-[ Zak Leighton's Designer/Artist Blog Roll ]-

Len Lye - Color Cry

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:03:44 -0400

Len Lye - Color Cry

Len Lye - Swinging the Lambeth Walk

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:03:07 -0400

Len Lye - Swinging the Lambeth Walk

Len Lye - A color box (1935)

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:02:09 -0400

Len Lye - A color box (1935)

Night Mail Film

Wed, 15 May 2013 09:00:48 -0400

Night Mail Film

Iconic Branding & Fast Moving Consumer Goods

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:49:00 -0400

Brands that are iconic

Coca-Cola
Apple
Pepsi
BT
Starbucks
IBM
British Airways

Parcel Delivery Branding

Post Office
General Post Office
Consignia
DHL
UPS
Parcel Force
Royal Mail

1933-1940 Cinema films to promote the GPO Film Unit. Experimenting with analogue animation by the likes of Len Lyle, Lotte Reininger & Norman Mclaren. ALSO look at the film “Nightmail” and “Len Lyle - Colourbox (1935)

For Jake Smith @ www.tumblr.com/jaykdesign <3

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:10:00 -0400

For Jake Smith @ www.tumblr.com/jaykdesign <3

weandthecolor: Saul Bass - Poster Design. Today is the birthday...

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:51:47 -0400

weandthecolor:

Saul Bass - Poster Design.

Today is the birthday of Saul Bass (May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996), the legendary American graphic designer and Oscar winning filmmaker. For this reason, I decided to post some of his well-known movie poster designs. His graphic and illustrative style is still a great inspiration for many designers.

Happy Birthday Mr. Bass!

More movie posters by Saul Bass on WE AND THE COLOR
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Critical Analysis of Visit to Newcastle & Gateshead

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:56:01 -0400

I don’t go to Newcastle too often, however when I do go I always have a great experience. I just love some of the old historical buildings, the history of Newcastle impresses me a lot. The expectations i have of Newcastle are exactly what I imagine them to be. Historical, plenty of galleries, plenty to see & do. Newcastle is very different to Hartlepool, simply because of size difference, there is more to do in Newcastle, more galleries and shops.

*insert pic here*

To me Newcastle has moved away from Ship Building and Mining and moved to more corporate and contemporary way of life. IE: A lot more galleries to visit, more focused on the corporate side (shopping, bars, nightlife etc). The architectural side of Newcastle is one I personally quite enjoy. The old buildings mixing with newer, more stylish buildings works for me. You get that sense of Old Vs. New and it works for me. I don’t find that the buildings are ‘in-keeping’ with each other, because I feel each building has it’s own unique feel, look and shape. For example, you have The Baltic, The Sage, The Law Courts and very modern Flats all close by. The Baltic is very Square and bold, then you have The Sage, which is very curvaceous and the Law Courts is very old. Then you have the flats next to The Baltic which are very angular and sharp. 4 very different styles of buildings all pretty much together, and it seems to work! This is why I enjoy Newcastle, everything seems different but fits.

[insert pics here]

Newcastle has embraced the development of creative and culture industries a lot in my opinion. The amount of galleries, gallery space and exhibitions there is, just blows any other north-east town away for me. I visited The Great North Museum (The Hancock) and The Baltic. It was the first time I had visited The Great North Museum, and I found it really interesting and quite some fun! The space was used amazingly I thought.

[Insert pic]

As you can see above, they barely left a wall empty, they had projections of the exhibition, (dinosaurs and prehistoric things). They also had a lot of things displaying at different heights, see picture below

[insert pic]

I found this very eye-catching, amazing, quirky and just nice to look at, it’s very different to other galleries which use framed photo/piece of art on white/dull wall. This caught my eye a lot, and made me look around, up, down and, well, everywhere!

[insert pic]

I don’t feel the spaces where accessible by those with impairments, such as sight, sound and mobility. The Great North Museum too me was all about sight and looking places. The Baltic again was the same, not allowed to touch so it became demanding on sight.

[insert pic]

The way in which The Great North Museum was displayed encouraged me to look everywhere. I think, for me it’s important for galleries to be free. As a student not getting much money, Free exhibitions would encourage me to visit more galleries.

Visiting Newcastle Galleries, Links & Info.

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:22:32 -0400

Newcastle Baltic Mill - https://www.balticmill.com/
Side Gallery - http://www.amber-online.com/sections/side-gallery
Sage - http://thesagegateshead.org/
Northumberland Art Gallery - http://www.mickoxley.com/

& more, will update after Friday 15th March 2013.

Viewing all exhibitions and will update blog with pictures and information including sources.

weandthecolor: Visual Identity Design An identity project...

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:47:40 -0500

weandthecolor:

Visual Identity Design

An identity project including logo, print and web design by Elias Mule for La Fílmica, a group of photographers who develop artistic films.

More of the identity design on WE AND THE COLOR
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Evaluation

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 08:47:24 -0500

Which specific periods, artists and designers have you investigated?

I looked at Viktor Hertz work

How did you start your research?

I started by gathering images from Viktor Hertz official website
Then went onto Google and see if anything came up that wasn’t on his website
He wouldn’t be referenced in books or magazines as of yet, as he isn’t that well known

Which sources proved most useful, and why?

Google and his Official website. This is because although he has done work for some big names, he hasn’t appeared in any magazines/books that I know of, therefore Google was a must to find information on Viktor Hertz.

How did you develop and refine your research skills?

Initially I wanted to find out as much as I could from wherever I could, but for now I had to settle for Google. I refined searches by not only googling, ‘Viktor Hertz’, I would search more in-depth phrases such as, ‘Viktor Hertz Publications’, ‘Viktor Hertz Design’, ‘Viktor Hertz information’. I wanted to try and find out as much as I could, but being limited to Google only was quite a task.

What challenges did you encounter, which sources proved the least useful, or most difficult to use?

I came across many challenges picking a ‘no-named’ designer so to speak. There was not much on Wikipedia, no books, no magazines, no interviews and no videos of Viktor Hertz, so all in all I found the gathering of information quite difficult.

What have you found interesting and/or difficult about research tasks?

I have enjoyed the way we have been learning throughout the tasks, as I work better independently as apposed to a group. I also like the mid-task critique/presentation’s it helps to know your on the right track.

What skills do you think you still need to develop in terms of research in order to prepare for assignment 2?

I need to develop my primary research a bit more.

What sort of sources do you think would have been useful to use?

Like I said previously I think books, magazines and exhibitions would of been great.

How will you develop and refine and/or change your working methods for assignment 2?

I will develop my methods by using more primary research as well as integrating Google searches etc.

weandthecolor: Logo Design and Branding Trondheim, Norway-based...

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:12:50 -0500

weandthecolor:

Logo Design and Branding

Trondheim, Norway-based Jørgen Grotdal created the logo and brand design for Inside This Box, a young education program for students.

More of the brand design on WE AND THE COLOR
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Viktor Hertz Official Website

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:53:29 -0500

Viktor Hertz Official Website

Found this interesting, so thought I would share!

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:51:54 -0500

Found this interesting, so thought I would share!

Information about Viktor Hertz

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:50:22 -0500

Website - http://www.viktorhertz.com/

Viktor Hertz has inspired me a lot throughout this year, and I like what he does and how he does it. His work is very subtle yet very unique. He is a Swedish and he focuses on simple illustrations and makes logos, posters and icons are also a focus of his. Alongside this he also does a bit of photography and film at occasions.

Here are some examples of his work…

The rest of the New Years Resolutions set are found here: http://www.viktorhertz.com/50717/931057/gallery/new-years-resolution-posters

World's most expensive house lies abandoned... because billionaire owners believe it would be bad luck to move in

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:58:55 -0400

27-storey block dominates Mumbai skyline
Property boasts three helipads, six car parks and floating gardens
But family won’t stay overnight because of lack of windows facing east

The world’s most expensive home is lying unused and abandoned because its billionaire owners believe moving in will bring them bad luck.

The 27-storey, billion-dollar tower in Mumbai, called Antilia, is said to have fallen foul of vastu shastra - an obscure Hindu version of feng shui.

Built for India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani - ranked by Forbes as the ninth wealthiest person in the world with a fortune of $27billion - Antilia has dominated the Mumbai skyline since being completed last year.

Abandoned: The 27-storey Antilla, built by Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai, India, is still uninhabitated reportedly because it its billionaire owner believes it would be bad luck if he moved in

But speculation has grown as to why Mr Ambani, his wife Nita and their two children have not moved into their extravagant new home.

Certainly the property - which has three helipads, six floors of parking and a series of floating gardens - is comfortable enough.

According to reports, the Ambani family is concerned the building fails to conform with the ancient Indian architectural principles of vastu shastra, and has refused to move in for fear the home will curse them with bad luck.

Expensive: The ancient Hindu tradition of vastu shastra emphasises the importance of facing the rising sun, but Antilla is said to not have enough windows on its eastern side

Opulent: Antilla cost $1billion to build and features three helipads, six floors of car parking and rising gardens, as well as a theatre and ballroom

Rival: Construction work at J.K. House in Breach Candy, Mumbai. The skyscraper is being built by the Singhania family, and is strikingly similar to Antilla

Bad luck? Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, has a fortune of $27billion, but has not moved into his dream house a year after it was finished

Film screenings have been staged in its state-of-the-art theatre and dinners held in its grand ballroom, served by staff trained by the luxury Oberoi hotel chain.

But its owners return at the end of each party to their former ancestral home, never staying the night.

Vastu, a philosophy that guides Hindu temple architecture, emphasises the importance of facing the rising sun - and despite the staggering sum spent on Antilia the building’s eastern side does not have enough windows or other openings to let residents receive sufficient morning light.

Instead of moving into their dream home, the Ambanis continue to stay in the more modest, 14-storey apartment tower at the south end of the city that they share, on different floors, with the rest of their extended family.

Tushar Pania, a spokesman for Mr Ambani’s company Reliance Industries, dismissed questions about whether the family was reluctant to live at Antilia as idle gossip.

Last year, as it was nearing completion, many Mumbai residents criticised the building as an ostentatious display of wealth in a country where most people live on less than $2 a day.

Half a mile from Mr Ambani’s 27-storey tower, a competing skyscraper is making its way into Mumbai’s skyline.

The building is being constructed by the Singhania family, which controls Indian suit maker the Raymond Group.

Seen at a distance, the two buildings are strikingly similar, with soaring columns, large sea-facing windows and a nearly identical jigsaw puzzle facade.

Each floor of the tower is made from different materials to give an individual look. Numerous powder rooms and reception areas lead off the lobby which has nine elevators

Glitz and glamour: Crystal chandeliers take up most of the ceiling in the ballroom. There is also a stage for entertainers and a kitchen which can serve hundreds of guests

Fine rugs, chandeliers and mirrors feature heavily in the numerous sitting areas lthroughout the building

Controversy Surrounding Antilla - Mumbai

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:57:22 -0400

Controversies

The transactions surrounding the acquisition of the land on which this building is constructed, as well as various aspects of the construction and design of this building seem to raise significant issues of regulatory malfeasance and corruption among the various parties involved.

In 2002, this property was purchased by a Mukesh Ambani controlled entity - Antilia Commercial Private Limited from the Currimbhoy Ebrahimbhoy Khoja Trust, in direct contravention to section 51 of the Wakf Act.

This land was owned previously by the Currimbhoy Ebrahim Khoja Yateemkhana (Orphanage). This charitable institution had sold the land allocated for the purpose of education of underprivileged Khoja children to Antilia Commercial Private Limited in July 2002 for Rs 21.05 crore. The prevailing market value of land at the time was at least Rs.150 crore.

The Waqf minister Nawab Malik opposed this land sale and so did the revenue department of the Government of Maharashtra. Thus a stay order was issued on the sale of the land. Also, the Waqf board initially opposed this deal and filed a PIL in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the trust. The Supreme Court while dismissing the petition asked the Waqf board to approach the Bombay High court. However the stay on this deal was subsequently vacated after the Wakf board withdrew its objection on receiving an amount of 16 lakh from Antilia Commercial Pvt Ltd and issued a No Objection certificate to Mukesh Ambani.

In 2007 the Maharashtra government said the structure is illegal because the land’s owner, the Waqf Board, had no right to sell it, as Waqf property can neither be sold nor transferred. Ambani then obtained a No Objection Certificate from the Waqf Board after paying Rs 16 lakh (U$36,100) and began construction. In June 2011, the Union government asked the Maharashtra government to consider referring the matter to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

In regards to the three helipads, the Indian Navy said it will not allow the construction of helipads on Mumbai buildings, while the Environment Ministry said the helipads violate local noise laws. Issues have also been raised with regards to the construction of an illegal carpark

Controversial Strata, London - Details

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:52:03 -0400

The Building

5% of the building’s flats have been sold by Family Mosaic Housing Association for shared-ownership sale. These consist of the “Esprit Apartments” — located on floors 2–10 of the tower — and a further nine flats in the adjacent “Pavilion”, a three-storey structure located to the west of the tower and earmarked for former residents of the nearby Heygate Estate.

Each floor of the affordable area comprises 10 flats (equally divided between one and two-bedroom flats), while the floors above the 10th floor contain a mixture of studios (40), one-bedroom flats (149), two-bedroom flats (101) and three-bedroom flats (20) to a total of 310 units.

Only the open-market flats have access to car-parking (in the basement of the building). The 39th floor features a “Sky Lobby” (a small corridor with a view over central London), while the living area is topped by a £2.5m three-bedroom duplex penthouse. The ground floor comprises two commercial units. A third one is located in the Pavilion, along with a “kiosk”. Currently both Costa Coffee and Crussh are showing interest in the retail units.

The building has its own extranet site, named “inhabit”.

The one-level basement of the building contains a secure car park and 437 bicycle storage places.

The Construction

Strata SE1 is located on the site of Castle House, an early 1960s six-storey office building, which was the first commercial premises at the newly rebuilt Elephant and Castle. When completed, Castle House was warmly received. The Architects’ Journal in August 1962 found “little to criticise and much to praise and until New Zealand House is completed it is possibly one of the best examples for anyone wanting to look at a good office block in London.”

The current tower was first proposed in 2005; construction began in 2007 and was completed in June 2010. The cost is estimated at £113.5 million. The building was ‘topped out’ in June 2009. The turbines were installed in May 2010.

During the demolition of Castle House to clear land for Strata, a construction worker, John Walker, 33, was killed when a roof collapsed on him. He was employed by 777 Demolition and Haulage Company Ltd, which was served with a Prohibition Notice by the Health & Safety Executive. An inquest was due to be held at Inner London South Coroner’s Court.

Sustainability

trata SE1 is one of the first buildings in the world to incorporate wind turbines within its structure.

Detail of the wind turbines.

The three nine-metre wind turbines at the top of the building are rated at 19 kW each and are anticipated to produce 50MWh of electricity per year. They are expected to generate sufficient energy to provide power for the common areas of the building (8% of the energy needs of the building), although questions about their real efficiency will remain unanswered until the completion of two years of comprehensive wind data analysis.

The building exceeds by 13% the current UK regulations relating to sustainability, whilst overall carbon emissions are expected to be 15% lower than the Mayor of London’s good practice benchmark. The developers claim that the building will achieve 2050 CO2 target emissions and that (with the Multi-Utility Services Company in place in the area) it will achieve a predicted 73.5% reduction in CO2 emissions when measured against the Building Regulations benchmark.

Featured on-site is a combined heat and power system to provide sustainable power generation, with a provision for the collection of rainwater for re-use. The energy costs per flat are envisaged to be up to 40% less than Britain’s typical housing average. The building is clad in a “bespoke high thermal performing facade” with an air permeability leakage rate that is apparently 50% better than current building regulations.

London's Strata tower named UK's most unattractive building for its 'breakfast-extracting ugliness'

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:43:25 -0400

The 480ft Strata tower in London has been named the country’s most unattractive new building, with critics deriding its ‘bar code’ colour scheme and -breakfast-extracting’ ugliness.

The apartment block, in Elephant and Castle, has divided critics and locals and has earned the nickname the Electric Razor.

The building took first place in the Carbuncle Cup, an annual competition run by Building Design magazine, for ‘services to urban impropriety and breakfast-extracting ugliness.’

Eyesore? The Strata tower has been named the UK’s ugliest building

It was the first skyscraper to have wind turbines build into its design, but despite this green commitment, critics today accused developers of ‘environmental tokenism.’

Architecture critic Ellis Woodman said the building was a damning indictment of town planning departments, describing it as ‘quite simply the worst tall building ever constructed in London’.

Stand out: The building, which features three wind turbines built into its roof, can be seen from across the city

The Bezier Apartments in London also made the shortlist

‘Councils are meant to protect us from these buildings. How on earth did it win approval?’ he said.

‘A skyscraper is an energy-greedy building form, both in terms of construction, and the power needed to take people to their front doors in a lift. To top one off with some wind turbines is the worst sort of greenwashing.’

The building beat the Bezier Apartments near London’s Old Street, The Cube, a 23-floor building in Birmingham which was put forward for its ‘clunky windows,’ and the Haymarket Hub in Newcastle.

Also on the list was the Burns Monument Centre in Kilmarnock and the St Anne’s Square development in Belfast.

The three wind turbines in the roof of the building provide just eight per cent of the building’s energy needs.

Last year the prize went to the Liverpool Ferry Terminal, which critics said blighted a world heritage site.

Inspiring architecture, or waste of time?

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 08:38:00 -0400

Architecture

Designed by BFLS (formerly Hamiltons), Strata SE1 is the architectural icon soaring 43 storeys above SE1.
It has 408 apartments offering a mixture of stunning studios, one, two and three
bedroom apartments all with floor-to-ceiling windows and inspiring views of London.

Views from Strata

The views from a Strata apartment are spectacular and without equal – from all levels. The immense floor to ceiling windows open out onto seemingly endless vistas of London – it’s a vast panorama that’s not for the faint-hearted.

All the sites of London are there on show – look west, for Big Ben and the London Eye and straight ahead for Tate Modern and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Look east, for the high-rises of the City of London and Canary Wharf and finally south, for the historic Crystal Palace.

My Thoughts…

I think the Strata is a nice looking building 43 stories high, not as energy saving as it says, storing only 8% of its energy used, so its not that sustainable. The strata is used for apartments, showing either the sky, (Sky Apartments) or the amazing views of London, (normal apartments). There is nothing more I can say about this building, other than its just simply nice!