Marriott creates a research and development lab, chef Alexander Smalls is set to debut the world’s first African food hall, and Uruguay’s Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art opens. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
An African food hall readies to open in Harlem
View this post on Instagram
Celebrated Harlem chef Alexander Smalls will continue to enliven the New York neighborhood’s culinary landscape with the launch of Aklebulan. Dubbed the world’s “first African food hall,” the venue will comprise 10 food stalls offering cuisine from around the continent, Eater NY reports. Aklebulan will serve as an extension of the concept first introduced during an expo in October 2021 in Dubai. Music and art will be a key fixture of Aklebulan—a nod to the chef’s background as an opera singer. Slated to become a permanent location in New York, Aklebulan may expand to London in the future.
Uruguay unveils first permanent contemporary art museum
View this post on Instagram
Architect Carlos Ott has completed the design of Atchugarry Museum of Contemporary Art (MACA), the first permanent contemporary art museum to open in Uruguay. Located in the coastal resort town of Punta del Este, the museum spans 90 acres and comprises five exhibition rooms, a theater, auditorium, outdoor screening terrace, cafeteria, gift shop, and an outdoor sculpture park, writes Variety. MACA will also host the first iteration of the ARCA International Film Festival. Like the museum, the festival will be modern in its scope, although older films about contemporary art may later be screened.
Is purple the next Millennial Pink?
Photo courtesy of Pantone
Following the Pantone Color Institute’s designation of Very Peri as the 2022 Color of the Year and London trendspotting agency WGSN’s approval of Orchid Flower for the new year, Business Insider ponders what our annual color designations mean for us. Before the vibrant and positive purple shades were announced, we were awash in Millennial Pink and Gen Z Yellow, which represented gender neutrality and a demand for change, respectively. During uncertain times of economic, environmental, and social distress, fashion, tech, and digital native industries gravitated toward the potential of these shades, which defied the balance of more familiar tones. Ultimately, the popularity of these shades demonstrated the impact of leveraging color to tell the story of generational angst. The violet tones, for instance, are spurred by a youth market with a progressive understanding of the gender spectrum beyond pink and blue. Purple also conveys optimism but is more aligned with spirituality and mysticism. Experts posit that the gravitation toward these bold hues captures a collective desire to land somewhere soft after these last few tumultuous years.
Marriott to launch research lab
Set to open in 2022 with a design by Rottet Studio and Gensler, the Marriott Bethesda Downtown hotel will be adjacent to the new Marriott International headquarters, shown in a rendering
Marriott International is slated to launch the Marriott Design Lab as part of its forthcoming headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, which will also be home to a flagship hotel designed by Rottet Studio. Travel Weekly reports that the lab will spearhead research and development for all aspects of the hotel industry from construction to in-room amenities. Nearly 10,000 square feet of the HQ will be dedicated to the Design Lab, where onsite experimentation, building, and testing of new products and technologies will take place. The lab will also partner with brands like LG interested in testing products at nearly 7,800 Marriott properties.
Believe it or not, seaweed could change the world
Canadian farmer Joe Dorgan has proposed a novel solution to curbing greenhouse gas emissions by cattle: seaweed. According to CBS News, Dorgan sent seaweed samples to Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia to test his theory. Scientists discovered that the uptake of natural vitamins and minerals drove up reproduction and milk production in cows. So officially: seaweed makes cows less gassy. Methane accounts for 30 percent of global warming. Of that 30 percent, livestock accounts for about a third of methane emissions. Early research indicates that feeding seaweed could reduce greenhouse gases by up to 40 percent.
More from HD:
RG Naxos Celebrates Sicily’s Natural Elements
What I’ve Learned Podcast: Erik Nissen Johansen
Retro Diners Are Making a Comeback
