THE DEVELOPERS ISSUE JUNE 2022 262
Lovely Living
2LG Studio on making the world a more colourful place
Milan 2022
The world’s greatest design showcase returns
designer New Frontiers
How developers are responding to rapidly changing times
INSPIRING PROJECT CREATIVITY Designer 262 Cover 2022 Final.indd 1
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Beautiful wood flooring for any interior
Visit our showroom in the heart of Clerkenwell Havwoods Showroom, 26 – 27 Great Sutton Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1V 0DS www.havwoods.com/uk | info@havwoods.com | +44 (0) 01524 737000
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE JUNE 2022 / ISSUE 262
Welcome to the June issue of Designer. We all like to have our hard work and dedication recognised and appreciated, but in the day-to-day busyness of our jobs, opportunities can be few and far between. Which is why the chance to enter this year’s Designer Awards really shouldn’t be missed. The Awards are now in their 20th year, and over those two decades, hundreds of projects and products have been celebrated for their stellar ideas, creativity, and innovation. Many of these past winners have been able to use their awards success as a springboard for greater career or business development, bolstering their hard-earned reputation with deserved acknowledgment. This year’s categories offer greater scope to get involved than ever before. As well as sections for kitchen, bathroom, and residential design schemes, we’re looking for the best in workspace, hotel, and restaurant design. There are also new categories for sustainable project, and student designer of the year, alongside our other popular awards celebrating the best of British projects and international schemes too. And of course, the products that make all these design schemes tick are also honoured, with separate product innovation award categories for excellence in kitchen, bathroom, furniture and materials.
e: martin@thedsgroup.co.uk w: designerati.co.uk
So don’t delay – you only have until Friday 10 June to submit your entries and be in with a chance of glory at our Designer Awards presentation event in London in November. Visit designerawardsuk.com to get started.... and I wish you the very best of luck!
Martin Allen-Smith Editor, Designer
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anna PRESENTING
we don’t just deliver a product, we deliver an experience…
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE JUNE 2022 / ISSUE 262
CONTENTS 20
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08 SOURCE Our monthly round-up of the people, products and events that matter from across the design sector
34 CREATIVE CAPITAL A look ahead to this month’s mega-show of the design world – Salone del Mobile in Milan
16 SHOWROOMS A visit to the new Manchester location for ergonomic workspace specialist Humanscale
40 A FRAMEWORK FOR NATURE Bringing a touch of the Amazon to the streets of Paris, Villa M aims to blur the boundaries between city life, nature and health
20 DEVELOPING IDEAS Much has changed over the past couple of years in terms of how we live and work. Developers have been quick to embrace this shift with some innovative new ideas 28 FLYING SOLOS Design maestro Roberto Palomba took some time out to chat with Martin Allen-Smith about the new Solos range from Ideal Standard
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46 FIT FOR ALL Why making spaces that meet everybody’s needs is the essence of good design 54 MOULDING OUR SURROUNDINGS A new exhibition takes a close-up look at a much-maligned and ubiquitous material which has undoubtedly shaped the world around us
59 MAKING LIVING LOVELY Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead of 2LG Studio chat with Melissa Porter for the designerati podcast, sponsored by Sealskin, about life and work together 62 OPEN TO NEW IDEAS Open-plan living that brings the outside perspective into the space is much sought-after, and the kitchen in this architect’s home combines all the right elements to deliver exactly that 66 EXIT A bold, striking mural transforms the interior of a truly one-off café space in Eindhoven
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE JUNE 2022 / ISSUE 262
EDITORIAL EDITOR MARTIN ALLEN-SMITH martin@thedsgroup.co.uk CONTRIBUTOR ANNA-MARIE CASAS BRAND AMBASSADOR MELISSA PORTER PUBLISHING PUBLISHING DIRECTOR CLARA DEEKS clara@thedsgroup.co.uk MANAGING DIRECTOR ALLISTAIR HUNTER OPERATIONS DIRECTOR TRACY MEAD
MARTIN ALLEN-SMITH
CLARA DEEKS
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DOM LITTLER
MELISSA PORTER
ADVERTISING BRAND MANAGER STUART SINCLAIR stuart@thedsgroup.co.uk MARKETING CREATIVE MARKETING MANAGER DOM LITTLER dom@thedsgroup.co.uk DIGITAL MARKETING APPRENTICE AMY NICE PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR LEE THOMAS GRAPHIC DESIGNER BEN EMMERSON
Designer Magazine is published monthly by The DS Group 7 Faraday Close, Oakwood Industrial Estate, Clacton-On-Sea, Essex CO15 4TR thedsgroup.co.uk Tel: 020 3538 0268
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THE DEVELOPERS ISSUE JUNE 2022 262
designerati.co.uk
Lovely Living
2LG Studio on making the world a more colourful place
Milan 2022
The world’s greatest design showcase returns
designer New Frontiers
How developers are responding to rapidly changing times
On the cover: Flimwell Park, a sustainable woodland development in East Sussex (photo: Patrick O’Callaghan)
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Why compromise? +44 (0)1761 241133 sales@bathroom-engineering.co.uk www.bathroom-engineering.co.uk The Boat House, Wirral Park, Glastonbury, Somerset, England BA6 9XE
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At First Glance Eggersmann / eggersmann.co.uk
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designerati.co.uk
German kitchen brand Eggersmann has added the Glance glass cabinet system to its offering. Its aluminium frame and glass fronts and sides offer various open or closed furniture options and can be used in base and wall units, as well as tall cabinets.
Knight Fever
Karndean Designflooring is expanding its Knight Tile range with a collection of contemporary wood and stone designs, including herringbone and a chevron effect. In commercial spaces such as hospitality, boutique hotels and offices, this collection aims to offer the flexibility to express a brand’s personality and allows plenty of scope for creative zoning. The new Knight Tile range presents 10 new wood and 12 new stone designs, with options available in gluedown and rigid core formats, and six herringbone designs. Fleur Carson, Commercial Sales Director at Karndean Designflooring, said: “Our latest designs aim to support wellbeing and a sense of belonging with a natural look that connect our interiors to the outside environment. While intended to offer a stylish palette of pale greys and taupes that will act as a subtle background to the latest interior trends and bold colour choices, this collection doesn’t skimp on character or authentic details.”
Karndean / karndean.com/knighttile2022
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE JUNE 2022
Creating Climate Solutions
An exhibition at London’s Barbican Centre aims to showcase the possibilities for creative solutions to some of the big climate challenges that we face. It considers how creative disciplines could partner with the sciences and humanities to present radical visions for a future in which creatures of all species live in balance with one another and the environment. Our Time on Earth – which runs until 29 August 2022 – has been designed by Universal Design Studio. Curated by the Barbican’s Luke Kemp, in conjunction with material specialists Kate Franklin and Caroline Till, the exhibition brings together 18 interactive installations and digital works that open up new perspectives on our biosphere, showing the potential for positive change when different disciplines work together. The design team’s approach to the space was guided by the work of economic anthropologist Jason Hickel, whose theory of radical abundance rejects the artificial scarcity driving contemporary economies. Instead, Hickel argues that degrowth and the socially responsible deployment of resources can create a more equitable, environmentallybalanced future in which everyone is provided for. Lisl du Toit, Senior Interior Designer at Universal, said: “We wanted the design to feel optimistic and show a potential future where we use resources more wisely. We used Jason Hickel’s idea of radical
abundance as our starting point for a process that could show how sustainable design can be beautiful and avoid preconceptions of it.” Guided by these principles, the team developed a modular plywood framework that can support video screens on both sides, while also lending itself to the creation of organic shapes to guide people through the exhibition. Each frame is subsequently clad in a natural material that corresponds to the themes of Our Time on Earth. Across the show, different materials have been employed within this framework, including: recycled cork; corrugated panels made from hemp fibres grown on Cambridgeshire’s Margent Farm; cellulose panels created from reclaimed paper pulp by Barcelona’s Honext; and PineSkins, a leather-like material designed by the Latvian designer Sarmite Polakova, created using the inner bark of pine trees that is a by-product of the forestry industry. Universal’s du Toit added: “Our biggest impact with a project like this is to complement the exhibition by showcasing sustainable design. Our key learning from this process has been to recognise that there are already materials out there that were perhaps used in the past and have since fallen from favour, but which we can look at again. These are beautiful, versatile, optimistic materials and, vitally, they’re already available to us.”
Universal Design Studio / universaldesignstudio.com Barbican / barbican.org.uk
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The tap that does it all 100°C BOILING, CHILLED AND SPARKLING WATER With a Quooker in your showroom you can offer your customers the only tap in the world that dispenses true 100°C boiling, chilled and sparkling water. Well-known, extremely popular, and already sought after by your customers thanks to our extensive national marketing campaigns. Quooker offers high-quality, innovative kitchen taps that are already being used by millions of households throughout the world. As an official Quooker dealer, our in-house service team will take care of all after sales matters for you, and we can even arrange installation by a Quooker engineer. We also have a unique industry-leading virtual online platform that enables consumers to choose the right product for their kitchen without your involvement. This way, you can focus on what you are good at: selling beautiful kitchens. Contact us for more information on how to become a Quooker dealer.
Quooker UK Ltd. Beaumont Buildings Great Ducie Street Manchester M3 1PQ +44 (0)1617 685 900 enquiries@quooker.co.uk www.quooker.co.uk
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Heritage Trail Bathroom manufacturer GRAFF has introduced its new Vinola range, inspired by the Italian city of Bologna and named after renowned architect Jacopo Barozzi Vignola. The detailed range include bath and basin mixers, shower heads, and accessories. It is available in 21 finishes, including matt black and 24k polished gold. Individual customisation is also possible.
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creating a more agile world. Meticulously developed and manufactured in-house, OE are dedicated to providing cutting-edge agile power solutions, tailor-made to the dynamic working environment & beyond. Award-winning product lines & complete electrical distribution systems; OE knows power. Bring your furniture to life with OE; Masters in design & innovation of power & data delivery modules since 1986. Visit: www.oeelectrics.co.uk Speak to us: +44 (0) 1924 367255
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SHOWROOMS
HUMANSCALE Ergonomic workspace specialist Humanscale has opened its new showroom in Manchester in a move that it says underlines its intention to strengthen ties with architects, designers, building project and facilities managers in the North West.
The new showroom, in the city’s Brown Street, has far reaching views overlooking the city skyline and has been designed to showcase the brand’s range of workplace solutions that specialise in optimising workstation design for wellness and peak performance.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SHOWROOMS
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE SHOWROOMS
Bob King, Founder & CEO of Humanscale, said: “Manchester is a vibrant and growing business centre. With our new showroom, we want to provide our customers with a deeper understanding of the Humanscale product line and our commitment to sustainability.” On arrival at the showroom, visitors are greeted by an informal breakfast bar area equipped with M/Connect series docking stations and the new NeatCharge inbuilt charging system. The product display area will feature items from across the Humanscale portfolio, including chairs, sit/stand desks and monitor arms as well as its range of tools and accessories. The company’s Smart Ocean and Liberty Ocean chairs utilise material from discarded fishing nets, pulled directly from the ocean. The nets are
transformed into plastic pellets which are then used to manufacture the chairs. In the interest of transparency, the materials for each product are listed on the Declare product database and displayed in the new showroom. With a nod to the New York showroom located in the Grace Building on Bryant Park, the new Manchester space will provide visitors with the opportunity to immerse themselves in the brand’s design heritage whilst gaining an up-to-date look at the company’s work around environmental stewardship. Pakize Nasuh, Managing Director at Humanscale UK, said: “The new showroom will provide Manchester’s dynamic design community unlimited access to Humanscale’s full range of award-winning office solutions and leading industry experts in ergonomics and wellbeing in the workplace.”
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Humanscale / 12th Floor, Chancery Place, 50 Brown Street, Manchester, M2 2JT / humanscale.com
BLACK SELECTION
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Blurring the Boundaries
Much has changed over the past couple of years in terms of how we live and work. Developers have been quick to embrace this shift with some innovative new solutions that provide plenty of food for thought on the direction of future projects…
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE D E V E LO P E R I N N O VAT I O N Goodluck Hope is a new residential-led island development on Leamouth Peninsula in London’s Docklands that offers a waterfront lifestyle, with communal amenities for both ‘co-working and no-working’. Residents of the 804 homes within the complex have access a suite of amenities designed to evoke feelings of a private members club, named The 1595 Club, which includes a dedicated business lounge named The Work House equipped with versatile co-working space, designed to suit the needs of those working from home. The development’s resident amenities also include a 25m indoor pool with views of the O2, Scandinavian-style steam room, gym and fitness studio, private cinema and landscaped gardens. A new addition to the project is The Lantern Room, a 29th floor sky lounge with panoramic views. It will offer another remote workspace for residents, with cityscape views through the floor-to-ceiling windows as their backdrop, at the top of Goodluck Hope’s tallest building, Douglass Tower. Goodluck Hope / goodluckhope.com
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London co-working space 25EP has been designed to offer the look, feel and working environment of a private members club, rather than just another office space. This design-led building, hidden away in Eccleston Yard, in Belgravia, offers two floors of private offices, permanent desks and hotdesking options. It features large open spaces with plush sofas and furnishings, small areas for meetings, private phone boxes for video calls, and fully-equipped kitchens. Facilities have been designed to suit all kinds of workers, from individuals and small startups, to larger companies. 25EP even prides itself on being dog friendly, offering all members’ dogs a new bed and bowl on their first day. A break from work is available in the yard with lunchtime workout sessions at Barry’s Bootcamp or Hotpod Yoga, while coffee, lunch or snacks are also available from a choice of eateries. For those who can’t leave their desks, there is even an afternoon drinks trolley service. 25EP / 25-ep.com
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Bathroom and kitchen brand GROHE has collaborated with Regalmain and Steven Johnson from the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London on a multi-use project at Flimwell Park. Based in East Sussex, Flimwell has been created to help rural communities create a positive economic, social, environmental and ecological impact through a closer relationship with the surrounding water and woodland. Steven Johnson, architect and teacher at the UCL-based school, said: “We were keen to create a place to give people hope. The Flimwell Park team’s mission was to try and develop a story – a picture – and what better way to do that, than for us to build something. When you build something as an example of what can be done, people start to listen.” Developed to complement its surroundings, the buildings in Flimwell are constructed of timber, feature solar panels and large, panelled windows to maximise use of light while allowing residents and workers to enjoy the woodland views. The scheme includes homes, workspaces, and community facilities such as a restaurant-café, all surrounded by woodland. On GROHE’s products which have been utilised across the village, Johnson said: “It’s very rare for a company to understand that what they’re making goes beyond those products. On a site like this, we have toilets, wash basins, sinks and showers – everything you’d expect in an office or house. Those are components, but those components then link into a system which is efficient and ecologically sound and that’s when it starts to become extremely exciting.” “There are so many ideas going on in this project, but it’s just the start. We have students coming out here who are driving this. They’re looking at this as something that is new and really spectacular and there’s a shift in attitude – they’re questioning the next step. The next step is getting them out into the woods and working with local people to create new things, by taking what we’ve produced here and move it on in a serious way.” Flimwell Park / flimwellpark.com GROHE / grohe.co.uk
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Property management company Quintain Living oversees the rental of over 3,250 apartments in Wembley Park. Its team has focused on providing a variety of innovative work from home solutions, to meet the differing needs of its residents. Canada Gardens, for example, has heated designer work from home sheds that residents can hire, surrounded by landscaped gardens. Many residents also like to pop into the clubhouse to enjoy a coffee and a bit of company while they work. There is also wifi across the whole Wembley Park estate. Nearby, at The Robinson, Quintain has built private office space and work/phone booths into the residents’ lounge. The versatile space can be used for both working and socialising, in recognition of the blurring of the lines between the two. And for those who want a really inspiring work from home space, there is a dedicated rooftop that is home to three bespoke, custombuilt work from home camper vans, complete with power, heating, lighting and wifi. Quintain added picnic tables and deckchairs too, to give the space a real community vibe. Danielle Bayless, Chief Operating Officer, at Quintain Living, said: “The lines between living and working from home have become inextricably interwoven for many since the pandemic. It’s raised questions about the continuing relevance of commuting to the office every day; for many, spending a few days a week working from home is here to stay. “Working from home shouldn’t mean you have to feel lonely. We’re looking at this as a long-term occurrence now, incorporating more quirky work from home spaces in our future buildings, as well as thinking through how individual apartments can be designed to suit increased home working. That means including more space for desks, providing furniture that’s designed to be comfortable when used for longer periods at a time, that kind of thing. We’re also exploring ways that we can support residents to tailor their apartments to suit their individual working requirements; not every home worker needs an identikit desk/office chair setup.” Quintain Living / quintainliving.com
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THE COOKER HOOD SPECIALISTS WESTIN.CO.UK
Stratus Air ceiling hood in a kitchen project by Grid Thirteen luxury kitchens. Photography by Andy Haslam. Furry stars Dolly Parton & Marcel
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When Griggs Homes, a third-generation family-owned regional developer, was building a development of new homes, it took the opportunity to build itself a headquarters that reflected the quality of homes it builds, as well as its own growth ambitions. The developer, which was previously based out of a High Street office, builds luxury multi-unit developments to sell and large bespoke houses for private clients. It wanted a space where it could bring clients so that they could get a feel for the quality of design and finish that they would get from their new homes. With its own target of growing from a ‘local’ developer, to becoming a regional housebuilder working on multi-phase sites, it also wanted a space with a stature that reflected this. Designed by its own in-house architects and finished off by its interior design team, the office space mixes private offices that double up as lounges and a large open plan atrium and break out area with a hotel lobby feel that features a fully-stocked bar, pool table and dartboard. In its ‘garden’, it boasts an entertainment space with a fire pit and outside kitchen featuring a large BBQ and pizza oven. Both areas are designed to be able to host new home launch events. As well as housing its own team of 40 office-based staff, the building has additional office space that is leased out to other local businesses. Griggs Homes / griggshomes.co.uk
Victoria House – a historic building in London’s Bloomsbury – was carefully restored by workspace provider LABS and architecture studio Hutchinson & Partners. The 200,000 sq ft site fuses the structure’s elegant 1920s neoclassical design and more contemporary renovation in the early 2000s by Will Alsop, with a new ‘modernised layer’. Among the new additions are unique meeting zones and working spaces, including sweeping booths made from oak timber, as well as retained pods suspended within the space. Upper floors have been converted to host a series of modern workspaces, as well as quiet nooks, meeting rooms, phone booths, and informal work zones on each floor. LABS / labs.com
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE I N T E R V I E W – R O B E RT O PA LO M B A
FLYING SOLOS
With 3,500 sq m of installations to oversee at this month’s Salone del Mobile in Milan, design maestro Roberto Palomba is busier than ever. Even so, he took some time out to chat with Martin Allen-Smith about the new Solos range from Ideal Standard…
Roberto and Ludovica Palomba
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DESIGNER: Please tell us a little about the design vision behind Solos Roberto Palomba: Solos is the last design from the bigger picture that is the Atelier Collection which we have been working on since I joined Ideal Standard as Chief Design Officer three and a half years ago. My role is not just to design but to contribute to the overall aim of rebuilding the design vision for the brand. We started by putting together a great team to work on this and we set about creating the Atelier Collection; a range fully dedicated to design, to premium, and to architects and designers who want to create unique projects. From this point, we developed it into a vision that we call ‘singular’. It gives the designer the possibility to find in our catalogue a deep collection of many tools that he or she can combine to create their own design. By crossing the various elements together, they really can create something unique. When you design a bathroom, you often start with a predetermined ‘set’, but architects don’t want to design with sets. They don’t want to have to work with a prescriptive format that restricts their own design vision.
So, in creating this big family of products, they have the chance to select something that really fits together how they choose. We created Solos as an extension of that. It is an approach that hides all of the mechanical and technical fittings within the ceramic, so that you are just left with a spout on the ceramic. Thanks to water jet technology which allows us to cut the ceramic very precisely, we can create something that is superminimalistic and hyper-radical. We’re really happy with it because we’re providing the opportunity to work with fewer elements but ones which are very sophisticated and unique in their design. It is also a concept that will be developed in the future. What we are presenting in Milan now is just the tip of the iceberg and represents only a teaser of what we will show at ISH in Frankfurt next year.
Ideal Standard’s Solos concept – designed by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba – will be previewed at Salone del Mobile 2022 in Milan this month
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE I N T E R V I E W – R O B E RT O PA LO M B A
The basin features a minimalist and purist design with fine, straight lines and thin edges. The precise design is made possible with Diamatec material, a blend of alumina and chamotte that allows highly complex designs but with strength and durability
DESIGNER: The link between the basin and tap has always been vitally important, so what’s different about that combination in this case? Palomba: Put simply, it enables you to buy one product instead of two. The technology for the tap is fully integrated into the ceramic. Of course, you can still change or maintain it, so it’s not something that creates a complication in terms of managing it, but the integrated design means you can have a very clean and minimal aesthetic. It is also easier to clean, so there are many strong aspects to this innovation, but the most important thing is to
imagine the tap and the ceramic as one piece. Sometimes in choosing a tap and a basin, it is the combination of the two that creates the style from two differing perspectives, but this is a clear and simple vision that represents an iconic and quite radical minimalist design. DESIGNER: What were some of the production challenges of bringing this creative vision to reality, and how did the initial idea come about? Palomba: Lots of work needed to be done on the ceramic in order to create the space, and cutting the ceramic has to be very precise, down to the millimetre.
What is nice is when you have the chance to co-operate with clever people who love their job and who, such as in this case, come up with new technology to make new ideas possible. At other times, perhaps I will come up with the aesthetic idea and we will then have to find the technology to do that. So, the process is like a tennis match – you send the ball to your colleague and then they return it in a slightly different place. For me, it has to be about this kind of co-operation, otherwise the whole process is a very cold one of just receiving a brief and ticking the boxes to fulfil it. That would be boring.
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Smart locks for more intelligent spaces How people use their spaces is changing. Smart lockers or intelligent locker systems are reshaping the way you work by delivering security, convenience, and an outstanding user experience. Whether you’re looking to make life easier for customers, staff or visitors, our range of intelligent locker systems helps make every interaction more efficient. Contact the experts at Lowe & Fletcher to discuss your requirements today! T: 0121 505 0400 E: sales@lowe-and-fletcher.co.uk W: www.connectedlocking.com / www.lowe-and-fletcher.co.uk
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE I N T E R V I E W – R O B E RT O PA LO M B A
DESIGNER: What part did the material play in making this design possible? How does Diamatec differ to other materials you have worked with? Palomba: It is 100% vital. The materials are the body and essence of what we are doing. What we create has to be tangible, useful, and highly practical, and we were ambitious with this design so needed a material that could make it work. We also have to think about sustainability. Everything we have in the home was essentially ‘stolen’ from nature, whether it is wood, stone, furniture, or fabric. So, we have a responsibility to reduce the quantity of material that we are stealing, recycle it, and find the best possible ways of doing things,
starting from the raw materials. So, we are creating new materials that have 40% less impact in terms of resources – and by that I mean not only the quantity of raw materials being used but also the process of manufacture, which needs to use less water, less energy. Every day, our technicians are giving us new solutions, and every day we are exploring new avenues. DESIGNER: With this concept being previewed at Salone del Mobile, what else do you think we might see at the show in general? Palomba: Salone is always a surprise box. You can leave the show one year and say that there was nothing much to see, and then another time you will say ‘oh wow, that’s changed the world’. But that’s what
makes the show so good. If you consider other trade shows which are so predictable, you almost ask why bother going, because you can just wait to hear about what was expected anyway. But at Salone you never know what will happen. What do I expect to see there in terms of trends? Absolutely everything, and the opposite! I expect to be surprised, and this year – after two years away – I think it’s going to be a fantastic, wonderful Salone and I hope everybody has the chance to come. It’s the most important design fair in the world, and we have to protect it for the future, for the sake of all of us who work in this job.
Visible are only a spout and control knob, in either a cylindrical or square shape, while the technology is hidden underneath the basin. The basin will be available in glossy black or white and can be combined with taps in either chrome, brushed gold or magnetic grey
Ideal Standard / idealstandard.co.uk PS+A / palombaserafini.com 32
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New for 2022, stunning Roseberry Curved Units.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE EVENT PREVIEW / MILAN 2022
MEMPHIS REVISITED On display throughout Milan Design Week, Triennale Milano and Memphis Milano’s exhibition Memphis Again offers a striking view on a brief, bold, and influential design movement. Directed and curated by Christoph Radl, the exhibition will remain on show in the Curva gallery at Triennale until 12 June 2022. It presents more than 200 pieces of furniture and objects, including bookshelves, dividers, bathroom furniture, dining tables, coffee tables, desks, chairs, sofa beds, table lamps, and more. The pieces are made from a diverse range of materials such as wood, plastic, laminate, glass, ceramic, porcelain, silver, steel, and fabric, all produced between 1981 and 1986 for the Memphis collection. The 100m-long gallery displays the objects in chronological order. Just like in a fashion show, the observer will be walking down the catwalk in a space that, thanks to music by Seth Troxler, feels like a nightclub. Quotes by critics, architects and designers are projected on the walls. The curators are keen to point out that the exhibition is neither an homage nor a historicisation. Its objective today, just as it was back then in 1981, is that of directing the attention on the expressive and cultural possibilities of a design that goes beyond marketing. Memphis was born with the desire to sidestep the usual language of design and architecture. The importance of Memphis for the world of design can also be seen in Triennale’s Museo del Design Italiano, where the chronological display ends in 1981. With objects, photographs and graphic materials, the exhibition offers a focus on how this cultural movement marked the start of a new era in design production both in Italy and around the world. Memphis Milano / Memphis-milano.com
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE EVENT PREVIEW / MILAN 2022
Style Central
Having shifted from its usual April slot due to the pandemic, we pick out a few of the sights ahead at this month’s mega-show of the design world – Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE EVENT PREVIEW / MILAN 2022
REDEFINING THE BASIN Agape has collaborated with Benedini Associati to create its Ell washbasin. Consisting of a flat surface with an aerated grill, the design aims to take simplicity to the next level. The top and grille are available in white or deep caviar Corian or in white Carrara, Carnico Grey or Black Marquina marble, with the column in white or dark powder-coated steel. Agape / agapedesign.it Benedini Associati / benedinipartners.it
LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE The latest in a long-running partnership between French designer Philippe Starck and bathroom brand Duravit is the Soleil range. The design – one of a number of new products being presented in Milan by the German brand – aims to create a natural and calm atmosphere with a subtle but distinctive form and includes a compact range of washbasins, WCs and bathtubs. Duravit / duravit.co.uk Philippe Starck / starck.com
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Explore handles for kitchens, bathrooms and furniture.
The Manor Collection. Prices starting from £4.81
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30/05/2022 16:55
The need to rewild megacities, where biodiversity is in rapid decline, is critical. Ronald Lu & Partners
#FutureproofDesign A series of thought leadership articles, each time focusing on one type of building to cover inclusivity and accessibility. Read all of the interviews now on designerati.co.uk
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE EVENT PREVIEW / MILAN 2022
Photography: Salva Lopez
COMPLETE SEAT In 2012, Arper’s Juno redefined the plastic chair with the minimal gesture of its slim silhouette. Now, a decade on, Juno 02 reimagines this enduring expression in sustainable plastic and a new palette inspired by the natural world. Through material research, this design by James Irvine is now available in 70% post-industrial recycled plastic, and six new colours intended for both residential and contract settings, as well as indoor and outdoor spaces. Arper / arper.com
HIDDEN QUALITIES TM Italia will present its new Avignon kitchen at EuroCucina during Salone del Mobile this month. Designed by Nicola Gallizia, it takes the form of an island and integrated table, with features neatly tucked away until required. The legs of the table contain a home office component to accommodate a laptop, keyboard, a space for a PlayStation and tablet, plus a sliding unit to house drinks, glasses and bottles.
The island features two hidden units within the main worktop. One contains a monitor that can rotate to face the table or the island, while the other compartment, next to the hob, is designed to store a collection of spices and kitchen utensils. TM Italia / tmitalia.it
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
Photography: Michael Denancé / Yann Monel
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A Framework for Nature
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
A full-scale refurbishment turned a large but segmented office building into a seamless workspace with sustainability and wellness at its design core
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esigned by FrenchBrazilian Triptyque Architecture, with interiors created by Philippe Starck, Villa M aims to create a new link between cities, nature, and health. Of the mixed-use complex located in Boulevard Pasteur, in the Parisian borough of Montparnasse, Olivier Raffaëlli and Guillaume Sibaud of Triptyque Architecture, said: “We designed Villa M as a naturalist architectural manifesto: that is, a building of a new era, where man is no longer opposed to nature and the living.” Its architecture stands out with its living building, whose geometry is formed by metallic structural beams, conceived to house medicinal herbal plants, fruit trees, and medium to large-sized perennial species. Designed as an exoskeleton, the building has a minimalist, light look, composed by prefabricated pieces. “The edifice itself is the support for this vertical garden, which will grow and occupy the entire façade, turning the building into a vertical, medicinal forest, and becoming the main architecture,” explains Raffaelli. Sibaud adds: “We have explored all of the available surfaces to maximise the greenery and to avoid energy and carbon waste.” The environmental aims are present in the basic and organic material
choices, in what its creators describe as ‘low-tech architecture’. Villa M’s design is intended for the architecture to bring nature back to the city, with the main goal to provide citizens with a new, natureinspired urban experience. Rafaëlli said: “Breathing, sunbathing, and connecting to nature are vital needs that the urban lifestyle is no longer able to guarantee. To resist the urban expansion – unsustainable by nature – the city must provide this experience in addition to stimulating the correlation between external and internal spaces in built areas.” The building’s 8,000 sqm house a mixed-use complex comprising a hotel, restaurant, bar, conference area, a co-working space, and a showroom for start-ups in the health and wellness sector. The hotel itself boasts 67 rooms and 6 suites, all designed as green spaces. Some of them have a balcony or terrace to admire the Montparnasse and Invalides districts. And, above all, nestled at the corner of the seventh floor, there is the Pasteur Suite, a premium space with large bay windows, a double green terrace, and a living room open to the capital. Philippe Starck, Architectural Design and Art director of the interior spaces at Villa M, said: “Villa M is a bubbling, honest, and warm place, where life is good and beautiful, and where it is good
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE HOSPITALITY DESIGN
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to live and eat well. Throughout the restaurant and the bar, fertile surprises, hidden places, and mental games arouse curiosity and guide the gaze of visitors, reminding them that intelligence is one of the most beautiful symptoms of humanity. “The traveller must feel at home, in calm, soft, and maternal rooms, pleasant to live in, so that the human being is always at the heart of the Villa M concept.” In these spaces, guests will find durable materials, organic colours, warm contemporary furniture, and a plethora of mirrors and sustainable products. It also features the characteristics of a high-end hotel – a boxing and fitness club, and yoga
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rooms – but also 20 open offices and co-working spaces. The hotel’s restaurant is made of wood and concrete, vegetation, and an open kitchen, surrounded by a large terrace with trees. The space is highlighted by wood, leather, bookshelves, mismatched furniture, large armchairs, and wide benches covered with cushions. On the top floor is the RoofTop, featuring stunning views of the Eiffel Tower, the Dôme des Invalides, and the roofs of Paris. It features a suspended oasis composed of fruit trees and plants, with large wooden armchairs, Canadian gardeners, wicker lamps, and lighting garlands.
Triptyque / triptyque.com/en/
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE INCLUSIVE DESIGN
DESIGN FOR ALL
Making spaces that meet everybody’s needs is the essence of good design. We consider some projects that place this principle at their core…
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OPEN ACCESS
British Land and Fletcher Priest Architects’ renovation of 135 Bishopsgate points the way to a more imaginative and sustainable approach, with the retention of the greater part of the existing structure and fabric. Designed by SOM in the late 1980s to a Fletcher Priest masterplan, the existing building is part of a 300m set piece along one of the City’s major thoroughfares, and sits above the UK’s third busiest commuter train station. Fletcher Priest refurbished the building, opening up the frontage and the public realm, with newly serviced and renovated workspaces above, providing access to garden terraces. The scheme was 97% pre-let before completion, attracting a mix of high-profile tenants. The retention of 90% of the existing structure and envelope significantly reduced the embodied carbon impact; the retained steelwork alone equates to half the structure of the Eiffel Tower. Vogt Landscape Architects designed a series of cascading steps to the street for easier pedestrian access, and the new terrace planting with trees encourage people to dwell. The interiors have been updated to create a contemporary workplace. Key enhancements included increasing accessibility and bringing the interior up-todate while preserving the building’s features. Terraces on levels 7, 8 and 10 take advantage of the building’s existing geometry. Further enhancements included the introduction of cycle parking, showers and changing rooms in the basement, as well as outdoor cycle parking as part of the public realm improvements, which is in line with the increase in active mobility and the various fitness and environmental benefits. The design of the building’s public realm supports these aims by providing wider terraces, improved pedestrian access and an enlarged retail space. Fletcher Priest / fletcherpriest.com
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE INCLUSIVE DESIGN
COVERING ALL ANGLES
For the MS Society – which funds research into multiple sclerosis – a change in operational style required a change in working environment. Its new office in north London was created by design and build company Peldon Rose, and it was vital that the interior design of the space helped unlock the full potential of the space, offering an inclusive and accessible space for all. A central objective was to echo the organisation’s communityfocused values, bringing everyone together in one connected space. Through intelligent design and space utilisation, Peldon Rose were able to create an agile space across 9,000 sq ft that adapts with the charity’s changing requirements. With multi-purpose, flexible solutions, and areas including a café social space, an auditorium, meeting spaces, event space and sections for working, the office provides an environment where staff can truly thrive. Natasha Hewlett, Project Designer at Peldon Rose, said: “Like many organisations, after several months of remote working throughout the pandemic, the MS Society recognised the benefits of offering more flexibility to staff. The charity made a decision to shift its way of working for good within their new office space.” With a focus on autonomy, the MS Society has adopted an activity-based working style that gives staff the freedom to decide where and how they want to work to suit their individual needs, role and personality. No longer bound by the outdated requirement of providing rows and rows of desks for employees, it was time to create a destination office – one that supports flexible working through a mix of settings and promotes greater health and wellbeing. Employee wellbeing was a priority, and using the principles of biophilic design, Peldon Rose ensured staff’s mental and physical health were a key focus by creating plenty of workspaces that are flooded by natural light, as well as relaxation areas for staff to retreat to if required. Open areas were also created where wellbeing sessions could be held for staff, and ensured that cycle parking spaces, basement showers and outdoor spaces were incorporated into the design to encourage activity. An important element of this project was to create a space for inclusive collaboration. Some of the people who work for the MS Society are affected by MS themselves, meaning that creating an inclusive and accessible space for all was key. Everything down to the floorplate layout, furniture pieces and even the colours and tones used were considered. Alongside offering an improved and accessible employee experience, the design took a human-centric approach. With few fixed assets, furniture pods can be moved to create spaces fit for team work, project meetings, knowledge sharing, and mentoring. Hewlett added: “Naturally, the MS Society was committed to delivering a totally accessible space. The charity specified that it must meet a higher standard of accessibility beyond the Disability Discrimination Act’s minimum level of compliance, so we ensured the flow and functionality of the space was considered through every aspect, so that everyone feels included. “The office incorporates full access raised floors, widened routes for wheelchairs, DDA tea points, as well as wayfinding and graphics that are easy to understand for visitors. We’ve also installed a ‘Changing Places’ washroom designed to offer complete accessibility as well as sufficient space and equipment.”
Peldon Rose / peldonrose.com
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ELEVATED THINKING Completed in 1998, Maison à Bordeaux by Netherlands-based architecture practice OMA remains a hugely ambitious example of how to address the needs of people with limited mobility. The house is a private residence of three floors on a cape-like hill overlooking Bordeaux. The lower level is a series of caverns carved out from the hill, designed for the most intimate life of the family; the ground floor on garden level is a glass room – half inside, half outside – for living; and the upper floor is divided into a children’s and a parents’ area. The heart of the house is a 3m x3.5m elevator platform that moves freely between the three floors, becoming part of the living space or kitchen or transforming itself into an intimate office space, and granting access to books, artwork, and the wine cellar.
Photography: OMA / Hans Werlemann
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Transformative...
The incredibly stylish ‘NEWS’ seating range designed by David Fox for Knightsbridge Furniture.
Knightsbridge handcrafts beautifully designed contract furniture in the heart of Yorkshire. Contact 01274 731 900 or enquiries@knightsbridge-furniture.co.uk to find out more.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE INCLUSIVE DESIGN
The couple who commissioned it had originally intended a simple house, but after the husband suffered life-changing injuries in a car accident, they reconsidered what their home should be. “Contrary to what you would expect,” he told the architect, “I do not want a simple house. I want a complex house, because the house will define my world.” They bought land on a hill with panoramic views over the city. The architect proposed a house – or in fact three houses on top of each other. The innovative elevator at its heart not only makes each level easily accessible, but it continuously changes the architecture of the house. OMA / oma.com
Ewald Damen, Creative Director for interior design studio Virgile and Partners, on why inclusive design should always be at the heart of any scheme… “I fear inclusivity is not always well considered within the design process and is often overlooked, stopping short at enforced regulations which leads to contradiction in itself. Architects and designers should consider disabilities better and logically as part of the process from the beginning so they are truly inherent within the design, rather than a box-ticking afterthought which is how it can appear in many cases. “Inclusive design is only truly inclusive if it is there without noticing it and it works for all. However, a seamless design that allows adapting to all people’s abilities and inabilities is way more complex than sometimes assumed. Disabilities are in many more shapes and forms, sometimes adjusting your design to suit one, could hinder another person’s usage. Who has not washed their hands in that single cafe toilet where the sink is at wheelchair height, whilst hearing or visual hinders are often fully ignored? “The famous Bordeaux house by OMA is the perfect example of inclusive design done successfully. Designed around a wheelchair user from the beginning, the result is a well-thought and aesthetically beautiful design.” Virgile and Partners / virgileandpartners.com
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winner dezeen awards 2020
GEM, embossed acoustic wall panels. Choose from 15 colourways.
Available in the UK through The Collective Agency enquiry@thecollective.agency +44 (0) 203 633 3138
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wovenimage.com
23/03/2022 23:03
DESIGNER MAGAZINE PLASTIC – REMAKING OUR WORLD
The Flipflopi is an East African movement with a mission to end single use plastic and inspire a plastic-reuse revolution
Panasonic Toot-aLoop R-72S radio 1969–72 (photo: Andreas Sütterlin)
Studio Formafantasma, Botanica, commissioned by Plart Foundation, 2011 (photo: Luisa Zanzani) Bakelite leaflet, 1930s (courtesy of Amsterdam Bakelite Collection)
Shellworks, jars made from Vivomer, a bioplastic produced with the help of microbes, 2021 (photo: Catharina Pavitschitz)
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Table telephone, Frankfurt model, 1928/29, by Marcel Breuer & Richard Schadewell (photo: Andreas Sütterlin)
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE PLASTIC – REMAKING OUR WORLD
Moulding our Surroundings
A new exhibition takes a close-up look at a much-maligned and ubiquitous material which has undoubtedly shaped the world around us Plastics are globally omnipresent and an intricate part of our lives. The story of how this versatile, cheap, and thoroughly vital product of modern manufacturing came into being is told in this ambitious exhibition which runs at Germany’s Vitra Design Museum until 4 September. It describes the evolution and the shifting perceptions of plastics from their beginnings in the midnineteenth century to their global omnipresence today. The first plastic materials were plant - or animalbased: for centuries, horn and tortoiseshell were used to create drinking vessels and to embellish cutlery. Gutta-percha, a material used for decorative objects and insulation of underwater telegraph cables, was made from the latex of gutta-
percha trees. The invention of celluloid by John Wesley Hyatt in the 1860s was triggered by the search to find a replacement for ivory in the production of billiard balls. In 1907, Leo Baekeland invented the first plastic made of purely synthetic components and named it Bakelite. It was hailed as the material of infinite uses. Being nonconductive, Bakelite was soon used for light switches, wall sockets, or radio sets and played a central role in the electrification of everyday life. While early plastics were often developed by independent inventors and tinkerers, from the 1920s onwards the expanding petrochemical industry – with companies such as Dow, Du Pont, Imperial Chemical Industries, and IG Farben – took a leading role.
This marked the beginning of an era of ‘petromodernity’. When industrial design emerged as a profession of its own in the 1930s, its proponents – including Egmont Arens, Wells Coates, and Gio Ponti – were quick to embrace the possibilities of the new materials. Further developments in the field of plastics were catalysed by the Second World War, which led to materials like Plexiglas for aircraft canopies or Nylon for parachutes being processed on a large scale. Post-1945, these materials were promoted for new, domestic uses such as plastic cups and plates, Tupperware, toys like Lego or the Barbie doll, and easyto-clean vinyl surfaces. In the 1960s, based on the notion of convenience and fuelled by the
packaging industry, the idea of single-use plastics was introduced, and a new throwaway culture began to spread. The oil crisis in 1973 meant lower supplies and higher prices for the resource from which most plastics were made, but it had little long-term effect on the plastic boom. While global plastic production soon picked up again, strategies for reducing plastic waste were slow to emerge. In the 1990s, designers like Jane Atfield, Bär + Knell, and Enzo Mari were among the first to work with recycled plastics. Like no other, the human health sector exemplifies the plastic paradox – its positive, sometimes lifesaving qualities as well as its negative, even life-threatening impacts. The issues arising from the plastic boom have
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE PLASTIC – REMAKING OUR WORLD
etched themselves in our collective consciousness: from microplastic in the soil, in the oceans, and in our bodies to mountains of packaging waste that are often disposed of or burnt – with immense ecological consequences on a global scale. How can we overcome the global plastic waste crisis? And what role can design – alongside industry, consumers, and politics – play in the process? These are some key questions addressed in the final part of the exhibition. It presents projects which were developed to filter plastic waste from rivers and oceans, but it is obvious that an effective reduction of plastic waste must begin at a much earlier point.
Reducing packaging and single-use products requires a circular design approach that takes account of an object’s entire life cycle. An example for this is the Rex Chair (2011/2021) designed by Ineke Hans, which can be returned to the manufacturer for repairs or recycling. Meanwhile, the ordinary plastic drinking bottle serves as a case study to show that reducing the high quantity of single-use plastic requires a combination of infrastructures – in this case, deposit-return schemes, adapted production facilities, and alternatives such as drinking fountains. In recent years, many scientists and designers have started exploring materials that are based
on renewable rather than fossil resources and often referred to as bioplastics. The exhibition presents a 2022 remake of Peter Ghyczy’s Garden Egg (1967) made by Dutch designer duo Klarenbeek & Dros using 3D printed algaebased plastics. Among a variety of other projects, the British start-up Shellworks harnesses microorganisms to create bioplastic, while the University of Portsmouth and ETH Zurich are testing or developing enzymes for plastic degradation. As a whole, the exhibition offers a critical and differentiated reassessment of plastic in today’s world. Interviews with designers, scientists, and activists underline the importance of an interdisciplinary
approach in which politics, industry, science, and design collaborate closely to tackle the plastic problem. The exhibition aims to address the bigger picture of plastic and its complex role in our world by analysing how we came to be so dependent on it, reassessing where the use of plastic is essential and where it can be reduced or replaced, and by reimagining possible futures for this contested material. Plastic: Remaking Our World runs at the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany, until 4 September 2022. It will then travel to V&A Dundee (29 October 2022 – 5 February 2023), and then to maat, Lisbon, in spring 2023. Vitra Design Museum / design-museum.de
MycoTEX in collaboration with Karin Vlug, MycoTEX seamless jacket (photo: Jeroen Dietz)
Jean Pierre Vitrac, Plack picnic ware, c. 1977 (image courtesty Museum of Design in Plastics, Arts University Bournemouth)
The Ocean Cleanup, system 002 deployed for testing in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, 2021 (photo: The Ocean Cleanup)
Photo by Peter Stackpole, staged to illustrate an article on ‘Throwaway Living’, LIFE magazine, 1 August 1955 (photo: Getty / Peter Stackpole)
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ASH ELM BAVARIAN BRASILICA BEECH OAK IROKO CHERRY MAHOGANY WENGE
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30/05/2022 17:04
DESIGNER MAGAZINE T H E D E S I G N E R AT I P O D C A S T
MAKING LIVING LOVELY Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead of 2LG Studio have established a reputation as brave and bold colour masters and have brought their creative energy to the small screen for the recent reboot of Changing Rooms. They spoke to Melissa Porter for the designerati podcast, sponsored by Sealskin, about life and work together Russell Whitehead on… BOLD COLOURS
“When I was a kid, I was drawn to bold colours. I remember being aged 7 or 8 at a friend’s birthday party and a parent asked me ‘what’s your favourite colour?’ and I said ‘peach’. She looked absolutely horrified. I remember suddenly realising that it was in some way controversial. I then felt drawn to it in a kind of rebellious way as you do when someone puts a boundary in front of you. “So partly it’s about rebellion, but also partly I think that as queer people growing up, it was a way to express ourselves. Perhaps for Jordan this was in the clothes that he wore, and for me in how I painted my bedroom at home. It was showing ‘this is who I am’ and finding a way to make a space for ourselves and achieving a level of control.”
2LG on… ENABLING CREATIVITY
Jordan: “Our starting point with a new project is very much about the client vision. A lot of what we do is ‘enabling’. People feel so conditioned by Instagram and Pinterest etc, to think that everything has got to look a certain way, like these ‘perfect’ images. But it can be quite difficult for people to work out what exactly it is that they like within a certain image, so a lot of what we do is to unpick that, and enable it in the most beautiful way. If you like white then let’s work with that. If you love bright orange, then let’s make that work.”
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2LG STUDIO
South-East London creative duo Jordan Cluroe and Russell Whitehead are the couple behind the interior design practice 2LG Studio and have established a reputation for simplicity, elegance, and a signature use of colour. Their work reaches across the residential and commercial arenas and, as well as a wide range of interior projects, also includes work with major manufacturers including Ercol, Graham & Brown, Ligne Roset, and Sealskin. Their profile is extensive with projects having appeared in numerous international magazines and on television. They are currently working on the follow-up to their first book Making Living Lovely, and will soon begin filming for the second series of the rebooted interior design show Changing Rooms for Channel Four. 2LG Studio / 2lgstudio.com
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Russell: “It is a question of confidence-building, and trying to tease that little bit of expression out of our clients if they’re not already giving that to us instantly. That is changing too though as we become more established in that sometimes people are coming to us for certain looks. So while we used to work hard to get into the mind of the client, sometimes now they are specifically choosing us because they like what we do – it makes for a really interesting creative negotiation.”
Russell Whitehead on… CHANGING ROOMS
“In series one of filming the new Changing Rooms, we had an awful lot of fun. It gave us licence to get back in there and make things which is what we were doing earlier in our careers. And although we take design seriously, we don’t take ourselves too seriously. So rest assured, in series two which we start filming soon, we will continue to enjoy ourselves – expect lots of silliness and fun, but with quality ‘reveals’. Because we have such confidence in the design process itself, we don’t think there’s anything wrong with having fun on the way there.”
2LG on… BOOK NUMBER TWO
Jordan: “We’re working on our second book with Thames & Hudson. Our first book, Making Living Lovely, was very much about the whole, whereas this time we are doing more a deep dive into some of the detail of the home.” Russell: “It’s from macro into micro of the actual nitty-gritty of living your life and enjoying the small wins and making celebration moments as special as they can possibly be.”
Jordan Cluroe on… BEING SERIOUS ABOUT COLOUR
“There’s sometimes a sense that for something to be taken seriously it has to be white, stark or otherwise sensible and that colour or playful design is in some way less valid, childlike or less expensive. We like to play with that and challenge it. “There’s also a perception from a property market point of view, that imposing your own personality and character on a space makes it somehow less valuable. We say no, sod that, we think the opposite.”
THE DESIGNERATI PODCAST
Watch or listen to the full interview with 2LG Studio on the designerati podcast. Subscribe and tune in every Monday wherever you get your podcasts – including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, Google Podcasts and many others – to hear fascinating insights by guests drawn from all corners of the creative sector. Join our host Melissa Porter for a conversation on all things design with some of the biggest design names and brightest new creative talent. designerati / designerati.co.uk
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minotticucinelondon 2-3 Market Place, Fitzrovia, London W1W 8DU t 0203 941 0317 info@minotticucinelondon.com minotticucinelondon.com
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE KITCHEN DESIGN
Open to New Ideas Open-plan living that brings the outside perspective into the space is much sought-after, and the kitchen in this architect’s home combines all the right elements to deliver exactly that
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE KITCHEN DESIGN
Photography: Paul Craig
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his open plan handleless kitchen was designed by Gavin Alexander and Darren Taylor, of Hampshire-based Searle & Taylor, for an architect who drew the original plans for the layout as part of a contemporary new-build home project for him and his family. The new house has a very modern design with extensive use of glass throughout. The kitchen itself faces out to the garden with full-height panel doors with black surrounds that slide open entirely to bring the outside in during the summer months. To reflect the natural light, the Intuo kitchen furniture features polished glass door and drawer fronts in Lava and Fango colourways to complement the marble floor tiles that are also light-reflective.
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DESIGNER MAGAZINE KITCHEN DESIGN
“We designed the kitchen to specification, with the main feature being a large T-shaped island in the 5.8m x 9m space,” explained Taylor. “The concept behind the island’s shape was to have a full preparation and surface cooking space with the sink run behind it, while the length of the island would be used for dining and socialising, with bar stool seating in recesses on either side.” The preparation area is 3.2m wide and features a contrasting 20mm thick Eternal Marfil worktop with Shark’s nose edging to provide easy access to the stainless-steel recessed handle rails to the deep drawers at the front and sides of the island. At the centre is a Novy Panorama PRO 90, with an integrated ventilation tower that rises when extraction is required and then retracts back into the hob’s surface when cooking has ended. For this reason, no overhead extraction was required for this kitchen. Directly beneath the hob are pull-out storage units and there are further deep drawers on either side for pans and plates. To the left of the island are tall handleless glass-fronted cabinets within a 600mm recess, featuring a broom cupboard at one end and a Neff integrated fridge freezer at the other. A bank of Neff side-by-
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side cooking appliances make the central focus and include two single pyrolytic ovens, a combination microwave and an integrated coffee machine together with accessory drawers. Further storage cupboards are above and below each appliance. The sink run is situated beneath a long rectangular picture window with a black metal surround. Directly above it is a run of glazed cabinets, all by Intuo, with black glass surrounds, with one double-height to the left of the window. The cabinets all store glassware and crockery and they are backlit to make a feature of them at
night. Functional pull-out storage cupboards sit beneath the worktop, including pull-out bins, together with a 60cm integrated dishwasher on either side of the sink unit. An undermount single bowl and separate half bowl sink by Axixuno are all cladded in stone to match the pale walls, along with a tap by Quooker. The feature wall is painted in Caramel crunch by Dulux. The bar stools by Danetti were chosen by the client to complement this striking colour, and crockery was chosen to match. Pendant lights are Taper by Franklite.
Searle & Taylor / searle-taylor.co.uk
27/05/2022 06:59
DESIGNER MAGAZINE KITCHEN DESIGN
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27/05/2022 06:59
DESIGNER MAGAZINE EXIT / DUTCH COURAGE
EXIT
One last thing from this month’s magazine…
Over 600 sqm of wall space in this striking Netherlands building has been given over to huge murals to create a remarkable dining space. The design of the Thomas café in Eindhoven had to get past stringent local planners who assessed the interior plans in detail before deciding that the characterful architecture of the space was being given a new lease of life by the design. The bold visuals are the work of Niels van Swaemen and Kaspar van Leek of Studio Giftig, known for their detailed realistic paintings. When visitors enter the room, they are greeted by an imposing array of creatures. A huge spoonbill with a crowned monkey on its back flies across the wall surrounded by coloured paper planes, while a flying statue and a whale, are joined by the house dinosaur and a floating donut – the artists’ imaginations have certainly run wild. The surrealistic scheme covers all walls and the ceiling of the space and took two months to complete.
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Designer 262 Exit 2022.indd 66
27/05/2022 07:00
KALDEWEI SUPERPLAN ZERO SHOWER FLOOR
Choreographed precision and elegance
The steel enamel SUPERPLAN ZERO shower floor combines the strength of steel with the exquisite beauty of glass. Its refined and graceful lines fit perfectly with the overall look of the room. PHOTOGRAPHER Bryan Adams
Visit KALDEWEI.COM DANCER TATIANA MARTINEZ
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25/04/2022 14:04
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U NO Uno offers a contemporary choice of nine subtle shades and textures. Sleek in style, the versatile palette is perfect for pairing together or mixing with colour or texture. Handle-less or with handles. CROWN - INNOVATIVE THINKING
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K I T C H E N B E D R O O M LI VI N G
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