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Off-White has started accepting crypto at the label’s stores in London, Paris, and Milan.
“Off-White™ now accepts cryptocurrency payments in its London, Paris, and Milan flagship stores, cementing the brand as one of the first luxury labels to exchange physical fashion for digital currency. ‘This is another important step in the growth of the brand that looks towards the future including Web 3.0 technologies, understanding the needs and desires of its ever evolving customer base,’ a statement from Off-White™ reads.” —[H/T Highsnobiety]
San Francisco will transform retired BART cars into an arcade, clubhouse, and more.
“A fleet of decommissioned Bay Area Rapid Transit cars will soon appear off the track and in the wild, with uses including an arcade, a clubhouse for Oakland’s Scraper Bike Team and a sports bar for the Oakland A’s ballpark. Officials announced in 2019 that the transit agency would allow the public to acquire the 22-ton cars, as BART slowly replaces more than 650 of them with the new Bombardier fleet. BART released a news story on Feb. 10 detailing the ‘winners’ of the odd sweepstakes contest, who only have to pay to move the cars and upgrade them—at a minimum cost of about $8,000.” —[H/T San Francisco Chronicle]
Makoto Azuma…
Floral artist Makoto Azuma will create a series of botanical sculptures for Dior Parfums.
“For this latest collaboration, Makoto has created eight sculptures, each inspired by a classic fragrance from Dior’s La Collection Privée perfume library and photographed by Makoto’s friend and long-time collaborator Shunsuke Shiinoki. The final collection of photographs is a series of compelling works that visualize the otherwise ephemeral fragrances.” —[H/T Wallpaper]
Kevin Lippert, who founded the influential Princeton Architectural Press, dies at 63.
“The architecture and publishing worlds have lost an icon after news broke yesterday about the passing of legendary Princeton Architectural Press founder Kevin Lippert on March 29th following a long battle with cancer. Lippert founded the Press while still a student at the Princeton University School of Architecture in 1981. He was instrumental in publishing Steven Holl’s seminal 1989 manifesto Anchoring, which launched the architect’s name into the mainstream and continues to be considered one of the most fundamental design texts of the past half-century.” —[H/T Archinect]
Forma by Gehry Partners in Toronto. Rendering courtesy of The Boundary…
Developers of Frank Gehry’s upcoming Toronto tower finally reveal its name: Forma.
Developers Great Gulf Group, Westdale Properties, and Dream have further pulled back the curtain on a years-in-the-making project in Toronto’s Entertainment District anchored by two Frank Gehry–designed towers. Most notably, the development team has shared a pair of new renderings of the 84- and 73-story towers and revealed that the project at 266-284 King Street West now has a proper name: Forma. —[H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]
Following a merger with a SPAC company, Hypebeast will enter the U.S. stock market.
“Hypebeast Ltd. is bringing its stock to the U.S. through a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company that will value the lifestyle and culture company at more than $530 million after the investment, according to people familiar with the matter. Part lifestyle website, part e-commerce company, Hypebeast will merge with Iron Spark I Inc., and the deal will include a $13.3 million private investment in public equity from celebrities that include football player Tom Brady, tennis star Naomi Osaka, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk and actor Jonah Hill, among others.” —[H/T Wall Street Journal]
Isak Heartstone, a troll sculpture by Thomas Dambo. Photography by Julian Lynch/Thomas Dambo…
Today’s attractive distractions:
The Hubble Telescope breaks a new record by spotting the farthest star ever seen.
New research reveals that concrete infused with rubber tires is far more durable.
Enormous benevolent troll sculptures by Thomas Dambo are popping up in Maine.
This new magnetic slime robot blob could one day help retrieve swallowed objects.
