With the European Championships coming up, Umbro have designed a new England kit, and though we’d prefer it if they stuck with the current one (with its lovely light blue shorts), we quite like its replacement, though we’re not sure about the red and white colour scheme. Still, we live in hard times and everyone’s got to make a buck. Pre-order from here, though if you’re a) over 15 years old and b) a little bit tubby, you should probably give it a miss. After all, the kit’s for players, not spectators.

Another day, another set of reissues, but when Adidas is dropping something as good as this collection from the 1984 GB Olympic team, we’re happy to let it go. Worn by the likes of Daley Thompson and Fatima Whitbread, the tracksuits and T-shirts may have taken second place back then to Kappa’s majestic USA ’84 collection (perhaps the finest team apparel ever), but with today’s eyes there’s something satisfyingly simple about it. We’re especially keen on the cagoule, which is reminiscent of the early ’80s Patrick classic, so beloved of terrace yobs who… well you’ll know the story by now.

Anyway, here’s the gear, with the windcheater at the top.

 More at www.adidas.com

More on the pier at Design Boom.

For spring/summer ’12, Esemplare have followed the sensible option and gone maritime. Far from us to say "we told you so" but any brand that follows the Umbrella maxim of “mountain climber: winter/naval townie: summer” is going to get it pretty much right. And so it proves. Want to know more? Go to their website here.

And yes, the model does look like Scott Parker.

Seville is a glorious city. Known as the “frying pan of Spain”, it’s famed in Iberia for the sheer amount of sunshine it receives. During these hot months vast parasols are drawn over the streets, taking the edge off the blazing orb in the sky. In 2004, the city commissioned an architectural work that draws on this tradition – a giant umbrella structure, designed by J Mayer, which is the centre-point of the regeneration of the Plaza de la Encarnacíon. We‘re not quite sure what it actually does, but as the world’s largest wooden building, suffice to say we’re impressed. 

Original article to be found at Yatzer

It’s a little known fact that before Ice Cube became a global rap superstar with NWA, he was enrolled as an architecture student. As everyone – well everyone who bought Straight Outta Compton – can attest, Mr Cube comes from South Central LA. And, while he no doubt still indulges in the odd bit of “gang bangin” and indeed “dope dealin’”, his real passion seems to be for both his home town and the buildings that occupy it. In this short film, Cube, looking, it has to be said, exceedingly dope, waxes lyrical about the beauty of the Eames’s house, one of America’s most beautiful and influential modernist buildings. We like this a lot.