, sexy and romantic, designed to allow for conversation, patrons may dine sitting on sofas in the central lounge area, or be seated at the windows to enjoy the views.

Lighting is designed by San Francisco based architect Johanna Grawunder. Grawunder’s two installations are Cherry Blossom; a mobile-like chandelier installation of LED lit lucite panels and Tangerines; a series of suspended orange lucite boxes along the windowed perimeter. Sculptural steel cocktail tables, host stands and a 15 foot communal table bisected by a 6 foot high “sound wave” were created for the space by London based architect Philip Michael Wolfson. Upholstered pieces were designed by modernist master Vladimir Kagan. Project architects were Schefer Design.

www.robertnyc.com