Products in Brief: Branching Out
Les Ailes Noires Rack System
The spatially defying shapes in Les Ailes Noires rack system by Toronto-based multidisciplinary firm +tongtong offer “a series of different perspectives as you walk around it,” says designer John Tong. Originally developed for a store in Toronto, the 11-piece collection was inspired by simple black line drawings. The system includes a full-length mirror, a wall-mounted sideboard with a glass shelf, a ceiling-hung rack, and eight freestanding racks with rubber feet and wall bumpers. The ¾”-solid-steel pieces are available by special order in flat black or white powdercoat and polished chrome versions.
Dyson Airblade
Engineered for various washroom environments, Dyson's next generation of Airblade hand dryers produce sheets of high-velocity unheated air that travel through tiny apertures at 420 mph to scrape water from hands like a windshield wiper. The wall-mounted Airblade V hand dryer (far left) is 60% smaller than the original Dyson model and produces two sheets of air angled at 115° to span the width of each hand. The Airblade Tap hand dryer (left) washes and dries hands without your having to leave the sink. Infrared sensors pinpoint hand positions and release water from the tap stem; after the hands are washed, integrated circuitry activates the motor, and sheets of air steam from the tap's branches.
Egyptian Folding Chair
Danish architect Ole Wanscher (1903-85) was inspired by a trip to Egypt to create this stable, lightweight folding chair. Originally designed and produced in 1957, the chair was taken out of production for about 30 years; it returned in 2000 with only limited distribution. Carl Hansen & Son recently acquired the manufacturing rights for the design and will be distributing it in the U.S. for the first time. The seat, which folds for easy transport and storage, is made of solid oak or mahogany with a seat in black, cognac, or natural saddle leather.
Circle Mesh
Banker Wire, a leading manufacturer of woven and welded wire mesh for architectural and industrial applications, has introduced the first woven metal fabric with circular patterns. Circle Mesh is woven with the same wire as traditional architectural mesh, but is crimped by a spiral machine that allows for different sizes and percentages of open area. The material can be used on any scale—from intricate design highlights to expansive building facades. As an added benefit, the weaving process of mesh produces very little scrap compared with the process of perforating metal.
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