DESIGN DISPATCH

A Bahamian Yacht Marina by Zaha Hadid Architects, and Other News

Our daily look at the world through the lens of design.

The yacht club by Zaha Hadid Architects at the Habacoa development in the Bahamas. Image courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects

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

Zaha Hadid Architects teases a cloud-like yacht club in a Bahamian superyacht marina.

Zaha Hadid Architects is designing a yacht club, nightclub, and casino at the Habacoa development in the Bahamas, billed as “North America’s largest and most comprehensive super yacht marina.” The London-based firm’s 25,000-square-foot scheme will include two glazed structures connected by a twisted concrete roof that evokes “the fluid movement of waves and direct cooling sea breezes” throughout. The wider development, which will feature a 150-berth marina and 250 private residences, is currently projected to open in 2027.

Anti-fur protesters have recently been targeting the homes of Marc Jacobs employees. 

Protesters have targeted the homes of more than a dozen employees of Marc Jacobs in an effort to force the designer to renounce the use of fur in his collections. Members of the Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) have used signs, noisemakers, and fake blood in their demonstrations, leading Jacobs to accuse the protesters of “bullying” in a statement on Instagram. He emphasized that he hasn’t used fur in any of his collections since 2018, though CAFT executive director Matthew Klein noted that a collaborative runway show with Fendi included large fox fur hats that Jacobs described as “upcycled.” Klein further said the organization plans to target fashion brand Max Mara over its use of fur in the future.

The curatorial team for the 2024 La Trienal: Susana V. Temkin, Rodrigo Moura, and María Elena Ortiz. Photography by Casey Kelbaugh

El Museo del Barrio names 33 artists who will participate in its triennial’s second edition.

El Museo del Barrio has named the 33 participating artists in its triennial’s second edition. The show, called “Flow States—LA TRIENAL 2024,” will include such closely watched artists as Carmen Argote, Roberto Gil de Montes, Karyn Olivier, Kathia St. Hilaire, and Ser Serpas. “The idea of a creative state where body and mind come together to put things into the world—any act that could happen under a state of flow,” Rodrigo Moura, El Museo’s chief curator, who curated the exhibition with Susanna V. Temkin and María Elena Ortiz, told ARTnews about this year’s theme. “At the same time, one of the things we want to bring with this show is the idea of diaspora writ large, without losing our main focus on Latinx artists.” The exhibition will run at the museum from Oct. 10–Feb. 9. 

The Ansel Adams Trust accuses Adobe of selling AI-generated images under his name.

The Ansel Adams Trust has accused Adobe of selling AI-generated images using the late photographer’s name. One such image, which was available for purchase under extensive license for $79.99, references an actual Adams shot of a cloudy river valley in the American West, but appears clearly digital and lacks the photographer’s signature rich detail. Uploading AI-generated pictures violates Adobe Stock’s terms of use, which bars users from adding pictures “created using prompts containing other artist names, or created using prompts otherwise intended to copy another artist.” Adobe removed the content after the Ansel Adams Trust called out the company on Threads, noting it has been flagging the issue since August. 

New research predicts that generative AI models will use drastically more energy soon.

New studies predict that generative AI and language models like ChatGPT will double their electricity consumption by 2026 and consume more energy than a typical Google Search. Recent reports by Electric Power Research Institute and the International Energy Agency predict approximately nine billion daily searches will amount to nearly 10 Terawatt hours in a year, not accounting for music, photos, and videos using text prompts and other AI applications. The research concludes that generative AI models like ChatGPT will consume at least ten times more energy by 2026 than they did in 2023.

Image courtesy of Erewhon

Today’s attractive distractions:

Peek inside New York City’s last remaining batch of original artists’ lofts.

Cara, the AI-skeptical artist portfolio app, has grown to 300,000+ users.

Erewhon is now selling a summertime-appropriate “sunscreen” smoothie.

This unassuming South Pacific fern boasts the world’s largest genome.

All Stories