CITY Issue 56

//// ACTION Shanghai’s Debut DESIGN: ARIC CHEN AND TOBIAS WONG In an indication of the heady changes in the global economic and cultural landscape, 100% Design, the Londonbased design fair, this year launches a Chinese edition, 100% Design Shanghai — and the hip duo of Aric Chen and Tobias Wong have been selected as creative directors. An architect and design writer, and a product designer, respectively, both are members of New York’s style community; Chen has contributed to as many fashion magazines as he has august design journals, and Wong is as at home in the realm of art and fashion as in that of products. What does that mean for 100% Design Shanghai? We will have to wait and see: As they explain, the debut will be a “blank state,” with the emphasis on building a platform for future growth. The fair will take place within the ornate Stalinist architecture of the Shanghai Exhibition Center, wherein the duo plan, as Wong explains, “to use bamboo scaffold as a common motif, only inverted, so that the scaffold provides a framework within, rather than on the outside of, the building.” The visual device, a handy metaphor for the “under construction” nature of this project, will continue throughout the center. Essential to the growth and development of an indigenous component to future fairs will be the other prong of Chen and Wong’s attack: teaching. “Education is obviously critical. We’re here initially to set the tone, but the hunger is unmistakable,” says Chen. With nearly 400 design schools serving some 10,000 students, a booming economy, and increased exposure to worldwide trends, it is inevitable that a newly international aesthetic will take hold in Chinese design. This is the raw material with which Chen and Wong will work over the coming years. “What we want to build,” explains Wong, “is an approach to design and to objects that is globally relevant yet still unmistakably Chinese.” — EDDIE BRANNAN Go to www.100percentdesign.co.uk ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Can you handle it? FIT: KETTLEBELLS Kettlebells are spherical weights with a built-in grip that provides a more natural feeling than a typical dumbbell — and their industrial look isn’t exactly an accident. This traditional Russian cast-iron weight was originally used as a counterweight when measuring large quantities of rice or sugar. But since it is just a lump of heavy metal, there was no reason it couldn’t be used in personal ﬁtness. “The weight is below the handle, so you can move it in a way that you can’t with a dumbbell when the weight is on either side,” says personal trainer Carl Wilson, Equinox Fitness Clubs’ resident kettlebell expert. With this distribution of weight, you can hold the kettlebell closer to your body, like it’s an extension of the arm, which allows you to move it around more freely, making for a less awkward grip. Kettlebell exercises are quite different than the choppy, repetitious dumbbell exercises, and incorporate momentum in a swinging motion brought between the legs, helping with coordination, hip extension, and more torque and leverage. Take a swing at these exercises, which use momentum to raise your heart rate and make you stronger. First, the most basic kettlebell exercise: Place one kettlebell between your feet and grab it in a squatting position. Make sure your back is ﬂat and look straight ahead. Swing the kettlebell between your legs forcefully. Quickly reverse the direction and drive though with your hips taking the kettlebell straight out. Let the kettlebell swing back between your legs and repeat. Switch arms with each set for a full body workout, speciﬁcally targeting your hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and glutes. Can you handle two kettlebells at once? Double your results with these moves: Place two kettlebells between your feet. Bend your knees slightly and then push your butt out as much as possible as you bend over to get in the 22 CITY TY starting position. Grab both kettlebells and pull them to your stomach. Lower and repeat. You will be working your lats and biceps if done correctly. Get into a pushup position holding on to two kettlebells that are less than shoulder width apart. Push one kettlebell into the ﬂoor and pull the other one back. Lower it to the ﬂoor and push it into the ﬂoor. At the same time pull the kettlebell in the opposite hand. Repeat for several reps on each side. Lie on your back and position a kettlebell for one arm to press upward. While you press the kettlebell, turn and pivot with one leg in order to increase the range of motion. Imagine that you are trying to push yourself through the ﬂoor for add stability and increased strength. Works chest and triceps. When you get to be more advanced and can handle a higher level of speed and motion, try the double windmill, which works the abdominals and obliques: Place a kettlebell in front of your front foot and press the other kettlebell overhead with your opposite arm. Keeping the kettlebell locked out at all times, push your butt out in the direction of the locked out kettlebell. Turn your feet out at a 45-degree angle from the arm with the locked out kettlebell. Slowly lower yourself until you can pick up the kettlebell next to your front foot. Pause for just a second and then reverse the motion back to the starting position. http://www.100percentdesign.co.uk

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CITY Issue 56

City Issue 56 Contents Letter from City: Re: Design Our Friends: The Faces Behind the Stories Action: What's New, What's Hot, What's Now Wanted: Olympic Bound? Button Up City Moment: The Writing’s on the Wall How We Live: Concrete Jungle Fast Food: Bites of Spring The Amused Bouche: Blueprint Special In Rouge: Hero Worship Fashion: Welcome to the Boys’ Club Travel: My Pod Architecture: Out of the Blue Design: Home Remedies Tokyo Rising Zen and the Art of Catholicism Think Big Face Value Runaways Intimate Relations Where to Buy It: Store Locations Icon: The Infinity Pool

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