APPLE MACINTOSH
Right from the beginning Apple has set high standards in terms of both computer hardware and interface design, which other manufacturers have aspired to but never achieved. Released on 24 January 1984, the Macintosh only had 128k of memory, and no numeric keypad or function keys, which were sacrificed because of their high cost.
SOY SAUCE BOTTLE
Kikkoman combines practicality with a creative modernist design that owes much to Raymond Loewy’s streamlined design style. Thje flowing, tapering form suggests a teardrop and gives the bottle a soft, organic shape. However, this is sharply contrasted by the bold red flat-topped cap, which has a double opening ensuring against drips when pouring. (Annabelle Campbell)
tons empty. I40 tons with a full load of fuel and approached 200 tons fttlly laden. Unlike a blimp. the rigid airship was not constructed from a dirigible balloon. but rather carried interior gas tanks within the outer skin that provided buoyancy. Powered by four diesel engines producing a total of 4.4()() hp. the Zeppelin could travel at speeds up to I35 kph (83.9 mph). This was limited aerodynamically by the enormous surface area and surface
friction associated with it. Passengers were housed in a suspended 2-floored gondola of over 400ml. The interior design of the passenger section was carried out by the successful Berlin Architect. l‘rit/ August Brehaus~l)e (iroot. While the Nazi government had rejected the modernism of the Bauhaus. the need for lightweight furnishings led the regime to allow the prestigious interior to feature metal-framed furniture and a specially designed lightweight metal piano! The destruction of the Hindenburg marked the end of commercial transatlantic airship flight. until the recent emergence of blimps for promotional use and leisure flights.
Alex Milton’s other contributions to Phaidon Design Classics include the Renault Espace and the humble rollerblade. Phaidon Design Classics is out now, priced £100. See www.phaidon.com/designclassics for special offer price. For more information about design in Scotland visit The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Lane, Glasgow, 0141 221 6362, www.thelighthouse.co.uk.
DESIGN CLASSICS
’Vespo: a classic long before it become trendy’
Eric Campbell is senior designer of The List. Here he explains his passion for the Vespa.
hen I first thought about how I could
shorten my one hour bus ride to work
each morning. the scooter was an obviotts choice. Quick and easy to nip between stationary columns of cars in the rush hour. Illls machine provided an economic answer the annual {l5 road tax. cheap insurance and ama/ing fuel consumption meant buying one was only a matter of choosing a model from the crowded scooter market.
Of course the only choice was the Vespa. But why was it. that when I told people I owned a scooter I was scoffed at. until I told them it was a Vespa. and then suddenly it became acceptable again'.’ Was it the distinctive smell and sound of the two stroke engine'.’ The wasp- like body shape'.’ ()r was it that the hip (i()s
-mods and rockers film Qmu/rop/Ir'niu had
conferred a trendy status on the machine its stars rode through Brighton'.’
Whatever the reason. the Vespa's practical design was a classic long before it became trendy. The first models were rolled out in the mid-40s after the second world war. The Piaggio family had to find a new outlet since their plane building skills had become redundant. With Italian people needing a new form of cheap transport to navigate the country's crumbling roads. the Vespa (which means ‘wasp‘ in Italian) was born. It had a gear change on the handlebars. a large gap between the steering column and the engine so that women wearing skirts could use it. small wheels to keep it close to the ground. and most importantly. plenty of space for a passenger. It wasn’t until the early 50s that the Vespa became a global icon when Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck rode one in Roman Holiday. Its popularity continued to grow. and over I5 million have been sold worldwide.
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