Dezeen Magazine

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Critics' reactions to Terence Conran: The Way We Live Now at the Design Museum

Dezeen Wire: a new exhibition documenting the career of Terence Conran has provoked a flurry of media interest in the man who founded retail brand Habitat and London's Design Museum. More

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Habitat is "as good as dead" - Elle Decoration editor

Dezeen Wire: Elle Decoration editor Michelle Ogundehin has declared British furniture brand Habitat "as good as dead" in an article on the magazine's blog, stating "I give it two years max" – read the blog post

Ogundehin says that the retailer, which closed all but three of its UK stores earlier this year, failed to react to competition within the market and "increasingly misunderstood 'Lifestyle'," its key selling point. She claims that Habitat has lost its original focus on innovation and simplicity, and rubbishes plans by current owners the Home Retail Group to sell Habitat products at Argos and Homebase outlets, adding that their one remaining interest is to "flog stuff."

See our previous story on Habitat going into administration.

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"Britain could become enormous Los Angeles-style ghetto" - Richard Rogers

Dezeen Wire: British architect Richard Rogers has warned that plans by the UK government to simplify planning regulations could lead to unmoderated urban sprawl, "with rust belts and towns joining each other" – Daily Mail

He added: "If the framework is not improved it will lead to the breakdown and fragmentation of cities and neighbourhoods as well as the erosion of the countryside." Rogers' concerns about the government's new National Planning Policy Framework are shared by environmental campaigners who say they don't offer a clear enough definition of sustainable development.

Richard Rogers was involved in a planning battle in 2009 over his proposed redevelopment of Chelsea Barracks in London – see reports on Dezeen Wire

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"The London River Park: place for the people or a private playground?"- The Observer

Dezeen Wire: architecture critic Rowan Moore claims that corporate facilities integrated into the plans for the controversial London River Park would turn it into a "gigantic hospitality suite with a fairly nice walkway threaded through it" – The Observer

Moore describes architects Gensler's proposal as "the latest example of a widespread type of the 21st century, the pseudo-public space." He criticises the design for the walkway and rentable pods, describing them as "offensively indifferent" to their historical surroundings and says the project organisers should learn from New York's High Line park in order to turn a good idea into a popular public space.

See our previous story on the 35-metre model of the London River Park.

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Design Museum move will "help nurture a new generation of creative talent"- Deyan Sudjic

Dezeen Wire: the director of London's Design Museum Deyan Sudjic claims the museum's new home at the former Commonwealth Institute will offer a platform for future designers and that Britain can regain its reputation as creative power, "provided we go on investing in design" – The Guardian

Sudjic describes the Design Museum's original incarnation at the Victoria & Albert museum as "a little like an upmarket squatter in the V&A basement," but suggests that "contemporary design is now firmly on the cultural agenda." He claims that Britain must support design education in order to stay ahead of emerging economies, adding that "design is a way to create or safeguard jobs."

James Dyson also recently wrote an article on the importance of design to the British economy and we previously reported on the Design Museum's current building being up for sale.

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"Maggie's Centre: the jolly green giant"- The Guardian

Dezeen Wire: in a review for The Guardian, architecture critic Jonathan Glancey says that the new Maggie's centre in Nottingham is like something out of a fairytale and "is clearly designed to make visitors smile" – The Guardian

Glancey claims that architect Piers Gough of CZWG and fashion designer Paul Smith, who was responsible for the interior, have triumphed in their attempt at creating a homely environment for those affected by cancer, adding: "From a purely architectural and design point of view, few hospital buildings – this side of the other eight Maggie's Centres built in Britain since the 1990s – are as welcoming."

See our original story on Maggie's Nottingham and subsequent story with more images as well as all our stories on Maggie's centres.

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Plastic bottles filled with sand used to build houses in Nigeria

Discarded bottles sourced from hotels, restaurants, homes and foreign embassies are being filled with sand and used as bricks to create curved-walled houses in a Nigerian village. More

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"David Chipperfield to curate 2012 Venice Biennale"- The Guardian

Dezeen Wire: David Chipperfield is to curate the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale, becoming the first British architect to take on the role - The Guardian

The official announcement has been delayed because of Chipperfield's reservations over working with Giulio Malgara, who was expected to become the director of the biennale and is a friend of Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Following Berlusconi's decision to stand down it is expected that current director Paolo Baratta will retain the role as biennale director.

See more stories about David Chipperfield on Dezeen.

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Kieran Long says Heathrow's plastic transport pods are "not just a whizzy novelty"

Dezeen Wire: in his latest article for the Evening Standard architecture and design critic Kieran Long describes a network of noiseless transport pods launched in September to carry passengers from Heathrow airport's business car park to Terminal 5 as "the future we were supposed to have."

Long says the £30 million Rapid Personal Transit system, created by transport specialists Ultra PRT and engineers Arup, offers a "brief but safe moment of isolation" and "is an expression of the minor psychological irritations of business travellers" but adds that the concept has potential to be applied in larger urban scenarios.

See all of our transport stories including a self-driving electric passenger vehicle and more articles by Kieran Long.

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ACID seeks evidence of copying in design

Dezeen Wire: UK industry body Anti Copying in Design (ACID) is calling on designers to share their experiences of intellectual property infringement to help support its submission to the government's review of design law. More