Marriot Hotels are world-renowned for exuding class, quality and architectural brilliance, and no more so than the company’s latest project in the south of France.

Located at the Cote d’ Azur’s most glamorous and exclusive hotspot at Juan-les-Pins, the US hotel chain’s newest gem is categorized as being one of the hotel group’s Renaissance Hotels brand and has been named the Renaissance Antibes Juan-les-Pins.

The hotel, which was previously known as the Hotel Ambassadeur, is not due to open until early 2012, as it continues to undergo some major design alterations. The multi-million euro reconstruction will ensure the Renaissance Antibes Juan-les-Pins boasts the most exquisite of modern interiors, including being fitted out with natural driftwood floors, and for those guests not wanting to spend the day on the hotel’s own private sandy beach, a height of elegance and sophistication outdoor and indoor pool.

Read full post

New York-based travel experts Travel + Leisure have announced the winners of their annual Design Awards.

Travel + Leisure are celebrating innovative travel design for the 7^th year in a row. Various companies, products and hotels are being rewarded for taking their ideas to the next level and pushing design boundaries. The winners have managed to combine functionality, strength and practicality to create their triumphant designs, and ultimately demonstrate the impact that good design has on the travel industry.

Read full post

Graffiti artist, Rich Simmons has taken to the streets to create an alternative take on the royal engagement.

The mural, displayed on London’s Southbank, was created to honour the April’s royal wedding and depicts the couple in leather jackets with a union jack backdrop. Kate is wearing a miniskirt, fingerless gloves, a leopard-print cardigan and holding a cigarette, while William sports a dog collar and ripped jeans. Simmons took inspiration from the well-known photograph of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, taken by 1970s photographer Jamie Reid. The words “Future King” are also placed above William’s head to highlight his royal status, but also to demonstrate the extreme differences between William and punk bad boy, Sid. The infamous Sid and Nancy were known for their dramatic and wreck less relationship, a complete contrast to the elegant royal couple.

Read full post

A prototype for a new architectural development may provide housing for Haitian families that were left homeless after 2010’s earthquake.

In January 2010, a 7.0 earthquake shook Haiti to the core, causing 316,000 deaths, 300,000 injuries and leaving 2,000,000 homeless. The Haitian government estimate that 250,000 residences and 30,000 buildings collapsed or were severely damaged as a result of the earthquake.

Over a year on from this devastation, Vincent Callebaut Architectures have developed a proposal for a new housing community that could offer a future of safe and sustainable living for Haitians that were left without homes.

Read full post

The Design Museum in London is housing some of the world’s most innovative designs that have been shortlisted for the prestigious Brit Insurance Design Award 2011.

Known as “the Oscars of the design world”, the Brit Insurance Design Award celebrates the greatest achievements in design over the past year. The awards consist of 7 categories; architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, interactive, product and transport.

Those lucky enough to have been shortlisted are currently on display in The Design Museum, where the overall winner will be chosen on 15^th March by a panel of art and design experts. The exhibit will run from 16^th February – 7^th August and costs £10 a ticket. The ticket will also give you entry to the “Drawing Fashion” exhibition that is showcasing the key fashion illustrations since the beginning of the century.

The nominations that are currently on display include:

Yike Bike by Urban Freedom

The world’s first super light electric folding bike. This groundbreaking development in the transport sector can be described as an electric Penny-Farthing.

Read full post