Uli Rapp’s unique jewellery involves screen-printing images of gems from various eras onto textiles and rubber to create contemporary jewellery and accessories with a flavour of years gone by. Rapp’s latest collection is called Charms and has a more modern flair, all chains and baubles. But despite the weighty look of Rapp’s work, the materials allow the pieces to shape nicely to the wearer.

+ uli.nu

11:30 AM: Press conference

It was fitting that the press conference for a trade show conceived to spur the growth of Chinese design was accompanied by, ahem, the din of construction noise. At one point, I could barely hear Dutch design superstar (and keynote speaker) Richard Hutten over the echo of power tools in the neighboring hall, where another show was being installed. But never mind…no one seemed to care, distracted as we were by the prospect of witnessing firsthand the birth of a national design movement. I think Richard best summarized the group’s collective enthusiasm in his closing remark—“I love Shanghai!”—which was met with thunderous applause and hoots. He got almost as many catcalls as the press conference emcee, Andrew Yang—former Architect’s Newspaper editor turned Shanghai design celebrity—who’s largely responsible for bringing this show to life.

+ 100percentdesign.com.cn

Jen Renzi reports from 100% Design Shanghai, here's her second trip diary entry from China.

11:00 AM
The bamboo garden

Inspired by the building’s lofty proportions, Aric and Tobi envisioned a stunning installation to lure visitors through the entry hall and into the main show floor. They filled the cavernous space with a grid of bamboo scaffolding—a ubiquitous feature here in Shanghai, where a new building seemingly sprouts from every corner. “Bamboo is an ancient material, but it’s also come to represent new China, too—a symbol of rapid growth,” explains Aric. The idea was to invert its use; rather than clad a building exterior, scaffolding is used here to fill a void. “It’s very Rachel Whiteread,” notes Tobi. It’s an architectural intervention and a symbolic invitation, too: “a space we’re building to house emerging Chinese design,” say the duo. Looks like it’s already arrived. WOK Media, based in London and Shanghai, hung a series of its creepy-cool eyeballs to keep watch over the front door. Very Big Brother.

Above: Night Watch, by Julie Mathias and Wolfgang Kaeppner of WOKmedia. First shown in London’s Jubilee Park last winter, the crystal orbs are reverse painted—an ancient Chinese art—and illuminated by automotive lights. The installation was organized by Contrasts Gallery, which first invited WOKmedia to Shanghai two years ago. “We came for a six-month residency program and never left,” Julie explains. (They maintain a production studio here and a design studio in London.) WOKmedia’s work will also be shown in New York this fall, part of the opening festivities at the Museum of Arts & Design’s new building.

+ 100percentdesign.com.cn

The New Designers 2008 showcase takes place in London from July 3 – 6 (Part 1) and July 10 – 13 (Part 2), featuring more than 4000 graduates from disciplines such as applied arts, glass and ceramics, textiles, jewellery, product design, furniture, illustration, graphic design, animation, interactive media, photography and spatial design. Fifty of these talented graduates will be chosen to exhibit in September during the London Design Festival. Shown above is a piece by Claire Rady, more examples lurk after the jump.

+ newdesigners.com

This week's MoCo picks.

+ Abilmo Pop-Up Hotel Rooms, "They are a scant 130 square feet packed with all of the amenities you'd expect from an actual hotel.". Via Cool Hunting.

+ FARO architecten bv's experimental home in Ijburg at Arch Daily, "Entering the home, the first thing you notice is the lounge hanging from the ceiling like a floating island.".

+ Stained-glass graffiti by Posterchild. Via designboom via Wooster Collective.

+ Alfredo Häberli's kitchen design for Schiffini at Frame "... that reflects the soul of the home. Presented at Eurocucina 2008, the kitchen concept exists of individual pieces which can be connected to each other to create an overall picture.". Via Dezain.

+ Little Red Stuga Keeps Making Toy Versions Of Landscape at Daddytypes, "a folding screen house with mirrors on one side; and a cold-foam coated shrub and cloud. Oh, and Kebnekaise, the country's tallest mountain, which has been faithfully rendered, snowcap and all, as a knitted beanbag chair.".

+ Duncan Shotton's "analog LED" Digimech clock that "uses printed sliders to reveal digital numbers at the right moments". Via NOTCOT.ORG.

+ And we thought the classic blue design had already evolved quite nicely - introducing the sustainable Delft F1 at design.nl.

The times require a Modern Shoestring, nice to know an affordable contemporary house exists for as little as $51 per sq. ft. Scheisse as in 'oh crap my bulb just exploded', well illustrated here. Plastic or glass? Glass wrap please. A Secret Friend is a good home for unused jewelry. And our first Chinese diary begins...

+ Modern Shoestring: Contemporary Architecture on a Budget: What we all want to know.
+ Schiesse: The name caught your eye more than the exploding design???
+ We love the Periodic Table by Council, but some don't.
+ A mixed bag from Milan included Karim in the bathroom and Marcel on the floor.
+ Artware Editions gave us a Homeland Security Blanket and golden skulls.
+ Wear carbon collecting credits with pride at Fresh MoCo.
+ Glass cling film and water clocks were all the rage This Week from Tokyo.
+ Life Goods: Sleek, sensible, Swiss.
+ A Secret Friend: Jewellery as pets. Until they lose their heads.
+ Jen Renzi tails Tobias Wong and Arik Chan at 100% Design Shanghai.
+ Brilliantly-illustrated narrative wallpaper by Little Hands.
+ New work from Brio54, Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen, Schonbek, Voisard 3Design, Johanna Keimeyer, James Malcolm-Green, KesselsKramer and Tjep. Prefab hybrids, camouflage jigsaws and lighting wearing handknits.
+ From Victorian engineering to Vectorfunk - This Week at Art MoCo
+ 100% Design Shanghai: Russia in Shanghai: more than the sum of its spire (obviously).
+ The DMY Berlin Youngsters Jury Selection saws off a piece of radio in a good way.

Above: food design and terracotta design from Umbria.