Nissan Cube Store

Tony Kaye Tweets down memory lane

Becca Hutson — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:58:17 +0000

Controversial film maker and ad maker, Tony Kaye, perhaps best known for his 1998 film American History X starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong, will today be touring the capital in a Nissan Cube, revisiting locations which have shaped his creativity.

Taking in everywhere from St. Albans Art School where he studied, to Saatchi & Saatchi and The National Film Theatre, Tony will round off his day by performing some of his songs at the Hospital Club.

And how is he documenting this epic tour of London’s creative hubs? Via Twitter of course- a Twithibition, if you will, which Tony’s friend Mark Borkowski describes as a ‘multimedia journey and conversation…filmed and blogged live’.

The climax of the event will take place at the Nissan Cube Store in East London, where Tony will host a debate on The Beatles 1967 album ‘Seargent Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’, which Tony regards as ‘the greatest work of art made in my lifetime – and the greatest piece of recorded art ever. I don’t consider there are any other valid recordings other that’.

Tony will also no doubt also discuss the design merits of Japan’s most iconic car, the Cube – and will mark the beginning of a series of avant-garde exhibitions being held at the conceptual pop up space.

Terry Guy of Secret Wars at the Nissan Cube Store

Becca Hutson — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:09:33 +0000

Terry Guy, the man responsible for setting up street art collective Secret Wars takes time out from overseeing from fellow live illustrators, Ed and Rich ‘Hick’s are getting up to, to talk to t5m about design, the event and most importantly, what he thinks about Nissan’s most controversial design, the Cube car.

The Nissan Cube Store is a ‘conceptual space’ in the East end of London, which will play host to everything from art installations to the uber – chic Parisian boutique’s Colette’s first ever pop – up shop.

The launch of this new exhibition space was a celebration of the finer points of design, was packed to the brim with a mixture of celebrities, including Matt Horne and Jack Whitehall, as well as leading figures from the design world including Vice President of Nissan Design Europe, Alfonso Albaisa.

Beatboxer Reeps 1 doesn’t miss a beat at Nissan Cube Store

Becca Hutson — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:06:28 +0000

Renowned beatboxer Reeps 1 took time out from hosting the launch of the Nissan Cube Store in the heart of East London, to talk to t5m about the launch of this ‘conceptual space’ which will feature everything from large installations to Parisian boutique Colette’s first ever pop up shop.

Reeps 1 entertainted the gathered crowd with his renowned beatboxing – as street art collective Secret Wars embarked on a live illustration battle and the creme de la creme of London’s creative industries (and a far few celebrities as well!) marvelled at Nissan’s most opinion dividing design, the Cube.

Describing the car as ‘precise’ in it’s design, Reeps 1 is clearly a fan of the cutting edge design – and he even tells us that Secret Wars founder, Terry Guy wants to buy one!

Get ready for asymetry: Vice President of Nissan Design Europe Alfonso Albaisa on the Cube

Becca Hutson — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:05:37 +0000

As one of the chief designers invovled in the creation of the Cube, Alfonso Albaisa talks us through the inspiration behind one of Nissan’s most talked about car designs.

Inspired by the innocence and elements of naivite in Japanese life, the Cube was designed for people who ‘aren’t interested in cars’ – who aren’t looking for something aggressive, but rather a peaceful and harmonious design. With this in mind, the Cube boasts it’s totally unique asymetrical design, as well as a glass roof – designed to make the Cube recognisable at any distance. Describing the car as a ‘porcelain bowl’, Alfonso talks us through the design and thought processes behind this opinion dividing design…

Set to launch in the UK in the New Year, Alfonso tells us that he hopes this design will really communicate the variety and breadth of cars that Nissan produces.

Cultural broker Peter Jenkinson OBE says street art is far from bankrupt

Becca Hutson — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:10:11 +0000

Peter Jenkinson OBE, the founder of Creative Partnerships, the £40 million ‘transformation and creativity’ education programme which unites the creative industries with disadvantaged young people, was one of the ‘design glitterati’ showing his support for the Nissan Cube Store launch in London’s Old Truman Brewery.

The event featured the street art of the likes of urban art collective Secret Wars and renowned beat boxer Reeps 1, and Peter believes it is people being creative in a DIY and collaborative way that will define 21st century creativity and design. He also hopes that this more relaxed and spontaneous outlet of creativity will encourage people from all walks of life to embrace their ‘creative side’…

The Cube car, which has divided opinion with it’s futuristic design, has won the approval of Peter however, who says he thinks the sculpture-like car will ‘make a splash’ and that people should take a ’slow’ approach to how their view it and not dismissive it too quickly. And we quite agree!

The Cube Store is a ‘thought provoking’ conceptual space and will play host to giant installations, a Colette pop-up shop and a Twitterwall which will feature live conversation about the Nissan cube; all set in London’s new creative hub, The Boilerhouse at the Old Truman Brewery.

PPQ’s Amy Molyneaux and Percy Parker go cubist at the Nissan Cube Store

tabitha — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:37:47 +0000

Amy Molyneaux and Percy Parker of quintessentially London fashion label, PPQ were representing the world of fashion and progressive design at the Nissan Cube Store launch in East London’s Old Trumany Brewery, a ‘conceptual place’ which will include everything from large installations to Parisian boutique designers Colette’s first ever pop up store – just in time for London’s most trend conscious Christmas shoppers…

Speaking to t5m on their first impressions of the event, both Amy and Percy seemed mightily impressed with everything from the mirrored rooms to the red decor and cube motif, with Amy proclaiming ‘I’m a cubist!’. It’s therefore unsurprising that they both ‘loved’ the car, with Percy praising the use of the Japanese-inspired square back windows and Amy noticing the small bulldog details in the car’s interior.

In fact, it seems the design duo were so impressed by both the Cube and the event that they might be venturing into car design themselves…you heard it here first!

Matt Horne talks design at the Nissan Cube Store

tabitha — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:04:24 +0000

Comedian/ actor / presenter Matt Horne was one of the various VIPs rubbing shoulders with London’s design elite at the launch of the Nissan Cube Store at the Old Truman Brewery, and he took the time to talk art and design with us, as street art collective ‘Secret Wars’ battled it out in a mural contest and renowned beatboxer, Reeps 1 provided the soundtrack.

Matt describes himself as a ‘minimalist’ and was clearly enamoured with the clean lines of the Nissan Cube design, in fact, the entire event impressed him hugely – including the transformation of the Old Truman Brewery from standard exhibition place to a hub of progressive and conceptual design.

Comedian Jack Whitehall at the Nissan Cube Store

tabitha — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:47:07 +0000

We catch up with comedian Jack Whitehall at last night’s Nissan Cube Store launch in London’s very trendy Truman Brewery.

As we clambered into the back of the Cube’s incredibly spacious boot, Jack praised the car’s ‘functional’ and utilitarian design, and was so impressed that he even attempted to sell the display model to a fellow party – goer. Quite an endorsement! Describing the event as ‘trendy and stylish’, self-deprecating Jack told us that he felt unstylish in comparison to the Hoxtonite crowd – but at least he had the Secret Wars street art battle to amuse him…

The Cube Store is described as a ‘conceptual place’ which will feature installations, Parisian boutique Collette’s first ever pop up shop and a live Twitterwall which will stream in live debate about Nissan’s Cube car – voted by the London Design Museum as one of the fifty cars which changed the world

The Cube Store launches in London’s East End

Becca Hutson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:08:47 +0000

In advance of the UK launch of the Nissan Cube, a car voted by the London Design Museum as one of the 50 cars which changed the world, Nissan have opened ‘The Cube Store’ in the heart of London’s creative hub, The Boilerhouse at the Old Truman Brewery.

The guestlist consisted of trend conscious celebrities including Matt Horne and Jack Whitehall, as well as leading figures from London’s creative industries, including Amy Molyneaux and Percy Parker of PPQ and Vice President of Nissan Design Europe, Alfonso Albaisa. They were treated to an evening of beatboxing from the inimitable Reeps 1, as well as a live illustration battle from street art collective Secret Wars.

The Boilerhouse has been transformed into a new ‘conceptual’ space, with a large installation, a Twitterwall feeding in live debates about the provocative Cube car and Parisian boutique Colette’s first ever pop up shop. Of course, taking the pride of place is an installation of the iconic Cube itself – famed for it’s asymetry and glass ceiling – and which seemed to go down incredibly well with the creme de la creme of London’s trend setters and design experts.