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    Buckingham Palace’s chinoiserie interiors revealed following five-year renovation

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    Porcelain lions, nine-tiered pagodas and a lotus-shaped chandelier feature in Buckingham Palace’s newly refurbished east wing, which has opened to the public for the first time in its 175-year history.

    The east wing at London’s Buckingham Palace, which opened this month, houses a series of decadent interconnected rooms including the centre room, which leads to the palace’s famed balcony overlooking the Mall.
    Buckingham Palace’s east wing has opened to the public for the first time in its historyOriginally built by Edward Blore between 1847 and 1849 to “provide space for Queen Victoria’s growing family”, the wing encloses what was previously a U-shaped courtyard, according to the Royal Collection Trust.
    After five years of restoration work by the trust’s curators and conservators, involving the temporary removal of over 3,500 artworks and other objects, the wing has opened to the public as part of the palace’s State Rooms tours that take place every summer.
    The centre room features a lotus-shaped chandelierIt reveals an interior filled with King George IV’s 18th-century chinoiserie designs, which were transferred to Buckingham Palace after the 1850 sale of his seaside retreat – Brighton’s Royal Pavilion. Prince Albert oversaw the original decoration.

    The centre room features an oversized lotus-shaped chandelier finished in glass and lacquer, illuminating a large carpet with geometric floral patterns. Visitors can also find a pair of 18th-century Chinese imperial silk wall hangings.
    Nine-tiered Chinese pagodas feature in the yellow drawing roomA duo of Chinese pagodas with nine ornate tiers characterise the yellow drawing room, named for its sunny drapes and sofas, which includes hand-painted wallpaper that was “painstakingly” cleaned and conserved by the team.
    A “kylin clock” – complete with turquoise porcelain lions and a tiny Japanese hotei, or god of luck – also sits on the room’s gold-trimmed mantlepiece.
    There is also a clock decorated with porcelain lionsElsewhere in the wing, the 240-foot principal corridor spans the entire length of the palace and has a bright red carpet. Ebonised cabinets feature Japanese panels, which contrast with the various royal paintings by historical European artists such as Thomas Gainsborough and Franz Xaver Winterhalter.
    Striking motifs including dragons and gilded curtain poles can be found throughout the wing.
    Ebonised cabinets line the principal corridor”The pavilion’s contents – which reflected King George IV’s love of Asian art and design – were transferred to the east wing, inspiring the Chinese-themed decor of its principal rooms,” said the Royal Collection Trust.
    Visitors to the palace’s state rooms can also see the recently unveiled portrait of King Charles III, painted by Jonathan Yeo in bright red hues, housed in the ballroom.

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    The refurbishment is part of a longer 10-year reservicing programme at the palace, which includes improvements to the palace’s electrical cabling, plumbing and heating systems that have not been updated since the 1950s, according to the Royal Collection Trust.
    Architect Thomas Heatherwick designed a sculpture containing 350 trees and erected it outside Buckingham Palace to mark the late Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee in 2022.
    Visitors can also see Jonathan Yeo’s recent portrait of King Charles III in the palace’s ballroomAfter her death, writer Stefan Simanowitz and architect Antonio Pisanò also proposed a memorial garden that would have seen part of the palace’s gardens converted into a “natural sanctuary” for the public.
    The photography is by Peter Smith. 

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      “Proud Mancunian” Norman Foster to renovate Manchester United training ground

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      Architecture studio Foster + Partners has begun work renovating the interiors of the men’s first-team building at Manchester United’s Carrington training complex.

      The renovation of the training ground located around six miles from the club’s Old Trafford home stadium commenced yesterday and is being led by Foster + Partners founder Norman Foster, who is from Manchester.
      Born in Reddish in 1935, Foster described the design as capturing “the spirit of industry, grit and ambition that exemplifies both Manchester and Manchester United”.
      “As a proud Mancunian, it is a particular honour for me to see Foster + Partners given this responsibility,” he added.
      Foster + Partners will renovate the men’s first-team building at CarringtonThe project will include a complete interior refurbishment of the building, transforming it into what Manchester United described as a “world-class football facility”.

      Foster + Partners will initially focus on creating more streamlined interiors for the gym, as well as medical, nutrition and recovery areas.
      Renders show sandy-hued interiorsRenders released by Foster + Partners show sandy-hued, open-plan spaces illuminated by floor-to-ceiling glazing and filled with potted plants.
      “When we conducted a thorough review of the Carrington training facilities and met with our men’s first team players, it was clear the standards had fallen below some of our peers,” explained club co-owner Jim Ratcliffe.
      “This project will ensure Manchester United’s training ground is once more renovated to the highest standards,” he added.

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      The renovation is the latest stage in wider developments at Carrington, where the Manchester United Women and Academy building opened in October 2023.
      The Foster + Partners project is set to last through the next football season, although temporary adaptations will be made to the rest of the Carrington site to accommodate player and staff needs during the renovation period.
      The studio has designed the architecture for previously completed sports venues including London’s Wembley Stadium, which opened in 2007, and the more recent Lusail Stadium in Qatar created for the FIFA 2022 World Cup.
      The renderings are courtesy of Foster + Partners. 

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      Cutwork designs co-living developments for single-parent families

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      Parisian architecture studio Cutwork has unveiled plans for housing designed to allow single parents and their children to live more closely together.

      Rental housing provider Commune commissioned Cutwork to design co-living specifically for single-parent families.
      The design includes private living spaces that cater to both adults and children, plus communal spaces where families can spend time together and support each other.
      Commune offers co-living for single parentsThe concept puts a new spin on co-living, a type of housing that typically offers residents smaller homes but instead gives them access to a range of shared amenities.
      Co-living is typically marketed to single people, but Commune founders Tara Heuzé-Sarmini and Ruben Petri believe it is equally desirable for people navigating the challenges of single parenthood.

      A study by the British Red Cross found that 83 per cent of mothers aged under 30 experienced loneliness, while 43 per cent said they felt lonely all the time.
      The private units each include a bathroom and kitchenette”Commune and Cutwork are convinced that we need to put human relations and interactions back at the core of the places we evolve in and that buildings need to serve our basic need for connection,” said Heuzé-Sarmini.
      “Spatially and architecturally, we have translated this into living spaces that encourage encounters and break the vicious circle of loneliness, while preserving the privacy of single parents and their children.”
      A unified colour and material palette features across shared and private spacesCommune opened its first location in Poissy on the outskirts of Paris in late 2023, describing it as “the first co-living in the world dedicated to single-parent families”.
      The building, which accommodates 14 families, is now being renovated in line with Cutwork’s concept.

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      The scheme extends to both the building’s layout and the interior fit-out, with bespoke furniture designed for both the private and communal living spaces.
      The architects aimed to create three types of space. These are referred to as “a world for the children without their parents”, “a world for the adults without their children” and “a world for all of the families to meet collectively”.
      Communal areas include a playroom”At Cutwork, we envision a world where shared architecture and design inspire us to think differently about being together,” said Kelsea Crawford, co-founder and CEO of Cutwork. “Our partnership with Commune perfectly encapsulates this mission.”
      “We’ve considered the design for each part of the Commune experience, integrating compact living spaces designed to host parents and children with shared communal areas that promote a strong sense of community and support for single-parent families.”
      The design includes both adult- and child-specific featuresAvailable for one- and two-child parents, the private units each include a bathroom and kitchenette, with distinct design elements for adults and children.
      The communal areas include a shared kitchen, a living and dining room, a playroom, a co-working space and a garden.
      Child-focused aspects of the design include “doors placed low down and often hidden away or disguised as other things such as a wardrobe or TV cabinet”.
      For adults, spaces include reading nooks and a “speakeasy-style” bar, accessed via a fake fridge door.
      Commune’s first location in Poissy is currently under renovationCutwork aimed to create “an environment that feels both modern and comfortable with child-friendly designs that sit alongside a sleeker aesthetic suited to parents”.
      A unified colour and material palette is intended to make all areas feel homey, rather than emphasising the divide between shared and private spaces.
      “This design strategy extends the notion of ownership of all spaces and subsequently the feeling that the entire house/building belongs to each user and is a stable environment within a dynamic experience,” said the design team.
      A range of different unit sizes are availableCutwork specialises in co-living and co-working, with previous designs including social housing that can turn into emergency housing and co-living flats at Paris startup campus Station F.
      With this project, the designers hope to highlight how housing might adapt to the reality that the nuclear family is no longer the norm for many.
      In France, one in four families is a single-parent unit. This is not just due to high divorce rates, as research suggests that more individuals are consciously choosing single parenthood.
      “This changing dynamic calls for a new and sustained approach to housing,” Cutwork said.
      The design is set to be applied to future Commune properties. The company plans to open its second location for 28 families in Roubaix, Lille, later this year.

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      Gubi opens first UK showroom in London townhouse takeover

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      A Georgian townhouse filled with period details is now Gubi House London, the first dedicated showroom that the furniture brand has opened outside Denmark.

      Gubi partnered with Danish surface design studio File Under Pop to reimagine the listed building as a showspace for its collection, which includes furniture by designers such as GamFratesi and Space Copenhagen.
      Gubi House London occupies a listed Georgian townhouseA curated colour palette combines with material finishes including Spanish clay tiles and Italian lava stone to create four floors of rooms with a contemporary feel.
      “To be in a townhouse is a unique opportunity,” explained Marie Kristine Schmidt, chief brand officer for Gubi.
      Furniture is on display across four different floors”We could create something very domestic in feel. We have smaller rooms where we can create different experiences and we can tell different stories on each floor,” she told Dezeen.

      The showroom is located on Charterhouse Square, a garden square framed by cobbled streets, and will be open by appointment.
      Danish surface design studio File Under Pop oversaw the colour and material paletteGubi was founded in 1967 by furniture designers Lisbeth and Gubi Olsen, who later handed it down to their sons, Jacob and Sebastian Gubi Olsen. Jacob is still a shareholder and a member of the board.
      The London expansion was first mooted in 2020, not long after the once family-owned company was acquired by Nordic private equity group Axcel and the Augustinus Foundation.
      Furniture on show includes the Croissant Sofa designed by Ilum Wikkelsø in 1962Schmidt said the UK is a key market for the brand as it looks to expand its intentional profile.
      “London is a melting pot right now, particularly in the hotel and restaurant scene, so for us, it is a really important city to be in,” she said during a tour of the building.
      “I think there is a lot of untapped potential for us here.”
      A ground-floor dining room features hand-painted forest-green wallpaperEach floor of Gubi House London has its own character, drawing on different influences reflected in the materials and fabrics that feature in across the product collection.
      The ground floor, described as “boutique chic”, features a trio of spaces designed to emulate the sense of comfort and luxury of a boutique hotel.
      Also on the ground floor, a blue fireplace sits behind the Moon dining tableKey details include a fireplace colour-blocked in a deep inky shade of blue, which serves as a backdrop to the brand’s Moon dining table and Bat dining chairs.
      Also on display here are several reissued 20th-century lamps, including designs by Finnish designer Paavo Tynell, Danish architect Louis Weisdorf and Swedish designer Greta M Grossman.
      The first-floor rooms take cues from the 1970sTowards the rear, a room with hand-painted forest-green wallpaper serves as a dining space.
      The first floor takes cues from the 1970s, with an earthy colour palette.

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      Key pieces here include the Pacha lounge chair, a 1975 design by the late French designer Pierre Paulin, upholstered in a striped fabric and a cascading arrangement of the Semi Pendant lamps, designed in 1968 by Danish design duo Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup.
      This floor also includes a bar, which serves as a centrepiece in the smaller of the two rooms.
      The second floor was envisioned as a co-working environmentThe second floor was envisioned as a co-working environment, with furniture that emulates a contemporary bistro, while the uppermost level offers a more bohemian feel.
      “We wanted to create a space that is inspiring,” said Schmidt. “It wouldn’t be right for our brand to go into a commercial space.”
      Gubi House London is located at 12 Charterhouse SquareThe experience is different from the warehouse feel of Gubi’s Copenhagen headquarters, which occupies a former tobacco factory in the waterside Nordhavn area.
      “This is how we see Gubi in the context of the UK,” added Schmidt.
      “It was fun to play with a building that is so pleasant and give it a very fresh, modern, contemporary look.”
      In Copenhagen, Danish brand &Tradition took over a townhouse during design festival 3 Days of Design, while fellow Danish brand Hay unveiled its renovated Copenhagen townhouse in 2021.
      The photography is by Michael Sinclair.

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      Airbnb creates rentals based on famous places and movies for guests

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      Rental platform Airbnb has announced the addition of its Icons program, a category that provides a range of international experiences including a stay in the house from Pixar’s Up and an overnight in the Musee D’ Orsay in Paris.

      The first 11 Icons experiences include recreations of houses from popular culture, such as the floating house from Pixar’s film Up, and visits with celebrities, such as a night out with comic Kevin Hart.
      Airbnb has created 11 “extraordinary” experiences for its new Icons category. This photo and top photo by Ryan LowryOf the 11 Icons, house rentals include a full-scale model of the house from Pixar’s Up, which is suspended by a crane during a breakfast picnic, to a stay in the clock tower of Paris’s Musee D’ Orsay, which was transformed into a bedrom by French designer Mathieu Lehanneur and will be available for the opening of the upcoming summer Olympics.
      The experiences will be awarded to guests through a selection process, with approximately eight additional Icon experiences being rolled out throughout the year to join the first batch. Each Icon is free or under $100 (£80).
      The category includes recreations of houses from popular culture and experiences with celebrities. Photo by Ryan Lowry”Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination – until now,” said Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky. “As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world. With Icons, we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth.”

      The launch follows the platform’s release of recreations of Barbie’s Malibu Dreamhouse and Shrek’s swampland cottage, as well as previous overnight experiences in an Ikea showroom and the last remaining Blockbuster.
      Rentals include an overnight stay at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. Photo by Frederik Vercruysse”These experiences captured people’s imagination and they allowed people to step into someone else’s world,” said Chesky. “And at its best, this is what Airbnb does. And what it’s always been about.”
      To create the spaces, the brand employed a variety of strategies. In the case of the Up house, it was built from scratch, while other properties were renovated or outfitted with a particular theme such as the X-Mansion from the X-Men movie series or Prince’s Purple Rain house.
      The rental was designed by Mathieu Lehanneur and will be available during the opening of the summer Olympic Games. Photo by Frederik Vercruysse”The Up house is one of the most iconic homes in any film ever,” said Chesky. “You’re gonna be able to stay in Carl and Ellie’s home and it will feel like you’re stepping inside the movie.”
      “This is a real house we built from scratch. We had to literally paint every detail in the home to match the exact Pantone colours used in the film, from the roof tiles to the siding,” he continued.
      The rentals include houses built from scratch or outfitted in a particular style. Photo by Max MiechowskiFor the X-Mansion, the team searched for a home in Upstate New York that looked like an approximation of the house from the movie series and then covered the interior in comic-strip style illustrations by artist Joshua Vides.
      According to Airbnb VP of design Teo Connor, it took approximately two weeks for Vides and his team to hand-paint each room.
      For the X-Mansion from the X-Men movie series, the interior was painted with comic-style illustrations. Photo by Holly Andres”Each Icon has a different timeline because they’re all so unique, so different,” Connor told Dezeen. “[There was] a huge amount of effort to bring these things to life and I think it really shows.”
      “With these types of things, we’re really wanting to immerse you in a world and for it to feel authentic,” she continued.

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      Other Icons include a stay at the Ferrari museum in a custom-made circular bed that is surrounded by various Ferrari models and a visit to Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor’s “childhood oasis” in India.
      To visit the various experiences, travellers must submit a written entry through Airbnb during a timed submission period. 4,000 guests will be selected and awarded a “golden ticket” to attend the experiences over the coming year.
      Other experiences include a stay in Prince’s house from the movie Purple Rain. Photo by Eric OgdenThe brand also released several updates in order to make booking and organizing group trips easier for travellers, including multiple users being able to message the host and a ranking system when selecting a rental together.
      Last year, Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky warned against designers failing to embrace AI and announced a program that called to designers and creatives to rent out their spaces for supplemental income.
      The photography is courtesy of Airbnb.

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      Interior designer Iris Apfel dies aged 102

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      American interior designer, fashion influencer and “geriatric starlet” Iris Apfel has passed away at the age of 102.

      The death of the multidisciplinary creative, who was recognised for her flamboyant personal style, was announced on her Instagram account with an image of Apfel in her trademark oversized glasses.
      Apfel, who worked in the interiors and fashion industries throughout her career, shot to international fame in her 80s and 90s after New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibited a show of her eclectic clothes and accessories in 2005.
      Titled Rara Avis: Selections From the Iris Apfel Collection, it was the first time the museum had dedicated an exhibition to someone’s wardrobe.
      Born Iris Barrel in 1921 in Queens, Apfel studied art history at New York University and art at the University of Wisconsin.

      After graduating, she worked for fashion magazine Women’s Wear Daily before interning for interior designer Elinor Johnson.
      Together with her late husband Carl Apfel, whom she married in 1948, she set up the brand Old World Weavers – a company that specialised in striking textiles informed by things found on the Apfels’ travels.
      Under Old World Weavers, the duo completed high-profile projects such as restoring the White House interiors for nine presidents including Harry Truman and Bill Clinton.

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      The designer became a visiting lecturer at the University of Texas in 2011, where she taught fashion students about textiles and crafts.
      In later life, Apfel became a staple of the fashion industry.  In 2018, toy manufacturer Mattel created a Barbie doll in the designer’s image, although it was not for sale. At the age of 97, she signed a modelling contract with IMG Models.
      Apfel playfully called herself a “geriatric starlet” and described the prospect of retirement as “a fate worse than death” shortly after turning 100.
      Following the news of her passing, designers around the world paid tribute to Apfel’s legacy. “Iris Apfel has become a world-famous fashion icon because of her incredible talent not only as an artist but as an influencer,” said fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.
      The photography is by Ron Adar courtesy of Shutterstock.

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      AHMM to transform office into co-living space next to London’s Barbican estate

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      Developer HUB and investor Bridges Fund Management have revealed plans to convert a 1950s office building in London into Cornerstone, a co-living residential scheme designed by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris.

      Located on the edge of the Barbican estate, the Cornerstone project will draw from the iconic Barbican architecture to transform 45 Beech Street into 174 co-living residences along with street-level commercial spaces and amenities.
      “Building on the success of our previous London projects with HUB, we are joining forces again to transform an underloved office building in the heart of the city,” Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM) director Hazel Joseph said.
      AHMM has revealed plans for a co-living retrofit next to London’s Barbican estateAHMM’s proposal aims to re-use as much of the building’s existing structure and facade as possible, taking a “retrofit-first approach” to minimise the need for new building works.
      The studio will also primarily work within the geometric parameters defined by the original envelope, while updating the rectilinear language to create uniform apertures for each co-living apartment.

      Referencing the Barbican estate, a series of arched, double-height extrusions will be introduced across the crown of the building to house additional co-living apartments.
      The design will adapt the existing building’s form and insert a series of arched spaces at the top”The architectural approach has been carefully considered, responding sensitively to the much-loved Barbican context, completing the northern frontage of the estate,” Joseph said.
      The arches will be partially set back from the building’s facade and lined with an asymmetric patchwork of glazed and tile panels underneath the curved overhangs.

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      At street level, warm red panel accents will contrast against the building’s neutral concrete finishes to highlight commercial and collective functions.
      The scheme will integrate a public cafe, a co-working space and community-focused amenities at its lower levels to improve the public realm for those who live and work in the area.
      “The existing structure of 45 Beech Street will be re-used and extended, creating a new residential community with shared amenities and breathing new life into the local streetscape,” Joseph explained.
      At street level, new commercial and public amenities will seek to activate the ground planeAccording to HUB and Bridges Fund Management, AHMM’s proposal was developed in collaboration with the community – including Barbican residents – who were consulted through a series of workshops and events.
      A website was also established to solicit viewpoints about the redevelopment, reiterating the design vision to establish a “vibrant community” that will adapt the original building and holistically contribute to the neighbourhood.
      AHMM was established in 1989 by Simon Allford, Jonathan Hall, Paul Monaghan and Peter Morris in London. The studio has previously converted a 1930s block into New Scotland Yard’s headquarters in London and completed a mixed-use building in Southwark with interlocking flats.
      Also adjacent to the Barbican estate, Diller Scofidio & Renfro’s proposal for a pyramidal music centre was recently scrapped when the City of London Corporation revealed its plans for a “major renewal” of the Barbican.
      The images are courtesy of HUB and Bridges Fund Management.

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      IKEA unveils “powerful” first photos by artist-in-residence Annie Leibovitz

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      Swedish furniture brand IKEA has released two images from a series of photographs taken by Annie Leibovitz, its first-ever artist-in-residence, showing people in their homes across the world.

      The American photographer, who is best known for her portraits, travelled to twenty-five homes around the globe to take photos of people in their residences. She visited houses and apartments in Sweden, India, Italy, Japan, Germany, England and the US.
      “The home has always been important in my work,” Leibovitz said when appointed artist-in-residence in 2023.
      “I’ve been photographing people in their homes since I began,” she added. “It’s a way to understand who a person is. The advice I give to young photographers is to photograph their families. It’s one of the best ways to start.”
      Annie Leibovitz photographed 25 homes for IKEA, including this one in GermanyLeibovitz’s photos for IKEA show a variety of different interiors in seven different countries.

      “The result is a powerful photographic document that illuminates the nuances of life at home – across borders, ethnicities and professions,” the furniture brand said of the project.
      The series, which comprises 25 photos in total, was commissioned by IKEA after its IKEA Life at Home Report showed that 48 per cent of people globally don’t feel the media represents their home.
      The first two images released by IKEA, show the homes of Yusuke Onimaru in Japan and Maria Arrechea in Germany – specifically Onimaru’s ceramic workshop and Arrechea’s living space filled with friends.

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      Leibovitz’s photos will be shown as part of the IKEA+ exhibition in Paris, which will take place during Paris Fashion Week.
      It will also feature a collaboration with online radio station Rinse and showcase the Tesammans collection made by IKEA together with Eindhoven-basd design duo Raw Color.
      Six emerging designers from the Casa93 fashion education program are also taking part in the IKEA+ showcase. They worked with “home furnishing mentors” from IKEA to create designs that focus on upcycling and sustainable design.
      The photography is by Annie Leibovitz for IKEA.
      IKEA+ will take place on 28 Rue de Lappe, Paris, from 29 February to 3 March. For more worldwide events, exhibitions and talks in architecture and design, visit Dezeen Events Guide. 

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      Australia bans engineered stone due to silicosis risk

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      Australia has become the first country in the world to ban engineered stone, following rising cases of silicosis among workers who handle the material.

      The ban was agreed at a meeting of Australian federal and state workplace ministers on Wednesday, and will come into place across the country from 1 July 2024.
      The ban targets engineered stone, also known as agglomerated stone – a type of material made by mixing crushed stone with a resin binder.
      “This is a dangerous product”
      While it is valued as a durable and affordable alternative to natural stone for kitchen benchtops, the material can be dangerous while being cut because it releases a fine silica dust into the air.

      Australia has recorded rising cases of the lung disease silicosis in stonemasons who have handled the product, leading it to be dubbed “the asbestos of the 2020s” by union leader Zach Smith.
      “This is a dangerous product that’s known to cause the potentially fatal disease silicosis, and it has no place in our workplaces,” said Queensland industrial relations minister Grace Grace in a statement following the meeting.
      “The rate of silicosis illness in Australia for those working with engineered stone is unacceptable,” said her Western Australian counterpart Simone McGurk. “This prohibition will ensure future generations of workers are protected from silicosis associated with working with engineered stone.”
      Ban follows report finding no safe level of silica in engineered stone
      The move comes nine months after an investigation by three Australian news outlets accused supplier Caesarstone of not doing enough to warn people of the dangers of working with the material and the country’s construction union launched a campaign calling for the ban.
      A subsequent report by the national policy body Safe Work Australia found that engineered stone workers were significantly over-represented in silicosis cases and were being diagnosed with the disease at much younger ages than workers from other industries, with most being under the age of 35.

      Australia moves to ban engineered stone due to silicosis danger

      It also found that the risk from engineered stone was distinct from that of natural stone due to the material’s physical and chemical composition, and that this was likely contributing to more rapid and severe disease.
      The report concluded that no level of silica was safe in engineered stone and that the material should be prohibited in its entirety.
      Silicosis is caused by tiny particles of silica becoming embedded in the lining of the lungs and manifests in symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, weakness and fatigue.
      The condition is life-altering and potentially fatal, with many formerly healthy young sufferers describing being unable to work or play with their kids.
      Caesarstone commits to supplying Australia with “alternative products”
      In response to news of the ban, Caesarstone commented that while it disagreed with the decision, it is taking the necessary steps to ensure supply of alternative materials to Australian consumers.
      “The Caesarstone brand is well known in Australia and its products have earned tremendous success over the years,” said Caesarstone CEO Yos Shiran. “We are already taking steps to supply our Australian market with alternative products while maintaining our strong market presence.”
      It has previously argued that its material is safe if handled correctly and that the silicosis danger was the fault of employers and work safety bodies.
      Other companies including Ikea and Bunnings had already committed to phasing out the material in the Australian market.
      The ban will apply to the manufacturing, supplying, processing and installing of engineered stone but not its removal, repair, disposal or minor modifications.
      Australia’s workplace ministers will meet again in March 2024 to finalise details of the ban, including the transition period for contracts that have already been implemented and the precise definition of engineered stone.
      The country’s Model Work Health and Safety Regulations currently exclude concrete and cement products, bricks and pavers, porcelain, ceramic tiles, roof tiles, grout, mortar and render, and plasterboard from the definition of engineered stone, but ministers have indicated that additional products would be added to the exemptions.
      This may allow future engineered stone products to be exempted from the ban if there is “compelling evidence” that they can be used safely.

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