I was in New York recently and got to visit The High Line, which is a new park that was converted from 1.45 miles of elevated railroad tracks on the West Side of Manhattan. When I first stepped into the park, I was a bit amazed. There were benches, greenery and art all around. In some areas of The High Line, there were even chairs for a bit of sunbathing.

Halfway down the first section of the park (the second section is due to open sometime in 2010), there is a sitting area with large windows that form a lookout onto 10th Avenue traffic. Who knew that traffic could actually be a view?

There are also passages along The High Line that is dedicated to public art. Here is an example of that – “The River That Flows Both Ways” by Spencer Finch. Not sure if there is any artistic significance to the chairs, but they just looked good to me so I had to take a photo.

Do click on the links below for more about the design of The High Line. There is also a link to the map, which includes an interactive tour of the park with details on the features. Enjoy!

The annual London Design Festival is here again. We’ll attempt to bring some of the intriguing designs of the festival right here at metrosnapshot, starting with the annual 100% Norway exhibit, which showcases many of Norway’s established and up-and-coming designers.

The first of which is this Duo Sofa by Norway Says, which takes its design concept from clothes, specifically hoods and tall collars. The sofa is designed to dampen the surrounding noise. Whether it’s a tall back or just a simple look, the design makes it all possible.

This diva lamp is a set of wood-laminated floor and pendant light sculptures. Created by Thomas Egset and Peter Natedal, this lamp also pays tribute to the Norwegian heritage of wood lamination craftsmanship. According to the manufacturer’s website, the outer frame of the lamp consists of a set of thirty-two gently curving walnut or oak laminated plywood slices around two wooden cylinders. The inner parts consist of a slim metal stem supporting a solid mouth-blown frosted glass globe.

Lastly is this Norwegian Forest Lamp by Cathrine Kullberg. Per the designer’s website, the lights show a deep pine forest with animals in light and shade. An eagle registers movement on the ground. When lit, the blonde birch veneer shines with a warm glow, and the delicately cut forest motif lets white light to filter out between the highlights of the trees.
The shade is made from thin birch veneer. The birch veneer is carefully laser cut by a skilled airplane model maker who knows his birch veneer. The steel frame is custom made at a metal workshop and powder coated white. The shade is hand sewn onto the steel frame using natural leather lace. All the parts are assembled by hand in the designer’s Oslo studio.

Today is actually the opening of three major events here at the London Design Festival: 100% Design, Designersblock and Tent London. My itinerary today only covers 100% Design and Designersblock. As I have seen most of Designersblock during the press preview yesterday, so my first destination was 100% Design at Earls Court.

One of my favorites is actually this set of Motley oak sofa and armchairs. As those of us in urban spaces live in smaller and smaller spaces these days, there has not been as much (at least to me) furniture to help address the market. The set that you see below is actually great for small spaces, and it doesn’t carry an unreasonable price tag. For the sofa and two armchairs, it’s about £2,500 (or about US$4,500 or so). Designed by Samuel Chan, a UK-based furniture designer and also founder of Channels. His work can be seen at some of the major hotels in London.

Now for something relaxing. This Lomme (stands for Light Over Matter Mind Evolution) bed is from a company of the same name based in the Principality of Liechtenstein. This bed features a true “sleep experience” which includes light, color and sound. The light provides an experience that dims slowly while you sleep and wakes you with a virtual sunrise, while color provides therapy to the experience. There is also a sound system that hooks up to an iPod to provide music in bed.

Just in case you were looking for more, this bed also comes with a foam mattress with a built-in massage system.

Of course, a visit for 100% Design would not be complete without a visit to 100% Futures, where young designers were featured in a separate area of the exhibit hall. There were definitely quite a few innovative ideas, but my personal favorite is probably this in.fold chair by Rupert Mckelvie. This chair can be taken apart and stored flat, and is also two chairs in one when you assemble the chair from one side versus the reverse. Definitely brilliant.

Next up: Tent London.