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ferrari to open second theme park in spain.

Mar 14, 2014

A new theme park called Ferrari Land located just outside Barcelona is set to open in 2016. Attractions to include Europe’s fastest and highest vertical accelerator.

[ official release ]
PortAventura Entertainment S.A.U., a subsidiary of Investindustrial, has signed a licensing agreement with Ferrari to build Ferrari Land, a new Prancing Horse theme park, inside the PortAventura resort and theme park outside Barcelona in Spain.

Ferrari Land will cover 75,000 square meters and include a variety of new and exciting attractions for Prancing Horse enthusiasts of all ages, including Europe’s highest and fastest vertical accelerator. An opportunity for the whole family to experience and discover the world of Ferrari.

More good news is that the first Ferrari-themed hotel is also to be built inside PortAventura and will be a luxury five-star establishment with 250 rooms, restaurants and a driving simulator.

The project will involve an overall investment of 100 million euros and the Ferrari theme park itself officially opens in 2016. PortAventura already welcomes 4,000,000 visitors a year, of whom 50% come from outside Spain.

Acquired in 2009 by Investindustrial, PortAventura has been going from strength to strength and is now the Mediterranean’s top amusement park as well as the second-ranked in Europe, thanks in large part to an investment of over 125 million euros spread over a four-year period in addition to the initial sum invested in the purchase.

Andrea C. Bonomi, Senior Partner Investindustrial, explained the motivation behind the partnership with Ferrari thus: “PortAventura is one of the leaders in Europe’s tourism sector, while Ferrari is an iconic company that represents the very best of Made in Italy. The synergy between the two groups creates a powerful combination that means we can offer clients of both brands a unique experience. We are proud to be able to make this contribution to fostering the growth of the Ferrari brand and Made in Italy across the world. This partnership has been made possible by Investindustrial’s ongoing investment plan and the talents of the Italian management team brought in from Gardaland who have turned PortAventura into Europe’s best destination resort. Our recent collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, this new agreement with Ferrari and our partnership with KKR will help us expand PortAventura even further in the longer term. The agreement with Ferrari is another essential stage in our strategy of positioning PortAventura as one of the best family destination resorts in the world.”

Andrea Perrone, CEO of Ferrari Brand, the Ferrari subsidiary company that manages the Prancing Horse’s brand-related activities, added: “After the success of Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi, we received many, many requests to develop new amusement parks. We carefully sifted through the various proposals and decided to accept Investindustrial’s because it is a very solid plan developed by competent people that will bring the magic of Ferrari to Spain, a nation where we have many supporters and enthusiasts, and to which large numbers of tourists flock each year, in part thanks to PortAventura. This new licence further underscores our brand’s presence in this area. Ferrari Land will delight the whole family and not just Formula 1 fans. We will continue to evaluate other proposals for theme parks outside Europe at our leisure: the brand is our most important asset and we have to enhance its value without diluting it.”

Sergio Feder, Executive President of PortAventura, also declared: “After our successful experience with Gardaland (Italy’s leading amusement park with almost 3.5 million visitors a year), we developed a long-term business development plan with Investindustrial to make PortAventura one of the best family destinations in Europe. Right from the start we have always been clear about our desire to develop the resort with high-profile international brands to ensure we achieve our target of around 5 million visitors a year. Ferrari was an obvious choice for this, not merely because of what the brand itself represents but also because of its experience with the Ferrari World Park at Abu Dhabi. It is also a source of great pride to us to be able to support such a world-famous and internationally-respected brand.”

about phil patton

wearable computer a hit with execs at the container store.

Mar 7, 2014

wearable computer a hit with execs at the container store. currently testing some unique new wearable tech designed to improve communication within its stores. via cio [RK]

London aquatics centre opens to public. Zaha hadid architects.

Feb 27, 2014

legacy mode*

The concept (2005>11) behind the London Aquatics Centre was to accommodate the 2012 London Olympics and then be reconfigured (2014) for a legacy mode after that. On 1 March 2014, the centre will be opened to the public offering swimming and diving lessons to all ages and abilities, as well as a variety of fitness and family sessions, water polo, synchronized swimming, diving, triathlon, sub aqua, gym and dry diving facilities. With a 2,500-seat capacity for spectators, the Aquatics Centre will continue to host national and international events including the FINA/NVC 2014 World Diving Series and 2016 European Swimming Championships.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ‘After a post-Olympic makeover, London’s majestic aquatics centre is now flinging open its doors for everyone to enjoy, whether an elite athlete or enthusiastic amateur. All of the world class sporting venues on the magnificent Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park have secured bright, futures, dispelling fears of white elephants and helping to drive our ambitious regeneration plans for east London.’

Glazing along either side of the Aquatics Centre has replaced the temporary stands used during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

olympic mode

legacy mode*

olympic mode

legacy mode*

legacy mode*

[ design concept ] The architectural concept of the London Aquatics Centre is inspired by the fluid geometry of water in motion, creating spaces and a surrounding environment in sympathy with the river landscape of the Olympic Park. An undulating roof sweeps up from the ground as a wave – enclosing the pools of the Centre with its unifying gesture of fluidity, whilst also describing the volume of the swimming and diving pools. The London Aquatics Centre is designed to have the flexibility to accommodate the size and capacity of the London 2012 Olympic Games whilst also providing the optimum size and capacity for use in Legacy mode after the 2012 Games.

[ site context ] The London Aquatics Centre is located at the south eastern edge of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on the new Stratford City Bridge giving pedestrian access to the park from the new Stratford City development and public transportation.

[ layout ] The Aquatics Centre is planned on an orthogonal axis perpendicular to the Stratford City Bridge. Along this axis are laid out the three pools. The training pool is located under the bridge whilst the competition and diving pools are within a large volumetric pool hall. The overall strategy is to frame the base of the pool hall as a podium by surrounding it and connecting it into the bridge.

This podium element allows for the containment of a variety of differentiated and cellular programmatic elements into a single architectural volume which is seen to be completely assimilated with the bridge and the landscape. The podium emerges from the bridge to cascade around the pool hall to the lower level of the canal.

The pool hall is expressed above the podium level by a large roof which arches along the same axis as the pools. Its form is generated by the sight-lines for the spectators during the Olympic mode. Double-curvature geometry has been used to create a structure of parabolic arches that define its form. The roof undulates to differentiate the volumes of the competition and diving pools, and extends beyond the pool hall envelope to cover the external areas of the podium and entrance on the bridge.

The roof structure is grounded at three points of the centre (two points at the northwest end on the bridge; and one single point to the south east end). This structural arrangement ensured 7,500 temporary spectator seats could be installed along either side of the pools in Olympic mode (total 15,000 temporary seats) with no structural obstructions. After the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this temporary seating has been removed and replaced with glazing panels, leaving a capacity of 2,500 seats for community use and future national/international events.

[ zaha hadid architects ][ london aquatic centre 2014 ][ hufton + crow ]

[*] photos courtesy of hufton + crow | other architectural photos courtesy zha

lucetta magnetic bicycle lights by pizzolorusso.

Feb 27, 2014

An innovative bike light that does not need to light the way as much as to make others aware of your presence. Lucetta is set of two small magnetic bicycle lights. Easily attached to several different parts of a bicycle, the two small lights – white for the front, red for the rear – are switched on and off with just one click.

Made up of two small magnetic lights, the Lucetta is the new, essential light for your bike. Easy to attach to any bike, the two small lights – 1 red and 1 white – switch on with just a click and are guaranteed to stay securely in place even on the bumpiest street. You can select a steady beam, a slow or fast flashing light by simply clicking the light on the bike. When you reach your destination, remove the lights, join them together and slip them in your pocket ready for your next outing.

• Includes: white front LED light + red rear LED light
• Steady light / slow flashing / fast flashing modes
• Wide angle for best visibility
• Run-time: up to 40 hours
• Available in 3 colors: black, red, white
• Power supply: 2 x CR2032 batteries per light
• Intensity: 15000 mcd white / 4000 mcd red
• Batteries included
• Weather-resistant

designer: emanuele pizzolorusso
producer: palomar
period: 2013

about boo hill

smart devices gain popularity in home design.

Feb 27, 2014

smart devices gain popularity in home design. functionality rather than fun remains key. for real-world use, devices needs to solve real-world problems. via minneapolis star [RK]

the dash. kickstarter.

Feb 15, 2014

The dash: wireless smart headphones. They’re Bluetooth in-ear headphones that also offer up performance tracking via in-built health and body sensors. With passive noise cancellation, pass-through audio transparency when you need it, and an ear bone transduction microphone, these really do seem like gadgets that take existing gadget real estate (everyone uses headphones at some point) and make the most out of it. Impressive concept, pitch and response. [ kickstarter ]

belated birthday wishes to 30-year-old mac.

Jan 25, 2014

Mac turned 30 on 24 January. Few recall or know the rocky start that changed computing. The first public words from the Mac itself: ‘Never trust a computer you can’t lift.’ [ more ]

2013 good design winner: hyundai sanfa fe.

Jan 3, 2014

[ chicago anthenaeum ] [ hyundai ]

[ official release ] For the third year in a row,Hyundai’s innovative and unique design language has earned a GOOD DESIGN™ Award from The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe was awarded this accolade in the transportation category for its dynamic character lines and bold design features.

Now in its 64th year, GOOD DESIGN Awards honor the yearly achievements of the best industrial and graphic designers and world manufactures for their pursuit of extraordinary design excellence. GOOD DESIGN is the oldest and the most prestigious architecture and design Awards Program organized worldwide, and strives to create a revived awareness about contemporary design and to honor both products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have chartered new directions and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace.

For 2013, the GOOD DESIGN Awards were judged in Chicago by an international jury of design professionals, architects, experts and cultural leaders. The jury honored more than 700 product designs and graphics from over 38 nations with GOOD DESIGN Awards.

“Hyundai prides itself on pushing the envelope in regards to style and design,” said Chris Chapman, chief designer, Hyundai Design Center. “With the 2013 Santa Fe, we wanted the vehicle to be a functional, mobile sculpture and receiving the 2013 GOOD DESIGN Award for transportation acknowledges this design achievement.”

The all-new Santa Fe adopts its own design concept called “Storm Edge,” which captures the strong and dynamic images created by nature during the formation of a storm. Featuring sophisticated and refined lines, which are in harmony with its bold and voluminous surfaces, the Santa Fe presents a more masculine appearance that its predecessor.

about phil patton

want to go to mars? the selection criteria.

Dec 30, 2013

want to go to mars? the selection criteria. once on mars, there are no means to return to earth. via mars one [RK]

google glass + fitness. #resolution14.

Dec 30, 2013

click > enlarge

Google Glass was really introduced without much thought to its use. Probably because it doesn’t have to worry making money out of the gate. As a result there are more skeptics than believers. 2014 should convert many to the promise of ‘enhanced POV real-time visualization’ that’s now in the marketplace. Example, I just discovered [ Recon Snow2 ]: Many, me, ski for the thrill derived from falling a little out of control but these glasses conjur up a different motivation to hit the slopes. Note the emphasis on motivation as in what motivates one to use a product. That’s why Glass is perfectly tied to fitness because fitness for many, me, requires a great deal of motivation, passion, competition and fun.

snow2

DesignApplause is not a fitness destination but folks, this is the last week of the year and we know how almost empty the health clubs are this week and then packed in January and February. By March much of the motivation to ‘work’ has moved on. But just maybe Glass will be a life-changer. Stay fit, my friends. Happy New Year.

[ glass ] [ trevor trowell ] [ glassfit ] #resolution14

about ron kovach