




 
Muccia Prada

Barack Obama
Madonna

Desperation and luxury are mortal enemies. Fear and power do not peacefully coexist.
Mr. Obama's first major initiative was a gigantic stimulus package to pump money into the dictates of fashion. It was a theme with deep resonance for a country enmeshed in what was widely believed to be  the most successful female entertainer of all-time, and popular culture.  Mr. Obama,  your basic story of a onetime communist and mime student from Milan who takes over the family's dusty luggage company, has built a career on provocation and tease and has achieved great success, and a flat-out disregard for what you think. But having created some definitive design benchmarks,  is not what has really given Mr. Obama his juice. A shameless self-promoter and trend-setter and possesses an unerring knack of being able to predict how public tastes will change. He stays a step ahead of most with his sharpened sense of style and savvy.  
Madonna laid out a set of large promises with plans to offer health insurance to all and reduce carbon emissions. Madonna has few celebrity friends. She lives in the apartment she grew up in. The woman is unafraid of the threat of terrorism and the increasing signs that the economic woes is a good fight.
References:
"Barack Obama." The New York Times (May, 2009),
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html (accessed on May 3, 2009).
(could not find authorship)
Braybrooke, David. "The Life and Musical Legacy of Madonna." Helium
www.helium.com/items/203888-the-life-and-musical-legacy-of-madonna
(accessed on May 3, 2009).
Luscombe, Belinda. "The Power List, Women in Fashion - no2: Muccia Prada." Time
(September, 2004), www.time.com/time/2004/style/020904/power/2.html
(accessed on May 3, 2009).
 The blue lighting looks magical and eerie, and is also evocative of the sea, reminding us that "once it casts its spell, holds one in its net forever."
The blue lighting looks magical and eerie, and is also evocative of the sea, reminding us that "once it casts its spell, holds one in its net forever."
 Above: The cosier meeting room. The idea of the cracks extending right into the room was an interesting way of letting in light, also heightened in effect by the dark ceiling which would provide contrast.
Above: The cosier meeting room. The idea of the cracks extending right into the room was an interesting way of letting in light, also heightened in effect by the dark ceiling which would provide contrast. Above: Nobel's ramp remains the same, albeit with added texture.
Above: Nobel's ramp remains the same, albeit with added texture. Above: Cousteau's ramp is more sheltered and enclosed, giving it a sense of security, evoking ideas of "net", "home", and "hold". The ramp itself passes through a tiny antichamber, which is constructed through the giant aquarium which fronts an entire side of the building. A person would walk up the the ramp, then throught the doorway, and through a short hall where the walls, ceiling and floor is glass, looking through to the water and marine creatures. This is to evoke ideas of the "sea" being "everywhere".
Above: Cousteau's ramp is more sheltered and enclosed, giving it a sense of security, evoking ideas of "net", "home", and "hold". The ramp itself passes through a tiny antichamber, which is constructed through the giant aquarium which fronts an entire side of the building. A person would walk up the the ramp, then throught the doorway, and through a short hall where the walls, ceiling and floor is glass, looking through to the water and marine creatures. This is to evoke ideas of the "sea" being "everywhere". Above: Nobel's study. Again, I wanted to break away from the sterilty of the labs, and create something cosier to evoke a sense of "home": I chose dark wood for both the floor and ceiling to give it a little luxury, and used one of my own textures to line the walls, giving the room a richer, warmer feel. (Medium) The glass wall sticking out of the 'cliff' shows off the view, and looks over to the meeting place and Cousteau's lab.
Above: Nobel's study. Again, I wanted to break away from the sterilty of the labs, and create something cosier to evoke a sense of "home": I chose dark wood for both the floor and ceiling to give it a little luxury, and used one of my own textures to line the walls, giving the room a richer, warmer feel. (Medium) The glass wall sticking out of the 'cliff' shows off the view, and looks over to the meeting place and Cousteau's lab. Above: Cousteau's private movie theatre for viewing documentaries. Again, I applied dark wood to the floor and ceiling, and a custom texture to the walls. (Dark) The back wall looks into the aquarium as well. With these private, "relaxing" areas, I really wanted to make something more comfortable and homey. Using similar textures also gives the overall design coherence.
Above: Cousteau's private movie theatre for viewing documentaries. Again, I applied dark wood to the floor and ceiling, and a custom texture to the walls. (Dark) The back wall looks into the aquarium as well. With these private, "relaxing" areas, I really wanted to make something more comfortable and homey. Using similar textures also gives the overall design coherence.
 Above: This view shows the layout of Nobel's lab. I gave red lighting to his little room downstairs, used for particularly dangerous experiments, to further evoke the sense of danger, mystery and "spell". The interior of the labs, i chose to make very bare and sparse. There would be enough going on!!
Above: This view shows the layout of Nobel's lab. I gave red lighting to his little room downstairs, used for particularly dangerous experiments, to further evoke the sense of danger, mystery and "spell". The interior of the labs, i chose to make very bare and sparse. There would be enough going on!! Above: Finally, an overhead shot of the structure. I wanted to create a really arresting form.
Above: Finally, an overhead shot of the structure. I wanted to create a really arresting form.








 View from the door way.
View from the door way.