Hasta La Ideas

Design fair Collectible has returned to Brussels to spotlight emerging designers from across the continent, creating unique and limited-edition pieces. These are the key trends to know from this year’s event.

Now in its eighth year, the collectible design fair is taking over the Vanderborght Building in central Brussels from 13 to 16 March to showcase new work by more than 100 exhibitors.

Read on for six key trends from the event including fireplaces and weird and wonderful uses for plastic:

Weird plastics

Unencumbered by the drive to eliminate virgin plastic from mass-consumer products, collectible designers focused instead on finding interesting new applications for this everyday material.

There was a bench padded with layers of rubber similar to yoga mats by Parisian duo André Jacob and a rug made from the same rubber-granule flooring used in playgrounds, courtesy of German designer Carsten in der Elst.

Reinforced with skeletons in metal or wood, plastic was used to make seemingly fragile pieces that, in reality, were capable of holding the weight of at least one Dezeen reporter.

Ukrainian designer Illya Goldman Gubin turned polyurethane foam into a standalone bench by bathing it in resin, while Austrian duo Basil Schu and Laura Dominici showcased functional stools that resemble stacks of towels (above).

The stools’ fuzzy texture was achieved by pressing silicone through a mesh sheet to create the impression of a textile threads. Once dried, these sheets are folded and reinforced with sheets of plywood to create a fully functional seat.

Playing with fire

This year’s Collectible featured a surprising number of fireplaces, including a steampunk steel stove by London artist Tom Bull and a monstrous mantle by ceramicist Antoine Moulinard (above) that places the firebox inside the screaming mouth of a yeti – a mythical beast from Himalayan folklore.

The latter was on show as part of an exhibition by Paris design platform The Steidz Studio, centred entirely around fire and flames. As part of that, designer Nicolas Zanoni created a series of shelves and plinths for the scenography by burning polystyrene foam until charred solid.

Nearby, Antwerp-based Yoon Shun exhibited wood-veneer lamps with a zebra-stripe pattern achieved at the hands of a blowtorch

I can’t believe it’s not butter

Fashion’s fascination with butter yellow has seeped over into design, as seen in Pablo Octavio‘s roughly hewn Lapis Lazuili chairs and the glossy surfaces of Jord Lindelauf‘s 808 table.

“It’s an interesting colour but it’s not a very bright or very obvious, loud colour,” Lindelauf told Dezeen. “So it goes well with all different types of materials and colours.”

Elsewhere there was a table wrapped in mycelium leather by Studio TOOJ and the Daydreamer chaise by Latvia’s Only Only studio (above), consisting of an almost surgical metal frame that holds up foam-filled capsules of yellowing natural latex.

Experimental lighting

Several studios experimented with novel materials and techniques to create unconventional lighting.

Industrial designer Samuel Tomatis and upholsterer Anaïs Jarnoux collaborated to create a biodegradable light (above) – combining algae bioplastic and a traditional French pleating technique – while Eindhoven-based Lucas Zito showed two different 3D-printed designs.

One resembles a light-up HVAC duct, while the other lets its supportive scaffolding shine through.

On the more low-tech end, Brazilian studio Palma exhibited lamps with eggshell-mosaic shades – each tiny piece of shell painstakingly stuck on by hand – and bases gilded in metal chocolate wrappers instead of silver leaf.

Sex appeal

People might be having less sex than ever but references to sensuality and the body were rife at this year’s fair. “Designers are more and more going towards metal, leather, a bit more rough, sexy furniture,” Collectible founder Liv Vaisberg told Dezeen.

There was a rubber-covered loveseat by LS Goma and a leather-upholstered platform daybed by Rotterdam studio 304.cage embroidered with lewd and cartoonish scenes by Viennese artist Chun.

Curator and collector Jean-Francois Declercq conceived his whole booth (above) around a vinyl-wrapped dining table decorated with metal bondage hooks by Turin-based Studio Greca, paired with two vintage Philippe Starck chairs with details suggesting high heels and corsets.

Nearby, Spazio Viruly showed plexiglass lights evoking different private parts by the late Dutch artist Mathieu Ficheroux, which are more than 60 years old but reminiscent of work by modern designers based in his native Rotterdam like Sabine Marcelis and Laurids Gallée.

Silver metals soldier on

Whether stainless steel or aluminium, last year’s trend for cool-toned metals continues to have a chokehold on collectable designers, with almost every booth featuring at least one massive, silvery furniture piece.

Parisian designer Pauline Leprince created a Bauhaus-informed courting chair (above), while recent Eindhoven graduate Myeonga Seo folded sheet metal like origami to create a series of seating. Elvis Wesley and Bram Vanderbeke both showcased craggy metal shelving while Nicolas Zanoni and André Jacob used chainmail to make different chairs.

The next evolution of the trend sees designers contrast sleek metal elements with hunks of natural wood, as seen in a desk by London studio Soft Baroque and the Parasiting Factors chair by Amsterdam-based Sai.E Studio (top image).

Collectible 2025 takes place from 13 to 16 March 2025 at the Vanderborght Building in Brussels. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

The post “Sexy furniture” and five other trends from Collectible design fair in Brussels appeared first on Dezeen.

Perk up your books and reading time with Biblioscents scratch and sniff bookmarks made with essential oils. Created by master natural fragrance maker Mandy Aftel. Four bookmarks come in each pack, one each of vetiver, geranium, frankincense, and ginger.

British studio Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled its design for the 42-storey Cityzen Tower in Tbilisi, Georgia, which will swoop towards the ground with a series of terraces.

Scheduled for completion in 2028 as the studio‘s first project in Georgia, Cityzen Tower will contain apartments, offices, shops and leisure facilities to form part of a neighbourhood constructed by property developer Cityzen.

One side of Cityzen Tower’s concrete structure will twist and swoop towards the ground with a series of cascading terraces.

Zaha Hadid Architects designed the sweeping form in reference to the nearby Central Park, aiming to create a distinctive building for the neighbourhood that appears to emerge from the surrounding natural landscape.

“Informed by the rolling hills intersected with river valleys that wind through the undulating cityscape of Tbilisi, Cityzen Tower echoes its context at the intersection of the city’s urbanism and its natural environments,” said Zaha Hadid Architects.

“Serving as the gateway to this new urban district of Tbilisi, the tower has been designed as a vertical extension of the nature within the adjacent Central Park.”

Located in Tbilisi’s Saburtalo district, the south-facing terraces on the lower levels will overlook Central Park and will be populated with planting, cafes and restaurants.

As the tower rises, the terraces will twist around the building and get narrower to form outdoor areas for offices and balconies for the apartments on the upper floors.

“The tower’s composition is defined by the gradual unification of the large communal areas facing the park on its lower floors merging into the smaller, diamond-shaped footprint of the residences above,” said Zaha Hadid Architects.

“This design ensures every apartment has excellent natural lighting conditions and exceptional views,” the studio added.

“These differing footplate requirements between the lower and higher floors gradually amalgamate, defining an incremental twist in the tower’s overall composition.”

According to Zaha Hadid Architects the balconies and external louvres will help naturally ventilate the building in the humid summer months and minimise direct sunlight in the interior.

Public squares and gardens will surround Cityzen Tower, and pedestrian routes will connect it with amenities in the new Cityzen neighbourhood.

Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled designs for a number of sculptural buildings so far this year, including a pair of sweeping towers for a masterplan in Naples and a curving convention centre in Beijing.

The images are by Negativ.

The post Zaha Hadid Architect designs skyscraper with cascading terraces in Tbilisi appeared first on Dezeen.

Design group Carroccera Collective has created an open-air living space with a kitchen and bath alongside a seven-metre-high chimney on a former vineyard in Italy.

Hidden in a forest on the site of a former vineyard in Piedmont, northern Italy, The Missing Room pavilion acts as a man-made living space surrounded by nature.

The stainless steel structure, which sits atop screw-pile foundations on a sloping site surrounded by trees, was designed to be demountable.

“Several hectares of land have been left undisturbed and recently these areas have begun to regenerate through natural processes,” Carroccera Collective told Dezeen.

“Within this landscape lies a latent potential to renew the relationship between humans and their environment by reintroducing a healthy symbiotic ecosystem,” the group added.

“The Missing Room is a living space designed to encourage new rituals and patterns of use, offering an opportunity to enter an alternative time zone and experience a passage between a human-controlled environment and an untamed natural one.”

Designed by Italian metalworker Carlo Susenna, the seven-metre-high, monolithic central chimney has multiple uses – including as a central mast for a tensile canopy made from a boat sail.

Alberto Pisani, a local maker who specialises in traditional pizza ovens, designed a bespoke cooking module at the base of the chimney.

“On one side, the fire powers the ovens, while on the other, it heats water for bathing and warms the area at the front of the space,” explained Carroccera Collective.

“This towering form responds to the scale of the surrounding trees, rising like a beacon above the canopies, marking its presence in the landscape and guiding visitors with its smoke signals.”

Arranged around the chimney are a series of spaces that can have multiple uses. Above the chimney is a space that can be used for seating, which is warmed by the fire, while below is an open kitchen-like space.

Along side these areas there is a large bath that can fit three or four people. The bath can be cover to make an are lying and stargazing.

In addition to creating a sense of intimacy with nature, the collective was also interested in exploring the relationship between fire and water to “redefine pre-existing notions of domesticity”.

The pavilion’s compact design was informed by the practicalities of this relationship.

“The fire and water had to be close together,” explained the collective. “The channel, sink, bath and drinking basins had to be close enough to pour into each other along a slope.”

“The bath, the ovens and the seating area were grouped close to the main chimney to create sufficient heat exchange and proper smoke extraction,” it continued.

Like fire, water also plays a central role in activating the hidden features of The Missing Room.

“The water flow is released at the entrance of the structure, filling the main collection channel that distributes the flow into various basins throughout the structure,” said the collective.

“Users are encouraged to interact with the water systems by adding or removing plugs as needed to direct the flow; to fill the bath, use the sink or supply water to the cattle trough.”

The collective built the structure from stainless steel instead of concrete as it had less of an environmental impact and could be fully removed from the site.

“We are guests in nature,” the collective explained.  “So instead of developing the land in a more traditional sense, we want our structures to be temporal and non-invasive.”

“We initially considered concrete for its durability and thermal mass, but ultimately dismissed it because of its carbon footprint and the fact that it cannot be removed without permanently altering the site,” it continued.

Established in 2023, Carroccera Collective is a group of creative practitioners aiming to challenge existing boundaries between humans and nature through design.

Other eco-friendly and compact designs featured on Dezeen include an “open air laboratory” made of foraged wood by Architectural Association students and a translucent toilet cubicle with a view.

The photography is by Alessandro Nanni unless stated otherwise. 

The post Carroccera Collective arranges The Missing Room pavilion around monolithic chimney appeared first on Dezeen.

Rover Tiny Homes has introduced its most compact model yet, the Tulameen. Although “smallest” is relative, as it remains a sizable towable residence. The interior is spacious and designed on a single level. Named after a Canadian mountain, the Tulameen is built on a triple-axle trailer and measures 36 ft (10 m) in length. Its increased width of 10.5 ft (3.2 m) necessitates a permit for towing on public roads in the US. While it is on the larger side, it doesn’t reach the size of some of the largest models available, such as the 45-ft-long Tellico.

Designer: Rover Tiny Homes

The exterior of the tiny house stands out from typical designs, drawing inspiration from traditional Cape Cod architecture. It is adorned with cedar shakes cladding, which gives it a classic and rustic appearance, complemented by an asphalt roof. The structure is further enhanced with three decorative dormers that add both aesthetic appeal and a touch of elegance. For accessibility, the house includes a main entrance as well as a secondary entrance through a covered porch, offering a welcoming transition into the interior.

Upon entering through the covered porch, you are greeted by the cozy living room. This space is thoughtfully arranged with a small sofa and a chair, providing comfortable seating options. A coffee table completes the setup, making it an inviting area for relaxation or socializing.  Adjacent to the living room is the kitchen, efficiently designed to maximize functionality within a compact space. Despite its size, the kitchen is well-equipped, featuring a refrigerator/freezer, an oven with a propane-powered four-burner stove, and a sink. It also offers ample cabinetry.

The bathroom of the Tulameen is located further inside the home, strategically positioned next to the secondary entrance. This thoughtful placement allows for easy access from both the inside and outside. The bathroom is complemented by a nearby laundry area, which is equipped with a washer and dryer. Inside the bathroom, you’ll find a well-appointed shower, a vanity sink that adds both functionality and style, and a traditional flushing toilet.

On the opposite end of the tiny house from the living room is the bedroom. Thanks to the single-level layout of the Tulameen, the bedroom boasts ample headroom, allowing residents to stand upright comfortably, which is a luxury not always available in tiny homes. The bedroom is furnished with a cozy double bed. There is some cleverly integrated storage space, and the bedroom’s design emphasizes spaciousness, making it feel quite roomy and spacious for a tiny home.

The Tulameen is specifically crafted to endure the harsh conditions of a Canadian winter, featuring superior insulation to retain warmth effectively. To maintain a comfortable indoor climate, it is equipped with electric heaters and a mini-split air-conditioning system, ensuring warmth and coziness even during the coldest months. Power is supplied through a standard RV-style hookup, making it convenient and easy to connect. This impressive tiny home is currently available for purchase for US$118,000.

The post This Compact Yet Roomy Towable Residence Let’s You Experience Elegance In A Tiny Package first appeared on Yanko Design.