Ombré façade, pixelated cladding, gradient finishing—you can call it whatever you want, but it won't change the fact that technicolor design is just about everywhere. From this year's iridescent Serpentine Pavilion to a fluorescent pool on New York City's Roosevelt Island, the design world's collective obsession with a commitment-phobic color palette is taking over. Recalling the background options of early aughts Power Point slides, gradients haplessly attempt to create the illusion of depth on a 2D surface, while pixelated architecture quite closely resembles a frozen computer screen. And in this way, these projects may just be tapping into our endless nostalgia for—what else?—the early Internet.
Below, we've amassed irrefutable proof that ombré design is the next big thing. Or, at the very least, a thing.
↓ Slangen + Koenis Architects—De Rietlanden Sports Hall in Lelystad, the Netherlands
Nestled in a small Dutch city, this expansion utilizes green and yellow cladding for a florescent finish.
↓ Rafael de Cárdenas—Unknown Union in London, England
Rafael de Cárdenas eschews the traditional deep mahogany musk of a men's boutique and, instead, embraces a vibrant color palette.
↓ Dusen Dusen—Visual Magnetics for Wanted Design
Do you suffer from commitment issues with your wallcoverings? Enter Dusen Dusen's playful, madcap geometric mural.
↓ Bryce Wilner—Gradient Puzzle made in Chicago, Illinois
Courtesy of Areaware, this gradient puzzle is a herculean task for even the most design obsessed.
↓ HOT TEA—Pop up pool in Roosevelt Island, New York
Painted by Hot Tea and designed by K&Co (founded by Krista Ninivaggi, formerly of SHoP Architects) and Pliskin Architecture, this surreal pool is ready to be lounged in for the entirety of the summer.
↓ Assemble Collective—Yardhouse in London, England
Assemble Collective, who garnered a Turner Prize this Spring, used bespoke concrete tiles to create a prototype for an affordable studio.
↓ Studio Dennis Parren—Gradient Installation in Saint-Etienne, France
It's no surprise that Dennis Parren's installation for the Biennale Internationale Design Saint-Etienne was inspired by a jellyfish.
↓ MPGMB—Terracotta Cacti Pots made in Montreal, Canada
This debut collection by MPGMB, a young Canadian design duo, is based on the forms of desert plants.
↓ Jacob Dahlgren—Primary Structure in Wanås Sculpture Park, Sweden
This vivid folly by Swedish artist Jacob Dahlgren could very well be an installation piece, but, in our humble opinion, it makes a pretty swell playground.
↓ Scholten & Baijings—Over the Rainbow in Hyères, France
This collection, which debuted at Maison&Objet, uses swatches of colors and gradients to create glitched glassware for Danish brand Hay.
· Simple Rules for Revolutionizing Architecture From British Design Collective Assemble [Curbed]
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