tone: Sustainable white
venue: Expo Zaragoza 2008

“Water is life and so it needs to be handled collectively in a way that transcends any political or administrative frontier,” Roque Giustau reminded us recently. He is the President of Expo Zaragoza 2008, the international exhibition enlivening the Aragon capital until 14th September.
The theme? Everything in favour of water and sustainable development to raise the awareness of visitors and the media from all over the world about issues relating to the correct handling of the planet’s water resources.

Architects and constructions are playing a key role in the event starting with the ever-present Zaha Hadid and his outstanding Pabellon Puente bridge. It’s 260 mts long suspended across the River Ebro and is completely dedicated to the proper administration of water and water related substances.

Instead Enrique de Teresa is responsible for the spectacular Water Tower, a glass work towering 76 mts whose shape reminds one of a vertical water drop: the tower houses a permanent exhibition on water-related issues and its perception through the five senses thanks to a state-of-the-art AV technology system.

www.expoZaragoza2008.es
www.expo2008-deutschland.de

tone: BIANCO ECOSOSTENIBILE
work: PHARE TOWER

More than a building, the PHARE TOWER, destined to rise up in Paris’s Defence district by 2012, will be a twisting sensual body sheathed in a “skin” of mobile glass panels to shield the light. The rood will house a central wind-power device which, the Californian designer Tom Mayne says “Will be able to generate enough electricity to heat and condition its spaces and rooms for five months of the year. “

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tone: Sculptural white
work: VB62 by Vanessa Beecroft

20 girls and 13 life-size plaster statues for VB62, Vanessa Beecroft’s latest performance staged in Santa Maria dello Spasimo Church, Palermo, Sicily last 12 July 2008.
The sculptures are now on show at the Gallery of Modern Art in Palermo accompanied by a 30-minute film shoot illustrating the installation’s most salient phases.

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Subject: National Aquatics Center (Watercube)
Tone: Acquatic White

643 “bubbles” of Efte (a new co-polymer) make up the visionary cover of the National Aquatics Center (Watercube), Australian studio PTW’s architectural pearl which was launched in Beijing for the Olympics. This stadium swimming pool measures a good 100 sq.mts and will house a range of water sports.

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Subject: Ice Hotel: “temporary spirituality” sculpted in iceo
Tone: Polar White

Soon in Arctic the latest version of the IceHotel will melt. But for the time being we can still admire the structure and its chapel with arabesques and ice pillars designed by a team of international designers.

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tone: Olimpic White

London’s Victoria and Albert Museum explores the best of the projects that have arisen in China over recent years: from the Olympic Stadium in Beijing to fashion and art installations.

Three cities mark this quest: Shenzhen, onetime fishermen’s capital and now the local hub of graphic design, Beijing for architecture and Shanghai for fashion.

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Trends and suggestions in black and white sniffed out at Art Basel from
tones describable as exact, literal, deep, slow and pungent.

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Subject: A Message For You – The art of shooting the surreal
Tone: Surreal Black and White

A collection of over 300 works made up of photographs, films, designs and texts from one of today’s most eccentric and visionary artists. Guy Bourdin’s influence on great contemporary photographers is unquestionable – greats such as David LaChapelle, Mert Alas, Marcus Piggot, Jean Baptiste Mondino and Nick Knight all praise him.

A message for you is on until 22 June 2008 at the KunstHausWien in Vienna

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Subject: OMA, Office for Metropolitan Architectur
tone: Scientific White

Hamburg: OMA, Office for Metropolitan Architecture unveils its final project for the “Science Centre and Aquarium”, to be built in the new district of Hamburg known as “Hafen City”.
The following designers contributed to the project: Rem Koolhaas, Ellen van Loon and Marc Paulin.

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Subject: Installation in the clouds for Tokujin Yoshioka
Tone: White atmospheric

A huge cloud of two million transparent specks reminiscent of atmospheric phenomena witnessed in California. This is “Tornado”, Tokujin Yoshioka’s site specific installation for Design Miami which have nominated him best designer of the year.

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