DARKOBOSS

'Cinema Futura' movie theater - Zhongshan, China (2014)

Designed by Alexander Wong

"Вased on futurism and inspired by classic sci-fi movies like Ridley Scott's Alien and James Cameron's Avatar, the design attempts to create the first sci-fi cinema in Zhongshan, China. The 36,800-square-foot interior is a complex composition of organic design elements that create original forms. These forms are custom made with fiberglass molds, bold colors, and dynamic lighting to produce a futuristic ambience.

At the entrance, one immediately arrives at the Plaza Pandora, a surrealistic biosphere with an organic ceiling supported by double-layered spiraling columns with an outer skin inspired by DNA strands called chromosome columns and the movie Alien. Here, one will also notice the white leaf-like patterns on the floor with matching metallic pendant lights swirling dynamically above. The plaza is encompassed by the sensual forms of the Pandora Box Office and Bar Pandora where moviegoers can buy tickets and popcorn to begin their unique journey into movie fantasy. Our inspiration here is nature itself. Nature is filled with the most complex geometrical shapes imaginable. In terms of this complexity and the sophistication of our universe in its entirety, sci-fi and futurism only reflect a tiny fraction. We are deeply inspired, or quite simply, in awe of nature. It is the source of all art forms, including architecture and spatial design."

Mozart cafe - Toronto, Canada (late 1990s)

Designed by Burdifilek of Toronto

Selections from the book, 'Transparent Light Penetrating Material in Shop Design' (2008)

1. Beauty Salon 'Taya Crystal World' - designed by Chikao Imada (2000)

2. Italian Restaurant 'Baccari di Natura' - designed by Naoki Iijima (2002)

3. Beauty Supplement Shop 'Improved Garden' - designed by Aki Sukimoto (2003)

4-5. Nail Station - designed by Kimi Hasegawa (2003)

6. Club 'Beat' - designed by Takaaki Kokubu (1999)

7. Shoe Shop 'Akakura' - designed by Sachiko Kaneko (2001)

8. Players Club 'Dios' - designed by Naoki Iijima (2000)

9-10. Sushi Roll & Asian Cuisine 'Gari' - designed by Satoru Kitazawa (2001)

11. Boutique 'Lady's Hikari' - designed by Shin Takamatsu (2000)

12. Boutique 'm,i,d, Shop' - designed by Akihito Fumita (2003)

13. Shoes 'Wano Wano/Himiko' - designed by Fujio Takayama (2000)

Selections from Bar & Nightclub Graphics by Books-Nippan (1996)

This timeline is meant to help people navigate this aesthetic thoroughly, from it’s start in 95 to it’s decline in 04 and the other aesthetics that overlapped, let me know if I should make one for Frutiger Aero/Metro.

McBling already covers a lot of aspects of the 2K1 Aesthetic, McBlings peak was 2003 declining in 2008 onwards, Generation Z often confuses McBling with Y2K which is understandable as they overlap so I don’t blame them, but the main aspect of Y2K is the futurism aesthetic the 2000’s main motif didn’t arrive until 2K1 and peaked with the McBling aesthetic as shown in the post.

Gen X Soft Club arrives in 1996 and declines in 2002, often overlapping the Y2K aesthetic and they both have elements that feed off of each other, Gen X YA/C is mostly a leftover aesthetic from the 90’s so it stops at an appropriate time which was a little after 9/11.

Close up portraits by Martin Schoeller

Close up portraits by Martin Schoeller