"Zaha Hadid says austerity is not an excuse for low-quality housing" - The Guardian
Dezeen Wire: architect Zaha Hadid said governments should not use austerity as an excuse for building cheap housing, hospitals and public buildings in an interview at the Cannes International Festival of Advertising this week - The GuardianHadid was made a dame for her services to architecture last week when the Queen’s 2012 Birthday Honours list was announced.
V&A museum to open new permanent furniture gallery
News: the V&A museum in London is to open a new permanent gallery to display over 200 pieces from its collection of furniture spanning 600 years. More
Movie: tour of Design Products at Show RCA 2012 with Tord Boontje
Movie: in the first of four movies filmed by Dezeen at the Royal College of Art graduate exhibition in London, leader of the Design Products course Tord Boontje talks about selected projects including food containers made of radioactive soil and suits for living in someone else's skin. More
Dezeen Mail #106
This week's issue of Dezeen Mail includes seats made of hair and pots made of radioactive soil plus Italian designers Formafantasma talking about their work with molten lava, flour and insect excrement.
There’re also new jobs, interviews and music plus details of our next pop-up store.
The Materiality of a Natural Disaster by Hilda Hellström at Show RCA 2012
Our coverage of the Royal College of Art graduate show begins with these food storage jars made of radioactive earth from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster area in Japan. More
Design flash-sales site Bamarang closes down
Dezeen Wire: a European copycat version of American design flash-sales site Fab, called Bamarang, has been dropped by its founders Rocket Internet - Bloomberg BusinessweekFab responded to the launch of Bamarang in January by taking over another European clone, Casacanda, and using it to launch in eighteen EU countries since mid February. Yesterday the company announced a take-over of UK rival llustre.com, now Fab UK.
Modest Stool by Paul Menand
More hidden furniture: French designer Paul Menand has created a stool that hides two others inside it. More
Hallo Light by 45 Kilo
This wall-mounted task lamp by German studio 45 Kilo is adjusted simply by sliding a leather loop along the arm that supports its shade. More
llustre.com becomes Fab UK
Dezeen Wire: just two months after launch, flash-sales site llustre.com has been taken over by American rival Fab to become Fab UK. MoreAdidas withdraws shoes with shackles
Dezeen Wire: sportswear brand Adidas has withdrawn plans to produce a pair of trainers with shackle-like ankle cuffs following complaints that they represent a symbol of slavery - Guardian MoreInbolla by Odoardo Fioravanti
This picture frame by Odoardo Fioravanti is specifically designed to annoy people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. More
Blooms: Luxury in the Face of Adversity by Chan Min Yun
Singapore design student Chan Min Yun has packaged doses of medicine in little origami parcels that open like flowers when placed into water (+ movie). More
Z Step by Michael Schoner at Depot Basel
This shop display system by German designer Michael Schoner consists of stackable sheet-metal steps that allow a wide variety of configurations. More
This week on Dezeen
There's been a bit of a re-use theme on Dezeen this week with seats made of hair, bowls made of money and buildings made of skips. MoreA-Frame by Ron Arad for pq
London designer Ron Arad has created a range of sunglasses and spectacle frames that can be adjusted to fit any face by sliding the lenses along an A-shaped wire over the nose. More
Dezeen Mail #105
The latest issue of our weekly Dezeen Mail newsletter includes a building covered in suckers, water bottles implanted in the body and headgear based on animal horns (above).
There’re also new jobs, competitions, interviews and music.
Money bowls by Arthur Analts and Rudolph Strelis
London-based Latvian designers Arthur Analts and Rudolph Strelis have made a series of bowls from shredded money. More
Animal: The Other Side of Evolution by Ana Rajcevic
London College of Fashion graduate Ana Rajcevic has created a series of tusks, horns and spines for the human body. More
Roopuppet by Nendo
A puppet pops out from the pocket of this tote bag by Japanese designers Nendo. More
British Council announces International Architecture and Design Showcase 2012
Dezeen Wire: the British Council has announced the International Architecture and Design Showcase 2012, a season of exhibitions, installations, lectures and films at 50 international embassies and British cultural institutions across London to coincide with the London 2012 Olympics.It will begin with the London Festival of Architecture on 23 June and end with the London Design Festival on 23 September.
Dezeen and writer/curator Beatrice Galilee will host Designed in Hackney Day on 1 August featuring Hackney design-themed talks, walks and workshops at Hackney House in Shoreditch. Read more about the day here and see our showcase of design and architecture from the borough here.