In this week’s comments update, readers are discussing Denizen Works’ house with “a sense of drama” that overlooks a Scottish loch.
Recycled and crushed TV screens cover the external walls of the large seven-bedroom house, creating a low-maintenance, grey pebbledash-like finish.
The focal point of the interior is a central, double-height hall designed to accommodate a five-metre-tall Christmas tree – one of the client’s main requests for the London and Glasgow-based practice Denizen Works.
“Perfect setting for a quasi-religious sect”
Commenters reacted to the austere aesthetics of the house, named Hundred Acre Wood.
Johann van der Merwe thought that the house “looks like a perfect setting for a quasi-religious sect. The hall (as the centrepiece) seems to be meaningless. This structure is empty of any human meaning.”
“Dramatically ugly”, commented Miles Teg, while Colleen Prettyman thinks there should be a sign above the door – “abandon all hope all ye who enter here”.
Tob has “seen prisons with more charm than this”.
Despite finding the project “inhuman”, Michael Traynor conceded it was “interesting, though”.
Michael King was inspired and felt that it “evokes Mackintosh”.
How does Hundred Acre Wood make you feel? Join the discussion ›
“There must be something extra special with this shed”
Readers have been debating where the line between a home studio and a garden shed is, in relation to Michael Dillon’s low-cost, low-carbon, self-build project in his Kent garden.
Commenters were stumped by the 14-square-metre building, which provides Dillon with a part-time workspace for his recently launched architecture studio called AOMD. “It’s a garden shed”, Alfred Hitchcock observed.
Chris x22 joked that it is “actually a shed with insulation and a large window. Have some respect!” Happy camper was more cynical, postulating that “it’s an advertisement for his emerging practice!”
Romeo Reyes was convinced that “there must be something extra special with this shed”.
But Apsco Radiales was more positive, saying that “in many ways, it’s nicer than working on the 16th floor in a high-rise office building”.
Shed or garden studio, what do you think? Join the discussion ›
“Would the world look the other way if 6,500 people died during the construction of Hudson Yards?”
The Khalifa International Stadium in Doha has been renovated for use as one of eight venues that will host the upcoming FIFA 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar.
Alterations to the stadium include the addition of a canopy, which stretches out between two main arches – the building’s most identifiable feature – to help keep fans and players cool, in tandem with a new and modernised cooling system.
In the comments, readers varied between being excited about the football and dismayed by Qatar’s human rights issues.
“Why is the alleged death toll of 6,500 migrant workers a mere footnote in the reporting about this event? Would the world look the other way if 6,500 people died during the construction of Hudson Yards? Would anybody even care about the skyscrapers and their design?” commented Zea Newland.
Bsl argued in reply that “the World Cup has been held in countries with much a more sketchy record (Mexico, Brazil, South Africa) yet no one called for boycotting them”, but also clarified that “I’m all for better work safety everywhere”.
Apsco Radiales was curious about the upcoming games, saying: “So, who’s gonna win the Cup? Football haters or ‘soccer’ fans don’t need to comment.”
How do you feel about the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar? Join the discussion ›
“Rarely does one object pack so much symbolism”
Readers were disgusted by McDonald’s “ultimate gaming chair”, which has been designed for simultaneous snacking and playing.
Grease-proof leather and an integrated burger warmer feature in the McCrispy Ultimate Gaming Chair, created by fast-food chain McDonald’s in a limited edition of four.
Patent Pending painted a vivid image with their comment, saying “the seat could benefit from an arse-sized hole with an underslung bucket. And with Deliveroo on speed dial, you’d never have to leave the chair.”
Puzzello decried the chair as “landfill fodder” and Franc Lea chimed in that it is “criminally ugly. Those who would use such a thing deserve it”.
Dc2bcn thought that “these should have been produced in an even more limited edition of zero”.
“When historians look back upon the collapse of our civilisation, this is what they’ll find”, observed Max Blake
But Stuy Guy was more philosophical, commenting “rarely does one object pack so much symbolism so succinctly”.
Would you use the McCrispy Ultimate Gaming Chair? Join the discussion ›
Comments update
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