There’s a new way to experience the Eames collection, the home of the “father of Black history” will be restored, and the world’s largest cruise ship faces accusations of greenwashing. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
The Eames Institute opens its archives
Chairs on display at the Eames Archives, which showcases materials from the collection of Ray and Charles Eames; photo by Nicholas Calcott, courtesy of the Eames Institute
The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity is opening its collection of more than 40,000 artifacts owned and created by famed industrial designers Ray and Charles Eames to the public. Tickets are now available for tours of the Eames Archives beginning on February 14th. Located in Richmond, California, the newly refurbished headquarters features a display created by the nonprofit’s internal teams in collaboration with Brooklyn-based design consultancy Standard Issue. Visitors will be able to explore materials, such as prototype airplane parts developed for the US Navy and a fake diploma created by artist Saul Steinberg for Charles, who never completed his architecture degree. “It’s such a pleasure to expand the reach of the Eames Institute,” says Llisa Demetrios, chief curator and granddaughter of Ray and Charles, in a release. “The Eames Archives is so special to me because it holds the things my grandparents loved and cherished—it’s an absolute joy to finally be able to share these pieces in this way.”
The home of Carter G. Woodson, the historian behind Black History Month, will be restored
Carter G. Woodson’s home, office, and workplace at No. 1538 Ninth Street NW in Washington, DC; photo courtesy of the National Park Service
The Washington, DC rowhouse that Carter G. Woodson (who is known as the father of Black history and was the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard) purchased in 1922 for $8,000 will be restored. The building was once the headquarters for the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) and was also where Woodson ran Associated Publishers, a publishing house focused on African American culture and history “at a time when many other publishers wouldn’t accept works on the topic,” writes Anna Kodé for The New York Times. The Journal of Negro History and the Negro History Bulletin were also based there, and it’s the site where Woodson, the son of formerly enslaved people, who worked as a coal miner before he was able to pursue his education, launched Negro History Week in 1926. It officially became Black History Month in 1976—the same year the office-home was designated as a National Historic Landmark. The National Park Service purchased the building and two neighboring houses in 2005 for $1.3 million, and is now restoring it and creating a welcome center.
The Super Bowl ups the ante in Vegas
A view of the Tropicana Las Vegas, which debuted in 1957; photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Ahead of this Sunday’s NFL Super Bowl LVIII, all eyes are on Las Vegas. It’s more than just speculation about whether and how Taylor Swift will make it from a tour stop in Tokyo to cheer on Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs, who will face the San Francisco 49ers, and where she’ll sit. Snack ads are flooding the Strip, halftime headliner Usher has dropped a new album (will we get to hear any tracks when he takes the stage at Allegiant Stadium?), and Skift delves into how the massive event is impacting the short-term rental market in Vegas.
Though, not all the news is football related. The Associated Press reveals that the circa-1957 Tropicana Las Vegas will be demolished, making way for a $1.5 billion Major League Baseball stadium for the relocating Oakland Athletics; and Grateful Dead offshoot band Dead & Company, featuring John Mayer along with former Dead members, announced an 18-show residency at the MSG Sphere starting in May. Most importantly, when HD Expo + Conference heads back to Sin City April 30th–May 2nd (early registration rates are available until March 4th) there will be a slew of new venues and hotels to explore.
Icon of the Seas sets sail amid controversy
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, currently the largest cruise ship in the world; photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas recently embarked on its inaugural voyage from Miami. The world’s largest cruise ship boasts 20 decks, capacity for 7,600 guests, eight different neighborhoods featuring restaurants and bars, and the biggest-ever ship-based waterpark. It’s also been billed as Royal Caribbean’s most sustainable ship, utilizing liquified natural gas (LNG), a new fuel source for the cruise line that is estimated to produce approximately 30 percent less carbon dioxide emissions. But, according to Dezeen, critics say the company did not include methane leakage—the gas that is not burned off during use and is released in the atmosphere—in its emissions calculations. Some experts speculate that, based on methane’s potency, the switch from traditional oil fuel could actually be worse for greenhouse gas emissions in the short term. Royal Caribbean has stated that LNG will be used as a transitional fuel on the way to a net-zero cruise ship it plans to launch by 2035.
The HD Awards deadline has been extended!
Aqua Foro Pool Club at Piazza Alta, designed by Post Brothers, a 2023 HD Awards finalist in the Beyond Hospitality category; photo by Todd Mason
The deadline for entries to the 20th annual HD Awards has been extended to Friday, February 16th. The finalists in project and products will be selected by two panels of esteemed industry experts, with winners revealed at the HD Awards ceremony on April 30th in Las Vegas, held during HD Expo + Conference. The projects portion spans 30 categories, including the newly introduced Small Hotel (50 rooms and under), Branded Residences, Landscape + Outdoor Spaces, and Transportation. Products will be recognized in 13 categories, including Custom Art + Accessories, Technology, and Sustainable Solutions. The event will also honor this year’s Designer and Hotelier of the Year, soon to be announced by the HD editorial team. Tickets for this not-to-miss celebration are available now!
