THE GREAT INDOORS N111 JUL AUG 2016

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

Best material
statements,
most immersive
experiences

CA $29.50 AU $28.99 JP 3,570 KR WON 40,000

EU 19.95 IT 14.95 CHF 30 UK 14 US $19.95

BP

Shared Living. Fresh concepts for co-housing

Leading retailers enter the wellness arena. Luca Nichetto
rejects style. Formafantasma reveals five turning-point
moments. Furniture manufacturers tackle transient times
WWW.HANSBOODT.COM
WWW.HANSBOODT.COM
 Marazzi. Your space.
Extraordinary everyday.
The rarest forms of marble for the new
Allmarble stoneware collection.

www.marazzi.it
PH. ANDREA FERRARI
Collection Allmarble: Saint Laurent, Statuario
Modular system Corals by Robert Bronwasser | Armchair Rama by Arik Levy | www.palau.nl
 FRAME 111 11

Contents
21 Objects
See whats shaping the world
of products

43 Talents
Meet our curated selection
of award-winning creatives

53 Portraits
54 Luca Nichetto
Style is not design

59 Ronald Hooft
Kitchen confidential

61 Only If
Simplicity over complexity

66 Sebastian Herkner
Culture fiend

69 Lisa Park
From brainwaves to water ripples

74 Formafantasma
Masters of craft

81 Spaces
Photo Alberto Ferrero

Step inside the great indoors Frame goes phygital for its first
Milan exhibition on page 130.
12 CONTENTS

145 Frame Lab

Shared Living
147 The Collective takes on
co-housing in London
154 NaruseInokuma Architects
puts community first in Japan
160 Conceptual dwellings
respond to overpopulation
168 Brands debate the future
of urban living

178 Gaggenau
Celebrating 333 years in the making

Peoples Architecture Office

transforms ventilation shafts
into living spaces on page 160.

187 Reports
188 Moooi
Agents provocateurs

192 Furniture
Manufacturers adapt to the times

203 Victoria + Albert

Flexibility first

204 Short Cut

Photos courtesy of Lane Crawford

Working with willow

206 The Reissue

Back in action: Joe Colombos Impronta sofa

208 In Numbers
Marazzis Allmarble in facts and figures
A R E VO LU T I O N A RY
C E R A M I C M AT E R I A L .
SaphirKeramik, a high-tech material driving innovative design.
With its precise, thin-walled forms and tight-edge radii, Laufen brings a new
language to bathrooms. Collection VAL, design by Konstantin Grcic.
14 FRAME 111

Frame is published

MODELS (L-R) Fleur van Zonneveld, Sabrina Mareili, Maurits Weebers and Judith Hermarij PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANTS Lisanne Lambregts and Emily Koo PRODUCT Wire chair by Cees Braakman and Adriaan Dekker for Pastoe, courtesy of Mobila
Distribution and logistics

Photo Lisanne Lambregts

six times a year by Nick van Oppenraaij
[email protected]
Frame Publishers T +31 20 4233 717 ext 954
Laan der Hesperiden 68
NL-1076 DX Amsterdam Finance
frameweb.com Cedric Isselt
[email protected]

Editorial Pearl Yssel

[email protected]
For editorial inquiries, please
e-mail [email protected]
or call +31 20 4233 717 (ext 923). Subscriptions
Editor in chief For subscription inquiries, please
Robert Thiemann RT e-mail subscriptions@frameweb.
com or call +31 85 888 3551.
Managing editor
Tracey Ingram TI Regular subscription
From 99
Editors Introductory 1-year
Floor Kuitert FK subscription
Maria Elena Oberti MEO From 79
Student subscription
Editorial intern From 69
Jennifer Beynar JB
Please visit frameweb.com/
Copy editors subscribe for the latest offers.
InOtherWords (DLaine Camp,
Donna de Vries-Hermansader) Back issues
Buy online at store.frameweb.com
Design director
Barbara Iwanicka
Advertising
Graphic designers
Vincent Hammingh Sales managers Zeijpveld piled up people in a
Cathelijn Kruunenberg Nikki Brandenburg stripped-back interior setting to
[email protected] convey this issues theme: co-living.
Translation T +31 20 4233 ext 955
InOtherWords (Maria van Tol,
Donna de Vries-Hermansader) Sarah Maisey
[email protected]
Contributors to this issue T +31 20 4233 717 ext 952
Rahel Aima RA
Alice Blackwood AB Advertising representatives

Nicola Bozzi NB Italy
Simon Bush-King SBK Studio Mitos
Giovanna Dunmall GD Michele Tosato
Will Georgi WG T +39 0422 894 868
Kanae Hasegawa KH [email protected]
Ronald Hooft RH
Lara Mikocki LM
Enya Moore EM
Turkey
Titajans
I wanted
Shonquis Moreno SM
Cathelijne Nuijsink CN
Hilmi Zafer Erdem
T +90 212 257 76 66
to make it
Jonathan Openshaw JO
Jill Diane Pope JDP
Bradley Quinn BQ
[email protected]
Licence holders absurd to
Jane Szita JS
Michael Webb MW
Korea
Tong Yang Media Co. Ltd.
exaggerate
Web editor
Lauren Grieco
Young Lee
T +82 70 8169 6013
[email protected]
the idea of
[email protected]
Bookstore distributors
shared living
Lithography
Edward de Nijs
Frame is available at sales points
worldwide. Please see frameweb.
com/magazines/where-to-buy.
to the point
Printing
Grafisch Bedrijf Tuijtel Frame (USPS No: 019-372) is
where people
Hardinxveld-Giessendam published bimonthly by Frame
Publishers NL and distributed
in the USA by Asendia USA, 17B
are stacked
Publishing South Middlesex Ave., Monroe, NJ
on top of
08831.Periodicals postage paid at
Directors
Robert Thiemann
Rudolf van Wezel
New Brunswick, NJ, and additional
mailing offices. one another
Postmaster: send address changes Aisha Zeijpveld, cover photographer
Sales and marketing director to Frame, 701C Ashland Ave.,
Margreet Nanning Folcroft, PA 19032.
[email protected]
ISSN FRAME: 1388-4239
Brand manager 2016 Frame Publishers
Hanneke Stuij and authors
[email protected]
T+ 31 20 4233 717 ext 912
At home with perfection.
Created with minimalistic form for maximum impact.

www.bulthaup.com
16 EDITORIAL

Shared
State of possessions. Thats right: for those who
are far and away the prime consumers
of the sharing economy. For them,
relatively inexpensive rental units with

Affairs experiential spaces and loads of like-

minded people are a logical outcome.
Although a cut above the student flat in
price, its a place to live with a myriad
of amenities yet without the recur-
ring expenses and permanency of an
owner-occupied apartment. When you
consider that for the first time more
of the worlds population is living in
urban than in rural areas, and that most
big cities have a shortage of afford-
able housing, you can understand why
co-working giant WeWork has entered
How we work, buy and relax topics the co-living market with WeLive, its
that we at Frame have always found own take on shared housing.
intriguing. We make a magazine for Thats the good news. But what
professionals who are engaged in should co-living complexes look like?
the design of spaces for these public What sort of facilities make sense and
activities. So why an issue of Frame which ones dont? How do you trans-
that features housing a private affair? form a ready-made residential complex
The answer is simple: were exploring into a close-knit community? There
a relatively new type of residence arent many examples for us to study,
that does involve professionals. Im because its still such an unexplored
talking about co-living, also known as area of design. This issue of Frame
shared living, an increasingly commer- brings you trailblazing concepts and
cial version of the often idealistic interviews with pioneers in the field.
communes that had their heyday in You will also find a thorough
the 1970s. Todays co-living complexes review of Milan Design Week: an
start with a developer who commis- expert selection of the best mate-
sions a spatial-design expert whose rial statements and the most immer-
main job is to create amply propor- sive experiences. Yes, its been a few
tioned communal spaces: from lobby months since Milan had us in its grip,
and cinema to spa and roof terrace. The but the impact of the design event of
occupants private unit often comprises the year can scarcely be overrated
no more than a small bedroom. at least for professionals, and it bears
This type of community-living repeating: after nearly 20 years, profes-
complex appears to be built primarily sional designers remain the target
for millennials: young professionals group of this magazine.
who are more mobile than their coun-
terparts from previous generations and Robert Thiemann
more interested in experiences than in Editor in chief
 I N D U ST R I A L
L A N DS CA P E
N o 5 - B LU R

Inspired by the streets of London and the gritty backdrops of railways, The new Industrial Landscape collection is a series of seven carpet
tunnels of factories, workshops and warehouses. The surfaces cracked designs created by Tom Dixon in collaboration with ege carpets.
paving stones and brick blocks make up the crumbling industrial Available in tiles and broadloom transforming into different expressions
landscape while the massive tidal River Thames splits the city in two, that reinterpret the rough, raw everyday surfaces that define the
and the new reflective glass towers start to dominate the skyline. London landscape.

London The Industrial Landscape. New carpet collection by Tom Dixon. Learn more at egecarpets.com
18 CONTRIBUTORS

Inevitably, well see the best

elements of our digital social
lives apply to our physical
lives, with nontraditional
groups sharing spaces
Simon Bush-King on shared living, the theme of this issues Frame Lab

Hailing from New Zealand, architect Simon Bush-King currently runs a small Dubais Rahel Aima is the founding editor of
collaborative practice in Amsterdam. While working across the full spectrum of The State, a contributing editor to The New
architecture and urban design, he also enjoys writing for magazines and journals. Inquiry and an editorial correspondent for Ibraaz.
Articles from his hand have appeared in Mark, Interior and Landscape Architecture Her interests lie in non-Western futurity and the
New Zealand. For the Spaces section of this issue, he visited Issey Miyakes history of colour.Aimas report on Design Days
retrospective at the National Art Center in Tokyo. Dubai appears on page 37.

Amsterdam photographer Cindy Baar considers Raised on a steady diet of comic books, cult Partners in life and work, photographer-cum-
New York City her second home. After spending movies and jazz, soul and funk music, Australian illustrator Wendy van Santen and art director-
Illustrations Robin Ellis

several years curating art and photography photographer Andrew Boyle moved to New York slash-set designer Hans Bolleurs are based
exhibitions and working as a stylist, she began in 2007. He enjoys shooting the energy he feels in in Rotterdam. The Dutch duo tells stories with
focusing on her personal work. Under the name youth, fashion, music and the celebrity scene as everyday objects that are used to create minimalist
Quite Buttery, she furnishes magazines and creative well as in quieter subjects such as abandoned compositions. Clients include Sony Music, Tele2,
agencies with images and photographic series. Her urban landscapes. His portraits of performance Ikea, Fast Company and the Sddeutsche Zeitung.
work shows a stylized view of reality. For this issue artist Lisa Park appear in this issue of Frame. For Frame 111, they captured the materials that are
of Frame, she visited the Manhattan office of Only If. key to Gaggenaus history.
DAUPHIN X-CODE: FOR GREATER DYNAMISM IN THE OFFICE
The functions of X-Code ofce chairs clearly determine their overall styling. The soft, multidimensional backrest fabric ensures optimum climatic conditions and
support for the entire back. The horizontal gaps in the backrest shell provide support, allow ventilation and are an unusual design feature in their own right.

Dauphin HumanDesign Group GmbH & Co. KG

Espanstrae 36 I 91238 Offenhausen, Germany
Tel. +49 9158 17-700 I Fax +49 9158 17-701
www.dauphin-group.com I [email protected]
 Digital meets physical at
Salone del Mobile. Design Days
Dubai presentations reference
Emirati culture. Luminaires
enhance architecture at
Light + Building. See whats
shaping the world of products.
Photo Adrianus Kundert
 Living With Pet
hello
This innovative multi use furniture is specially designed for
those pet lovers out there. Made from teak, this sofa not only
includes a separate space for your pet, but it is also modular
and weather resistant, which can be enjoyed both inside and
out.

Designer: Zero first design + jiranan pisannan.

W W W. D E E S AWAT . C O M BAN GKOK : THAIL AND I N F O @ D E E S AWAT. C O M

 OBJECTS 23

A Dutch designer
celebrates the process
of ageing with a tactile
seating collection

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

SURFACES Rotterdam-based
designer Adrianus Kunderts
playful Trans-saddles have a
tactile appearance that begs
to be touched. The seats
presented at Ventura Lambrates
Envisions exhibition during
Milan Design Week reflect
his belief that richness comes
with age. Kundert encourages
materials to demonstrate their
age by employing surfaces and
techniques that erode or fade
with use. One example is made
of porous stone and finished
in layers of colour, which are
gradually revealed in the areas of
the seat that endure the most use.
In a throwaway society where
many of us are quick to replace
anything that looks remotely
past its sell-by date, the Dutch
designers approach is refreshing.
Photo Ronald Smits

By championing a products
lifespan, he encourages us to
revel in its ageing process rather
than to cut it short. EM
adrianuskundert.com
24 OBJECTS

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

FURNITURE Peachy rubber

floors, stark white blinds and
sparse furnishings: Atelier
Biagettis No Sex exhibition
effectively radiated a clinical
atmosphere, albeit one with
more tactility than the average
surgery. In creating the space,
designer Alberto Biagetti and
artist Laura Baldassari addressed
societys relationship with the
traditionally taboo subject of
sex. Described as the ultimate
wellness clinic, offering treat-
ment for overdose or abstinence,
the space featured objects that
appealed to the senses, from
strip lighting softened by a
pink latex curtain to Soffietta, a
leather accordion seat. Although
Atelier Biagetti is right society
is indeed overexposed to sex
by the media the exhibitions
twin doctors and their nurselike
assistants, attractive females one
and all did little to challenge
the stereotyping of women. EM
atelierbiagetti.com

Photos Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti, courtesy of Atelier Biagetti

Atelier Biagetti responds

to todays overly
sexualized world with a
wellness clinic collection

Atelier Biagetti gets seductive

in the digital magazine
www.windowfrance.com

e v o l u t i o n
inspiration
revolution
innovation

cameleon mannequin
removable faces, eyes and lips
70 000 possibilities
26 OBJECTS

In line with the theme of

Frames debut exhibition
in Milan, designs merging
digital and physical
featured in multiple
presentations across town

Photo CAL/Youns Klouche

Discover more phygital

projects by CAL students
in the digital magazine
 OBJECTS 27

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

1 Pump It Up by CALs Pierre Allain-
Longval and Mathilde Colson uses a
classic bicycle pump to inflate on-screen
balloons until they pop. Digital sounds
make the experience lifelike.

2 Designed by Lievore Altherr Molina

for Arper, Parentesit is a collection
of wall panels with hidden backlights
and concealed speakers that can be
controlled with a mobile phone.

3 A masters student in interior architecture

and retail design at the Piet Zwart Insti-
tute, Merle Flgge conceived Twofold,
a blanket that combines augmented
reality with a physical duplicate of the
virtual image.

4 A modern take on the traditional Swiss

clock, Cuckoo Family by HEAD Genve
student Marine Sergent allows users to
generate digital, time-related graphics by
placing bird figurines on an iPad screen.
Photo Marco Covi

Photo courtesy of HEAD Genve, Baptiste Coulon

28

5 For Reproductions, DAE student Carl

Rethmann made a plaster replica of a real
stone, which functions as an interface
that controls its own real-time rendered
avatar.

6 Circuitry embedded in the SapienStone

surface of SmartSlab, a table by Swedish-
German studio Kram/Weisshaar, keeps
food and drinks at the perfect tempera-
ture during meals.

7 Dutch Invertuals probed the workings

of our increasingly virtual world, as
exemplified by Daniel de Bruins Fosfeen,
equipped with sensors that registered
people approaching and caused a strip
of orange LEDs to rise from a tray filled
with motor oil. FK

Photo Jrgen Schwope

 10 Designers
More than
200 bath ideas
332 pages
CAPE COD
The new bathroom series by Philippe Starck.
For free on www
or free www.duravit.com
www.d
duravit
duravit.com
it com Countless ideas for your bathroom in the new Badmagazin and on www.duravit.com
30 OBJECTS

Objects presented during

the Salone de Mobile take on
Photo David Brook a sculptural appearance

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

TREND Exciting the already

overstimulated crowd at Milans
yearly spectacle is a challenge
that many designers tackle with
statement pieces intended to
provoke feelings, incite thinking
or simply stand out in terms
of shape or size. The events
2016 edition saw a remarkable
number of would-be standouts.
Disregarding the principle of
form follows function, makers
took a sculptural approach to
their work, playing with arche-
types and defying conventional
precedents. FK

 OBJECTS 31

Photo Marille Leenders

Photo Gijs Spierings

1 Inlaid with wood and mother-of-pearl,
the Phrenology Series 1.0 Sound Totem
is an angular hi-fi speaker conceived by
Craftwork Studios Mehrnoosh Khadivi.

2 Based on basic architectural elements

such as arches and columns, Space
Frames by Studio Mieke Meijer is a series
of luminous volumes that can be freely
arranged to create spatial compositions.

3 The result of improvisation, Joost van

Bleiswijks blow-torched, sheet-metal
Protopunk collection came about without
the use of moulds or predetermined plans.

4 Part of Maarten Baass New! Newer!

Newest! exhibition, the Tree Trunk chair
could be produced by allowing a tree to
grow around a mould of the chair for at
least two centuries.

5 At the Advanced Relics exhibition in

Milan, Dutch Invertuals newbie Nel
Photo Floor Knaapen

Verbeke showed The Melancholic

Nature Of Relics, a series of designs
that transcends the traditional function
of everyday products to suggest tools
for contemplation.
32 OBJECTS

Patricia Urquiola
joins forces with
Federico Pepe
to translate a
traditional
craft into
contemporary
design

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

FURNITURE After debuting

a collection of iridescent-glass
furniture for Glasitalia last year,
Patricia Urquiola continues to
explore the possibilities of the
fragile material. The Credenza
furniture collection, designed for
Spazio Pontaccio in collaboration
with Federico Pepe, takes inspi-
ration from the vibrant windows
that German artist Gerhard
Richter made for Cologne Cathe-
dral in 2007. Like Richters work,
Credenza is a graphic interpreta-
tion of a largely traditional craft.
Strong colours take centre stage
in a series of cabinets, screens
and tables. With the Campana
brothers also employing the
material in Aqurio, a cabinet
for BD Barcelona Design, glass
seems to be shaking off its
old-fashioned connotations to
assume a more contemporary
aesthetic. EM
patriciaurquiola.com
ledictateur.com

Examine the Credenza collection

with the digital magazine
GR A ND PUBL IC

WE WILL ALWAYS BE MODERN, OUR DESIGN ALWAYS ESSENTIAL

ATTACH DESIGN TROELS GRUMSCHWENSEN, 2016

ADD WORK DESIGN ANYA SEBTON, 2016 LAMMHULTS.SE

34 OBJECTS

Photo Simone Fiorini

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

MATERIALS Despite the

current design trend thats
embodied in minimal and
even bare designs that quite
obviously refer to less is
more, a range of furnishings
on display at the Salone del
Photo courtesy of Dante-Goods and Bads

Mobile and the Fuorisalone

indicated a shift towards a
more lavish aesthetic. Pieces
swaddled in soft fabrics such
as velvet and Alcantara added
a note of grandeur to certain
collections, while enriching

At the Salone del Mobile, the tactility and comfort of

todays interiors. FK

furniture brands showed

products distinguished by
a soft touch
 OBJECTS 35

1 Evenly stitched ovals give a ribbed 3 Designed by Matteo Cibic for Bonotto
texture to Christophe de la Fontaines Editions, Solanio is a folding screen clad
Farewell rug; made of Alcantara, it is in multicoloured velvet Jacquard and
part of Dantes line of Goods and Bads. framed in brass.

2 Cool metals including pewter, brass, 4 Knoll updated Warren Platners Arm
nickel and steel contrast with soft, Chair from 1966 with a finish in 18-carat-
feminine fabrics in Dimore Studios new gold plate. The upholstered shell and
furniture collection, which features seat cushion are available in Knoll Velvet
a table topped in Alcantara. or Circa.

5 The injection-moulded shell of Swoon,

a lounge chair by Space Copenhagen
for Fredericia Furniture, provides excel-
lent support for the chairs comfy fabric-
covered cushions.
Photo courtesy of Bonotto Editions

Photo Ezio Prandini

Photo Mads Flummer

 OBJECTS 37

At Design Days Dubai,

references to arabesque
motifs and Emirati
culture signalled the rise
of a distinctively local TREND Dubai has long been
design language known for its import of goods,
labour, architecture and design
its creative acquisitions often
hastily localized by means of
mashrabiya panels and other
traditional ornamentation. The
fifth edition of Design Days
Dubai saw a welcome shift away
from that practice, a change that
parallels the growing strength of
design education in the area. In
fact, more than half the events
exhibitors live and work in the
region. On show was a collec-
tive reappraisal of traditional
materials, forms and styles of
craftsmanship, now synthesized
to produce a new hybrid language
that is inimitably of its place. RA
Photo Chito Pachica

Photo Saeed Khalifa

1 Monograms sculptural bench, which

takes it shape from the letter waw
(and in Arabic), symbolizes a desire
3 Forma, presented by Nakkash Gallery,
features the agal a black cord worn
doubled on the heads of Khaleeji men

to make elements such as language as interpreted by Emirati vernacular-
a universally recognized part of the
UAEs fast-growing and increasingly
multidimensional culture.
design pioneer Khalid Shafar, who
used the agal to create clusters of
illuminated spheres.

2 Like the man-made islands of Dubai, 4 Viewed from above, the marbled
Architecture + Other Things Almost geometry of Aljoud Lootahs Double
Natural Shelter a piece commissioned Square stool forms an eight-pointed
by 1971 Design Space commingles the star, a motif that is the basic building
natural and the synthetic to question block of arabesque ornamentation.
the realization of space and aesthetics
in the Anthropocene.
 OBJECTS 39

Mokos
multifaceted
wooden wall
panels reflect
Hungarys
mountain
landscape

SURFACES Despite the fact that

previous designs by Budapest-
based Moko Interior were named
for far-flung places such as
Alaska and Bondi, the company
took a more local approach
when naming its latest wooden
wallcoverings. Matra, a multi-
layered timber panel, refers to a
mountain range located northeast
of the Hungarian capital. Crafted
by hand using ash veneer with a
diagonal grain, each cross-lami-
nated section fits beautifully with
surrounding units to become
part of a dramatic wall feature.
Designed by cofounder Zsolt
Photo courtesy of Moko

Karajz, Matra, with its striking

structural relief, is an intriguing
three-dimensional surface that
visually changes with the shifting
light of day. EM
mokointerior.com
 Photo courtesy of Flos Photo courtesy of Modular Lighting Instruments
40

OBJECTS

spaces

on show at
enhanced
Brightening
indoors and

architecture
out, luminaires
Light + Building

in multiple ways
Photo courtesy of Marset

Photo courtesy of Linea Light Group Photo Daniel Nicolas

Photo courtesy of Terzani

Photo courtesy of Louis Poulsen

1 An S-shaped line visible on Modular
Lighting Instruments ceiling fixture
Semih denotes a hinged system for
rotating and tilting the lamp to produce
easy-to-direct light.

2 The main earmarks of Casting, Vincent

Van Duysens outdoor collection for Flos,
are LEDs concealed behind light-diffusing
glass and an undeniably architectural form.

3 Two hemispheres one opaque, one

translucent and movable are key to
Theia, a lamp by Mathias Hahn for Marset
that merges light and shadow.

4 LED lamps placed freely within the

tangled loops that make up Doodle,
a design by Simone Micheli for Terzani,

5
cast playful shadows on surrounding
surfaces.

William Brand, cofounder of Brand van

Egmond, conceived Eve, an organically
shaped chandelier ideal for both classic
and contemporary interiors.

6 Winner of a Red Dot Award, 2nights

a versatile wall lamp created by Davide
Oppizzi for Linea Light Group projects
intriguing patterns on the wall when the
beam is directed upwards.

7 The fruit of a collaboration between

Louis Poulsen and designer ivind
Slaatto, the Patera pendant has an
intricately organic structure that emits
an atmospheric glow.

8 Referencing both the archetypal lamp-

shade and pliss fashion classics, Arik
Levys Butler for Delta Light blurs the
lines between inside and outside

Photo courtesy of Delta Light

9 Developed in collaboration with
UNStudio, Nightsight a modular LED
outdoor system from Zumtobel can
be adjusted to the specific needs of the
nocturnal city and adapted to the users
wishes. FK

Photo courtesy of Zumtobel

EMPIRE
 Philipp Beisheim pumps
up infla(tables). Chihiro
Tanaka fuses fashion and
lighting. Anna Puigjaner
puts a social spin on spaces.
Meet our curated selection
of prizewinning creatives.

Frame teams up with Eyes on Talents to highlight award-winning designers.

Eyes on Talents is a by-invitation-only online platform used by innovative brands
to discover and connect with top creatives from a range of disciplines.
frame.eyesontalents.com
44 TALENTS

Beisheims inflatable designs

combine wooden elements
with hard-wearing Hypalon,
a synthetic rubber commonly
used for pool toys.

German product designer

Philipp Beisheim pumps fresh
air into pop-culture icons

Is there such a thing as a universal design long time about five years researching
language? If so, what does it tell us about those iconic designs and the culture around
the world we live in? PHILIPP BEISHEIM: them. I think inflatable furniture has a lot
People have been trying to formulate a uni- of potential, especially in the leisure- and
versal design language for decades. During outdoor-furniture market. Inflatables are
FIRST-PRIZE WINNER the Bauhaus movement, the language of the perfectly suited to temporary settings.
OF THE SALONESATELLITE time expressed concerns of affordability
AWARD 2016 and a push towards mass production Is collapsible furniture the way of the
ideas later challenged by postmodernists, future? I think collapsible and inflatable
who argued that modernist design was furniture should be given serious considera-
boring. When viewed from a contemporary tion as alternative solutions for situations in
perspective, however, postmodernism which hard and heavy industrial materials
lacks the clarity of thought and sophis- continually fail us.
tication of its predecessor. This is all to
say that design languages keep changing The refugee crisis springs to mind. What can
and evolving. When it comes to the world design do to help? The refugee crisis has to be
today, I think were somewhere between understood in its totality. Its not an iso-
modernism and postmodernism. Im not lated design issue. That said, I think that we
sure that we will ever reach an absolute designers should work collectively to come
design language. Only time will tell. up with creative concepts for assisting these
people particularly the children. I envision
What triggered your line of inflatable a platform initiated by designers for designers,
furniture? I was inspired by the flamboy- where creatives can share innovative ideas
ant blow-up furniture designs of the 1960s, for helping refugees. MEO
pieces that made a bold statement. I spent a philippbeisheim.com
 BETTELUX SHAPE
The new design concept in an open steel frame.
Made from high-grade steel/enamel with a 30 year warranty.
Design: Tesseraux + Partner

www.bette.de
Subscribe Now
and enjoy our must-have book on retail design

1-Year (6 Issues) +
Holistic Retail Design
for 79 149

Order at store.frameweb.com
 TALENTS 47

Projects involving domestic

spaces prompt Spanish
designer and researcher
WINNER OF HARVARD
Anna Puigjaner to stress the
UNIVERSITYS
WHEELWRIGHT PRIZE significance of the collective

You recently proposed a plan for housing

blocks with communal domestic amenities,
such as kitchens. What are the benefits of
collective typologies? ANNA PUIGJANER:
My interest in collective habitations was
sparked by Rem Koolhaass Delirious New
York, in which he describes an extraordi-
nary building containing a hotel that offers
services to residents on the upper floors. I did
some research and found that his example
was not extraordinary at all its how people
really used to live. The benefits are huge,
both economically and socially. Waste is also
reduced when a building becomes collective.

Could your modular exhibition design for

Species of Spaces be applied to larger
venues, such as the Tate or MoMA? Species
of Spaces was designed for a specific Barce-
lona museum, but it could certainly be used
in larger settings; the scale would change, but
thats the only limitation. The scale of Species
of Spaces was domestic. We wanted to turn
the gallery into a house. The design, like all
our systems, was open. We established a set
of rules that allowed the curator to create
and to do the additional obligatory work.

What makes a system successful? In addi-

tion to a good design, a successful system
requires clear communication. People need
to know how to use it. The will of the user is
also important. There has to be a real need,
or the system wont be relevant.

Digital platforms are replacing physical

galleries. How can curators attract visitors
to their exhibitions? This is an important
topic. I dont believe that this kills that. The
e-book is not replacing paper; one world
does not destroy the other. Instead, we need
to find ways to make them work together
Photo Jose Hevia

so that the digital supports the physical,

and vice versa. Digital and physical galleries
should be understood as independent entities
and should be designed as such. MEO
maio-maio.com Inspired by Species of Spaces and Other Pieces,
a book by Georges Perec, Anna Puigjaner designed
This issues Frame Lab delves deeper into shared a modular display system that transforms a generic
living. Turn to page 145 to read more gallery into a series of individual rooms.
Mark Out Now
Mark 62 features reviews of the Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen by As-If
Architects and the Central Embassy tower in Bangkok, designed by Amanda
Levetes AL_A. Other subjects include profiles of Dominique Coulon & Associs
from Strasbourg and Vo Trong Nghia from Ho Chi Minh City. A small themed
section is devoted to the architecture of refugee shelters.

Photo Eugenie Pons

Order at frameweb.com
 TALENTS 49

Unimpressed
by products
and tools already
on the market,
German designer
Eva Mller takes
matters into her
own hands

WINNER OF THE GERMAN

DESIGN NEWCOMER AWARD

Designed in collaboration with Vorwerk, Mllers

thesis project the VB100 Broom is a fusion of
carpet sweeper and vacuum cleaner.

You started off as a graphic designer but cleaning device that would combine the When it comes to designing for the future,
moved to product design. Why the shift in simplicity and quietness of the broom with what should products bring to the table?
direction? EVA MLLER: The move was the advantages of the vacuum cleaner. The keywords are integrity, sustainability
prompted by my general dissatisfaction with and recyclability. Functionality and aesthet-
the products and tools I was using. At one Brands arent launching as many prod- ics come second.
point, I decided I would just design these ucts as they used to. It seems that less is,
things myself. While working in a more indeed, more. What does this say about Are there projects youd like to work on that
three-dimensional sphere, I quickly realized the current market? Consumers are more havent yet come your way? Id like to work
that communication is as vital to industrial as aware than ever before. The internet allows with food. It offers the unique opportunity
to graphic design.The commonality is what people to research products before they to involve all the senses. In a way, its the
stirred my interest in interface design, which buy and to see what goes on behind the most honest product in the world. I like the
connects the product to the user. scenes. There is a greater awareness of idea of using the plate as a canvas. You get
issues like the environmental impact of to play not only with colour and texture,
What does the VB100 Broom say about a manufacturing process and the carbon but also with flavour. The sense of taste is
the way we live and about what consumers footprint it leaves behind. We live in a very personal. Its not something that gets
look for in products today? The concept world of abundance where consumption triggered accidentally. No, every bite is a
behind VB100 was Entschleunigung, the is always possible.The resulting satura- decision. After you swallow, it disappears.
German word for slow movement or tion means that todays status symbols are All thats left is a feeling. MEO
deceleration. I wanted to design a practical defined more by quality than by quantity. evamuellerdesign.com
50 TALENTS

Japanese fashion
and lighting designer
Chihiro Tanaka
fuses his twin talents
for intriguing results

WINNER OF A RISING ASIAN

TALENTS AWARD PRESENTED Your background is in fashion. What sparked
BY MAISON&OBJET ASIA the shift to lighting design? CHIHIRO
TANAKA: I thought that if I could apply my
knowledge and background in textiles and
fashion to a different creative discipline
something entirely new to me I might come
up with some innovative ideas. A lighting

Photo Rohichi Kanata

designer needs enough technical insight to
ensure the safety and durability of the objects
hed like to make. A lamp thats unsafe will
never make it in the real world. The challenge
posed was irresistible. I had to give it a go.

What does it take to make something in-

novative? Innovation involves looking back
at history and transforming the past into
something new and meaningful. In my own
practice, I study the products, materials
and processing techniques that defined a
period and compare them with current ideas
and experiences. Through this process of
exploration and learning, new principles and
unexpected forms emerge.

Fashion design moves a lot faster than prod-

uct design. What are the benefits of slowing
things down? The advantage of product
design is that things stay fresh for a relatively
long period of time, unlike fashion trends,
which are more or less seasonal and last but
a mere moment.

Will product design ever catch up with the

fashion industry? Should it even bother try-
ing? I dont think product design will catch
up to fashion. It doesnt needs to. That said,
I think things are slowing down in the fashion
world, especially in terms of consumption
and production.

A number of your designs derive from

nature. Why are natural forms so attractive?
The vitality of nature, with all its colours
and forms, stimulates our senses and stirs
our deepest human emotions. My creativ-
ity is often triggered by nature. There are a
number of festivals in Japan that celebrate
the natural world; examples are hanami,
the cherry blossom festival, and tsukimi, a
Spore, an organism-inspired
luminaire, exemplifies the
mid-autumn festival that honours the harvest
interaction between light and moon. These are great sources of inspiration
fabric in Tanakas body of work. for me. MEO
chihirotanaka.jp
 MEISTERSTCK EMERSO by Arik Levy

kaldewei.de
 Silvia Spitaleri, Polytechnic School - University of Palermo
(Industrial Design Laboratory III, Degree in Industrial Design)

BOLOGNA, 26 - 30 SEPTEMBER 2016

promoted by

CONFINDUSTRIA CERAMICA

in collaboration with

organized by

show management
in collaboration with Promos srl

Free ticket online: www.cersaie.it/onlinebooth

 Luca Nichetto talks pirates and products. Formafantasma
traces its craft-centric red thread. Sebastian Herkner feeds
on daily doses of creativity. Only If rejects aesthetic
Photo Andrew Boyle

stereotypes. Artist Lisa Park moves water with her mind.

Get all this and even more perspectives on people.
54 PORTRAITS

In his mini memoir, Luca Nichetto reveals

how Muranos glass industry heightened
his appreciation of production, which he
believes is inherently connected to design.
Words Floor Kuitert Portraits Antonio Campanella

Blow
by
Blow
LUCA NICHETTO: I felt as if I was living like Drawing and history were my favourite
Tom Sawyer when growing up. I was born in classes in primary school. Even before
Venice but raised on Murano, a super-small I started school, one thing that really
island. Because of the water surrounding us, attracted me was the mask of Tutankhamun.
my friends and I would imagine we were My dad had a book about it. I must have read
pirates. Looking back, I think it was a perfect it a thousand times to understand how it
environment. was discovered. It helped me to get a feel for
beautiful things. I still think that mask is one
Murano is known for its glass industry. My of the most beautiful objects in the world.
grandfather was a glass-blower, my mother
a decorator. At least 95 per cent of the people Im not the kind of designer that builds a story
I was connected to in Murano were linked to after the product is finished, even though the
the glass industry, so creativity was some- design scene changes and communication has
thing absolutely normal to me. Probably what become very important. When I design some-
Im doing now is because of being raised thing, I want it to have a reason to show
amid all that activity. I never decided why Ive done certain things. There is always
to become a designer. I just went with the a story behind those reasons. It could be
flow and started designing glass pieces. something very romantic or just pragmatic.

My mom was into design. She furnished the As a student, I was very much against people
house with very interesting products. Our who obligated me to do something that I
sofa was B&B Italias Coronado, and our table thought was unnecessary. I know thats not
was the Tulip by Eero Saarinen, in marble. good, but as I think back on my classmates
I didnt understand their significance when the very good ones I see that they are not
I was a kid, but I do now. successful as professionals. On the contrary,
WHAT I'VE LEARNED 55
56 PORTRAITS

Luca Nichetto
1976 Born in Venice, Italy

1998 Receives degree in industrial

design from Universit Iuav di
Venezia, after studying at the
citys Istituto Statale dArte

some of the bad ones did become successful. People say its very difficult to understand 1999 Begins professional
I think thats because we have this soul, what the Luca Nichetto style is. I really like career with Murano-based
which pushes and drives us to do what we that, because I dont want to have one style. glass-maker Salviati
really want. When you are in school, there is To me, style is not design. Design for me
always someone telling you what to do, but means dealing with production, limits and 2000 Designs first product
the real world is different. No-one tells you the history of your clients company. Take for lighting company Foscarini,
what to do. Its you that needs to decide. Castiglioni, for example. Now you look at his marking the start of a long-term
products and think ah, this is Castiglioni collaboration
If I could change something in design because he spent 50 years building a career
education, I would close half the schools. based on his way of doing things. But he 2001-2003 Works for
There are too many promises made to young doesnt have a style. We call that his style. Foscarini as product research
designers. Fake promises. We dont need the When Im not here any more and someone and development consultant
number of designs that come out each year. mentions the Luca Nichetto style, it will
Thats a big problem, because young people mean I did a good job, but if my style is 2006 Establishes his own
believe that there is space. But it was, and recognizable today, it means Im doing things practice in Venice
still is, difficult for me. For them, it is a thou- to boost my ego. Its not my way of thinking
sand times more difficult. Im not talking about design. 2011 Moves to Stockholm,
about geniuses, but how many geniuses Sweden, and opens a second
in one generation do you have? You need to be able to match who you are studio there
with the DNA of the company. If I were to
Age is moving in a way. When I was 23, do the same sort of project for Cassina and 2016 Presents furniture for
I was probably much more mature than guys Offecct, the results would be totally different. Casamania, Arflex, Offecct,
that age now. And look at my mom. She was I dont want to be the designer that obliges Verreum and Ethimo at Milan
married at 21. In 20 years time, it will prob- a company to do something. That way the Design Week
ably be totally fine to start your studies at 25. company disappears, so to speak. It would
But when you only enter the market at 30, the mean I dont respect them. Im here to help
time you have to do something is short. To my clients move on, so the matching part
do something, you need to build your own is very important.
career, and to build a career you first need to
try things and make mistakes. Talent is not There is a lot of confusion right now about
the only thing; its about experience, knowl- what design is and what it needs to achieve.
edge and luck too. University does not tell There is art design, interaction design and so
you this. And you know why? Because I truly forth. Its important for design to be more
believe university is the only money machine than a word. Yes, design should be spread,
in the design industry right now that is not but what makes it difficult is that there are
affected by the crisis. no more filters, no more boundaries. This
complicates design for me, but especially
for young people having to decide what to do.

I never go looking for brands, although

maybe I should start doing that. I did in the
beginning, of course, but currently brands Language has been the biggest obstacle
are coming to me. Sometimes I say yes, in my career. Five years ago, I didnt speak
sometimes no. Its not a matter of big or small, English. Its not fantastic now, but I can
Chinese, Chilean or Italian. The interesting communicate. Im not chauvinistic enough

thing is to think what I can do for them and to think that design is only in Italy, so one day
what I can learn from them. If these two I told myself that I needed to learn English in
things have a positive answer, I will do the order to travel and visit foreign companies.
project. If I have some doubts, I wont. After a while I was able to communicate. That
moment opened so many doors for me it
Theres a lot I learned a lot working for Foscarini. I think
my design process is still strongly connected
gave me a feeling of freedom, like receiving
a driving licence.
of confusion to what I learned there. I was very young,
and they pushed me to research material and In the last ten years, the production side
right now process, to select samples and to ask for quota-
tions. They taught me about production costs
of design has seen little innovation. The focus
shifted from how to make a product to how
about what and what they mean to the retailer. I learned
more from working than from going to school.
to sell a product. Of course 3D printing is an
amazing tool, but its just a tool thats it. Ten
design needs Every collaboration is a learning process. That
is the beautiful part of being a designer: every
years ago it was carbon fibre that was going
to change the industry, but has it, really? It
to achieve project is a new lesson. Good or bad. wasnt like polyurethane foam or stretch
 WHAT I'VE LEARNED 57

When it comes to selecting the companies

he works for, Nichetto insists that its not
a matter of big or small, Chinese, Chilean or
Italian. His portfolio, which reflects those
words, includes Sucabaruca, a coffee set for
Canadian shop-cum-gallery Mjlk.

materials, which completely changed the and they suggested that I buy and open designer, you need to understand the stage
sofa in the 1950s and 60s. Perhaps the only a studio: a tax-wise investment. So I did. you are designing for. That piece of knowl-
innovation has been the LED lamp, which edge was what pushed me to enter different
changed the shape of lighting completely. Opening a second studio in Sweden was disciplines.
because of love. My wife then my girlfriend
My son is probably the best thing I ever is Swedish. We met in Venice, where she I would advise aspiring designers not to aim
designed, but I say that because I became a lived for eight years. She received a very for the status of star designer. Aim for a
father only recently. Im different now and good job offer that meant moving back to sector where design can make a difference.
my priorities are different. You need to be Sweden. Shes working at an opera house, There is not a lot of available space here, so
very focused, because time becomes shorter doing costumes for theatre. At first I travelled look at emerging countries with big oppor-
and shorter every day. In a way you become back and forth, but it was frustrating, because tunities, where you can do what is difficult
more effective, but its also complicated. Im everything was moving at a fast pace in to do in Europe. Many young architects
travelling a lot, and sometimes I miss a mile- Italy at that time. In Sweden, I felt as if I was have gone to China, because its impossible
stone in his life. He says papa and Im in starting all over again. But after a while to begin at home. I think it will be the same
China. Its not something you can get back. I started to see it as an opportunity. with design.
nichettostudio.com
The decision to open my own studio was If you understand the space and create the
a very practical one. In 2006 I was still a atmosphere, you also design better products.
freelancer I received a shocking tax bill. The result is a ping-pong effect between the
I asked my accountant and a lawyer for advice, two. If you want to become an even better
 Use discount
code F111SFI at
check out to receive

10%
reader discount
on your order!*

Out Now
This research-based handbook explains the relationship between the
physical design of working environments and levels of creativity and
innovation. It acts as a pattern guide that provides context, inspiration
and direction for businesses exploring a workspace change, outlining
the impact this will have at an organisational level. Price 29

Order at store.frameweb.com
*Offer is valid only until 31 August 2016
 THE CRITIC 59

Kitchens
WHEN todays consumer goes looking for
a new kitchen, topping his list of require-
ments is the best price/quality ratio, which
sooner or later leads him to the Swedish
furniture chain with a familiar blue and
yellow logo. He takes a few days off, starts
each morning with a big breakfast and, with
a handy father-in-law and a bit of luck, by the
end of the week hes heating a pan of soup
on the hob and stacking his used bowl in the
Dutch architect and columnist
dishwasher.
On the other hand, if he opts for a
Ronald Hooft turns the heat on
serious built-in kitchen, those few days will the heart of the home.
turn into a year of unpaid leave, and he will
have to hire a team of professionals with Words Ronald Hooft Portrait and styling Anne Claire de Breij
whom he agrees to meet on a weekly basis.
The first consulant is, of course, a
culinary expert, someone who can explain the
CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES Bow tie by Carven and shirt by Comme des Garons (both courtesy of Margriet Nannings); models own ring OBJECT WM String Chair by Studio WM, courtesy of The Frozen Fountain

advantages and disadvantages of induction

and gas cooktops; who can recommend wood,
steel or stone counters; and who knows how
much storage space is enough for his kitchen
equipment. Another must-have is an ergono-
mist, who calculates optimal heights for coun-
ters and hobs, as well as the load capacity of
pull-out cabinets all related to the end users
body measurements. The need for an engineer
to install a mechanical ventilation system goes
without saying. The consumer who selects a
kitchen island designed by uber-minimalist
Claudio Silvestrin for Italian manufacturer
Minotti is wise to have a structural engineer
make a static calculation of the house. Solid-
stone drawer fronts are apt to increase the
number of kilonewtons per square centi-
metre. And to coordinate activities, to make
drawings and to communicate with suppliers
and furniture-makers, the project cannot be
done successfully without an architect.
The choice of materials is, of course, a
matter of taste. They vary from chipboard to
the most exclusive types of marble, hacked
with a disregard for death from remote quar-
ries deep in the jungles of South America or
the Indian subcontinent; and include species
of timber still used in certain ultra-luxurious
cars as gearstick knobs, sourced from trees
with names we Westerners can no longer
pronounce.
And then theres the technology
involved. To really understand and make
maximum use of a contemporary kitchen,
one ought to have at least a bachelors degree
from a reputable university. MIT is the best, so
it seems, but one of Englands classic colleges
will do in a pinch, and even the Sorbonne
apparently has a curriculum that promises to
help the aspiring kitchen-builder manage the
technical aspects of the job.
When it comes to the tap, the consumer
is advised to book a month-long yoga retreat
before making his well-considered choice.
A location in the Southwestern United States
or on an island in Thailand is preferred.
Detoxify the body, meditate for an hour a
day at dawn, if possible and occasionally
leaf through the water-related documentation
next to the lounger.
Too much fuss and bother, you think?
Theres sure to be an outlet of that Swedish
furniture chain not too far from your house.
 Experience

21-24 September 2016

O LY M P I A L O N D O N

w w w.1 0 0 p e r c e n t d e s i g n . c o . u k

@designlondon
 INTRODUCING 61

Counter
Clich
Meet Only If, an architecture
studio that rejects aesthetic
stereotypes despite being
surrounded by the latest
trends in New York City.
Words Shonquis Moreno
Portraits Cindy Baar
62 PORTRAITS

Mobile mirrored modules, which

accommodate product display and
storage, allow users to reconfigure a
fashion showroom in New York City.

CREATING an unsolicited master plan of and coauthoring a book on Hong Kong but I still find New York unbelievably vital
New York City, designing a utopia in New urbanism. Registered to practise in both the and cosmopolitan in a way that supports
Jersey: just two of the projects self-initiated Netherlands and the US, Frampton opened creative practice. The talent of architects and
by Adam Framptons Only If architecture Only If in 2013. The studio embraces organi- designers that have collaborated with Only If
studio. On a smaller scale, the Manhattan- zation over appearance, experimentation most of whom are not from here is
based outfit recently completed a fashion over repetition, simplicity over complexity, possible only because of our location, as is
showroom featuring mirrored, movable and materialization over theorization. This the density of ambitious clients and an envi-
modules and a coffee bar that eschews the year Frampton and his team are designing ronment of discussion. All of this outweighs
bulb-lit, white-tiled laboratories of recent two buildings from the ground up, but hes the very real burden of our overhead.
years in favour of efficiency, black marble quick to point out that theres always some-
and budget-friendly painted OSB. thing to be learned from interiors as well. As an architect, what is interesting to you
Frampton earned degrees in archi- about doing interiors? Interiors provide an
tecture and environmental design (with Why settle in New York and not in one of the immediate and direct testing ground for
honours) at Princeton University and the booming Asian cities youve worked in? ideas. Because of the time and resources
University of Colorado Boulder before ADAM FRAMPTON: A constant refrain is required in larger architectural projects,
working in Rotterdam and Hong Kong for that New York is too expensive and that the theres more delay between design and reali-
OMA; leading projects in China, Taiwan, conditions that made it so creative in the past zation. So interiors offer speed, and perhaps
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and India; are being eroded. This is completely true, more control. The different skills required
 INTRODUCING 63

Photo Michael Vahrenwald (Esto)

tion. Architectural thinking produces rigour
in the design of interiors. Reciprocally, the
material sensibility weve cultivated through
smaller projects is already translating to
other scales. We did a larger building that
required us to consider the resolution
between two parts, which we conceived
like a reveal something typically found
between a floor and a wall where you need
some tolerance or looseness. Perhaps this is
more like a form of creative mistranslation:
some things are lost in the process of transla-
tion, but new meanings can be gained.
in interior design expand our own capabili-
ties, and working in more intuitive ways is Is it interesting to do an interior within the
refreshing. Eventually wed like to work on constraints of architecture designed by
many different scales at the same time. someone else? Every project has its own set
of constraints. We deliberately selected a
Does anything from large-scale architecture highly constrained site for a narrow house
translate into small-scale interiors, or vice were designing now in Brooklyn. This forces
versa? Each of the different scales at which interesting solutions that might not have
we work interior, architectural and urban occurred otherwise. But Ive also worked in
requires its own expertise and therefore more tabula-rasa situations. While freedom
might be considered autonomous. In spite may be easier, it can make it more difficult
of the separation between scales, however, to achieve a kind of specificity that often
there is always the possibility of communica- enriches a design.

Photo Midori Haisuike, courtesy of Only If

Not every aspect of

a project needs to be
novel or different

The team at Only If (left to right):

Adam Frampton, James Schrader
and Karolina Czeczek.
64 PORTRAITS

Photo Michael Vahrenwald (Esto)

Avoiding the artisanal aesthetic of todays coffee
bars, Voyager Espresso refers to the brands scientific
approach. Only If developed an inexpensive yet
futuristic palette of materials, including OSB finished
with aluminium enamel paint.

How have you seen architecture changing as consists of relatively straightforward circular visual inventory and is recorded in booklets
consumer values and technologies change, and linear geometries. Simplification of form that we produce in the office, which can be
and how does your practice fit into this perhaps also liberates us to focus on broader referred to during the next steps of a project.
transformation? There is an increasing questions about the city, collectivity and their This process allows us to create images and
degree of complexity in any given project, relationship with the environment. designs that hopefully define a new position.
even smaller ones. This is especially true in Also, I would distinguish clich from
the US. Architecture seems to be in a sort of There are no coffeehouse clichs in Voyager. the generic or everyday, which I do think
late baroque period now, with parametric How do you avoid clichs, and do they ever has some value. Consider, for instance, the
design and digitally driven methods allowing have value? Fortunately, most of our clients beauty of repetition and the subtle variation
designers to impose or produce additional are more interested in the experimental than of structures in Hilla and Bernd Bechers
formal complexity on top of already complex the formulaic. But what constitutes these photographs. Working through known forms
systems. Without rejecting the possibilities territories isnt always apparent even for and materials is also something we try to
of new tools or technologies, our practice the designer, who might not be conscious do. Not every aspect of a project needs to be
resists this approach. We look for simple of the banal repetition of a certain idea, or novel or different.
gestures and forms that produce structure, may even be responsible for it. Our process, only-if.org
coherence and identity. The use of physical therefore, is to start by trying to identify the
models reinforces our way of working. Even existing clichs and tropes in other words,
Voyager Espresso, which has an unexpect- to define a negative position from which we
edly figural plan for such a small space, can start. This usually takes the form of a
attitude grace
Design Kati Meyer-Brhl
66 PORTRAITS

Featuring a mix of woven

fibres developed in
collaboration with colourist
Giulio Ridolfo, Herkners
MBrace lounge chair takes
comfort to heart. Dedon
presented Mbrace at the
Salone del Mobile.
 A DAY WITH 67

Culture
Vulture
Sebastian Herkners people are good cooks by nature. We cook
with our instinct and feel for colour.
insatiable appetite Im typically travelling about half the
week, usually to visit clients, like Moroso or
for creativity fuels Dedon. The nice thing about being so close to
Frankfurt Airport is that I can meet a client
each new day. in London or spend the day at the Salone del
Mobile and be back home for dinner. I love
Words Maria Elena Oberti coming to the Salone. Its always an exciting
Portrait Antonio Campanella time. I basically grew up at Salone Satellite.
In my free time, I like looking at
architecture or visiting galleries, exhibi-
tions and museums. Holidays are usually
SEBASTIAN HERKNER: My alarm goes off a disaster for me. I get bored really easily. I
at 6 a.m. I usually run on about five hours cant just sit on a beach for two weeks; I need
of sleep. Im a night owl, I cant fall asleep to see something cultural. My holidays need
before midnight. The first thing I see in the to be connected to design somehow.Last
morning is my boyfriend. I start my day with year I went to Colombia, where I met local
a glass of water. Sometimes Ill have a cup of craftsmen. This year Im going to Japan. No
tea if I need the extra buzz. I dont eat in the matter where I go, I carry my green case,
morning. Lunch is my breakfast. with all my pens, and a notebook. I cant
I live in an apartment above my studio sketch on an iPad. I prefer to work by hand.
in Offenbach, which is close to Frankfurt. I like to send postcards when Im
Im usually at my desk by 6 or 7 a.m. and abroad, but theyre getting harder and harder
typically work until around 10 p.m. I work to come by. Its a big problem in Shanghai,
long days, but I dont mind. I love my work actually. Each year for Christmas, I make
and do it with passion. Most of my day is my parents a scrapbook with all the pictures
spent dealing with practical matters, such from my travels and other things Ive done
as calling clients, doing interviews et cetera. throughout the year. I think traditional
Its only after regular working hours, when gestures are important, especially today.
everyone else goes home, that I can do my They have tactility and real value.
sketching and be more creative. My apartment is filled with artisanal
The studio is on the ground floor of an pieces that I collected on my travels. My
old fur and leather workshop. Offenbach used flat is anything but a white cube. Whats my
to be famous for its leather goods. Its an inter- favourite souvenir? Thats difficult to say; its
esting space with beautiful metalwork over always changing. I bought a beautiful glass
the windows. Were a small team of four at the house when I was in Tokyo a while back,
moment. We all sit around a big communal which I keep on the dining table. I also have
table in the middle of the office. My desk is some kokeshi dolls, which I really love.
a bit messy, but I like that. Somehow I always Im always happy to come home. Its
know where everything is. where I feel most comfortable. I dont do
If the weather is nice, we sit in the anything special to unwind before bed. I do
courtyard and eat lunch together in the sun. normal things like check my email, the news
Theres a market down the road that opens and Instagram. I like to use Instagram to view
three times a week and sells goods from the my designs in private settings. You never know
region. Sometimes I get lunch from there. how people are going to use or treat what you
Theres also an Indian restaurant next door designed. Its something you cant control,
where I go often. I know the menu off by which I find interesting. Once Ive caught up
heart now. Lunchtime is a good opportunity with the world, I unplug and drift away.
for me to get some fresh air. Otherwise,
I might never leave the building. Herkner has joined forces with German department
I cook dinner for myself two to three store Alsterhaus for the redesign of its historical
Hamburg location. The project will be unveiled this
times a week. The rest of the time Im out October and will mark Herkners first venture into
dining with friends. I have loads of recipe interior design
books, but I never use them. I think creative sebastianherkner.com
 Use discount
code F111DLX at
checkout to receive

10%
reader discount on
your order!*

Out Now
This inspiring book shows in detail how 3deluxe completed the design of Noor Island,
located in the central lagoon of Sharjah, the capital city of the same-named Arab
emirate. The long-term uncultivated isle has been transformed into an urban-themed
experience where nature and architecture meld in fascinating fashion in a project
that pushes the boundaries of transdisciplinary design to the fullest. Price 39

Order at store.frameweb.com
*Offer is valid only until 31 August 2016
 ONE ARTIST, ONE MATERIAL 69

Mind
over
Matter

Translating
biofeedback into
visual and sonic
spectacle is artist Lisa
Park, whose body of
work is defined by an
intangible material.
Words Jane Szita Portraits Andrew Boyle
70 PORTRAITS

Lisa Park poses with elements

from Eunoia II, whose rippling
pools of water respond to the
artists inner emotional state.
 ONE ARTIST, ONE MATERIAL 71

Immerse yourself in Lisa Parks

Eunoia II with the digital magazine

INSPIRED by a compulsion to control my

consciousness, Lisa Parks performance
pieces employ commercial biofeedback
tools, such as heart-rate monitors and
brainwave headsets. She converts the data
into visual and sonic form, producing
poetic representations of her inner
emotional state, such as the rippling pools
of water in Eunoia I and II: Water is a
mirror of the self, she says. Raised in South
Korea, Park studied fine art in California
followed by interactive media at NYU in
New York, where she lives and works today.

In Eunoia I and II, you move water with

your mind. How do you work this magic?
LISA PARK: In each of the two perfor-
mances, I use a different commercial
brainwave headset with its own software
program. It comes with concentration and
meditation values, plus the five common
brainwave frequencies alpha, beta,
gamma, delta and theta. I basically translate
these input values into sound, using the
programming language Max, and the sound
is then sent to speakers. The speakers are
placed under bowls of water, and the sound
ripples the water.

Why use your emotional state as your

material in this way? Ive always thought
of myself as an emotional person, and I
wanted more control over my emotions.
Thats my goal: to master my own mind.
I started using biofeedback in an attempt to
calm myself for each performance. My first
work of this type, Obsession Is Sad Passion,
was inspired by my fear of butterflies.
My head was in a plastic orb into which

Water is a
mirror of
the self
Commercially available headsets monitor Parks
brainwave frequencies in Eunoia I and II. The
data received is translated into sound and sent to
speakers, which vibrate beneath bowls of water.
72 PORTRAITS

butterflies were released, while a sensor

monitored my heartbeat. Its fluctuations
were translated into variations in the
speed, pitch and tone of a prerecorded

My goal is reading of Patrick Sskinds Depth

Wish. After the performance, I felt I had

to master my confronted my own vulnerability. I was

no longer afraid of my own fear.

own mind How difficult is it to manipulate your

feelings during a performance? The irony
is that I created Eunoia in order to calm
myself, but people want to see some vari-
ation in order to believe it works. I really
have to choreograph myself during the
performance. The headset analyses certain
emotions better than others it responds
well to frustration, for example. I conjure
certain memories, reliving various frus-
trating emotional scenarios.

How do people react to your work? When

Im performing, I feel as though the audi-
ence and I have an unspoken dialogue.
I feel their presence, and they influence
me. Its like a feedback loop, as if our
emotions are on one level. Outside the
performances, people do question whether
brainwave headsets are accurate enough
to portray emotions. After all, Im working
with a developing technology that gives
an impression, not a precise picture.

What impact have these works had on

your life? They have helped me to develop
a meditation practice. Also, I sometimes
wear the headset in social situations; Im
fascinated by how I respond to my environ-
ment in everyday life.

Might your emotion-based works have

real-world applications? I would like my
work to be used as therapy or to help
people meditate. Brain sensors have been
shown to help with ADHD and other disor-
ders. Id like my work to build on that.

What are you working on next? Im starting

a new project about sleep. I want to create
a representation of my dream state, using
data from my brainwaves to control media
in some way. Ive also begun to collect my
tears which I see as water that contains
feelings to make a kind of tear diary.
I note the date and why I cried. Later Ill
examine them under a microscope.
thelisapark.com

Confronting her fear of butterflies in a work called

Obsession Is Sad Passion, Park sealed her head
Go the digital magazine to watch
inside a plastic orb containing the winged creatures,
Obsession Is Sad Passion
while a sensor monitored her heartbeat.
 alexstrohl.com

ANSWER
YO U R C A L L I N G

Create a beautiful website for your photography.

74 PORTRAITS

Natural
Growth
Formafantasma tracks its evolution in
five pivotal projects and recognizes a
craft-centric approach to design even
when things take an industrial turn.
Words Enya Moore Portraits Winter Vandenbrink
 MILESTONES 75

Throughout the years, the work

of Andrea Trimarchi (left) and
Simone Farresin has exhibited
a strong sensitivity to materials
and dedication to research.
76 PORTRAITS

2009
Moulding Tradition
Amsterdam-based Italians Andrea Trimarchi
and Simone Farresin devote part of every
project to intensive research probing,
exploring and analysing the roots of their
subject matter. To do so, they assume the
role of botanist, historian, scientist, artisan.
Its a lengthy process thats often based on
materials.
Former students at DAE, the pair
applied to the school as a duo. Today, its their
2009 joint graduation project that Farresin
cites as the first time we realized who we
were as designers. Moulding Tradition, a
series of ceramic vessels, emerged from
research into immigration issues in Caltagi-
rone, a town in Trimarchis native Sicily. The
project focused on local citizens contradic-
tory opinions of the immigration centre
there. Unglazed ceramics embellished with
Jacquard ribbon, glass and printed paper Moulding Tradition, Trimarchi and Farresins DAE graduation
refer to the Sicilian ceramic tradition of teste project, hinted at the material awareness and craftsmanship
that would become Formafantasmas modus operandi.
di moro 17th-century vases that portray
Moorish faces and hint at the material
awareness and sense of craftsmanship that
would become hallmarks of the studio.

2011
Botanica
The sensitivity to materials and dedication
to research expressed in Moulding Tradition
didnt go unnoticed. London gallerist Libby
Sellers gave the project a platform at Art
Basel, and Plart Foundation founder Maria
Pia Incutti also took note.
The Plart Foundation, an institute
engaged in the research and technological
innovation of plastic objects, commis-
sioned Farresin and Trimarchi to interpret
polymeric plastic in their own way. The
designers responded by honing in on
the moment when plastic was invented.
Connecting their process with the current
trajectory of plastic in the scientific world
allowed them to envision a new aesthetic for
the synthetic substance a shift from pris-
tine finishes to a more artisanal approach.
Formafantasmas Botanica collection is a
series of peculiar organic-looking vessels
that are difficult to time-stamp.
Since teaming up even before applying
to DAE, Trimarchi and Farresin have
maintained the dynamic that characterizes
their earlier work. Farresin says the long-
standing relationship he has with Trimarchi
has evolved into an organic way of exploring
design together and that much of the work is
developed in-house. Today they employ an
The Botanica collection, a series of vessels based
on Formafantasmas interpretation of polymeric
additional designer and an intern, and call
plastic, continued the designers research-rich on the expertise of two freelancers when
approach to Moulding Tradition. projects warrant it.
 MILESTONES 77

2012
Craftica
When Fendi came knocking in 2012, asking salmon skin, cowhide and sponges sit along-
the men to try their hand at designs for side Bone Jug, a somewhat more graphic
leather, Farresin and Trimarchi delved translation of the subject: a leather-handled
into the materials symbolic connotations. container made of glass blown through a hole
Rather than continuing the relatively scien- in a cow bone.
tific approach they had taken to Botanica, Fendi was hesitant when viewing
they made the complex relationship Formafantasmas initial proposals working
between humans and nature their objec- with materials like leather and fur requires
tive. The opportunity to work with Fendis caution but the company welcomed the
craftspeople gave them an insight into the outcome. Craftica wasnt about criticizing
mind-set of the luxury industry, particu- the use of leather, says Farresin, but about
larly in terms of the attitude to quality and demonstrating what already exists, and, in
perfection. Theres a perception that some this case, challenging ideas of perfection and
animals and therefore certain skins are quality. Its a component of our work, he
more precious than others, says Farresin. says, the distinctive need to discard clich.
To provide an alternative perspective
on luxury, Farresin and Trimarchi mapped
out various aspects of leather, making a clear
connection between the animal and the final
product. They combined offcuts from Fendis
manufacturing process with poor skins,
such as those from fish deemed as waste
by the food industry and animal bladders.
The resulting objects are as diverse in form as
they are in material. Stools made from wood,
Photos Luisa Zanzani

Working with Fendi on the Craftica project

gave the duo the opportunity to learn from
the companys craftspeople and to gain
insight into the luxury industry.
78 PORTRAITS

Photo Luisa Zanzani

Formafantasma teamed up with cultural
institutions to develop De Natura
Fossilium, highlighting the studios
dedication to serious research.

2014

Our process can be intuitive and
childlike, but there comes a point
at which we do proper research

De Natura Fossilium
Harking back to their graduation project and provided by Eindhoven-based workshop
to the relationship forged with Libby Sellers, Beeldenstorm, the National Glass Museum
Farresin and Trimarchi began another Sicily- in Leerdam, and Murano. The fabric element
centric investigation in 2014. Concentrating was created in the Tilburg Textile Museum.
on Mount Etna and the island of Stromboli, Its notable that the parties involved arent
the designers saw potential in the sites, both simple production companies, but histori-
steeped in local industry and tourism, as cally important institutions whose values
ground zeros for production. resonate with those that Formafantasma so
Opting for lava as a material, they began often imbues in its work.
experimenting in their studio, situated in In much the same way as they stuffed
Eindhoven at the time, before conducting their pockets full of lava and returned to
further studies on what was to become Eindhoven to test their ideas, Trimarchi and
De Natura Fossilium. Our process can be Farresin used the project to address and
intuitive and childlike, but there comes a shed light on the concerns and issues that
point at which we do proper research, says afflict Sicilian society. Farresin says the idea
Farresin. The pieces in Formafantasmas 2014 was not to take the work out of its context,
collection were an amalgamation of skill sets, but to seize the opportunity to present local
makers and nationalities. The 1892 Stool, for concerns at a global level. In 2009, Moulding
example, contains brass cast by Viennese Tradition highlighted an arguably local issue;
metalworker Carl Aubck II; occhio di pernice, five years later, De Natura Fossilium invited
basalt lava sourced from Etna; and lava glass outsiders to look in.
 MILESTONES 79

Anno Tropico marked a shift from the

handcrafted object to a more industrialized
product albeit with a similar, conceptually
rooted approach to design.

2016
Anno Tropico
Unveiled at the Peep-Hole gallery in Milan,
Formafantasmas latest exhibition, Anno
Tropico, saw the studios craft sensibilities
take a distinctly industrial turn. Instead of
probing the potential of traditional leather
or ceramic work, Farresin and Trimarchi
adopted light as their material, assessing the
relationship between natural and artificial
illumination. Although Anno Tropico may
mark a shift in aesthetic and material, the
approach is the same, says Farresin. Despite
the technical expertise required for lighting
design, Anno Tropico was produced at the
studio. Not designed to simply stand alone,
the pieces are subtle architectural inventions.
The decision to make them site-specific came
naturally: The light is overwhelming in the
Peep-Hole gallery; we couldnt not react to it.
The studio was approached prior to the
exhibition by a manufacturer of industrial
lighting, a field the designers had already
explored as an area of interest. What could be
seen as a new direction for Formafantasma
seems more like a natural progression one
in which timing and partner compatibility
are crucial. As Farresin says: In work, you
need to find a soulmate.
formafantasma.com
Photo Laura Fantacuzzi and Maxime Galati-Fourcade

Formafantasma explores
the properties of light
in the digital magazine
 Dover Street Market enters no-mans-land in London.
Selfridges and Neri&Hu team up to tackle the wellness sector.
MVRDV invents glass bricks in Amsterdam. Tokujin Yoshioka
Photo Germano Borrelli

illuminates the Issey Miyake story. Cigu sets a material-rich

stage for Julien Davids fashions. Step inside the great indoors.
82

Photo courtesy of Julien David

Take a tour of the revamped

Julien David shop with the
digital magazine
 SPACES 83

Cigu adopts a
gallery-like TOKYO When Parisian studio Cigu

approach for renovated streetwear designer Julien Davids

200-m2 Harajuku flagship, the intention
was never for the architecture to steal the
Julien Davids show. It was crucial that the store act as a
set, allowing the energy and fantasy of
Harajuku flagship Davids colourful, textured line of clothing
and accessories to take centre stage. Equally
important was a fluid concept that permits
multiple functions and constant adaptation,
an imperative driven by both the pace of
the fashion world and Davids own dynamic
rhythm of work.
Materiality blurs the line between
indoors and outdoors. The ridged angles
of the raw concrete that adorned the build-
ings faade were reproduced in plaster and
applied to interior walls. Elsewhere, the
exact dimensions of a timber table that David
sourced from an art school were replicated
in aluminium for the sales counter, while a
concrete version can be found in the small
exterior garden visible through the stores
rear windows.

Photo courtesy of Cigu

84 SPACES

Photos Nacsa & Partners Inc.

Products are barely visible from the street.

Instead, set against a minimal white back-
drop are Cigus totems: custom-designed
display units constructed from gleaming
brushed aluminium and fractured blocks of
aerated concrete. Its like a spaceship crashed
into a meteorite, says practice founder Hugo
Haas. The studios industrial-design chops
are evident here: the concrete blocks were
smashed by hand in Cigus workshop to
achieve a contrast between smooth, worked
surface and organic, rough edge. The team
took the same approach to the ceiling: what
look like parts of the mechanical system left
as is are the result of rerouted cables that
have been painstakingly stripped of fire
coating where possible.
Customers must navigate around the
totems to discover the collection, encour-
aging a more personal, almost gallery-like
interaction with the products. Haas calls
the totems transformers, as they can be
completely reconfigured to change their
appearance; rearranged, the units can
become a grid, a cluster or a structure that
looks like a solid entity. This gives David
a toolkit to play with and ensures a
continual evolution of the design well
after completion. JDP
cigue.net
 85

Cigus custom-designed display units are

constructed from gleaming brushed aluminium
and fractured blocks of aerated concrete.
86
 SPACES 87

Canvases appear to spill onto

the floors in Peter Zimmermanns
walk-in art installation
Photos Bernhard Strauss

FREIBURG German artist Peter Zimmer- the walls. There was also a deeper, philo-
mann returned to his hometown of Freiburg sophical purpose at play: the multi-layered
to make a sizable splash in the Museum composition of the oil paintings symbolized
Fr Neue Kunst. As part of his solo show the multiple browser tabs, apps and icons
Freiburg School, which ran until mid-June that run continually on our computers. By
the artist used epoxy resin to cover nearly planting such traces of the digital world in
425 m2 of the flooring in the museums the exhibition, Zimmermann asked us to
exhibition space, upon which he created a consider the opportunities that technology
series of paintings that flowed seamlessly offers for individual contributions to society
throughout the rooms. (such as crowdfunding and Wikipedia) versus
The finish was high-gloss but also the received wisdom of top-down institu-
highly delicate, giving the floor art an tions, represented in the physical form of the
interactive edge as it picked up the inevitable old school building.
scuffs and scratches from visitors, who had If all that subtext is a bit far out, you
free rein to trample all over it. Fortunately, can always get lost in the hypnotic swirls
Zimmermann welcomed any damage as a of Zimmermanns work instead. WG
visual counterpart to the jagged brushstrokes peterzimmermann.com
of the abstract oil paintings he displayed on
88 SPACES

Tokujin Yoshiokas subtle exhibition design

gives Issey Miyakes fashions space to shine

TOKYO Tokujin Yoshioka has a long being a clear reminder of his impact on the
history of telling stories through design fashion world, particularly in the United
for Issey Miyake. Working initially as a States and France during the 1970s and 80s.
graduate within the eponymous Japanese Miyakes early work was draped over manne-
fashion house, Yoshioka continued to design quins composed of 365 layers of laser-cut
boutiques for his former boss and to be cardboard, while similar forms made from
involved in special brand-related projects transparent acrylic resin displayed clothes
even after setting up his own studio. from more recent collections.
The architects most recent collabo- Viewed through the dual filter of the
ration with Miyake part of the fashion gallerys large white volumes and the direct,
designers largest retrospective to date subtle structure of Yoshiokas design, the
saw Yoshioka create an installation of exhibition was an invitation to engage one
mannequins at Tokyos National Art Center. on one with the pieces on show. The selec-
Responsible for the first experience visi- tion of garments, prototypes and fabrication
tors had upon entering, he opted for a long methods from the past 40 years painted
wide hallway with white walls and floors. a vivid picture of the Issey Miyake story.
Arranged in a row that extended down the With a clarity that exemplifies the designers
corridor were mannequins wearing Miyakes mentee-mentor relationship, Yoshioka
early work, which was defined by bold expressed a confident understanding and
colours and forms and, in some cases, made respect for his subject, as well as the ability
from a single piece of fabric. The expansive, to use a light hand and be all the more
light-filled space served as an effective successful for it. SBK
introduction for Miyake neophytes, while tokujin.com
89
90

Photo Wesley Liu

A supermarket in
Hong Kong breaks
the colour code
 SPACES 91

HUNG HOM As any health and safety Hong Kong grocery store. White is restricted completely movable, allowing each panel,
inspector will happily tell you, cleanliness to the floor, while orange dominates a shelf and frame to be (re)positioned to
is next to godliness in the food trade. That space inspired by the fruit and veg for sale. achieve a prime presentation of the latest
explains why white and green have always This doesnt mean that U&B stocks only delivery. Amid this topsy-turvy world, a
been the go-to colours for supermarkets keen pumpkins and persimmons; its just that the nod to the traditional greengrocers takes
to show off the fresh-from-the-field nature of monochromatic palette is intended to draw the form of wooden frames at the entrance,
their produce. Want proof? Just flick back to customers attention away from the walls which serve as decoration and hark back to
Frame 109 to see how a vegetarian restaurant and onto the greens. the crates traditionally used for transporting
in the Ukraine chose white to promote the Sales first, aesthetics later: this practical the cream of the crop. WG
purity of its ingredients. philosophy extends to the display material. ppluspdesigners.com
In the meantime, PplusP Designers As the time is always ripe for fresh products
flipped this wisdom on its head for U&B, a to hit the shelves, every part of the store is
92

Metal racks from the previous London

DSM were reimagined at the Haymarket
store for Black Comme des Garons.
 SPACES 93

Dover Street
Markets new
London site
embraces
a multi-
generational
clientele
LONDON Its fair to say that Londons
Haymarket is not the most obvious location
for the capitals exciting new retail space.
A no-mans-land connecting the neon glare
of Piccadilly Circus with the tourist trap of
Trafalgar Square, the broad street is best
known for naff nightclub Tiger Tiger and
pre-theatre fuelling stations such as Angus
Steakhouse.
Rei Kawakubo and her team at Comme
des Garons have proved to be retail rain-
makers over the years, however, and its easy
to forget that when the original Dover Street
Market (DSM) opened in Mayfair back in
2004, the eponymous street was not known
for smart shopping. Their arrival is clearly
something of a coup for The Crown Estate,
which manages Haymarket and has big plans
for the areas rejuvenation.
The move has tripled DSM Londons
floor space, transforming the grand shell
of the former Burberry headquarters into
a five-floor emporium that blends cutting-
edge brands with immersive art work and
design. We wanted to create a new kind of
retail experience, says DSM president Adrian
Joffe, one that ignored all the preconceived
notions of how a store should be, dismissed
the established rules of retail, and offered

The Comme des Garons Play line

is presented in Hut Box, whose
faade is embellished with a
pattern of archetypal houses.
94 SPACES

Tinted glass in a gradation from green

to red is juxtaposed with weighty forms
in the second-floor Raf Simons space.
95

Photos courtesy of Dover Street Market

96 SPACES

the customer a new and stimulating shop-

ping experience that raised the spirits and
excited the senses.
To this end, as much attention was paid
to store design as to brand curation. Artist
Calx Vive developed a unique soundscape
for each floor, Emma Hawkins taxidermy
holds a prominent position at the entrance,
and each tenant was accorded creative
freedom in the design of his or her space.
J.W.Anderson, for instance, recalled a
Northern Irish playground from his youth,
and Frances von Hofmannsthal re-created
the photography studio of her father,
Lord Snowdon.
Rei Kawakubo has built a reputation
not only as a visionary designer but also as a
visionary patron; alongside the likes of Alaa,
Dior and Cline, shoppers can find collec-
tions by relative newcomers such as Phoebe
English and Molly Goddard. We have a huge
range of customers, young and old, some- On the second floor, an area known as the Labyrinth
times three generations, says Joffe. Rich includes labels such as Valentino, Altuzarra and Givenchy.
and poor, girls and boys, men and women,
luxury and street. Everybody mixed up. This
is what people like, I think. You never know
who you are going to meet shopping right
next to you. JO
doverstreetmarket.com

J.W.Anderson recalled a Northern Irish playground from

his youth, which is translated into the look and feel of his
brands DSM London outpost.
 97

The first-floor Comme des Garons space, designed

by Rei Kawakubo, is wrapped in gold panelling.
98 SPACES

Step inside Meagan

Streaders W-inter with
the digital magazine
 99

Physical space
gains virtual
echoes in
artist Meagan
Streaders gallery
installation

BRISBANE Can the past, present and

future of a site be encapsulated within a
single visual moment? Australian artist
Meagan Streader aims to do so through her
installations, which draw together light,
geometric line and architecture. Streaders
latest project, W-inter, appropriated the
architectural and spatial details of the Metro
Arts gallery in Brisbane to create an immer-
sive, hypnotic landscape composed of lines
of light that acted as a virtual echo of the
physical environment. The artist says she
wanted to draw attention to the gallery site
in its past, present, and potential future states
through light and scale. I was interested in
how light could be used to totally transform
the space and reimagine it in its subsequent
form as a kind of futuristic landscape.
The work, a disorientating kaleidoscope
of linear light built using electrolumines-
cent (EL) wire, is framed by darkness and
constructed form. It has a destabilizing effect
on the viewer. The materiality of the EL
wire distorts your perception, says Streader.
Its hard to focus on and through an
application like this installation akin to an
imagined drawing or type of 3D blueprint
in space.
The initial uncertainty that overcomes
visitors as they step into W-inter is quickly
replaced by fascination, aided by a sense
Photo Louis Lim

of utter immersion. It feels replicated and

infinite as the new structures leave the walls
and extend outward into the space. AB
meaganstreader.com
100 SPACES

A temporary
aesthetic gets the
Midas touch at the
showroom of online MEXICO CITY Once a signature of
pop-ups that was born from necessity, the

retailer Troquer scaffolding aesthetic quickly made its way

into the mainstream, inspiring everything
from Dior runway shows to not-so-tempo-
rary retail outlets. Jordana Maisies skeletal
interior for shoe brand Feit and Schematas
store for En Route in Tokyo spring to mind.
Now, in Mexico City Zeller & Moye has
immortalized the look by giving it the Midas
touch for online retailer Troquer.
Zeller & Moye formed the concept
for the ground-floor presentation space of
Troquer Fashion House around a system
of interlocking aluminium profiles, opting
for a golden anodized finish that gives what
could seem uber-temporary a sense of
permanence or at least prominence. The
scheme seems to bridge two worlds, offering
both flexibility and consistency. Horizontal
bars provide structural support while
doubling as clothing rails, and thin golden
plates are integrated into the system
at various heights to afford different possi-
bilities for product displays. The grid reacts
to the existing space, hugging walls, filling
in corners, and creating areas of density and
sparsity. Sturdy yet soft, black industrial
rubber tiles underfoot help to link together
the separate rooms of what was once a resi-
dential building. TI
zellermoye.com
Photos Moritz Bernoully
101
102

By duplicating a single TOKYO No fewer than 20,000 twigs

in 100 shades of colour comprised Emma-
nuelle Moureauxs installation at the Tokyo
element, Emmanuelle edition of the Wood Furniture Japan Award
exhibition. The architect, who used the
Moureaux adapts an Japanese notion of bunshi (ramification) as
a source of inspiration, envisioned a forest

installation to different spaces of small, colourful branches that multiply

and diverge in all directions. She goes
on to explain that, metaphorically, bunshi
 SPACES 103

Photo Daisuke Shima (Nacsa & Partners Inc.)

Emmanuelle Moureauxs bunshi

installation springs to life in the
digital magazine

refers to a branching out of encounters visitors to get up close and personal with the to and fro, portraying lightness and weight-
between materials, designers and artisans project. The approach, she says, affords the lessness rather than mass. The lessons in her
and, visually, to the branching out of trees. feeling of being wrapped by many shades of design? She wants to arouse awareness of the
After amassing such an incredible colour and conjures uplifting emotions. emotions evoked by a colourful world and to
number of identical elements made with a For the exhibitions Paris appearance, make visitors more conscious of the colours
special mould in a paper factory the Tokyo- Moureaux altered the installation, making that surround us in daily life. CN
based Frenchwoman filled the entire exhibi- it conform to the distinctive qualities of a emmanuelle.jp
tion hall with a cascading three-dimensional white gallery space. She suspended a smaller
sculpture. She removed just enough to create quantity of the original modules from the
a pathway through the exhibition, allowing ceiling to form mobiles, which swayed gently
104 SPACES

See MVRDVs Crystal Houses in the

making with the digital magazine

MVRDV AMSTERDAM Brands want transparency,

says MVRDVs Winy Maas, referring to the
physical rather than ethical clarity. Behind
1890s houses, which were carefully rebuilt
(in a stretched form to create more space)
using bricks of moulded glass held together
invents glass him, his offices innovative glass-brick store
allows a shimmering view of the product
with transparent glue. Towards the top of the
building, the glass bricks morph into their
bricks and offering of current occupant Chanel
without compromising the character of the
traditional counterparts to front a separate
apartment, in line with the city councils
mortar for Amsterdam street.
Consumers like to shop in places with
building regulations.
The lofty 620-m2 interior offers plenty

an Amsterdam a local identity, explains Maas, who hopes

his solution can provide an antidote to the
of possibilities, although the present tenants
design does look a little clunky alongside

shopfront epidemic of anonymous glass shopfronts

sweeping the world. Our idea was to do
something that fits in with the streetscape
the ethereal glass shell. Maas mentions that
his suggestions of glass and mirrors for the
interior design fell on deaf ears, and the store
of this formerly residential neighbourhood, surely deserves better luck with its next
while giving brands the kind of interior they occupant. Meanwhile it remains, in Maass
want high ceilings, a flagship-like space, words, a typical Dutch compromise. JS
and a glass faade to show off the product. mvrdv.nl
The project required the demolition of two
Photos Scagliola Brakkee
105
106 SPACES

Selfridges taps into a fast-growing

lifestyle sector by placing wellbeing
on the retail agenda

After exercising in the BodyWork space, shoppers can

shower and style before leaving the department store.
 107

A six-week-long pop-up by high-intensity London

spin-class studio Psycleinvited shoppers to put down
their bags, get changed and start cycling.

LONDON In April, Selfridges London at a woman, identify her body measurements

launched Body Studio, a new department and pinpoint her correct size.
designed by Neri&Hu with a dynamic vision Selfridges joins other high-end stores
for categorizing and selling womenswear. that have slotted wellbeing into their retail
The concept centres on a lavish collection agendas. Another UK icon, Harrods, broke
of apparel designed to be worn directly fresh ground last year with the Happy New
next to the skin. The result is Body Studio, You initiative, a series of in-store health
a 3,500-m2 retail destination stocked with and wellness events aimed at integrating
a selection of lingerie, underwear, swim- happiness and good health into the retail
wear and sportswear sourced from some experience. Chinese department store Lane
150 brands worldwide. Complementing the Crawford opened the Fit Room in April, a
merchandise is a health-food caf that serves year-long pop-up featuring products for men
balanced, nutritious meals; a workout studio; and women, which are sourced from more
and a hair-and-beauty salon that offers than 70 brands associated with active leisure,
conventional and organic treatments. nutrition and health. Visitors to the Fit Room
With emphasis on comfort, fit and find an array of amenities, such as juice
wellbeing, Body Studio can be seen as a machines, fitness trackers, gym equipment,
holistic space that encourages consumers in-store workouts and beauty treatments.
to adopt the department stores healthy While Lane Crawford and Selfridges
mind in a healthy body philosophy. Key to take a low-tech approach that highlights
Body Studios customer service is a team of the importance of human interaction, other
dedicated Fit Experts trained to simply look fashion retailers add a layer of digital smart
108

The workout zone will regularly change programmes

devised to provide shoppers with a balance of toning,
stretching and low-impact exercise.
SPACES 109
110 SPACES

Wellness Retail
Key Drivers
The top three 2016 New Years
resolutions trending on Twitter were
fitness, healthy eating and personal
improvement, which brands inter-
preted as motivations to buy products
related to those goals

Global market analyst Euromonitor

reports that the wellness industry is
due to generate worldwide sales of
US$1 trillion by 2017, rising 36% from
$735.5 billion in 2013

According to a 2014 study

conducted by Philips Design, 60%
of fashion decisions are made in the
fitting room

Selfridges Body Studio, which

predicts a staggering 375% increase in
fitting-room activity, relies on a team
of experts trained to help customers
determine accurate sizes

Photos Andrew Meredith

 111

Neri&Hu divided the area into sophisticated settings

from boudoir-inspired to edgy and pared-back
where consumers can shop for underwear and related
body-wear products in style.

tools and mood-sensors to the physical technological norm. At a time when fashion
shopping adventure. UK retailer New retail threatens to dissolve into clouds of
Look, for instance, invested in biometric digital data, Body Studio signals that a return
scanners designed to help customers get a to tactile forms of human interaction may
more accurate fit without having to try on be crucial to consumer engagement. As a
multiple garments or ask experts to estimate place where purchasing decisions are made,
their correct size. Radically reconfigured the fitting room could prove to be the final
fitting rooms at Ralph Laurens Fifth Avenue frontier of bricks-and-mortar retail.
Polo flagship are now smart spaces with Although technology can play a role
touchscreens for contacting staff, tracking in holistic experiences and active lifestyles,
garments and adjusting lighting to the the art of gaining customer loyalty requires
desired mood enhancing level. Smart a uniquely humanistic form of service.
concepts also help multinational brands to Retailers who interact closely with in-store
manage large-scale inventories, ensuring that shoppers are more likely to understand why
popular sizes remain in stock. healthy, active lifestyles may be as much
Despite the advantages offered by about creating a Happy New You as about
tech-fuelled fitting rooms, Selfridges remains finding the perfect fit. BQ
happily committed to hands-on, human- selfridges.com
centred assistance, disregarding the current en.neriandhu.com
112 SPACES
 113

Rigi Design
gives a kids
clothing store a
sophisticated
shake-up
in China

WUHAN Standing out from the crowd in

a shopping mall is a tough challenge, but
Rigi Design has achieved that goal with
Kidsmoment, a childrens clothing store
that should have a strong appeal to its target
audience. Its located in Wuhan, China, the
populous capital of Hubei Province, 800 km
east of Shanghai, where Liu Kai established
his firm in 2007.
Over the past eight years Kai has won
a succession of awards for his combination
of artistry and a logical analysis of needs.
Kidsmoment is scaled to the children, who
are encouraged to treat the store as an adven-
ture playground. Colourful frames define
different areas and evoke houses. Modular
fittings have chamfered edges, and simple
materials, such as felt and tile, are resilient
and tactile. Theres a height marker on one
wall and a large chalkboard-painted wall for
doodling. Bold numerals and symbols guide
shoppers to specific products, and English-
language signage conveys an international
flavour particularly in China, a country
where almost no-one speaks that language.
Theres even a members zone for regulars,
which appeals to kids curiosities. Liu Kai
understood that mothers and children need
to find common ground when shopping for
clothes and, therefore, designed what he calls
Photo Yue Ping

a clean, pure and joyful space that develops

an atmosphere of trust, with a strong feeling
of home. MW
rigi-design.com
114

Yusuke Seki TSUBAME-SANJO In-store knife displays

are usually shallow, locked cases which
makes sense. But thats not what youll find
to spur Seki to use the chosen wood
throughout the showroom.
Health and safety inspectors will be
subverts at Tadafusas showroom in Tsubame-Sanjo,
Japan. The space was designed by Yusuke
relieved to hear that although the knives are
no longer protected in cases, theyre securely
traditional Seki, winner of a 2015 Great Indoors Award
for the Maruhiro Inc. flagship (Frame 107,
stored in a walk-in cabinet. The area is
accessed via a raised threshold that mimics
knife-display p. 100) in Hasami.
For traditional Japanese blacksmith
those found in Japanese shrines and temples
a feature designed to heighten the senses.

tactics in Tadafusa, Seki went back to the cutting

board rather than the drawing board
Once youve picked a blade from the deftly
crafted display system of interlocking shelves

a Japanese for inspiration. Tadafusa has harnessed the

antibacterial properties of carbonized spruce
to safeguard its knife handles and cutting
custom-built by local artisans, its time to try
it out on the table. Chop, chop! WG

showroom boards a characteristic that was enough

yusukeseki.com
115

Photos Takumi Ota

SPACES
116

Photos Germano Borrelli

Vincent Van Duysen
FRANKFURT Thick monochrome walls
rose from the Messe fairgrounds during the
channels Bauhaus
biennial Light + Building trade show. Occu-
pying the fortress was Italian lighting brand
rationality into a Light
Flos, with its latest product lines. The 700-m2
industrial-style structure was the work of + Building stand for Flos
Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen, the
man responsible for the space itself, as well as
for two new collections on show, marking his
first alliance with a lighting firm.
The exhibition design developed
in close collaboration with the CEO of
Flos, Piero Gandini emerged from ideas
of rational architecture advanced by the
Bauhaus, but also from Italian rationalism,
Van Duysen told us. I guess you could call
it neo-industrial. Extremely pragmatic,
monolithic, monochrome and rather indif-
ferent to ornament. These qualities became
our point of departure for both the stand
and the lighting collections on display. My
designs, Infra-Structure and Casting, are part
of the Flos Architectural range. Mounted
on the ceiling of the stand, Infra-Structure
formed a stark grid of black tubing and
T-bulbs, a 24V network that supported
pendants and directional spotlights, thanks
to Floss magnetic technology. Ambient light
from the grid illuminated the entire interior.
Throughout the Flos stand, a subtle
transition in structure, colour and mate-
rial emphasized the various functions of
Van Duysens collections. Cemented grey
walls merge into more mineral-like planes
of colour, which suggest outdoor areas, he
said. We also removed parts of the ceil-
ings to create effective divisions based on
the organizational sequence of the internal
walls that suddenly appeared outside as
monumental freestanding walls. It was there,
on what Van Duysen called mineral flooring,
that his outdoor collection, Casting (see page The digital magazine
40), first saw the light of day. FK guides you through
flos.com Floss fortress
vincentvanduysen.com
SPACES 117
118

Best
of Milan
Design
Week
Material statements and immersive
experiences reigned at this years Salone
del Mobile. While OMAs surprising material
combinations made the Knoll stand shine,
light itself became a material, generating
maximum impact with minimum means
for Cos. Nosigner transformed sterile
smartphone glass into a dazzling display,
and Lensvelt energized its boring collection
with a playful presentation. Whether
tactile, interactive or enveloping, the best
Photo Akihide Mishima

installations in Milan put experience first

a sign that brands still want to get up close
and personal with their audiences.
 SPACES 119

A glittering
installation
by Nosigner
suggests
alternative
uses for
smartphone
glass

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

Even when glass appears to be solid, the

materials irregular molecular structure has
a fluid presence. This amorphous quality is
what Japanese designer Eisuke Tachikawa
of Nosigner brought to life with a dazzling
installation at Superstudio Pi during Salone
del Mobile. The project was commissioned
by AGC Asahi Glass a major purveyor
of flat glass in Japan to showcase its
chemically strengthened, extra-thin product
Dragontrail. More than 5,000 fragments of
the 0.5-mm-thick material were assembled
and suspended in a darkened room. The
mass replicated the form of a glass molecule
magnified one billion times.
Chemically strengthened glass is used
for smartphones and electronic devices; its
a material that many of us engage with on
a daily basis yet rarely consider. In Milan,
Nosigner displayed various types of AGCs
mass-produced glass transparent, opaque,
mirrored and coloured in the form of a
striking work of art intended to suggest new
Be dazzled by Nosigners AGC
possibilities for application of the product in
Asahi Glass installation with industrial and spatial design. KH
the digital magazine nosigner.com
120

Together with OMA, Knoll

materialized the past
while celebrating the present
for this years Salone stand
 SPACES 121

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

This is Knoll returned in April to Fiera

Milano Rho, where the furniture brand
welcomed Salone del Mobile visitors to its
second trade-fair stand designed by OMA.
Last year, the Dutch architecture firm led
fairgoers through a labyrinth of gleaming
curtains interspersed with a curated selec-
tion of Knoll products. While the companys
2015 show revolved around abstract concepts
of colour and space, this time around OMA
focused on the material side of life.
Inspired by Ludwig Mies van der Rohes
Barcelona Pavilion, which was designed
for the Spanish citys 1929 International
Exposition, OMAs new stand for Knoll gave
a decadent and dare I say Italian? twist
to the renowned German-American archi-
tects modernist masterwork. To display
the brands starlets a combination of old
and new, with company icons by Florence
Knoll, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia and Mies
himself mixed in with the latest work by
Piero Lissoni and Marc Krusin OMAs
122 SPACES

Antonio Barone, Francesca Lantieri and in coloured glass and perforated metal
Francesco Moncada erected a flexible, hyper- added to the layered effect while simultane-
modern structure using lush materials and ously ensuring a fluid flow of visitors and a
superimposed surfaces. Featuring marble seamless transition between one area and
walls from Solid Nature and movable glazed the next. Impressions of exotic animals on
panels by Sabine Marcelis, the space felt at glazed partitions and mirrored walls gave the
once classic and contemporary. pavilion a surrealist air. Reminiscent of the
Occupying a whopping 540 m2 of Hall Bauhaus architects famous collages, the play
20, This is Knoll included a series of theat- on space and the melange of transparent,
rical displays in which a veritable mashup opaque, natural and synthetic surfaces trans-
of materials and furniture ranging from formed an otherwise minimalist architecture
mid-century-modern classics to present-day into a lively landscape of diverse textures
models challenged conceptions of private and atmospheres. MEO
and public space and the compartmentaliza- knoll.com
tion of todays living environments. Mean- oma.eu
while, a central avenue of mobile partitions

Knolls Salone stand by OMA featured

marble walls from Solid Nature and
movable glazed panels by Sabine Marcelis.
Photos Agostino Osio, courtesy of OMA
123
124 SPACES

Get lost inside Coss

Forest of Light with
the digital magazine
 125

Sou Fujimotos
installation sent
visitors from the
Salone streets to
the proverbial
woods

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

With successful Salone del Mobile collabora-

tions involving Nendo and Snarkitecture
under its belt, Cos has developed somewhat
of a reputation for its striking experiential
installations at the annual fair. So expecta-
tions were high going into the 2016 edition,
especially when word got out that Sou
Fujimoto had been tapped for the design.
The Japanese architect responded to both
the brands S/S 2016 collection (its theme:
form meets fluidity) and the site. Fujimotos
dramatic interpretation clearly referenced
the location: San Babilas Cinema Arti,
a former theatre designed by Mario
Cereghini in the 1930s.
Hefty black curtains marked the
entrance to Forest of Light, a darkened space
pierced with conical beams of light that
responded to visitors movements. Fujimoto
wanted no two experiences to be the same:
Depending on where you tread and the
speed at which you move through the
forest, sensors trigger lighting and sounds.
As you can imagine, someone running
through the forest has quite a different
outcome to someone moving very slowly.
Subtle fog effects and specially composed
audio including birdsong and meditative
music added to the immersive atmosphere,
in which visitors became both actors and
audience. While the space was deceptively
small, mirrors reflected the environment
to create an infinite landscape of abstract
trees of light.
Although no clothing or branding was
incorporated into the scheme, something
about Forest of Light felt inherently Cos.
Hosts dressed in the brands crisp fashions
appeared instantly at home in the setting,
much more so than the average non-Cos-
kitted visitor. Perhaps thats down to the
natural marriage of Japanese and Scandina-
vian minimalism.
Photo Andrew Meredith

Cos isnt the first brand to provide

a calm from the Salone chaos, but as the
mammoth event seems to swell in size each
year, such moments of respite offer all the
more relief. TI
sou-fujimoto.net
126

Nike produced a
collaborative
spectacle to
explore the
nature of motion

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

An area of derelict warehouses on Via Orobia

far from the beaten design-week track
doesnt sound like a particularly strategic spot
for a Salone del Mobile exhibition. But when
your neighbour is OMAs crowd-pulling
Fondazione Prada, you can rest assured that
design-hungry visitors will have all the more
incentive to make the trip.
Guided to the street by the Fondaziones
shimmering golden tower, visitors to Nikes
exhibition, The Nature of Motion, were
confronted with bedazzlement of a different
kind. Slick scenography relied on simple
means Nikes own shoeboxes, stacked in
fluid formations to partition the space.
Each division showcased one of ten designer
collaborations, in which selected creatives
were asked to interpret the theme of natural
movement. The likes of Bertjan Pot, Sebas-
tian Wrong and Martino Gamper delved into
the past, present and future possibilities of
motion, producing a mix of conceptual and
feasible results.
As is the case with most brand-specific
collaborations, Nikes own materials such
as Flyknit, the most recent expression of Nike
Free, which aims to mimic the biomechanics
of running barefoot on grass were incorpo-
rated into the pieces. Gampers collection of
instruments, for instance, replaced
SPACES 127
128

Putting an artisanal spin on Nikes high-performance

materials, Bertjan Pot wrapped the inner tubes of
vehicle tyres with woven ropes and laces to produce
a series of resting pods.
 SPACES 129

drumheads with Flyknit textiles, which

were secured to their laminated plywood
forms with shoelaces. More abstract works
included Max Lambs installation, which
was inspired by the craggy landscape of the
English designers native Cornwall. Seem-
ingly immovable blocks of matter hovered
above an invisible layer of compressed air.
A gentle push sent them gliding effortlessly
across the floor, challenging perceptions of
weight and force.
After encountering these and other
collaborative projects in the shoebox maze,
visitors arrived at three experiential spaces
created by Nikes in-house designers. Some
areas reflected on Nikes past innovations,
while others eyed up the future. Three-
dimensional experiments in natural motion,
for example, mashed up the timeless craft
of origami with the generative digital tools
that are driving design into the future,
according to Noah Murphy Reinhertz, Nikes
design-sustainability leader. Meanwhile,
in the Sensation Room, six members of the
companys in-house team explored ways
of creating the feel of grass underfoot, even
in the city. TI
nike.com

Go to the digital magazine to watch

Nikes film, The Nature of Motion
130 SPACES

Frames first exhibition for

Salone del Mobile offered a
glimpse of the phygital future
Bastiaan de Nennie scans objects and rearranges their
parts in the digital realm to arrive at a new outcome.

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

Adding a new Salone del Mobile score to

this years agenda, Frame stepped up from
merely scouting fresh talents and trends to
presenting them. After years of attending the
fair in an editorial capacity, the team felt that
something was missing: an exhibition that
puts a current design direction in context,
rather than simply featuring newly released
products.
Frames debut exhibition at Milan
Design Week Whats the Matter? carried
the subtitle design for a phygital world. The
theme, which was also visible at other Salone
locations (see page 26), has cropped up more
and more in the magazines recent issues. In
our industry, you see a constantly increasing
degree of cross-pollination between digital
technology and physical experiences, and
the impact on product and spatial design is
significant, says Robert Thiemann, editor in
chief of Frame magazine and director of
132

Frame Publishers. He addresses retail, for video work provides a glimpse into a world
instance, where online-meets-offline has that no longer seems too far-fetched, one in
already changed the way we shop. which materials and objects alike morph and
Representing an antithesis to both adapt before our eyes.
the craft-focused hipster movement and its Frame commissioned local architect
uber-slick digital counterpart, the installa- Ferruccio Laviani to unite the various works
tion showcased the work of young designers through an exhibition design that embodied
trying to marry these once disparate move- the phygital theme. Confronted with the
ments. Born digital, this emerging group of traditional Milanese interior of La Posteria,
creatives recognizes the potential of the latest Laviani chose to amplify the physical aspects
technologies to enhance experiences and of the space namely, the chequered
suggest alternate methods of construction. flooring using digital means. He scanned
Bastiaan de Nennie, for example, adopts a and digitized the original pattern and repro-
practice thats been well sanctioned by the duced it on every surface. Combined with
hip-hop scene: sampling. The Dutch designer mirrored surfaces as display platforms, the
scans objects and rearranges their parts in result was a surreal and disorienting space.
the digital realm to arrive at a new outcome. The psychedelic atmosphere made visitors
Other, less concrete, works such as fashion question what was real and what was illusory
film Geist.xyz by Zeitguised offer inspira- much like many of the works on show. TI
tion for the future. The digitally produced laviani.com
 SPACES 133

Photos Alberto Ferrero

At a time when we can apply filters to Instagram
images with the press of a button, Parabola
by Jordan Sderberg Mills creates a physical
representation of digital colour effects.

With her Print in Motion collection, Anouk

van de Sande layers translucent textiles with
optical prints that spring to life when worn.

Take a tour of Frames

exhibition Whats the Matter?
with the digital magazine
134

Nendo reflected
the dark side of
marble furniture
in an installation for
Marsotto Edizioni
Photo Takumi Ota
 SPACES 135

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

True to form and to the products on

display Nendo created a dual mono-
chromatic sanctuary in Milan for Marsotto
Edizioni. Light & Shadow was inspired by
the brands manufactures elegant furniture
carved from black or white marble and
the site itself. Predisposed to a symmetrical
composition, the Spazio Bigli has a centrally
positioned entrance and evenly spaced
columns. Nendo separated the pieces of black
and white furniture to craft a spatial illusion
of reflection. The stark boundary between
counterparts doubled as a portal, generating
the feel of falling through a looking glass.
Nendos additions to the Marsotto
Edizioni collection were included in the
installation and fitted seamlessly into the
concept of Light & Shadow. Split, which
appears to be only half a table, can stand
alone as a console or be married to its mate
to form a complete dining table. Leaning
towards each another at the installations
midline were Nendos drunken Sway tables.
A corner of one nudged a corner of its neigh-
bour, instilling the room with a sense
of movement. JB
edizioni.marsotto.com
nendo.jp
136 SPACES
 137

With no physical
products on
show, B&B Italias
50th-anniversary
installation offered
a fresh form of
retrospection

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

To celebrate five full decades in the busi-

ness, B&B Italia which was founded by
Piero Ambrogio Busnelli in 1966 and is now
managed by his son, Giorgio called on
Migliore+Servetto Architects to tell a visual
tale befitting the occasion. Coinciding in part
with the Salone del Mobile, the installation at
La Triennale di Milano centred on the theme
of density, which was identified as a narra-
tive fulcrum: a pivotal part of B&B Italias
identity that manifests both physically and
conceptually.
Migliore+Servettos projects are
marked by a very modern approach, says
Giorgio Busnelli. They often combine design
with an expressive use of light and new
technologies. When they presented us with
their unconventional concept, we liked the
contemporary and innovative spirit; it was
exactly what we were looking for. The idea
reflected B&B Italias attitude of projecting
itself into the future, guided by heritage.
The museum setting and historic
occasion could have led quite naturally to
a traditional retrospective, but The Perfect
Density was most surprising for its lack of
physical merchandise. We decided not to
follow the most obvious path of displaying
real products, says Busnelli. Our mission
138 SPACES

Photos Andrew Meredith

has never been only about well-designed
products. The intention was to offer visitors
an unexpected experience inside the world of
B&B Italia, highlighting the DNA and distinc-
tive characteristics of the company.
Located in the Triennales 180-m2
Impluvium, The Perfect Density symbolized
a stimulated and stimulating mind. At
the centre of the room, eight tall cages
each displaying a theme, such as process
or people presented interwoven moving
images and information from the companys
rich history. Unwinding like a reel of film,
crisscrossing display surfaces spilled subtly
from their cages, connecting to the outer
walls of the room. Screens on the side
walls delved further into the brands narra-
tive, revealing stories about the products
and people that have shaped B&B Italia
throughout the years. Mirrors on the back
wall reflected and amplified these tales
as well as the surrounding space. TI
bebitalia.com
miglioreservetto.com

The Perfect Densitys fluorescent colours

were chosen for their contemporary look
and their link to technology. The palette
also contrasted with B&B Italias archival
imagery, emphasizing the content.
139
140

Lensvelts presentation
of boring furniture
awakened the
child within

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

Its ironic that an installation showcasing

Dutch brand Lensvelts new Boring Collec-
tion of office furniture was one of the more
interesting and conceptually strong offerings
at this years Salone del Mobile. The incon-
spicuous archetypal grey furniture was laid
out in a circle bins atop cabinets, chairs
propped on tables drawing attention to
the rawness of the warehouse space and to
the piles of scrunched-up paper that filled its
every nook and cranny. The paper ball is an
icon of office boredom, says Remi Versteeg
of Amsterdam-based architecture practice
Space Encounters, who worked with Lensvelt
on both the collection and the installation,
which won the Milano Design Award for best
concept. The mountains of paper whose
smell gave the space a real office feeling
created amazing perspectives.
 SPACES 141

Get a feel for Lensvelts Boring

Collection with the digital magazine
142 SPACES

A large manifesto on one wall invited fair- wouldnt have enough paper, says Versteeg
goers to free themselves from the necessary of the 150,000 manifesto printouts that
evil of office furniture and stop to concen- visitors were encouraged to aim at waste-
trate on the things that actually matter. The paper baskets positioned everywhere. But
Boring Collection, according to Versteeg, the most remarkable thing was that every-
leaves users free to take in the overall interior body was happy. Which begs the question:
design of a space that features great one-off why fight the dull, discreet and functional
pieces of furniture, as well as art, materials when it comes to office furniture? Why not
and people. embrace the banal, change the rules and
In Milan, the focus was on play. People have some fun? GD
running around our exhibition were like lensvelt.nl
children. At one point we were afraid we space-encounters.eu

Photos James Stokes

At Lensvelts furniture
presentation in Milan,
visitors were encouraged
to aim scrunched-up
manifesto printouts at
wastepaper baskets.
SPECIFY THE RIGHT ONE
FROM THE BEST.

Architonic is the worlds leading research tool for the specication of premium architectural and design products. Our curated data-
base currently provides information about more than 200000 products from 1500 brands and 6200 designers. 16 million architects,
interior designers and design enthusiasts annually choose Architonic as their guide to the very best.

ARCHITONIC.COM
 Co-Living

LAB

Frame Lab explores how the sharing economy is affecting

the residential scene. The Collective takes on co-housing in
Photo Aisha Zeijpveld

London, NaruseInokuma Architects puts community first in

Japan, and conceptual dwellings respond to overpopulation.
146 COLIVING

Sharing becomes a luxury
rather than a compromise
student accommodation, todays communal-
living complex, although low in private space, is
high in service. Occupants often find a range of
amenities that make up for the lack of personal
space: examples are an in-house chambermaid
available to do the linens, a communal kitchen
equipped with the latest sous-videgadgets, a
fully furnished roof terrace with a view of the
city and an overall air of hospitality. Sharing
becomes a luxury rather than a compromise.
Although ascending house prices and
stagnant wages are an important factor in the
By 2050, 66 per cent of the worlds popula- emergence of shared-living complexes, the
tion is expected to live in city centres. Future social aspect is rapidly gaining ground. Settling
urbanites will require a place to stay, an into one of these high-end communities
issue that raises questions about the future doesnt come cheap, however, so owners and
of housing and poses a challenge for urban developers need relevant selling points in order
resources. The coming decades are going to to attract the attention of ambitious twenty-
see a transformation in the way people live. The and thirty-somethings. Our increasingly digital
traditional house or apartment will no longer lives minimize the chance of random physical
serve an evolving citizenry and, in particular, encounters, and together with an upsurge in
the segment consisting largely of young mobility, the result is a generation of modern
professionals who no longer believe in the nomads who are looking for a location-
feasibility or desirability of a private-property independent, alternative sense of family.
ownership model. Known as Generation Responding to the demand for face-to-face
Rent, they choose convenience and experi- engagement, modern co-living structures foster
ence over acquisition and investment. Transient greater social connectivity on a daily basis.
and global, their lifestyles ask for a reinter- An already fading line between public
pretation of accommodation typologies. At and private is exemplified by the use of the
the same time, new family formations (made local caf as a neighbourhood living room and
up of friends or neighbours) and households by city apartments without kitchens, which
(including a growing number of singles) have cater to tenants who spend a good deal of
different expectations and necessitate new time away from home. New communal-living
spatial arrangements, which are inconsistent complexes targeting young achievers continue
with the classic compartmentalization of to blur that boundary even more. FK
domestic interiors.
Taking a cue from historical and existing
co-living structures utopian collectives in the
1970s, Israeli kibbutzim, spiritual communes,
retirement homes and college dorms the
shared living space is being reconsidered and
reinterpreted through the development of
community-driven housing projects in metrop-
olises across the world. In the same way the
sharing economy revolutionized transport (with Opposite An outdoor living room,
services like Uber) and work (by outfits such as Old Oaks roof terrace features
chill-out domes in the winter and a
WeWork and Spaces), it is now reorganizing place for barbecues in the summer,
housing. Distinguishing itself from the average high above the bustle of the city.
 147

Urban
Oasis?
As the sharing economy gains ground, The Collective
opens a large co-living complex that responds to
the need for a service rather than a private-property
ownership model. But is Old Oak the solution to
Londons housing crisis?
Words Jonathan Openshaw Photos Andrew Meredith
148 COLIVING

People
come here
to meet
people
from
around
the world

beatbox champion or the head of Amnesty

International, gather on the roof terrace
for a summer barbecue and bed down on
beanbags in the cinema for a Game of Thrones
evening. The clutch of disparate choices is
deliberate: I think co-living is about bringing
together a diverse group of people the
more diverse, the better the overall product,
Bedrooms says Thomas. If we had a mono-community,
we wouldnt be doing our job properly.
People come here to meet people from
Co-living means sacrificing personal space for around the world, with different outlooks
the benefit provided by greater communal areas. and perspectives.
Bedrooms at Old Oak average just 10 m2, and The focus on engineering serendipitous
monthly rents are around 1,000. encounters between residents lies at the
heart of The Collectives offer. According to
the United Nations, 54 per cent of the global
population now lives in cities, which means
AT first glance, the 11-storey complex than the going rate for a whole flat. What you we have become an urban species for the
sandwiched between grey industrial estates lose in personal space is compensated for by first time in human history. The number is
and car dealerships in Willesden Green, communal areas that include a library, a gym expected to balloon by 90 per cent in certain
a suburb of northwest London, seems an and amenities such as Wi-Fi. You can even regions (such as South America) by 2050,
unlikely place to discover the future of urban have staff change your bedding. but instead of fostering greater community
living. Once inside, however, you can wander Life at Old Oak blends aspects of connectivity, life in such close quarters
through a secret yoga garden, lounge on a student housing, youth hostels and cosy appears to be accompanied by a kind of
roof terrace dotted with geodesic domes, and childhood bedrooms back home. Though a urban anomie that has all but shattered
dance the night away in a disco laundrette far cry from the independence youd expect traditional social ties.
while waiting for your delicates to finish the twenty-something Londoners to aspire to, Our increasingly digital lives have
slow cycle. its proving a seductive offer for members of only exacerbated the problem. The average
This may sound like a world willed into a post-recession generation who no longer person in the UK spends some nine hours
being by the man-boy character played by believe that obtaining a mortgage is possible a day gazing at a screen, and the internet
Tom Hanks in the 1980s classic, Big, but it is or even desirable, and who would rather has become a framing device for human
in fact a flagship co-living space conceived invest in new experiences than in material experience and interaction. Although the
and realized by The Collective, a property possessions. web has opened up new worlds of informa-
company thats looking to change the way People move in more for the concept tion, it has also shut down the potential for
young urban professionals live and interact. than for the actual bedroom, says Ed random encounters. You never truly browse
With no fewer than 550 beds, Old Oak is the Thomas, one of Old Oaks community the internet; you can only scan the filter
largest in a recent spate of such complexes managers. His role ranges from organizing bubble provided by your search engine.
opening up from New York to Tokyo. an on-site cultural programme to replacing As people gaze ever deeper into their
Co-living entails the sacrifice of personal toilet rolls. Our community is completely smartphones, they gradually reduce the
space for the benefit provided by greater self-selecting, so we dont screen by age or possibility of physical face-to-face engage-
communal areas. profession or anything like that. We just want ment with others.
Bedrooms at Old Oak average just occupants who will really buy into what We can get very siloed and blinkered in
10 m2, and monthly rents are around 1,000 were trying to do. urban life, observes Irina Listovskaya, design
slightly more than youd pay for a room in Besides dancing in the laundrette, director of The Collective and the person
a shared London house but significantly less residents can attend talks given by the world responsible for overseeing the Old Oak
 FRAME LAB 149

Lobby
More than merely an entrance to the building, the lobby
is used as a co-working spot during the day and a place to
share beer and conversation in the evening.
150 COLIVING

Six tips for Successful Co-Living

Engineer serendipitous Bring together people with
encounters different outlooks and
Offer experiences rather perspectives
than material possessions Enable residents to manage
Reduce personal space to all facets of their lives
foster greater community Honour the individuality
connectivity of each member of the
community

Library
A quiet space for working or reading,
the library operates on a swap scheme.
 FRAME LAB 151

Spa
More often associated with hotels than with homes, the
spa includes a steam room, a sauna and massage beds.

development. Our whole design philosophy because you never know how a space will to quality physical experiences as an anti-
is about creating spaces that motivate occu- work until you see people interact in it. dote to digital dislocation, but its origins as
pants to interact and feel relaxed. Just putting Design Haus Liberty drew up the a company are far more pragmatic. It was
two people in a room together isnt going original concept for Old Oak, but its imple- set up in response to the difficulties faced
to make them want to talk to each other. Its mentation was the work of Listovskayas team by its currently 27-year-old founder, Reza
a far more complex human-centred design in collaboration with PLP Architecture. The Merchant, as he tried to rent student accom-
challenge that were dealing with. result is eclectic: a kind of Scandinavian sci-fi modation while attending the London School
At the core of this challenge is The ambience that references the bare wood, of Economics. Growing tired of dealing
Collectives twodio apartment, with two exposed concrete and metal details youd with cowboy landlords and miserable living
en suite bedrooms opening onto a tiny expect from a project targeting hipsters conditions, he launched a quality student-
communal kitchenette. A three-stage safe design tropes combined with LED-lit rental agency in 2010, which quickly grew
interview process helps match like-minded feature walls, Pac-Man murals and wall- to encompass the social aspects of student
twodio roommates, and while residents mounted flatscreens. Listovskaya has a policy living as well. The success of his community-
are encouraged to spend as much time in of working with local designers whenever focused approach allowed Merchant to begin
the expansive communal areas as possible, possible, and she often sources products investing in property to develop rather than
the twodio units are the building blocks of through independent-makers network Etsy. to simply rent out.
the complex. No spatial layout is fixed here, Its really important for us to bring change to Merchants masterstroke lay in recog-
however, and Listovskayas team constantly the areas that we operate in, she says, and not nizing the need for a service instead of a
monitors how spaces are used, canvassing just to stay within the walls of the building. private-property ownership model. He saw
residents for feedback. She sees an opportu- The Collective may be riding the crest his parents generation collecting VHS tapes
nity for evolution in the design of Old Oak, of a social movement that sees us returning while his peers streamed from Netflix and
152 COLIVING

We create
spaces that
motivate
occupants
to interact

Cinema
In a bid to bring together a diverse group of people,
Old Oak has an on-site cultural programme. Residents can
gather for group movie nights in the cinema.

preferred using Uber to owning a car. He outfit Campus quietly shut down 30 proper- Such macro-pressures may seem remote
realized that convenience and experience are ties, from San Francisco to New York, citing to those admiring the view from the roof
more important than acquisition and invest- an inability to turn the company into an terrace at Old Oak, but The Collectives future
ment for many young urban professionals, economically viable business. hinges on its ability to adapt to changing
but where, he wondered, was a convincing As well as increased competition in the consumer attitudes. Plans for an app are
service-based alternative to the traditional market, there seems to be a growing back- under way; it will enable residents to manage
property-ownership ladder? lash against the very concept of a sharing many facets of their lives, from adjusting
The sharing economy has become such economy. Once peddled as an indisputably room lighting and booking exercise classes
a dominant mind-set in the last five years utopian form of human interaction by its to finding a fellow resident willing to provide
that any new business calling itself The Uber Silicon Valley acolytes, the sharing economy legal advice or help in developing a website.
of . . . is met with a fair degree of scepticism currently faces mounting concerns about Access to a ready-made community will
and eye-rolling. For every sharing-economy the true cost for existing businesses and remain a persuasive proposition for many
success story there are untold casualties, and social structures. Take the case of Berlin, young urbanites who might otherwise
the co-living space is now part of a crowded which in an attempt to control the boom in get lost in the broken property systems of
market. Co-working behemoth WeWork, for property prices no longer permits Airbnb metropolises like London or New York. Ulti-
instance, recently moved into the sector with to rent out whole properties. Other examples mately, though, The Collectives new breed
WeLive (see page 175), opening a 20-floor, are Uber, which finally yielded to workforce of co-living can be compared to a sticking
200-unit development on New York Citys pressure and allowed drivers to organize plaster covering the gaping wound that is our
Wall Street. The worlds sixth largest start-up, a previously prohibited union, and PayPal, urban housing crisis.
WeWork is valued at around US$16 billion, which removed its services from crowd- thecollective.co.uk
so its fair to assume that Merchant and his sourcing sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo
team are taking its progress seriously. Last over concerns about transparency and
year also saw high-profile communal-living accountability.
 FRAME LAB 153

Game Room
Now a staple in creative offices, the game room encourages
physical interaction through the inclusion of a giant chess
set, a ping-pong table and board games.
154 COLIVING

Share
and Share Alike
Responding to big shifts in Japans
demographics, NaruseInokuma
Architects aims to reconnect todays
individualized society through
schemes for community living.
Words Cathelijne Nuijsink Portrait Tada (Yukai)
 FRAME LAB 155

Jun Inokuma (left) and Yuri Naruse explore the Japanese

concept of share, which materializes in their partly
privatized, partly public plans for communal living.

JAPAN is facing population decline, an tectural proposals, participation in themed

increase in human movement and mobility, exhibitions, and prototypic designs for what
an advance in ageing among its citizens, and is known in Japan as a share house. Naruse
more and more single-person households. underlines their commitment to the nations
Meanwhile, the lifetime-employment system social problems, stressing the need for a
that has long been a mainstay of Japanese new kind of society that offers diversity and
companies has started to crumble, and happiness, one in which new relationships
communities, too, are beginning to be based are built through ties that are made freely
on the individual rather than on society as a without regard to bloodlines or the local
whole. As a result, people discussing crucial community. She and Inokuma see share as
issues in Japan today use words like share, a spatial approach partly privatized, partly
community and bond. Young architects public which gives rise to new forms of
Yuri Naruse and Jun Inokuma founders human relationships fitting for this day and
of NaruseInokuma Architects are two of age. Its a vision that characterizes the studios
those responsible for introducing the idea of a growing portfolio, which includes a number
sharing economy to the discipline of architec- of residential projects that explore various
ture. Examples of their efforts include archi- approaches to the concept of sharing.
156 COLIVING

Creating
Neighbourhood
Bonds
What used to be a cluster of 16 individual outdoor spaces, says Naruse, referring to
townhouses for company workers and their the transformation of existing townhouse
families in Takanodai, Tokyo, was leased gardens, overgrown with weeds. A vegetable
to a management company on a fixed- patch and a shared outdoor kitchen are
term tenancy. Garden Terrace Takanodai, meant to stimulate conversation among the
which opened in the spring of 2015, is a rare 48 residents. By incorporating the adjacent
example of the share-house concept owing street into their project plan, the architects
to its large size and its mix of residents: both hoped not only to make the share house a
Japanese and foreign singles and families. pleasant place for those living there, but also
The greatest feature of the complex to improve the quality of the neighbourhood
is the communal garden, which gave the with greenery and gravelled areas that invite
project its name. Budget constraints forced people living nearby to enjoy a stroll through The housing units that make up Garden
the architects to leave the reinforced- the garden. Terrace Takanodai are surrounded by
concrete walls untouched and thus to retain spacious outdoor areas that can be
the original floor plan of the three-bedroom used by the projects 48 residents and
their neighbours.
single-family homes. They focused instead
on providing residents with luxurious
outdoor areas. After removing the fence
separating the share house from the street,
cutting the grass, pruning the trees, laying
out gravel and adding a wooden deck, we
were able to create rich and comfortable

GARDEN TERRACE
TAKANODAI
Shared-living complex
Tokyo
16 individual three-
bedroom townhouses
48 residents
Communal garden
Shared outdoor
kitchen
Remodelling project
 157

RIKU
Caf
Rikuzentakada, Iwate
Prefecture
Emergency caf that
became a communal
living room
From temporary to
permanent venue
Space for 30 visitors
70 m2 of public space

platform for the construction of an official

community caf, a place even more acces-
sible to locals. It was to serve as a communal
living room for social gatherings, a spot
imbued with a sense of home.
Riku Caf was realized and used as a
Originally erected as a temporary shelter temporary facility between January 2012 and
for earthquake victims, Riku Caf is now
a permanent facility with functions that
September 2014. The following month it was
range from a shop and caf to welfare and replaced by a permanent building. Instead
child-rearing services. of the dull and dreary steel structures with
flat roofs that typified most temporary
buildings erected after the earthquake,
Serving a NaruseInokuma Architects opted for a
warm, wood-based space with a pitched
Sense of Home roof. Because the 70-m2 interior would
accommodate more than a caf other
Riku Caf began as the architects proposal functions included welfare and child-rearing
for a public caf in Rikuzentakata, a city in services, as well as a shop it was designed
the disaster-stricken area that was hit by the to house a variety of spaces, a plan facilitated
Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011. by the shape of the roof. Using two types of
The project started with a dentist who, after floor finishes, the architects made one area
escaping damage himself, opened his home where visitors could wear shoes and another,
as a distribution centre for relief supplies. slightly raised area where they could shed
His initiative soon became a crowdfunding their footwear, relax and feel at home.
158

Fabricating
a Family
The client who inherited a piece of land in
Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture a plot that now
houses LT Josai was looking for a profitable
investment as a countermeasure to Japans
steep inheritance taxes. Expecting a studio-
apartment complex to fall behind in competi- LT JOSAI
tive power within a few years, leaving a
surfeit of vacancies, he opted for the share- Shared house
house typology. A specially appointed on-site Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture
manager carefully screens potential tenants
the complex has room for 13 occupants in New-build complex
hopes of pinpointing those with communica- 3 levels
tive skills that seem compatible with others 13 occupants
in LT Josais alternative family. The architects 321.6 m2 of total floor
cite the managers engaging personality and residents within a limited floor area (each
sharp insight into human behaviour as a person occupies a mere 23 m2). The spacious space
major part of the projects success. feel of the place translates into a constant 23 m2 of floor space
Different from share houses that flow of residents who dont seem to mind per resident
are renovations of existing structures, paying a relatively high rent for the oppor- 13 private bedrooms,
the new-build facility in Nagoya allowed tunity to treasure chance meetings with each 12 m2
NaruseInokuma Architects to design not neighbours who are not part of their past.
only the building but also floor plans for LT Josai is appearing at the 2016
individual bedrooms and the organization Venice Architecture Biennale as part of the
of shared facilities, such as kitchen, living Japanese Pavilions exploration of architec-
areas and bathrooms. The result is a highly ture evolving to complement an era of living
dynamic and spacious environment that based on community and sharing.
houses a comparatively large number of narukuma.com
 FRAME LAB 159

Photos Masao Nishikawa

Communal areas for cooking, eating,

relaxing and, most importantly, conversation
encourage LT Josais 13 occupants initially
unrelated to one another to live like a family.
160 COLIVING

Four residential concepts respond

to too little housing for too many people

Photos courtesy of Lane Crawford

Tubular Living was commissioned by
and installed at Lane Crawford stores
in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

By turning ventilation shafts into a

network of living spaces, Peoples
Architecture Office aims to rekindle
community engagement
 FRAME LAB 161

IN Chinas modern-day megacities, where PAO reappropriated ventilation shafts and

vertical living has become a way of life, metal ducts structural elements that
neighbours are stacked in close proximity operate behind the scenes to provide the
to one another, yet have little opportunity for comforts we expect of modern life for use
interaction. This lack of community engage- as vertical living units. We reimagined sepa-
ment has become a source of inspiration for rate living spaces as one connected whole,
Peoples Architecture Office (PAO), a firm says Shen. Horizontal and vertical spaces are
thats observed the monumental shift in the woven together both physically and visually.
nations urban housing conditions first hand. Occupants separated by three-storey-
Vast areas of tightknit communities high gaps can still look across the intervening
have transformed into complexes made up space and see one another. Shiny metal
of small footprints stacked vertically and tubing became oversized speakers, stairs and
separated with walls on the ground, says furniture, forming a flexible, malleable envi-
James Shen of PAO. Taking the creative ways ronment that blurs the lines between private
that ordinary people adapt to the limits of containment and communal exposure. AB
their environment as a point of departure, peoples-architecture.com/pao
PAO conceived Tubular Living, a communal
concept that fosters social interaction.
162 COLIVING

All(zone) envisions temporary

residential units tucked into
Bangkoks abandoned housing blocks

THE economic crisis of 1997, combined with affordably. The units the smallest of which
outdated facilities too expensive to maintain, is about 11.50 m2 are built out of prefabri-
left a clutch of Bangkok high-rises empty cated metal grids (also used for the tempo-
and deserted. While they provide plentiful rary commercial stalls common to Bangkok)
shelter for the homeless, architecture studio and several layers of lightly perforated walls,
All(zone) suggests that these abandoned city which filter out the world beyond thanks
blocks could be the future for a growing to their varying degrees of transparency.
population of young professionals forced to Water facilities are shared.
Bangkoks outer limits by exorbitant rents The design is very simple, says
and struggling to cope with an inefficient All(zone)s Rachaporn Choochuey. It allows
transport system. a lot of light and air to enter the building,
Rather than simply redeveloping the eliminating the need for air-conditioning
buildings, All(zone) has come up with Light Bangkok has a tropical climate, so its never
House, a mode of living lightly in trans- too cold. She doesnt see Light House as a
lucent units designed to occupy the vacant permanent home, but as a kind of transitional
high-rises. Its an interesting proposition residence for people still relatively low on the
for a generation of young Thai professionals earning ladder. AB
willing to live flexibly and wanting to live allzonedesignall.com
 FRAME LAB 163

With minimal floor space and amenities,

Light House is designed as a transitional
residence for young professionals.
Photos Soopakorn Srisakul
164 COLIVING

Germanys contribution
to the Venice Architecture
Biennale addresses
the housing challenges
accompanying the
European refugee crisis
Photo Kirsten Bucher
 FRAME LAB 165

To demonstrate the improvised

yet effective design principles of
arrival cities, Berlin architecture
firm Something Fantastic removed
bricks from the outer walls of the
German Pavilion and used them to
create counters and benches.

Photos Felix Torkar

THE year 2015 saw an extreme rise in the to define the conditions that must be present
number of refugees and asylum seekers in an arrival city in order to turn refugees
making their way towards Europe. More into immigrants. Among such conditions
than a million migrants arrived in Germany, are affordable housing and a tolerant attitude
where borders remained open in 2015. With that extends to the acceptance of informal
similar expectations for 2016, the need for practices.
quick housing solutions is urgent. Responding Finally, an intervention into the monu-
to the emergency, architects and designers mental architecture of the pavilions location
are coming up with smart ideas for travel realized by Berlin-based architecture office
equipment and shelters: good examples are Something Fantastic includes openings
flat-pack containers and backpacks made in the outer walls, where bricks have been
from life jackets and inflatable boats. Many removed and subsequently reused to fashion
of these often temporary aids are listed in improvised furniture that reflects the prag-
a database available at makingheimat.de matic yet effective design principles adopted
(in collaboration with architecture magazine by arrival cities.
Bauwelt). They form the starting point for one Meant to address the crisis and provoke
of three parts of the German Pavilion, now discussion, the pavilion provides an insight
welcoming visitors to the Venice Architecture into whats needed to expedite successful
Biennale. The German exhibition was curated integration for all refugees currently living in
by the Deutsches Architekturmuseum. first-admittance facilities and shared accom-
A book by Doug Saunders, Arrival modations across Germany. FK
City: How the Largest Migration in History is makingheimat.de
Reshaping Our World, inspired the second
segment of the exhibition Making Heimat. Venice Architecture Biennale 2016
is open until 27 November
Germany, Arrival Country which seeks
166 COLIVING

Students at a Dutch art-and-design

institute playfully explore the potential of
self-sustained micro-communities
in compact societies
 FRAME LAB 167

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

THE UN estimates a rise in the current

global population of 7.3 billion to 9.6 billion
by 2050. Most of this growth will occur in
cities, putting a strain on urban infrastructure
attempting to accommodate density without
incurring unsustainable urban sprawl. The
future of living is at the centre of this dilemma.
The Wandering School, a critical exploration
of the subject, appeared at Milan Design Week
in the form of satellite installations developed
by students attending Amsterdams Sandberg
Institute and, more specifically, the schools
Dirty Art Department in collaboration with
the Macao Cultural Centre.
Throughout the duration of the fair, the
Wandering School hosted a series of events
and initiatives that included film, lectures,
performance and even places to sleep, such as
a tent on wheels that changed location every
day. The eclectic programme, which occu-
pied a former slaughterhouse, invited visitors
to interact with its post-apocalyptic vision
of communal organization, taking inspira-
tion from radical schools and self-contained
communities to define its various activities.
More than 30 installations filled the shared
space. Features were a confession booth for
gossip and secrets, a pop-up gourmet restau-
rant and a dying ceremony preceding the
birth of the communitys new flag.
Essentially an experimental living
arena, the Wandering School functioned as
an ecosystem supported by a mix of basic
facilities (for sleeping and eating) and more
surreal ideas, which together demonstrated
what a self-sustained community might look
like. The students body of work offered an
insight into how micro-communities can
function within compact housing environ-
ments a scenario biding its time on the
fringes of a not-so-distant future. LM
wanderingschool.com
Photo Delfino Sisto Legnani Studio

An experimental living arena, the Wandering School occupied

a former slaughterhouse during Milan Design Week.
168 MINI X FRAME

MINI Living centres on a 30-m2 conceptual

apartment, which can be connected with
others around it to create communal spaces.
Surrounding apartments are suggested by
skeletal structures.
 FRAME LAB 169

Mi Casa Es Su Casa
MINI initiates a conversation about affordable shared
housing by reinforcing its credo: creative use of space.
Words Tracey Ingram Photos Andrew Meredith

MILAN
DESIGN
WEEK

IN booming international cities, homes amid

the inspiring buzz of urban life are in hot
demand. As a result, global urbanization has
led to soaring house prices a consequence
of the lack of innovative architectural solu-
tions within the residential market. Its into
this discussion that MINI dropped a talking
point to explore new ways of living in dense
urban hotspots.
The resulting project MINI Living, an
installation on show at Milan Design Week
centred on a 30-m2 conceptual apartment, a
crucial cog in a micro-community of similar
spaces. While the surrounding apartments
were merely suggested in Milan, the idea
was clear: rooms are able to function both
individually and cooperatively, allowing
inhabitants to retreat at certain times and, at
The installation amplifies the perception of
others, to open their personal worlds to their private space juxtaposed with a communal
neighbours. Were looking to be part of a area by means of contrasting lighting:
debate about future forms of shared living, ambient inside and bright beyond.
says architect and MINI Living project leader
Oke Hauser. In the city, space is increasingly
scarce and finite, so we need to come up
with new architectural solutions concepts project. While the design fair was still in
based on sharing and time-based access to full swing, Hauser together with On
space. We see a lot of potential in this situa- Designs Osamu Nishida and Arups Jan
tion for making urban environments more Wurm explained MINIs approach to
communal and reciprocal. MINIs instal- the communal-living concept.
lation combines both sides of the equation
within a compact footprint. Its both a haven Whats the connection for MINI between
of privacy and an interface to the wider mobility and living? OKE HAUSER: MINI is
community. an urban brand. It was born in the city, and
By making the boundaries between its alive there today. We look at the city as an
apartments flexible, MINI hopes to spark entity. Mobility is one aspect, and architec-
conversation about private versus communal ture is another. You cant separate the two.
space. But the installations motto do These elements shape the city and the lives
disturb highlighted the brands position on of its inhabitants. We want to understand
the matter. The concept has been designed the city holistically to integrate all aspects
specifically to encourage interaction and to of the urban condition into one ongoing
provide an alternative to urban anonymity. research concept: MINI Living.
We believe that when you share, you simply Our main interest is to improve the way
get more: more space, more amenities and, people live within cities to understand the
most importantly, more opportunities to main problems, to rethink housing concepts
create memories together. For us, these are and to discover those that are relevant for the
the staples of a happy life, says Hauser. future. How can we change the way people
MINI enlisted the architectural know- live together, based on the MINI principles
how of Japanese studio On Design and the of creative use of space, small urban footprint
engineering expertise of Arup for the and maximum experience?
170 MINI X FRAME

almost giving a signal to the other inhabit-

ants, based on the position of the shelving.
The scheme is about catering to two coex-
isting lifestyles, public and private.
OH: Sharing is important. After
opening the shelves in your own space,
youll most likely follow up by including
the communal area. You can provide your
neighbour with access to certain functions
and form new typologies between spaces.
ON: We also like the correlation
between the act of opening the shelves and
that of opening the boot of a MINI car. Its
about connecting the inside space to the
outside world.

One such opening houses the kitchen. What

were your thoughts when designing kitchen
facilities for MINI Living? OH: We wanted to
articulate the synergy of functions that can
be shared: those that activate the communal
space. The kitchen is a private function
integrated into each living unit, but it can
be shared with your neighbour by rotating
Shelves used to express an individuals personality can the kitchen module to make it part of the
be opened, extending an invitation to neighbours. communal space.

How do you envision the function of light

in your housing strategy? OH: The instal-
lation can be seen as a conceptual cut-out
of a larger floor plan. In reality, of course,
each unit would have access to natural light.
We set out to amplify the perception of

How did the collaboration with On Design very intimate apartments juxtaposed with
and Arup come about? OH: Japan offers great communal areas, and we used different types
examples of how people can live within a of artificial light to achieve our goal: subtle
very small urban footprint. As a result, many and cosy inside the private unit and bright in
collaborative living solutions come out of the communal space.
Japan offers Japan, so we used Japanese housing as a point
of departure. We then looked to On Design, How defined was the brief? OH: MINI came
great examples which specializes in this type of work.
Arup, our other partner for the project,
up with the content and the conceptual basis
of the installation and its set-up: four units
of how people takes a holistic approach to engineering. The
team is concerned with how to make cities
sharing one space on a conceptual floor plan.
ON: We developed the idea of shelving
can live within better places. from there and went on to incorporate infra-
structure into the system.
a very small How did the Japanese attitude towards living
translate to this project? OSAMU NISHIDA:
JW: Part of Arups role was to make
sure that everything functioned properly.
urban footprint The size of residences in Japan is becoming
increasingly smaller. Around 30 per cent
Besides being responsible for the lighting,
we put together a materials catalogue that
of the people live alone, and the number also contains some principles of construc-
of two-person apartments is also relatively tion. If the project becomes available for
high. For MINI Living, we tried to include implementation in cities, wed like to explore
as much functionality as possible within a other principles as well.
very compact site. You can create a new type
of housing by focusing on the enrichment How do you think MINIs scenario will affect
of a small space. Modest-sized buildings are the way in which we live? ON: People will
often about trying to squeeze in as much as be sharing with one other physically, and I
possible, but you always bump into the big think this will lend itself to more opportuni-
problem: budget. Often the quality suffers. ties for creative cross-pollination. By seeing
Working with MINI meant that even though what others are doing, individuals might be
the building was small, the standard was prompted to come up with something new.
extremely high.
The underlying theme was to express What do you hope visitors will take away
a persons individuality in some way. We from this? OH: We would like to engage our
chose to do this with shelves. They can be visitors, to have them reflect on the way
used for displaying a collection just as they people are living together and to take some
would function in a typical home but these inspirational moments and memories with
Hear about MINIs visions
shelves can also open out to the shared space. them. As a result, we hope to contribute to
for the future of living with Its your choice: you can keep the area private a brighter urban life.
the digital magazine or share it with your neighbour. Youre mini.com
 FRAME LAB 171

Functions such as music systems, workbenches and

kitchen units are integrated into the fold-out modules.
Inhabitants can choose to share these elements with
their neighbours or to keep them private.
172 COLIVING

Four companies share their visions

for the future of urban living
Words Floor Kuitert
Photo Alastair Philip Wiper

Carla Cammilla Hjort, director of exhibition venue

and future-living lab Space10, sets her sights on
housing urban dwellers facing urban realities
 FRAME LAB 173

Photo Zinna Brigh Mac-Eochaidh

In Copenhagen, Space10 part laboratory, part

exhibition venue comprises a community of
visionary designers who investigate the future of
living through a series of labs, one of which will
focus on co-living.
tion, rising housing prices and an increase
in single households ask for reorganization if
people are to enjoy meaningful lives in new
types of housing.We need to start thinking
more about how to design for small-space
living, shared living and fluid multifunc-
tional living, without sacrificing perks like
common areas and good facilities.
People are increasingly on the move.
The world is smaller than ever before, and
a lot of us choose to live, study and work
abroad. People starting out in a new city have
to create completely new social circles, and
co-living provides them with a social life
from the get-go.
Boundaries between public and private
spaces are starting to blur. Bigger parts of our
private lives will have to happen in shared
CO-LIVING is mushrooming at a very fast spaces as people continue to occupy smaller
pace.From the college dorm to the kibbutz, housing units. I just heard that 30 per cent of
from the spiritual commune to the retire- new apartments in New York City are built
ment home, we have seen communal living without kitchens.
unfolding in various formats for many centu- People are starting to realize and
ries, but there is a new wave of co-living to take advantage of the value of their
spaces popping up in bigger cities around property. Theyre renting out their residences
the world. These housing models represent at a rate no-one ever predicted. We even
and reflect some of the trends and chal- see private homes being used by tenants as
lenges associated with urban living today. offices during the day.
Expanding populations, advancing urbaniza- space10.io
174 COLIVING

Photo Balzs Gldi

When the Airbnb boom hit Budapest, design studio

Position Collective transformed a 30-m2 apartment

next to a flat occupied by a client into short-stay
lodging for two guests and called it Air B N P.

Catering to travellers globally, Airbnb

cofounder and CPO Joe Gebbia believes
the ideal residence should reflect both the
hosts personality and the buildings locality

ECONOMIC need, urbanization and the countries, including Japan. The question that that are filled with the personality of the
search for human connection in a digital arises is: how can villages and rural towns owner and the local community. Homes are
world three things that I believe drive the reutilize their spaces to host global travellers? a curation of what someone cares about, what
growing popularity of communal living. By Airbnb joins together the essence of they value. Individuality is the ideal.
2050, 66 per cent of the worlds population global and local: there is nothing more global
will live in city centres. Urban density will than a worldwide platform and nothing more In August, Airbnb will take part in House Vision 2016,
affect how resources are utilized and shared. local than a persons own home. Having an exhibition in Tokyo. There, in collaboration with
curator Kenya Hara and architect Go Hasegawa, the
Well have to figure out smarter ways of stayed in Airbnbs around the world, from organization will explore the future of living and the
living and of using space. The other side of Uruguay to Bhutan and New York to Tokyo, evolving relationship between guest and host
the trend is a decrease in rural populations. Ive come to the conclusion that the most airbnb.com
This is already happening in a number of comfortable and enjoyable listings are those
 FRAME LAB 175

WeWork is spreading its philosophy

of shared space with a new housing
With locations in New York City and Crystal City,
Virginia (pictured), WeLive applies WeWorks
community-driven approach to housing.

venture called WeLive, explains

cofounder and chief creative officer
Miguel McKelvey
WE see the future of living as more flexible,
with less clutter and fewer things maybe
higher-quality things, but not so many. Life
lite, if you like. I think we'll see people
focus more on whats meaningful, like
relationships and experiences. I think folks
may become less fixed; borders will come
to mean less and will have less impact as
people travel more and have more fluid
lives, with no permanent abode.
The opportunity to connect comes
through common interests and good
design. We see people looking for authentic
connections with others. They want a
meaningful social framework rather than
awkward, choreographed meetings. People
who are open to connecting in this way,
regardless of age, will reap the benefits
of the type of community that a flexible
attitude fosters.
Just as WeWork changed the way
people work through our philosophy of
shared space, services, community and
social interaction WeLive offers a game-
changing alternative to the way people live.
welive.com
176 COLIVING

NEW forms of work and co-working spaces

are taking over the office scene, commerce
is moving to the internet, and highways are
atrocities we hope to overcome with better
forms of shared transportation. But nobody
questioned the notion of home as radically as
the Bauhaus movement did in the early 1920s.
Its time to do it again. And this time
the issue is driven by our quest for belonging,
location independence and technology. Life
will become more transient, no doubt about it.
Its been like this for the adventurous young,
for rich people and for some specialist profes-
sions for a long time. But now, as video calls,
group chats and asynchronous communica-
tion become part of our daily shared culture,
a different way of living is suddenly an option
for a much broader public. It should be easy
to live a life thats not only global but more
communal and interesting. We want to enable
a truly location-independent lifestyle that
removes the need to choose a single spot in
the first place and, in return, to provide a
completely new sense of home and belonging
that allows people to live anywhere they
want and always feel at home. Wed like to
see people living more interesting lives and
sharing their experiences with others. Physical
locations are a vibrant backdrop. Its the
people youre with that become your home.
roam.co

Like all of Roams communal living options, which span the globe,
the Bali residence offers space for both privacy and gatherings.

Photos Alexis Dornier

Each fully furnished room has an en suite bathroom.

Bruno Haid, cofounder and CEO of global

co-living provider Roam, is out to create a
location-independent sense of home in an
increasingly transient world
 THE SPIRIT OF PROJECT
MOON DOOR, SELF UP SIDEBOARD DESIGN G.BAVUSO
RIMADESIO.COM
178 GAGGENAU X FRAME

Inspired by the diverse activities that have engaged

Gaggenau since its foundation 333 years ago,
photographers Wendy van Santen and Hans Bolleurs
shot a series of material-focused images representing
three key elements that have helped define the
brand's identity.

History in
 179

Celebrating 333 years of

growth, Gaggenau unveils how
its past is defining its present
and guiding its future.
Words Floor Kuitert Photos Wendy van Santen & Hans Bolleurs

the Making
180 GAGGENAU X FRAME

FROM James Watts invention of the steam Although an achievement not many
engine and the completion of Beethovens companies can equal, the milestone comes
Ninth to the moon landing of Apollo 11 and with a number of expectations, says Sven
the creation of Andy Warhols Marilyn: Schnee, head of global brand Gaggenau.
such iconic moments are part of the histor- For the brand, its a clear statement: if you
ical context in which German company have a strong attitude and philosophy,
Gaggenau, manufacturer of luxury home you can make it for a really long time. But
appliances, has operated and are just as there are certain responsibilities that come
diverse as the outfits activities since its along with longevity. If we want to be here
foundation in 1683. Together with many for another 333 years, wed better listen
other highlights from the past, these events to our customers. We need to stay hungry
formed a timeline that ran through the and agile in order to evolve and, while
brands EuroCucina booth in Milan this continuing to innovate, still stay true to
year, where the company celebrated its our identity and DNA.

333rd anniversary: a definitive number that But how do you maintain such a
gave reason to reflect on three defining strategy? Schnee compares the evolution
moments in the brands history. of Gaggenaus appliances to the transfer-
ence of family genes. Its like mother and
daughter. There is continuity in terms
The way of DNA. Each newly developed product
is bound to our history in a way. Take
we work the 90-cm-wide oven EB 300, which
we launched in 1986. We are presenting
with an updated version this year and, in
commemoration of our anniversary,
metal is calling it the EB 333. Despite the 30-year
gap, the new model looks very much like
a tribute the original, but its not at all the same.
A full 90 per cent of the components
to our
origins

Laying the Foundation

The ability and the will to rely on
craftsmanship and people that work with
their hands are what defines Gaggenau, says
Schnee. Strongly rooted in the Black Forest,
the company started as an ironworks
Eisenwerke Gaggenau A.G. in 1683,
first forging nails and, a short time later,
producing agricultural machinery. Values
formed in these early stages remain at the
core of the brand. Its during those years
that we learned how to treat processed
materials and to create long-lasting pieces
made from solid metal. We still use solid
elements. The stainless steel in our 90-cm-
wide oven weighs about 20 kg. We havent
done this to make the oven heavy, but to
manufacture an appliance thats substantial.
Even today, the way we work with metal is
a tribute to our origins.
 181

Gaggenau builds its brand on a rich heritage.

The craftsmanship acquired in the early years,
when the company was an ironworks, remains
a core quality of the brand.
182

Photo courtesy of Gaggenau

The interior of a Gaggenau oven features the

companys signature blue enamel, a secret recipe
that can be traced to a period in which the
company produced enamel advertising signage.
 GAGGENAU X FRAME 183

Changing Course
Possibly the most surprising turn of
events in Gaggenaus history took place
at the dawn of the 20th century, when the
companys focus temporarily shifted to
Badenia bicycles and enamel advertising
signage. Although such items seem about
as far removed from kitchen appliances
as you can get, traces of their existence
are present in Gaggenaus current product
range. Enamel first used in signage seeped
into the design of ovens coal ovens
followed by gas-fired and electric ovens.
We understood that enamel offers good
protection against humidity and high
temperatures. Its properties even speed
the process of heating the oven. Once
wed made a decision to manufacture
self-cleaning pyrolytic ovens, we knew
that enamel a material we were already
familiar with would serve the purpose
well. Enamel had protected advertising
signage, and it would protect the trays,
racks and walls of an oven during the
pyrolytic cleaning cycle. When you open
a Gaggenau oven today, you see an interior
that features our signature blue enamel.

are new. Its like the journey made by

Porsche 911. It changes technically, but in
terms of design it remains true to itself.
Trends, societal developments and
changes in demographics are always on
Gaggenaus radar, but they dont neces-
sarily influence the products directly.
More so the brand. To develop the brand
further, we have to be aware of trends
in society, explains Schnee. We have to on our products, though. Products are just
Enamel
first used
in signage
seeped
into the
know that in ten years time, 50 per cent a tool. Its about serving a certain lifestyle.
of the worlds households are going to be
single households. We have to understand
How can we be extraordinary,
authentic, progressive and cultivated? Its
design
that increases in organization and mobility
will require more modular concepts, and
an important question and one that can be
tricky for our designers. We have to rein-
of ovens
that different generations ask for different vent ourselves without losing our soul. The
brand experiences. So yes, we need to vision Schnee describes is evident through
make note of trends and to understand all stages of the companys transitional
society. We want to know what people journey, which started at an ironworks and
dream about and what they wish for. Not has led to the private kitchen.
even half of what we learn has an impact gaggenau.com
184 GAGGENAU X FRAME

Pushing Ahead
Without the involvement of the Von

Blanquet family, Gaggenau would not
be producing home appliances in 2016,
says Schnee. I would say they were key
While to the formation of Gaggenau as we now
see it. They initiated our journey towards
continuing gastronomy and its importance for us.
The family acquired the company in
to innovate, 1931, and it was son Georg who displayed
we still a passion for cooking. They started
making sound, sturdy, high-performance
stay true to appliances, besides having an eye for
niche markets that grabbed nobody
our identity elses attention. The desire to be the first
and DNA to introduce products that can change
peoples lives continues to lie at the heart
of Gaggenau. Schnee mentions the combi-
steam oven with cleaning function. Even
though adding a cleaning function to a
steam oven seems to be an obvious choice,
no one had done it before. Sometimes
the easiest idea can be the most crucial
and the most difficult to envision.
The Von Blanquets also initiated
the move to custom-fitted kitchens,
the type of personalized, built-in units
that are still being installed. However,
when freestanding appliances became
available ovens, for instance, that
could be surrounded by other pieces of
furniture customers had the opportunity
to further individualize their kitchens.
Today, the private kitchen is the result
of a comprehensive design. Its not a
combination of appliances by chance but
a planned, highly integrated space based
on a strong strategy. Every tool becomes
a part of the entire orchestration, and
Gaggenau enables the final compo-
sition, offering domestic chefs variety
and flexibility.
Photo courtesy of Gaggenau 185

Unveiled at this years EuroCucina in Milan, the

EB 333 an update of the iconic 90-cm-wide
oven exemplifies the evolution of Gaggenaus
product range, which combines the legacy of the
company with its ongoing pursuit of innovation.
 soft collection by molo

exible, freestanding walls, furniture + lighting that move with you

molodesign.com molotrade.com design by Stephanie Forsythe + Todd MacAllen
 Furniture
Moooi causes a stir in Milan. Cassina,
Arper, Emeco and others adapt to
Photo courtesy of Dante Goods and Bads

shrinking spaces. MDF Italia, Artifort

and Normann Copenhagen cater
to urban nomads. Discover whats
driving the business of design.
188 REPORTS

We prefer to
provoke a reaction
of love or hate than
of indifference
Moooi has never MILAN
shied away from DESIGN
WEEK
controversy. As
the brand moves LAST September, Dutchman Robin Bevers change; there are only things I want to add.

through a period took the reins as CEO of Moooi from

company cofounder Casper Vissers. This
Were now investing in our product-develop-
ment department and our sales team. Moving
of rapid growth, means that when we meet during Milan
Design Week in April, its his first time
from an entrepreneurial state to a midsize
company means overcoming certain barriers
new CEO Robin running the show. Bevers speaks directly
with visitors dropping by to view Mooois
and becoming more professional. Thats the
process I want to guide Moooi through.
Bevers discusses presentation, enthusiastically asking
Hollanders whether theyre getting kippenvel How do you measure growth? Growth can
his role in the (Dutch for goose bumps). He tells me
someone even cried when they walked in
mean a lot of things. How good is your
product? How complete is your collection?
companys future. happy tears, I presume. Its evident that
Bevers hopes to provoke a strong reaction
But it can also refer to how much you sell
and how well youre liked by architects and
Words Tracey Ingram with the latest display of Mooois products. designers. Are you their go-to brand? It
Portrait Winter Vandenbrink We take a seat among the new offerings to all starts with wanting to grow, both
chat about his vision for the company. individually and collectively. Were upping
our quality and becoming more profes-
Apart from hoping to give people goose sional, but obviously we need to see a
bumps, whats your goal for this years simultaneous commercial growth. Sales are
Salone event and for the company in a very easy-to-measure variable. Moooi will
general? ROBIN BEVERS: Ive been coming double in size financially in the next five
to the Salone for 20 years in various capaci- years. Were growing in all our key markets,
ties. Even though Ive seen Moooi grow including Europe, the US and Asia.
from its inception, this is the first year Im
responsible. Moooi is on a path towards Whats the percentage split between private
becoming a more complete brand more clients and referrals from architects and
sexy, creative, luxurious, rebellious, harmo- designers? Thats difficult to track, because
nious. We take a step forward each time our distribution isnt divided definitively
were part of Milan Design Week. Last year between contract and residential, but approxi-
we launched our carpet range, and this year mately 60 per cent of our products end up in
were releasing a more mature and luxurious the contract market a fairly large share.
collection with new fabrics.
I dont have a new vision for the You mentioned adding carpets to the collec-
company, as the strategy is already there. tion last year. How do you get a feel for
Its about growth, and Moooi is growing whether new ventures will be well received
very rapidly. Theres nothing I want to in the market? You cant test everything,
MOOOI X FRAME 189

Moooi
ESTABLISHED 2001
HEADQUARTERS Breda,
the Netherlands
EMPLOYEES 50
PRODUCT RANGE Furniture,
lighting, carpet, home accessories
BESTSELLING PRODUCTS
Random Light and Heracleum
(both by Bertjan Pot); Container
Table by Marcel Wanders
CORE MARKETS Netherlands,
USA, Germany, Scandinavia,
Canada, Middle East, Belgium, Italy,
France, Southeast Asia, Australia
SHOWROOMS AND BRAND
STORES Amsterdam, the
Netherlands; New York City, USA;
London, UK; Tokyo, Japan
TURNOVER (2014) 23 million
190 REPORTS

Even if somethings not

a commercial success,
it can still fit our brand

but we rely a lot on the vision and entrepre- Academy Eindhoven. Smoke Chair became
neurship of Marcel [Wanders]. We dont follow one of Mooois bestsellers and Maartens
his vision blindly, and there are no guarantees. first product on the market.
We occasionally go out on a limb and thats
Umut Yamacs kinetic Perch Lights were set fine. Everything we do, we do from our core Which new products best exemplify Mooois
in motion after Moooi spotted a functional values and identity. That means that even if direction for 2016? Were conveying rebel-
prototype at the 2014 edition of Design somethings not a commercial success, it can lious harmony, order versus chaos call it
Junction in London. Bevers calls the bird-
themed collection irreverent and adds that
still fit and even strengthen our brand. what you will. Umut Yamacs Perch Light is
it could easily be corny, but its not. Fortunately, we have two very capable people very irreverent. Its a bird sitting on a perch
taking care of this. Desiree [de Jong] and that functions as a lamp. It could easily
Marcel, our art directors, decide whats be corny, but its not. Theres a fine line
on brand and what defines the brand. between something thats cool and edgy
and something that doesnt hit the mark.
How do you source new products? Theres no Its important to find that balance.
set process. Marcel is an active product scout, The Compression Sofa by Paul
as are Desiree and Casper, whos still involved Cocksedge is almost insulting. Take a giant
in the company. I also search for new ideas. piece of foam, push it down, and just like
We might pick up something from a design that you have a sofa. And, hey, why not
fair, and sometimes people approach us take that form and make a version in marble,
directly. On occasion well contact a designer too? They mirror and play off each other.
to make something for us. At certain points Then theres Marcels piece, the
we sit down as a team to assess, and the art Charleston Sofa. I dont know if you had a
directors have a strong say in the matter. chesterfield growing up, but theyre as tradi-
The Compression Sofa by Paul Cocksedge I think the best example of Marcels tional as you can get. Marcel takes one, puts
is almost insulting, says Bevers. Rather
than sketching and thinking about form,
scouting capacity is when he noticed Maarten it on its side and turns it into a chair. Thats
the designer simply explored what happens Baass final examination piece at Design it. Hes connecting the past and the future
when a rectangular prism of foam is in a way no ones thought of before.
condensed in one spot, which forms the seat.
Arguably more sculptural than functional,
the marble version sold during the Salone.
In Frame 109 we spoke to Vittorio Radice
of La Rinascente about how design labels
should be selling furniture these days. He
said the focus is too often on the designers
and not the brands. How do you feel about
that? Some brands do ride off the fame of
designers, but I think people see through
that. Our criteria are: is it good design? Does
it fit into our collection? Is it on brand?
We dont always work with well-known
designers. Maarten Baas was one example,
and Umut Yamac is not a household name
either. Then theres Rick Tegelaar, who isnt
exactly famous but we really liked his lamp.
It fits into our world. We may end up using
the names of some designers a bit more often,
like Marcel or Bertjan Pot. Bertjan has really
earned it though. Time after time his pieces
are huge hits with the audience and great
commercial successes.
Photos Andrew Meredith

How do you communicate the brand to

people who know none of these designers?
Thats the good thing: you dont need to know
the designers to get to know the brand. But
we do think its important to credit them.
 MOOOI X FRAME 191

We would never manufacture a piece just

because its from a big name. Its about the
piece, not the designer. Design aficionados
come here to see the latest work of the
so-called stars, but people who arent in that
world can still be emotionally and intellectu-
ally moved by Moooi. During the Salone, we
have them to ourselves. Within this 1,700 m2,
we control the sound, the visuals, the light,
the smell. Here you can feel our world. You
dont need to know designers for that.

Earlier on, Moooi was very much about

statement pieces like the three you just
highlighted. But youre also trying to create
complete furniture solutions. How do you
combine these two directions? You cant
fill your home with statement pieces; youll
go crazy. Yes, we want to offer a complete
solution, but in a Moooi way. Some of our
products are what we call silent friends, and
some are grand gestures. Again, its about
balance. As you become bigger you need to
pay closer attention to that balance. Thats
another reason why weve increased our
ranges of materials and finishes this year. Order versus chaos is inherent in Mooois
products. Marcel Wanders Charleston Sofa flips
a traditional chesterfield on its end, turning a
You said you cant fill a home with statement conventional classic into a grand statement.
pieces. Is Mooois focus on the home? Our
focus also includes hospitality: your home
away from home.

That reminds me of a statement Marcel family and friends. They still want a secure Will brands have to start offering experi-
recently made about how private spaces and comfortable place for themselves. I think ences instead of products? Not instead of,
are becoming less personalized. Because of thats where we come in. but were very interested in sharing the
the likes of Airbnb, he said, people are less Theres a need for individuality, though. Moooi experience. Our Salone stand is
inclined to convey too much of their own People dont want their homes to look the a physical experience, and by tomorrow
personality in their homes. Conversely, the same as their parents did. Theyre looking therell be a 360-degree panoramic tour
opposite is happening in commercial spaces. for something different, and I think they can online for everyone to access. Its a multi-
Do you agree? Were definitely monitoring find it at Moooi. channel thing for us. We want our website
and trying to anticipate that trend, but to be interactive, but we also want our
Marcel is an early adopter. We also have Youre launching 22 new products this brand stores to double as event spaces and
to realize that Marcel and maybe you and year. Whats your reaction to the criticism gathering places. When we host an experi-
I as well are not representative of our wider of manufacturers bringing more stuff into ence, we want it to affect people. We prefer
target group. Marcel is so far ahead that he the world? We do try to be considerate of to provoke a reaction of love or hate than
basically doesnt want to have a house or a materials when creating our products, but of indifference.
car any more. Hed prefer to travel the world to us sustainability is about making pieces moooi.com
with a few suitcases. He just moved into a that people love and want to keep. Im sure moooicarpets.com
house in Milan, and in a year hell probably 90 per cent of the stuff people throw away
move somewhere else. It works for him and isnt broken; theyre just sick and tired of it.
thats the future for a certain group of people We aim for timelessness. Some of the
but I think the majority of people want to designs on show here are from Mooois
stay firmly rooted where they are to raise very first year and they dont look dated. Look at Mooois Compression Sofa
children, work close to home and live near We continue to produce them today. taking shape in the digital magazine
192 REPORTS

Furniture to Go
Designers and high-
end furniture brands
are keeping a sharp eye
on transport costs and
mobility as they cater
to people constantly
on the move.
TARGETING young urban dwellers in
search of flexible living options, designers
and brands are unveiling an array of
flat-pack furniture. Like DIY pioneer
Ikea, companies are capitalizing on the
cost-saving benefits of lightweight, easy-
to-assemble designs and, at the same time,
addressing the needs of millennials who
are typically short on space and relatively
nomadic. JS

Artiforts Niloo, a design by Khodi

Feiz, is a new take on the folding
chair. Comfortably upholstered, it
is almost as light and portable as
its predecessor, the Congo Chair.

Upholstered seating delivered in flat-pack form crazy? Hay debuted a flat-pack tubular-steel sofa and
Not according to Normann Copenhagen, which presented armchair with a campaign-style heritage. Designed by
its Ace collection of self-assembly lounge furniture by Hans the Bouroullec brothers, the Can collection features
Hornemann. Made from moulded plywood upholstered in muted yet sophisticated military colours. Buyers have
foam, the pieces take only minutes to put together. a choice of upholstery fabrics and frames.
 FURNITURE 193

Efficient, a collection by Masakazu

Kobayashi of Iks Design, relies
exclusively on standard Japanese
plywood and makes no attempt to
hide its kit-inspired construction.

Nendos lightweight Sag a stool-

The top of Schematas featherlight cum-table for MDF Italia consists of
Sponge table comprises two layers of a single piece of folded polyurethane.
thin wood veneer that sandwich a layer Designed with mobility in mind, the
of sponge. Collapsible and portable, the product comes in a stylish box with
tabletop can also be used as a screen. a built-in handle for easy transport.
194 REPORTS

Generation Gap
Leading furniture WITH 1.8 billion people out of a total of
7 billion, millennials represent the largest
new reality with compact, flexible, no-fuss-
yet-fun solutions designed to make the most
brands adapt to segment of the worlds population. Whats
more, their tech-led, sociable, coopera-
of small city rental units and shared envi-
ronments at home and at work. Camping,
the times with tive, adventurous and value-driven ways campaign and flat-pack furniture are the
are changing us all, as is their space-chal- inspiration; mobile and modular crossover
flexible solutions. lenged urban lifestyle. Furniture compa- products with more than a touch of humour
nies are responding to the millennials are the frequent result.
Words Jane Szita

Camp Classic
I am attracted to the language of camping
and campaign furniture, says Jasper
Morrison. Its something about the light-
ness of structure and required efficiency
in achieving something comfortable that
fits well in todays mood. For Mattiazzi,
Morrison designed Fionda, a chair based
on a camping model that he bought in
Japan. Light and portable yet strong, the
chair unites a folding wooden frame and
a loose canvas cover that can be removed
easily to stack the frames for storage.
mattiazzi.eu
 FURNITURE 195

Shelf Life
As living spaces shrink, using them
effectively becomes increasingly
important. Rimadesio, celebrating
its 60th anniversary this year, takes
an architectural approach to the MILLENNIALS LOOK FOR PRODUCTS
situation, aspiring to a contempo- THAT ARE FLEXIBLE, SUSTAINABLE
rary idea of the free organization AND SMART, SAYS KOLEKSIYONS
of space. Its tailored solutions KORAY MALHAN
separate individual areas while
preserving the spatial experience
of the whole. Shelves and cabinets What do millennials look for in design and in
are ideal for walk-in closets and the products they buy? KORAY MALHAN:
other storage spaces. The versa- They want quality products that are sustain-
tile Zenit shelving system uses a able, that have integrated technology and
unique hooking mechanism to that are flexible enough to adapt to different
attach shelves to uprights, resulting working styles. With the traditional office
in enormous flexibility. cubicle becoming more and more archaic,
rimadesio.com millennials want fresh solutions that
encourage productivity and increase comfort.
When designing products, our company
works to achieve a balance between privacy
and collaboration.

You recently launched a modular storage

system called Tube. What does it say about
the nature of the workplace today? Tube is
able to adapt as a company grows or changes.
We based its design on the traditional idea
Resembling a pair of combs,
Brhls Rapunzel makes adjusting
of a filing cabinet and expanded it to create
shelves up or down a cinch. an abstract storage solution that is multi-
bruehl.com functional and visually intriguing. Users of
modern workplaces are no longer satisfied
with furniture that has only one function;
employees want office furniture to respond
to their habits and preferences.

What changes has Koleksiyon had to make

to meet the demands of this new genera-
tion of working professionals? Todays
young professionals demand adaptability
and flexibility. Koleksiyon doesnt just
settle on one design; our team is constantly
thinking of whats next and of how to design
furniture that can adjust to an ever-changing
workplace. MEO
koleksiyon.com.tr

A design by Konstantin Grcic, Classicons Ulysses daybed Koleksiyons Tube is a system of stackable
features a reclining backrest and removable cushions. storage units that can be used to configure
classicon.com customized working environments.
196 REPORTS

PATRIZIA MOROSO EMPHASIZES

THE NEED FOR VERSATILE SOLUTIONS
FOR SHRINKING DOMESTIC SPACES

What inspired the Triclinium prototype?

PATRIZIA MOROSO: The original idea was
to design an outdoor sofa that could also be
used indoors. I approached Front early on
in the design process with a piece of woven
polyurethane. Polyurethane is a very durable,
eco-friendly, inexpensive material, and I felt
that the flexibility of the braid might spark
something interesting. Front took the sample
and later came back with the concept of a
triclinium for the modern world.

The triclinium dates back to antiquity. What

makes it a suitable model for todays market?
To the ancient Romans, the triclinium was
a place of encounter. It was the centre of
domestic life, a place to gather, socialize, eat
and relax similar to how the sofa is used
today. People dont live in large apartments
with four rooms and a servant any more.
Instead, we often have everything kitchen, Composed of a powder-coated-steel frame
and pleated fabric screens, Dante Goods and
bedroom, living room, et cetera combined Bads Minima Moralia room divider, designed by
within a single space. This makes having a Christophe de la Fontaine, is both a functional
sofa that can serve different needs not only and sculptural addition to the home.
convenient, but necessary. dante.lu

What role does technology play in all this?

The aluminium structure makes Triclinium
extremely lightweight meaning that its easy
to move or travel with while synthetic mate-
The Light Office
rials make it hard-wearing and ideal for the Lapalmas prizewinning Add
outdoors. The aluminium tubing was designed system is part of the companys
to enable objects to be hung or draped from exploration of the subtle bound-
the frame. Its a fun, durable object that doesnt aries between open lounge
need anything extra. If it gets dirty, you simply and light office. The merging
hose it down with water. MEO of house, office and contract
moroso.it
environments led to the cross-
over system, which features
a flexible range of seating
and other options that can
be combined on a simple and
elegant base. New to the range
is a streamlined connectable
table by Francesco Rota, which
is suitable for a variety of spaces
thanks to its minimalist profile
and functional versatility.
lapalma.it

Taking its cue from antiquity, Morosos Triclinium

encourages social interaction, both indoors and out.
 FURNITURE 197

Beam Me Up
Part of Patricia Urquiolas first collection as
Cassinas art director, and one of two pieces
she designed herself, the Beam Sofa System
signals the 90-year-old brands new forward-
looking direction. Composed of soft cushions
balanced on a metal beam, the articulated
system channels Vico Magistretti while
offering a range of customizable combina-
tions. Beam is a nonconformist sectional
sofa with a new generational appeal.
Off the Grid cassina.com

So successful was Petite Fritures

Bauhaus-inspired Grid daybed that
2016 has seen the company take
the graphic design and modularize
it into a range of seating and table
units in a wide array of colours
and materials (wood, steel, cotton
and leather) that can be combined
at will, according to the space and
taste of the owner.
petitefriture.com

Screen It
Arpers graphic acoustic system,
Parentesit, goes freestanding,
thanks to screens that add
an option for those who, by
choice or necessity, share a
space. The architectural-scale
modules carve out quiet areas
for concentration or collabora-
tion, customizing and creating
space. In coloured fabric, the
geometric Parentesit panels in
minimalist black frames adapt
easily to work or home settings.
Designed by Lievore Altherr
Molina, Parentesit evokes
images of minimalist art and
classic Japanese interiors.
arper.com
198 REPORTS

The Material
Difference
We increasingly manufacture products that
mix different materials and enhance our
expertise in processing metal, plastics and
upholstery, which we developed at our head-
quarters in Mornico al Serio, Bergamo; we
acquired our proficiency in processing wood
at our division in Manzano, Udine, says
Pedrali CEO Monica Pedrali. The results on
show at the Salone del Mobile included four
new products whose material finishes add
Photo courtesy of Rive Roshan

striking details to their light, simple forms.

Patrick Norguets Vic armchair easy
to move from one place to another by means
of a handle-like lifted backrest comes
with ash legs and a choice of fabric or leather
upholstery. In-house multi-material produc-
tion is part of our essence and makes us
unique, allowing us to stand out from other
Textiles from Kvadrats Steelcut Trio range embellish manufacturers, says Pedrali. Our products
Loom Bound, a playful partition and storage system are versatile because they are available in
designed by London studio Rive Roshan, which
employed the flexibility of fabric to craft a product
different versions and customizable
that adapts to the needs of the user. in multiple combinations.
kvadrat.dk pedrali.it

Long and Longer

With its frameless top, Zeitraums
Rail is a pared-down modern
take on the extendible table.
Available in four lengths, Rail has
an exposed trestle structure that
gives it an industrial touch, while
chalk-stained leaves at both ends
add a further 1.10 m of tabletop
when more space is needed.
zeitraum.moebel.de
 FURNITURE 199

Made up of a series of padded

elements, Hannabis modular
Urban Nomad sofa offers
modern wanderers comfort,
flexibility and easy portability.
hannabisofa.hu

THE DESIGNER OF LAMMHULTSS

ATTACH EXPLAINS THAT HIS TAKE ON
FURNITURE AND FLEXIBILITY BOILS
DOWN TO LESS IS ALWAYS MORE

Who was Attach designed for? TROELS

GRUM-SCHWENSEN: I didnt design Attach
for anyone in particular. The idea was to
create a table that could work in many
settings and that could adapt to different
spaces and needs. As an architect and
designer, Im not interested in trends but in
solving problems and in finding innovative
solutions for improving various environ-
ments. In the case of Attach, I wanted to
develop an adaptable table and locking
system that did not require screws or any
other tools.

Why is easy assembly important? The

demand for flexibility is growing. It's a topic
that engages me. My goal in designing Attach
was to offer a huge degree of freedom by
minimizing the elements and making the
most of the construction. By simplifying an
object and cutting down on the number of
bits and pieces, you can drastically reduce
production costs. Its a method that benefits
both the user and the manufacturer.

How does the locking system work? Its

very simple. The legs click in and out of place,
allowing them to be positioned in relation
to the use of chairs around the table or to a
particular space. The legs took a long time to
design and involved a lot of experimentation.
The shape of the leg is very important. You
can see how the weight and the pressure
Sharing Society forces are being distributed by looking at
the structure. MEO
American chair company gives architects and designer an lammhults.se
Emeco has a good reason for adaptable tool that works for any grumdesign.com
producing Run, its new series application, he says.
of tables, benches and shelves. The utilitarian design is by
Run answers a frequent request Sam Hecht and Kim Colin, who
for tables to complement aimed for the collective, congenial
Emecos classic chairs, while also atmosphere inherent in public
addressing a growing need for furniture like picnic tables, park
flexible options that correspond benches and library shelves. Run
to the changing uses of home, is shaped to acknowledge the
hospitality and workspaces, benefits of being around others,
explains CEO Gregg Buchbinder. so these tables are welcoming
The idea is that people now and useful, says Hecht. They
share the same surfaces for work well with many of Emecos
multiple activities, reflecting the existing chairs and stools, inclu-
evolving role of the table as a ding the original Navy Chair. Lammhultss Attach has easy-to-adjust legs
social hub. Run is a system that emeco.net that feature a special locking system.
200 REPORTS

Kinder Surprise
Furniture brands THE design world embraced its inner
child at Milan Design Week, as a spate of
Clip Clap table, which he describes as trying
to approach their world more than ours.
tap into the kids childrens products were launched. But
opinion is divided as to whom the products
Qeeboos Rabbit Chair, on the other hand,
appeals to children of all ages. Available
market, attracting are targeting.
Cybexs Parents Collection makes its
in adult and child sizes, it invites everyone
to hop on for a ride. Magis stood out by
consumers both position instantly clear: The child-mobility
brands design debut is a collaboration with
balancing aesthetics and functionality in its
Little Big Chair, a design by Big-Game that
young and old. Marcel Wanders for the adult world. We
wanted feelings and style to fit seamlessly
grows with the child, thanks to three adjust-
able heights. Finally, the serious side of the
into the home the parents have already debate is supported by Enea with its Lottus
created, says Wanders. Kartell went range, which includes an XS line that caters to
MILAN the other way for its first kids collec- the proportions of little people. The fact that
DESIGN tion, featuring toys for living by Nendo, it comes in models suitable for three stages of
WEEK Philippe Starck, Piero Lissoni and Ferruccio childhood proves popular with institutions
Laviani. Playtime is central to Lavianis looking for a consistent design solution. WG

Intended for children aged two to six,

Little Big designed by Big-Game for
Magis has adjustable legs that enable
the chair to grow along with its user.

Part table, part toy, Ferruccio

Lavianis Clip Clap for Kartell
is a blend of function and fun.
 FURNITURE 201

The Rabbit Chair from

Qeeboo an online design
brand launched at this years
Salone del Mobile by Stefano
Giovannoni comes in two
sizes (the smaller one is Rabbit
Chair Baby) and accommodates
a variety of sitting styles.

A design by Lievore Altherr Molina,

the Lottus XS range from Spanish
brand Enea was created with children
and adults in mind.

The Parents Collection a venture between Cybex

and Dutch designer Marcel Wanders brings a
fashionable flair to childrens furniture. The lines
Hausschwein is both seat and storage container.
202 VICTORIA + ALBERT X FRAME

Vanity Fair
At Victoria + Albert, flexibility ADAPTABLE homes require flexible brands.
Just ask Victoria + Alberts marketing
furnishes new possibilities for director, Jonathan Carter. In response to
consumer demand, the company has added
bathroom design. bathroom furniture to its range. People are
looking for beautiful high-end products
Words Will Georgi made with traditional materials and tech-
niques, says Carter, but in the bathroom
these have to be practical too.
The ethos behind those words led to
the Mandello 114 vanity unit, which boasts
features that ensure a seamless fit into any
home or lifestyle. The piece has adjustable
feet for perfect levelling, even on irregular
or sloping floors, while removable drawer
dividers give users the freedom to customize
and reorganize space. You might want
to store smaller products on one side and
folded towels on the other, Carter suggests.
A wall-hung version, Mandello 114 Volo,
affords an even higher grade of flexibility:
It can be mounted at a height that suits the
user best, but it also offers a different design
aesthetic. The wall-hung vanity unit opens
up wall and floor space to create the illusion
of more room.
Its the combination of usability and
luxury, of aesthetics and functionality, that
Carter believes makes the Mandello 114
range stand out above the crowd. When we
show people the Mandello 114 model, they
are immediately taken with its looks. They
fall in love with it even more once they see
whats inside. Though practical at heart, the
storage system is extremely luxurious. There
aren't many pieces of bathroom furniture on
the market that tick both of these boxes.
vandabaths.com

The Mandello 114 vanity unit has adjustable feet for

perfect levelling, even on sloping floors. Removable
dividers allow users to customize the drawers.
 #immersedindesign #djKX
designjunction
2225 September 2016
Granary Square
Kings Cross, London

For more information visit thedesignjunction.co.uk

204 SHORT CUT

From Plant

Iceland Academy of the Arts

students investigate the material
potential of the willow tree. Johanna Seelemann, Kristn Sigurardttir,
Theodra Mjll Skladttir Jack, and
Words Enya Moore Vdis Plsdttir.
Working together with three tutors
and the Reykjavk Forestry Association,
IN Willow Project, a book that accompanies they set out to research and exploit an
a student undertaking of the same name, underestimated resource: the willow, a fast-
Thomas Pausz writes that a designers growing tree that is available in abundance
appetite for readily available materials in Iceland. To unleash its potential they
provided by industry has made us forget used heat and water, nothing else. By boil-
the simple act of looking at the world in its ing, peeling, splitting, burning, smashing,
diversity and potential. The book pre- distilling, twisting and turning the bark
sents the research and findings of eight and leaves, the students attempted to utilize
recent graduates of the Iceland Academy every part and property of the tree.
of the Arts: Birta Rs Brynjlfsdttir, Bjrn Besides a few expected results, like
Steinar Jhannesson, Emila Sigurardttir, the creation of paper and string, they dis-
 205

To Pigment

covered that the water used to boil the

bark and leaves produced a variety of hues.
As the boiling continued, the range of
colours shifted from reddish tints to a
Photos Johanna Seelemann and Theodra Mjll

pitch-black paste. The pigments can be

applied to a number of materials, from
textiles and wood to paper and glass.
Throughout our studies, says Emila
Sigurardttir, we looked into how the
circulation of materials and processes may
act like a symbiotic system. Fellow student
Birta Rs Brynjlfsdttir believes that its Iceland Academy of the Arts students led by tutors
imperative for designers to remain conscious Tinna Gunnarsdttir, Fririk Steinn Fririksson and
skar Kristinn Vignisson tested the properties of
of the environment and to realize how the willow tree by exposing the wood to heat and
design thinking can impact daily life. water. In one experiment, students found that boiling
willowproject.is bark and leaves yielded a variety of hues.
206 THE REISSUE

Box Seat
Realized by Varaschin,
Joe Colombos Impronta sofa
sits pretty indoors and out.
Words Nicola Bozzi Illustration Robin Ellis

Joe Colombo
PRESENTED by Varaschin at this years also withstand the elements year round Originally trained as a painter and
Salone del Mobile, Impronta is one of the rare proved no easy feat. The textile part was a sculptor, Milanese industrial
cases in which an iconic design goes from very complex, says Lo Scalzo Moscheri. designer Joe Colombo who died
concept to reality. Based on sketches by the We chose UV-resistant acrylic fabrics used prematurely in 1971 at the age of 41
late Italian industrial designer Joe Colombo, for seagoing vessels and upholstery made was a key figure of the 1960s Italian
the chairs incarnation was sparked by a of closed-cell polyurethane foam. design renaissance. A winner of the
meeting between Colombos former assis- Although originally intended only for Compasso dOro Award, he created
tant and intellectual heir, Ignazia Favata, indoor use, Impronta as revealed in the icons such as the Multi Chair and the
and Varaschins creative director, Daniele original sketches features contours that Chaise Universale, as well as prod-
Lo Scalzo Moscheri. After exchanging a few are, rather serendipitously, ideal for shedding ucts for brands such as Kartell and
ideas, we decided to propose the production water. It was very important to work with Boffi. His works have been exhibited
of a few of Joe Colombos unrealized designs, someone who respected the overall picture, in museums worldwide, including
Favata tells me. without trying to simplify it, Favata says. New York Citys Museum of Modern
Dating from 1954, Impronta is the fruit The fact that they even managed to make Art. Joe Colombos legacy survives
of Colombos early experiments with form. the object water-resistant is amazing. Indeed, under the umbrella of his eponymous
Despite the fact that it was never manufac- the most striking quality of Varaschins studio, which today is run by architect
tured, Impronta was well known by those version of Impronta may be that it still Ignazia Favata and is based in Milan.
in the industry. The original sketches had looks like an indoor chair. Successfully
already been published, says Favata. They connecting interior and exterior is a rare
were even shown in an exhibition about the thing, Favata points out. Its hard to
influence of Michelangelo Buonarrotis art maintain that continuity, the feeling that
on the 20th century, next to the drawing of youre inside a living room even while
a bookstand by the artist. Colombo himself youre really outdoors.
was an art student at the Accademia di Belle varaschin.it
Arti di Brera when he made the first sketches Accompanying the Impronta armchair
of Impronta. There is an unmistakably sculp- from Varaschin is a stretched sofa model.
tural quality to the chair; its fluid form was
determined by envisioning a person seated
in a soft cubic volume.
Favata and Lo Scalzo Moscheri worked
hard to make sure Colombos concept and
signature curves would not be compromised
during production. The task did pose a
few unexpected challenges, though, espe-
cially in terms of colour. Finding a perfect
1950s-inspired shade of yellow that could

1954
The year Colombo
conceived Impronta.
He was an art student
at the Accademia di
Belle Arti di Brera
when he made his first
sketches of the sofa.
 207

Successfully
connecting
interior and
exterior is
a rare thing

Thanks to Varaschins selection of waterproof

UV-resistant acrylic fabrics, Impronta is
guaranteed to keep its colour for up to five
years even when used outdoors.
208 IN NUMBERS

Modern
Marble
When it comes to porcelain
mimicry, Marazzis Allmarble mm is the thickness of
measures up and beyond. Allmarble outdoor slabs,
Words Maria Elena Oberti which come in a standard
size of 40 x 120 cm. The
collections indoor tiles are
9.5 mm thick

sizes, which range from

7 x 28 to 60 x 120 cm,
have both residential
and commercial projects
covered
finishes natural, lux,
structured and the new ultra-
smooth silk offer distinct
tactile and visual effects
is the number of marble
lookalikes in the
Allmarble series, which
includes Lasa, Statuario,
Raffaello, Altissimo,
Travertino, Saint Laurent
and Frappuccino

hexagonal tile encourages a

play on pattern. Mosaics and
three-dimensional elements
complete the series
P H : Zo G h e r t n e r

AIM
BY R . & E . B O U R O U L L E C

2013
F LO S .C OM
photography by Rahi Rezvani

Moooi London Showroom & Brand Store now open!

Visit us and discover our collection.
Moooi London 23 Great Titcheld Street London, W1W 7PA T +44 2089 625691 [email protected]
Moooi New York 36 East 31st Street New York, NY 10016 T +1 646 396 0455 [email protected]
Moooi Amsterdam Westerstraat 187 1015 MA Amsterdam T + 31 20 528 77 60 [email protected]

www.moooi.com