THE HOSPITALITY ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2020 241
designer HOME FROM HOME
Innovation reigns supreme as hospitality bounces back
TIME FOR A RETHINK Bold ideas for a postpandemic future
STARCK DIFFERENCE
The legendary French designer on why keeping things pure and simple is everything
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020 / ISSUE 241
While many have spent much of the past few months yearning for normality, in the world of design, the quest for the extraordinary continues unabated, and nowhere is this more the case than in the hospitality sector. Hotels, restaurants, bars, and the wider leisure industry have been among the hardest hit during the pandemic, as restrictions designed to keep the virus under control also had the knock-on effect of making it pretty much impossible for many businesses in this arena to operate. But now many are back in business and looking to the future, and the bold, innovative, cutting-edge design that characterises some of the leading venues will continue to set the bar for creative ideas. There are plenty of superb examples in our focus on hospitality design this month, picking out some shining stars that have successfully used bold styling to set themselves apart, with statement concepts that not only wow their customers, but which crucially can offer that ‘trickle-down’ effect, inspiring and enthusing designers in all other sectors too. Sure, the challenges remain acute for hospitality businesses, but it’s vital that they remain brave, bold, and visionary in their approach to creative, idea-filled design.
M ar t in
e: martin@thedsgroup.co.uk w: designerati.co.uk
Martin Allen-Smith Editor, Designer
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CONTENTS
22 10 NEWS Our monthly round-up of the people, products and events that matter from across the design sector 18 SHOWROOMS A visit to Kitchen Architecture’s new Bulthaup showroom in Oxford, and the Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez-designed Euromobil space in Milan 22 A WARM WELCOME A challenging industry to succeed in at the best of times, hospitality businesses have perhaps suffered more than most in 2020. But creativity and innovation continue to abound in this dynamic and inventive sector, and we take a look at some inspiring projects that give plenty of hope for the future 36 LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL Mark Gordon explains why difficult times could present some unique opportunities for design in the hospitality sector
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38 DECISION TIME As the 2020 Designer Awards reaches the crucial judging phase, we meet the panel of experts who are assessing this year’s entries
52 BOX OFFICE MATERIAL An integrated cinema and retail space offers a stylish outline for how ‘new retail’ could evolve in the future
40 SIMPLY STARCK World-renowned architect and designer Philippe Starck may be a naturally flamboyant personality, but for him, the ultimate goal is achieving creative purity – including in his latest work with bathroom brand Duravit – as he explains to Martin Allen-Smith
56 ZOOMING IN ON A CHANGED WORLD International interior designer Benji Lewis has made a name for himself for a timeless style that has seen the glorious transformation of many a country house. Now, he has seized the moment to inspire clients wanting to create the ideal home for life after coronavirus
44 CAPITAL GROWTH It may be a diminished as a physical event, but this month’s London Design Festival will still be proudly showcasing the talent, innovation, and resilience of the city’s creative community 48 TIME FOR A RETHINK RIBA set architects and students the challenge of imagining solutions for our post-pandemic world, addressing several of the key issues that society could face in the years ahead
60 SQUARING IS CARING Prolific designer Karim Rashid has spent some of his time during lockdown dreaming up new concepts for living, including an energyefficient cube-shaped home 66 EXIT A new vision for comfort in air travel from design studio PriestmanGoode
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020
Garden Kitchen Schmidt’s Sencha kitchen design attempts to bring the outside in with a combination of matt green cabinets that echo the greenery outside, stone-effect Rocca Grey laminate worktop and an ingenious island with in-built planter for fresh herbs. The island features plenty of drawer storage, a geometric undermounted sink, and pop-up plug sockets for small appliances or phone charging, it also includes an integrated planter for keeping fresh herbs close to hand when cooking. The front of the island has a lasertextured front while the back comprises the Schmidt Arcos door with drawer pack, both in a Celest white finish. The cabinetry surrounding the large four-door fridgefreezer features door fronts from the Schmidt Arcos Supermat collection. Shown in a natural matt green, there are four additional colours to choose from.
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DELICATE DIFFUSION Lighting brand Louis Poulsen will this autumn be bringing back the PH Septima, a distinctive seven-shade glass lamp, originally designed by Poul Henningsen in the period 1927-31. With its poetic shape and seven shades, all ornamented with alternating clear and frosted sections, the PH Septima diffuses a delicate light with its distinctive form. The light balances heritage and modernity in a design that draws inspiration from the iconic three-shade system of the PH 5/5. With the Septima, Poul Henningsen added four additional sections to the basic three-shade system, making seven shades in total. The glass shades with their clear and frosted sections are positioned so that the frosted sections cover the clear sections underneath, allowing the layers to spread the light in a more diffused way, while maintaining glare-free, downward directed light distribution. A neat round glass cup at the top prevents dust from falling into the lamp. The PH Septima comes with clear and frosted glass and has been modernised to include a brass suspension, arms and canopy to complement the soft tone of the design. Louis Poulsen / louispoulsen.com
Schmidt / home-design.schmidt
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Swiss appliance brand V-Zug has built large storage space in to the refrigerators and freezers in its new Supreme Line. The CombiCooler V6000 Supreme, the Cooler V6000 Supreme and the WineCooler V6000 Supreme all feature a TFT touchscreen to make them easy to use. Products in the range also boast an InďŹ nityShelf system which means they can also be easily adjusted to individual requirements. The shelves are suspended on sliding tracks that can be freely positioned at any height.
Supremely Cool V-ZUG UK / vzug.co.uk
21/08/2020 07:52
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Go to quooker.co.uk for our sparkling summer offer.* *Already have a Quooker tap? Visit quooker.co.uk to see if your system is compatible with a Quooker CUBE. Call 0345 833 3333 or email enquiries@quooker.co.uk for help. †Usually £384.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020
Back to the Seventies
A 1970s-inspired range of contemporary wallpaper has been created by Murals Wallpaper, updating some striking designs from a unique and distinctive decade. Six designs make up the collection – Cheer, Boing, Rainbow Track, Sundown, Sun Rays, and Rock Candy. The styles can be paired with wooden furniture or mid-century modern furnishings. Kat Jones, Designer of the 70s collection, said: “Our vision for this collection was to give a nod to an era with its own iconic colour palette. With bright, exuberant colours and patterns, we’ve kept it modern and liveable for 2020 by combining with geometric shapes. Wherever you place it, you’re sure to feel your spirits instantly lifted.” Murals Wallpaper / muralswallpaper.co.uk
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CLASSY GLASS Lapicida’s new Glass porcelain tile collection replicates the look and feel of real glass but with the practicality of porcelain. Available in four different sizes and five muted colourways, tiles can be mixed and matched to create striking feature walls.
Lapicida’s porcelain tiles come in a range of finishes, including authentic replicas of marble, wood, metal and other materials. The porcelain collection has also been carefully chosen to work alongside the brand’s natural stones, providing solutions for areas where access, weight or maintenance issues make natural stone impractical. The glass range is available in Acqua, Bianco, Bronzo, Fume, and Naturale.
Lapicida / lapicida.com
Inside/Out
Contemporary, anti-slip, and tactile, Glitch by Benoy is a range of tiles styled by the London designers Benoy for Ceramiche Piemme. The tiles have the contemporary aesthetic of concrete, completed with cracks, scratches and wear marks, and there are four different shades with varying degrees of warmth, for designing terraces, gardens or outdoor spas. The anti-slip version is suitable for outdoor locations and makes it possible to coordinate outdoor spaces with interior design. The result is a contemporary collection, practical for both residential and commercial locations, that combines style and sustainability through a material which is both high-tech and natural, and completely recyclable like the clays from which Modena ceramics district tiles are made. The tiles can be specified in the colours Salt, Gravel, Ash and Graphite. Ceramiche Piemme / ceramichepiemme.it
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ASH BAmBoo BAVARIAN BRASILICA BEECH oAK IRoKo CHERRY TEAK
Photograph by Sam lock, seen in Grid Thirteen & BHD Design Leeds.
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Cross Word
Italian bathroom brand Scarabeo has launched its new Cross range, combining striking wood stands with distinctive ceramic washbasins from across the manufacturer’s collections. The wooden base has crossing elements joined by ceramic inserts to support a round ceramic top. The wood component can be light-coloured or dark, with ceramic tops in nine different finishes to match the available basins and sanitary fittings.
Scarabeo / scarabeoceramica.com
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SHOWROOMS
Kitchen Architecture’s new Bulthaup showroom in Oxford is now open by appointment. Over the past two years, the kitchen design studio has restored a 17th century Oxfordshire farmstead into a new design destination centre showcasing the offering from the high-end German kitchen furniture brand. Previously a working farm, this redevelopment is rich in memories of local architecture and pays homage to its heritage and locally reclaimed materials. Located on Oxford’s ring road, the new showroom displays combinations of Bulthaup’s kitchen and living space systems. Materials and colours were chosen to complement the building’s ambience through clean and modern lines. Stone, wood and metal were used in all parts of the project, with the aim of all displays in Brasenose Farm to present sociable living spaces that add value to each individual lifestyle and home.
Kitchen Architecture / Brasenose Farm, Brasenose Driftway, Eastern-by-Pass, Oxford, OX4 2QZ / kitchenarchitecture.co.uk
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SHOWROOMS
KITCHEN ARCHITECTURE
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SHOWROOMS
Italian kitchen brand Euromobil has unveiled its new showroom space in the centre of one of the most important design areas of Milan. Designed by the creative pairing of Matteo Thun and Antonio Rodriguez, the concept for the space is based on translucency, lightness, transparency and flexibility, emphasising that as well as food, atmosphere is a vital ingredient in any kitchen. The interior features an architecture that frames the exhibits and highlights the products by creating unexpected environments. A courtyard focusses on the green to add attraction from both outside and inside. The two-level 300 sq m space combines natural light and neutral material to offer different scenarios during daytime or at night, while the main counter reflects the idea of a kitchen offering different functions of presentation. Passing through the garden near the entrance, a staircase leads to the lower level, which features the technical area of the showroom.
Euromobil / Corso Monforte 30/3, Milan, Italy / gruppoeuromobil.com
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EUROMOBIL
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
A Warm Welcome A challenging industry to succeed in at the best of times, hospitality businesses have perhaps suffered more than most in 2020. But creativity and innovation continue to abound in this dynamic and inventive sector, and we take a look at some inspiring projects that give plenty of hope for post-pandemic success‌
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
A winner in the recent Architizer A+Awards, Capsule Hotel in a Rural Library is a stunning building in Zhejiang, China. Designed by Atelier TAO+C, the project has transformed a traditional building made predominantly of wood into a capsule hotel and public library in which the bookshelves also serve as the walls of the mini-rooms. Horizontal floors connected by metal stairs overlap at different heights in a complex layout, with the shelves made of bamboo serving the dual purpose of holding the books while hiding the modular rooms of the hotel. Atelier Tao+C / ateliertaoc.com Photography: Su Sheng Liang
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
The new Stilwerk Hotel Heimhude is located in Hamburg, Germany, and is a picturesque 150-year-old art nouveau villa. The hotel’s architects have looked to emphasise the building’s history through careful contemporary design throughout its 24 rooms, fitness studio, library, lounge, meeting room and garden. Thonet’s 118 model chairs were used in the meeting room in the hotel, where original mosaic floor tiles from the Wilhelminian period were discovered during renovation and carefully restored. Stilwerk / stilwerk.com Thonet / thonet.de
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Striking interiors throughout The Megaro hotel in London’s Kings Cross, created by designer Henry Chebaane, who also styled the hotel’s new pop-up restaurant Pop Sapori. Blue Sky Hospitality / blueskyhospitality.space The Megaro / megaro.co.uk
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
The Number Nine lounge at Wembley Stadium was designed by KSS Architects, with furniture – including bespoke elements – by Rainbow. The entrance is defined by a suspended ceiling of antique mirror panels while dividing screens separate the reception area from the destination bar behind. The bar itself has been finished with hand glazed tiles, brass detailing and a signature brand designed lattice canopy.
Furniture brand Rainbow also collaborated with KSS architects for the new pitch-facing lounge 1885 at Southampton Football Club. 1885 was designed by KSS and features full-height glazing and incorporates historical memorabilia and artefacts. Claire Wilson from KSS, said: “The concept of this pitch lounge was to celebrate the first two decades of the club since it was founded in 1885, a very specific time frame, which gave us some fantastic historical moments to look at. There was so much depth that we could use make it very interesting overall.” Rainbow worked closely with KSS to supply all of the furniture for the space, which is the latest in a number of stadium projects for the firm. Tony Antoniou, Managing Director at Rainbow, said: “We really enjoy all the workplace projects we have worked in over the last 30 years and the successful move into hospitality has been a real breath of fresh air for Rainbow. It has allowed us to work with architects and designers in spaces that have different needs, tend to be more exciting and allow us to use more interesting products and solutions. However, there is something really special about working with stadiums because the idea of adding to the already exciting experience is fantastic.” KSS / kssarchitects.com Rainbow / rainbowdesign.co.uk
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Luv. Nordic elegance. The design of Cecilie Manz‘ bathroom series Luv combines Nordic purism and timeless, emotional elegance. Soft shapes follow a stringent geometry. The result is a new unique design language with precise, clear and fine edges. For more information visit pro.duravit.co.uk and www.duravit.co.uk.
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London Showroom
25 Bastwick Street
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
The original Notting Hill Rum Kitchen has been given a thorough refurbishment with a unique mix of a rustic Jamaican beach shack style with a 1960’s glamourous flourish. In the scheme by Applied Studio, bright coloured walls, joinery and upholstery are introduced to the ground floor, whilst the basement club receives booth seating, timber cladding and a vibrant wallpapered ceiling. This is set off by an illuminated bar and floral vintage furniture. Applied Studio / applied.studio
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
Vancouver’s Douglas Hotel has been designed with the aim of achieving a balance between nature and city. Its lobby features a lush living wall that breathes fresh air into the space, while the sixth floor check-in area has a striking 25-foot replica Douglas fir tree encased in glass as its centrepiece. The rooms themselves are decorated with warm woods and original art created by local artists. ACDF Architecture / acdf.ca The Douglas / thedouglasvancouver.com
IVC’s Studio Moods LVT concept has been chosen as feature flooring at John Lewis Partnership’s Ori Café at the retailer’s Bluewater store in Kent. Looking for a floor that stood out in the space, specifier Design Management Solutions opted for the multi-shapes and numerous laying patterns available in the Studio Moods concept, creating a patterned floor using wood and stone effects. “We were looking for an eye-catching feature floor,” said Debbie Fletcher, Design Management Solutions. “IVC’s Studio Moods had the depth to meet this need, allowing us to create a geometric design in combination with planks.” The firm chose three effects from Studio Moods, combining the minimalist Jura Stone, grey-washed Verdon Oak and rustic Blackjack Oak in diamond and plank formats across 160 sq m of café space. IVC / ivc-commercial.com
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Think Blum. Think LDL. There’s a reason why we’re the No.1 Blum distributor in the UK.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
A range of striking porcelain and handmade ceramic tiles from Parkside have been used in the Juno Rooms, a lively entertainment venue in London’s financial district. Spread across two floors, Juno Rooms was the first venue in the City of London for Urban Pubs and Bars. Driving the venue’s transformation through natural influences in pattern, colour and texture, hospitality design firm Harrison created a unique interior for the multi-functional space that sees use from morning till late night. Parkside supplied approximately 250 sq m of tiles for the project with the main floors in the bar area and toilets using the Kaste01 product. This concrete-effect porcelain tile offers high slip resistance and was used in standard large format at the bar surround and in rest rooms, as well as waterjet cut into a multi-tonal geometric design in the seated dining area. For the walls of the impressive front bar, Harrison commissioned a handmade bespoke ceramic tile in a geometric pattern of colour-matched green tones. The walls of the toilets feature a specially sourced botanical pattern ceramic tile joined by colour-matched green ceramic wall tiles in a gloss finish. At the entrance, Harrison tasked Parkside to source frost-proof hexagonal tiles, again in a unique green colourway. Harrison / harrison.hn Juno Rooms / junorooms.com Parkside / parkside.co.uk
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Details make the difference Luxury kitchen and laundry appliances by V-ZUG To experience the V-ZUG difference, get in touch with our Projects team: projects.uk@vzug.com 0203 131 8080 vzug.com
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
Housed in the former Camden Town Hall Annex in King’s Cross, London, the 266-room Standard Hotel is the first move into the UK market by US-based Standard International. A former theatre in the 1920s, the building was redesigned in the brutalist style in the 1970s by Camden’s in-house architects, as an annexe to the adjacent Neo Palladian Camden Town Hall, to provide offices and meeting rooms for the council’s workforce. Orms began the conversion from offices to a contemporary boutique hotel by retaining and cleaning the original brutalist concrete frame. The original tinted-windows in their distinct rounded rectangular frames were then replaced with clear glass, and on the building corners, rounded panes with high-grade acoustic specification were inserted to combat noise from the busy roads below.
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Three storeys were added to the existing structure, with major internal reconfiguration to totally transform the internal space and to strengthen the structure. The resulting hotel offers a myriad of facilities including a library lounge, which pays respect to the original use of the space that the team inherited; designed to bring a tactile quality and to spark conversations between people. The ground floor reception-comelibrary hosts two restaurants and a bar. Upstairs, the 266 rooms configured in 42 unique styles over seven of the existing floors and two new floors, range from rooms placed within the core, windowless ‘sanctuaries’ designed for a restful night’s sleep, to terraced suites with outdoor bathtubs overlooking St Pancras. Above this, the top floor of the three-storey extension houses an additional restaurant and roof garden. The Standard Hotel / standardhotels.com Orms / orms.co.uk
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Create Your Own Light at the End of the Tunnel For many in the hospitality sector, the past few months have been overwhelmingly bleak but, says Sleep & Eat exhibition Director Mark Gordon, there are some unique opportunities to be had from these tough times
At the beginning of lockdown, I watched a video conference in which one of the speakers likened the effect of the COVID-19 crisis to a bomb going off in the worldwide hospitality sector. Do not, he argued, even bother to compare the impact of the pandemic with that of 9/11 or the economic recession of the late Noughties. Well, yes… but no! For sure, the hospitality industry has been badly battered and there may be worse to come. For many of us, there are at the very least reduced pipelines and diminished expectations; certainty has been replaced by the unknown. For some people, a deep sense of isolation has become their emotional default, for others it’s pressing financial concerns, boredom and a perceived loss of identity. For those in work, there are frustrations – products unavailable, people uncontactable, contracts cancelled or delayed. For those out of work, they are now one in a vastly larger pool of candidates pursuing a muchdiminished number of vacancies. For almost all of us, it’s the realisation that we are facing change – a challenge and an opportunity.
MARK GORDON is Director of Sleep & Eat, Europe’s leading design and business event for the international hospitality sector. This year, the event will be virtual and held across three days, 17-19 November. Sleep & Eat / sleepandeatevent.com
In fact, there are already new opportunities in the marketplace. In the UK, investment in hotel sites and buildings as well as in restaurants continued, even in the depth of lockdown, while the sad demise of some of our familiar restaurant groups will deliver a chance for entrepreneurs to revive licenced premises with a new brand and an interior makeover. Abroad, resort developments are projected to withstand the COVID onslaught relatively well and, given a typical development programme of five plus years for a large resort, now looks like a wise time to make a start.
The Need to be Ready
I believe it is vital that we prepare for the future with hope. That might mean tactics for survival in the short term as well as planning for the longer term; undertaking either, or preferably both, will at the very least help to reduce selfdoubt and give a new sense of purpose. I know design companies, for example, which have used the past months to write a book, create a new website and engage in unpaid projects because of the PR and industry relationships they will forge for the future. It is an
investment of time that their busy lives would not have easily allowed before the pandemic. And, they are having a lot of fun along the way! Fortunately, we have an opportunity that we could not have imagined 10 years ago: the use of a raft of digital platforms to network, learn, make new friends and renew lapsed relationships. We also have the time to futureproof ourselves by bringing our knowledge upto-date, polishing our online footprint and by recreating our portfolios and other marketing collateral. When an opportunity arises, whether it’s a job vacancy, a new contract or a building ripe for conversion, we need to be ready. There are even upsides to this crisis, not least the sentiment that we’re all in this together and the new goodwill we feel towards one another. People used to say the future is collaboration. Well, now perhaps the pandemic has ensured that this future is upon us with all sorts of potential for innovation, inspiration, well-being and company success. As Winston Churchill so famously coined in the midst of World War ll: “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE DESIGNER AWARDS 2020
Decision Time
As the Designer Awards reaches the crucial judging phase, we meet the panel of experts who are assessing this year’s entries 38
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It has been a year like no other but, despite it all, creativity and innovation in design remains a constant. Given the challenges we have all faced over the past few months however, acknowledgement and celebration of these achievements are perhaps more important than ever, and the build-up to the Designer Awards 2020 continues apace. With hundreds of kitchen and bathroom projects submitted to this year’s Awards, the task facing the panel of experts from across the fields of architecture, interior design, kitchen and bathroom design has been as tough as ever. For the first time in the event’s history, the judging process has taken place remotely as a result of the restrictions caused by the current pandemic, but the examination of entries has been no less thorough. Martin Allen-Smith, Editor of Designer magazine, said:
“This year has seen a slightly lower number of submissions, due no doubt to so many design studios and architectural practices furloughing staff over the past few months, but the quality of entries has been as high as ever.” “It has been another difficult job to assess the entries this year, and we look forward to revealing the winners in November, by which time we will all be ready for an opportunity to celebrate some of the really positive things that have been taking place this year in such difficult circumstances.” This year’s finalists will be announced later this month, with the winners revealed at the Designer Awards presentation luncheon which takes place on 18 November at the Grand Connaught Rooms, London. To book your place at the most important design awards event in the industry, email: awards@thedsgroup.co.uk
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE DESIGNER AWARDS 2020
THE JUDGES Lester Bennett
An independent design consultant with 40 years of design experience, Lester is the current President of the British Institute of Interior Design (BIID).
Grahame Morrison
Founding Editor of Designer, Grahame has extensive experience as a journalist covering the K&B industry and was winner of last year’s Services to the Industry honour at the Designer Awards.
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Alan Crawford
Award-winning London architect and founder of Crawford Partnership Architects and Interior Designers, Alan is a vastly experienced member of the Designer Awards judging panel.
Helen Parton
An experienced architecture and interiors journalist, Helen is former editor of workplace design magazine OnOffice and has worked across a number of respected publications including FX, Blueprint, Property Week and Designer.
Miles Hartwell
Working within a number of furniture design studios in both the UK and US, Miles co-founded SplinterWorks in 2009 where he designs unique furniture pieces including the iconic Hammock Bathtub.
Tom Reynolds
Appointed CEO of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association earlier this year, Tom was previously Commercial and Public Affairs Director at the British Ceramic Confederation.
Afroditi Krassa
Founder of hospitality design studio AfroditiKrassa, Afroditi has designed iconic projects around the world, including London dining brand Dishoom, Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat, and Heston Blumenthal’s The Perfectionists’ Café.
David Stimmel
Owner and Senior Designer at Philadelphiabased, Stimmel Design, David is a previous winner of the International Design of the Year category.
Robin Levien
Co-founder of London design company Studio Levien. He is one of Europe’s most consistently successful product designers of the last thirty years, having designed a multitude of key products for Ideal Standard during that time.
Colin Wong
Edinburgh-based Creative & MD of Award-winning kitchen & bathroom studio Kitchens Defined (a division of the Development Direct Group), Colin is himself a multiple awardwinner at the Designer Awards as well as several other industry accolades.
Renée Mascari
Creative Director at Mascari Design, Renee is an experienced designer and trainer, and has been a regular judge for the Designer Awards since their foundation.
Darren Morgan
A multiple awardwinner at the Designer Awards, Northern Irelandbased Darren is a highly-experienced designer, consultant, and writer on kitchen and furniture design.
Designer Awards / designerawardsuk.com
Martin Allen-Smith
Editor of Designer magazine, Martin brings a broad overview to the judging task, having overseen the awards process since joining the magazine 15 years ago.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE
Starck
INTERVIEW – PHILIPPE STARCK
Simply Starck
World-renowned architect and designer Philippe Starck may be a naturally flamboyant personality, but for him, the ultimate goal is achieving creative purity – including in his latest work with bathroom brand Duravit – as he explains to Martin Allen-Smith DESIGNER: Please tell us about the latest additions to your ongoing work with Duravit? PHILIPPE STARCK: I work with Duravit because they are German, and German manufacturers understand the need to take things very slowly and very seriously, with a very high level of honesty. This leads to the creation of some of the most important factors you can have – longevity and quality. This is why my work with Duravit is very longterm work; everything takes years, and to truly deliver the vision can sometimes take decades. With this new range, you don’t immediately see any big trends or a big difference. We don’t want a big difference, we want to make products you can trust but to make them better and better and better. A sink, a toilet seat, or a bathtub, is not a miniskirt. A mini-skirt can be just for six months or one year – even though this is ridiculous – and then it is the end of that particular cycle of fashion. A bathroom is not just for one year, it could even be for life. If you buy good quality from a good company like Duravit you can simply have it for ever. This means the designer has to be smarter in minimising, reducing, and taking the product right to the bone, right to the essence, to create a product that will ultimately never be out of trend or obsolete.
It is also a question of respect for the customer. Imagine if you buy a Starck-designed Duravit product, and after ten years you have to replace it – not because of the quality of the porcelain, which will still be absolutely perfect – but because the design is now looking old and belonging in the past. Throwing a perfectly good product into the garbage would be a shame, and it is a very dated way of thinking. We now know that this throwaway model of society no longer works, for so many reasons. So the new range for Duravit is a familiar vision. It’s not a total reinvention of these product categories, but it is more sophisticated, more refined, and with that comes a guarantee of greater longevity. DESIGNER: The range is minimal and understated, with details that are not immediately noticeable until studied. How difficult is it as a designer to be able to keep such creations so ‘pared-back’ and resist the temptation to ‘over-design’? STARCK: It may seem ridiculous that a simple item – like a soap dish or a paper holder – can take four or five years to create. But it’s because time works with us. We need to take time to wash and wash, and to check and check, stopping only when we know we cannot make less. They say
the sky’s the limit, but really it is the opposite of this – we strive to make it so that the ground is the limit… under the ground even. We don’t need ‘revolutionary ideas’ as much as we need the courage to make less and less, and in the end for the awareness of the designer having played a part at all to disappear altogether. A product should look so simple that you don’t even imagine someone has actually designed it. You could then argue that well, anyone can do it then. Yes and no, because some people’s ideas will not embrace functionality, and others will make it about their ego and wanting to put their own mark on it. With cheap, ‘throwaway’ products, maybe this is fine for some people, but with a bathroom product for example, which costs a lot and is connected to your home with pipes, it simply has to have longevity.
DESIGNER: What more needs to be done to improve and enhance design in the bathroom and elsewhere in the home? Are we now in a new era of minimal style and simplicity? STARCK: There is something in the question that does not work – the idea of ‘style’. This concept is finished. We are now intelligent enough to recognise when we see it, the right product with the right function at the right price, made by
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21/08/2020 12:21
DESIGNER MAGAZINE INTERVIEW – PHILIPPE STARCK ME by Starck furniture washbasin in White Satin Matt with L-Cube vanity unit in White Matt, and C.1 tap
ME by Starck The latest results of the collaboration between designer Philippe Starck and bathroom brand Duravit is the ME by Starck range. Founded on the principle of pure aesthetics, the collection has been created not to dominate the room, but to enable an opportunity to personalise the space. A new furniture washbasin is available in a choice of one or two tap holes and can be combined with one of a number of taps from Duravit’s varied offering. The washbasins and matching toilet are available in a white satin matt finish, all with slender rims and delicate edges. The vanity basin is available in four different widths, while the toilets and bidets in the range are designed as sleek units without visible wall fixings.
New furniture basin from the ME by Starck range for Duravit
ME by Starck asymmetric washbasin (830 × 490 mm) in White Satin Matt, L-Cube vanity unit in Flannel Grey High Gloss, L-Cube mirror and C.1 tap, with freestanding bathtub from the Starck-designed Cape Cod range
Interior system in solid Walnut
The new furniture basin measures 1230 × 490mm and is available with either one or two tap holes
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE INTERVIEW – PHILIPPE STARCK
the right people. When you have all of this alongside the right vision, then the product is more elegant. In this case, we have not simply stuck a style on it. We’re not saying it is ‘minimalist’, or ‘Rococo’, or ‘Louis XVI’, or 1970s. Labelling it like this is completely ridiculous and this way of thinking is outdated. Some people say to me ‘your work is very beautiful’, but I don’t know, and I don’t care. Because ‘beauty’ is too easy a word. You’re not really saying anything with this word. You’re saying nothing, other than giving yourself the chance to put your opinion in a box called ‘beauty’. For me, instead of beauty I prefer to speak about harmony between all the parameters; if it is the right function, the right material, and all the other factors that make a product, then you will have achieved real harmony and balance. When you do this, the result is always elegant. And if combined with function and intelligence, it can also be highly original because fewer and fewer people are doing this. There are three ways of thinking about the future. Firstly, everything could become more about fast money and low standards, eventually leading to the end of society. Secondly, we can treat people worse than cattle, with poor quality food, bad prefabricated houses, fake clothes, and misinformation. Or finally, we can be in a place where people are intelligent enough to realise that we do not need all of this; that we can produce less, consume less, and have respect for nature and others. This is a world we dream of and it can happen. It’s in our hands. We decide. So if you ask, ‘will the minimal style come back?’, I hope not. Because it will be the minimal
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style we know from some years back, and was in effect a way to consume more. Instead, we can take a new route to strive for simplicity, honesty, purity, creativity, and last but not least, love – for other humans, for animals, for materials, and the whole world around us. DESIGNER: You’ve previously spoken of the human yearning to stay in touch with our instincts, such as the fire/hearth being the centre point of home living for example. How do you think the Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way people will want to live in the years to come, and what does this mean for design? STARCK: I do not see a big revolution coming as a direct result of COVID-19. Instead, I see perhaps a big social revolution coming from the economic and societal crisis which will in the end be accelerated by the impact of the virus. It could be a very big change, but we don’t know yet whether it will be based on an intelligent approach to improving things for humankind around the world, or if it will be a stupid, reactionary set of actions – there are many ways to make an omelette after all. But one impact of COVID-19 is that it has made us realise that we are all together, we are connected, that our lives depend on the actions of others, and that our world is very, very small. It has taught us that a virus discovered on the other side of the world can be in your own body just a week later and that we are not perhaps the masters of the world that we thought we were; viruses and microbacteria are perhaps the masters of the world, and that should serve as a big lesson in humility for us all to remember.
Starck / starck.com Duravit / duravit.co.uk
Starck on awards… “It’s always an honour to receive an award. I don’t understand people who are snobbish and say ‘oh no, not for me’, like Bob Dylan with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016. I can tell you, if Nobel ever want to give me an award, I’ll go there immediately!” Starck on product design… “For me, there is only a good and a bad product. A good product helps and contributes to human evolution. A bad product is one that does not fit within this evolutionary process and is not so well used.” Starck on the human approach… “We have to be nicer to ourselves. We need less materiality, because where there is less materiality, there is more humanity.” Starck on the role of material… “If you are a creator – which is a great honour, and a very nice job – you cannot spend one euro, or one gram of material, or one kilojoule of energy without first thinking about the material and the role it will play. Everything around us sends a message; every shape and every colour means something and ultimately, we should be able to look upon the things around us in a positive way, as friends.”
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S IN G ENR E RMMAAGGAAZZIIN NE D EDSEI G IPNRTOE FRIVLIEE W – D – RP H TH I LOI P MPAES SDTI AE R NC ES K
“The designer has to be smarter in minimising, reducing, and taking the product right to the bone, right to the essence, to create something that will ultimately never be out of trend or obsolete” Previous products from Philippe Starck’s long-standing collaboration with bathroom brand Duravit include the Cape Cod range, SensoWash Starck f WC, and the Starck T line of accessories
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
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he 18th edition of London Design Festival takes place from 12-20 September with organisers billing it as a symbol of London’s determination to maintain its creative and cultural leadership. Since its inception in 2003, the event has played a key role in bringing together the greatest thinkers, practitioners, retailers and educators to celebrate and promote design annually across the capital, and to put a spotlight on London’s creative role. One in six people in London work in the creative industries and it has been the fastest growing sector of the economy in recent years, but the effects and impact of the pandemic has disproportionately affected the creative industries, causing a catastrophic setback to the sector. Following a number of cancellations and closures, the festival this month will provide a platform for the design community to showcase work at a time when it is needed more than ever, helping to stimulate the creative economy and support young and
emerging designers as well as more established names. While international travel continues to be affected, this year’s event will have a strong local focus and will be a ‘Festival for Londoners’. In addition to landmark projects and festival commissions, partner events across the various design districts will enable visitors to walk between shows and discover something new. Physical installations will take place alongside virtual exhibitions, and a digital edition of the Global Design Forum will bring the latest design thinking to a global audience and allow the widest possible access to creative content. This year will also see the introduction of a new digital portal for freelancers to promote their work across the Festival’s platforms. London Design Festival Director, Ben Evans CBE, said: “The show must go on. Showcasing is essential for the sector to survive and this year, more than ever, we are determined to offer every opportunity for designers to be seen and heard.”
1. Moooi will be opening its store in Great Titchfield Street during the festival. On show will be Hubble Bubble, a striking suspended lamp of glowing spheres designed by Marcel Wanders. Moooi / moooi.com 2. Carpenters Workshop Gallery will present a new body of work by British designer Paul Cocksedge. The exhibition, Slump, features a collection of limited edition tables for which glass is stretched under high temperatures and ‘slumped’ over industrial and natural materials, including concrete, steel, wood, and rock. Carpenters Workshop Gallery / carpentersworkshopgallery.com 3. Colour in Architecture is an exhibition of some of the work of architectural glass artist Kate Maestri. Often working at larger scale, this will be a chance to see her threedimensional glass wall sculptures. It can be seen at the Contemporary Applied Arts gallery in Marylebone. CAA / caa.org.uk 4. Poliform will be re-opening its showroom on King’s Road following an extensive renovation. It will present the brand’s latest creations for living rooms and kitchens. Poliform / poliformuk.com 5. Designer Tom Dixon will be presenting his eight-pronged exhibition ‘Octagon’ at his studio site in King’s Cross. Open to view in person or virtually, it will showcase creations from across lighting, furniture and other objects such as candles and perfumes. Tom Dixon Studio / tomdixon.net
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
It may be a little diminished as a physical event, but this month’s London Design Festival will still be proudly showcasing the talent, innovation, and resilience of the city’s creative community
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL
Full of Creativity Since 2007, creative agency Pentagram has produced an annual graphic identity for each iteration of the Festival. While the Festival’s colour theme of white on red has been consistent, Pentagram has adapted each brief to produce distinctive visual identities to ensure that each edition of the event is unique. Domenic Lippa, Partner at Pentagram, said: “Red is the colour of London; the buses, the phone boxes and the pillar boxes... the brief was just to make it impactful, and in a way, that’s never changed each year. This year we wanted to (metaphorically) fill London with design. We developed the idea of filling any space we’re promoting with words and letters which relate to the Festival, such as ‘LDF’, ‘London’, ‘Design’, ‘Festival’ and ‘2020’. We adapted the typography to reduce the negative space in order to completely fill the page or screen. “London Design Festival is all about impact and this year’s identity makes a strong and confident statement. 2020 has brought its own unique challenges, but despite the difficult situation we’ve all faced in the past few months, we very much believe this will be a great – albeit quite different – year for LDF.” Pentagram / pentagram.com
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London Design Festival / londondesignfestival.com
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22/07/2020 14:46
DESIGNER MAGAZINE P O S T- C O V I D D E S I G N
BUILDING Get Everyone In (Benjamin Holland, Olivia Dolan, Katie Williams)
Time for a Rethink RIBA set architects and students the challenge of imagining solutions for our post-pandemic world, addressing several of the key issues that society could face in the years ahead… The Royal Institute of British Architects has announced the three joint winners of Rethink: 2025, an international design competition seeking designs for life after the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition invited architects and students to consider what life and our built environment could look like by 2025. Entrants were given seven categories from which to generate ideas, including the future of healthcare spaces, remote learning, high density living, public transport, high streets vs online shopping, international travel and the use of technology to monitor and control populations. The judging panel, made up of six design leaders and chaired by RIBA Journal Editor, Hugh Pearman, whittled down the initial 147 entries from 18 countries, to three joint winners in three categories: Building, City and Street. The total prize fund of £8,000, sponsored by Arup and the RIBA, will be split equally between the winners. Alan Jones, RIBA President, said: “It’s clear that many of the impacts of COVID-19 will be long-lasting and will continue to shape how we live for years to come. These winning proposals demonstrate the crucial role that architects can and must have in delivering places and spaces for communities of the future. “Last year the RIBA declared a climate emergency, recognising the important role that the built environment will play in meeting the government’s target of net zero carbon by 2050. I’m delighted to see that sustainability and community are at the very core of all three of the winning proposals.”
This proposal draws on two issues which have been amplified by the pandemic – the need to house people who are homeless and the prediction that many office spaces will become permanently redundant. Bringing these issues together, it suggests that empty office spaces can be re-used and repurposed to house homeless people. The proposed reworking of an office tower sees communal health facilities on ground level and brings nature into the space with sky gardens at the mid-level – as well as offering an opportunity for residents to grow their own food in vertical gardens. On the upper floor, drawings show how the deep plan office floor could be used for hostel-style bedrooms around the perimeter with communal spaces in the centre of the floor. There is also a floor left for some office workers.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE P O S T- C O V I D D E S I G N
STREETS
Streets are Made for Walking (People Matter) This proposal uses Holloway Road, an arterial road in North London, as an example of what could be done in any city to redesign its streets to make high quality public space for those living either side of such traffic corridors. In light of changes to how we use streets due to the pandemic, the entry is hopeful for a permanent move towards cleaner, more physically active methods of transport. This proposal offers a two-stage programme for capitalising on these changes, and accelerating a transition towards cleaner, greener, safer and happier streets. The first stage will be to ensure that the temporary changes to the streets are made permanent by 2025 and that by 2035 these more liveable and breathable neighbourhoods will be linked in a series of lateral rings. The idea is that the radial roads out from the centre diminish in importance as the centre itself does, and the lateral connections increase in importance. With reduced amounts of commuting into the centres of cities now envisaged, this realignment becomes feasible and desirable.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE P O S T- C O V I D D E S I G N
CITY Greater London Agriculture (Tim Rodber and Dominic Walker) This proposal seeks to transform London’s metropolitan area into an ecologically diverse, agricultural landscape, addressing the premise that industrialised food production has made us vulnerable to diseases transmitted from animals to humans. The project proposes to introduce agroecology (sustainable farming that works with nature) to London by embedding growing spaces within and around the city, introducing funding for agroecological education that will allow trailblazing farmers to learn the skills necessary to flourish and pass on knowledge.
“Initially a patchwork of productive landscapes, over time these growing spaces will become connected by bio-diverse corridors.�
Initially a patchwork of productive landscapes, over time these growing spaces will become connected by bio-diverse corridors, with wildflowers for pollinators and edible plants for foraging. Along the Thames, a diverse range of activities will become part of this edible landscape, from the wetlands of Rainham Marshes for cattle grazing, orchards producing cider to experimental seaweed farms floating in the estuary. Circular economy entrepreneurs will work to improve logistics, closely matching food volume to demand, creating valuable innovative bioeconomy products that embrace interesting seasonal food.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE RETAIL INTERIORS
Box Office Material An integrated cinema and retail space offers a stylish outline for how ‘new retail’ could evolve in the future
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esign studio OFT was invited to work on the storefront design of K11 Art House, a flagship concept cinema in K11 Musea in Hong Kong. The idea behind the scheme is to move away from the traditional one-dimensional retail scene to incorporate social interactions, dining and art into the cinema experience. K11 Art House has made a pioneering move of introducing the MOOV Pop-Up music store – a first in Hong Kong. MOOV is an online music streaming platform similar to Apple Music and Spotify, and this is the first time for the brand to launch a brick-and-mortar store as part of a premium cinema. Other than extending the cinema’s audio and visual offering, the store also explores the possibility of an online and offline retail mix.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE RETAIL INTERIORS
Photography: Dennis Lo
CM Jao and Ken Cheung, Founders and Designers at Oft Interiors
Bar areas have been designed to support the fantasy escapism of the cinema experience. The viewing area itself is divided into the White Box and Black Box – screening rooms that serve different functions. As a multimedia event area, White Box works for play and musical screenings. A new independent exhibition space was also opened up, where Asia’s first Festival de Cannes Film Week took place. A series of movie-themed or movie-related cultural events have also been held there. Elsewhere, the Black Box delivers a greater degree of intimacy in the form of a screening room that offers personalised film-watching experiences. The emergence of the ‘third dimension’ inside the theatre helps to break away from the usual theatrical ambiance, meeting people’s
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needs to connect with one another. The designers say that the Black Box space is an attempt at redefining social interaction in cinemas. The space also sets high standards for materials, style, colour and lighting. At the entrance, a candlestick chandelier composed of multiple round structures echoes with the ‘star lights’ scattered around, while the classic arch designs offer a reassuring retro feel. The lamps are bronze in colour, bringing out the beauty of nostalgia without being confined by traditional aesthetics. Wooden pillars are used as a skeleton for the corridor that connects the lobby, hallway, bar, and cinema screens. A large amount of wood and stones with natural textures have been adopted to bring out a sense of wear and tear through time.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE RETAIL INTERIORS
Inside the White Box viewing area, an irregularly-shaped ceiling formed by beige high-gloss lacquered boards resembles waves, echoing with the theme of natural living. The Black Box displays an even higher degree of intimacy, as it bears the function of offering premium personalised experiences. The independent lounge area on the right alleviates the constraints of fixed seats, while the sofas, coat racks, and lavatories offer guests a more relaxing and enjoyable experience. As a result, the boundary between the public space and the private space is further dissolved. Considering that lighting can help alleviate the ambiance of loneliness in physical space, the designers have used irregular copper wire lights to create a sense of mystery. Through mixing and matching materials of different characteristics, the designers have attempted to explore and challenge the boundaries between spaces. Large-sized mirrors are used in the lavatories to offset the bulkiness in the outside area, lightening up the overall tone and bringing out the theme of natural living through a multisensory journey reflected across this unique project.
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Oft Interiors / oftinteriors.com
21/08/2020 11:00
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Designer Kitchen & Bathroom 210x297 Feb 2020.indd 1 Adverts.indd 11
Image: Wi6160
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE INTERIOR DESIGN
Zooming in on a Changed World
Words: Anna-Marie Casas
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE INTERIOR DESIGN
International interior designer Benji Lewis has made a name for himself for a timeless style that has seen the glorious transformation of many a country house. Now, he has seized the moment to inspire clients wanting to create the ideal home for life after coronavirus
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here has been much pondering of late over whether lockdown isolation may have prompted the greatest period of creativity in history. For London-based interior designer Benji Lewis, the coronavirus pandemic has certainly provided the perfect opportunity to hasten turning a great idea into reality. Lewis has launched Zoom That Room, a virtual interior design service tapping into the world’s increased interest in the home environment as a result of lockdown and providing clients with access to the designer and his timeless style via bespoke video communication consultations. With a career spanning both residential and commercial projects, Lewis’s fascination with period furniture and furnishings was triggered while working for Bonhams auctioneers after training at the KLC School of Interior Design. He set up on his own in 2004 after a spell with a major London interiors house. A fluent French speaker, Lewis has worked prolificly in southwest France, an area that holds a special place in his heart. We catch up with him as his virtual concept takes off…
Benji Lewis: I’ve thought for a while that there was a gap in the market for bespoke online interior design advice, after having worked on a couple of projects where the clients were reluctant to pay for me to travel to site. Lockdown came along and I thought, wow, this is the time for a service like this! DESIGNER: How do you think the pandemic will affect the world of interior design? Lewis: I think it’s going to be dramatic; people are already becoming increasingly sensitised to their domestic surroundings – don’t forget this could go on a
while longer and bounce back, so creating feelings of comfort and safety within the home, quite aside from aesthetics, has never been more important. DESIGNER: When did you first realise you wanted to be an interior designer? Lewis: From a very young age, probably starting when I was eight or nine, I experimented with room layout and decoration; whilst clearly it’d be a little curious to suggest that I’ve been an interior designer in the career sense of the term since that time, I have unquestionably practised at it since then.
DESIGNER: You seem to have been pretty busy during lockdown – tell us how Zoom That Room came about.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE INTERIOR DESIGN
Cecilia Bartoli singing Lascia Ch’io Pianga; I will never tire of hearing her. Anything that’s been perfectly executed is joyous to behold, whether it’s construction, design, drawing, painting, singing, whatever.
Strange as it might sound, it’s something that I still practise at today – all of us have to do that – and I can’t imagine ever stopping that. Interior design and decoration are hardwired into my DNA and I couldn’t actually ever have done anything else. DESIGNER: How would you describe your style? Lewis: Instinctive and timeless. I always read what the magazines and forums are proposing as trends and fashions and, whilst I love dipping into these, I would never let them dominate my thought processes. I absolutely hold onto the mantra that in order for an interior to be exciting and retain interest, you need to blend periods, styles, patterns, textures and colours whilst concentrating also on scale to create a room that is timeless. I think it must be exhausting to be someone who has to always have the latest fad or trend; by all means dip into these but don’t be dominated by them. Go for timeless not trendy. Trendy is tiring. DESIGNER: What inspires your work and which single piece of design has impacted you most?
Lewis: Personalities inspire me, endlessly. Practically everyone I come across, when I first meet them, I absorb the visual information they’re conveying via their mannerisms and clothing choices, and I wonder what kind of homes they live in. Clearly, interiors inspire me also – and the work of clever colleagues; of all the houses I’ve seen, however, and I’ve trawled magazines for ever, there’s one that stands out to this day. It was an old Russian townhouse, grand but not imposing, that had retained its architectural integrity – tiled floors, floorboards, fireplaces and plaster mouldings, lovely doors. It was grand and yet slightly rustic, utterly delightful, with simple white walls and a collection of possessions that had been so beautifully curated, including antique furniture and textiles. Grand, as I said, but still just a home. DESIGNER: Who do you admire? Lewis: Anyone who’s able or been able to demonstrate remarkable talent in whatever their specialist field might be. I remember going into Albi Cathedral and seeing the carved stonework for the first time – the workmanship is exquisite, the craftsmen anonymous. Listening to
DESIGNER: Which of your projects are you most proud of? Lewis: I’ve enjoyed all of them – I’m jolly lucky – but I suppose juggling designs for the chairman’s offices at Universal Music at the same time as working on a Grade II listed Arts and Crafts country house was exciting. I’ll always thrive on the challenge of adapting styles for different clients. I’ve never wanted to be a traditional designer or a contemporary designer; as I said before I’m after timeless, not trendy. DESIGNER: Your business comes via word of mouth or repeat clients. What’s the key to your success? Lewis: I work very hard to ensure that I engage with my clients on a personality level. After all, we have to get to know one another well and frankly like being with one another. I strive to understand what makes people tick. Interior design cannot be a one formula fits all, so I always adapt thought processes and approaches for the person with whom I’m engaged at the time. Customer service is also a really big deal for me. This job is about managing expectations, so I guess people recommend me, not just because I can design, but also because I deliver. DESIGNER: Where do you think interior design is heading and what do you predict will be the next major shift in what clients are looking for?
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Lewis: The residential market is going to be huge; the world has taken such a big knock and we’ve all had to wise up to the reality that working from home with online interaction might become the norm. Loving your home has never been more important – feelings of mediocrity can’t suffice. A great interior isn’t just about what things look like, it’s about what you feel like when you’re in that interior, that’s the important thing. Space planning is key to a successful interior; these rooms of ours have to multitask like never before. DESIGNER: What’s coming up for you over the next few months and what are you most excited about? Lewis: I’m so excited by Zoom That Room. Even if I say so myself, this is such a great concept - unbound by geography and not confined to a Covid-19 climate. There are all sorts of plans in the pipeline for this new venture moving forward. I’m working on designs for a chateau in southwest France and have signed up for work – all on the back of Zoom That Room – in Paris, South Kensington and Cornwall. Fingers crossed, I’m being earmarked for a couple of jobs in the US before too long, but with a queue of ZTR meetings in the pipeline I might be off to Timbuktu next!
Benji Lewis Design / benjilewisdesign.co.uk Zoom that Room / zoomthatroom.com
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE PROJECT – RESIDENTIAL CONCEPT DESIGN
Squaring is Caring
Prolific designer Karim Rashid has spent some of his time during lockdown dreaming up new concepts for living, including an energy-efficient cube-shaped home…
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE PROJECT – RESIDENTIAL CONCEPT DESIGN
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE PROJECT – RESIDENTIAL CONCEPT DESIGN
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE PROJECT – RESIDENTIAL CONCEPT DESIGN
The Kubo House is a steel and glass structure that is 9m x 9m in plan, and 6m high. The entire house makes up 100 sq m of living space and is comprised of 16 sheets of glass and four identical curved sheets of glass on a concrete heat radiant floor. All of the infrastructure is in the centre, including
the kitchen, storage, bathroom, mezzanine/ bedroom, and workspace.
be energy efficient via the core structure that acts as a thermal envelope.
The concept is a transparent 360-degree view house that becomes one with the surroundings, based on maximum spatial experiences, with minimal structure. All the materials are biodegradable and the house is designed to
Solar blinds will be used for privacy as well as the completely solar-panelled roof, which will not only create a house that is self-sufficient in terms of energy, but there will also be enough generated power to also heat the pool.
Also along similar lines, Rashid also revealed his ideas for a circular ‘disk house’, which also features the same central column principle with glass exterior. Karim Rashid / karimrashid.com
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DESIGNER PRODUCTS
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Bette launches new colour fan to promote its 400 colours German bathroom manufacturer, Bette, offers its baths, shower trays and basins in over 400 colours and has launched a new colour reference fan to help demonstrate the wide choice available. The new colour fan features Bette’s most popular colours, including its shimmering ‘effect’ colours and its range of 22 matt colours. It is available free to retailers and designers who can also find out more about Bette’s wide choice of colours at its new website address: www.my-bette.com Bette’s glazed titanium-steel baths, shower trays and basins keep their good looks for many years, are easy to clean, 100% recyclable and come with a 30 year warranty.
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Loft Furniture
Ballerina-Küchen
Loft Furniture exclusively manufacture the Robin Day designed Club sofa and Leo Armchair (featured). They have developed a customiser tool which enables you to personalise the finish of these products, as well as their Chesterfield sofa, with over 150 standard options to choose from and the results available to view immediately.
A trendsetter among German kitchen manufacturers, Ballerina- Küchen sets market trends, offers numerous innovations and exclusive features which are marketed through classical sales channels - kitchen retailers - worldwide. With more than 800 models, the product range offers a large variety of design options meeting all wishes, no matter how specific.
www.loft.co/customiser
ballerina-kitchens.eu
www.my-bette.com/en
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In the Frame with PJH… PJH has launched FRAMEWORK, a modular furniture range that joins its Bathrooms to Love Collection, expanding and complementing its furniture category yet further. With a contemporary urban feel, Framework is a striking industrialinspired range, characterised by its black ‘frame’ structure and black metal linear handles. With additional design influences taken from the iconic style of the industrial era, Framework is perfect for ultra modern bathroom spaces. Available as a wall-hung or free-standing vanity unit, Framework includes a white ceramic inset basin (615mm or 815mm). Ample storage capacity is provided with a deep, soft-close drawer as well as a handy open shelf below. The distinctive black metal frame features on the floor-standing model whilst the wall-hung unit retains its metal accents with a modern black handle. Framework is available in two finishes, a Matt White, which also features a warm oak-effect internal drawer, and to keep with the urban vibe, the second finish is a Grey Metal effect. Both colourways are perfect for monochromatic bathroom schemes. Boasting premium quality throughout, Framework is supplied rigid with a 5-year guarantee. Bathrooms to Love by PJH: Tel: 0800 8 77 88 99 www.partners.pjh.uk & www.bathroomstolove.uk
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE EXIT
EXIT
The challenges of lockdown being faced by all businesses have been particularly harsh on the aviation sector, with the enforced grounding of flights for months followed by a slow return to anything close to normal as passengers opt to cancel or defer travel plans. Looking ahead, it will be vital to give passengers reassurance that flying is safe in the postcoronavirus era, and a new aircraft interior concept by London design studio PriestmanGoode aims to address some of the concerns. Its Pure Skies design is the result
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One last thing from this month’s magazine…
of close collaboration between designers from across of each of the firm’s areas of expertise and focuses on the three key points of personal space, hygiene and touchfree journeys. The idea is to move away from the notions of ‘class’ and instead of ‘business’ and ‘economy’ areas, it names them rooms and zones. The rooms – previous business class – feature a fully-enclosed personal space, partitioned by full height curtains. The seat design has been built with antimicrobial materials and finishes, and features personal lighting
and temperature control. The ‘zones’ meanwhile utilise dividing screens on every other row for greater separation and a staggered seat configuration to enhance the feeling of personal space. Nigel Goode, Cofounding Director at PriestmanGoode, said: “With both passengers and airline employees at the heart of this project, we have not only taken onboard present anxieties but also tried to ensure our solutions are futureproofed against future pandemics, recognising the significant commitment and investment involved.
“We also acknowledge that rules and perceptions are continually changing. By building-in additional safeguards and designingout areas that previously caused concern, our Pure Skies concept encompasses a range of innovative and relevant options that will appeal to airlines for different reasons depending on their customer profile, location and fleet. However, planning must start today for these solutions to be ready and in place for when volumes undoubtedly return in the industry.”
PriestmanGoode / priestmangoode.com
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Cloud black Discrete lines with optimum functionality
The Novy ‘plug & play’ recirculation cooker hood Cloud creates an open space without disturbing elements. The discreet lines and the clean design not only ensure a seamless shape, but also guarantee an optimal and whisper-quiet operation without exhaust to the outside. A kitchen should be cosy and Cloud creates the necessary atmosphere here thanks to a subtly integrated LED strip that can be adapted to the mood of the moment. This creates the right atmosphere, during and after cooking. novy.com
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INTRODUCING RIMANO THE NEW MODERN CLASSIC The delicately proportioned bevel defines this solid Ash framed door with its veneered centre panel. Rimano is a modern classic comfortably at ease in every style of home. A choice of 18 painted colours including new Sky shown here. Available with handles, handle-less or handle-less tip-on. Exclusively from Crown Imperial.
K I T C HE N BE D ROOM LI V I NG
See more new innovations for 2020...
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