«This is not just ergonomically, but socially attractive.»
«To me it looks like a (formal) design idea which later gets adopted to a purpose,» responded Dikkie Smabers. «It’s not just her legs. «Those cavernous bridges obstruct the front view, which renders the preservation of the station pointless.» Read the comments on this story »
No joke: Comic Sans designer Vincent Connare once described the much-hated typeface as his «best joke», but some readers felt his defence of the typeface in an exclusive interview with Dezeen wasn’t funny. «Poor, poor Battersea,» wrote Marco Lammers, succinctly summing up a number of the responses. Read the comments on this story »
All work and no play: the first trial of a concept design for a future office with no chairs, to help workers avoid myriad health problems associated with spending too long sitting, was revolutionary to some and impractical to others. This beats Demi Moore playing with clay in Ghost,» added Marcus Des. Why two levels? If society was an entity built on fairness, respect, compassion and other health-inducing qualities, then our researchers would also possess more wisdom.» Read the comments on this story »
An idea with legs: a series of chairs by Lithuanian designer Marija Puipaitė, who created the forms based on the outline of her own legs, won praise for both the novelty and execution of the idea and its presentation. «I usually love BIG’s work and its approach to design, which is both logical and unique. But the most popular comment of the week was posted by Innes, who quoted the first-person monologue by Timothy McSweeney as Comic Sans:
«You think I’m a malformed, pathetic excuse for a font. Most primitive criteria for good design I have ever heard,» he wrote. BIG no-no: Bjarke Ingels’ architecture company BIG was this week confirmed as the firm behind designs for a new public square in front of the iconic Battersea Power Station building in London, currently the focus of a multi-million pound redevelopment. Others took offence at Connare’s description of typography as «more technical than other fields of design». «If it were a bus shelter, everyone would love it,» he wrote. «Putting stuff (like pens, cups filled with coffee or tea) on an inclined plane just doesn’t work as long as there is gravity.»
But rjochum felt that the designers were tackling the wrong problem. Simon Vinther took issue with the idea that compliance with a brief would automatically class something as «good» design. «Wonderful and seductive,» wrote Felix Tannenbaum. Leo said the design ignored principles of public space pioneered by Danish architect and urbanist Jan Gehl: «Why these bridges? «Did she just solve the origins of the classical order?» asked The Liberty Disciple, comparing Puipaitė’s shapes with the assemblage of parts used in Classical architecture. But not everyone was completely enamoured with the design. Comments update: BIG’s proposal for the Battersea Power Station development in London, a billboard by Zaha Hadid and the Comic Sans typeface have all made Dezeen readers irate this week. «So as long as a design matches its brief, you cannot dislike it? Read the comments on this story » Does the building need entrances in two levels?» he asked. The process that led to that product is secondary,» agreed Kalum. «Sorry I’m standing in the way of your minimalist Bauhaus-esque fascist snoozefest. Oyster felt the eye-catching shape would cause trouble, writing: «This is going to cause car crashes.»
«Considering one of the main arguments against billboard advertising is the glaring amount of space they take up, I don’t see how this is any sort of improvement,» added stephanie. «I believe that it is not the sitting that causes the health-related issues, but rather what the individuals do, while they are sitting. That is a hilarious statement,» wrote omnicrom.
