This very well proportioned table lamp is the unique piece by American designer and master woodworker Phillip Powell Lloyd (1919 - 2008) who represents one of the many designers and artists establishing the term "craft design" in the American design of the 20th century.

Powell worked very closely with others, such as Paul Evans and George Nakashima in New Hope, Pennsylvania, where he built his own house, established studio and opened his own showroom during the 1950s.

The lamp shows intimate design attitude by Powell who specialized in design of monumental furniture most. The design from 1951 represents a great connection of the simple brass rod with the linen shade and hand carved wood, which was chose by Powell`s neighbor and friend George Nakashima.

There is the another demolished masterpiece of modernist architecture. This time Moby Dick chalet, which was built in 1966 by Japanese architect Mayumi Miyawaki (1936 - 1998).

Near the Lake Yamanaka and Mount Fuji, chalet was designed for the wealthy manufacturer as his second home. Architect Miyawaki established his studio only two years before this commission and in his portfolio he had two completed houses only. For him it was the great occasion to experiment, because client had given the young architect free rein. So after the mentioned Octopus chalet and Rice Ball house, Miyawaki designed this house as a free form whale looking building with delicate woodwork and openings and views into the nature. Perfect architectural solution created harmony between the new house and nature. The main element is the curvy roof, which gave the house its name Moby Dick. Inside, it created the upturned boat shape ceiling with the strong dramatic feeling. Nice example of the Japanese architectural experiments of 1960s was demolished by the new owner in 1990s.

Miguel Fisac (1913 - 2006) is one of the greatest Spanish architects of the second half of the 20th century. Among others, he is the author of the spectacular building of JORBA laboratories called "La Pagoda" in Madrid. Experimental sculptural architecture was designed and built between 1965 and 1970.

Fisac was the magician in concrete. During his career he developed several systems for using concrete in architecture. He invented prefabricated concrete skins and elements or special decorative qualities of the concrete for the walls and facades.

JORBA laboratories are considered as the one of the finest work of Fisac, as well as experimental organic architecture of the 1960s. The whole building is topped with the six-storey tower. Its extraordinary design is based on the development of hyperbolic paraboloids. Despite all these qualities, this architectural masterpiece was destroyed in 1999. We pay homage to this lost work of art.

In the context of our upcoming curated book about aviation, we discovered this amazing French magazine L`Album du fanatique de L`Aviation. Founded in 1969 in Clichy, France, the magazine has very nice drawings by founder Robert J. Roux, which are accompanied by very strict modernist graphic design. Here we have four covers from early years of the magazine. On all of them we can find legends of racing flying, which was in 1920s and 1930s extremely popular.

French Caudron C 460, Dayton Wright RB or Schneider cup heroes Macchi and Supermarine look very dynamic and stylish on the drawings by Robert J. Roux. Racing flying is a big phenomenon and one of the activities where science meet with design and sport. We love it. More about some of the finest airplanes and races on the blog later.

Swiss modernist design is not so famous like American, French or German. But it was Max Bill from Switzerland among others who formulated primary principles of modernist postwar painting, sculpture, graphic design as well as architecture and product design. Swiss authors were strongly influenced by this canon and create together compact design style, which can be considered as a parallel to the famous swiss Art concrete movement in fine art.

The similar creative attitude as Max Bill proclaimed on the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Ulm, served designer Wilhelm Kienzle (1886-1958), too. Kienzle is one of the most prolific modernist designers in The Switzerland. His work we saw for the first time on the exhibition Make-Up at Museum of Design in Zürich. The show, which was interested in surfaces of things, presented one of Kienzle`s metal designs. His Cactus watering can, which he designed for Mewa company in 1935, illustrates his significant Bauhaus inspired approach. On the other side, the can is very elegant and almost decorative. The similar characteristics we can find in the another works by Kienzle. We selected for this article his metal work, especially for company Mewa, only. Toolbox or Telephone table represent a quite uncommon objects, which Kienzle designed by cutting and bending the metal. This material lets Kienzle to create very functional pieces, but with very elegant forms and details.

This very nicely designed and printed brochure is the presentation of the exhibition in Paris gallery Chastel Maréchal. The show was dedicated to the original work of decorator Serge Roche (1898-1988) who has invented the spectacular interior style based on the decorative elements and surrealist inspiration between the wars.

Gallery Chasel Maréchal is one of the best design dealers in Paris and Serge Roche belongs to its main interests. In 2006, gallery has presented the exhibition of some Roche`s works. Now we are not interested in the original creations by Roche, but only in this brochure and its concept. Folded paper shows interiors and exteriors of the Roche`s Rue Las Cases palace, which was refurbished in 1935 by Roche himself. You can open the brochure and see original drawings of the interiors. We love to make this type of print material. It is not only simple brochure, but very nice print object with curatorial publishing motives.

This weekend OKOLO is traveling to Zürich, The Switzerland. In the context of it, we post here one extraordinary design from Zürich, too. Hanging lightning fixture from the Kongresshaus was designed in 1937 by architect Max Ernst Haefli (1901 - 1976). Author of the whole building is the important representer of the international modernist style in Switzerland.

Design of the chandelier for the Kongresshaus is the elegant and decorative version of the functionalist principles of the time. Its organic free-form shape foreruns style of the Italian lightning design in the 1950s of the companies such as Arredoluce, Arteluce or Stilnovo.

There is the work of the another famous modernist architect, Arne Jacobsen (1902 - 1971). His Texaco gas station is one of his greatest design and icon of the Danish functionalist architecture. Built in 1936, the station in Skovshoved, Denmark, was the prototype of the ideal, minimalist architectural form for the exact function. This time as a functional building/machine for the selling gas. The original virtuoso drawing presents Texaco gas station as an idyllic picture from modern everyday life, which was the important inspiration for the modernist architects in this time.

In the year 1929, one of the most famous architects, Le Corbusier (1887 - 1965) designed the prototype of the small organic shaped car. The amazing vehicle is the father of the Volkswagen Beetle or The Mini Cooper and grandfather of the Smart. We don`t know something more about the project. Please, if you know something about it, send us the info on astech@seznam.cz.

The Teflon Scissors represent the best from Japanese steel craft. Made by Hayashi Cutlery, company specializing in production of scissors and cutlery, The Teflon is a re-design of the classic Allex Office Scissors series which won Good Design Award in 1974, and Long Selling Good Design Prize in 1990. This version has a teflon coating creates a non-stick surface. It is useful when cutting masking tape for example.