Hasta La Ideas

At left, a rendering of Konstantin Grcic’s “Netscape” installation, which will be presented in the courtyard of Design Miami’s temporary structure (at right) designed by Moorhead & Moorhead.

It’s been a very good year for Konstantin Grcic. Having begun 2010 by clinching the “Furniture Designer of the Year” honor from Wallpaper* (and a panel of judges that ranged from Steven Holl and Kelly Wearstler to John Galliano and Carsten Höller), the Munich-based industrial design star has seen his 360° chair and 360° stool welcomed into the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Now comes word that Grcic will be feted in December as Design Miami‘s Designer of the Year, awarded annually to an internationally renowned designer or studio “whose body of work demonstrates unmatched quality, innovation, and influence, while expanding the boundaries of design.” Grcic was the unanimous selection of the Design Miami jury, according to Wava Carpenter, acting director of the fair. “Konstantin’s work in the last year has demonstrated his incredible range and prolific talent,” she says. “His ability to work in multiple contexts simultaneously is the hallmark of today’s most successful and enduring designers.” Past Designer of the Year winners include Maarten Baas, Fernando and Humberto Campana, Zaha Hadid, and Marc Newson.

Design Miami commissioned new work by Grcic that will presented at the fair (which this December will take place right in Art Basel’s backyard at the Miami Beach Convention Center), and Grcic came up with “Netscape,” an installation that will be presented in the courtyard of Design Miami’s temporary structure designed by Moorhead & Moorhead. The interactive work will consist of a six-point star-shaped structure from which seats made of netting will be suspended. The 24-seat web of hanging chairs will create a space for guests to engage with one another before entering or leaving the fair. “When I first looked at the design for this year’s temporary structure, there was this beautiful part of the tent, just before the entrance,” says Grcic. “I knew that I wanted to create something special for the fair—something functional,but also something that incorporated my ideas of what a place like Miami is like in December….It’s a space for people to enjoy.” Fairgoers will also be treated to a selection of Grcic’s greatest hits (three cheers for Chair One!) with an exhibition of career highlights curated by Grcic himself.

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