Slab table by Area

Dezeen Showroom: the unique aesthetic qualities of unusual species of wood are celebrated in this range of live-edge tables by Japanese furniture brand Area.

Made from solid wood, Slab tables feature a live-edge top that is sanded and polished to bring out the natural grain of the timber. This is supported by legs that come in a choice of designs.

The table is designed by Area's founder and executive designer Go Noda, who Area describes as having a deep knowledge of Japanese and Asian cultural history that is intricately woven into each product.

Each table is one...

Inside the Design of a High-End Ballistic Helmet Liner

Here's an adjective, used to describe materials, that you may not have heard of: "Rate-sensitive." It refers to when a material responds to the speed of a force applied to it. As an example, concrete is not rate-sensitive: If you walk into a concrete barrier or drive into it at 80 miles an hour, it remains the same hardness. In contrast, water is rate-sensitive. You can gently push your hand down through the surface of a lake. But if you slap downwards with all your might, the water turns hard and resists.

This magical property has been engineered into...

Homewares and Laundry Take on Lives of Their Own in Tobias Izsó’s Mixed-Media Sculptures

Shoelaces, zippers, chairs, and other domestic items adopt unexpected personalities in the uncanny sculptures of Tobias Izsó. Incorporating a wide range of materials, from various woods and paper to leather and textiles, the artist investigates the emotional terrain of private spaces. Izsó depicts sweaters, shoelaces, shirt cuffs, and piles of laundry merging with their surroundings or seemingly possessing minds of their own.

Christine König Galerie, which represents the artist, exhibited Izsó’s series off the cuff last year in its project space, KOENIG2. The works explore relationships between home, self, and the emotional influence of stuff. Izsó’s work will be on view...

Heatherwick Studio "created a new story" for own studio

UK practice Heatherwick Studio has turned a 1950s industrial building in King's Cross, London, into its own office, which is exclusively revealed here.

Located less than a five-minute walk from its former offices, the new studio was designed to allow all of Heatherwick Studio's teams to work together under one roof with the aim of building a greater sense of community.

"When Covid happened, not to state the obvious too much, but it affected everybody – it affected our sense of togetherness and made it clear how important being together was," Heatherwick Studio partner Neil Hubbard told Dezeen.

"By then we had grown...

Diller Scofidio + Renfro transforms London hangar into V&A East Storehouse

American studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro has completed V&A East Storehouse, the publicly accessible working storage facility of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Built as part of the East Bank cultural quarter in the Queen Elizabeth Park, the 16,000-square-metre facility houses 250,000 objects, 350,000 books and 1,000 archives, and is set to open to the public this weekend.

It forms the first of two new cultural venues being created by the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in east London, with the V&A East Museum scheduled to open in spring 2026.

Carlo Ratti and Höweler + Yoon design floating AquaPraça plaza for Amazonian bay

Italian studio Carlo Ratti Associati and US firm Höweler + Yoon Architecture have unveiled their design for a floating plaza, which will form part of this year's Venice Architecture Biennale before relocating to Belém, Brazil.

Named AquaPraça, the 400-square-metre platform is designed as a sheltered gathering space for discussing the climate, architecture and the environment.

The plaza will be unveiled on 4 September at this year's Venice Architecture Biennale, which has been curated by Carlo Ratti Associati founder Carlo Ratti, before being transported to Belém in time for the COP30 climate conference in November for use...

Portugal's Lisbon by Design "attracts young people to careers in craftsmanship"

The fifth edition of collectible design fair Lisbon by Design in Portugal showcased works by emerging designers, including translucent onyx lamps and furniture informed by wine barrels.

Located in the 19th-century Gomes Freire palace in central Lisbon, the event featured pieces by 28 designers. While some were Portuguese and others international, all the works on show were produced in Portugal.

Curator and Lisbon by Design founder Julie de Halleux said the fair is an opportunity for young designers to explore and bring new life into the traditional craftsmanship Portugal is known...

Google ushers in age of "expressive" interfaces with Material Design update

https://invidious.privacyredirect.com/watch?v=3VCqvndv_XU;controls=0

Google has dialled up the fun in its updated design language, Material 3 Expressive, after user testing found that people have an appetite for "wild and way-too-playful" interfaces, Google Design vice-president Vanessa Cho told Dezeen.

Released earlier this month, Material 3 Expressive is the fourth update to Google's Material Design system and aims to inspire emotion through an expanded use of colour, shape and animation.

Material Design both defines the personalisation options on Android and Wear OS and forms an open-source toolkit for developers working on their own app designs.

The update marks an evolution...

Belt that eases menstrual pain wins 2025 Rimowa Design Prize

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A belt that treats menstrual discomfort with heat and electrical stimulation has been named the overall winner of the 2025 Rimowa Design Prize.

Marc Hackländer and Elisabeth Lorenz, who are students at the Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd university in Germany, were presented with the trophy and a €20,000 prize at a ceremony at the Gropius Bau art museum in Berlin.

Marc Hackländer and Elisabeth Lorenz won the 2025 Rimowa Design Prize

Named Hottie, the belt warms the wearer's lower abdomen and sends mild electrical impulses that soothe menstrual pain by encouraging the release of endorphins.

Lorenz and Hackländer developed the design under the...

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