http://www.psfk.com Your Go-To Source For New Ideas And Inspiration Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:53:32 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.psfk.com/2010/04/hermit-mountains-skyscrapers-designed-to-blend-into-natural-china-landscape.html Mon, 12 Apr 2010 04:35:26 +0000 Aiming to blend into the mountainous landscape of Western China, architects Hongjun Zhou and Lu Xiong have proposed a skyscraper design named "hermit mountains." ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/artist-residence-built-outside-beijing-for-growing-community.html Mon, 08 Mar 2010 14:11:49 +0000 Built on a former industrial outdoor storage lot, the Songzhuang Artist Village is a 20 unit structure built to the working and living demands of China's growing artist community.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2010/02/chocolate-theme-park-opens-in-beijing.html Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:31:24 +0000 Citing a desire to raise the profile of a previously unpopular food, organizers in China recently launched the first ever chocolate theme park in Beijing's Olympic Stadium.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/12/worlds-largest-solar-energy-building-opened-in-china.html Wed, 30 Dec 2009 12:00:25 +0000 Located in China's northeastern province of Shandong, the world's largest solar energy building opened in November, 2009. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/12/social-networking-employees-play-games-for-an-hourly-fee-in-china.html Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:40:12 +0000 To keep up with all the time required to stay ahead of competitors online, the "social networking hourly employee" has emerged as a new job vocation in China.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/11/eno-chinese-streetwear-brand-crowdsources-design-to-keep-up-with-fashion-trends.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:05:24 +0000 eno is one of th]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/10/happy-farm-online-game-spawns-real-life-farming-in-china.html Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:24:04 +0000 The Happy Farm game on Chinese social networking sites is one of the most popular and particularly among white-collar workers. Some Happy Farm enthusiasts enjoy virtual farming so much that they have decided to try out the real thing. One Shanghai farm is planning to jump on the trend and put up 100 cabins for city farmers to use during extended holidays.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/10/making-it-fun-to-take-the-stairs-instead-of-the-escalator.html Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:19:21 +0000 "Can we get more people to choose the stairs by making it fun to do?" This is the question posed by a group in Stockholm, Sweden who converted the stairs of a subway exit into a giant piano. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/10/reusing-plastic-containers-for-productive-purposes-in-africa.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:24:49 +0000 DIY inventors in Africa have developed innovative solutions to practical problems with old plastic containers.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/10/beijings-linked-hybrid-development-using-geo-thermal-for-heating-cooling.html Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:14:11 +0000 Located near the former city wall of Beijing, Steven Holl's "Linked Hybrid" complex is completely self-contained, and features one of the largest geothermal heating and cooling systems in the world.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/adujstable-focus-lenses-provides-low-cost-low-tech-solution-in-developing-countries.html Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:08:48 +0000 Adlens adjustable-focus glasses change prescription with the turn of a dial. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/pic-coqui-knock-off-chinese-crocs.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:00:40 +0000 Walking through the Shanghai subway recently, we noticed a rack of "Coqui" (小青蛙) shoes which looked incredibly similar to Crocs, which have been popular in Shanghai for the past few years. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/wearable-solar-panel-vest-for-outdoor-workers.html Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:47:10 +0000 Anyone working long hours outdoors knows the burden that a glaring sun can take on the body. In Africa, Dominic Wanjihia has proposed a flexible, wearable solar panel vest to harness this energy for productive purposes.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/xindanwei-shanghai-shared-workspace.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:48:58 +0000 We've been following the shared workspace trend globally for a few years now and have been noticing a uptick in the number of co-working spaces in China lately. We've been particularly impressed by the efforts of the newly-opened Xindanwei (新单位) in downtown Shanghai, who joins a few other shared workspaces sprinkled throughout the city.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/chinese-ikea-shoppers-eat-and-nap-but-dont-necessarily-buy.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:03:46 +0000 Anybody who visits IKEA on a weekend in China will be sure to find the familiar scene of customers napping on the couches and beds. And if you stop by the popular IKEA cafeteria, you almost certainly will have to wait around before a table opens up. Following up on our previous coverage, we now take a deeper look at Chinese consumers reaction to IKEA. Opening their first store ten years ago, IKEA has become a popular place for the rising middle class to spend their freetime, but they are not necessarily buying the furniture. In our experience, Chinese customersRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/09/chinese-indie-bands-to-tour-the-usa.html Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:27:41 +0000 The Sing For China Tour will bring three of the top Chinese indie bands through 15 U.S. cities over 22 days. ]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/08/a-profile-of-beijings-millionaires.html Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:21:09 +0000 In the latest report to track China’s wealthiest people, we learn that Beijing has the most multimillionaires in China. The Hurun Report‘s newest publication titled “China’s New Aristocrat Consumption Threshold Report” lays out the details on Beijing’s estimated 143,000 multimillionaires and 8,800 billionaires. In comparison, Shanghai has 116,000 multimillionaires and 7,000 billionaires. The typical rich Beijing family profile is that of a couple in their 40s with a teenager. Annual spending for Beijing’s rich is roughly USD 850,000, including an estimated one-fifth of that going to charity. Tokyo and Osaka are top travel destinations, while BMW and Mercedes Benz areRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/08/li-nings-green-shoe-released-in-china.html Fri, 21 Aug 2009 06:45:18 +0000 We’ve covered previous marketing efforts from China’s leading sportswear and shoe company Li Ning, who seems to be willing to push the envelope in terms of innovative ways to reach the local youth market. The company recently released an eco-friendly shoe called the “Green 001″ for the Spring 2009 line. The  shoe is constructed from eco-friendly materials, including ample use of hemp. In their marketing campaign (see above poster), Li Ning is promoting a simple theme: “Environmental Protection = Trendy.” Interestingly, the tongue of the shoe is embroidered with the image of Wangari Muta Maathai, founder of the Green BeltRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/08/video-of-worlds-2nd-largest-aquarium-in-okinawa.html Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:37:34 +0000 Image credit: Getty Images, Miko Walczuk Photography/Flickr The main tank at Okinawa’s Churaumi Aquarium in Japan holds 7,500-cubic meters (1,981,290 gallons) of water behind the world’s second largest acrylic glass pane (8.2 meters by 22.5 meters). Known as the ‘Kuroshio Sea,’ the tank houses whale sharks and manta rays among a plethora of fish. Jon Rawlinson recorded a mesmerizing video of the tank, set to the music of Barcelona. Kuroshio Sea – 2nd largest aquarium tank in the world – (song is Please don’t go by Barcelona) from Jon Rawlinson on Vimeo. [via 70percent.org]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/08/china-pushing-forward-creative-industry-zones.html Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:16:29 +0000 One of the major ways that the Chinese government has been pushing forward creative industry in China is through the development of creative industry parks or zones. According to Eugenie Birch, chair of the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of City and Regional Planning, “China’s investing heavily in the knowledge worker writ large, and this has become another part of that investment…And when China does something, it does it at full force.” The most common creative industry zones consists of an old factory or warehouse converted into an area designed for art galleries, entertainment venues and offices for designers, architects, artistsRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/organic-net-retail-boutique-designed-by-sako-architects.html Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:05:15 +0000 Home to many of the richest Chinese businessmen and officials, Hangzhou is known as a leading “leisure city” of China. To stand out in Hangzhou’s luxury retail market, the female clothing brand Romanticism asked Japan’s SAKO Architects to design a store that “no one could copy.” The result is an organic net theme that covers both the exterior and interior of the store. In an interview with movingcities.org, architect Keiichiro Sako explains the design requirements and concept: The client asked me for a design that no one could copy. There were no other requests. My design style is that ifRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/zaha-hadids-flowing-building-design-in-beijing.html Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:23:51 +0000 Beijing, home to some of the most grand and experimental architecture over the past 5 years, is set to add another unique building to its landscape. Chaoyangmen SOHO III is designed by Zaha Hadid and located in the upscale SOHO area of east Beijing. The buildings inside the 334,000 square meter space are inspired by the traditional Chinese courtyard design with an open area surrounded by a building that envelops the visitor in a 360 degree manner. The uniquely fluid design has no hard corners or angles, which is a sharp contrast from the Soviet-style buildings common to Beijing. [viaRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/top-5-music-videos-in-china.html Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:25:13 +0000 While we frequently write on the alternative music coming out of China, including punk and “chinagrass,” there is no denying the the power and overwhelming popularity of Mandopop. Take a look at China’s current top 5 music videos and see if you can hear any similarities… Jerry Yan – Say I Love You at KTV Evonne Hsu – Sleepless Richie Ren – Good Medicine Tastes Bitter Penny Tai – Dilemma Jackie Chan & Zhou Hui – Film of Myself [via ChinaMusicRadar]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/07/chinas-low-cost-airline-proposes-standing-tickets-to-meet-high-demand.html Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:52:20 +0000 While many airlines are struggling to stay afloat, China’s low-cost Spring Airlines is having a different problem: how to meet high demands for its flights. Fourteen new planes have been ordered, however, the company is suggesting that standing tickets should also be issued.  The airline estimates that it will be able to fit 40% more people on flights and reduce costs by 20% with standing tickets. Spring Airline’s president Wang Zhenghua explains: For a lower price, passengers should be able to get on a plane like catching a bus, with no seat, no luggage consignment, no food, no water…[it willRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/beijing-punk-a-feature-length-documentary-film.html Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:21:55 +0000 The story of punks living in “communist China” is a compelling story for many visitors to China and we’ve covered some of the previous documentation by journalists and photographers. Now, there is a new feature length documentary film by Australian writer and director, Shaun Jefford.  “Beijing Punk”  was filmed last summer, while the 2008 Olympics were taking place. The film focuses on four Chinese bands – Demerit, PK14, Hedgehog and Misandao – as well as some of the key players in the Chinese underground music scene. Check out SPIN Earth’s interview with Shaun Jefford and more photos here. See fullRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/stained-glass-portraits-of-mao-other-chinese-heroes.html Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:31:22 +0000 Dominic Johnson-Hill, the founder of Plastered T-shirts, got the idea a few months ago to create stained glass portraits of Chinese iconic “heroes.” Five stained glass artists in China were commissioned to create the pieces with each artist choosing their favorite Chinese “hero.” The images that have emerged are striking and so far, Mao (above) was chosen by an artist in Jiangxi, while other “heroes” include Lei Feng and Deng Xiaoping. Check out the Plastered T-shirts blog for more photos of the production process.]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/one-night-in-beijing-video-made-in-12-hours-with-dslr-camera.html Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:39:27 +0000 The Guardian’s Dan Chung shot and edited “One Night in Beijing” in a total of twelve hours starting directly after purchasing a Canon EOS5DmkII DSLR camera from a Beijing camera store and charging the battery. The result is a stunningly beautiful video of the people and street scenes of Beijing. [via todayandtomorrow]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/video-li-nings-chinese-shadow-puppet-basketball-commercials.html Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:36:26 +0000 Li Ning, the leading Chinese sportswear and shoe company, produced a series of TV commercials that feature traditional Chinese shadow puppets playing basketball. The commercials are set to traditional Chinese shadow play music and each player is endowed with super-human basketball abilities. [via LRB]]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/chinas-new-generation-of-me-first-artists.html Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:39:46 +0000 Newsweek has a interesting look at the new generation of “me-first” artists in China. Rather than playing on the political themes that made the Cultural Generation group of artists famous, the post-1980s artists of China focus on expressing their individuality. Growing up as single children in a rapidly growing economy, the young generation’s work ranges from images of global fashion to comic book fantasy worlds. Nicole Schoeni, director of Hong Kong–based Schoeni Art Gallery describes the experimental nature of this generation: Whereas their parents were raised to listen to their superiors and to respect tradition, the ‘me’ generation are primarilyRead more...]]> http://www.psfk.com/2009/06/documentary-on-world%e2%80%99s-largest-most-lucrative-business-plan-competition-in-china.html Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:06:29 +0000 Broadcast on China’s CCTV national television, “Win in China” (赢在中国) is the world’s largest and most lucrative business plan competition. With over $5 million in prize money, the TV show pits 120,000 entrepreneurs competing to win $1.5 million dollars to invest in the winner’s business plan. The documentary, produced by Robert Compton, follows the TV show of the same name and features entrepreneur celebrities such as Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group and Chairman of China Yahoo, who served as Head Judge and Liu Chuanzhi, founder of computer giant Lenovo. CCTV host sums up the role played by entrepreneurs inRead more...]]>