The International Centre for Design in Saint-Etienne, France is a series of public arts spaces, which now link a bunch of old buildings on the site of a former arms factory. The idea was to create a geodesic frame, comprising 14,000 equilateral triangles--the cross bracing creates an interior unbroken by structural supports, which can be reconfigured for various uses. Moreover, since the facade is modular, it can serve lots of functions.

Some of the triangles have PV arrays in them; some of them have glass; and some are solid metal. So without any additional detailing, the facade creates zones of light and shade, suited to the areas inside--which include a movie theater and exhibition halls--while also seamlessly integrating a green-energy program. Clever stuff.

Way to make a purely functional object (solar panel) into something vibrant and exciting! Design = function + beauty.

What a brilliant use of packaging to create something so much more than the product itself:

"I created this spaghetti packaging for a university project last year. The brief was to package one of 5 difficult items i.e. eggs, a rose, custard powder, spaghetti or marbles. I chose spaghetti. The spaghetti sits on a 3d model of the chrysler building that was modelled on CAD by my friend Ben Thorpe. And then modelled out of high density foam at uni. Creating a spaghetti model of the Chrysler building!"

Designed by Alex Creamer, a student at the University of Central Lancashire in the UK. Two more images after the jump.

Insightful. Short and sweet.