The Design Dispatch offers essential news written by experts in the world of design, designed by our dedicated team. Think of it as your cheat sheet for the day in a design delivered to your inbox before you have your coffee. Subscribe now.

Do you have news that our readers need to see? Submit it here.

Google gets approval to build a multi-billion dollar mega-campus in downtown San José.

After four years of negotiations, officials in the city of San José unanimously agreed approved Google’s proposal to build a massive campus in the heart of downtown. For the “Downtown West” project, the tech giant plans to develop 80 acres of land, including thousands of housing units, 7.3 million square feet of office space for 20,000 employees and 300 hotel rooms for corporate clients. from Google. Half of the project will be allocated to residential and public spaces and will include amenities such as parks, restaurants, retail, entertainment spaces and ecological observation stations. “Together, we have created the foundation for a fair and eco-friendly place that represents the best of San José and Google,” said Alexa Arena, Google’s director of development in San José, who added described the proposition as “much less the corporate campus” and more “a resilient neighborhood”. Construction could start as early as next year, but will last between 10 and 30 years.

President Biden calls for a major increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.

As part of his $ 6 billion budget, President Biden proposed a increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. If approved by Congress for fiscal year 202, the budget would mark the largest budget increase in the history of the organization. “[His] the budget represents a significant commitment to the arts and culture sector and reflects the continued importance of arts organizations and cultural workers to the health and vitality of the country ”, Ann Eilers, Acting President of the Agency, mentionned in a report. We are a long way from former President Trump’s proposals to completely eliminate the agency, as well as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

In its stellar debut, the sleek medical scrub disruptor Figs is valued at $ 4.57 billion.

As Area Noted In 2019, the direct-selling brand FIGS gave the healthcare industry a millennial dose of freshness with its elegant scrubs. Last week we learned how much this cool is worth after shares of Figs Inc. jumped almost 29% when they debuted in the market – opening at $ 28.30, from $ 22 –valuing the company at $ 4.57 billion. The company saw a 138% increase in revenue in 2020, reflecting increased demand during the pandemic. Read it Area profile to learn more about the rise of the “Warby Parker of Scrubs”.

Black Wall Street in New York is disfigured on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

On Monday night thick white paint was smeared on the window of Black Wall Street, a Lower Manhattan gallery that displayed pieces for the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The NYPD declined to categorize the vandalism as hate speech, although a representative confirmed that the incident had been referred to the Hate Crimes Task Force for further investigation. “We demand that the police review their policies on what constitutes hate speech because it was indeed deliberate and intentional,” the gallery wrote on Instagram. “You just have to look at the facts. We are the Black Wall Street Gallery and this incident happened exactly 100 years after the massacre. As far as we are concerned, applying white paint to the word “black” is deliberate and intentional and therefore constitutes hate speech. ”

Australia’s tallest residential tower rises in Melbourne with a starburst design element.

Extending nearly 1,050 feet into the sky, the Supertall designed by Fender Katsalidis, Australia 108, borders the Greek-Australian architect’s Eureka Tower (975 feet) – both located in the Southbank district – and Q1 Tower on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Notable for its bluish glazing and edgy white lines, the building’s standout element is the angular golden “starburst” feature inspired by the Commonwealth star on the Australian flag. On the front, it houses the common areas and the facilities for residents of the 1,105 apartments.

Blacks are severely under-represented in LA museums, according to a new survey.

While one might think that last year’s racial calculation would motivate cultural institutions to prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion when addressing representation on their boards, new research suggests further progress is needed. the Los Angeles Times recently interrogates ten major museums and performing arts companies in Southern California to gauge how many of their board members identify as BIPOC and black. Among museums, black board members make up only 5.4 percent of boards (18 of 334 seats at the table). And while nearly 75% of Los Angeles County are not white, only 19.8% of the museum’s board members identify as non-white.

Today’s Attractive Distractions:

The eerily realistic marble skull of this German castle was actually a Bernini original.

The new sinuous furniture by Piero Lissoni features a short film for Knoll.

Elon Musk thinks Neuralink brainchips will “end language” in 10 years.

Recreate the magic of Frank Lloyd Wright with these miniatures to build.