Exhibitions

Subterms

    Latest story

    188 Shares40 Views

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

    by

    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.

    Dezeen Events Guide launches digital guide to London Design Festival 2024

    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.

    Read more: More

    More stories

    • 125 Shares55 Views

      in Rooms

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

      by

      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.”

      Webb Yates creates structural stone frame for Royal Academy summer exhibition

      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.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares99 Views

      in Rooms

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

      by

      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. 

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares112 Views

      in Rooms

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

      by

      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.

      IM Pei retrospective shows “architecture and life to be inseparable”

      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.

      Read more: More

    • 150 Shares185 Views

      in Rooms

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

      by

      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.

      Alex Israel projects Bat Signal from roof of Le Corbusier’s Cite Radieuse

      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. 

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares199 Views

      in Rooms

      IM Pei retrospective shows “architecture and life to be inseparable”

      by

      A retrospective of architect IM Pei at the M+ Museum in Hong Kong, aims to examine his architectural projects in social, cultural and political context.

      Named IM Pei: Life is Architecture, the exhibition, which according to the museum is the first full-scale retrospective of the Chinese American architect, documented Pei’s seven-decade long career.
      IM Pei: Life is Architecture is on show at M+ Museum in Hong KongCurated by M+ Museum design and architecture curator Shirley Surya and Nieuwe Instituut director Aric Chen,  the exhibition features more than 400 objects, including original drawings, models, photographs, films, and documentation that has never been exhibited before.
      The curators approached the exhibition through six chapters, summarising Pei’s life and work that “not only define his unique practice, but also place his architectural projects in dialogue with social, cultural, and biographical trajectories, showing architecture and life to be inseparable”.
      “Though one of the world’s most famous architects, IM Pei and his contributions are relatively little understood,” said co-curator Surya. “We hope this exhibition will further shed light on a figure who influenced countless individuals, cities, and, indeed, the world.”

      it features more than 400 objects, some of which have never been on display beforeThe exhibition begins with an introduction of Pei’s upbringing and architectural education, which laid the foundation of his future practice of confronting tradition and modernity across various cultures.
      It then follows with his lesser-known period of working for Webb & Knapp in New York, the largest real-estate development company during post-war America, where he contributed to the regeneration of US cities in the 1960s.
      A mockup of the Musée du Louvre pyramid occupies the centre of the exhibition. Photo by Wilson LamOne of them is Bedford-Stuyvesant Superblock in Brooklyn New York, one of the largest African-American communities in the country at the time, where Pei proposed integrating landscaped paths, parks, and playgrounds to the gridded streets for the local community to gather and social.
      “For Pei, the success of urban redevelopment was inseparable from broad programmatic thinking intended to alleviate social and economic ills,” said Surya.
      The curators believe Pei’s work should be studied moreAt the centre of the exhibition stands a mockup of Paris’s Musée du Louvre pyramid, perhaps Pei’s best-known project, on a  base displaying media coverage of the project from the time of its construction.
      According to Surya, Pei is understudied but often reported, which informed the curatorial direction of the exhibition.

      10 of IM Pei’s most significant buildings

      “It’s interesting to argue the value of architecture lies in theories or in production,” Surya told Dezeen. “Our angle here is it’s as a production.”
      “It’s no longer just about how you design it, but what it looks like, how it was conceived, how did it get manifested, what does it mean to the public, it’s not just about a formal analysis, is it this ‘-ism’ or that ‘-ism’, he doesn’t play that game, he just built,” she continued.
      The exhibition highlights Pei’s contribution to urban designThe exhibition concluded with a chapter called Reinterpreting History through Design, which aims to demonstrate how Pei’s made modern architecture relevant to different histories and traditions.
      This section included the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, where Pei aimed to create a form that can translate to a monumental scale for the large museum.
      Informed by Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, its formal, spatial, and material simplicity was appropriate for the context of Qatar, a young nation with no particular architectural tradition for a building of this scale.
      Pei’s Museum of Islamic Art aims to be both traditional and modern. Photo by Mohamed SomjiSome projects are repeatedly mentioned across various chapters, as intended by the curators to show consistency in Pei’s work.
      “We want people to see the process of each theme crosses geographies and periods, there’s a consistency – a commitment to city, to history and tradition and how you approach it, some projects recurs,” said Surya.
      “Pei drew from the regional while shaping the global. His work articulated artistic and cultural ideals while forging urban skylines—negotiated through dialogue and collaboration, and with results that innovated architectural forms and feats of engineering,” she added.
      The photography is by Dan Leung, courtesy of M+, unless stated otherwise.
      IM Pei: Life is Architecture is on display from 29 June 2024 to 5 January 2025 at the M+ Museum. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

      Read more: More

    • 163 Shares169 Views

      in Rooms

      Estudio Ebras and Hause Möbel create live-work concept with VR and desert-influenced spaces

      by

      This space with futuristic “virtual reality” style LED strip lighting was designed by Argentinian firm Estudio Ebras and furniture brand Hause Möbel to be used as both a home and an office.

      The temporary Green Home Office project was created for the Casa FOA 2024 architecture and design exhibition in Córdoba, Argentina, inside an under-construction building complex named Pocito.
      At the Green Home Office, an immersive workspace features a grid of LED lights to mimic a virtual reality environmentEstudio Ebras was presented with a windowless space to transform into a flexible environment designed to facilitate both living and working, using furniture from Argentinian brand Hause Möbel.
      Entry to the 110-square-metre space was through a low, warmly lit antechamber that offered options to turn left into a compact workspace, or right into the larger central area.
      Entry to the exhibition was via a compressed, warmly lit antechamberThe dark, “immersive” office was panelled with wood veneer squares between strips of LED light that formed a grid across the walls and floor.

      “The immersive space features a luminous grid that simulates the grid of virtual reality,” said Estudio Ebras. “On one side is a desk, and on the other, a chaise lounge for resting and transporting us to a natural environment in virtual reality.”
      The space was divided into the immersive office and a larger room decorated in desert huesReached via a short cork-floored corridor, the living space featured peach, orange and rust hues that created a contrasting desert-like aesthetic.
      “Upon entering the central area, a change in scale is perceived due to its dimensions and height,” Estudio Ebras said.
      The larger space was designed for both living and working, and echoes the desert-like climate of CórdobaIn place of windows, the designers worked with a light artist to install illuminated, elongated pill-shaped panels behind translucent floor-to-ceiling curtains.
      The light panels displayed sunset colours, while soil and dried plants ran around the perimeter to evoke “a mountainous, wild, and arid landscape typical of the area”.
      Suspended over a dining or meeting table was a light fixture with rings of LEDs insideCurved-edge surfaces flowed into one another, such as a kitchen counter that swooped down from one wall and extended along another.
      In the centre of the room was a large table that could be used for either dining or meetings, accompanied by four orange chairs on castors.
      A separate space with sliding glass partitions was intended for video calls or quiet contemplationOverhead, a rough-textured fixture housed concentric rings of LEDs that gradually ascended inside the structure.
      At the end of the room, a bench was suspended from the ceiling, shaped to frame the trio of “window” lights behind.

      Eight home offices with stylish set-ups for remote working

      A separate space for quiet contemplation or taking video calls was tucked behind the entry corridor wall and closed off by sliding glass panels.
      This small room was lined with cork and furnished with a purple two-seater sofa. “The acoustic box allows for privacy to make a call, work with a laptop, or, within a home-like setting, provides recreational space,” said Estudio Ebras.
      The installation also included a bench that hung from the ceilingAs the project’s name suggests, it was designed with sustainability in mind, and a carbon footprint analysis was conducted throughout the design, exhibition and dismantling processes.
      To offset the installation’s footprint, native trees were planted in nearby Cerro Champaquí with the help of local nonprofit organization Fundación Sembradores de Agua.
      In place of windows, panels illuminated to mimic a sunset were installed behind translucent curtainsRecently completed projects in Córdoba include a house with weathering steel screens, a home lifted above a sloped site and  an office building wrapped in perforated metal.
      The photography is by Gonzalo Viramonte.
      Casa FOA 2024 took place 3 May to 2 June 2024 in Córdoba. For more events, exhibitions and talks in architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide.

      Read more: More

    • 188 Shares159 Views

      in Rooms

      Barbie exhibition aims to show toy is “worthy proposition from a design point of view”

      by

      The Barbie dolls and Dreamhouses featured in Barbie: The Exhibition at London’s Design Museum reflect shifts in visual culture over the famed toy’s 65 years.

      With over 250 objects on display, Barbie: The Exhibition opens today and examines the history of the doll since it was created by Mattel co-founder Ruth Handler in 1959.
      Barbie: The Exhibition opens today at London’s Design MuseumAccording to curator Thom, the exhibition was conceived to unpack the toy’s design influence over the last 65 years and explore the “myriad technical, aesthetic and cultural decisions that go into creating Barbie”.
      “What I would really like visitors to take away from the show, whether they’ve come as Barbie fans or Barbie skeptics but with an interest in design, is that there is actually a very complex and intentional set of design processes that go into creating the dolls and the accessories,” said the curator.
      A first-edition Barbie is included in the collection”And that intentionality does reflect the social context in which any given Barbie is being produced,” she told Dezeen at the Design Museum.

      “I want people to realise that Barbie is a worthy proposition from a design point of view,” she added.
      The show features dolls throughout Barbie’s 65-year historyCreated by architecture firm Sam Jacob Studio, the exhibition design includes iridescent colourful plinths and cylindrical toy packaging-style cases displaying past and present-day Barbies and their accompanying Dreamhouses and accessories.
      Among the collection is a first-edition, hand-painted doll from 1959, positioned next to archival footage of the earliest Barbies being manufactured in Japan. The exhibition also features Christie, the first Black Barbie designed in 1968, and the first Hispanic and Asian Barbie dolls created by Mattel.
      An entire section is dedicated to the evolution of Barbie’s hairThere is a specific section dedicated to the evolution of Barbie’s now 76 hairstyles available in 94 colours, crowned by a bespoke chandelier made of dolls’ hair.
      “In the 90s, I found that a lot of the Black Barbies had straightened hair,” said Thom. “Today, Barbies come with different hair textures.”
      “Obviously, hair play is fun. Children like to brush Barbie’s hair. But there’s more to it than that. How Barbie’s hair is represented is a way in which the importance of her is conveyed to children,” she added.
      The show highlights past and present furniture trendsBarbie dolls from the 2016 Fashionista line are also on display, which were created to include more body types and skin types. Launched last year, the first Barbie doll with Down’s syndrome also features in the show.
      “I think since the Fashionista line redesign, there has been a much more concerted effort to provide as many different visual frames of reference as possible in the doll line so that in theory, every kid can see something of themselves,” said Thom.
      “I’ve found that more recently, there’s that level of attention to cultural details,” added the curator.
      Sam Jacob Studio created the exhibition designElsewhere in the exhibition, a selection of Dreamhouses chart how architecture and furniture trends have influenced the Barbie universe.
      Designed in 1962, the first Barbie Dreamhouse is on display. Created entirely out of cardboard, the single-storey home features mid-century modern furniture similar to the designs of Florence Knoll, the late pioneer of the modern open-plan office.
      The first Barbie Dreamhouse didn’t have a kitchenWith the absence of a kitchen, the first Dreamhouse positioned Barbie as an “independent woman”, argued Thom, created at a time when it was “virtually impossible” for an American woman to gain a mortgage without a male guarantor.
      Visitors can also find the yellow-hued A-frame Dreamhouse from 1978, complete with a pitched roof and angular windows, which recalls the early work of California-based architect Frank Gehry.
      “It was a little avant-garde for its time,” reflected Thom. “The house doesn’t look very Barbie by our contemporary understanding of Barbie – no pink whatsoever – but these moments in Barbie’s design history reflect what was going on in the world of design,” explained the curator.
      Later Dreamhomes reflect more decorative architecture trendsLater architecture trends also feature in the show, with a Dreamhouse from 1995 revealing a return to more traditional American 19th-century motifs including corner turrets and decorative mouldings, with all-pink, “chintzy” sofas placed in the interior.
      “It’s this kind of colonial-style architecture with sash windows, a portico and vines climbing up the side,” explained Thom.

      Kartell recreates pink Philippe Starck-designed chairs to seat both humans and Barbies

      Shifts in fashion over the years are also acknowledged in the show, with various displays documenting Barbie’s many looks. There is a doll with a cropped hairstyle wearing a tiny version of a dress from the late designer Yves Saint Laurent’s 1965 Mondrian Collection, while a host of more “everyday” Barbie garments were arranged within a bright pink cabinet.
      Although Thom explained that the exhibition has been in the works for a few years, as opposed to a response to last year’s high-grossing Barbie film directed by Greta Gerwig, the show features a pair of fluffy pink mules and the multicoloured roller-skating look worn by actor Margot Robbie in the movie.
      “We had a fascinating, kind of informal chat with the set designers about their process,” said the curator.
      Select pieces from last year’s Barbie film were also includedShe also explained why the museum sought the exhibition design of Sam Jacob Studio.
      “We wanted to work with Sam because we felt that his aesthetic, which is obviously very pop-inspired, very playful and colourful, would be a great fit for how Barbie has been presented over the years.”
      “Almost all the objects in the show are tiny,” added Thom. “So we wanted to design something that gave her a sense of presence, and almost in some cases monumentality.”
      “We needed to come up with a design that worked with that, but also augmented it,” she explained.
      The show aims to present “Barbie as a reflection of culture””The idea that Barbie is a reflection of culture I find interesting,” considered Thom, who noted the inclusion of various dolls in the exhibition designed with specific “careers” – Barbie has had over 250 of them in her history.
      “Because it does suggest that her meaning, or meanings, are in the eye of the beholder – the eye of the consumer. And I think that’s one of the reasons for her longevity,” continued the curator.
      “I think there can be a tendency to write things off that might be feminine-coded or child-orientated, as being somewhat lesser when it comes to design,” she added.
      “Barbies are toys – they are mass-produced. They are designed first and foremost to be played with. But that doesn’t negate the possibility that they are important objects.”
      The photography is by Jo Underhill.
      Barbie: The Exhibition is on display at the Design Museum from 5 July 2024 to 23 February 2025. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

      Read more: More

    • 125 Shares129 Views

      in Rooms

      Ten Adam Štěch photographs of “one-of-a-kind” architecture and interior designs

      by

      Architecture historian Adam Štěch highlights ten images from his recent exhibition Elements: Unique Details of the 20th Century Architecture and Interior and explains the stories behind them.

      The exhibition brought together an edited selection of nearly 3,000 photographs from Štěch’s archive of buildings and interiors and their bespoke details.
      Elements: Unique Details of the 20th Century Architecture and Interior was created for Milan design week and provided a welcome respite from the week’s influx of new products.
      It was displayed in one of the previously abandoned warehouse tunnels behind Milan Central Station, as part of the Dropcity series of exhibitions.
      Over more than 15 years, Štěch estimates he has photographed about 7,000 projects in 45 countries, capturing buildings and interiors that were completed between 1910 and 1980.

      “It’s hard to count them all,” Štěch told Dezeen when asked how many photographs are in the ever-evolving archive.

      Eight Alastair Philip Wiper photographs that turn architecture into fantasy

      For this exhibition, he focused on ten specific elements from his archive, grouped according to certain details ranging from entrances, windows and handrails to furniture, lighting, fireplaces and surfaces.
      “All of these elements were created by architects as one-of-a-kind and bespoke design solutions for specific houses and buildings all around the world,” Štěch said.
      “The ultimate selection of elements celebrate the modernist idea of the total work of art, the so-called Gesamtkunstwerk, and tell stories about the versatile skills of modernist architects from Art Nouveau to modernism and beyond.”
      The paper-printed photos in the exhibition were folded simply over an aluminium construction, making the show quick to assemble and lightweight and compact to transport.
      “The images were freely divided into typological sections in which visitors could explore various formal similarities and analyse modernist architecture in its differences and transformations,” explained Štěch.
      “My ambition for this project is to create the biggest database of one-of-a-kind designs from specific buildings and interiors captured by a single person and survey a never before seen chapter in the history of applied art.”
      Below, Štěch highlights ten featured photographs, one from each of the typological sections of the exhibition:

      Schlegel and Brunhammer Apartment by Valentine Schlegel, Paris, France, 1970s
      “Valentine Schlegel’s vases from the 1950s are among the pinnacle of French post-war artistic ceramics. Despite the fact that her work was largely forgotten, interest in her has increased again recently.
      “I visited her own apartment and studio in Paris, which she shared with her friend Yvonne Brunhammer, writer, curator and director of Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. I was there just a few weeks before its interior was completely emptied and sold at auction.
      “Designed during the 1970s, her apartment and studio were conceived as an artificial cave, organically modelled by plaster. It was created at the time when she specialised in designing private apartment interiors, which she transformed into organically shaped spaces. I was amazed by the leather-covered door she designed for the space.”

      Grand Hotel Minerva by Carlo Scarpa and Edoardo Detti, Florence, Italy, 1957-1964
      “If you talk to architects, many are celebrating Carlo Scarpa as an ‘architect of the detail’. It is also why I focused on his work and have visited almost all of his projects.
      “The one which is not so well known is the Grand Hotel Minerva in Florence, which he designed together with the architect Edoardo Detti. The hotel is located in the historical building close to Santa Maria Novella church.
      “The architects created public spaces spread around the external patio which you can look at through this exceptional double window. I enjoyed an amazing breakfast there while photographing this great detail of Scarpa’s.”

      Chamber of Commerce, Work and Industry by Jože Plečnik, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1925-1927
      “Two years ago I was commissioned to photograph a collection of Jože Plečnik’s buildings in Ljubljana.
      “This was an amazing opportunity to experience the work of Plečnik who I find to be one of the most important European architects for his ability to combine all historical architectural styles together with absolutely original results.
      “This staircase and metal handrail is located inside Plečnik’s first project after he came back to Ljubljana from his stay in Prague. This robust metal handrail beautifully shows Plečnik‘s sensitive approach to details and his skills with metal craft.”

      Casa Carcano by Ico and Luisa Parisi, Maslianico, Italy, 1949-1950
      “It took me more than two years before I was finally able to arrange a visit to the unique Casa Carcano designed by my absolutely favourite Italian architects and designers Ico and Luisa Parisi.
      “They built it near the famous Lake Como in 1949-1950 at the beginning of their rich career. Parisi was born in Palermo, Sicily in 1916 and settled in Como in the 1930s. Together with his wife Luisa, they designed exceptional houses from the late 1940s to the 1970s.
      “I have already visited five of them since 2011. Casa Carcano is their early masterpiece with much bespoke furniture including this wonderful built-in sofa in the middle of the stairs, which is housed in the spectacular entrance hall.”

      Former Czechoslovak Embassy in New Delhi by Karel Filsak, Karel Bubeníček, Zdeněk Dvořák, Jan Kozel, Karel Filsak and Zbyněk Hřivnáč, India, 1966-1974
      “As my diploma project at the Art History department at the Charles University in Prague, I focused on the work of interior designer Zbyněk Hřivnáč. He collaborated with the best of Czech architects during the socialist time from the 1950s to 1980s, designing mostly bespoke interior furnishings.
      “These projects included Czechoslovakian embassies all around the world. Back in my student years, I did not have any chance to travel to see these buildings. Finally, now I have resources that allow me to travel worldwide.
      “I was finally able to visit two of the Czechoslovakian embassies (now divided into Czech and Slovak) in Cairo and New Delhi. The one in India is an amazing brutalist building with all of the original furnishing details still preserved.
      “Hřivnáč also designed this series of wooden lamps including balloon shades.”

      The Box by Ralph Erskine, Lovön, Sweden, 1941-1942
      “Not far from the Drottningholm Royal Castle on the island of Lovön near Stockholm, there is a miniature house that Ralph Erskine built as a starter home in the early 1940s. Its architecture is synonymous with frugality and minimalism.
      “If you want to see Ralph Erskine’s house, you must first pick up the keys at the reception of the ArkDes architecture centre in Stockholm. After paying the deposit, they will entrust you with the keys and you have nothing else to do but go to the island of Lovön and open this unique house yourself.
      “I did the same to visit this masterpiece by the famous Swedish-British architect who was a pioneer of Scandinavian modernism. He designed this organic fireplace as a centrepiece of the minimal functional interior.”

      Bossard House (Kunststätte Bossard) by Johann Michael Bossard, Jesteburg, Germany, 1911-1950
      “One of my many specific interests with 20th-century architecture is totally-designed interior environments. These are spaces where all the surfaces are given the attention of the designer.
      “This kind of interior can often be found in Germany. They were created by artists influenced by the expressionist movement, very often by painters or sculptors and not architects.
      “This is also the case of Johann Michael Bossard who created his own world in the middle of forests in Jesteburg, close to Hamburg. His own house is completely painted inside by mixing mythology and his original visions of the future. I called these interiors ‘3D paintings’.”

      Maison Wogenscky by André Wogenscky and Marta Pan, Saint-Rémy-Lès-Chevreuse, France, 1952
      “I was desperate to visit this house, built near Paris by Le Corbusier’s disciple André Wogenscky and his wife, sculptor Marta Pan.
      “Despite the house only opening to the public a few times a year, it was one of the most challenging visits because I did not get any answer from the foundation for years. Finally, I made it there in 2022.
      “The bathroom, with the beautiful mosaic-clad curve, presents the essence of postwar French interior design.”

      Girard House by Wolfgang Ewerth, Casablanca, Morocco, 1954
      “Casablanca boasts a rich collection of art deco architecture, as well as modernist and brutalist. That’s why I decided to go there in 2019. With the help of architects from preservation group Mamma, I was able to visit some exceptional houses.
      “Originally German architect Wolfgang Ewerth was a follower of progressive modernist tendencies after the second world war and built several remarkable villas in Casablanca. I was lucky enough to visit House Girard, which Ewerth completed in 1955.
      “The spacious terraces, glass facades and open living space stand in bold comparison with the best contemporary examples of Californian modernism by Richard Neutra, Raphael Soriano or Craig Elwood, who, like Ewerth, used simple steel frames to allow for freely articulated interiors.
      “But unlike his American colleagues, Ewerth also designed more sculptural features including this massive boomerang-like planter.”

      University Library by Henry Lacoste, Leuven, Belgium, 1948
      “Last summer I had the chance to stay for three weeks in Belgium, supported by the Czech Centre in Brussels. I took advantage of this and visited dozens of Belgian modernist houses and interiors. Every day I woke up very early, travelling to different Belgian cities and documenting marvels of Belgian architecture and design.
      “Hidden behind the historical neo-Renaissance facade of the monumental Leuven University Library is the main reading room, which was one of my intended destinations.
      “It is a perfectly carved interior treasure, created by Belgian architecture legend Henry Lacoste after the second world war when the library was completely destroyed for the second time. The space is full of sculptural details and symbolic motives carved into oak, including this monumental wall clock.”
      The photography is by Adam Štěch. Main image by Piercarlo Quecchia.
      Elements: Unique Details of the 20th Century Architecture and Interior was on show as part of Dropcity during Milan design week from 12 to 21 April 2024. See Dezeen Events Guide for all the latest architecture and design events taking place around the world.

      Read more: More