Dundee V&A targets 500,000 visitors

Competing designs by some of the world's leading architects for a new £47m outpost of the Victoria & Albert museum in Dundee were unveiled today, with the proposals resembling a teetering boulder, an iceberg and a crystal.

The new international centre for design is to be built close to Discovery Point, on the banks of the River Tay, and is scheduled to open in 2014.

It will house major touring exhibitions from the V&A as well as from other international museums and galleries.

The leading US architect Stephen Holl has proposed a building sunk into to the river bed, while the Vienna-based firm Delugan Meissl Associated Architects designed a rock-shaped building that balances precipitously.

Scottish architecture is represented by Sutherland Hussey Architects.

"Fantastic designs from brilliant architects," Mark Jones, the director of the V&A, said. "Its great to see that the competition for the V&A at Dundee has attracted such a strong international response."

It is hoped that the new building will attract an additional 500,000 visitors a year to the city.

Airport Lugage Belt Takeaway

Bavarians flying home to an barren kitchen needn't worry. While waiting for their luggage to come down the conveyor belt at Munich Airport's Terminal 2, they can order food off a billboard and pick it up on their way out.

The billboard shows a pan-Asian menu and Mangostin Restaurant's phone number. "Empty fridge? Order now and pick up your food on Level 5 in 10 minutes. It couldn't be simpler!" We couldn't agree more. Saves you from that 10pm fishfinger sandwich.

Source: Springwise

Energy Generating Dance Floors

On October 14th, the Sustainable Dance Club kicked off in Rotterdam's Off_Corso. The kick-off party featured biological beer on tap and fair-trade clothing brand Kuyichi helped clubbers customize their clothes. The end concept will go much further. Enviu, an environmental NGO for young people, is working together with architectural firm Döll to create a truly sustainable nightclub. The club they envision will feature energy-generating dance floors (excellent way to extract kilowatts from energetic clubbers), toilets that flush with rain water, walls that change colour as a reaction to temperature changes, a rooftop garden and other elements that combine to create a sustainable clubbing environment.

Working with the Technical University of Delft and the Development Board of Rotterdam, Enviu and Döll aim to build a club that will be fun and profitable, yet will have a low impact on the environment, while raising awareness for social and environmental issues. Some 80 Enviu volunteers (young professionals and students) have developed the concept over the last 8 months.

Source Springwise

Sell what you say

JyvePro are providing an exciting new service which lets users charge callers by the minute. Linked with Skype it enables writers, tutors, consultants, lawyers or therapists etc to sell as they speak. The JyvePro plug-in connects a payment system to the users Skype account. It works like a taxi meter logging the minutes talked then invoicing customers after the call.

As Skype is global you can be based anywhere in the world - so all I have to do is find a WIFI enabled beach!

Source: Springwise

Fife Distiller's Members Only Whisky

Ladybank Distilleries is attracting consumers by making them feel highly involved with its product. In this case: Scotch single malt whisky.
While the whisky market is dominated by large breweries and a small number of well-known brands, a counter-movement is (inevitably) taking place. Ladybank, based in Fife, Scotland, is one of a handful of new, artisanal distilleries, and is completely structured around the concept of consumer involvement. The Ladybank Company of Distillers Club, as the full name goes, plans to start distilling by the end of 2007, which means the first dram of malt won't have matured before 2017.
The private club will have no more than 1,250 members. Memberships are becoming available in small releases; those currently on offer are priced at GBP 3,250 (USD 6,020/EUR 4,760). For that one-off fee, members of the Ladybank Club are entitled to the equivalent of six bottles a year during the first 50 years of production. They're also welcome to visit the distillery, which is closed to the general public, and may invite guests. Furthermore, members have full voting rights on key issues.
Distilling days will allow members to get hands-on, and a Whisky School will offer a total understanding of whisky production, 'from grain to oak cask'. Yearly production will be in the region of 25,000 litres per year.
Since Ladybank whisky won't be available for general sale, exclusivity is a big draw. However, according to the company's founder James Thomson, the core appeal is involvement.

Lumin launches Solar powered Wi-Fi

Lumin of Colorado has a funky range of solar powered wi-fi systems. They use solar power to provide wi-fi access in remote areas. The system ofers tri-mode (simultaneous 802.11a/b/g) operation for maximum client diversity, dual-slot architecture for high-density subscriber environments, enclosed in a rugged, portable, weatherproof case for outdoor deployment.

The Lumin system is portable, durable and weatherproof enabling low cost installation almost anywhere.

With many local authorities looking at providing networks for free VOIP this looks like a product which has found its time.

Source: Foxfire

Designer recycling

Known as the candy wrapper handbags, Ecoist's bags (USD 28-58) are made from misprinted or discontinued snack bags, soft drink labels and confection wrappers. A family business based in Miami, the company believes that consumers should be able to enjoy a modern lifestyle, buying their favourite things, while also doing good to the Earth.

Material that would otherwise end up in landfills is folded into straps and woven into bags and clutches by Mexican artisans. Ecoist works with organizations in Mexico and Central America that help people use recycled materials to create a living.

Products are designed by Ecoist's international network of eco-fashion designers, and colours change depending on which wrappers are available. Partnering with Luna, a maker of energy bars for women, Ecoist is producing its first branded bag made from misprinted Luna bar packaging. Talks with other major snack brands are likely to lead to more limited editions.

Source: Springwise

Fancy Foodie Cigars Good Enough To Eat

Care to smoke dessert? Forget about those artifically flavored, sugar-soaked drugstore stogies of yesteryear. Young smokers are sucking up a more dignified breed of cigar, with sophisticated aromatic essences of exotic fruits, herbs or crushed coffee beans subtly infused into the tobacco.

Drew Estate’s ACID line contains flavors like Extra Ordinary Larry and Kuba Kuba, which contain varying degrees of herbal aroma and exotic spice that complement the leaves. CAO sparks discriminating palates with Moontrance, containing bourbon vanilla and exotic fruits, or Karma SutraSplash, with authentic dashes of mango and chocolate mint ice cream. It may sound like kids’ stuff, but the flavors are good enough to make the grownup dessert menu.

As with coffee and fine spirits, partakers of cigars are looking to take their experience up a notch with artisanal ingredients and handcrafted style.

Source: Iconoculture

Beat the clock to target early diners

In an effort to get diners to turn up in the usually difficult to fill late afternoon Circus Cafe in Edinburgh, Scotland is inviting its customers to 'Beat the Clock'. Their meal price is set by the time that you arrive. Arrive at 3.30 and your meal is £3.30. arrive at 5.15 and it's £5.15!

So the later you turn up the higher the price. Simple but brilliant.

Source: Instant Magazine