BP
Nº122 MAY — JUN 2018
BX €19.95 DE €19.95 IT €14.95 CHF 30 UK £14.95 JP ¥3,570 KR WON 40,000
THE GREAT INDOORS
Frame Awards 2018 THE WORLD’S BEST INTERIORS
THE OUTDOOR ALCHEMIST
Outdoor Alchemy is the pursuit of a smooth relationship between nature and living spaces. In this philosophy, Maestro is the top project: the opportunity to choose between two types of coverage - sliding canvas or adjustable blades - makes it uniquely versatile. Performance, aesthetics and thinking outside the box: this is Corradi’s interpretation of outdoor space.
www.corradi.eu
Contents 68
37
21 OBJECTS
High-tech health aids, design for the blind, architectural fashion for Prada
42 NEOLITH
Chef Alessandro Borghese’s material of choice
45 THE CHALLENGE
Four creatives rethink tourism
58 IRIS CERAMICA AND FMG
Antoine Doyen
Bond-building
61 PORTRAITS 62 NAOTO FUKASAWA Outsider’s perspective 68 MATHIEU LEHANNEUR ‘I’m not much of a socialite’ 71 SPACON & X Redesigning spatial consumption 77 MAARTEN BAAS Getting (a) retrospective
Combining culture with commerce
Hans Bærholm
85 CARLOS CRUZ-DIEZ Immersed in colour
92 ROCA
11
Courtesy of Studio Chris Kabel
FRAME 122
71
12
FRAME 122
30 categories, 32 winners
Hunted
97 FRAME AWARDS
171
161 FRAME LAB 2018 The Next Space
177 REPORTS Furniture
Classics make a comeback; functionality meets flexibility
181 KETTAL
Adapting to the outdoors
188 MUUTO
Still Scandinavian
192 IN NUMBERS
UM Project’s Patch in facts and figures
Arne Jennard
Shao Feng
102
185
PAUL SOFA— VINCENT VAN DUYSEN D.153.1 ARMCHAIR— GIO PONTI PANNA COTTA SMALL TABLE— RON GILAD
JAN SMALL TABLES— VINCENT VAN DUYSEN DOMINO NEXT POUF— NICOLA GALLIZIA RANDOM CARPET— PATRICIA URQUIOLA
#MolteniGroup MILANO PARIS LONDON NEW YORK ATHENS BEIRUT BEIJING BRUSSELS BUDAPEST CHENGDU CHICAGO DUBAI GENEVA HELSINKI HONG KONG ISTANBUL JAKARTA KIEV MADRID MANILA MEXICO CITY MIAMI MOSCOW NANJING OSAKA SEOUL SHANGHAI SINGAPORE TEHERAN TOKYO TORONTO
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COLOPHON
Frame is published six times a year by Frame Publishers Luchtvaartstraat 4 NL-1059 CA Amsterdam frameweb.com
EDITORIAL For editorial inquiries, please e-mail frame@frameweb.com or call +31 20 4233 717 (ext 921). Editor in chief Robert Thiemann – RT Managing editor Tracey Ingram – TI Editor Floor Kuitert – FK Research editor Anouk Haegens – AH Editorial intern Kirsten Geekie – KG Copy editors InOtherWords (D’Laine Camp, Donna de Vries-Hermansader, Jesse van der Hoeven) Design director Barbara Iwanicka Graphic designer Zoe Bar-Pereg Translation InOtherWords (Donna de VriesHermansader, Maria van Tol) Contributors to this issue Kanae Hasegawa – KH David Keuning – DK Jessica-Christin Hametner – JCH Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou – SLA Shonquis Moreno – SM Alexandra Onderwater – AO Anna Sansom – AS Alexandra Margaret Servie – AMS Jane Szita – JS Cover Concept and photography Thomas Brown Set design Andrew Stellitano Retouching Recom Farmhouse Assistants Will Bunce, Tom Skinner Lithography Edward de Nijs Printing Grafisch Bedrijf Tuijtel Hardinxveld-Giessendam
PUBLISHING
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‘Photography can be a wasteful business, but the contents of all the cans on this issue’s cover were either donated to food banks or turned into amazing corn bread, corn curry and corn fritters. We never want to eat corn again’ THOMAS BROWN AND ANDREW STELLITANO, COVER ARTISTS
Sara Breveglieri sb@frameweb.com T +39 3394 37 39 51 Bookstore distributors Frame is available at sales points worldwide. Please see frameweb.com/ magazines/where-to-buy. Frame (USPS No: 019-372) is published bimonthly by Frame Publishers NL and distributed in the USA by Asendia USA, 17B South Middlesex Ave., Monroe, NJ 08831. Periodicals postage paid at New Brunswick, NJ, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send address changes to Frame, 701C Ashland Ave., Folcroft, PA 19032. ISSN FRAME: 1388-4239 © 2018 Frame Publishers and authors
Directors Robert Thiemann David de Swaan Brand and marketing manager Jelena Obradov jelena@frameweb.com T +31 20 4233 717 ext 981
To round off their series of four covers designed to explore materiality and space, photographer Thomas Brown and set designer Andrew Stellitano chose food packaging as their medium. Stacked to form primary shapes, the tins create an intriguing landscape.
16
EDITORIAL
More Than a Mag NOT JUST THE umpteenth design competition. A promise we made before launching the Frame Awards last year. In the meantime, the results are in. The first edition of the awards culminated in February, when we presented 32 prizes to an extremely international gathering of creative talent. All the winners are in this issue, along with reactions from our esteemed jury of industry leaders. The conclusions we’ve drawn from the winning work provide a basis for their cautious extrapolation into the future. So far, nothing particularly earthshaking. And yet I don’t mind sticking my neck out to say that the Frame Awards represent more than just another prize festival. Our ambitions go far beyond the ordinary. We started Frame magazine as a platform for interior design. The need to do so emerged from the knowledge that, at the end of the 20th century, interior design was seen as a second-rate profession. Interior designers had trouble explaining – to their mothers, their neighbours, even their clients – what made their occupation special. Lo and behold, we heard precisely the same story from the first winner of the Frame Lifetime Achievement Award – no-one less than Sevil Peach – when she spoke to the audience after receiving her prize. Yes, the situation has improved, but the
interior-design industry is still fighting for recognition. We want the Frame Awards to be a force in the achievement of that recognition – an instrument for reaching a broad and diverse public. Our belief that we’re headed in the right direction was boosted when the European Council of Interior Architects immediately gave its full support to our initiative. But that’s not the end of our aspirations. We want to play a leading role in elevating the industry to a higher level. It’s why we enhanced the Frame Awards with Frame Lab, an exciting two-day event that combined the best of a conference, a fair and an exhibition. In close collaboration with Germany’s Interior Business Association, Frame Lab assembled almost 1,000 designers, makers and users in an inspiring environment. Talks, discussions, workshops and a hackathon produced a wide range of remarkable stories and insights. The innovative objects, materials and technologies contributed by young designers, start-ups and established companies stimulated further exploration and reflection. And equally important: visitors made new connections and renewed contacts with old friends. Writing this, I’m reminded of all the super feedback we got. It won’t come as a surprise that our plans for the future include the continuation of both the Frame Awards and Frame Lab. What began as a magazine more than 20 years ago has experienced a gradual but grand evolution, becoming a multimedia platform for innovation and excellence in interior design. So watch this space. Expect Frame Awards and Frame Lab to continue in print, online, in Amsterdam or even at a place near you. ROBERT THIEMANN Editor in chief
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CONTRIBUTORS
‘Frame Lab featured an interesting compilation of exhibitors. Their presentations in the circular space of the iconic Westergasfabriek in Amsterdam provided me with interesting perspectives for the photography’ EWOUT HUIBERS, PHOTOGRAPHER
Originally from the UK, JANE SZITA is a journalist, writer and editor who has lived in Amsterdam since arriving in the city to work for Electric Word magazine, the forerunner of Wired. Focusing on the world of culture in its broadest sense, she covers design, art, architecture, travel, science, technology and more – for a wide variety of media, with credits in such prestigious publications as The Sunday Times, Vogue UK, Conde Nast Traveller, Wired, Dwell and Travel & Leisure. Szita has written and edited several books, among which Malkit Shoshan’s award-winning Atlas of the Conflict. She is the cofounder of creative collective Creatures of Content. For this issue, she interviewed Muuto's CEO and head of design (see page 188).
Based in Amsterdam, DAVID KEUNING obtained an MSc in architecture from Delft University of Technology, a postgraduate degree in journalism from Rotterdam’s Erasmus University, and a PhD in architecture history from the VU Amsterdam. After gaining work experience at an architecture firm, he realized that writing was more than a hobby. In addition to authoring numerous books, he’s had work published in various newspapers and magazines, including Mark, Frame, Het Parool, NRC Handelsblad and Het Financiële Dagblad. When not tied to a computer screen, Keuning likes to sing, sail and sleep. For this issue, he contributed to coverage of the Frame Awards.
After completing his studies in photography in Belgium, Dutchman EWOUT HUIBERS worked for several years in the Eindhoven area before setting up his own photography studio at the turn of the century. A major part of his portfolio consists of interior-design and architecture projects. Huibers’ graphic style and singular approach to his subjects determine the impact of his work. Clients vary from household magazines, building companies and property developers to architects and interior designers. His images of Frame Lab, an event that took place at Amsterdam’s Westergasfabriek, are on pages 161-174.
Journalist JESSICA-CHRISTIN HAMETNER has a passion for scouting new creative talents and a keen interest in exploring the future of design. She began her career with an internship at Wallpaper*, to which she continues to contribute stories. Hametner’s work has appeared in publications accessed worldwide, such as digital magazines The Spaces and We Heart and Canadianbased Nuvo. At present, Hametner divides her time between Copenhagen and London. You can find the report of her visit with the founders of multidisciplinary studio Spacon & X on page 71.
Courtesy of Kevin Chiam
HEALTH AIDS go high-tech. INCLUSIVE ITEMS enable the blind. ARCHITECTS join the ranks of Prada’s fashion designers. Discover new directions in the world of products.
22
OBJECTS
HI-TECH HEALTH AIDS record user data – and respond accordingly TECHNOLOGY – The growing global interest in wellness has instigated the development of health-related items that monitor the user’s physical condition every second of the day. Activity trackers, such as the popular Fitbit, gave rise to a more holistic approach to fitness,
defining it as ‘the sum of life’ and not just time spent at the gym. Today’s wellness aids continue this line of thought and address a diversity of bodily functions – from sleep to brain elasticity – while promising to enhance our overall wellbeing. – FK
Courtesy of Fuseproject
Developed by FUSEPROJECT in collaboration with L’ORÉAL’s Technology Incubator, UV Sense combines nail art with cutting-edge technology. Making skin-health data accessible to consumers, the tiny battery-free UV wearable – designed to be attached to the thumbnail – contains a sensor, a capacitor and an antenna. Information collected by the device is transferred directly to an accompanying mobile app that displays the user’s exposure to ultraviolet radiation. fuseproject.com loreal.com
42
NEOLITH X FRAME
SURFACE MATTERS
Chef Alessandro Borghese serves up sintered surroundings for Milan diners. Words
ALEX SERVIE AND FLOOR KUITERT ACCORDING TO Italian chef Alessandro Borghese, cooking is the new rock’n’roll. He believes an accomplished performance is essential to success in both the culinary and the music industries. In his line of work, moreover, he knows that an accomplished performance is not limited to the preparation of food. ‘The restaurant and what goes into it need to reflect the high standards of the cuisine,’ he says. His words underline the proportionate balance between the meticulous
design of his restaurant and the exquisitely prepared dishes he serves. A good example of the harmony he creates is evident in Borghese’s latest restaurant, which opened its doors in Milan last year. The interior of Il Lusso della Semplicità (Italian for ‘the luxury of simplicity’) features a wide variety of sintered surfaces in marble, wood, metal and granite textures. ‘During the design of the restaurant, I was looking for a material that would adapt to the various facets of my personality: rock, eclectic and innovative,’ says
For the interior of his new restaurant in Milan, Alessandro Borghese wanted a material that distinguishes itself from the surfaces commonly used in catering.
Borghese. ‘I wanted a cladding with a unique character, one that distinguishes itself from the materials commonly used in catering.’ Borghese opted for Neolith, a product manufactured by Spanish surface specialist TheSize. It wasn’t only the expressiveness of the material that attracted him. He also admired its durability and resistance to heavy use, two qualities that result from sinterization, a process during which Neolith’s minerals and other raw materials are exposed to extremely high pressure and high temperatures. Neolith’s suitability for use in restaurants had already became clear at Barcelona’s Enigma restaurant (Frame 116, p. 158). Designed by architecture firm RCR, the interior of Albert Adrià’s gastronomic project is covered in the cladding company’s high-performance slabs, from floor to cooker hood. The interior of Il Lusso della Semplicità is another Neolith success. Designed in collaboration with architect Alfredo Canelli, the restaurant – with a floor area of 700 m2 – features an impressive 900 m2 of Neolith surfaces. Profuse appli-
Guido Antonelli
43
Neolith Nero Zimbabwe, which has the appearance of granite, covers the floors of the restaurant, while the marble-like Calacatta Silk features on staircases.
cation of the products makes the space a dynamic composition of colours and textures. Although each room has a distinct identity, Neolith provides a consistent aesthetic throughout. Large slabs in granite-like Nero Zimbabwe combine with strips of woodtextured La Bohème for the floors, while Calacatta surfaces extend over counters and rest-room walls. For the kitchen floor, Borghese and Canelli chose the industriallooking Iron Corten, which contrasts nicely with appliances finished in stainless steel. Thanks to the fact that Neolith materials are impervious to odours, stains and scratches, Borghese can plate food directly on the surfaces, which he uses for tapasstyle dishes and bread. ‘The possibilities for working with oils, vegetables, fruits, fish and meat straight on Neolith’s products, without having them affect the taste of the dishes, is amazing,’ he says. It seems that designers of hospitality venues have a growing appetite for stone surfaces that mimic natural materials while also meeting the requirements of commercial kitchen architecture. In line
“
The restaurant and what goes into it need to reflect the high standards of the cuisine
with Borghese’s passion for rock concerts, he wants his restaurant interiors to offer a multisensory experience. ‘We created an environment that makes guests feel pampered and at ease, an atmosphere that stimulates the mind, triggers the discovery of our beautiful finishes and materials, and – most of all – prepares the stomach for the “journey” of my cuisine. Cooking is an act of love. I want to convey an emotion and to surprise those who come to visit me.’ At Il Lusso della Semplicità , Borghese achieves his goals in a restaurant that evokes the atmosphere of the golden age of 1930s transatlantic cruise liners – an ambience that recalls Borghese’s first job, which was on a cruise ship. The sintered stone used throughout the space amplifies the chef’s colourful, dynamic and fast-paced approach to cooking, while encapsulating the cosmopolitan location of the restaurant. He ends our conversation by emphasizing that Neolith is ‘a material suitable for the kitchen and for the food’. ● neolith.com
White stuff: Naima Annoni, Enrica Caiello, Riccardo Piovesan, Maria Cristina Ziviani Brera - Accademia Belle Arti
24-28 SEPTEMBER 2018 promoted by CONFINDUSTRIA CERAMICA
in collaboration with
CERAMICA CONFINDUSTRIA organized by
www.cersaie.it
show management
Promos srl
THE
Soomi Park and Owen Wells
DESIGN FOR FUTURE TOURISM In the lead-up to each issue, Frame challenges emerging designers to answer a topical question with a future-forward concept. The tourism industry is one the world’s fastest-growing economic sectors. An article shared on World Economic Forum’s website reported a figure of nearly 1.2 billion international tourists in 2015, compared with 25 million in 1950. The number is expected to reach 1.8 billion by 2030. What will travel look like by then? What will tourists need? We commissioned four makers to conceptualize a product, space or service to cater to this growing group.
46
THE CHALLENGE
DESIGN FOR FUTURE TOURISM
Nº 1
In the Fast Lane
BAS VAN DE POEL aims to streamline international travel with an automated border-control system.
Can you describe what a visitor will experience when passing through Border Control 2030? I’ve collaborated with Studio Brasch to design a beautiful and welcoming spatial experience. Currently, entering a foreign country is often an unwelcoming process. After a tiring journey, travellers need to stand in line for a long time at the border – usually in a poorly designed environment – only to show their passports. The Orwellian future will not appear Orwellian; it will feel inviting and pleasant. With Border Control 2030, travellers approaching the border are identified by AI-enhanced cameras that use facial recognition as well as gait signatures, which discern the unique pattern of an individual’s body movements. If your Global Citizen Score complies, you’re welcome to enter the country. What determines a person’s Global Citizen Score? Things like consumption patterns, political and religious beliefs, and financial transactions influence your rating. People with low ratings are prevented from entering the country. They may even lose the right to travel entirely. By 2030, freedom of movement won’t really be free, because every time you cross the border, your fundamental human rights are at stake. How do you think people will respond to a system that’s fully tech-controlled? Automated border controls will create a seamless, pleasantly impersonal travel experience. No longer will we need to queue for hours,
waiting to feel intimidated or discriminated against by an official. Crossing the border will be as easy as unlocking your iPhone with Face ID. Travellers with high citizen scores will love the hyper-efficient protocol of this type of tech-controlled system. What would need to change to make your concept a reality? The technology required to automate border controls is already available. It won’t take long until the traditional passport will become obsolete as things like AI, facial recognition and body-movement tracking become increasingly more sophisticated. Where does privacy come in? In 12 years from now, privacy will most likely be a thing of the past. The only concern for travellers will be getting from point A to point B in the most efficient and secure way. Any remaining privacy or ethical issues will be eliminated by the friendly design of all visible technology. – TI basvandepoel.com
Creative strategist at Ikea’s futureliving lab, Space10, BAS VAN DE POEL has a forward-looking focus that makes him a welcome addition to ‘The Challenge’. Studio Brasch
What motivated your approach to the topic of future tourism? BAS VAN DE POEL: I wanted to spark a conversation about the large-scale surveillance and data collection practised by corporations and governments today, and about how such activities could soon involve a Global Citizen Score – a universal system that rates an individual’s worthiness – which could affect everything from getting a loan to crossing a country’s border.
47
Bas van de Poel rethinks the poorly designed environments that travellers encounter when crossing international borders.
Salone Internazionale del Mobile Milan, April 17−22, 2018 Hall 10 | Stand B19-C28 www.pedrali.it
Ronald Smits
CARLOS CRUZ-DIEZ makes colour an event. MAARTEN BAAS traces his career-making moves. NAOTO FUKASAWA reconsiders the presence of products. Meet the people. Get their perspectives.
THE SPIRIT OF PROJECT
RIMADESIO.COM
COVER FREESTANDING BOOKCASE, MANTA TABLE DESIGN G.BAVUSO
INTRODUCING
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Make, Connect, Share
Collectivity, dynamism and adaptability define SPACON & X, a studio that’s out to redesign the way we consume space. Words
JESSICA-CHRISTIN HAMETNER Portraits
MAJA FLINK
72
PORTRAITS
NIKOLINE
MALENE
73
Hans Bærholm
INTRODUCING
Wouter van der Star
Spacon & X added a Nordic touch to Japanese dining at Copenhagen’s Slurp Ramen Bar, a restaurant that is housed in a former butchery. The interior combines brass, coloured concrete and charred larch (shō sugi ban).
SVEND Danish painter Franciska Clausen’s colourful geometric shapes inspired Spacon & X’s design for the Copenhagen location of eyewear brand Ace & Tate.
‘ARE WE SCALE-LESS or are we actually into scale?’ Posing the question is architect Malene Hvidt of Copenhagen-based firm Spacon & X (short for ‘spatial conversion and cross-functionalism’). She and I are having coffee with the company’s founders, architect Nikoline Dyrup Carlsen and scenographic and advertising producer Svend Jacob Pedersen. As demonstrated by its name and this open-plan office – carefully arranged into separate zones – Spacon & X is a multidisciplinary studio. ‘We’ve realized we’re both,’ says Hvidt, answering her own question. ‘We work on a wide range of scales. We aim to create flexible spaces that, no matter the size, seamlessly adapt to varying activities and requirements.’ Inspired by a culture of reinvention, the 20-strong team is associated with the ‘maker movement’, a group that is fuelled by the desire for communal connection and a higher quality of living. Jacob Pedersen explains in more detail: ‘We design an entire ecosystem around a product, one that’s not limited to scale. We find a concept, a story and an identity, moving smoothly from one scale to another.’ All of Spacon & X’s projects have one quality in common – a focus on people. ‘It’s about thinking from the inside out,’ says
Hvidt. Dyrup Carlsen adds that ‘concentrating only on aesthetics can lead to issues being compromised’ and emphasizes that a multidisciplinary approach – ‘collaborating with others, like cabinet-makers’ – gives rise to a broader, more holistic result. It is the shift away from aesthetics and towards people that enables the team to solve larger social issues. As loneliness and a lack of affordable housing affect more individuals than ever before, how can we best adapt to our fast-paced, ever-changing lives and find effective solutions? ‘We ask ourselves,’ says Hvidt, ‘what loneliness is, for people of all ages. How can we reshape buildings to solve the problems involved?’ Jacob Pedersen points out the growth of urban areas, which in turn spurs the development of the sharing society. ‘How can we facilitate these transitions,’ he asks, ‘and challenge the business world to respond and adapt?’ Take co-living as an example, a way of life that is advocated as well as criticized. While some see it as an answer to loneliness, others argue that millennials are drawn to co-living for economic rather than social reasons. Whether shared-living typologies are a passing reaction or a long-term solution to the problem at hand remains open to discussion. Jacob Pedersen sees the trend »
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PORTRAITS
‘Luxury is defined by accessibility and inclusivity’
Hans Bærholm
INTRODUCING
75
OPPOSITE As part of its ongoing collaboration with fashion brand Wood Wood, Spacon & X conceived a reusable trade-fair stand that represents a mood board of building materials.
in a somewhat more positive light: ‘Co-living is both a reaction and a long-term solution. When I envision urban life in the future, I picture the privileged part of society benefiting from co-living opportunities.’ Spacon & X’s scheme for Filmlageret – a 3,100-m2 housing project currently under construction in Copenhagen – illustrates the team’s passion for co-living. The renovation project, which occupies a former storage facility used by Denmark’s film industry, espouses ‘living with a purpose’ and ‘a sense of community’ for its target group: students and young families. Private units are kept relatively small in order to highlight shared spaces, such as a kitchen, reading nooks, cinema, balcony, roof terrace and garden. What differentiates Filmlageret from similar projects is that it’s more than a standard student accommodation. Rather than offering short-term housing, it will form the foundation of a genuine community that can evolve for years to come, giving young adults both responsibility and a sense of empowerment as they become active makers of their own environment. ‘I grew up in the 1970s in a co-living space here in Copenhagen,’ says Dyrup Carlsen. ‘I like to think of Filmlageret as a passion-driven venture that prompts residents to be part of a community and part of something more. It’s a move from passive to active.’ Jacob Pedersen says that ‘luxury is about having access to things rather than owning them. Co-living and co-working environments support the use of sustainable circulatory systems and shared resources.’ One power drill, for instance, can serve the needs of many. Along with co-living, co-working is flourishing across the world. Projects such as The New Work Project in Brooklyn and Menu Space in Copenhagen are replacing outdated forms of living and working with settings that suit our increasingly nomadic and digitized lifestyles. In 2015 Spacon & X converted a 1,000-m2 building in Copenhagen’s meatpacking district into Space10, a hub for exploring future living conditions. Designed for Ikea, the facility has a crossfunctional interior – comprising offices, laboratories, exhibition spaces and event areas – that is characterized by fluidity, efficiency and instant adaptability. ‘Space10 is changeable and dynamic,’ says Hvidt. ‘We used honest raw materials in an open-plan design that allows employees to immerse themselves in
At the Frame Awards, Spacon & X received three People’s Choice Awards: Emerging Designer of the Year and prizes for innovation and sustainability.
their individual tasks and, at the same time, to experience an atmosphere of co-working.’ Retail is in motion, too. With dynamism and flexibility in high demand, the retail space is expanding its repertoire, tapping equally into culture and community. ‘Retail is moving from product to experience. We conjure experiences by activating the senses, adding tactility and introducing storytelling,’ says Jacob Pedersen. Last year he and his team designed a playful 150-m2 Ace & Tate outlet in Copenhagen. Finding inspiration in the work of Franciska Clausen, a Danish painter famed for her colourful geometric shapes, they turned the eyewear brand’s showroom into a journey through Clausen’s artistic universe. A number of small stands invite customers to sample products, and a deep-blue vision-testing alcove, while private, also connects shoppers to their surroundings. Despite the positive attributes and versatility of Spacon & X’s projects, building cross-functional, people-focused spaces can be testing. Jacob Pedersen comments on
‘local regulations that continue to present a challenge’. Although many laws do not permit co-living, he says the studio is putting up a fight, ‘because we don’t want to downgrade. We want to upgrade. Some people want to keep Copenhagen a heterogenetic city, even though 36 family types already make up its urban fabric.’ Spacon & X believes that every surface and volume can serve more than one purpose. By redesigning the spaces we inhabit, the studio aims to optimize them and make them suitable to support multiple functions and activities. The ultimate goal: to provide better ways of living and working in an urban context, where shortage of space is a key issue. ‘By rethinking the way we currently consume space, we can develop optimized, sustainable solutions for an improved urban life,’ says Dyrup Carlsen. ‘Today, luxury is defined by accessibility and inclusivity. Tomorrow, we can add collectivity to that list.’ ● spaconandx.com
IT’S ROBERTO, GIORDANO, LORETTA AND DAVIDE WHO MAKE ITALIAN CERAMICS SO SPECIAL.
CERAMICS OF ITALY. ITALIANS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE. It’s Italians who make the difference. Like Roberto, Giordano, Loretta and Davide who work hard every day to ensure that Italian ceramics are the finest in the world. Only the very best manufacturers of Italian ceramic tiles, sanitaryware and tableware are entitled to use the Ceramics of Italy logo which certifies Italian quality, design and style. Always ask for Ceramics of Italy to be sure of the highest levels of excellence in world ceramics.
ceramica.info
The Ceramics of Italy trademark is promoted by Confindustria Ceramica, the Italian Association of Ceramics, and is owned by Edi.Cer. S.p.A. the organizer of Cersaie (International exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings - Bologna, September 24-28, 2018 - www.cersaie.it).
On a mission to promote spatial excellence, the first FRAME AWARDS identified and honoured the world’s best interiors and designers in 30 categories. The winning projects show where the industry is heading.
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TOP TIER The 32 winners of the first Frame Awards show what’s happening in interior design today. Words
ROBERT THIEMANN
DESTINATIONS BASED ON simple, lucid concepts. Sometimes pushing the boundaries of a typology, sometimes merely well executed and as site-specific as possible. With an eye for detail, yet without superfluous forms or materials. It’s this combination of qualities that the 32 winners of the first Frame Awards have in common – designers of interiors from Chengdu to Montreal, designers who work alone or for big agencies, designers of temporary installations or permanent spaces. We wanted our mission to promote spatial excellence to come to life – to have the Frame Awards set the industry standard. And because we believe that extraordinary, meaningful interiors can be made only through the collaborative efforts of a visionary client, a talented designer, and outstanding fabricators and builders, we brought these stakeholders together in a jury of global industry leaders (see adjacent list). When our call went out for projects to be considered for the competition, we received almost 900 entries from 50 countries. We feel justified in our conclusion that the Frame Awards 2018 are a clear indication of what’s happening in interior design today. One word pops to mind: maturity. The jury saw few excesses and experiments. Today’s interior designers know exactly what instruments they need to open up spaces and make them accessible in a coherent manner. At the same time, our winners smoothly inject the client’s DNA into their assignments. They manage to turn a place into a destination. Integrating a project into the local culture and the surrounding community comes naturally to them. They see digital technology as a way to enrich the user experience and not as a goal in itself. And, yes, you can have too much of a good thing – too many ideas, too many materials, shapes and colours. Zooming in on the Retail category, we note that the jury went for bold yet sophisticated experiences that transform stores into destinations. Digital technology plays a crucial role in only one winning design, but overall it’s sheer imagination, paired with
impeccable execution, that makes for a successful retail store. In the Hospitality category, the jury picked projects with a strong couleur locale or ones that offer genre-bending experiences. The Cinema of the Year, for instance, is worth a visit in itself, whereas not long ago people went to the cinema to see the movie that was playing. Winners in the Work category confirm that North American tech businesses are leading the way in office design, thanks to their approach to workplace environments. In the past, clients in search of the perfect office often went berserk in their desire to draw exuberance and creativity into a giant playground filled with swings and slides. Nowadays, the main objective is to provide employees with different environments for different kinds of work: alone or in teams, with a focus on creation or execution, designed to stimulate activity or to encourage relaxation. Perhaps the jury’s preference for a single, strong concept is most evident in the Show category. Not very surprising when you stop to consider that most of these shortlived interiors are cobbled together with a limited number of resources and have only a brief moment to impress visitors. Winners in the final category, Institution, reveal the makers’ aim to give the designs in this sector – interiors often associated with an impersonal atmosphere – a more human, hands-on touch. I’m inclined to say that a touch of humanity aptly describes the underlying theme that surfaces after reviewing the Frame Awards 2018: the ego-driven ambition of designers and clients to stamp their signatures on the buildings and interiors they complete is gradually making place for work that represents a more altruistic attitude. Sounds like a great idea for next year: a move towards human-centric interior design. The Frame Awards are endorsed by the European Council of Interior Architects (ECIA) frameawards.com
Jury Members FR AME AWARDS 2018
S PATIA L AWA R D S R E TA I L
MATTEO B R E S SANIN Chair – Nespresso Global Retail Channel Manager
MI CH E L E FU H S BMW Head of Premium Retail Experience
PI E T E R KO O L Design Strategist and Creative Director
FRAME AWARDS 2018
I N D I A MA HDAVI India Mahdavi Architecture and Design Founder
VLAST I MI L SPE LDA Pernod Ricard Ideation and Strategy Director
CLAUDI O FE LTRI N Arper President and CEO
J O N AGASA KA Schemata Architects Founder
PATR ICI A URQUI OLA Patricia Urquiola Founder
FRE DE RI QUE KE UNI NG Spaces Creative Director and Cofounder
FLO R I AN E D E SA INT- P IER R E Floriane de Saint Pierre & Associés President and Founder
LIR AN WI ZMAN Europe Hotels Private Collection Chairman and Founder
S PAT IAL AWAR DS HOSP I TALITY
SPATIA L AWARDS WO R K
AD D E HOND Chair – Starbucks VP Store Design and Concepts EMEA
S PATIAL AWARDS S HOWS
JE AN-P IE R R E GR E FF HEAD – Genève Director
S PAT I A L AWA R D S INST I T UT I ON S
ANJA DIR K S Chair – European Council of Interior Architects President
MARK GUTJAHR Chair – BASF Head of Design Europe
CL IVE W IL K INS O N Clive Wilkinson Architects Founder
R A MON BE I J E N Chair – CBRE Workplace Strategies and Design Creative Director
ALE XANDRE DE BE TAK Bureau Betak Founder
CAR LO R AT T I MIT Senseable City Lab Director
JAI M E HAYON Hayon Studio Founder
B EN VAN BE RKE L UNStudio Founder and Principal Architect
UWE R. BRÜCKNE R Atelier Brückner Founder and Creative Director
CO R IE N P O MP E Global Lead Future Lab | Material Innovation Philips Design
G L E N N P U SHELB ERG Yabu Pushelberg Cofounder
R IC HA R D HYWE L E VANS Studio RHE Founder
MI KE HUGHE S Universal Everything Creative Director
The chairs of each jury judged the Executional and Societal Awards nominees.
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Alun Callender
Frame founder and director Robert Thiemann praised Sevil Peach as ‘the brains behind today’s humanized workplaces’.
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HONORARY
Lifetime Achievement Award
Ariel Huber
SEVIL PEACH
Peach’s interior design for the ground floor of Vitra’s Birsfelden headquarters is an example of the dynamic, often informal office spaces that define her career.
‘INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE has always been a second-rate profession. We want to change that.’ Frame founder and director Robert Thiemann spoke those words during his introduction to the first Frame Awards. His thoughts were reinforced by Sevil Peach, as she collected her Lifetime Achievement Award. ‘Our value as place- and space-makers is not understood in the same way as that of other design disciplines – such as architecture and product design,’ she said. ‘But just as a well-thought-out master plan can help shape a good city, carefully considered interiors can help shape a good building. Sadly, the stereotypical view of interior design is still reduced to a matter of curtains and cushions.’ The lack of appreciation afforded to the interior designer’s profession has been a recurring hurdle throughout her career. But it’s a hurdle she has overcome, as exemplified
by her prizewinning portfolio of successful projects. ‘Sevil Peach may well be the brains behind today’s humanized workplaces,’ said Thiemann, underpinning the choice of the London-based Turkish designer for this prestigious award. ‘Long before companies were using such terms as informal breakout spaces, responsive environments, transparency and adaptive workstations, Peach’s studio, which she established with architect Gary Turnbull in 1994, was delivering the goods to the likes of Barclays and Vitra.’ Peach isn’t one to ‘embellish’ the story of her professional journey. One of the life-determining and career-defining factors she described is worryingly topical at a time when Twitter streams are filled with #metoo: being a woman in an industry dominated by men and coping with the struggle for recognition and acceptance that goes with it. ‘The
construction industry once found any female presence on site a joke, and the success of a woman rising through the ranks was undermined by chauvinistic comments,’ she said. Current developments, however, have left her feeling positive: ‘I now see waves of change. I hear people calling time’s up on inequality and sexism in the workplace. I welcome these calls, because as a designer particularly passionate about workplaces, I know a happy and productive workplace is also an equal, inclusive and safe one.’ – FK sevilpeach.co.uk
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Staking her claim as a multi-genre designer after gaining worldwide attention with Zhongshuge bookstores, Li Xiang applied her entertainmentmeets-functionality approach to a retail, research and office space for Powerlong.
FRAME AWARDS 2018
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Shao Feng
HONORARY
Designer of the Year X+LIVING
WE FIRST ENCOUNTERED X+Living’s otherworldly interiors in 2016, when a spectacle of shape, colour and light appeared in the form of Zhongshuge bookstore in Hangzhou (Frame 112, p. 142). This was a place that screamed print is not dead! It turned the humble bookshop into a destination – a place you’d be eager to visit regardless of what it sells. Since then, X+Living – founded in Shanghai by Li Xiang – has delivered a string of similarly striking spaces; more whimsical bookstores for Frame Awards Client of the Year Zhongshuge (see p. 106), a female-focused department store, and a carnivalesque café where children play while parents dine are among them. Proving herself to be no onetrick pony, Xiang gives each project its own signature by approaching it from a consumer’s perspective. ‘We determine the client’s target group and what they want and then provide a design that perfectly combines visual entertainment and functionality.’
When featured as one of ‘20 Creatives Defining Tomorrow’ in Frame 116, Xiang called her approach to design ‘more architectural and holistic than that of most of my colleagues. China’s traditionally schooled interior designers treat walls, ceilings and furniture as separate elements, whereas I aim for a total experience.’ Stretching the imagination (and the spaces she overhauls, through the recurring use of mirrors), Xiang pushes the boundaries while showing just enough restraint to steer clear of sensory overload. When asked about her future plans, Xiang sees ‘projects such as bookstores at our core, because culture is a very important part of a city’s history’. She believes that ‘clients will start paying more attention to the uniqueness of spatial design. For us, the challenge is to continually offer new ideas to our clients instead of recycling old ones.’ – TI xl-muse.com
FRAME AWARDS 2018
Peter Tijhuis
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HONORARY
Emerging Designer of the Year SPACE ENCOUNTERS
The ‘sales arena’ of software developer Lightspeed’s Amsterdam office is furnished with pieces from the Boring Collection, the series that first caught Frame’s attention in Milan.
M. Hofmans
Space Encounters’ portfolio includes residential, commercial and office interiors – projects designed by partners Joost Baks, Stijn de Weerd, Gijs Baks and Remi Versteeg.
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IT MAY SOUND CONTRADICTORY, but Amsterdam-based architecture firm Space Encounters first caught Frame’s attention with the Boring Collection, presented at Milan Design Week 2016. Developed for furniture brand Lensvelt, the archetypal pieces that make up Boring are intended to claim no attention at all, but to ‘draw the eye to the thing that actually matters: office life itself’. Since the confrontation in Milan, the outfit’s portfolio has continued to grow – as evidenced by both residential and commercial interiors – but it’s still Space Encounters’ office designs that keep us coming back for more. Rethinking the workplace landscape in a myriad of ways, partners Gijs Baks, Stijn de Weerd, Joost Baks and Remi Versteeg have churned out awe-inspiring projects such as a plant-infused office-cum-showroom for
pushchair brand Joolz (Frame 117, p. 95) and a tech-fuelled, prizewinning interior for Sony Entertainment Amsterdam (Frame 119, p. 156). ‘The relationship between work and leisure time has undergone a seismic shift. Unless you have a face-to-face meeting with colleagues or clients, there’s no real reason to go to the office,’ says Versteeg. ‘What’s more, the human body isn’t made for climate-controlled rooms, which makes me wonder whether today’s generic office environment is at all adequate for the current demand.’ In the opinion of the architects at Space Encounters, offices should fulfil a wide range of requirements – offering not only practical and technical services, but also leisure amenities that encourage relaxation. ‘Nobody knows what the future will look like,’ says De Weerd, ‘and that’s why we
anticipate change and integrate flexibility into all our designs.’ After the team received the Emerging Designer of the Year Award, Joost Baks stressed the fact that ‘as an architecture office’, they ‘were most proud of winning an award for interior design.’ He called the blurred borders that separate design disciplines a sign of the times. ‘We see no difference – and no hierarchy – between architecture and interior architecture. We approach a project as a holistic entity that has to be right as a whole – all components relating to one another in harmony. We don’t believe in defining disciplines. The project as a whole transcends any such definition.’ – FK space-encounters.eu
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IT WAS 2013. Online shopping was still launching an attack on bricks-and-mortar retail. Priorities were changing. With an endless stream of social media in the palm of your hand, who had time to read an e-book, let alone a physical one? Despite this shaky scenario, teacher-turned-publisher Jin Hao decided to replace his 20 small outlets in Shanghai with a pièce de résistance. He opened the first spectacular Zhongshuge bookstore in 2013. Yes, the new
establishment sold books, but Hao wanted it to be so much more. Together with Frame Awards Designer of the Year X+Living (see p. 102), he envisioned the emporium as an art gallery – one in which the atmosphere is as exhilarating as the content. Overturning stereotypes critical of bookstores, Zhongshuge – now a chain of destinations – reunites readers with print in physical spaces. While he’s not a philanthropist – the stores do need to make
a profit – Hao feels that even if browsers don’t purchase anything, they should still be inspired by their surroundings. Three Zhongshuge interiors graced the pages of Frame in 2017 – each temple of books as radical as the next. And the fact that Hao has enlisted other designers, such as Wutopia Lab, is proof that it’s not only X+Living's influence at play in the dramatic results. – TI
FRAME AWARDS 2018
HONORARY
Client of the Year ZHONGSHUGE BOOKSTORES
Jin Hao (right) has worked with different designers to achieve equally impressive results for Zhongshuge bookstores. Wutopia Lab’s interior in Suzhou is pictured.
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Held in Amsterdam in conjunction with Frame Awards, FRAME LAB: THE NEXT SPACE explored the future of spaces through the eyes of international designers, established furniture brands and up-and-coming creatives.
The Next Space Words
TRACEY INGRAM Photos
EWOUT HUIBERS
How to give stores an air of showmanship? Can spaces heal us? Will we live in 3D-printed houses? These were among the questions posed during two days of immersive talks, multisensorial exhibitions and workshops at FRAME LAB: THE NEXT SPACE. Held on 21 and 22 February at Amsterdam’s Westergasfabriek in conjunction with FRAME AWARDS – complete with live judging and a prizegiving ceremony – the event explored the future of spaces through the eyes of international designers, established furniture brands and up-and-coming creatives. The exhibition space examined the future of spatial design from diverse angles: ME, WE, WORLD and WELLNESS. Ongoing themes within the industry, these four categories became a platform for scrutinizing design on both an individual and a global scale – from customization and personalization to collaboration, inclusiveness and future-proofing. Despite the breadth of content, overarching themes emerged. Humancentric spaces that prioritize individual experiences will gain importance, and while technology will play a more dominant role in our future surroundings, it shouldn’t feel that
way. Technology should be more integrated into our environments, helping to develop spaces that are more immersive and interactive. And Hans Vermeulen, cofounder of Dus Architects, is convinced that we will eventually live in 3D-printed houses. FRAME LAB: THE NEXT SPACE was developed in partnership with the INTERIOR BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (IBA). The German organization represents the officefurnishing industry and addresses key factors in the design of workspaces. To help employers conceive an ideal environment, IBA advises on everything from furniture and lighting to the use of integrated technology. ‘As a representative of the internationally operating office-andcontract-furnishing sector, and as the conceptual sponsor of Orgatec, the leading trade fair for today’s working culture, IBA must think beyond the current state of interior design and the established format of industry events,’ says Thomas Jünger, general manager of IBA. Frame Lab, he says, is going in the right direction. frameawards.com/frame-lab
IBA will present a lecture and a workshop area at Orgatec in Cologne (23-27 October 2018). This year’s theme, Culture@Work, explores today’s nomadic workforce
ME L AB
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The notion of ‘luxury’ is changing. No longer defined by money, pricey possessions and comfort, the word is becoming more synonymous with time and personal attention. From tailormade experiences to objects that put the consumer in the driver’s seat, customization is strengthening the connection between product and user.
WA L L STY L E.C OM
High-tech prints on high-resolution photographic fabric: Wallstyle.com’s products can be fitted with integrated LED backlighting to create displays with greater depth and detail. wallstyle.com
ASB GL ASSFLO O R AS B LUM IFL EX
asbglassfloor.com
Lidian van Megen
Floor tiles are transformed into television screens with ASB LumiFlex. The product by ASB GlassFloor can be used for anything from stages that transform beneath a performer’s feet to illuminated basketball courts with sensor technology that eliminates the need for referees.
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IN TER STU H L S 4.0
S 4.0 is Interstuhl’s answer to too much time spent sitting, often in a rigid and ergonomically incorrect position. Developed with Garmin, the app brings movement to the workplace by giving feedback on the user’s sitting habits, suggesting exercises and reminding individuals to adjust their posture. interstuhl.com
JAS MI JN M U SK ENS KO MT GO E D
Komt Goed – Dutch for ‘everything will be okay’ – is a kit-of-parts-style furniture project by Jasmijn Muskens. Components can be combined in multiple ways to make various pieces, leaving the end result in the hands of the user. Tossing objects from around the house into the mix makes for a truly personal product. jasmijnmuskens.com
A L IC E B L E TON M ON AD E C A P SU L E S
Alice Bleton aims to counteract today’s indoor-orientated society with a series of rooftop pods. Offering a chance to both escape from and reconnect with the city, Bleton’s Monade Capsules are inspired by spaceships, submarines and bunkers. Propped atop soaring urbanscapes, they provide invaluable me-time and a new perspective on the surrounding environment. alicebleton.com
FRAME LAB
Made to Measure AECTUAL rejects standardization in architecture in favour of custom-made solutions. Cofounder Hedwig Heinsman explains her company’s strategy.
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What’s the thinking behind Aectual? HEDWIG HEINSMAN (Aectual): Our aim is to make one-of-a-kind architecture and production accessible to a global public by means of XL 3D printing, to offer architects new tools that break with standardization, and to be part of a circular, zero-waste economy. How does it work? Aectual offers digital made-to-measure building products. By combining software tools developed inhouse with our XL 3D print robotics, we can provide a fully automated supply chain, from design to production, which allows us to fill any number of on-demand bespoke orders. What makes ultra-personalized consumer products so attractive? Consumers as well as corporate clients like to see something of themselves or their brands in their homes or workplaces. Made-to-measure products show the attention paid to a project and thus reflect the value given to the user. Aectual’s products make a space personal and a perfect match for the user.
HEDWIG HEINSMAN is Aectual’s cofounder and chief creative officer.
Is there a big demand from architects and interior architects for tailor-made solutions? Absolutely. Many of the architects who opt for Aectual Floors want to design their own patterns. Generally speaking, architects and designers are limited to standard sizes. It’s difficult to realize attractive detailing when all these sizes don’t dovetail with one another. Our tailor-made products eliminate that problem. We’re also seeing the importance that designers place on Aectual’s reduction of waste and our use of fewer materials. Can you pinpoint some of the applications that Aectual has in mind? Our recently launched Aectual Floors combine 3D-printed bioplastic patterns and a bio-based terrazzo infill. We can 3D-print any design imaginable on very large areas, and every square metre can be unique. We also offer 3D-printed façade elements and 3D-printed moulds for concrete products, like one-off stairways. What is the designer’s role in the creation of a sustainable future? The designer’s role is crucial. Designers show us what’s possible. They’re constantly in search of innovation, in an attempt to build a more beautiful world. How do you think digital technologies like 3D printing are going to continue personalizing future architecture? In terms of architecture, the streetscape will become more diverse and more adaptive. Buildings will change in line with changing demands. New sources of materials will appear – think of places that lease building materials rather than selling them.
Aectual uses 3D printing to make sustainable, customized, patterned floors made from bio-binder terrazzo.
What about the future of Aectual? We’re working hard to make Aectual a global platform for and by diverse designers – a platform with a multifaceted character and a wide range of building products suitable for 3D printing. We want Aectual to be a destination that’s instantly accessible to everyone involved in the building industry – including architects, designers, consumers, contractors and developers – and that links these parties to one another as well. – FK aectual.com
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WE L AB
Co-working and co-living: two terms that have recently entered the modern vernacular. That’s because the phenomena are linked to young professionals. Known as Generation Rent, they choose convenience and experience over acquisition and investment. How can design support collaboration and connection in the sharing economy?
KÖ N IG + N E U RATH STA NDBY O FFICE 2.0
Flexibility and customization are keywords in König + Neurath’s Standby Office 2.0. The mobile ergonomic workstation goes beyond standard adjustment ranges and includes lighting and acoustic screens, the latter of which can be reversed to switch between collaborative and individual tasks. A mechanism enables the system to be folded and packed away when not in use. koenig-neurath.de
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S ED U S S E :WO R K S
In an effort to foster open dialogue in the workplace, many companies are fitting out breakout spaces with lounge furniture. Though well-intentioned, the approach often leads to the use of ergonomically unsuitable products. Sedus is out to solve the problem with Se:Works, a home-inspired furniture series that supports both relaxation and productivity. sedus.com
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V I T RA STO OL-TO OL
Konstantin Grcic’s Stool-Tool for Vitra satisfies the need for multifunctional furniture in the workplace. Comprising two levels, the stackable product invites users to define its function. One surface can become a chair, for instance, while the other serves as a table. vitra.com
EXOZET V R DE S IGN M U LTI TOOL
German digital agency Exozet’s VR Design Multi Tool allows for accurate rendering of objects and environments before they are created in real life. The technology has far-reaching implications for designers, opening up an entirely new channel for communication and interaction with clients and colleagues. exozet.com
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FRAME LAB
Conceptualized by Space10, together with Anton & Irene, online platform One Shared House 2030 asked visitors to apply for a co-living space potentially available in 12 years’ time.
Fair Share? Responding to the ever-increasing population of cities, SPACE10 held a survey to discover people’s ideas on co-living.
gain an insight into people’s ideas on co-living. Do they want to live together? What are they willing to share – and what not? Ultimately, such information can help us make better design decisions when it comes to creating the shared living spaces of tomorrow.
CARLA CAMMILLA HJORT is the director of Space10, the research and innovation lab of furniture giant Ikea. SIMON CASPERSEN is the lab’s communications director.
Why did you decide to focus on the topic of co-living at Ikea’s future-living lab, Space10? CARLA CAMMILLA HJORT: Research shows that that by 2030 nearly 70 per cent of the global population will live in urban areas, while almost two billion people won’t have access to adequate and affordable housing. Ikea could play a key role in the design of high-quality, sustainable, affordable homes. Co-living spaces are a potential solution to today’s rapid urbanization. For Ikea’s One Shared House 2030 project, we set out to
Why do you believe there’s a growing interest in sharing? SIMON CASPERSEN: Sharing can make life more affordable, but thrift is not the only factor. Sharing allows us to forge new relationships, and it promotes a collaborative ‘we’-based culture over a ‘me’-based culture. I think a lot of people long for a sense of community these days. I also believe attitudes towards ownership are shifting. More and more people share, trade, borrow and rent everything – from their homes and clothing to their furniture and vehicles – and think in terms of passing on resources instead of generating waste. What are people’s main reasons for coliving? SC: Some simply seek a cheaper rent, while others look for perks they couldn’t otherwise afford, but most people live together because they wish to be part of a community. Although more people than ever are living as singles, they don’t necessarily want to be alone.
CCH: We live closer to one another than ever before, but we don’t feel closer. Loneliness is a growing issue in urban areas. Aren’t there enough co-living options out there already? CCH: Yes, but most of today’s co-living facilities cater for students and young professionals. Certain demographics are just ‘forgotten’. Our society is not designed for older generations with a second life, for example. SC: It turns out most respondents to our survey would like to live in tightknit communities composed of four to ten people – nothing like the current co-living spaces that offer hundreds of bedrooms and huge common areas. The only exception to those who ticked off ‘four to ten’ were couples with children, who have a preference for a group of ten to 25 people, a number presumably based on sharing responsibility for the kids. Any other remarkable outcomes? CCH: The majority of participants like the idea of living with people of different backgrounds and ages. SC: I had to smile when I read that the biggest concerns of people over 60 are arguments and other people’s messes. – FK space10.io antonandirene.com
WORLD L AB
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With concerns such as displacement, pollution and inclusion/ exclusion in the spotlight, societal and environmental issues are on the minds of many – including designers. Holding up a mirror to the situation, creatives are using their innovative nous to prompt others to sit up and pay attention.
W IL K H A H N PRIN TSTOOL ON E
Delving into both sustainability and wellbeing, Wilkhahn manufactures furniture such as PrintStool One by Thorsten Franck – a dynamic seat made from renewable and fully biodegradable printing material. Produced using 3D print technology, the body of the stool features intricate sculptural patterns; Franck refers to its ‘waffle texture’ and to an efficient ‘minimum of material’. wilkhahn.com
I N T ERFAC E H UM A N CONNECTIONS COLLEC TION
Biophilia – an innate love for the natural world – can be hard to grasp within an urban environment filled with technology and industrial architecture. Carpet-tile brand Interface harnesses this fundamental relationship through sustainable flooring inspired by the outdoors. David Oakey’s Human Connections Collection, for example, resembles urban meeting places. interface.com
THE NEW R AW XXX BENCH
The New Raw employs 3D printing to shorten material cycles, creating sustainable and locally produced public furniture. The XXX bench is generated from plastic waste sourced from households in the Dutch city of Amsterdam. According to the studio, 125 kg of CO2 emissions and 100 litres of oil are saved by using recycled rather than new plastic. thenewraw.org
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FRAME LAB
BASF
With science and innovation at its core, chemical company BASF has a future-facing focus on sustainability. The organization’s Designfabrik® team specializes in materials consultancy, transforming customers’ ideas into satisfying solutions. The fruits of these collaborations are applied to such fields as furniture, footwear and mobility. basf.com
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STU D I O K L ARENBEEK & DRO S A LGA E LAB Who, in the midst of all the excitement of 3D printers, has stopped to consider the environmental implications of the filament required to fuel them? In a project commissioned by Atelier Luma, Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros of Studio Klarenbeek & Dros are challenging production waste by converting living algae into bioplastic. Using 3D printers, the duo transforms the resulting material into a series of attractive vessels. ericklarenbeek.com maartjedros.nl
W EL L S U N LUM IDUCT
Wellsun’s Lumiduct solar panels address a critical contradiction within modern architecture. Seeking to be sustainable while meeting contemporary standards, architects have gravitated towards the unobstructed natural light and spaciousness afforded by glass façades. Lumiduct reconciles the aesthetic advantages of glass and the inherent problems associated with constant sun exposure, converting 99 per cent of direct sunlight into usable energy in the process. wellsun.nl
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Winds of Change
Hunted
JÓLAN VAN DER WIEL and BENTHEM CROUWEL ARCHITECTS join forces to examine how natural phenomena can serve the built environment.
What led to the establishment of research lab Forces for Architecture? JÓLAN VAN DER WIEL: We got to talking at an exhibition where I was presenting my magnetically formed stools. In the Gravity Series, I ‘manipulate’ the phenomenon of gravity. MARTEN WASSMANN (Benthem Crouwel Architects): Together we set up a lab and called it Forces for Architecture. We wanted to explore the feasibility of having natural forces contribute to buildings ordinarily designed to protect us from the forces of nature. Instead of resisting such forces, would it be possible to use them to our advantage in interactive architecture? What goes on in your lab? JW: We began by studying nature’s forces very analytically. We used our findings to create materials. We took a very interdisciplinary approach, collaborating with a scientist, for instance, who was developing self-growing buildings for Delft University of Technology and with an artist who works with glass, a material that can be liquid or solid. What can natural forces mean for architecture? MW: Both architects and furniture designers have to deal with magnetism and gravity. We can sit on a stool only when the forces around us work properly. In studying extreme situations, we discover how architec-
One outcome of the Forces for Architecture lab is Lightwaves, an installation composed of thousands of LEDs that mimic the behaviour of ocean-dwelling bioluminescent organisms by reacting to wind rather than water.
ture can make better use of such forces. One example is a building whose skin imitates the colours of nature as they change with the seasons. Perhaps more controversial is the possibility of simulating a natural phenomenon such as an earthquake to open up new design opportunities. Lightwaves is one result of Forces for Architecture. How does it work? JW: Lightwaves is a curtain of LEDs that reacts to wind. The installation can be activated only by the input of natural energy. It’s a phenomenon that appears in nature all the time – think of how wind fans fire and how breaking waves produce sea sparkles. We liked the idea of combining the natural phenomenon of wind with artificial light. Does a project like Lightwaves hold promise for other, more functional applications? MW: As of now, we see mainly artistic applications for a project like Lightwaves, but that doesn’t stop us from fantasizing about practical uses. Our aim is to make environments livable in ways that never existed before. With the exception of flags, almost nothing in a city shows how hard the wind is blowing. You have semi-dynamic illuminated advertising on building façades, of course, but it’s all computer-programmed. We want to let nature do the work. Imagine, for instance,
façades with a crystalline structure that changes when it’s activated by the wind. JW: With new techniques, we can visualize forces that are usually invisible. It’s the overlap between primeval forces and new technologies that excites us. MW: Our goal is a world in which materials, buildings and environments become part of – and work together with – Mother Nature. – FK forcesforarchitecture.com benthemcrouwel.com jolanvanderwiel.com
MARTEN WASSMANN (right) is a partner at Benthem Crouwel Architects. The firm established research lab Forces for Architecture with JÓLAN VAN DER WIEL in 2015.
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WELLNESS L AB
While some fitness fanatics are out to shrink in size, the wellness economy itself is swelling exponentially. It’s safe to say that health-related spaces, products and services are not only here to stay but are penetrating every layer of our daily lives – on a global scale. The trend is invading every possible genre, from retail and hospitality to work and leisure. Wellth is the new wealth.
Julica Morlok’s anthropomorphic Virtual Materiality series confronts the thoughtless relationship we’ve adopted with the chairs and sofas we use every day. To achieve a skinlike feel, the designer covered foam structures with a translucent stretch latex. Responding with anything from fascination to repulsion, visitors are invited to reconsider their interactions with the seating objects – and with chairs in general. julicamorlok.com
Femke Rijerman, courtesy of Design Academy Eindhoven
J UL I CA MORLO K V I RT UAL M AT E RIALITY
M IR JA M D E BRU IJ N ASAN A
Many people are drawn to the flexibility and facilities offered by co-working spaces. Such environments, however, rarely address the health issues caused by sedentary office jobs. Asana, a series of tools developed by Mirjam de Bruijn, is designed to prevent and alleviate these problems by improving posture, strengthening muscles and stimulating blood flow. mirjamdebruijn.com
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H AWORT H FE RN
Understanding that no two bodies are identical, Haworth Design Studio and Ito Design play to diversity. Thanks to ergonomics that take effect regardless of size or posture, Fern moves with, rather than against, its user. Though the chair’s backrest may appear simple, it conceals sophisticated science, engineering and innovation. haworth.com
ZU -STU D IO ( )
Named to indicate the object’s intervention in the running sentence of daily life, ( ) by Zu-Studio asks us to take a moment to enjoy a physical and temporal space in the midst of a stressful existence. Putting the body into a posture that the studio terms ‘re-lying’, ( ) replicates antigravity positions to improve circulation, respiration and digestion. zu-studio.com
AN DREU WO R LD E AT WE LL SEATED
At Eat Well Seated, visitors experience a new kind of food-and-wine pairing. Focusing on marrying good design and gastronomy, Andreu World presented an environment equipped with Patricia Urquiola’s Nuez chairs and its Reverse Conference table, ‘served’ alongside Spanish delicacies. andreuworld.com
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