The name thoroughly explains the appeal of NYC-based design firms. Established is an architecture and graphic design firm that can sculpt a business from the ground up. I never knew how comprehensive of a project a salon design could be. I wish I had had a chance to cop one of those Bar Milano matchboxes!

Thanks to the french blog la cuisine du graphiste (in english : the graphic designer’s kitchen), While reading la cuisine du graphiste (the Graphic Designer’s Kitchen) I discovered that the great japanese interior design firm Wonderwall updated their website! With the help of Yugo Nakamura, the infamous creative director, designer and engineering explorer all forms of interactive expression in digital and networked environment.

The result is a very unsual but simple website, presented as a wall of pictures from their projects. The picutres react as you run your mouse over. The little sounds that react simultaneously with each user action are really great! Despite the forms being cubic, the interaction reminds me of the fluid movement of water as you skim the surface! Kitsune Noir explains this intriguing website in an agreeably accurate way. Have fun!

With a self-professed fondness of “fluorescent inks, extreme matteness, live and immediate processes, color, shape, very glossy paper, voids and holes, surprises, everydayness, diagrams” Thumb Projects makes architecturally intricate designs for print. The two founders, Jessica Young and Luke Bulman, exhibit their architectural training in their love of Buckminster Fuller and spider-like graphics.

For the most part, things are excellent. I really canít complain. Have met some super swell folks here and in all earnestness, really dig it here. If I were say, five years younger, perhaps I’d consider living here for a bit. Regardless though, things here are super good and I’m in a few words or less, quite stoked. This first week, I was able to spend some time with the awesome folks at Hammer&Tong, Marilyn&Sons, and SouthSouthWest. Seriously, all awesome and all more than accommodating.

Big shout to Mr. Pato from Hammer&Tong for being my gracious host for a few days and giving me the Melbourne break in and tummy rub. ;). I’ll write more details on each of these as I begin to edit the interviews and start to break down the data. So more to come soon! This week Iím now in Adelaide, which will be Ch. 3 of the Friendship Chronicles. But so far, so good. I have to say, from past traveling experiences, things are much easier this go round. Everybody here speaks english. And better yet, everybody seems super friendly. At least enough so that I can get on the right tram, in the right place at the right time. Hereís a few snaps that Iíve taken so far. Iíll post more as I take em. But so far, so good.

My portable life and Pato’s super comfortable extra room:

A Thai restaurant interestingly named Cookie:

A very nice bookstore that Iíll visit one more time before I leave named Metropolis:

I’m hoping next weekend to get out and see some real animals here. Not the gigantic spiders, but yeah, other animals. But so far, some interesting looking birds that are not pigeons:

As you know, people here drive on the left side of the road. I am pretty sure I look like an idiot everytime Iím crossing the street as I am still perplexed and perhaps one or two steps overly cautious before I cross. Hereís a beauty I saw in the North Carlton neighborhood of one of my favs, the 2002 from Bavarian Motor Works:

A fashion house with some nice wall vinyling and a nice name:

Awesomely enough, the State Library is having an exhibition on the beginnings and current incarnation of the type, books and writing of Victoria. If you are in the neighborhood, a well worthy visit. Here is some awesomeness I saw there, these photos are of Is Not Magazine. Itís quite beautiful in person. Iím afraid these photos do not do it justice:

Some pretty beautiful pieces from 70ís editor and poet Pi.0. Yes, an interesting name. These were quite beautiful:

Iíve finally gotten to see, for the first time live ever, a UVA installation and I must say, it is enthralling. I wish I could have seen it at night. But I was quite excited and quite moved by this. It’s really quite powerful:

Here are some images of the Australian Center for the Moving Image. I underestand this whole block, known as Federation Square to be quite controversial but from an outsiders point of view, it seems quite fancy fancy and a nice new mark to the city. Regardless, itís a nice place and I was able to catch a showing of StyleWars here on one night:

It’s cold here. But not too cold. But I’ve noticed, a lot of folks use these heat lamps everywhere:

The Australian Cenre for Contemporary Art is an interesting building as well. The exhibit was pretty interesting. I found some of the work of Tacita Dean to be simple and pretty powerful:

This is me, messing with her work:

From the Shrine of Remembrance:

I dig this loopy type in the Fitzroy Gardens:

Okay, this post is getting way too long. I’ll finish now. Just wanted to say, thank you Melbourne, for a great first week. Iíll post more soon again. Have a good week all and greetings from down under:

I have lately been researching the quirky architectural critic Reyner Banham. Amongst his many loves, Los Angeles took on a profoundly soft spot in his heart. His adoration for the city of Angel’s “non-plan,” organic layout informed much of his architectural ideals.

In 1972, after writing Los Angeles: the Architecture of Four Ecologies, Banham made a documentary about the City following his exploration of his favorite haunts of fascination. The story begins with Banham expressing his love for driving, (which he learned to do in “order to read Los Angeles in the original”,) moving through landmarks such as Pueblo de Rio and the Watts Towers.

This fun BBC documentary can be viewed in full here thanks to Google video. If you find yourself in LA you can also take a bus tour that walks through Banham’s thoughts and notes about this city.

I was recently introduced to John Pawson by Cro and DJ. Pawson is a British architect/designer who’s minimalism hits me on a whole other level. Maybe it’s his unorthodox path to design. Many it is from his tutelage by Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata. Whatever it is his work straddles that line of minimalism that moves between meaningful and meaningless which is such a fine line. Like a true Architect he designs furniture, housewares, writes, and occasionally designs homes.

Beautiful architecture by Gwenael Nicolas of Curiosity Inc.

It has been quite some time since I have seen this work. And it pleases me to run into this again and see this man still rocking it. Lebbeus Woods. Have been a big fan of his formal experimental work since I was in school and it still holds up very well to this day. I think what is very interesting is just the power, the graphic power that these sculptures possess. It reminds me of some of the early proun sculptural studies of El Lissitzky but with, let us say, some slight amplification. Regardless, still very rocking to this day, I envy the career and life of this man. Perhaps someday. Someday. We shall see. Nevertheless, enjoy and have a great week. “I have a clear grasp of what it is that I want to achieve, though I am still searching for the best realization of ideas that have driven me all along.”

As if the Chanel Modile Art exhibit designed by Zaha Hadid wasn’t brilliant enough…she’s now got a collection of work on display at sonnabend gallery, new york from november 1 to december 13, 2008. The works on show reflect hadid’s vision of a new urbanism, where art, architecture and design collide.

Hiroshi Nakamura is a young Japanese architect who plans to change the world one atmosphere at a time. Nakamura’s recent ‘Dancing Trees, Singing Birds‘ project gained a significant amount of press when it was completed earlier this year. Looking through their work it quickly becomes clear what Nakamura’s true magician skill is, atmospherics. Many of the projects house gestures with light that completely alter and define the spaces. In projects like the House SH the bulbous facade creates a well of light that arrests the interior in subtle white light. Nakamura uses light to transform spaces. Within the various projects I hear the voices of Yayoi Kusama (Necklace House), James Turrell (SH House,) and Ernesto Neto (????/Epson Project.) Not to say that he is ripping those artists off. The nature of the projects make the work a lot less soulless than those referenced artists. But the use of their motifs and techniques are luxuriously appropriate.