The Design Dispatch offers expertly written and essential news from the design world crafted by our dedicated team. Think of it as your cheat sheet for the day in design delivered to your inbox before you’ve had your coffee. Subscribe now.
Pelli Clarke & Partners has completed the 57-story Salesforce Tower along the Chicago River, marking the final stage of the Wolf Point development. The 852-foot-tall office tower is part of a four-acre site that includes two residential towers and 2.3 acres of public parks. The project, master-planned by Pelli Clarke & Partners and developed by Hines, transformed a former underutilized parking lot into a significant addition to Chicago’s skyline. Salesforce Tower, which is LEED-Gold certified, features a glass facade, a double-height lobby, and various amenities, and was constructed using significantly less concrete and steel to reduce carbon emissions.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue have announced the 10 finalists for the 2024 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. The finalists include Taylor Thompson of 5000; Connor McKnight; Grace Ling; Kate Barton; Dynasty and Soull Ogun of L’Enchanteur; Spencer Phipps of Phipps; Presley Oldham; Sebastien and Marianne Amisial of Sebastien Ami; Jane Wade; and Jackson Wiederhoeft of Wiederhoeft. The winner will receive $300,000, with two runners-up each receiving $100,000, and all finalists will benefit from business mentorship. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Fashion Fund, with additional challenges and mentorship opportunities from Nordstrom and Tommy Hilfiger.
Heatherwick Studio reveals plans to build an island park with “floating islets” in Seoul.
Heatherwick Studio plans to transform Seoul’s Nodeul Island into a public park named Soundscape, which is scheduled to open in 2027. Situated on the Han River, Soundscape will feature elevated platforms resembling floating islets, a 0.75-mile-long skywalk, an arts center, and a public beach. The scheme, inspired by Seoul’s mountainous terrain and sound waves, aims to reconnect people with nature and culture. This will be Heatherwick Studio’s first project in South Korea, following its successful Little Island park in New York.
Police have recovered two diamonds from a jewelry heist at The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in Maastricht in 2022, and identified a new suspect, a woman linked to the crime. The suspects, who are still at large, stole jewelry worth tens of millions of euros and are believed to be from Serbia. They used rental cars from Frankfurt and Vienna that were returned by different people. The investigation is ongoing, and rewards are offered for intel leading to the arrest.
Sotheby’s plans to make around 50 layoffs in its London office, with more expected in New York and Europe as part of a broader restructuring. While the auction house declined to comment on the specifics, it reassured that it has no plans to sell its London headquarters on New Bond Street. The restructuring follows a reported 24 percent drop in profits for Sotheby’s UK from 2021 to 2022, attributed to Brexit and global instability. Sotheby’s Financial Services recently announced a $700 million art-backed debt security offering to fund further investments, unrelated to the house’s balance sheet or owner Patrick Drahi’s other business ventures.
A Lego fan’s proposal for an Apple Store made entirely of blocks goes viral.
Brooklyn’s Bindle & Keep offers free custom suits to the newly exonerated.
Browse a catalog of some of the ugliest textile designs on public transit.
Giant pandas are returning to Washington’s National Zoo by year’s end.
