Hasta La Ideas

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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Dezeen promotion: Dezeen readers can receive a 25 percent discount on tickets to the Designs of the Year 2014 exhibition, opening today at London’s Design Museum (+ slideshow).

The exhibition displays architecture and designs nominated for this year’s Designs of the Year awards, which will be given to the best projects in each category and an overall winner later this year.

Projects on display include a fashion collection made from metallic heat-pressed neoprene, a concept car with a retractable windscreen and a bamboo bonnet by Jean-Marie Massaud for Toyota.

Dezeen is media partner for the exhibition and our readers will receive 25 percent off regular admission price when pre-booking online and using code DEZ25 under the Dezeen Special Offer.

There is still a chance to win free tickets to the exhibition in our competition, which closes on 9 April – find out how to enter.

For more information about Designs of the Year 2014, visit the Design Museum website.

Exhibition photographs are by Luke Hayes.

Here’s some more information from the Design Musuem:

25% off Designs of the Year 2014 at the Design Museum

Now in its seventh year, Designs of the Year gathers together a year of cutting-edge innovation and original talent; showcasing the very best in global Architecture, Digital, Fashion, Furniture, Graphic, Product and Transport design.

Featuring Kate Moss’s favourite app, a floating school in a Nigerian lagoon, friendly lamp posts, a mobile phone you can build yourself and many others, Designs of the Year 2014 include international design stars such as Zaha Hadid, David Chipperfield and Miuccia Prada, alongside crowd-funded start ups and student projects. This not to be missed exhibition is a clear reflection of everything that is current and exciting in the world. Someday the other museums will be showing this stuff.

As a Dezeen reader, you receive 25% off regular admission price when pre-booking and using code DEZ25 under the Dezeen Special Offer.

www.designmuseum.org

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British designer Benjamin Hubert has developed a more stable version of his lightweight Ripple table, which features on the shortlist for Designs of the Year 2014 (+ slideshow).

Hubert launched the original Ripple table during last year’s London Design Festival to demonstrate the structural capabilities of a lightweight laminated plywood material called Corelam.

The nine kilogram product was described as the world’s lightest table, but attracted criticism from Dezeen readers who wondered whether it was robust enough for practical use.

“I can’t imagine this is very sturdy – at 2.5 metres long it looks and feels too flimsy,” said one reader, while another suggested: “You should prove stability, not lightness.”

In reaction to doubts over the product’s practicality, Hubert and his team performed a series of strength and stability tests before overhauling the design to improve its structural properties. It is now strong enough to hold the weight of a person.

“I think it’s important to make products that really work,” Hubert told Dezeen. “A concept always needs to be proven, and we enjoy healthy criticism as it pushes us to go further.”

The updated version features a curve across the underside of the table surface that increases its tensile strength, as well as a new leg design with a triangulated cross section.

A brace attaching the legs to the tabletop is also made from Corelam. This has been pressed to produce an undulating profile that creates a transition between the corrugated surface and the flat area to which the legs are fixed.

Up to ten people people can be seated around the 2.5 by 1 metre table, which uses 80 percent less material than a standard timber table and still weighs just 10.5 kilograms

In direct response to comments suggesting that the original table should have been shown with someone standing on it to demonstrate its strength, Hubert has done just that with the new version.

The Ripple table is on show as part of the Designs of the Year exhibition at London’s Design Museum, which opens today and runs until 25 August.

Here’s a press release from Benjamin Hubert:

Ripple 2.0
Held by 1. Holds 1. Seats 10.

Ahead of the Design Museum’s Designs of the Year 2014, Benjamin Hubert Ltd has launched the production-ready version of the nominated Ripple table, which is now also available for purchase through Benjamin Hubert Ltd. The table can still be assembled and manoeuvred by a single person but can now easily support the equivalent of a person’s weight, further demonstrating the properties of the lightweight construction.

Following a series of rigorous strength and stability tests undertaken by the studio, the underside of the table’s surface now curves gently across its length and width, adding tensile strength to the structure. The improved leg design now employs a hollow triangular profile that offers increased strength and rigidity in two directions. The brace between the legs has a curved cross section to increase the strength of the connection between the leg and the table surface. As the corrugated plywood meets the legs, it gradually transitions to a flat surface, providing a smooth intersection.

Ripple uses 80% less material than a standard timber table, and at 2.5 metres long and 1 metre wide, it now offers ample space for ten place sittings. The table’s impressive strength to weight ratio is enabled by an innovative production process of corrugating plywood for furniture through pressure lamination, which was developed by Benjamin Hubert Ltd in collaboration with Canadian manufacturer Corelam.

Ripple is made entirely from 3 ply 0.8mm sitka spruce, a timber sourced only in Canada, where the table is manufactured. The engineered timber was also used in construction of the Hughes H-4 Hercules – popularly known as the “Spruce Goose” – the world’s largest all-timber airplane. The strength of the material in combination with a unique lamination process means the edge of Ripple measures just 3.5mm.

Ripple was designed as part of an internal studio research project into lightweight constructions, and was first launched at Aram Store during London Design Festival last year. Ripple will be exhibited as part of the Design Museum’s Designs of the Year 2014.

Material: Sitka Spruce 0.8mm aircraft plywood
Dimensions: L 2.5m x W 0.95m x H 0.74m

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Ahead of the opening of the Designs of the Year 2014 exhibition tomorrow, here’s a look back at one of the standout projects – a floating school on a Nigerian lagoon by architecture studio NLÉ (+ slideshow).

NLÉ, the studio founded by Nigerian-born architect Kunlé Adeyemi, developed the Makoko Floating School as a prototype for building in African regions that have little or no permanent infrastructure, thanks to unpredictable water levels that cause regular flooding.

Half-building, half-boat, the floating structure provides teaching facilities for the slum district of Makoko, a former fishing village in Lagos where over 100,000 people live in houses on stilts. Prior to this the community had just one English-speaking primary school that regularly found itself under water.

“In many ways, Makoko epitomises the most critical challenges posed by urbanisation and climate change in coastal Africa. At the same time, it also inspires possible solutions and alternatives to the invasive culture of land reclamation,” said the architects.

NLÉ developed a structure that can accommodate up to 100 adults, even in bad weather conditions. It is primarily used as a school, but can also function as an events space, a clinic or a market, depending on the needs of the community.

Built by a team of local residents, the structure was put together using wooden offcuts from a nearby sawmill and locally grown bamboo.

A triangular profile allows the building to accommodate three storeys whilst remaining stable over the water. “It is an ideal shape for a floating object on water due to its relatively low centre of gravity, which provides stability and balance even in heavy winds,” said the designers.

The lower level houses a space for play, while a sub-dividable space on the middle floor accommodates up to four classrooms and the upper level contains a small group workshop. A staircase on one side connects the three levels.

Here’s the project description from NLE:

Makoko Floating School

Makoko Floating School is a prototype structure that addresses physical and social needs in view of the growing challenges of climate change in an urbanising African context. It is a movable ‘building’ or ‘watercraft’ currently located in the aquatic community of Makoko in the lagoon heart of Africa’s second most populous city – Lagos, Nigeria. It is a floating structure that adapts to the tidal changes and varying water levels, making it invulnerable to flooding and storm surges. It is designed to use renewable energy, to recycle organic waste and to harvest rainwater.

An estimated 100,000 people reside in Makoko in housing units built on stilts. Yet the community has no roads, no land and no formal infrastructure to support its day-to-day survival. In many ways, Makoko epitomises the most critical challenges posed by urbanisation and climate change in coastal Africa. At the same time, it also inspires possible solutions and alternatives to the invasive culture of land reclamation.

Until now Makoko has been served by one English-speaking primary school, built on uneven reclaimed land, surrounded by constantly changing waters. Like many homes in Makoko, this has rendered the primary school building structurally precarious and susceptible to recurrent flooding. Sadly, the inability of the building to effectively withstand the impact of increased rainfall and flooding has frequently threatened local children’s access to their basic need – the opportunity of education.

In response to this and in close collaboration with the Makoko community, NLÉ has developed a prototype floating structure that will serve primarily as a school, whilst being scalable and adaptable for other uses, such as a community hub, health clinic, market, entertainment centre or housing. The prototype’s versatile structure is a safe and economical floating triangular frame that allows flexibility for customisation and completion based on specific needs and capacities.

The 220m A-frame or pyramid building is 10m high with a 10m x 10m base. It is an ideal shape for a floating object on water due to its relatively low centre of gravity, which provides stability and balance even in heavy winds. It also has a total capacity to safely support a hundred adults, even in extreme weather conditions.

The building has three levels. The 1st level is an open play area for school breaks and assembly, which also serves as a community space during after hours. The 2nd level is an enclosed space for two to four classrooms, providing enough space for sixty to a hundred pupils. A staircase on the side connects the open play area, the classrooms and a semi enclosed workshop space on the 3rd level.

The simple yet innovative structure adheres to ideal standards of sustainable development with its inclusive technologies for renewable energy, waste reduction, water and sewage treatment as well as the promotion of low-carbon transport. Furthermore a team of eight Makoko-based builders constructed it using eco-friendly, locally sourced bamboo and wood procured from a local sawmill.

Construction began in September 2012 with floatation mock-ups and testing. Recycled empty plastic barrels found abundantly in Lagos were used for the building’s buoyancy system, which consists of 16 wooden modules, each containing 16 barrels. The modules were assembled on the water, creating the platform that provides buoyancy for the building and its users. Once this was assembled, construction of the A-frame followed and was completed by March 2013. Makoko Floating School is now in regular use by the community as a social, cultural and economic centre and will soon welcome its first pupils for use as a primary school.

The project was initiated, designed and built by NLÉ in collaboration with the Makoko Waterfront Community, in Lagos State. The project was initially self-funded by NLÉ and later received research funds from Heinrich Boll Stiftung as well as funds for its construction from the UNDP/Federal Ministry of Environment Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP).

Makoko Floating School is a ‘prototype’ building structure for NLÉ’s proposed ‘Lagos Water Communities Project’ and its ‘African Water Cities’ research project.

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A rooftop extension fronted by a grid of metal mesh and glass contrasts with the original brick facade of this building in east London renovated by Duggan Morris Architects (+ slideshow).

Duggan Morris Architects was tasked with adding three storeys of office space to the four-storey Georgian property in London’s Shoreditch. As the building sits within a conservation area, the architects were required to preserve the existing residential facade above the ground floor shopfront.

“The challenge was to retain the domestic scale windows within a commercial office use, as well as to consider the proportional impact and aesthetic quality of the multi-storey addition,” said studio founders Joe Morris and Mary Duggan.

Behind the brick facade, the building has been completely remodelled to generate an interior suited to modern commercial uses. The basement and ground floor are dedicated to retail, but the rest of the floors all provide flexible office spaces that decrease in area towards the top.

The Curtain Road facade features a grid that divides the surface of the extension to correspond with the three bays of the original frontage. Local rights of light required some open sections at the rear to become roof terraces.

A recessed section at the top two storeys reveals a portion of the adjacent building’s flank, helping to anchor the extension into its surroundings and creating a small terrace.

The new facade was designed as a simple arrangement of horizontal and vertical units, rendered in visually lightweight modern materials to create a contrast with the existing brickwork.

“To retain the gravitas and independence of the urban block, the additional storeys are designed with an ambition to achieve a lightweight object quality, restrained from any references to the adjacent heavy masonry structure,” the architects explained.

A combination of bonded glazed units and panels covered in a wavy metal mesh were installed to create a flush surface with minimal jointing and surface detailing.

The metal panels are perforated with a pattern of holes that allows air to flow through and doesn’t obstruct views from inside.

Felt curtains that can be drawn across the large windows create a similar visual rhythm to the undulating surfaces of the mesh panels.

Concrete lintels and cills are painted in a matte finish, as are the window frames. The anodised metal panels have a champagne finish to ensure consistency between the masonry and the new architectural features.

Towards the end of the construction process, a neon lighting installation by artist Tim Etchells was installed in one of the windows, displaying the message “Shouting your demands from the rooftop should be considered a last resort”.

Photography is by Jack Hobhouse.

Here’s a project description from the architects:

Shoreditch office extension

This is a speculative office development generating 20,000sqft (GEA) of retail and work space located at 141-145 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, East London. The project is located within a conservation area defined by Georgian brick buildings and requiring retention of the existing urban block.

The building prior to development was four storeys (G, B+2) in height and is fully remodelled behind a retained brick façade. Above this, three new floors of contemporary office space are added, extending the building to 7 storeys in total, almost doubling the usable area. Planning permission was obtained in September 2011. Construction commenced in November 2012 and completed in October 2013.

The scheme

To generate the required area of 20,000sqft, a further three storeys were necessary within the permissible building footprint which is defined by the alignment of the front facade at street level and the rights of light (RoL) envelope at the rear. There are 7 floors in total (B, G 1-5) diminishing is size as you ascend. Logic and efficiency dictate the plan arrangement. A compact circulation core contains toilets, showers, lift and stair, and is orientated on the tallest side of the building. The offices are maximised with external terraces also carved out of the RoL envelope.

The ground and basement are intended for retail use. As such two entrances at ground level occupy either end of the facade – 141 leading to the upper office levels and 145 directly into the retail unit. Ultimately the building is flexible and can accommodate a single or multi tenant let. To retain the gravitas and independence of the urban block, the additional storeys are designed with an ambition to achieve a lightweight object quality restrained from any references to the adjacent heavy masonry structure. Scale references to the adjacent buildings window punctuation are stripped back by reducing the extension to optimum modules horizontally and vertically. The materials are reduced to mesh and glass with minimal panels and visible jointing. The lack of reveals to windows are intended to further communicate the delicate object form by disguising the depth or make-up of the construction.

This object quality is further reinforced by the deep recess to the upper 2 storeys. By revealing a portion of the existing brick flank to the adjacent building block (139 Curtain Road) the weight of the existing fabric is further communicated. This obviously reduces nett lettable area but is counterbalanced by a maximised envelope to the rear. Also the precise fit of the building between party walls without visible overdressing of flashings is intended to allow the extension to read as an independent form intended to appear simply resting ‘upon’ the facade below and ‘between’ the adjacent warehouses. A 50mm gap is detailed between the existing masonry and the extension and projecting copings are omitted in lieu of self-draining window sections.

A grid is imposed on the front facade to respond subtlety to the 3 bay house facade below. The plot is trapezoidal in plan and as such a diagonal grid sets up positions of facades and balustrades to the rear. The grid is further enforced at the rear, with smaller staggered terraces, articulating the building where the mass responds to a RoL envelope. Thus a proportional logic of panel size – mesh and glass – is utilised across the facades with the positions of balustrades also defined by the RoL envelope.

Materials & colour

The visible facade is made up of mesh and large bonded units. The principle behind the entire facade construction is to use a simple curtain walling system where possible, with bespoke inserts to achieve the non standard details. The bonded glazed units are tied back to the main super structure. The mesh is bracketed off the curtain walling to meet the same plain as the bonded units and to achieve the flush outer layer. This principle continues around the entire facade front and rear. In order to maintain a reading of the building as a whole the colour palette is carefully calibrated to respond to the masonry tones from grey concrete mortar to mid brown bricks. The reflectance of the materials increases as you ascend to sky and the textural quality of each material selected is emphasised by various means.

A champagne coloured anodised metal panel is used for the mesh on the upper storeys. This is perforated with small holes achieving 40% free air flow and is also calculated to appear almost invisible from the inside to retain views across London. A waved profile adds another layer of light quality maximising incident sun throughout the day. The anodised surface is iridescent in sunlight.

The transition from the mesh to the glazed bonded panel is carefully managed by introducing a matching fritt within the double glazed bonded unit. This softens the overall appearance of the glass which would normally be a contrasting frame and fritt colour. Felt curtains have been introduced to the larger windows fronting onto the street to extend the waved mesh detail across the entire facade. The brick has been lightly cleaned and repointed where spalling with the intention to retain the relic with minimal surface alteration. All concrete lintels and cills and window frames are painted a matt colour to match the brickwork attempting to simplify the reading of the retained element.

At ground level the shop front is framed in concrete supporting the building mass above. The glass panels within being as large as is permissible with the constraints of the tight street and working zone. Again a fritt has been selected to match the concrete colour to soften the junctions. The colour treatment stops at the facade. As a rule the entire office units are white including light fittings and all exposed services.

Theatre

The building has been a challenge in many respects mainly imposed by the condition to retain the existing facade. To an extent the process to retain it required extensive counter intuitive construction works. The delicate quality of what is deemed to be ‘permanent’ and of historical value has been exposed through the very process of having to retain it. An installation by Richard Wilson at Liverpool Biennial 2007 entitled ‘Turning the place over’ played on this very condition. A permanent gritty piece of city fabric is explored as an adaptable component. An abstract portion of the facade was mechanically rotated exposing the inside.

Similarly, this revelation of the building fabric became an interesting part of the construction journey that was to be capitalised upon particularly given the visibility of the works from the street and the opportunity to promote the building as a theatrical contribution to Shoreditch, perhaps calling out to a particular tenant typology or exposing a opportunity to use the building in an unconventional way. The construction works required an oversized steel temporary structure to protect the facade from falling which needed to be pinned back to the superstructure. The entire shopfront below was removed leaving the brick facade suspended to allow alterations to take place behind it. Due to the close proximity to the street and the restrictions imposed by the Olympics 2012, temporary scaffolds and coverings were kept to a minimum thus the entire build process was evident throughout the construction phase. Due to the size of the bonded panels a complete weekend closure of Curtain Road to permit safe cranage positioning and installation was necessary.

An installation by Tim Etchells was exhibited to expand upon the theatrics. The piece was installed for 6 weeks from September to October 2013. The neon piece entitled ‘shouting your demands from the rooftops should be considered a last resort’ was selected for its obvious irony in the context of imminent marketing of the building, but also to demonstrate the opportunity to use the high level glazed pods for exhibition. The neon had the obvious benefit of retaining visibility during the dark early evenings.

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