EYJAFJALLAJÖKULL-DNA (how the hell do you pronounce that?) by Romain Jerome
an ancient-futuristic play on foreign, even alien, elements melded into a timepiece

RM 027 Tourbillon by Richard Mille for Rafael Nadal
20 grams (with band) is light enough to wear on the tennis court

Devon Tread 1
full-on retro-mechanical industrial design with saucy animation

Hamilton ODC X-02
future-retro B9 contraption

Bell & Ross 03-92 Infiniti
aviation-instrument inspired watch fused with sleek auto design

Greubel Forsey Invention Piece 1
look at my splendid guts

Urwerk UR202
Deathstar on your wrist

Corum Golden Bridge
the slim & trim Chinese automatic

Lord Norman Foster is no stranger to undertaking great skyscrapers nor great structures. But the exquisite building at 30 St. Mary Axe, referred to by most Londoners as “The Gherkin” remains his greatest execution. The Gherkin was erected on the site of the old Baltic Exchange building following heavy damage from an IRA bombing in 1992. London local scene battered it with criticism at first, but the insults soon became the butt of naughty British humor and eventually widespread international architectural jokes.

Today, 30 St. Mary Axe is an icon and an integral blow to the status of the NYC skyline. But the Gherkin is more than just a pretty face. This swirling structure supersedes anything built in terms of scale, innovation and green technology. The circular form yields the most surface area per volume, maximizing daylight penetration. This reduces the need for artificial lighting. The Gherkin has an epidermal layer of glass paneling, creating a chamber to capture heat energy. The heat energy may be reclaimed or discarded, controlling office temperature settings, by means of blinds located inside the ventilating chamber. In addition, wind pressure differentials generated by the Gherkin’s aerodynamic form assist natural ventilation through the lightwells, thus reducing energy expenditure on air conditioning.

378 persons can be elevated at speeds of over 13 mph at any given moment. Each floor of the Gherkin rotates 5° clockwise from the one below it. Floor 16 is the Gherkin’s widest point. The crowning lens is the only piece of curved glass on the building’s facade. The 744 windows could cover 5 soccor fields. Exterior cleaning is done by hand. It takes about ten days for window washers to complete the structure’s cleaning process from both above and below. The 40th floor is occupied by the penthouse lounge, highest in London.

The Gherkin falls under several architectural trends, but is classified as a High-Tech category building. Foster, as countless modern designers, has fused organic traits with technology to meld modern man to nature. Like a maple tree, it is iconic in simplicity of overall form, fascinating in complexity with attention to detail down to every vein of every leaf. Contrary to popular belief, it sits on an elliptical footprint with a paraboloid cap.

The “skin” spirals over the facade in a grid of twisting diamond-shaped scales. We observe a massive phallic structure that still resembles other buildings by means of windows and lighting; alluring yet recognizable. Gherkin’s unique figure seems elegant while it towers over ground-level spectators.

Despite the unique shape, lights in the night sky provide the feel of any skyscraper. The result is exquisite; a form that blends with the skyline in texture while boldly holding its own. It’s no wonder Londoners praise the Gherkin as they find tall and boxy buildings to be an eyesore. Opened in 2004, it was the first completed skyscraper in London in over 25 years.

To complete a delectable addition to London’s most discriminating skyline, we find a swanky entrance. With geometric skeletal supports on display, it seems an apt exposure for such a heretical mass. The Gherkin has lifted its skirt, inviting human interaction into a sultry underbelly. Street access to 30 St. Mary Axe invokes a feeling of honor for those who work within, and a constant reminder to passersby who wish they did.

As an internationally acclaimed architectural wonder, Londoners associate themselves with the work of Lord Norman Foster. The Gherkin remains the ultimate British architectural trophy.

Scottish lighting designer David Taylor is under appreciated. He’s shown a history of linking warm and comforting elements of retro, even Luddhist, lifestyle with interior lighting in creative ways. Working out of Stockholm, Sweden, Taylor is in tune with Northern European industrialdesign culture and trends; typically characteristic of Italian flare married with German logic and usefulness. At first glance, however, one would never guess the latter.

A brief look at David’s recent work paints a trail upon which he has embarked, leading to his paved road of notoriety today. The marriage of nature and technology has been the goal of many a new age designer. Taylor’s lighting focuses minimally on technology (some flourescent & LED). He forms lamps with the illusions of impaled antique lightbulbs, molecule forms and tree branches of plastic.

Poking fun at Thomas Edison’s globe styled clear bulbs is entertaining. Impaling them with metal tripods is morbid. If one were to dig into Taylor’s mind, the landscape would likely be troubling.

Embracing the higher gauge yellow wire brings attention to the retro electronics and evokes memories of fabric-woven cords for vintage irons, among other household items from the past.

Reminding us of familiar forms is reminiscent of psychological advertising schemes, hinting at past products to instill trust. The Kenny Lamp is Taylor’s next step, invoking two-fold satisfaction: Firstly through the familiarity of the popular show, Southpark; and secondly, through a well-designed lamp the seems to stare in intimate focus for the consumer.

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