On Show

Out of Africa

An exhibition of design from Africa opens at the Rundetaarn in Copenhagen on Friday with emphasis on how contemporary work can incorporate traditional crafts. New Africa will be showcasing architecture, furniture, ceramics and homewares from across the continent, including a modernist café chair by Haldene Martin with upholstery woven by local women from the Limpopo area. More than 30 designers will be represented from 15 countries including Botswana, Tanzania, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.

August 17-September 20, Rundtaarn, Copenhagen. Tel: +45- 3373 0373; www.rundetaarn.dk

Talent for sale

More than 40 new designers will be selling their work at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney as part of the city’s Design 07 festival, which runs until August 19. Now in its third year Young Blood: Designers Market takes place next Friday and Saturday and will include furniture, lighting, homewares, accessories and fashion from the pick of Australia’s up-and-coming designers. Elsewhere in the festival, more than 50 exhibitions and events will be celebrating design from Australia and the rest of the world, including Great Design for under $10 .

‘Young Blood: Designers Market’, August 17 and 18; Sydney Design 07, until August 19. Powerhouse Museum and other venues, Sydney. Tel: +61 (0)2-9217 0111; www.sydneydesign.com.au

Built for glory

The UK’s Royal Institute for British Architects (RIBA) has announced the shortlist for this year’s Stirling Prize, worth £20,000. The six projects on the shortlist comprise two by David Chipperfield Associates – the America’s Cup building in Valencia and the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach am Neckar, Germany; Casa da Musica in Oporto by Metropolitan Architecture; the Dresden Station redevelopment by Foster & Partners; the Savill Building, Windsor, by Glenn Howells Architects; and London’s Young Vic theatre by Haworth Tompkins. All six projects will be shown at an exhibition at the RIBA headquarters in Portland Place, London, in September and the winner will be announced on October 6.

Tel: +44 (0)20-7580 5533; www.architecture.com

Sitting challenge

Furniture company Modus and The Architects’ Journal are running a competition to find new ways of sitting while doing work. Something to Sit On is inviting designs for a “seating opportunity” for informal working on a laptop, either for public or office use. There are few limits on how the piece should be made but it must be predominantly upholstered and able to be developed for production. It should also fit in with existing Modus ranges. The winning entry will be announced during 100% Design in London in September and will be prototyped by Modus. Entries, from architects or architectural students only, should be in by August 31.

Tel: +44 (0)1460- 57465; www.modusfurniture.co.uk

Easy giving

Spark, which bills itself as the world’s first multi-level design competition because it is open to professionals, students and novices alike, has announced its first set of winners. The competition’s emphasis is on matching aesthetics with technologically modern design and among the 50 or so pieces it has recognised is this deceptively simple bamboo chair by Anthony Marschak. Marschak began exploring the flexibility and durability of bamboo sheeting to make skateboards more responsive to their riders and the Springchair is a rather more grown-up spin-off of the techniques he developed.

Springchair, from $690, www.designpublic.com; www.sparkawards.com