Dezeen Mail #102

Hello Dezeen readers!

We're hanging out at Clerkenwell Design Week in London where there's still time to visit our latest Dezeen Watch Store pop-up at the Farmiloe Building, 34 St John Street until 9pm tonight.

This issue of Dezeen Mail is packed as usual with readers' comments and stories from Dezeen plus new music, movies, and jobs. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for more updates throughout the week.

"This thing is so intense"

Some readers are bowled over by this house with a facade like a rock face by Suga Atelier but others think it'd be more suitable for a nightclub. Read the story and comments »

Movie: Batemans Row by Theis and Khan

In this movie produced by Dezeen Studio, Hackney architects Patrick Theis and Soraya Khan explain the ideas behind the forms and detailing of their combined home, studio and gallery and discuss how they feel the building responds to its location in Shoreditch, the “naughty relative” of the City of London. Watch the movie »

Interview: Renzo Piano on The Shard

As The Shard nears completion in London, we've published the transcript of an interview conducted with architect Renzo Piano before work started on the 300 metre-high tower. Read the inteview »

"A theme park for starchitects"

Readers are appalled by designs for the new Yongsan International Business District for Seoul, masterplanned by Daniel Libeskind and including 15 skyscrapers by the likes of BIG, MVRDV, SOM, REX and Renzo Piano. "I see all of these "starchitects" were able to lower themselves to the shallow standards of Libeskind's abysmal master plan," summarises Shona. See all the stories »

Dezeen Watch Store: Iconograph chronograph
by Werner Aisslinger

New to Dezeen Watch Store this week is this chronograph addition to the Iconograph range by Berlin industrial designer Werner Aisslinger for Italian brand Lorenz. The watch is available to buy online or at our Dezeen Watch Store pop-up shop at Clerkenwell Design Week from 22 to 24 May. Go to Dezeen Watch Store »

"A vapid product for vapid people"

Philippe Starck's alcoholic aerosol that lets you feel drunk one moment and fine the next has failed to impress. Read the story and comments »

Designed in Hackney

This week our Designed in Hackney showcase features shoes inspired by an abandoned suitcase, a miracle fix-anything modelling clay, chandeliers made of plastic debris and work by Banksy in the borough. See more design from Hackney »

"Cute idea but way too small"

Readers like the idea of this bicycle hire shop with a velodrome on the roof by NL Architects but they want more space to zoom around and worry about rain and snow falling down the stairs. Read the story and comments »

Dezeen Music Project

The sun is shining in London and as the temperature keeps on rising we're chilling out to original tracks on the Dezeen Music Project blog. Listen to all the tracks »

This week we've created a Pinterest board with all the best images of lamps from Dezeen. Follow Dezeen on Pinterest »

"If Limbo exists, that's how it must look"

Some love the subtlety of this office partitioned by translucent white fabric by SO-IL, while others think it's soulless. Read the story and comments »