Designer : Wu Chenghou

Designer : Trudy Cheung

BeoTime can make every morning an enjoyable one with its discreet own chime or customizable wake up sounds from your favorite radio station, TV program or a piece of music and can be switched off at a preset time when you are leaving the house. It also includes a built-in sleep timer which is able to switch all the Bang & Olufsen apparatuses in the room to standby mode after a chosen time interval of up to 120 minutes. This feature is very much convenient for those who want to stay up late to watch TV, or fall asleep with a preferred music without worrying about turning off the music. Aside from the alarm and sleep timer features, you can use this gadget for basic functions of the bedroom loudspeaker, television or light control.

The ease of handling and operating of BeoTime is really noteworthy; you can hold it in one hand and can operate it with your thumb. The built-in tilt sensor shows the information and button functions modify orientation as per the BeoTime is held by the user.

BeoTime is a magnificently polished and anodized aluminum tube, with a trumpet-shaped button that protrudes from one end when you will activate the alarm by pressing it. The tube’s other end comprises a cover that conceals the battery chamber for three batteries that can last around one year. Two rubber feet ensure steady footing to BeoTime when lying on the table and the almost unseen magnetic wall brackets are used to mount it on the wall. The square navigation button along with three separate displays with dark text on a vivid background performs the navigation when setting the alarm time.

From : Bang and Olufsen via Dvice

From the website:
JS BACH / ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS CHAMBER MUSIC HALL AT MANCHESTER ART GALLERY FOR MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL.Zaha Hadid Architects have created a unique chamber music hall specially designed to house solo performances of the exquisite music of Johann Sebastian Bach.

A voluminous ribbon swirls within the room, carving out a spatial and visual response to the intricate relationships of Bach’s harmonies. As the ribbon careens above the performer, cascades into the ground and wraps around the audience, the original room as a box is sculpted into fluid spaces swelling, merging, and slipping through one another.

“The design enhances the multiplicity of Bach’s work through a coherent integration of formal and structural logic. A single continuous ribbon of fabric swirls around itself, creating layered spaces to cocoon the performers and audience with in an intimate fluid space.” said Hadid.The process of realizing the design involved architectural considerations of scale, structure and acoustics to develop a dynamic formal dialogue inseparable from its intended purpose as an intimate chamber music hall.

A layering of spaces and functions is achieved through the ribbon wrapping around itself, alternately compressing to the size of a handrail then stretching to enclose the full height of the room. Circulatory and visual connections are continually discovered as one passes through the multiple layers of space delineated by the ribbon.

The ribbon itself consists of a translucent fabric membrane articulated by an internal steel structure suspended from the ceiling. The surface of the fabric shell undulates in a constant but changing rhythm as it is stretched over the internal structure.It varies between the highly tensioned skin on the exterior of the ribbon and the soft billowing effect of the same fabric on the interior of the ribbon. Clear acrylic acoustic panels are suspended above the stage to reflect and disperse the sound, while remaining visually imperceptible within the fabric membrane.

Programmed lighting and a series of dispersed musical recordings activate the spaces between the ribbon outside of performance times. The installation is designed to be transportable and re-installed in other similar venues.

Pivotal to its function is the performance of the ribbon. It has been designed to simultaneously enhance the acoustic experience of the concert while spatially defining a stage, an intimate enclosure, and passageways. It exists at a scale in which it is perceived as both an object floating in a room as well as a temporal architecture that invites one to enter, inhabit and explore.

Designer : Zaha Hadid Architects via Dezeen

Designer : Nuno Teixeira

Designer : Raal Requisite

Designer : MadeByMakers

[Press Release]
ONDELIOS: AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY LONG-HAUL JOURNEY

The Paris Motor Show sees the wraps come off Renault’s top-of-the-range concept car Ondelios designed for lovers of long-haul travel who set store by comfort and refinement. Ondelios epitomizes Renault’s vision of the high-end crossover, combining a comfortable ride with respect for the environment. Clear illustrations of that vision are the vehicle’s ethereal design, its interior layout, and an original hybrid powertrain.

A sleek design that answers the call of the open road
The 4.8-metre-long, 1.6-metre high Ondelios has drawn inspiration from the world of aviation design to deliver high drag efficiency and a Cd of just 0.29. This long-distance voyager boasts sleek, smooth, amazingly fluid lines that make it appear as though it glides over the ground. It embodies Renault’s vision of high-end car. “Ondelios is inspired by motion rather than speed and is a whole new response to the call of the open road,” enthuses Patrick Le Quément, Renault’s Design Director.

The aluminium-finish grille is flanked by headlamp units that also suggest flowing motion, while its high-performance LED headlights are both longer lasting and more efficient. Another feature of Ondelios’ aerodynamic styling is the boomerang-shaped tail lights. They are built into the bodywork and ringed with air extractors to control the flow of air from the wheel arches. The glazed roof further emphasises the vehicle’s airy look and feel, bathing the interior in natural light. The steeply raked windscreen, which extends well down the bonnet, further accentuates this ethereal feel.

“We think of it as made from a single material, where the body and glazed areas merge into one. Ondelios is a glimpse of what the automobile might be in the medium term future,” adds Patrick Le Quément. The butterfly-type side doors, which also feature an extensive glazed area, add a further touch of elegance to the car’s overall styling. They swing out and upwards as the sills slide down to facilitate ingress.

The dark blue anthracite of the bodywork blends perfectly with the tinted glazed area, making the car look as if it were all of a piece and a single colour. The tailgate’s upper section rounds off the sleek, aerodynamic lines with a profiled glareshield that slides inwards to air and cool the cabin.

Ondelios sits on seven-spoke, 23-inch aluminium alloy wheels which contribute to its profiled styling. The propeller-like hubs draw airflow from the sides of the car to prevent turbulence. They operate in conjunction with the rim-side brake discs to ensure they suck in air effectively.

The sleek sidewalls of the large diameter 255/40 Michelin Pilot Sport tyres deliver outstanding drag performance. Their tread pattern is designed to minimise deformation of the contact patch while on the move to help curb rolling resistance. The tread has efficient, active flow channels which, together with the wide circumferential
groove that helps clear water, strengthen the image of a high-end, high-tech tyre.

Business-class comfort for a long-haul journey
The elegance of the Ondelios interior is in harmony with the call of the open road suggested by its exterior. To begin with, its layout is designed to profit from all the available space. There are three rows of seats that offer individual seating for six. With their cantilever mounts they give the impression of floating, while their kinematics are redolent of airplane seats. The electrically adjustable backs fold into comfortable, business-class positions, while occupants can deploy and retract their footrests at will. Although their slim lines speak of lightness, they are
designed, like giant leaves, to hug their occupants who can curl up in them to enjoy the comfort and support they afford. The height of the seats is carefully designed to ensure occupants are perfectly at ease when they talk to each other.

Unlike conventional door opening systems, the doors are hinged to the roof, which makes getting into the car extremely easy. The second row of seats slide forward and folds down to facilitate access to the third row.

In addition to seating comfort, the cabin exudes a highly refined ambience. The materials used are drawn from contemporary interior design and give the impression of sitting in a lounge on wheels. They blend soft, supple textures like light grey leather and fabric, as seen on the dashboard, seats and door panels. The colour of the seatbacks blends gradually from ochre to purple, further enhancing the sense of security and comfort.

Interior features and fittings are both modern and intuitive. The ergonomically designed controls, in keeping with Renault’s touch design approach, afford users efficient, comfortable ease of use.

The ample, flowing yet sober design of the broad dashboard echoes the car’s aerodynamic exterior. It is further highlighted by a roomy, suspended stowage compartment which is protected by a lit shell, while all the dashboard’s functional components are particularly user-friendly:
- active display skins show driver aid and ride information;
- a monitor at the base of the windscreen displays the different menus and pictures from the
door mirror cameras;
- three large strip displays provide driving-related information, revs and how the hybridized
drivetrain is operating;
- a digital speedometer.

The technologies with which Ondelios is equipped enhance the collective and individual well-being of all occupants. All the passengers, including those in the back row, have their own Samsung interactive portable multimedia devices which they can use for sharing data or multiplayer gaming. Speakers are also incorporated into the headrests and a multizone HVAC system enables each passenger to set the temperature to his or her own liking.

The smart technologies that have gone into designing Ondelios help drivers to settle in at the wheel, include a Samsung cell phone which also acts as a hands-free door lock recognizes the driver and loads all his or her personal settings, e.g. seat-adjustment settings and favourite music. The vehicle adds a final, friendly touch in the form of the back-lit logo which lights up to show that it has recognized the driver.

An environmentally friendly voyager
To complement the extensive work that has gone into Ondelios’s aerodynamics, some of the car’s structural parts are made from natural flax fibre for greater recyclability. In keeping with the commitment to make the car as light as possible, its body is made from carbon and the glazed areas from polycarbonate.

Ondelios is powered by a hybrid powerplant which combines a more powerful 205hp (150kW) version of the 2.0 dCi engine, with two 20kW electric motors at the front and rear. They operate in mild hybrid mode, giving the engine extra boost as required. They use a brake and boost system, recovering energy during braking then delivering it to the engine to boost acceleration. The front motor also uses fuel-saving stop-start technology.

The electric motor mounted on the rear axle drives the rear wheels when the ESP sensors detect a loss of traction, thus giving Ondelios the capability of a 4WD vehicle. The car is equipped with a lithium-ion battery that can deliver power of up to 4kW/h. With torque of 450Nm between 1,700 and 3800rpm, the diesel engine provides comfort and flexibility at all engine speeds for long-distance driving pleasure. The 2.0 dCi unit takes Ondelios from a standing start to 100kph in just 7.8 seconds. Driving through a seven-speed, double-clutch gearbox, it affords outstanding driving pleasure, while keeping fuel consumption at a frugal 4.5 litres/100km and CO2 emissions at a lowly 120g/km – very impressive for a top-of-the-range vehicle. Similarly, the body, chassis design and hybrid powertrain contribute decisively to protecting the environment.

Ondelios is a long-distance travel-loving aerodynamic crossover born for the open road. It is proof that caring for occupants and the environment is entirely compatible. Ondelios is a concept car that illustrates Renault’s vision of the high-end car of the near future.

Weights, dimensions, capacities
Length (mm) 4,805
Width (mm) 1,998
Height (mm) 1,605
Height with doors open (mm) 2,230
Wheel base (mm) 2,895
Front track (mm) 1,690
Rear track (mm) 1,720
Unladen weight (kg) 1,452
Boot (dm3) 530

Technical data
Internal combustion engine 2.0 dCi
Power in hp (kW) 205 (150)
Maximum torque (Nm) 450, from 1,700 to 3,800rpm
Electric motors Two 20kW electric motors: one at the front and one at the rear
Power supply 4kWh lithium-ion battery.
Size: 40dm3.
Weight: 50kg

Acceleration from 0 to 100kph (s) 7.8
CO2 emissions, combined cycle fuel consumption 120g/km, 4.5 litres/100 km
Transmission Double-clutch seven-speed automatic transmission
Internal combustion engine drive and electric motor drive
Tyres 255/40 ZR23

Wheels
Diameter: 23″.
Width: 9″

Partners
G Studio Bodywork
Michelin Tyres
Samsung Telephone for communication with vehicle
Mgs par Matérialise Sintered parts

Press Release :
The MINI brand is continuing its overwhelming story of success – now taking a new approach with the MINI Crossover Concept.

This Design Study offers a fascinating outlook at a new facet of the brand powerfully expressed by a truly innovative body concept – the fourth body variant, to be precise, following the classic two-door, the MINI Convertible, and the MINI Clubman.

The MINI Crossover Concept is a new model variant for the first time measuring more than four metres in length, with four drive wheels, four doors and four single seats. These features alone place the new car right in the line of vision of new target groups seeking to combine the individual style of the brand with enhanced versatility within the interior and innovative functionality throughout.

A universal, multifunction fastening rail, the MINI Center Rail, extending between the seats on the centre console of the MINI Crossover Concept, offers not only offers unconventional storage options, but also provides a consistent link between the front row of seats and the rear.

A further highlight within the MINI interior is the innovative central instrument in three-dimensional finish, the MINI Centre Globe.

This combined control and display unit formed as a globe featured for the first time in an automobile worldwide sets new standards for the integrated control of entertainment, communication, navigation, and vehicle functions.

The MINI Crossover reflects not only the potential of the MINI model family in growing further and further to new dimensions, but also the innovative power of MINI’s designers. In this case, the outlook at an additional MINI concept is enriched by a wide range of visions expressing a unique driving experience and way of life only a MINI is able to evoke.

All innovations presented in the MINI Crossover Concept are conceived to expand that characteristic MINI feeling by yet another new dimension.

The innovative character of the new car comprises its body design as well as the drivetrain, the interior and the control concept. Indeed, offering options and versatility of this kind, the MINI Crossover Concept opens up new dimensions in mobility also beyond urban life.

All-wheel drive – the foundation for a new MINI feeling. A new MINI offers more – and does so in unique style every time.

The MINI Crossover Concept clearly expresses this principle, its all-wheel drive serving to give the new model an even wider range of practical use in new areas and a new experience on routes already driven. But in doing so the MINI Crossover Concept is not limited to the usual status of a conventional all-wheeler. Rather, to offer its additional mobility potential even more consistently, the Concept Car comes with numerous design features making it an all-round talent for a unique experience in everyday life, for enjoying leisure time to the utmost, for adventure travels of all kinds and for travel planning. Hence, the MINI Crossover Concept looks at new objectives and, at the same time, new target groups.

Four metres in length – more calibre, more options.

As a consistent enhancement of the MINI model family, the MINI Crossover Concept offers new calibre and new format in every respect. This is the first MINI to measure more than four metres in length. And measuring 1,830 millimetres/72.0″ in width as well as 1,598 millimetres/62.9″ in height, the MINI Crossover Concept goes beyond the existing production models from MINI also in this respect. Wheelbase, finally, is 2,606 millimetres/102.6″, again ensuring an even more powerful stance on the road.

These exterior dimensions of the Concept Car are a clear symbol of the quest for additional options in driving the car and in the new, enhanced driving experience.

The MINI Crossover Concept offers extra space and mobility at the rear as well as a capacity to transport never seen before in a MINI. Added to all this, there is enhanced flexibility in splitting up the interior space, catering for all individual wishes and demands.

Combining its unique design with outstanding agility by no means restricted to the beaten track alone, the MINI Crossover Concept holds a unique position within the MINI segment. At the same time it clearly stands out as a member of the MINI model family through the appropriate re-interpretation of design elements typical of the brand. The MINI Crossover Concept thus symbolises the breakthrough into a new category of vehicles, broadening the appeal of the brand to an even larger target group.

Four doors – new diversity through asymmetric arrangement.

With two doors on each side of the car, the MINI Crossover Concept offers particularly comfortable access to the rear. Here again, therefore, the new model enhances the options and qualities offered so far by the existing body concepts of the MINI.

But even this is not all: The MINI Crossover Concept is not a four-door in the classic sense, as is clearly expressed by the asymmetric arrangement of the doors in the Design Study. A conventional arrangement of doors is to be found only on the front passenger’s side, while on the driver’s side the MINI Crossover Concept comes with a conventional door for the first row of seats plus a lift/sliding door moving along the outside for convenient access to the rear and for loading the car from the side. And by dropping the B-pillar on the driver’s side, the MINI Crossover Concept exhausts the potential of this generous opening to an even higher degree. Frameless side windows, finally, are yet another feature of this truly exceptional four-door.

The rear door swivelling to one side, together with its frameless and retractable rear window, likewise offers an even higher standard of practical use and most convenient loading conditions. Thanks to the large opening and the low loading sill, sports equipment and other, even bulkier objects can be loaded conveniently into the luggage space offering even larger capacity when required by lowering the individually folding rear seats completely into the floor of the car with the help of a parallelogram kinematic mechanism.

Storage capacities may then be increased even further by a transport case fitted outside on the rear door. And last but certainly not least, the roof rail system available on the MINI Crossover Concept is simply ideal for fitting ski, snowboard and bicycle carriers as well as transport boxes of all sizes.

The roof structure of the MINI Crossover Concept offers further options in enhancing everyday driving qualities and leisure-time enjoyment. As a folding roof cover extending throughout the entire length of the roof, the roof structure may be opened both from the front and from the rear, letting either fresh air or warm sunshine into the car – or both, depending on the driver’s and passengers’ wishes.

The opening at the rear also serves to accommodate extremely long objects transported in the car, ranging from a surfboard all the way to cross-country skis. So even in this case, transporting anything the driver wishes to take along is easy and convenient.

Four single seats – for maximum comfort inside the MINI.

The MINI Crossover Concept stands out not only as an unconventional, but rather as a truly exceptional four-seater. The single seats at the rear, to mention perhaps the most significant highlight, come in the same contours as the driver’s and front passenger’s seats and are adjustable by 13 centimetres or 5.1″ fore-and-aft. So depending on individual requirements, the rear seats offer either lounge-like legroom or additional storage capacity in the rear compartment.

The MINI Center Globe – a new vision of the central instrument of the future.

Featuring their round Central Display right in the middle of the dashboard, the current MINIs already boast an interior design feature quite unique and unmistakable in its look. Indeed, this multi-function display serves to conveniently control all major entertainment, telecommunication and navigation functions, providing the speedometer function around its outer circumference.

Now the MINI Crossover Concept introduces the consistent enhancement of this display and control concept: the MINI Center Globe. For the first time, therefore, the central display and control unit is designed in this Concept Study as a globe. This three-dimensional layout allows even more consistent integration of functions and the appropriate presentation of information and entertainment options. In addition to the vertical and horizontal display features currently available, the new instrument adds a further, three-dimensional element with displays stratified on various levels and highlighted to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the driver’s and front passenger’s requirements. The current speed of the car, finally, is shown as before in typical MINI style on the display round the edge.

To clearly, flexibly and legibly present all information at all times, the MINI Center Globe comes with ultra-modern laser projection technology. With its unique optical features, the laser projector allows simultaneous presentation of pictures on various levels, with a varying focus and in powerful colours.

Benefiting from this technology never seen before in an automobile worldwide, the MINI Crossover Concept is also able to optically separate the MINI Centre Globe into two hemispheres. These adjustable, moving hemispheres then enable the driver and front passenger to present and view different pictures recognisable only from their individual perspective. In other words, the front passenger may for example surf the net while the driver maintains his free view of all displays and instruments.

To provide this special effect, the hemisphere facing the front passenger closes down from the other side and acts as a projection surface presenting the pictures required.

The MINI Centere Globe presented in this Design Study already shows today what options are conceivable in terms of navigation, communication and entertainment in the car of the future, using innovative technologies of this outstanding calibre.

The driver and/or front passenger operate the MINI Centre Globe by a touch-sensitive surface, a trackball on the steering wheel, buttons and slide controls in the lower section of the MINI Centre Globe, and a keyboard on the front passenger’s side extending at the touch of a button from the dashboard.

Such versatile and flexible use of the MINI Center Globe gives this new control unit the character of an innovative travel companion adjusting at all times to the individual wishes of the driver and front passenger and helping them enjoy mobility in a new dimension wherever they go.

The MINI Centre Globe is additionally linked to the starter system for the engine. Instead of a conventional key, the driver uses a start/stop unit referred to as the Keyball.

To start the car, all the driver has to do is insert the Keyball on the MINI Crossover into the appropriate opening in the upper edge of the MINI Centre Globe. The Keyball then rolling towards the driver along the middle of the MINI Centre Globe. In this position the driver is able to press the Keyball in order to start the engine. Pressing the Keyball again, in turn, he switches off the engine and the Keyball rolls down into its housing bay from where the driver can conveniently remove the ball.

The MINI Centre Rail – a perfect connection bringing the MINI team front and rear together.

Instead of a conventional centre consol, the MINI Crossover Concept comes with a fastening rail referred to as the MINI Centre Rail and extending from the dashboard all the way to the tailgate of the car. This is indeed the connecting unit between the front and the rear seats.

Holders for entertainment and telecommunication devices, cupholders, storage units and boxes may be conveniently attached to this rail and subsequently pushed forward or backward along the entire length of the car.

A special fastening system developed specifically for MINI serves to attach individual items to the Centre Rail, for example an external music player and other devices, storage boxes and holders for sunglasses, gloves, tickets for parking, coins, writing utensils or a travel guide, as well as all other kinds of holders and supports.

An armrest with an integrated storage box, to mention another example, may be attached both at the front and at the rear.

The Centre Rail also facilitates the common use of storage boxes and devices and makes it much easier to pass on food and drinks to the rear-seat passengers while driving.

In the MINI Crossover Concept this pleasure of enjoying all the benefits of motoring together is symbolised by a special collection of dishes and cups made of unique porcelain created specifically for the new Concept Car.

Four sophisticated materials for a truly exclusive ambience.

Such use of top-quality porcelain highlights the exclusive lifestyle character borne out in the MINI Crossover Concept also in conjunction with three further, particularly exclusive materials in the interior: Around the instrument panel genuine wood trim extends across the entire width of the car. The armrests on the doors and the inlays in the footwells, in turn, are made of massive lime wood. Inlays made of specially hardened, lagoon-blue glass, in turn, highlight the door linings as well as the surrounds on the air vents.

Like the door closing handles on the front passenger’s side, the MINI Centre Rail is made of massive, matt-polished aluminium. Looking at the appropriate colours for the interior, in turn, the designers opted for natural, authentic shades, the Dark Green leather on the driver’s seat standing out clearly from the Coffee Brown leather on the other seats. The remaining cloth surfaces are finished in Light Grey and Light Brown, with a soft rubber cover adorned by wood inlays in the footwells.

Designer : Gollifer Langston