Always one to cause a stir in the design world, Spanish designer Jaime Hayon's Green Rocking Chicken is sure to cause a scene when there are children about. The designer conceptualised the rocking chicken during a night time dream.

Influenced by the structural microscopic composition of trees, the Clutch Chair and Light are constructed from 10,000 drinking straws. Exploring the disposable nature of today's culture, the drinking straws are grouped and transformed into a primitive spot light. The reflective inner surface of the straw transmits the light in a directional manner creating a jewelesque effect.

Burnham Plan Centennial celebrations in Chicago celebrate the bold plans and big dreams originally created for the city. The Burnham Pavilion by Zaha Hadid Architects triggers the visitors’ curiosity and encourages them to consider the future of Chicago. The design merges new formal concepts with the memory of Daniel Burnham’s bold, historic urban planning.  

The pavilion is composed of an intricate curved aluminium structure, with each element shaped and welded in order to create its unique fluid form. Fabric skins have been tightly zipped around the metal frame to create the curvilinear shape. The interior skin also serves as the screen for a video installation that explores Chicago’s past and future.

The Ace Chair by Matt Smith of the Wellington design studio Punga & Smith, takes its design influence from the humble tennis rackett.

For more information go here.

The Tensile Sofa by Swedish Designer Therese Glimskar stretches fabric of an obscure alien like frame to give its interesting shape.

Designed to be either suspended from the ceiling or free standing, the Music Cage is influenced by ornate birdcages. You can play your own bird songs through the Music Cage speakers via a wireless Bluetooth connection or mobile phone.

For more information go here.

Fearon Hay - Northern Club.

Pacific Environments - Yellow Treehouse.

RTA Studio - Ironbank.

Warren and Mahoney - NZi3 Innovation Institute

Wilson School - Opus Architecture.

Once again the incredibly talented team at Fearon Hay Architects have made the short list of finalists for the prestigious World Architecture Awards. For the second year running (In 2008 their Mountain Retreat project in Queenstown was short listed) the Fearon Hay team will be judged alongside some of the greatest architects in the world today, for the recently completed addition to the Northern Club in Auckland.

Joining Fearon Hay this year will be four other local architectural practices; Pacific Environments for the incredibly popular Yellow Treehouse restaurant, RTA Studio for the commercial Ironbank development off Auckland's K Road, Warren and Mahoney for the NZi3 Innovation Institute at the University of Canterbury and Opus Architecture for Wilson School in Takapuna, Auckland.

The finalists will travel to Barcelona in November to present their project to a team of judges during the World Architecture Festival. We'll be sure to keep you updated on the outcomes.

Congratulations to the finalists!

English designer Tom Dixon continues to impress us with his industrial take on all things design related. The Blow Floor Lights are designed to rest in a corner or sit upon the surface of a table or cabinet.

Tom Dixon is available locally here.

Tim Baute has a passion for the romantic appeal of the chandelier, but is not so enamored by their often gigantic nature. With this in mind Baute designed a chandelier which would keep the nostalgia, but give it a lighter touch.

For more information go here.

Installing patterns and clusters of cut crystal within a honeycomb wall or ceiling surface presents a magical impression when various light sources beam onto it. Another extraordinary architectural use of the fabulous Swarovski crystal.