Rafael de Cárdenas

A renaissance man with an intrinsic sense for color and shape boldly redefines modern interiors

Rafael de Cárdenas‘ signature blend of saturated colors and stark geometry turns classic architecture into a common language of striking patterns and eye-popping hues. “Graphics lend themselves to a very immediate reception, which I’m very drawn to,” he recently told Cool Hunting. With an impressive roster of diverse projects in his portfolio, de Cárdenas’ ability to translate color and form across platforms stems from his …

Osama bin Laden’s Compound

Surveying the design details of the world's newest notorious hideout

Like any media-obsessed normal person, we’ve been riveted to the coverage surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, and especially interested in the descriptions of whereabouts that overnight went from “cave” to “McMansion.” Curious about what exactly goes into sheltering an international terrorist for six years, we focused on what architectural details have surfaced so far. In other words, what kind of a …

Negozio Olivetti

Carlo Scarpa's architectural feat restored to glory as Venice's newest museum

Widely recognized for their Ettore Sottsass-designed Valentine typewriter, one of Olivetti’s less celebrated design accomplishments is the company’s Venice showroom and store. Architect Carlo Scarpa spent two years conceiving the space with a focus on transparencies and materials after commissioned by Adriano Olivetti in the late ’50s, leading to what became one of the most significant architectural achievements of the 20th century. Located on Venice’s …