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Eight retro interiors that capture the mood of a Wes Anderson film
CategoriesInterior Design

Eight retro interiors that capture the mood of a Wes Anderson film

By Zarkon Group,

Following the release of American filmmaker Wes Anderson’s eleventh motion picture Asteroid City, we have collected eight interiors that embody his distinctive cinematic style for our latest lookbook.

Anderson is known for his retro pastel colour palettes and use of symmetry, as seen in the sets from his latest feature film that are currently the subject of an exhibition at London’s 180 the Strand.

From a Milanese cafe designed by the director himself to a quirky makeup store in China that was styled to mimic 1970s offices, here are eight interiors that were either directly influenced by Anderson or look as if they are taken straight out of one of his films.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with bathtubs, Parisian apartments and striking art gallery interiors.

Bottle shop informed by Wes Anderson with central wooden counter and displays on either side
Photo is by Ye Rin Mok

Boisson, USA, by Studio Paul Chan

Local firm Studio Paul Chan took cues from the opening scene of Anderson’s 2021 film The French Dispatch when designing the interiors for this bottle shop by non-alcoholic drinks brand Boisson in Los Angeles.

Elements of mid-century Hollywood design and art deco were combined in a space that includes walnut-stained wooden wall panelling, dusty green accents and a bespoke glass-block counter.

Find out more about Boisson ›

A yellow and orange store interior
Image is courtesy of AIM Architecture

Harmay store, China, by AIM Architecture

A colour palette of muted yellow, orange and brown characterises this shop by makeup brand Harmay, which is set across the renovated second floor of a business park in Hangzhou.

Chinese studio AIM Architecture designed the space to mimic a 1970s office by using rows of yellow desks to display stock and incorporating a retro woollen carpet and frosted-glass sliding “meeting room” doors.

“Creating an ‘old fashioned’ physical retail experience in an actual office space just seemed a fun way to translate this duality of space and time,” the studio’s founder Wendy Saunders told Dezeen.

Find out more about this Harmay store ›

Shelves and a fridge inside a cannabis dispensary
Photo is by Alex Lysakowski

The Annex, Canada, by Superette

The vivid colour palettes and geometric shapes often associated with Anderson’s cinematography also feature at The Annex, a marijuana dispensary in Toronto that was modelled on Italian delis.

Green and beige checkerboard flooring was paired with deli props, tomato-red stools and hanging pendant lights while various cannabis paraphernalia was laid out like groceries.

Find out more about The Annex ›

Bar Luce by Wes Anderson
Photo is by Roland Halbe

Bar Luce, Italy, by Wes Anderson

Created by Anderson himself, Bar Luce is located within the OMA-designed Fondazione Prada in Milan.

Pastel colours and veneered wood panelling were applied to the space, which was designed to reference iconic city landmarks and cafes – particularly those dating back to the 1950s and 60s.

“I tried to make it a bar I would want to spend my own non-fictional afternoons in,” said the filmmaker, who stressed that the bar was not designed as a set but rather as a “real” place.

Find out more about Bar Luce ›

Interior of Cafe Bancado with colour palette informed by Wes Anderson
Photo is by Mikael Lundblad

Cafe Banacado, Sweden, by ASKA

Cafe Banacado is an all-day breakfast cafe in Stockholm designed by local architecture studio ASKA.

ASKA followed “a strong symmetry” when creating the interiors, which feature checkerboard flooring, arched mirrors and a sunny colour palette that was specifically chosen to evoke the dreamlike atmosphere of Anderson’s films.

Find out more about Cafe Banacado ›

The Budapest Cafe by Biasol
Photo is by Derek Swalwell

The Budapest Cafe, Australia, by Biasol

Local studio Biasol designed this salmon-hued cafe in Carlton, Melbourne, to reference Anderson’s 2014 feature film The Grand Budapest Hotel – in particular its symmetrical compositions and “nostalgic” colour palettes.

Stylised steps to nowhere decorate the walls, while a curved archway frames a glossy point-of-sale counter with a tubular base finished in terracotta.

Find out more about The Budapest Cafe in Melbourne ›

Budapest Cafe informed by Wes Anderson
Photo is by James Morgan

The Budapest Cafe, China, by Biasol

Biasol also designed another outpost for The Budapest Cafe in Chengdu, China, that references the titular film.

Here, Biasol combined pastel shades and marble surfaces with similar chunky elevations to those found in the Melbourne cafe. The centrepiece of the room is a tiered terrazzo seating area topped with a pink ball pit and an original Eero Aarnio Bubble chair.

Find out more about The Budapest Cafe in Chengdu ›

Hotel Palace restaurant, Finland, by Note Design Studio
Photo is by Romain Laprade

Hotel Palace restaurant, Finland, by Note Design Studio

When Note Design Studio renovated a restaurant within Helsinki’s Hotel Palace, the Swedish firm set out to honour the history of the modernist building, which was opened in time for the city’s 1952 Summer Olympics.

Teak panelling, luxurious teal carpet and expansive windows lend themselves to a cinematic atmosphere, while white tablecloths add a touch of glamour to the space, where visitors can imagine Anderson’s characters dining.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with bathtubs, Parisian apartments and striking art gallery interiors.

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Retrofitting existing cooling towers with direct air capture 
CategoriesSustainable News

Retrofitting existing cooling towers with direct air capture 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: The International Energy Agency (IEA) says that in the net zero by 2050 scenario, direct air capture (DAC) needs to reach almost 60 megatonnes of CO2 every year by 2030. Currently, the 18 direct air capture plants in operation around the world are only sequestering 0.01 megatonnes of CO2. While experts consider 60 megatonnes of CO2 captured per year to be an attainable amount, additional large-scale plants are needed to reach that volume. 

As well as building new plants, retrofitting old structures could be another way of reducing global emissions. German company NeoCarbon has built a system that integrates with existing cooling towers to capture carbon dioxide from the circulating air. As well as being ten times less expensive than a new carbon capture plant, NeoCarbon’s design could remove several billion tonnes of CO2 if it was applied to Europe’s current industrial manufacturing infrastructure. 

NeoCarbon works with businesses to set up the carbon capture system and requires no upfront costs. Carbon dioxide is removed from the air as it circulates throughout the cooling towers, reducing companies’ emissions footprint without requiring any additional building expenses. 

NeoCarbon transforms captured emissions into newly usable formats, including industrial chemicals and food-grade materials. Brands can buy removal credits as well as the captured carbon dioxide for use in their plants, and the NeoCarbon team says that their technology is mass market ready.  

Sequestering carbon is an exciting area of growth, with Springwise spotting innovations improving ways emissions are captured, as well as expanding the uses of the waste carbon. In the fashion industry, one company is replacing traditional polyester fabrics with a net-positive version made from carbon dioxide. And another organisation is using geothermal energy to sustainably power its direct air capture systems.

Written By: Keely Khoury

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Powering direct air capture with geothermal energy 
CategoriesSustainable News

Powering direct air capture with geothermal energy 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: As the United Nations (UN) highlights, on the whole, commitments made by governments to cut emissions haven’t been fulfilled, meaning we are falling short of net-zero goals for 2050. And, energy consumption and corresponding carbon emissions are only set to rise with the growing global population. Changes to existing energy-heavy practices are unlikely to be enough to stop or significantly slow climate change, which is where carbon capture comes in. However, direct air capture (DAC) technologies – where CO2 is extracted from the ambient air – often rely on energy sources like fossil fuels to work, making them unsustainable long term. Enter Fervo Energy.

The US-based company is already a leader in the next generation of geothermal power, and earlier this year announced plans for a fully integrated geothermal and DAC facility with financial support from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI).

In DAC facilities, large fans are used to blow ambient air over carbon-dioxide-capturing materials. The sequestered CO2 is then heated, refined, and generally stored deep underground using a pump. In Fervo’s proposed designs, all of these processes would be fueled by geothermal power, in which heat from the Earth’s core is used to produce clean and renewable electricity. This makes it possible to clean our atmosphere of carbon without emitting any further pollution. As well as being a renewable source that is available 24/7, the company also emphasises that the use of geothermal power would allow DAC technologies to be operated at lower costs.

The recent grant from CZI will help make Fervo’s designs a reality, allowing the company to explore local geothermal reservoirs for underground carbon sequestration projects. Fervo aims to have a pilot facility up and running in three to five years, according to reports in the Washington Post.

Other innovations in the geothermal industry spotted by Springwise include a new ultra-deep drilling technique, and heating and cooling system designed for use by homeowners.

Written By: Keely Khoury and Matilda Cox

Reference

Modular photobioreactors use algae to capture carbon
CategoriesSustainable News

Modular photobioreactors use algae to capture carbon

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Almost all industrial facilities emit CO2, and while there are options for capturing the carbon emitted by large plants, there are few options for small- and medium-sized facilities. Now, Danish startup Algiecel has developed a modular photobioreactor (PBR) that can capture CO2 and transform it into algae-based derivative products.

Algiecel’s PBR’s are highly compact and fit into standard 40-foot shipping containers. The PBRs capture CO2 from industrial point emissions using algae, with energy for photosynthesis coming from LED lighting, and the only waste streams being oxygen and process heat – which can be reused. The containers can also be easily scaled for use by almost any facility.

The microalgae grown in the PBR are rich in protein, omega-3, vitamins, and carotenoids and can be split into biomass and bio-oil. This makes it especially useful in products such as aquaculture feed and as a human food supplement. So, not only do the bioreactors prevent CO2 from reaching the atmosphere – they are also a source of new products.

Algiecel adds: “We can thus achieve constantly efficient production with increasing scale compared with competing solutions. The container-based plug and play structure also means a more flexible capex solution for clients.”

In 2022, Algiecel successfully operated a pilot plant and has recently raised kr.10 million (about €1.3 million) in funding to further optimise the technology and create its first full-scale demonstration unit.

Springwise has spotted other flexible carbon capture and storage solutions, such as a novel way to remove carbon from the air and reuse it, and a process that can retrofit HVAC units to remove CO2.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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Spreading rocks on tropical farmland to capture carbon
CategoriesSustainable News

Spreading rocks on tropical farmland to capture carbon

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Wanting to help make the long-standing agricultural practice of remineralising soil with rock powder even more effective, a team of researchers formed InPlanet. Focused exclusively on accelerating the natural carbon removal that occurs when carbon dioxide reacts with silicate rocks and water, the process cleans the air and improves crop outputs. 

Working with mines across Brazil, the company is scaling a sustainable farming practice that has been practiced in the country for generations. The high temperatures and consistent rainfall of the tropics significantly affect the quality of farmed soil. But, spreading ground rock across the fields improves soil biodiversity, and particularly its mineral content, as many commercial fertilisers kill off helpful growth as well as weeds. 

Once the crushed rock is spread, the CO2 will remain inground for thousands of years, whether in the field itself or as sediment in the oceans if it runs off. Farmers can save money they would otherwise spend on chemical fertilisers, and as well as enriching the soil, the rock captures high volumes of CO2 that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere.  

The country has set itself a goal of certifying up to 1,000 mines by 2050 as suppliers of the rock for agricultural use. InPlanet is using its research and development (R&D) capabilities to help farmers economically justify the switch from pesticides and other synthetics to enhanced rock weathering (ERW) field management. Having recently closed an oversubscribed €1.2 million pre-seed round of funding, the company is planning to expand its team and monitoring capacity.  

From growing minerals underground that lock away captured CO2 to using sequestered carbon for industrial processes, Springwise has spotted a range of ways that captured carbon dioxide is being used.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

An app helps to capture family stories
CategoriesSustainable News

An app helps to capture family stories

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: Stories have always been a part of human culture, but the way we interact with them has changed dramatically in recent years. With the advent of social media, we now consume stories more passively than ever before, scrolling through photos and videos without really connecting with the people behind them. Startup Remento is working to change that. Its storytelling platform encourages users to share personal stories and connect with loved ones on a deeper level. 

The app provides conversation prompts to inspire the sharing of stories from every member of the family. The prompts include questions about a grandparent’s childhood home, to the context of images from wedding photos. The prompts are then selected and customised on the app, after which family conversations can be recorded. An interactive playback allows users to showcase stories from these sessions. These can then be shared and reminisced about at a later time.

The company’s co-founder and CEO Charlie Greene came up with the idea for Remento after recording various interviews with his mother after she was diagnosed with cancer. “The conversations our family recorded after we learned my mother had cancer changed our relationship forever. As she reflected on photos and answered questions about her early years for her grandchildren to one day watch, I learned more about her life than I ever could have imagined,” she explained.

Social media continues to change, and so is the way we interact with it – with growing concerns about its impact on our mental health and relationships. Springwise has spotted several related innovations including social media tools that help the public assess viral posts, and an app teaching people to trust the news again. 

Written By: Katrina Lane

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