Offset 2020 takes place from April 3 to 5 at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. As with previous years, the line-up features a mix of local and international creatives, who will be talking about their work, process and inspiration.
The 2020 line-up spans film, design, advertising, photography, theatre and illustration, and includes talks from Leslie David, whose Paris studio has worked on album covers for Metronomy as well as visuals for the likes of Chanel and Glossier; puppet maker Andy Gent, who worked on Wes Anderson’s stop-motion blockbusters Isle of Dogs and Fantastic Mr Fox; Oscar Hudson, who has created trippy and mesmerising videos for Bonobo, Radiohead and Young Thug, and Sascha Lobe, who joined Pentagram’s London office in 2018 after founding German design studio L2M3.
There will also be talks from creative studio Wade & Leta; illustrator Laura Callaghan; theatre and events collective THISISPOPBABY; photojournalist Sean Murphy, who collaborated with PJ Harvey on Let England Shake and The Six Hope Demolition Project, and Lisa Bolan, a creative director who has worked on titles and motion graphics for cult films and TV shows, including The Sopranos, Six Feet Under and Captain Marvel.
More speakers and workshops will be announced over the next few weeks. Tickets cost €125 for students, €170 for recent graduates and €235 for professionals, or €195 for groups of five or more.
Rina Lovko Studio has combined bottle-green surfaces with low lighting to create the moody interior of this drinks bar at the heart of Kiev‘s city centre.
Balthazar is set beneath the bustling aisles of Besarabsky Market – a historic indoor marketplace in central Kiev that sells a variety of fresh produce to locals.
Locally based Rina Lovko Studio was asked to develop the interiors of the basement-level bar, but was given a largely open brief.
“The project was done mostly intuitively,” the studio’s eponymous founder told Dezeen. “I really wanted to create a place that would not resemble any other and thus make it unique.”
“We easily found a mutual language with the art director of Balthazar and reached an understanding of the audience,” she continued.
“This made it possible to quickly outline the concept and to understand what kind of institution it would be.”
Before making any aesthetic changes, the studio first had to tackle a number of structural issues.
The bar takes over a winding cellar that’s interrupted by a series of brick archways, some of which only measured 1.6 metres in height.
Over several months the studio dug below ground level to lower the floor of the bar – the arches are now 1.8 metres high, allowing guests to wander throughout the venue without risk of bumping their heads.
The narrow nature of the cellar also meant it would be difficult for guests in the back rooms to receive a supply of fresh air.
A network of pipes has thus been installed directly underneath the ceiling, running from the rear of the bar to its entrance where a ventilation system is able to release air and take more in from the outdoors.
The studio has left all of the bar’s brick walls exposed. Remaining surfaces have been painted a deep shade of green, in a visual nod to the various wine bottles that will be on offer.
Glazed tiles in the same green hue have then been used to clad the base of the main drinks counter, while its surfacetop is crafted from old wine barrels.
Should guests want to grab a light snack, they can sit along an olive-coloured seating banquette that runs the length of the cellar wall.
Here there is a sequence of dining tables made from a veiny style of veneer wood.
There are also several high counters paired with brown-leather stools, and a cosy lounge-style area dressed with a sofa, brown armchairs and heavy wall tapestry.
Lighting is provided by a mixture of candles and hooded, yellow-tone pendant lamps, lending the bar with what the studio describes as a “dungeon-like” ambience.
“The dim lighting creates a mysterious atmosphere that attracts visitors,” explained Lovko.
“People can take refuge in it – when you get there, time seems to stop.”
Mumbai design studio MuseLAB has prioritised sensual appeal over a singular design language for its debut 13-piece furniture collection.
The Hedonist range leans primarily on wood, glass and metal to form a series of tables and seats, as well as a singular mirror.
As the name suggests, each piece plays with complimenting and contrasting these materials in the name of achieving maximum aesthetic pleasure.
The Cane Crush design marries a lounger and a pouffe
“The idea was to create the same sensory experience of opening a box of chocolates,” co-founder Huzefa Rangwala told Dezeen.
“It was about indulging in furniture of high aesthetic value without restricting the appeal of the collection to any particular geographical context or design language. In that sense, the furniture is non-conformist and non-contextual.”
Crossed back legs prop up the Nougat I chair
Instead, the focus is on how the same materials can be combined and recombined endlessly to very different, but ultimately satisfactory, effects.
Two of the collection’s coffee tables, for example, both integrate glass into their design, but the material takes on very different roles in each.
The wooden top of the Bloom table is held up by a glass cylinder
“The Bloom coffee table is anchored by the apparent weight of the wooden top, which floats above a glass cylinder,” explained Jasem Pirani, the other half of MuseLAB.
“In contrast, the Disc coffee table looks light, but is actually weighty with its rising, metal base holding a glass top.”
A double helix of hand-hammered metal sheets forms the base of the Disc table
The textural interplay gives the furniture a sense of movement, as when Disc’s glass top exposes the light and shadow of the double-helix underneath.
This base is hand-hammered into shape from five millimetre-thick metal sheets, before being left to rust naturally and finally coated with a sealer. Most pieces in the collection use materials in their natural state, sealed with a water-based PU finish.
Besides the cylindrical glass that props up the Bloom table, all fabrication is done in Mumbai.
Bon Bon I is a circular side table that plays with contrasts
Another set of tables – called Bon Bon and Tarte – is tied together by its use of a glass top, leaving bare the masculine, black metal supports and the solid, beech wood base underneath.
The Biscuit chair on the other hand uses metal bent into an L-shape, to form the stark backrest of an otherwise midcentury-modern seat made of hand-carved beech wood.
The larger Bon Bon II is designed to be a dining table
Other seating designs in the collection play with a luxurious, chocolate-brown faux-leather, using it alternately to upholster an entire armchair with matching bulbous pouffe, or simply to pad out the armrests of the backless Medallion chair.
In the Cane Crush lounger, meanwhile, the material is used solely as a backing, leaving an angular cane screen to take the spotlight.
An armchair, chair and pouffe make up the Eclair set
Since MuseLAB was founded by the duo in 2012, the studio has worked primarily on custom pieces.
“The need to do a unified furniture line arose from the simple desire to design and explore self-propelled projects or products that are not necessarily client-driven but are based on a brief designed by us,” explained Rangwala.
The Medallion is a stool with armrests or a chair with no back
“We began the process of designing this line by setting out a few parameters for ourselves,” added Pirani.
“It was important that the furniture is both aesthetically pleasing and functional, as well as accessible. We wanted it to be emotive and evocative – to sing a happy song.”
With climate change rearing its ugly head and sending shockwaves throughout the world, our planet has been experiencing a lot of changes. Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, or even the recent Australian bushfires are beginning to gaining frequency. We’ve been trained to be prepared for such situations, following drills and guidelines, maintaining survival kits for when they’re needed, and more. However, in such strenuous moments, what becomes of our furry friends? Our pets are members of our family, and preparing for their safety during such times is essential. Almost 32% of pets find themselves as strays on the street during such disasters, and pet mortality is supposed to be 40%. For such life-threatening situations, designer Ching Lin Tsai designed Escapet. Escapet is an escape bag, that aims to look after you and your pet’s needs during emergencies.
Escapet is a winner of the Red Dot Award for the year 2019.
Designer: Ching Lin Tsai
Made from Tetoron, an abrasion-resistant, and lightweight polyester fiber, Escapet combines a survival tool kit, and a pet carrier to create a bag equipped to deal with extreme situations. The bag consists of two components, the pet carrier, and the survival kit. Both can be separated and used individually if required.
The survival kit consists of the bare essentials such as water, food, a first aid kit, life-saving, and hygiene tools, and also has sufficient space for your personal belongings.
The second component is the pet carrier, easy-to-fold, and easy-to-store, you can slip your pet into it. It has been equipped with a pocket, which when rolled down, exposes a mesh screen, allowing your pet to stay connected with you and the rest of the world.
The carrier bag and survival kit can be combined together to create a piece of pet furniture, on which your pet can sit and lounge about. In its combined state, Escapet is meant to be carried like a backpack, with your pet and the things you need to survive a high-risk situation, all packed in! The neon orange zipper is meant to increase the chances of being spotted and rescued. However, the detachable pet carrier bag also has functionality in our daily lives, making Escapet a unique design that serves you perfectly during emergencies and even on an ordinary day!
If you’re an outdoorsy person, you know there’s always a demand for cool new trailer designs, and Droplet’s Teardrop Camping Trailer happens to be one of them. This trailer is perfect for anyone who wants to travel light! Weighing only 950 lbs, the trailer can be attached to almost any car! The Scandinavian-inspired trailer provides the perfect mix of the indoors and the outdoors, with spacious windows, a wide door, and even a lift-gate outdoor kitchen.
Featuring a laminate of aluminum, foam, and wood, the trailer is extremely light and durable. In fact, the designer took inspiration for its construction from the construction of boats and aircraft and adopted a relatively screw-free technique.
The interior has a dome-like shape, allowing in a whole lot of sunlight and fresh air.
A queen-sized bed provides enough space to sleep well, with two cabinets and two shelves at the foot of the bed functioning as sufficient storage spaces.
As mentioned, the kitchen has to be accessed from the outside and is equipped with a dual-stove burner, a sink, and an acrylic countertop. A 12-volt slide-out fridge protects all your perishables, and a hand-pump provides fresh water.
Oh, and did we mention it’s eco-friendly too? A 100W solar panel harnesses solar power, and the trailer even boasts two EcoFlow River power stations! Besides its impressive features and functionality, the Droplet showcases a clean minimal aesthetic and is a cute little trailer that tags along behind your car. It truly is perfect for your next outdoor adventure!
Architect Arne Algeröd and his artist wife Soile clad their house on a rocky site in Sweden with corrugated fibre cement panels to protect it from the sea’s salty spray and harsh winds.
The couple’s house overlooks the sea from an exposed, rocky site in the Swedish municipality of Stenungsund.
A decked terrace projects out on stilts, and an outdoor hot tub looks out to the sea and islands opposite.
While its location allows for dramatic views it is also exposed to the elements, so its envelope was designed to act as a shield.
“In a location such as this, it is necessary to choose materials which can withstand the strain,” said Arne Algeröd.
“Fibre cement is a durable and affordable material which ages slowly and needs very little maintenance.”
A combination of oiled wood and fibre cement panels that cover the exterior of the home creates a simple, almost cabin-like appearance.
“The undulating form is associated with the pattern which waves create on the seabed out here,” said Algeröd. “The grey colour is exactly the right shade against the backdrop of the surrounding mountains.”
A kinked, almost L-shaped plan has a combination of open and intimate spaces.
“The construction plan has a dynamic form which captures the dynamics of the landscape in a similar way to a wing,” said Algeröd.
To the east, the narrow end of the home is raised on a concrete base containing a garage space and two entrance doors, clad in dark wooden panels.
Inside, a double-height studio area for painting opens onto a small terrace.
This connects to a small library mezzanine that is reached via a spiralling steel staircase.
A corridor, lined with artworks by Soile Algeröd, runs past an office space and guest bathroom to the en-suite master bedroom.
The bedroom looks northwards towards the adjacent trees and opens onto its own private terrace overlooking the sea.
Turning at the end of this corridor dramatically reveals the bright living and kitchen spaces.
These living areas open onto an area of wooden decking, partially covered by a canopy supported by wooden columns.
Large glass doors and narrow, mid-height windows frame panoramic views.
The minimal interiors are finished with grey walls and pale wooden floors in the living areas.
Stone paving forms the floor for the studio and corridor.
Our path from paper-making to a limited edition “wallet”
One of the last artisan paper-making studios in Japan, Awagami Factory specializes in hand-making various types of natural washi paper. Run by the Fujimori family, Awagami dedicates time to developing contemporary uses for washi, as well—its large scale inkjet photography paper is a good example. During our CH Japan travel experience we visited the 8th generation family business in Tokushima. There—among professional papermakers—we learned the art of paper-making, played with various natural fibers, sifted pulp in large basins, made our own paper sheets and participated in a Sekkazome dyeing workshop. Awagami’s pristine facility offered insight on the process and experiences that illuminated its history and future.
Tokyo-based accessories design brand Postalco (a CH favorite) has created many products with Awagami. The resulting handmade items embody everything we love about both companies. One of our favorites is the Postalco Farmer’s Felt wallet. Produced with hearty washi paper, the item has two compartments, can stow cards, coins and cash and closes with a snap. Over time the paper develops a leather-like texture. We liked it so much we collaborated with them to create our own limited edition CH Omakase Edition Farmer’s Felt version, in an exclusive deep purple, which is part of our Omakase collection and is available to purchase online.
Six innovations offer solutions for problems that include air pollution, visual impairment, flooding and more
Now in its eighth year, the Lexus Design Award honors innovators around the world who formulate clever solutions for everyday challenges. This year’s theme “Design for a Better Tomorrow” prompted applicants “to envision solutions to 21st-century challenges that anticipate, innovate and captivate.” Narrowing the field from more than 2,000 submissions to just six finalists is never an easy process, but this year’s group (from Kenya, Russia, Pakistan, China, the USA and France) impress with their ingenuity, desire to design in order to problem solve, and ability to balance being future-forward and contemporary.
A reward for placing as a finalist includes a workshop with this year’s program mentors: Joe Doucet, Bethan Gray, PhilippeMalouin, and Shohei Shigematsu. The projects will be exhibited as part of the Lexus Design Award Pavilion at this year’s Milan Design Week—from 21-26 April. The program’s judges (Paola Antonelli, Jeanne Gang, Head of Toyota and Lexus Global Design Simon Humphries, and John Maeda), will evaluate each finalist’s work; a winner will be named and awarded production support from Lexus and continued workshopping and development with the mentors.
All are already winners in our view, having been selected from such a large group of compelling design solutions. Regardless of which invention wins the grand prize, each of these designs acts as a preview to potential products and concepts that could make significant impacts on users’ lives. For those attending Milan Design Week, an up-close and in-person visit is encouraged.
Call it a match made in heaven, or call it an unholy union. The guys at Caviar, famous for their custom-made iPhones, have launched the Cyberphone, an iPhone 11 Pro’s soul in the body of a Cybertruck.
Quite inspired by Jonas Daehnert’s Cyberphone, this pimped-out iPhone 11 Pro comes with a PVD-coated titanium body featuring a polygonal edgy design reminiscent of the ‘polarizing vehicle’. The body extends all the way to the front, entirely covering the screen like a clamshell phone (so there’s never a repeat of the ‘shattered-glass’ incident), but with the hinge located at the bottom edge. The unique hinging mechanism allows the phone to immediately have a kickstand that you can use anywhere to prop the phone up on a table as you show it off… because with a price tag north of $5,000, you GOTTA show this phone off.
New York architects Todd Rouhe and Maria Ibañez de Sendadiano have completed a holiday home in the Catskills, filled with designs from Danish retailers Hay and Vipp.
The couple, who run Manhattan firm IDS/R Architecture, designed the Mount Tobias property to serve as a nature retreat for themselves and their two daughters, Inez and Luz .
Rouhe and Ibañez de Sendadiano had purchased a piece of land in the middle of a protected wooded area on Mount Tobias in New York’s Ulster County, after wanting a more permanent place to enjoy nature.
For 10 years, they had been travelling to the mountainous region to hike in the fresh air and unplug.
The couple’s Mount Tobias home is two-storeys high and built like a longhouse, with a rectangular footprint and a gabled roof.
The ground floor has two bedrooms and two bathrooms at either end of the house, and an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room in the middle. Sliding glass doors flank this space, and provide access to decks at the front and at the back of the home.
Upstairs is a mezzanine that functions as a spare room, office and storage.
Almost everything in the house is either by Danish brands Hay or Vipp, or designed by Rouhe and Ibañez de Sendadiano.
Custom pieces include daybeds upstairs and the pale wood dining table, with Hay’s Result Chairs in oak. The couple also designed wood-panelled walls, window trim and closets.
In the living room is a grey, L-shaped Hay sectional, and a bedroom has Hay’s Copenhague 90 desk. Paired with these are numerous Vipp accents including lights, linens, wool rugs, pillows and ceramics.
A freestanding, black Vipp counter is integral to the kitchen’s design. The couple had struggled to find a design solution that did not compromise the spaciousness or minimalism of the room.
Also seen in the home are a black fireplace, a vintage Eames white fibreglass rocking chair, and a coffee table design by Tina Michelle Cheng.
The house, which measures 2,000 square feet (185 square meres), took about six months to build, with another six months to finish the interiors.
It is built on top of a concrete base and a steel frame platform and is clad in prefabricated high-insulated panels.
The project is perched on a hillside that is also a watershed that provides drinking water for New York state, and the home runs on solar energy from spring to fall.
The Catskills region is more mountainous and further inland than the Hudson Valley, and both are popular getaway destinations for New Yorkers.
The area also has fresh water for swimming in the summer, and plenty of snow for winter sports.
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