Hasta La Ideas

Milan 2014: new photography reveals the homes and workspaces of architects including Shigeru Ban, Zaha Hadid, David Chipperfield and Daniel Libeskind, ahead of an exhibition in Milan next month (+ slideshow).

The exhibition, entitled Where Architects Live, will centre around the domestic spaces of nine eminent designers, also including Mario Bellini, Marcio Kogan, Bijoy Jain, and Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas. Curated by Francesca Molteni, the show will also feature interviews recorded with each resident.

A glimpse inside the Paris home of Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas shows a stark interior with exposed ceiling beams and a grand fireplace. To this, the architects have added pastel colours and original Jean Prouvé furniture.

David Chipperfield‘s three-storey Berlin base has a raw concrete interior typical of the British architect’s restrained architectural approach. This is offset by bold splashes of colour introduced by a green velvet sofa and a vibrant orange bookcase.

The interior of Zaha Hadid‘s London studio is filled with original artworks by the architect, as well as models documenting projects from across her career, which are displayed on organically curved surfaces.

Curved openings puncture the volume of the Tokyo home of this year’s Pritzker Prize laureate, Shigeru Ban. Located in the Hangei Forest district, the house was designed to avoid uprooting any trees and features walls made up of translucent glass blocks.

New York architect Daniel Libeskind resides in a brightly lit apartment that centres around a drawing board. Other additions include Le Corbusier-designed chairs and plain white curtains.

A triple-height library is a highlight in the home of Milan architect Mario Bellini, a self-proclaimed book lover. A scaffolding system helps him to reach the highest shelves, while a grand piano sits in front.

A piano is also one of the main focuses in the apartment belonging to Brazilian architect and Studio MK27 principal Marcio Kogan. Positioned within an apartment block of his own design, the space is filled with artworks, sculptures and other curiosities.

The final interior reveals the Indian countryside residence and studio of Studio Mumbai principal Bijoy Jain, where he lives and works with a team of 60 craftsmen.

Where Architects Live will be on show at the Milan Fairgrounds from 8 to 13 April.

Here’s more information from the exhibition organisers:

Where Architects Live

“Where Architects Live” is an original installation, inspired by leading contemporary architects’ own concepts of the domestic space, conceived as a cultural accompaniment to the Salone del Mobile.

The exhibition has been specially devised for the Salone, providing an exclusive glimpse into “rooms” designed by eight of the world’s most respected architects: Shigeru Ban, Mario Bellini, David Chipperfield, Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, Zaha Hadid, Marcio Kogan, Daniel Libeskind and Bijoy Jain/Studio Mumbai.

We use to see only the work architects do for other people and for other people’s lives. But where do architects live, or rather, what are their homes like and in what way? Exact reflections of their distinctive design styles or complete one-offs? Or something else entirely? “Where Architects Live” is a response to these questions and to natural curiosity, but it also aims to broaden the vision of domestic architecture itself.

The concept underlying the event rests in the conviction that, of all design disciplines, domestic architecture is the most predisposed to evolution and the most suited to experimentation, given its capacity to conjugate architecture and design.

An iconic and paradigmatic reading of the architects’ “rooms”, within the context of the home as a theme, will trigger crosscutting reflection on the modes, experiences and trends of contemporary living.

The curator of the event, Francesca Molteni – who curated “Design Dance” with Michela Marelli (2012) and “A celestial bathroom” (2010) – has been privy to the private homes of eight of the greatest exponents of the architectural world, filming the exteriors and domestic spaces and recording an interview with each of them on the visions, triggers and decisions that have steered their design and professional careers. She and the architect and scenographer Davide Pizzigoni, who has been exploring representational space and working with leading international opera theatres, have devised a project that recreates the private “rooms” of Shigeru Ban, Mario Bellini, David Chipperfield, Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, Zaha Hadid, Marcio Kogan, Daniel Libeskind and Bijoy Jain/Studio Mumbai by means of real-life videos, images, sounds, comments and reconstructions. The result is an interactive exhibition space that unveils the architects’ visions of living, their choices and their obsessions.

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Milan 2014: British fashion designer Paul Smith has applied his iconic striped fabrics to a selection of furniture by legendary Danish designer Hans J. Wegner, which will be presented in Milan next month.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Wegner’s birth, Paul Smith picked his favourite pieces from those produced by Danish furniture brand Carl Hansen & Søn for the limited edition collection.

The Big Stripe and Stripes fabrics designed by Smith for American textile brand Maharam were used to upholster products including the Shell Chair, Wing Chair and Wishbone Chair, which were created by the Danish Modernist designer between the late 1940s and the 1960s.

Smith’s striped fabrics are woven from worsted wool in a range of colours and the two designs offer different densities of pattern. The Stripes pattern was designed in 2006, while the Big Stripe design launched last year.

The sculptural Wing Chair, with its characteristic cross seam on the backrest, has been fully upholstered in a predominately purple and green version of the Stripes fabric and a blue and red version of the Big Stripe.

Earthy tones characterise the Stripes fabric used to cover the seat pad of the Wishbone Chair from 1949.

Two versions of the Big Stripe design are used to cover the cushions and armrests of the CH163 sofa designed in 1965.

The back and seat of the CH28 armchair and the Shell Chair are upholstered in sections of the Big Stripe fabric, which has a repeat of almost 2.5 metres.

The fabrics provide a bold injection of colour that stands out against the wooden frames of the chairs.

The furniture will be displayed at the Paul Smith Milan shop during the city’s upcoming design week, as well as at Carl Hansen & Søn’s booth at the fair and its city centre showroom.

As part of a year of celebrations of Wegner’s work, Carl Hansen & Søn changed its logo to one created by Wegner in 1950 and has begun producing his CH88 chair for the first time.

An exhibition of Paul Smith’s work that features objects such as a MINI car and a pair of skis decorated with his signature stripes is currently on show at London’s Design Museum.

The following press release is from Paul Smith:

Paul Smith and Maharam collaborate with Carl Hansen & Søn

To celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the birth of renowned Danish designer Hans J. Wegner, Paul Smith and Maharam are collaborating with Carl Hansen & Søn – the world’s largest manufacturer of furniture designed by Hans J. Wegner – on a limited edition collection of some of Wegner’s most iconic works.

With a pioneering and creative Modernist aesthetic, Wegner is best known for his idiosyncratic chair designs, such as the Wishbone Chair. Created in 1950 this piece, with its characteristic Y-shaped back support, became one of his greatest successes; other definitive designs include the three-legged Shell Chair, the minimalist CH28, the CH163 sofa and contemporary classic, the Wing Chair.

Paul Smith has personally selected his favourite classic Hans J. Wegner pieces to launch a capsule collection that gives the designs an injection of vibrancy, upholstered in ‘Big Stripe’ and new colours of ‘Stripes’ by Paul Smith. Designed by Paul Smith in collaboration with Maharam, these two worsted wool textiles explore stripes at dramatically different scales, conveying Paul Smith’s imaginative approach to colour and proportion.

The collection will be presented at the Paul Smith Milan shop from 8th to 13th April during the Salone del Mobile, as well as at Carl Hansen & Søn’s booth at the fair and its city centre showroom. Additionally, a touring exhibition visiting Tokyo, New York and London will offer further opportunities to view the collection. The pieces will be available at selected Paul Smith shops worldwide, while the textiles are available in Europe through Kvadrat.

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by Hans J. Wegner in his signature stripes appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan 2014: British designer Bethan Gray will exhibit a set of monochrome marble tableware in Milan next month.

The Alice collection by Welsh designer Bethan Gray comprises geometric combinations of black and white marble, which reference stripes and chequerboard patterns used in historic architectural designs, observed during the designer’s trips across Europe and the Arab states.

“The idea for the geometric patterns of the Alice tableware range came from the pattern, form and use of light found in Arabic design and the spectacular black and white stone configurations I’d seen on various trips across Europe,” said the designer.

“These specifically include the ninth-century Amalfi Cathedral in Italy and the twentieth-century San Giovanni Battista in Mogno, Switzerland.”

The collection comprises five pieces that include a chopping board, cheese board, cake stand and bowl.

Following its launch at Maison & Objet in February, the collection will be on display at Spazio Pontaccio in the Brera district of Milan from 8 to 13 April during the Salone Internationale del Mobile.

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by Bethan Gray appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan 2014: Swiss studio Big-Game will present a combined coat rack and picture ledge for Danish brand Hay during Milan’s design week (+ slideshow).

The BEAM coat rack by Big-Game allows the user to slide as many coat hooks onto the profile as needed and display thin items at the same time.

“We found it useful to be able to slide the hooks on the metal beam wherever you need them,” the designers told Dezeen. “If it is on the right or on the left side of a door for instance, or depending on what you want to hang on it.”

Solid ash hooks are cut to shape and slide directly onto the metal H-shaped profile, which attaches to the wall.

“We were always fascinated by the peg rails found in American Shaker houses,” said the designers. “Instead of hiding the mess, they somehow make it manageable.

“When we were asked to think about something that could be in entrances, we readapted this idea with a metal profile,” they added.

The aluminium profile is available in 60 or 90-centimetre lengths. Colours include grey, red and green, and extra hooks can be purchased in natural ash.

BEAM will be shown at the former printing house Spazio Ciovassino in Milan’s Brera district from 8-13 April.

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metal coat rack for Hay in Milan appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan 2014: industrial designer Marc Newson has raided the archives of 80-year-old glasses manufacturer Safilo to find inspiration for his first collection of optical eyewear, which will launch in Milan in April (+ slideshow).

Newson based the collection of five different optical frames and two styles of sunglasses on an old Safilo model, using a combination of different materials and technologies to differentiate each design.

“Frankly it really wasn’t until I had to start wearing eyewear that I understood what an extraordinary necessity it is,” Newson told Dezeen. “I hit fifty and a couple of years ago I started having to wear reading glasses.”

“In many ways it’s a really interesting object, a pair of glasses, because it straddles the borderline between fashion and industrial design,” said Newson.

“Optical frames of course have a slightly more functional angle because you absolutely have to wear them, but more interestingly for me as a designer, they’re like a tool. I’m obsessed with really good quality tools.”

Founded in the 1930s, Safilo is now one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of glasses for consumer brands, but it continues to produce its own ranges.

Each style in Newson’s collection incorporates innovations from Safilo’s past, starting with Optyl – a super lightweight, hypoallergenic plastic that can remember its shape and was patented by Safilo’s founder in the 1960s.

Newson has also used two of Safilo’s innovations from the 70s – the Elasta 80hinger and a new interpretation of the ultra-thin steel wire frame of its UFO Collection – as well as incorporating materials from the brand’s more recent history including aluminium.

“Safilo were the first company to make this kind of invisible frame,” Newson told Dezeen. “It was basically a piece of spring steel wire which is wrapped around the lens, so we’ve sort of reintroduced this old technique which Safilo invented.”

“Another frame is made of a steel sheet, very thin, pressed into the shape with a live hinge in the stainless steel,” he said.

The glasses come in a variety of finishes, including light and dark metallic tones, a royal blue and an orange that often crops up in Newson’s work.

The collection also includes a very limited-edition range of four models. Only 80 pairs of each will be available and will come with cases by Italian accessories brand Valextra in calf leather, stamped with “Valextra for Safilo Marc Newson” in silver.

Here’s some more information about the collection:

Safilo celebrates its 80th anniversary by presenting the exclusive capsule collection “Safilo by Marc Newson”

Safilo celebrates its 80-year history by launching a special capsule collection created in collaboration with Marc Newson, which will be unveiled in April 2014 during the 53rd edition of the Salone del Mobile in Milan.

Founded in 1934, Safilo, the leading brand in the eyewear market and pride of the Safilo Group, pays tribute to this significant anniversary through the synergy with one of the most versatile and influential designers in the world, creating a line that perfectly combines tradition and innovation, know-how and design – the values that identify this brand.

Among the principal features that unite Safilo and Marc Newson in the project’s core vision, are the primary use of state-of-the-art components, the concepts of transparency and transformation, and specifically, the reinterpretation of the past in a contemporary way through the balance between the distinctive approach of this guest-designer and the highest standard of made in Italy manufacturing guaranteed by Safilo.

In particular, the new capsule collection stems from revisiting a historical model personally chosen by Newson and resulting in 5 different variations, through 5 specific materials and technologies, based on the original shape from the Safilo’s archive. The assortment will consist of 5 optical frames and 2 sunglasses.

Respecting a precise chronological order that retraces the most important milestones and achievements of the brand’s 80 years of history, each of these 5 new models is characterised by unique features and avant-garde technologies that connote the qualities of the brand. They include: the use of ultra-lightweight Optyl (a trademark registered by Safilo) – whether used individually or combined with the new revolutionary Elasta 80 hinge; the application of the reinterpretation of the historical UFO collection (a frame formed by an ultra-thin steel wire); the use of aluminium and, lastly, steel integrated with the new hinge.

The fluid and essential silhouettes, pervaded by an almost organic feel, are further enhanced by sophisticated and luminous hues such as metallic shades in light and dark tones, royal blue and orange – the colour that symbolises the stylistic code of Marc Newson.

“Safilo celebrates 80 years of genuine passion for trendsetting eyewear. We want to share our unique story of cutting-edge Italian heritage, savoir faire, quality and innovation through an exclusive partnership with Marc Newson. Marc is one of the most eclectic and gifted creative minds of his generation. He has blended the richness of the past with the present and the future, through an exquisite capsule collection expressing an inspiring story of trust, excellence and timeless design,” said Luisa Delgado, CEO of Safilo Group.

“For a designer, collaborating with such an iconic brand as Safilo, with its strong DNA and history of excellence presents an extraordinary opportunity to explore new stylistic directions, combining the heritage of the brand with a fresh and innovative perspective. I enjoy teaming up with this large professional company that is properly industrialised and disciplined in the process of bringing the product to market, as well as a true expert in craftsmanship. At the end of the day they want the product out there as swiftly as I do,” added Marc Newson.

The capsule collection, Safilo by Marc Newson, will be officially presented during the Salone del Mobile, inside the Triennale di Milano, a prime destination within the city which further underlines the strong relationship that exists between Safilo and the universe of contemporary design.

Available on the market from mid of April 2014, the collection will be distributed worldwide through an exclusive network that, in addition to multi-brand concept stores and high-end international retailers, like Colette in Paris, Corso Como 10 in Milan, Dover Street Market in London and Mr. Porter, includes a selection of the best-in-class specialised opticians.

The project also includes a limited edition eyewear line (320 items – 80 for each of the four models: aluminium optical frames and sunglasses, UFO optical frames and sunglasses); these models come with a precious, soft calf leather Valextra case in a natural shade of parchment, embellished with the hot-stamped “Valextra for Safilo Marc Newson” silver logo.

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collection to debut in Milan appeared first on Dezeen.