Hasta La Ideas

Dezeen Wire: British architecture critic Jonathan Glancey has announced his departure from newspaper the Guardian. In a departing article published on Sunday the writer summarises his favourite buildings and stories from a fifteen-year stint with the publication – the Guardian.

You can see our pick of Glancey’s most interesting articles here.

Dezeen Wire: Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will collaborate on the design of this year’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion in Kensington Gardens, London, which will tunnel underground.

They plan to install a series of columns below the surface of the lawn to represent each past pavilion as well as the present one, supporting a floating roof just 1.5 metres above the ground.

In accordance with the selection rules the temporary pavilion will be the pair’s first joint commission in the UK, although it won’t be the first building by Herzog & de Meuron in London.

Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei famously teamed up to co-design the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Olympic games.

The twelfth annual pavilion follows previous structures by architects including Peter Zumthor, Jean Nouvel, SANAA and Frank Gehry. You can see images of them all here, watch our interview with Peter Zumthor at the opening of last year’s pavilion on Dezeen Screen and read even more about the pavilions in our Dezeen Book of Ideas.

See also: more stories about Herzog & de Meuron and more stories about Ai Weiwei.

Here’s the full press release from the Serpentine Gallery:

Revealed: Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei to design Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2012

The Serpentine Gallery is proud to announce that Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei will create the 2012 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion. It will be the twelfth commission in the Gallery’s annual series, the world’s first and most ambitious architectural programme of its kind.

The design team responsible for the celebrated Beijing National Stadium, which was built for the 2008 Olympic Games and won the prestigeous RIBA Lubetkin Prize, will come together again in London in 2012 in a special development of the Serpentine’s acclaimed annual commission which will be presented as part of the London 2012 Festival, the culmination of the Cultural Olympiad. The Pavilion will be Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei’s first collaborative built structure in the UK.

This year’s Pavilion will take visitors beneath the Serpentine’s lawn to explore the hidden history of its previous Pavilions. Eleven columns characterising each past Pavilion and a twelfth column will support a floating platform roof 1.5 metres above ground. Taking an archaeological approach, the architects have created a design that will inspire visitors to look beneath the surface of the park as well as back in time across the ghosts of the earlier structures.

Julia Peyton-Jones, Director, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, Co-Director, Serpentine Gallery, said: “It is a great honour to be working with Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei. We are delighted that our annual commission will bring this unique architectural collaboration to Europe to mark the continuity between the Beijing 2008 and the London 2012 Games.”

Describing their design concept Herzog & de Meuron and Ai Weiwei said: “Every year since 2000, a different architect has been responsible for creating the Serpentine Gallery’s summer Pavilion for Kensington Gardens. That makes eleven Pavilions so far, our contribution will be the twelfth. So many Pavilions in so many different shapes and out of so many different materials have been conceived and built that we tried instinctively to sidestep the unavoidable problem of creating an object, a concrete shape.

“Our path to an alternative solution involves digging down some five feet into the soil of the park until we reach the groundwater. There we dig a waterhole, a kind of well, to collect all of the London rain that falls in the area of the Pavilion. In that way we incorporate an otherwise invisible aspect of reality in the park – the water under the ground – into our Pavilion. As we dig down into the earth we encounter a diversity of constructed realities such as telephone cables and former foundations.

Like a team of archaeologists, we identify these physical fragments as remains of the eleven Pavilions built between 2000 and 2011. Their shape varies: circular, long and narrow, dots and also large, constructed hollows that have been filled in. These remains testify to the existence of the former Pavilions and their greater or lesser intervention in the natural environment of the park.

“All of these foundations will now be uncovered and reconstructed. The old foundations form a jumble of convoluted lines, like a sewing pattern. A distinctive landscape emerges out of the reconstructed foundations which is unlike anything we could have invented; its form and shape is actually a serendipitous gift. The three-dimensional reality of this landscape is astonishing and it is also the perfect place to sit, stand, lie down or just look and be amazed. In other words, the ideal environment for continuing to do what visitors have been doing in the Serpentine Gallery Pavilions over the past eleven years – and a discovery for the many new visitors anticipated for the London 2012 Olympic Games.”

On the foundations of each single Pavilion, we extrude a new structure (supports, walls) as load-bearing elements for the roof of our Pavilion – eleven supports all told, plus our own column that we can place at will, like a wild card. The roof resembles that of an archaeological site. It floats some five feet above the grass of the park, so that everyone visiting can see the water on it, its surface reflecting the infinitely varied, atmospheric skies of London. For special events, the water can be drained off the roof as from a bathtub, from whence it flows back into the waterhole, the deepest point in the Pavilion landscape. The dry roof can then be used as a dance floor or simply as a platform suspended above the park.

The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion will operate as a public space and as a venue for Park Nights, the Gallery’s high-profile programme of public talks and events.

Connecting to the archaeological focus of the Pavilion design Park Nights will culminate in October with the Serpentine Gallery Memory Marathon, the latest edition of the annual Serpentine Marathon series conceived by Hans Ulrich Obrist, now in its seventh year. The Marathon series began in 2006 with the 24-hour Serpentine Gallery Interview Marathon; followed by the Experiment Marathon in 2007; The Manifesto Marathon in 2008; the Poetry Marathon in 2009, the Map Marathon in 2010 and the Garden Marathon in 2011.

Dezeen Wire: architect and structural engineer Charles Walker has been appointed head of architecture at the Royal College of Art in London, while designer Ab Rogers will become head of interior design.

Walker, who also consults for Zaha Hadid Architects, replaces architect Nigel Coates, who retired in the summer – read about that here.

See more stories about Ab Rogers here.

Here’s the full press release from the Royal College of Art:

AB ROGERS AND CHARLES WALKER TO JOIN THE RCA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

The Royal College of Art has announced that two new Heads of Programme are to be appointed to its newly formed School of Architecture. Charles Walker and Ab Rogers will take up their posts in the summer term 2012 in Architecture and Interior Design respectively.

Ab Rogers is a London-based designer known for a wide-ranging international practice. A former cabinet-maker, Rogers earned his MA in design from the Royal College of Art. He has lectured widely and held various teaching roles, including in the RCA Design Products department, where he ran Platform 9 with Tord Boontje. In 1997 he cofounded Kitchen Rogers Design (KRD) with Shona Kitchen. Kitchen and Rogers’ projects included the Comme des Garçons store in Paris, the Al-Ostoura luxury department store in Kuwait City, and the Michel Guillon flagship store in London. In 2004, he founded Ab Rogers Design (ARD), now an established studio that plays with colour, materials and function to inject a sense of poetry, magic and wonder into the everyday world.

ARD’s multifaceted work includes designing for hotels, restaurants, retail environments, domestic interiors, museum exhibitions, websites and brands; past clients include the Pompidou Centre, Tate Modern, Science Museum, the Australian Centre for Moving Image, Conde Nast, Pizza Express, Price Waterhouse Cooper and Parc1, a mixed-use development in Seoul.

Charles Walker is an architect, structural engineer and industry leader on the effects of digital technology on modern architectural design and construction. Having first studied architecture at the University of Waterloo in Canada he then received an MSc in structural engineering from Imperial College London. Charles has been teaching at the Architectural Association’s School of Architecture since 2003 where his students design and build the annual AA summer pavilion.

Walker has worked at the forefront of the current international architectural discourse with many of the worlds leading architects including: Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Oscar Niemeyer and Renzo Piano. Early in his career Walker worked in a number of architectural offices including Richard Horden Associates, Michael Hopkins and Partners and Ron Arad Associates. He has also worked in design based engineering offices Whitby and Bird where he designed the Merchants Bridge in Manchester winning an Institution of Structural Engineers Special Award and Ove Arup + Partners where he co-founded in 2000 the Advanced Geometry Unit. In early 2007 Charles left Arup to found from-work projects and to join Zaha Hadid Architects where he currently consults.

The two new Heads of Programme join the Royal College of Art during a period of expansion as the College completes its new campus development. The College’s strategic plan aims to widen the Masters’ programme to advance new developments in design and art, ensuring 21st century relevance; consolidate research excellence; and strengthen the culture of design innovation and entrepreneurialism with closer links to industry. The new MA in Interior Design will receive its first intake of students in September 2012.

Professor Alex de Rijke, Dean of the School of Architecture said: “I am excited about these two appointments to the School of Architecture. Both are internationally recognised practitioners as well as skilled teachers. Charles combines wide ranging experience in architecture with an equally strong background in structural engineering and Ab’s impressive track record in embracing new materials and technologies will be especially valuable in framing and launching our new Interior Design programme.”

Ab Rogers said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to head up the new Interior Design programme. I plan to create an inspiring and purposeful course that deals with space and the object – abstract and concrete – on a human scale, and this is why I particularly look forward to contributing to a multidisciplinary School of Architecture along with Alex and Charles.”

Charles Walker said: “It’s a privilege and an honour to be taking this post at the RCA, which is unique among architectural programmes in being positioned within such a rich and diverse art and design context and tradition. I am very much looking forward to working with Alex and Ab.”

Professor Susannah Hagan completes the team, having been appointed as School Research Leader. Prior to joining the College, Susannah was Director of R/E/D (Research into Environment + Design), and Professor of Urban Studies and Director of the Office for Spatial Research at the University of Brighton. She has written and lectured extensively on the theory and practice of environmental design in relation to contemporary architecture and urban design. Susannah is a Fellow of the Institute for Urban Design, New York, and a member of the Royal Society of Arts, the International Development Network, Royal Town Planning Institute, the Newham Borough Design Review Panel, and the Urban Buzz Programme Committee. She was a finalist in the James Stirling Memorial Lecture Competition 2008/09.

Dezeen Wire: Tom Campbell of BOP Consulting has published an article on the company’s culture and creative industries blog slamming the UK government’s new student immigration rules as “a potential disaster for the UK’s creative and design sector.”

The new regulations are due to come into effect in April and mean non-EU students will no longer have the right to apply to stay in the UK upon completing their studies, instead returning home and “taking their talents, intellectual property and entrepreneurial energies with them.” Read the full article here.

Dezeen Wire: Dutch designer Tord Boontje is to open a shop in London on 1 March.

The store at 23 Charlotte Road in Shoreditch will stock products Boontje has designed for brands including Moroso, Kvadrat, Swarovski and Artecnica, plus one-offs and new pieces that will be exclusive to the shop. Boontje’s studio and workshop will be housed in the same building.

There will also be an online store, launching later in March.

Boontje is currently professor and head of design products at the Royal College of Art, having taken over the role from Ron Arad in 2009. See all our stories about Tord Boontje here and watch our interview with him on Dezeen Screen.

Here are some more details from Boontje:

Opening: Tord Boontje Shop In London

I am pleased to announce the opening of my shop in London on 1st March 2012. The shop is located at 23 Charlotte Road, Shoreditch, London. It will be a unique place where many of my designs are presented together.

In the shop, we will have all the products I have designed for clients such as Swarovski, Moroso, Kvadrat, Artecnica, Authentics. These range from crystal chandeliers to mass-produced tableware, textiles and lighting; from the extravagant and experimental to everyday affordable products.

The design studio will be located in the same space and it is also where we will be making one-off pieces of furniture and lighting. We will be creating special items that will be exclusive to the Tord Boontje shop. I hope the presence of myself and my team will create a friendly atmosphere, where people are welcome, can browse, ask questions, share thoughts and get an insight of the workings behind the scenes and into the making of products.

I see the shop as a new way of working for myself, a place where independent experimentation can take place; where we can create special products, either as one- off or production pieces. To me, forming this method of working reflects the time we live in, a time in which it is good to think about making by hand and by machines, the local and the global, creativity and freedom, presentation and independence.

The shopʼs unique interior will be an installation of furniture, lights, textiles, objects, jewellery, and projection, creating a rich environment and a complete experience; a fulfilling place to come and visit.

In the Tord Boontje shop, you will be able to find:

Furniture from Moroso, including the Shadowy Chair, which is made by artisans in Dakar, Senegal; the Bon Bon tables with delicate printed floral patterns on Corian; the Witch Chair in black leather; the perforated metal Rain chairs and table for the garden.

Crystal chandeliers from Swarovski, including the Blossom and Ice Branch.

Artecnicaʼs Midsummer Lights, made in paper, which hang like a floral bouquet from the ceiling.

Patterned porcelain tableware with illustrations of horses, birds, butterflies, bears, deer, and flowers, produced by Authentics.

Habitatʼs Garland Light entwining the light bulbs.

The Rough-and-Ready chair in three different formats: a free diagram with make-it- yourself instructions, a basic priced kit of parts for self-assembly and ready-made chairs.

The complete Transglass range of recycled tableware made from used wine, beer and champagne bottles.

Scented candles in Transglass containers, available in the fragrances Fresh Cut Grass and Ripe Currant.

Curtain textiles from Kvadrat, such as the delicate laser cut Eternal Summer and 100 Years. Upholstery fabrics with patterns of twisting roses, screen-printed on wool felt.

Hand made rugs from India, such as Little Field of Flowers.

One-off pieces from past exhibitions, such as the Princess Chair, the Petit Jardin Chair and lights made of grass.

Jewellery such as Charming, Cut Here and studio pieces made in crystal and cherry pips.

Tord Boontje was born in Enschede, Netherlands in 1968. He first studied industrial design at the Design Academy in Eindhoven (1986 – 1991), and followed this with a Masters from the Royal College of Art (1992 – 1994).
 Studio Tord Boontje was founded in 1996 in London. 


In 2002, Tord Boontje became known in the UK with his Garland Light for Habitat, followed in 2003 by the Blossom Chandelier which he designed for Swarovski. In 2004 he established his international reputation with the solo exhibition in Milan, titled ʻHappy Ever Afterʼ in the Moroso furniture showroom.

Since 2005, Tord Boontje has worked with a range of international companies such as Shiseido, Yamaha, Hewlett Packard, Bisazza, Target, Philips, Kvadrat, Alexander McQueen, Nanimarquina, Artecnica, Authentics, Meta and has continued his work with Swarovski, Moroso and Habitat.

He has exhibited in galleries and museums, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, MoMA and Copper-Hewitt museum in New York, the Design Museum and Tate Modern in London.

In 2009 he took up his appointment as Professor and Head of Design Products at the Royal College of Art.

The challenge and opportunity the Studio has long sought is a delicate marriage of design with emotion that is as broadly accessible as it is enticing. The Studioʼs work draws from a belief that modernism does not mean minimalism, that contemporary does not forsake tradition, and that technology does not abandon people and senses. The Studioʼs designs often temper edges with softness, take inspiration from nature, and employ a décor of forms and layers to engage and entice an observerʼs imagination and emotions. But these references to nature and emotion reflect only an outcome, not the process of design itself. Although the use of technologies and material properties is never celebrated (and is always subsumed within the final product), there is nonetheless a conscious insistence that the Studioʼs work employ the latest production and material technologies in pursuit of its vision.