Paul Goldberger, of The New Yorker, has posted his top 10 buildings of 2008. Included are Gehry’s Art Gallery of Ontario, the New Museum on the Bowery and (seen above) the China’s Olympic Stadium by Herzog and de Meuron. A few surprise selections, but for the most part those structures listed are those that really captivated. (Via DB).

View the remaining buildings listed (by us) after the jump.

We’re going to have to apologize for our lateness on this one, but V Magazine’s blog recently held a short interview with the creators of Apartamento, an interiors magazine we featured a while back. Marco Velardi, the magazines associate editor, shows how the magazine functions when he states, “We don’t really care about design. We just want to show you how people experience their personal spaces”. Take a look at the full interview here.

If you’ve grown bored of the usual top ten countdowns that litter magazines and newspapers at this time of year, you’ll be interested in Good Magazines rundown of the best 51 Magazines ever. The list is preceded by an in-depth look at why some magazines are great and why some aren’t, the list features everyone from Wallpaper to Loaded. Read the full list over at Good Magazine.

Dutch designer Marten Baas’ Chinese inspired work originally found light at an exhibition in Shanghai. More of this memorable sculptural design, which sees traditional Chinese furniture melting into glorious pools of wood, was on view earlier this month at Design Miami. Among the most memorable pieces of the year, its worth sharing Baas again. (Via Wallpaper*).

Two more of Baas’ pieces after the jump.

We’ve talked frequently about our enjoyment of Artek product, particularly as it relates to the manufacture of Aalvar Alto designs. This stool breaks the mold, a bit for us anyway, and introduces a new collaborative effort between the maker and Japanese firm Beams. Zhang wool in the style of Finnish textile designer Johanna Gullichsen. A nice deviation from what we’re used to, and proof of the potential of this brilliant base.

The car industry might be at its lowest point of esteem, but there’s still room to celebrate the basics — at times the automobile is a wonder of engineering and design. Design is a monograph intended for internal use at Mercedes-Benz, celebrating an often overlooked aspect of the companies success. Thanks to Wallpaper* a few choice images have emerged for public consumption. Publications that exist to help share a corporate story are often some of the most fascinating branding meets history projects. Most times they are hidden from outsiders view, so this chance at a little preview is rather exciting. (via Wallpaper*).

More from Design follows.

Men.Style have the news that Elle Decoration recently commissioned Martin Margiela to retrofit the apartment of Parisian architect Jacques Carlu and the results are pictured above. Carlu counted the Palais de Chaillot amongst his many works and was known for his art deco style. See more pictures after the jump.

Two pieces of bent polymer fused into closed loops are joined to a metal base to form the “Toeloop Chair.” Mario Stadelmann, a Swiss-born London-based designer, is the man behind the vision. Anything that follows on the traditions and adds new flare to the ideas of Samuel Gragg tends to strike our fancy. In these chairs we get a bit of that, combined with an unusual desire to pop out for a ride. (Via DesignBoom).

A book that should resonate with many of our readers (and certainly a few of our columnists) Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design documents the bubbling of a new American craft ideal. Linking tradition, punk ethos and a DIY spirit, Faythe Levine traveled from sea to shining sea to meet and interview people working in different media that represent the broad cross section of the crafting community. Particular attention is paid towards how new media helps to facilitate the growth and community of the movement. Like many of the interesting books being published this fall, Handmade Nation comes from Princeton Architectural Press. Available now from Amazon.

Pulling together leading minds from around the world, The Design Culture Reader tackles the social role of design and the impact it has in several key areas. These include globalization and ecology.  The essays lead with Marx on “The Fetishism of the  Commodity and its Secret” (1867) and follow through to Peter Hitchcock’s 2003 piece “Chronotype of the Shoe.” The Design Culture Reader is edited by Ben Highmore and available from Routledge Art and Amazon
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