CALENDAR

CREATIVE

LATITUDES

RIO NATURAL MODERNIST When the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer (1907-2012) designed his Rio house in 1953, few initially grasped that he was forging a distinctive signature that would permeate the rest of his monumental work. mirrored in the monumenThe “Casa das Canoas”, which is open to tal presence of the greater the public, displays unprecedented harmo- structure. It is a messenger, ny between concrete, mountain, water and reminding its admirers that, virgin forest. The windows remove every before being the father of obstacle between the work and the natural Brasilia, the master of conenvirons. The home’s curved lines imbue crete was a child of Rio, the the two floors with the city’s easy-going place where he grew up and lifestyle, and that microarchitecture is designed his first projects. Large and small works unfold in a satisfying Niemeyer display: the WHETHER IN ART, DESIGN OR FASHION, former embody the vision communist influence; the of a builder under latter, particularINSPIRATION CARES ZONES. WHEREVER NOTHING FOR TIME ON EARTH YOU MAYBE, ly private weight to residences, shake loose give expression to human notions of sensuality YOU WILL FIND SOMETHING TO IN OUR CULTURAL CALENDAR. APPRECIATE that is unreservedly cariocan. > “Casa das Canoas”, estrada Canoas, 2310 São Conrado.Tu das esdayBy Nadia Hamam through Friday, 1:00-5:00 p.m.

LOS ANGELES LESS IS MORE Sketch me if you can. And so Dutch design studio United Nude designed the “LO Res Car” (for “Low-Resolution Car”), an electric and futuristic two-seater inspired by the legendary Lamborghini Countach. The stringently simplified polygonal shape was developed by successively lowering the resolution of the original motorised muse. The prototype will be exhibited in Los Angeles in 2016. > www.unitednude.com

NEW YORK ODES TO BEAUTY The Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum celebrates its Design Triennal in 2016 by exploring contemporary expressions of beauty in all fields of design. Some 250 works by 63 designers from around the world unfold over two floors in a dazzling display for this newly renovated museum. > Through 21 August. www.cooperhewitt.org

RIO CHIC KIBBUTZ Mama Shelter, the original hotel concept, opens a new location in June in an enormous garden in the Santa Teresa district. Its multiple buildings (including one that might ultimately be traversed by the tramway) have artistically decorated bedrooms, a living room with 12-metre ceiling, and even a concert arena. All totally tropical, of course, though the prices will be far from savage. > www.mamashelter.com

SAN FRANCISCO ART OF THE WEST. AFTER TWO YEARS OF RENOVATIONS BY NORWAY’S SNØHETTAFIRM, THE SANFRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART (SFMOMA) HAS REOPENED WITH THREE TIMES THE ORIGINAL EXHIBITION SPACE.THEPRESTIGIOUS MUSEUM EXPANDED ITS FAMED FISCHER COLLECTION, ONE OF THE WORLD’SMOST EXTENSIVE PRIVATECOLLECTIONS OFMODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART.ITALSO BOASTS THE JOHN AND LISA PRITZKER CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY, HAPPY HOME TOSUPERB DISPLAYS, INCLUDING THE FINEST COLLECTION OF JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHY OUTSIDE JAPAN ITSELF. > www.sfmoma.org

UNITED KINGDOM TATE MODERN 2.0 In June, the Tate Modern unveils a new tower designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron. The tower’s 70 metres increase the museum’s space by 60%. For its opening exhibition, the Georgia O’Keeffe retrospective retraces the work of one of the figureheads of American modern art. > From 6 July through 30 October. www.tate.org.uk

ITALY PRECIOUS PLASTIC Catalan designer Eugeni Quitllet treats plastic as a precious material. Initially designed in crystal for Baccarat, the “I Shine” vase was ultimately produced by Kartell, specialising in upscale plastic. The vase’s innovative moulding scatters light and colours just as crystal does, but at more affordable prices. > www.kartell.com

FRANCE GLOBETROTTER. CREATED BY THE PIKSDESIGN STUDIO, THE BRAND LA FONCTION APPLIES CONCEPTUAL THINKING TO PRODUCING OBJECTS.MOBILE OFFICE “LA FONCTION NO.1”, RELEASED IN 2013, PROTECTS YOUR LAPTOP AND ENCOURAGES FOCUS.ITHAS EARNED APLACE AT MANY SHOPS AROUND THE WORLD.IN 2016, PARISIAN DESIGNER HÉLÈNE NÉPOMIATZI REINTERPRETS THIS “OBJECT-SPACE” TO REFLECT NEW WAYS OF WORKING.HANDMADE IN FRANCE.FIVE UNIQUE NUMBERED PIECES. > www.la-fonction.com

FRANCE DIONYSIAN CITY The City of Bordeaux is now home to a Cité du Vin on the banks of the Garonne. Part theme park, part museum, this winefocused institution explores 9,000 years of oenological history. Design of the bold building was assigned to XTU, a Parisian architectural firm, and the interior displays to London agency Casson Mann Limited. > www.laciteduvin.com

FRANCE FLAX FORCE Fibres of flax, carbon or Kevlar are what strengthen this scratch-resistant, UV-resistant, waterproof bike helmet. The “Apollo” collection was designed by Egide. The firm Le Cabinet de Curiosités de Thomas Erber just released the limitededition flax model in this glossy ruby shade. > Available at the Colette concept store in Paris. www.egide-paris.com

ITALY FLOWER POWER. SPRING IS EVER IN BLOOM IN ROSITA MISSONI’SIMAGINATION, AS CAN BE SEEN IN THE 2016 MISSONIHOME COLLECTION FEATURING THE ANEMONE.MIRACULOUSLY BLOOMING PETALS AND STUNNING SEEDS SOW THEIR OPTIMISM ACROSS TEXTILES, PILLOWS, HOUSEHOLD LINENS, CARPET (SEE PHOTO) AND OTHER ACCESSORIES, ALL TO LET ITALIAN LIFESTYLE TAKE ROOT IN YOUR OWN HOME BRIGHT COLOURS AND BLACK-AND-WHITE PATTERNS UNFURL IN SIX EXQUISITE PRINT THEMES. > www.missonihome.com

F SWEDEN LOATING FREE The first levitating lamp needs no wires or batteries – a world first. This free-floating marvel, manufactured by the Swedish firm Flyte, stays in the air with a magnetic system and is powered by induction technology. The LED bulb has a 50,000-hour lifespan for a whopping eleven years of use. Another leadingedge lesson from Scandinavian design. > www.flyte.se

TAIWAN DESIGN ARCHAEOLOGY Kelly, Katy and Alex bring their intuition and talent to the Kimu multidisciplinary design studio. Their favourite activity: reinterpreting a conventional or traditional object to create a contemporary oeuvre. Like the perfectly poetic “New Old Vase”, which shifts the way we look at this everyday article. > www.kimudesign.com

SINGAPORE ELEMENTARY. BORN IN TAIWAN, RAISED IN JAPAN AND TRAINED IN FRANCE, CHEF ANDRÉ CHIANG SYMBOLISES THE SUCCESS OF THE DELICIOUS CULTURAL MELTING POT THATHE, IN TURN, INTERPRETS IN HIS RESTAURANT ANDRÉ – RANKED THIRD IN ASIA’S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS IN 2016. THE MENU TANGIBLYAND TASTEFULLYDEMONSTRATES “OCTAPHILOSOPHY” CUISINE THAT INCLUDES ONE OR MORE OF CHIANG’SEIGHT ELEMENTS OF GASTRONOMY. PUBLISHING HOUSE PHAIDON NOW MAKES THIS KNOWLEDGE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL. > www.phaidon.com

F JAPAN EELING BLUE The indigo plant was first cultivated in the 10th century in Tokushima on the Japanese island of Shikoku. There, indigo dye is still made the traditional way. Courtesy of this natural colouring, this Aoshi scarf is as soothing as a blue sky. > aoshi.jp

SINGAPORE SCINTILLATING STONES In its first exhibition in Southeast Asia, jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels explores The Art and Science of Gems in a synergistic display of 450 jewellery creations and 250 minerals from Paris’ National Museum of Natural History. Geoscience finds expression in ineffable beauty. > Through 14 August. www.marinabaysands.com