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      Sabine Marcelis and Ini Archibong among designers to collaborate with Japanese artisans

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      A sound-emitting egg sculpture and a samurai chest of drawers feature in a series of objects made by designers in collaboration with master artisans from Japan’s Tohoku region, on show for London Design Festival.

      Designers Sabine Marcelis, Ini Archibong, Studio Swine, Yoichi Ochiai, Michael Young and Hideki Yoshimoto all participated in the Craft x Tech initiative, with the results now on show at the V&A.
      Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves of Studio Swine created a contemporary Sendai-Tansu chest (main image)Each designer was paired with a different artisan and asked to apply their expertise to a contemporary work.
      “Craft x Tech is more than an exhibition; it’s a celebration of cultural collaboration and innovation,” said designer and engineer Hideki Yoshimoto, who initiated the project.
      Sabine Marcelis produced tables with a high-gloss finish”By showcasing these exceptional works, we hope to inspire new dialogues and creative expressions within the design community and beyond,” said Yoshimoto.

      Marcelis’ contribution saw her work with artisans from Akita, who specialise in the Kawatsura Shikki style of lacquerware, to create high-gloss finishes.
      Marcelis collaborated with a lacquerware artisan from AkitaRenowned for her colourful Candy Cube furniture, the Dutch designer explored a similarly minimal aesthetic. The use of lacquer gives these pieces their distinctly shiny finish.
      Also working with lacquer, American designer Archibong collaborated with Tsugaru-Nuri specialists from Aomori. The result is a sculpture that emits sounds in response to movement.
      Ini Archibong created a sound-emitting egg sculptureAzusa Murakami and Alexander Groves of Studio Swine created a contemporary version of the Sendai-Tansu chest of drawers, specific to the city of Sendai, which traditionally would be crafted for samurai warriors and merchants.
      The British-Japanese duo created a geometric design that takes cues from Japanese block prints and metabolist architecture.

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      Just like with the traditional chests, the drawers are completely airtight, so closing one drawer causes another to open.
      Hong Kong-based designer Michael Young used the ironware techniques of Iwate’s Nambu-Tekki artisans to create tables with intricate legs, decorated with patterns based on cherry blossoms.
      Michael Young created tables using Iwate’s Nambu-Tekki ironware techniquesThe traditional Japanese tea room was the starting point for Japanese artist Yoichi Ochiai, who was invited to work with Oitama Tsumugi silk.
      The textile forms a red see-through cube with tree branches suspended at its centre.
      Yoichi Ochiai used Oitama Tsumugi silk to create a contemporary teahouseThe final addition comes from Yoshimoto himself, who created a floor lamp utilising Tohoku’s oldest pottery traditions.
      The design combines distinctive glazed elements with precisely cut resin and metal.
      Hideki Yoshimoto created a floor lamp utilising Tohoku’s oldest pottery traditionsMaria Cristina Didero curated the exhibition, which was presented in Tokyo and Basel before coming to the UK for London Design Festival.
      “This project is a testament to the limitless possibilities that arise when traditional craftsmanship meets modern technology,” said Didero.
      Craft x Tech is on show at the V&A from 14 September to 13 October 2024 as part of London Design Festival. Visit Dezeen Events Guide for a guide to the festival and other architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      True Joy named Dulux Colour of the Year 2025

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      Paint brand Dulux has revealed an “uplifting” bright yellow colour called True Joy as its Colour of the Year for 2025.

      True Joy was chosen for its bold and sunny disposition that adds a sense of cheerfulness to interiors, according to Dulux.
      Dulux has announced a bright yellow named True Joy for its Colour of the Year 2025″Dulux Colour of the Year 2025 True Joy is an uplifting yellow – a bright and positive colour that brings optimism, pride and imagination to homes and commercial spaces,” the brand’s senior colour designer Dawn Scott told Dezeen.
      “It was chosen to inspire people to leap out of their comfort zone, to just go for it and feel confident.”
      The sunny colour aims to evoke optimism and creativityDulux worked with trend forecast researchers ColourFutures to choose the 2025 Colour of the Year. The company’s analysis across design, architecture, journalism and technology found three trends to base the colour selection on.

      “This year, our global trend forecast highlighted three major trends: the excitement of making a joyful leap into the unknown, the celebration of handmade craftsmanship and the re-embrace of heritage,” said Scott.
      “These themes have informed our choice of True Joy, along with the colour yellow more generally, creating a collection that helps you design spaces where people can feel inspired to pursue new horizons, connect with human creativity and feel rooted in their identities.”
      Dulux collaborated with ColourFutures to chose the colourScott hopes the sunny hue will provoke feelings of human connection and motivate people to make bolder colour choices.
      “True Joy will likely define the year by resonating deeply with our collective desire for change and reconnection,” she said.
      Three colour palettes incorporating True Joy were created”As we move into an era dominated by technology and AI, this colour will inspire us to embrace new frontiers, encouraging spaces that are both adventurous and spontaneous,” Scott added.
      “It will also reflect our growing appreciation for human creativity and craftsmanship, grounding us in environments filled with earthy, handmade touches that reconnect us with our humanity.”

      Soft pink Sweet Embrace named Dulux Colour of the Year 2024

      Three complementary colour palettes were also revealed alongside True Joy to offer suggested colour pairings for interiors.
      The Bold Colour Story palette contrasts True Joy with bright blues and oranges, designed to be used in education and office interiors to encourage creativity.
      Dulux suggested pairing the bright yellow with neutral shades from the Human Colour StoryThe Human Colour Story features more neutral shades of wood and clay, aiming to reflect raw materials in artisanal craftsmanship and add warmth to education and healthcare settings.
      Deep tones of brown and green characterise the Proud Colour Story palette, which was created for hospitality and residential spaces to create a welcoming atmosphere.
      The Proud Colour Story combines True Joy with deep huesDulux’s Colour of the Year for 2023 was a pale yellow named Wild Wonder and for 2024, the brand chose a soft pink colour called Sweet Embrace.
      Scott described True Joy as a striking and exciting contrast to the subtler hues that came before it.
      The rich tones of the Proud Colour Story aim to create a welcoming interior”Where Sweet Embrace provided warmth and comfort, creating spaces that made people feel at ease during uncertain times, the yellow of this year encourages a joyful leap into new horizons,” Scott explained.
      “It’s a bold and uplifting colour that reflects a shift from seeking simplicity and calm to embracing adventure and creativity.”
      The photography is courtesy of Dulux.

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      Dezeen and ASUS Zenbook to host Design You Can Feel exhibition during London Design Festival

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      Dezeen has teamed up with ASUS Zenbook to curate a major exhibition during London Design Festival exploring materiality, craftsmanship and artificial intelligence.

      Titled Design You Can Feel, the exhibition will showcase how material qualities such as form, colour and texture can be combined to create objects or moments that awaken the senses.
      Featured designers include Fernando Laposse, Giles Miller, Natural Material Studio, Niceworkshop and Studio Furthermore.
      The exhibition will also include a specially commissioned piece by Future Facility, the design and research studio led by distinguished designers Kim Colin, Sam Hecht and Leo Leitner.
      Exhibition to tell the story of Ceraluminum

      At the heart of the exhibition will be an exploration of Ceraluminum, an innovative new material that’s used to create the distinct visual identity of the ASUS Zenbook series of laptops.
      Ceraluminum combines the lightness of metal with the resilience of ceramics through an aluminium ceramisation process, resulting in a new proprietary material with distinctive nature-inspired hues that make each object unique.
      Dezeen has teamed up with ASUS Zenbook to curate an exhibition at London Design FestivalUnlike traditional aluminium anodisation, the process eliminates volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy metals and results in a 100-per-cent recyclable material.
      This will be presented alongside work by other leading designers and curated around themes that speak to the qualities of Ceraluminum and showcase ASUS’s approach to design.
      A celebration of ASUS Zenbook
      The Design You Can Feel exhibition will celebrate Zenbook, the new range of laptops from ASUS.
      These thin and light ultra-portable premium laptops have been crafted with the user in mind. The design features have been dictated by their use with the aim of seamlessly integrating beauty and function.

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      The laptops feature advanced (artificial intelligence) AI tools and are clad in the proprietary Ceraluminum material.
      This light and durable material can be used to create unique, everlasting designs. Each of the pieces in the exhibition – which span furniture, lighting and installation design – will speak to these qualities in different ways, while Niceworkshop has produced a piece of furniture directly using the material.
      The Design You Can Feel exhibition will celebrate ASUS ZenbookThe special commission by Future Facility will also be crafted from Ceraluminum.
      Through this conceptual design, the studio will explore the relationship between the digital and physical worlds and ask how AI and materiality can change our relationship with technology.
      Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to learn about the design story behind ASUS Zenbook and try out the AI tools it features for themselves.
      Design You Can Feel takes place during LDF
      Design You Can Feel will run from 17 to 22 September at Protein Studios in Shoreditch during London Design Festival.
      More details of the exhibition, including details of the work on display, will be announced in the coming weeks at: dezeen.com/designyoucanfeel.
      The exhibition graphic at the top of this post is by My Beautiful City, which used the generative AI tool Midjourney to create the imagery. You can see Dezeen’s policy on AI here.
      London Design Festival 2024
      London Design Festival 2024 takes place from 16-22 September 2024. See our London Design Festival 2024 guide on Dezeen Events Guide for information about the many other exhibitions, installations and talks taking place throughout the week.
      Partnership content
      The Design You Can Feel exhibition is a partnership between Dezeen and ASUS Zenbook. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Under One Roof exhibition celebrates Scotland’s “vibrant” emerging design scene

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      Design platform Slancha has curated Under One Roof, a furniture and homeware exhibition in Glasgow that spotlights 14 up-and-coming Scottish designers.

      The inaugural exhibition from Slancha, which is run by designers Findlay MacDonald and Harvey Everson, presented a hand-picked selection of furniture, ceramics and lighting pieces united by an emphasis on materiality and form.
      Under One Roof is the inaugural exhibition by SlanchaMacDonald and Everson were prompted to curate the exhibition after visiting Milan design week and observing Scotland’s comparative lack of a cohesive design community, despite the exceptional work being produced by local makers.
      “The more exhibitions and shows like this that happen in Scotland, the more people will start to see the vibrant design scene emerging here,” MacDonald told Dezeen. “We’re excited to be part of that movement.”
      Nicholas Davis’s Fireside Chair is made from African sapele woodAmong the pieces on display as part of Under One Roof was Nicholas Davis’s Fireside Chair, crafted using African sapele timber.

      The chair features a durable structure and bold graphic silhouette, informed by the designer’s background studying graphic design at the Glasgow School of Art before pivoting to furniture.
      “The Fireside Chair is a great example of contemporary design in Scotland, with a distinctive Scandi-Scot influence,” MacDonald said, adding that Davis’s practice exemplifies “exceptional craftsmanship and eye-catching forms”.
      Oliver Spendley (left) and Richard Goldsworthy (right) explored raw natural materialsOliver Spendley utilised locally sourced materials from his base in Durness – a small village on the north coast of Scotland – to create his Endless Orbit collection.
      The totemic sculptures are made using discs of Scottish timber, fitted onto Lewisian gneiss stones to suggest a celestial object and its orbit.
      SHY Design’s vases are crafted from scagolia plaster”Each timber base is hand-finished with precision, alternating between sleek and textured surfaces,” said MacDonald.
      “This careful attention to detail reflects the natural textures found in our environment, from the undulating ripples of rivers to the layered patterns of tidal sands.”

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      Other pieces in the exhibition that pay homage to nature include the Vessel IX vases from SHY Design, a Glasgow-based studio exploring the emotional connection between user and object.
      Crafted from scagolia – a plaster typically used for surface decoration – the vases feature expressive forms with craggy rock-like surfaces.
      “SHY nod to material origins, first building their pieces into strong simple architectural forms before unexpectedly carving into and destructing the surfaces to create new forms and reveal the patterns laced below,” MacDonald said.
      Charles Myatt (left) and Frances Ross (right) contributed sculptural screensFluid Screen by ceramicist Frances Ross is a divider comprised of 72 translucent Parian porcelain tiles set within an ash frame, which diffuse light and shift in colour to resemble flowing liquid.
      And Greenlaw-based Richard Goldsworthy, whose work celebrates the inherent beauty of the natural world, contributed a sculpture crafted from charred walnut and pewter.
      Kiko was informed by graffitiAlso included in the exhibition was furnituremaker Laurence Veitch’s piece Kiko, designed in collaboration with architect Dafni Michalaki, which features a vernacular form inspired by graffiti.
      Similar themes lie in the work of Glasgow-based Charles Myatt, including his Lichen Stone assemblage crafted from lime, silica and cement that takes cues from urbanism and the materiality of cities.
      Ruth Mae Martin creates colourful ceramicsThe exhibition also presented works by Rory Middleton, Neal Cameron, Calum Bettison, Ruth Mae Martin, James Grossman, Ruth Elizabeth Jones and an oak and aluminium table by the Slancha founders.
      MacDonald and Everson hope that Under One Roof can help the Scottish design movement continue to grow.
      Under One Roof also showcased work by Ruth Elizabeth Jones”This event has brought such an energy to the designers and the local design scene,” MacDonald said. “We’ve had so many people express a desire for more events like this, which really highlights there’s a strong appetite for design in Scotland.”
      “Our hope is to keep building on this collective energy, maintaining the momentum while inspiring more people to design and create here in Scotland.”
      Under One Roof took place at Stallan Brand’s gallery space in Glasgow from 6th July to 16th August 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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      R & Company highlights seven “archetypes” of American collectible design

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      New York gallery R & Company has curated collectible design work by 55 contemporary artists and designers based throughout the United States.

      The exhibition Objects: USA 2024 is the second instalment in a series of triannual exhibits by the gallery surveying the current state of collectible design practices in the country.
      The show touches on topics such as revived craft traditions, material experimentation, political instability, environmental degradation, and cultural re-appropriation.
      R & Company has showcased 55 designers and artists from across the United States. Works by Dee Clements, Justin Favela, Luam Melake, and Coulter FussellDesigners that represent different generations and backgrounds are on show, including Minjae Kim, Chen Chen and Kai Williams, Roberto Lugo, Katie Stout, and Hugh Hayden.
      “In recent years, collectible design has increasingly entered popular consciousness, in part, thanks to the diversity of individuals embracing handmade processes and propelling them in new directions,” R & Company said.

      “Objects: USA offers an incisive exploration of the formal innovations and conceptual motivations that shape the distinct and varied landscape of today’s object-making.”
      It was organised according to seven “archetypes”. Works by Trey Jones, Nicole McLaughlin, and Kim MupangilaïAccording to the gallery, many of the artists and designers defy easy categorisation and challenge the understood boundaries between art and design.
      The show was guest-curated by writers and historians Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and Kellie Riggs, who chose to present works thematically through several “archetypes.”
      “After a long period of examining what we believe to be some of the most compelling work being made today, we took on the daunting but exciting task of finding the throughline between 55 unique practices,” Vizcarrondo-Laboy said.
      “What emerged were seven archetypes that provide a dynamic way to explore object-making, not only within this group but also in the future.”
      Designers and artists working across the United States were represented. Works at centre by Brian Oakes, Matthew Szösz, Carl D’Alvia, and Hugh HaydenThe groupings are organised under the headings Truthseekers, Codebreakers, Betatesters, Doomsdayers, Insiders, Keepers and Mediators.
      Showcasing talents that uphold and find new purpose for long-established handicrafts, the Truthseekers section includes pieces by Los Angeles wood artist Nik Gelormino and New Mexico-based ceramicist Lonnie Vigil.
      The exhibition was curated by Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy and Kellie Riggs. Works by Cammie Staros, Ryan Decker, Liam Lee, and Francesca DimattioThe Betatesters grouping presents artists and designers who experiment with these techniques and push the limits of material.
      On view as part of this “archetype” is Houston designer Joyce Lin’s Wood Chair concept, which was created using MDF, epoxy, and oil paint. It shows her ongoing exploration of how the lines between what people think of as natural and artificial can be blurred.
      The Doomsdayers section touches on how talents are addressing today’s political polarisation and dystopian angst.
      The work under this dystopian heading includes Brooklyn-based designer Ryan Decker, who creates graphical works out of materials like fibreglass, resin, and aluminium – like Leaky Bladder – to comment on the rise of technologies like VR and the role video games play in our lives.
      The groupings were chosen to showcase the wide scope of the collectible design world in the US. Works by Minjae Kim and Jolie NgoThe Insiders grouping explores how design can address domestic space and how that impacts the human experience, especially during the lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Designers in this category included Hugh Hayden who presents “unexpected interventions” into everyday objects such as cribs.
      Brooklyn-based Congolese-Belgian designer Kim Mupangilaï’s Bina daybed was grouped under the Codebreakers section. It demonstrates how designers incorporate distinct forms from different cultural sources.
      “[Mupangilaï’s] distinct body of furniture is imbued with personal narratives, embracing materials symbolic of her Congolese heritage and childhood in Europe,” R & Company said. “Her elegant, organic forms reveal historical and contemporary complexities of identity and experience as the viewer revels in the details.”
      The Keepers section includes one-off designs, sculptures, and installations by artists and designers that utilise these mediums to explore how people establish cultural and interpersonal connections.
      The Mediator “archetype” highlights designs used to help people negotiate with their surroundings and heritage – such as those by Chicago-based Norman Teague.
      “Norman Teague’s multi-faceted practice [architecture, installation, and object design] is inspired by his Chicago South Side neighbourhood and broader African aesthetics,” R & Company said.
      The works range from futuristic to traditional. Works by Misha Kahn, Venancio Aragon, and Ryan DeckerMade using ebony-finished basswood and leather as well as traditional carving and stitching techniques, the Africana Rocking Chair combines references to both his Western and African upbringings but Teague distils them in a contemporary form.
      Also exhibited as part of the Mediator section, Las Vegas-based artist Justin Favela re-appropriates the piñata as an important symbol of Latinx identity in both still-life paintings and painted life-size objects such as low-rider bikes.
      Bright colours were used for backdrops. Work by Nicki GreenAccording to Riggs, the idea was to use these groupings as a way of highlighting the full complexity of American collectible design and offer fresh insights on how conceptual and self-expressive objects fit in the larger cultural conversation; how these designs can be both functional and used to comment on different aspects of contemporary American society.
      The photography is by Logan Jackson.
      Objects: USA 2024 is on show from 6 September 2024 to 10 January 2025 in New York City. For more exhibitions, talks and fairs in architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide. 

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      Material & Memory exhibition responds to “raw materiality” of Brinkburn Priory and Manor

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      Tutors and researchers from Northumbria University have filled a derelict manor house, nestled in a curve of the River Coquet in Northumberland, with objects informed by the site’s rich history and materiality.

      The exhibition titled Material & Memory is being held at Brinkburn Priory and Manor, a former 12th-century monastery that fell into ruin and was restored in the 19th century, when the manor house was built alongside it.
      Northumbria University faculty has designed products for Brinkburn Priory and Manor. Top photo is by Brian Morris and above by Jennine WilsonAround 20 faculty members and researchers from Northumbria University’s School of Design and Department of Architecture created works that reference the fabric and atmosphere of the historic buildings.
      Co-curator and assistant design professor Anthony Forsyth said the pieces created for the show were influenced by the “tranquil and atmospheric” spaces at Brinkburn, as well as by the multiple layers of history evident in the empty rooms.
      Josh South’s Nook candleholders replicate the form of a shouldered door arch”The raw materiality of the spaces is a rich source of inspiration, while the span of history informs an approach that is contemporary yet acknowledges the past,” he explained.

      Several contributions reference architectural features that were exposed as part of English Heritage’s efforts to stop dry rot from destroying the manor, which had fallen into disrepair before the preservation charity took over responsibility for the house in 1965.
      Anthony Forsyth’s Mullion plinths are shaped like the manor’s stone window mullionsForsyth’s Mullion plinths feature forms derived from the tapered profile of the building’s stone window mullions, while the Nook candleholders created by design lecturer Joshua South replicate the form of a shouldered door arch in patinated sand-cast bronze.
      In collaboration with woodworker Johnny Hayes, South also developed the Quatrefoil tables, which are based on a pattern of overlapping circles commonly featured in medieval emblems and found in the stained-glass windows of the Priory at Brinkburn.
      South’s Quatrefoil tables are based on the priory’s stained-glass windowsPhilip Luscombe, who teaches on the university’s Furniture and Product course, created a lamp with an oak structure that evokes the robust construction of church furniture.
      The Monk lamp’s paper diffuser references religious texts and creates a warm glow when the light is turned on.

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      Forsyth also developed the Assemblage floor lamp, constructed using off-the-shelf components and parts retained from other projects.
      The design is informed by the state of the interior at Brinkburn, where layers of construction have been exposed and the reuse of materials is evident.
      Phil Luscombe has created a lamp with an oak structure that references church furnitureBen Couture, assistant architecture professor and co-curator of the exhibition, created a geometric yellow bench that intentionally contrasts with the architectural style of the manor house.
      The bench responds to the dimensions of the adjacent windows, through which visitors can look out towards the river.
      The exhibition includes various other works in mixed media, ranging from etchings to printed textiles, photomontages and wallpapers. Each of the pieces was created following repeated visits to the site and through conversations with experts at English Heritage.
      Ben Couture designed a geometric yellow bench. The photo is by Brian MorrisThe charity previously worked with Northumbria University on a similar exhibition of objects displayed at Aydon Castle, also in Northumberland.
      According to Frances McIntosh, a curator at English Heritage, the Material & Memory exhibition makes good use of the normally empty rooms, encouraging visitors to reconsider the past, present and future of these historic spaces.
      “Brinkburn Priory Manor House is like a blank canvas and exhibitions like this are a great way to use the space and allow visitors to think more deeply about the complicated layers of the building they can see,” she said.
      The photography is by Phil Luscombe unless otherwise stated.
      Material & Memory is on show at Brinkburn Priory and Manor until 3 November 2024. For more events, exhibitions and talks in architecture and design visit the Dezeen Events Guide.

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      Last chance to feature in Dezeen’s guide to London Design Festival 2024

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      Dezeen Events Guide has announced the final call to feature in its digital guide to London Design Festival 2024, which takes place from 14 to 22 September.

      The guide highlights the activities taking place across the city’s 11 participating districts, including exhibitions, talks, open showrooms and product launches.
      Visitors can explore different design disciplines, including interior, urban, fashion and bio design, as well as architecture, crafts and art.
      This year’s festival guide also includes an interactive map, spotlighting the key events and their locations around London.
      Last call to feature in Dezeen’s digital guide to London Design Festival

      Get in touch with the Dezeen Events Guide team at [email protected] to book your listing or to discuss a wider partnership with Dezeen. There are three types of listings:
      Standard listings cost £125 and include the event name, date and location details plus a website link. These listings will also feature up to 50 words of text about the event.
      Enhanced listings cost £175 and include all of the above plus an image at the top of the listing’s page and an image in the listing preview on the festival guide homepage. These listings will also feature up to 100 words of text about the event.
      About Dezeen Events Guide
      Dezeen Events Guide is our guide to the best architecture and design events taking place across the world each year.
      The guide is updated weekly and includes virtual events, conferences, trade fairs, major exhibitions and design weeks.
      For more details on inclusion in Dezeen Events Guide, including in our guide to London Design Festival, email [email protected].
      The illustration is by Justyna Green.

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      Marie & Alexandre takes over Appartement N°50 at Le Corbusier’s Cité Radieuse

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      French designers Marie Cornil and Alexandre Willaume have filled an apartment in Le Corbusier’s iconic Cité Radieuse housing block in Marseille with custom furniture, including a leather-and-metal armchair informed by the architect’s work.

      Marie & Alexandre is the latest design studio to create a scenography within Appartement N°50 after it was restored to its original condition by owners Jean-Marc Drut and Patrick Blauwart.
      Marie & Alexandre has taken over Appartement N°50 at La Cité RadieuseInfluenced by the creative salons hosted by the apartment’s original occupant – school teacher Lilette Ripert who lived there from 1952 to 2000 – Drut and Blauwart invited the likes of Jasper Morrison and Konstantin Grcic to transform the space and opened it up to the public during the summer.
      The duplex apartment, completed in 1952 and later classified as a historical monument, hosted installations by well-known designers every second year from 2008 to 2018.
      The duo created a series of custom furniture for the flatNow, the programme has returned after a six-year hiatus with an intervention by Marie & Alexandre, who created several bespoke pieces to be exhibited alongside some of their existing works.

      The duo is known for their collaborations with artisanal producers, and research into materials and making processes that inform their designs for unique or limited-edition objects.
      Among them is a desk formed from stacked glass boxes”We wanted this exhibition to combine our work from the past four years and for the pieces to highlight the numerous workshops and techniques we have worked with recently,” the duo told Dezeen.
      The designers met while working at Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec’s studio in Paris and subsequently began developing their own projects through a series of workshops and residencies.
      The same standardised boxes can also be used to form a shelving unitSince 2022 their work has been exhibited by Galerie Signé, whose founder Maxime Bouzidi helped to facilitate the collaboration with Drut.
      One of the pieces created specially for the exhibition is a series of coloured glass boxes developed with help from manufacturing company Glas Italia that responds directly to hues found in the apartment.

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      The use of glass was inspired by the orientation of apartments within the Unité d’Habitation complex, which receive both morning and afternoon light. Each piece incorporates two coloured strips that create a third colour where they overlap.
      Le Corbusier’s ideas about using modular elements to create harmonious proportions informed the design of standard-sized boxes that can be stacked to create totemic shelves or combined with a tabletop to form a desk.
      Marie & Alexandre’s rippled glass table was born from a residencyMarie & Alexandre developed further pieces for the exhibition during a residency at the Lycée Jean Monnet academy in Moulins, including a glass table and various furniture items made in wrought iron.
      Collaborations with staff and students at the school informed the creation of the rectangular table, which features a rippled surface made from industrial float glass.
      A sling-seat armchair was designed to respond to the weight of the sitterDuring the residency, the designers experimented with metal forging and designed an armchair with a leather sling seat, produced by Cressange metal workshop Flammes de Créations.
      The chair’s simple forms reference the furniture designed by Le Corbusier and frequent collaborator Charlotte Perriand. It features a metal framework with three detachable legs and a tensioned seat that responds to the weight of the sitter.
      The aluminium kitchen table is height-adjustableFor the kitchen, Marie & Alexandre created a height-adjustable aluminium table to fit the limited space. Made by Atelier BLAM in Nantes, the piece features subtle bumps where the legs attach to the top.
      The duo’s experiments with ceramics include a tile collection created in collaboration with the Alain Vagh factory in Salernes, as well as chairs with coloured backs that were produced for the exhibition by ceramicist Jean Marie Foubert.
      The designers said they were appreciative of the opportunity to display their work in such an iconic location, adding that they set out “to proceed with the same intention as the previous exhibitions as if visitors were coming to see an inhabited apartment”.
      Ceramicist Jean Marie Foubert helped to create a series of chairs with coloured backsThe exhibition will be on display until 15 August before travelling to Paris, where it will be adapted to occupy Galerie Signé from 5 September to 21 October.
      Marie & Alexandre follows six other design studios, whose work has been presented at Appartement N°50 following its restoration.
      These include Pierre Cardin, who added colourful furniture and artwork to the space, and the Bouroullec brothers whose scenography featured their SteelWood furniture and Clouds wall hangings.
      Marie & Alexandre at La Cité Radieuse, Apartement 50 is on show at La Cité Radieuse until 15 August. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world. 

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