Created by LAVA architects–the people who designed the Beijing Water Cube and the spectacular Michael Schumacher tower–and the work organisation branch of the Fraunhofer Institute–who brought you the MP3 standard–this Future Hotel Room belongs to a set of a Kubrick movie full of monoliths and monkeys. It’s not just looks, however: The room has been designed to “investigate the interfaces between architecture, technology and the human body.” One of these interactions is the use of lighting.
The credit crunch and the hectic pace of modern life has inspired Professor Richard Wiseman to create what he believes is “the world’s most relaxing room” at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, just north of London. His research led him to invite visitors to lie down on soft matting with lavender scented pillows in a darkened room lit only with “a calming glade-like green light.” A simulated blue sky is projected onto the ceiling above while a soundtrack specifically composed for the project by resident Professor of Music, Tim Blinko plays softly in the background.
In case you’re one of those poor souls residing in a room the size of someone’s walk-in closet, here’s a sweet innovation from the Land of Lack-of-Space, Japan. The Kenchikukagu, designed by Toshihiko Suzuki for Atelier OPA, is a series of “rooms” that can be folded and wheeled away for easy storage. The line features a kitchen, a bedroom and an office, and costs about $7,500 per unit on Amazon Japan. Granted, I don’t live in Tokyo, but if my apartment is too small to fit my bed and kitchen in it at the same time, I’d probably just move somewhere else. [Kenchikukagu via Complex]
