On Sunday the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) officially opened the doors of the TIFF Bell Lightbox to the public. The TIFF Bell Lightbox is a five-storey, multi-purpose complex designed by architectural firm KPMB containing: five cinemas, two galleries, three learning studios, office space, a bistro, a restaurant, a lounge and a condominium tower.

The TIFF Bell Lightbox is the first of its kind, being the only film festival in the world to have a permanent year-round home, and I had the pleasure of helping out the TIFF press office with the opening ceremony of the building.

It’s truly a beautiful space, merging the practicality of operating year-round film programs, events and exhibitions in one aesthetically pleasing and inclusive place. The architecture inside and out is clean, spacious and modern.

I was able to capture just a few photos of the momentous day, complete with a chaotic media scrum – my pictures definitely don’t do the building justice, you’ll have to visit the space for yourself to get a real feel. My favourite photo is seeing the media stationed just outside the doors of the TIFF Bell Lightbox prior to the official ribbon cutting.

Japan is by in large a nation of contrasts. For example, one moment you’ll be walking past ancient shrines and temples in your very own neighbourhood and the next you’ll be surrounded by 50 storey skyscrapers and architectural buildings that seem to step out of a science fiction movie.

One building which has recently caught my attention – and one which I’m sure you’ll find interesting – is the Kanagawa Institute of Technology, designed by Junya Ishigami Architects. It is composed of 305 steel columns, surrounded by glass and serves as a workshop by the Institute’s engineering and design students along with members of the local community.

The building is essentially a glass box in the midst of the Institute’s campus using contemporary minimalism – an open concept space with a predominantly white interior –to blur the lines between the indoors and outdoors, thereby making this a pretty cool learning environment.

Images from Dezeen

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a shoe!

I discovered this week’s shoe of the moment on Shoewana and was instantly drawn to its architectural uniqueness and concept. Developed by London architect Julian Hakes, the Mojito shoe is currently in the initial phases of design; Hakes and his team are in the process of meeting with several footwear fabricators and specialists to create the Mojito’s prototype.

Shoe specifications:

• Carbon fibre, laminated
• Rubber sole
• Leather inner sole
• Heel height, TBD

Why I chose this shoe: I’m a big proponent of trying new and different things – it’s a natural progression of human growth and development; mentally, intellectually and physically. Unlike footwear today, the Mojito lacks a foot plate, consists of a single piece wrapping around the foot forming supports for the heel and ball (Dezeen.com). Hakes says, “the design of this Mojito shoe is about how you put it on and take it off, it’s about lightness and a sculptural celebration of the foot and the natural strength of the body.” For me the shoe is also eye catching, thought provoking and defies the conventional notions of footwear – we could very well be looking at the future of footwear design.

N.B.: to read more about the Mojito shoe visit Dezeen.com or stay up-to-date with Julian Hakes’s work via Twitter.

Images and information from Dezeen.com

A few months ago I was introduced to the designs of Karim Rashid, while at the Scott Schuman event at Holt Renfrew, and after learning about Rashid I instantly became an admirer of his body of work and design aesthetic.

A brief biography: Karim Rashid is a well-known Canadian industrial designer who specializes in architecture and interior design. He has well over 3,000 designs in production, is featured in 20 permanent international gallery collections and has won over 300 awards, such as the coveted Red dot design and the Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award. Some of his client work includes the Oh Chair for Umbra, the interior of Morimoto restaurant in Philadelphia, the Dirt Devil KONE and shoes for Melissa Plastic Dream.

What I like most about Rashid is the variety of projects he participates in and his knack for creating beautiful multifunctional pieces accessible for purchase by all people and not just the financial elite. Many of the principles of art, architecture and fashion go hand-in-hand all requiring creativity, imagination, talent and the ability to transform ideas into objects for use. Rashid's efforts "to make design a public subject" is appealing across all areas in the world of design, and in 2001 Time named him the “most famous industrial designer in all the Americas.”

Rashid will be at Indigo – Bay & Bloor in two weeks to sign copies of his new book Karimspace: The Interior Design And Architecture Of Karim Rashid.

Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009

Location: Indigo - Bay & Bloor, 55 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON

Time: 7:30 p.m.