The Familiar Strangers

The UK government just released the military reports of UFO sighting between 1986 -1992 a week ago. This is the second batch of UFO files released to the National Archives by the Ministry of Defence - the first instalment was released in May 2008. Highlights include the near collision of a passenger jet and UFO in Kent and the pilots of a US Air Force jet being ordered to shoot down a UFO over East Anglia.

I always believe they are out there. You can find them all over Youtube. We may not have chance to see a real flying sausage, but we do have UFO sighting in Design World. Let’s go and check them out…….

1) FUTURE HOUSE BY MATTI SUURONEN

Finnish architect Matti Suuronen designed this UFO shaped dwelling in 1968, initially for use as a ski-cabin or holiday home. According to this post, The idea behind the design reflects the optimism of the sixties. The ideal was of a new era, a space-age, where everybody would have more leisure time to spend on holidays away from home.

The Futuro house was completely furnished and could accommodate 8 people. Because it was so light-weight, it was easily transportable by helicopter. Mobile living was the new possibility for the future. People could now take their moveable home with them, to wherever they went, and live like modern nomads.

Unfortunately the 1973 oil crisis spoiled all these plans. Prices of plastic raised production costs too high to be profitable. Only 96 Futuro houses were ever built. Besides the 48 made in Finland, also at least 48 were manufactured abroad on license.

2) SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL AEROSPACE

Ross Lovegrove recently won The World Technology Prize for Design in San Francisco, and after considering ‘Swarovski Crystal Aerospace’ for Swarovski Crystal Palace, one can recognise why. Lovegrove’s focus for this design is transport and sustainability; he presents a solar powered hybrid concept car for our future. The synergies between the alternative energy source, the materials and design are immaculate, rendering the obvious style as effortless. Each of the 1,000 Sharp solar panels has a specially constructed Swarovski crystal embedded in it.

“The design combines the intelligence of solar innovation with the optical, technological arm of Swarovski, prompting the exploration of the science behind the sparkle,” says Ross.

3) HOUSE IN SANJHIH

Sanjhih is a small town on the North coast of Taiwan. It’s near Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.

According to this post, the UFO house was built in late 70’s by a keeper of a rubber company. However, the rubber company closed down in the energy crisis in 1980. The UFO houses that was just begining was sealed up by the bank and the construction stopped.

In 1989, a development company bought the unfinished UFO houses. It costed 7~8 hundred million new Taiwan dollors. They planed to make it 5 stars resort hotel with the first yacht dock in the North coast of Taiwan. But they stopped the process because of the dissension of the investors. The buildings was abandoned until now..

Recently, news reported that the Government order the development company to dismantle the houses before the end of October, or they will force to do it. The reason is that the ruins bring some problem of public security and cause damage to the look of the town.

4) HYLLIE WATTENTORN

This ufo-like building is a water tower in the outskirts of Malmö, Sweden. And according to this post, the 62m high water tower has a coffee shop and an observation deck above the four pillars.Many people think it looks like an UFO, especially at nights when it is shining with a cool strong blue light.

The new Hyllie Arena u/c, with Hyllie Vattentorn (the “ufo” water tower) to the left in May 2008 (it will be finished the same year). The construction progress has went pretty fast on Percy Nilsson’s project. The multiarena will host events such as hockey, conferences and concerts. It can take 12-14 000 visitors.

5) ABDUCTION LAMP BY LASSE KLEIN

Lasse Klein designed this fantastic Alien Abduction Lamp. According to Lasse, the lamp has already in prototype state and I really really want the lamp to launch to the market some day soon.

For more information about the progress, you can check out this link. And Lasse, please hurry the process

6) UFO LAMP BY NUNO TEIXEIRA

The UFO lamp design is one of the cool design by Nuno Teixeira. With an oval suspension/floor lamp made of high-density expanded polyurethane with car paint finish. This design had a strong visual impact through high-gloss colors and sculptural body.

According to DesignZen, with great idea of a suspended lamp that look like UFO spaceship make the design frozen in spaces - more over in your living room. A colorful design, make the lamp more attractive.

7) OUTFITS BY HUSSEIN CHALAYAN

Hussein is one of the fashion designers I admire. The above outfits are from FW 07/08 by him. The UFO shaped hat was powered by the magic of LED technology, it lit up and played its own movie, a colorful pixelated grid animation.

And the above outfit is from 07SS collection, it is a big buzz at that time as Chalayan perfectly inject textile technology into fashion runway.

Transformation Technology in collections by Hussein Chalayan

UFOCAP FROM KOREA

You can find this interesting raincoat here. It is manufactured in Korea. And according to the website, it has many function:

a. For fishing

b. For hiking

c. For traveling

d. For leisure activities

e. For little children

f. For outdoor work

You can even put different print on the UFOcap, funny, huh?

9) UFO OVER GDANSK BY PETER COFFIN & CINIMOD STUDIO

Artist Peter Coffin and lighting designers Cinimod Studio collaborated on a lighting display that involved flying a UFO over Gdansk in Poland in July 2008.
According to Dezeen, The performance was part of the Gdansk Festival of Stars. The aluminium UFO structure used measured 7 metres across and was covered in 3000 individually controlled LEDs.

And it is controlled by a solid state computer and powered by an onboard generator, the LEDs displayed a series of changing patterns.

The UFO circled the city centre suspended from a helicopter on 4 July.

You can view the performance here.

10) APPLE AIRPORT EXTREME

This Airport Extreme serious has ended. But I prefer this old one rather that the new design. I think Apply pay less attention as an innovator in design industries as they have so many products out there to share the attention.. sad to say this…

This is from the Original Apple Ad.. The concept is very suitable for wireless hub. Nice background music!

BTW, has anyone seen a real UFO? Are they look the same?