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sun is shining, the
weather is hot, coconut palms are sashaying in the breeze… so why stay indoors? Here at Le Cercle we’re celebrating the finest in barefoot living in harmony with our surrounds. We take out our navigational compass and head for new horizons, beginning with the great outdoors. This is the season for alfresco pleasure and we have the perfect designs for furniture that will give your terrace or garden a stylish makeover. Italia as always points the way and we check into both the Venice Biennale and the Salone in Milan, where Lebanese design : duo Bokja’s Migration Collection City News Privilege holds sway with cutting-edge on behalf of Le Cercle Hitti eco-lighting from Barcelona’s Vibia and the slenderest : economy of form from Michael Anastasia Nysten Anastassiades’ reductive design concepts. In Venice, the Palazzo : Enciclopedico explores the Helen Assaf dream of universal, all: embracing knowledge, a bid to capture the full richness of the Peter Korneev world. : Le Cercle takes pride in CHAMAS demonstrating that the world is www.3achamas.com our shared oyster which we can all engage with and delight in. : We strive to encapsulate fine Owen Adams art, sculpture, furniture, design Miriam Dunn and architecture in one vision Lucy Knight – to discover a universal form Kasia Maciejowska which manages to exude both Rich Thornton economy and supreme quality. : We go in search of the sublime – and we find it. Lie back, relax sales@citynewsme.net t: +961 3 852 899 and we’ll take you there.
Moooi new collection presentation during Salone del Mobiel 2013 photo by Valentina Zanobelli / Courtesy of Moooi www.moooi.com
PARK VIEW BUILDING, BOULEVARD DU PARC - BEIRUT T. +961 1 99 21 16 CHARLES MALEK AVE., ELLIPSE CENTER - ASHRAFIEH, LEBANON T. +961 1 20 00 01 W W W. W S A L A M O O N . C O M
the summer
wishlist
goes window shopping for some of this season’s must-have purchases.
Upsidedown
Bee-Ball
Christian Ghion
Blown glass and metal
Hand-blown glass
H 13 cm
Large model, clear D 31cm, H 29cm
Vanessa Mitrani
Small model, turquoise D 29cm, H 24cm Ligne Roset
BeeDecanter
DelftBlueNo.03
Blown glass and metal
Ceramic
H 43 cm
H 28.5c, W 30cm, D 14cm
Vanessa MItrani
Moooi
Eggvase
Bee-Pot
MARCEL WANDERS
Blown glass and metal
Unglazed porcelain outside,
H 20 cm
white glazed inside
Vanessa Mitrani
Small: H 10cm, D 9cm Medium: H 14.5cm, D 9cm Large: H 14.5cm, D 12.5cm moooi
accessories
Mono’ / Patrick Norguet
thinking ahead
Hayek Roundabout, Sin el Fil l P.O.B. 55210 Beirut, Lebanon l tel. +961 1 480520, +961 3 480520 l www. geahchangroup.com
Echappeepillow
Hourglass
Orange, plum and red
A. Phelouzat
L 42cm, H 25 cm
Solid ash wood, matte tinted charcoal
Roche Bobois
or natural colour with satin varnish. W 47cm, D 43cm, H 165cm Ligne Roset
Nubo GamFratesi Multilayer beech wood with oak veneer, exterior covered with wool. W 80cm, H 55cm, D 14/62cm Ligne Roset
Avlchair: Joep van Lieshout Solid beech frame lacquered in three different RAL colours (red, white and Black RAL) 71x48x46cm
Bravenewworld: Freshwest Solid oak frame and cast iron weights 270x93x130cm Moooi
Lace B. Graindorge Plywood covered with polyurethane foam and polyester fabric with high elasticity. Cord in ecru colour. W 45cm, D 25cm, H 42cm Ligne Roset
accessories
Profile
TheGoldenChair
Roberto Tapinassi
Nika Zupanc
and Maurizio Manzoni
Gold chromed steel frame,
Upholstered in Cabaret velvet and
gold synthetic leather
Jean Paul Gaultier fabric. Button
H 85cm, W 48cm, D 51 cm
cushioned high density foam back and
Moooi
seat cushion. Base: tinted beechwood. Large 4-seat sofa: 279 x 73 x 94cm Available in other dimensions. Roche Bobois
Chabada
SoQuiet
Daniel Rode
Cedric Ragot
Plywood frame, upholstered
Leather and fabric. Glued laminated
in wool: 18 different colours
beech interior structure; high resistance
L 51cm, H 89cm
polyurethane foam, steel and wood base.
Roche Bobois
L 54cm, H 42cm, D 63cm Roche Bobois
Labyrinthchair
MiniPapilio
Studio Job
Naoto Fukasawa
Wood frame, foam and
Aluminium, polyethylene
Dacron upholstered
W 83cm, H 100cm, D 89cm
H 85cm, W 100cm
B&B Italia
Moooi
BartSofa
Ficelle
Bart Schilder
OSKO & DEICHMANN
Wooden frame covered in foam and
Structural steel, painted completely in
Dacron, seat cushion made in foam
black, with optional upholstered seat pad.
H 65cm, L 95cm
W 50cm, D 69cm, H 89cm
Moooi
Ligne Roset
SEATING
Andy
FullMoon
Pierre Dubois & Aimé Cécil
CEDRIC RAGOT
Ceramic lamps.
Lacquered metal structure, LED lighting
Lampshades in chromed lacquer.
H 206cm
Small lamp: H 75 cm
Roche Bobois
Large lamp: H 89 cm Roche Bobois
HeracleumtheBigO Bertjan Pot Metal wire frame, polycarbonate lenses, ultra thin suspension wire. H 53cm, L 210cm Moooi
BellLamp Marcel Wanders Mouth-blown glass, ceramic bow. Available with gold plated or white glazed ceramics H 28.6cm, W 27cm, D 27cm
Bucketlamp Studio Job Paper, solid oak, gold-plated steel, porcelain handle Ø 50cm, H 170cm Moooi
Moooi
KaipoToo Edward Van Vliet Mouth-blown glass Ø 39 cm, H 85 cm Moooi
Container B. Hubert Made from two ceramic components held together by a silicon band. H 40cm, W 14cm, D 31cm Ligne Roset
lighting
Bonheurgueridon
Aoyama
FABRICE BERRUX
Noe Duchaufour Lawrance
Epoxy lacquered steel with
Bonded tempered glass, blue colour
a 5mm thick glass top
W 112cm, D 81cm, H 37cm
H 50cm, D 50cm
Ligne Roset
Roche Bobois
Litho
Tolbiac
Thibault Desombre
G. Delafforest
MDF with oak or lacquered veneer
MDF with natural oak
W 130 cm, D 61 cm, H 78 cm
or black tinted veneer
Ligne Roset
W 131.1 cm D 76 cm H 215 or 260 cm Ligne Roset
PaperPatchwork
Cuts
Studio Job
Philippe NIgro
Wood, lacquered paper
Molding of foamed polyurethane,
L 240cm, W 100cm, H 76cm
white lacquer satin reinforced with steel.
Moooi
W 100cm, D 100cm, H 32 cm Ligne Roset
Colors FABRICE BERRUX Oak veneer on particle board H 70cm, D 54cm, L 220cm Roche Bobois
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Sculpting the Future W o r d s b y : R i c h T h o rnt o n
Shin Azumi’s AP Stool for lapalma uses one piece of bent plywood to launch furnituremaking into a new era
T
he AP Stool is a design experiment from Japan-born, London-based designer Shin Azumi that became one of the most intriguing and popular pieces of sitting furniture of the last three years. Fascinated by “the excellence of bent plywood”, Azumi explains that “the aim was not only to explore sculptural beauty, but to also maximise functionality within a minimal structure”. With the AP Stool it’s clear the designer has achieved both his aims; the smooth uni-body structure is paired with a large floor-contact area which brings stability and minimises damage to delicate surfaces. By having a ‘mono-coque’ composition, the stool eliminates any ocular distraction between sitting-area and support, a feat unprecedented in stool-making history. The stool was originally created for Italian design house lapalma, but its futuristic allure led M. Night Shayamalan to include the piece in his new film, After Earth. Shaped somewhat like an enlarged fortune cookie, it’s no wonder that the AP Stool has made its way to the big screen, and considering the dubious prophecies Shayamalan is famous for, it’ll probably be the most accurate representation of what the future might look like.
Introducing
Le Cé Words by:
L
R i c h
T h o r n t o n
e Cé is the new concept store and design range from Le Cercle Hitti which seeks to wow a younger generation with a wholeheartedly ‘contemporary experience’. While Le Cercle Hitti is famous for stocking some of the most tranquil and sophisticated high-end furniture from brands like Kenzo, Roche Bobois, Moooi, Dedon, B&B Italia and Ligne Roset, Le Cé will showcase mid-range brands who’ve got the style, without such a heavy price tag. In order to launch this concept, Le Cercle has given over the entirety of its Zouk store to a redesign overhaul. Set to begin construction in early autumn, the aesthetic of Le Cercle’s trendy baby brother will seek to match the edgier brands on display. Such talent includes north-eastern Italian furniture maker Bonaldo, whose work, according to the designer, “aims to arouse emotions at first sight”.
Mille table by Bartoli Design with Mirta chairs by James Brรถnte for Bonaldo.
Tree light by Mario Mazzer and Eclipse mirror by Gino Carollo for Bonaldo.
Millau modular sofa by Giuseppe Viganò for Bonaldo.
Hayek Roundabout, Sin el Fil l P.O.B. 55210 Beirut, Lebanon l tel. +961 1 480520, +961 3 480520 l www. geahchangroup.com
Interior Abandon Dori Hitti sets the trend for the contemporary family W o r d s :Rich Thornton
A
lways one to bring a mood to a measured space, Dori Hitti’s new interior apartment design in Beirut’s northern suburb of Zalka provides a motivated modern family with an edgy, spacious and communal home. Crafted out of the shells of small, decaying apartments, Hitti has morphed a cramped handful of disused rooms into a powerful open-plan environment. Characterised by Hitti’s ceaseless quest for ‘opulent simplicity’, each room displays its balance of functionality and charm via irreverent understatement and soothing monochrome.
Lighting is as essential to interior design as the shape of the space itself, as Dori Hitti well knows. Here, the designer-architect uses indirect, ambient white light to give the home a healthy glow rather than a beaming blast. Suspended from a ceiling shaft of grooved white wood, the artificial light gives balance to the wealth of natural sunrays flooding in from the sea view. In the lounge, torrents of literature waving from the bookcase add intellectual personality to the space-aged lines of the elliptical coffee table and ergonomic armchair. The bedrooms pair soft wall lights with strokes of colour to bring warmth and security to the cool, bright pine interior. Moving through to the dining area, it’s clear that any dynamic occupiers will be comfortable with the board-room
aesthetic; the rectangular black-slab table equipped with its battalion of square grey chairs suits high-energy dinner parties and high-powered work meetings alike. One of the most arresting features of the central entertainment suite is the chunky-yet-slender window bar. This architectural eye-catcher provides an alternative resting place to the acres of sofa stretched out opposite; a chance for old friends to gather over a catch-up drink. The bar is interesting architecturally as it is an example of how Hitti turned a problem into a positive. The old structural pillars of the building had to stay standing through the redevelopment; girders that were once hidden between walls were now destined to disrupt the open-plan feel of Hitti’s design. The bar was a clever addition which disguises these necessary structures and gives the home a healthy shot of personality. Following the lines of the bar leads to the pièce de résistance of this sleek and unflinching family pad: a slender grand piano facing a fireplace-monolith. As black falls on black, there’s no doubt that this is the space for soft seclusion and intimate familial reminiscences.
Alfresco style Le Cercle takes to the outdoors to peruse this summer’s hottest designs.
b&B italia
p50
ligne roset
p54
dedon
p58
b&B italia
Above: Canasta ‘13 by Patricia Urquiola.
Facing page: Grande Papilio and Piccola Papilio by Naoto Fukasawa.
b&B italia
Above and left: Canasta ‘13 by Patricia Urquiola. The sofas, armchairs and small armchairs feature new fabrics and are accompanied by small tables that harmonise with the new colours.
ligne roset
Above: Grillage by Francois Azambourg.
Facing page: Aluchair by Jacques Ferrier.
ligne roset
Above and facing page: Fifty armchair by Dรถgg & Arnved, in black or tobacco.
dedon
Facing page (from top): Green Wall Horizontal by Jean-Marie Massaud; Barcelona beach chairs by Richard Frinier.
This page (clockwise from top left): Barcelona lounge chair by Richard Frinier. Tribeca chairs; Orbit seat by Richard Frinier; Daydream Four-Post Bed by Richard Frinier.
dedon
Above: The Slim Line collection, featuring lounge and dining modules.
This photo: Zofa, a modular system of seating Odipsum and tables. harcipiendae net entiat doluptiam ut quam, aut quiam autem ipicia
Best of Salone Words:
L u c y
K n i g h t
Considered to be the world’s preeminent furniture fair, the Salone Internazionale del Mobile was held in April of this year. For designers, industry moguls and mere furniture fanatics the fair is a great excuse to descend upon Milan and check out new and innovative works.
Cosmit Since 1961 the futuristically entitled COSMIT - Comitato Organizzatore del Salone del Mobile Italiano – has been promoting Italian furniture exports. The Salone is just one part of a week of exhibitions that look at lighting, kitchen furniture, bathrooms and furnishing accessories. Covering nearly 230,000m2 at the Milan Fairgrounds in Rho, there were more than 2,500 dynamic and creative firms showcasing their wares. Here we take a look at some of the best parts of this year’s Salone.
Flos
Konstantin Grcic’s OK lamp (above) is a reinterpretation of a design classic. Divine when a redesign works, terrible when it doesn’t, this thankfully works, just like a new light bulb, or in this case, an LED sphere. The modern take on the Parentesi lamp, created first by Pio Manzù, then adapted by Italian giant Achille Castiglioni in 1969, has been cited by many as the perfect example of design evolution - no longer an actual bulb, it is now a flattened cylindrical plate, still attached to a ceiling strung cord, now with
a cone-shaped, as opposed to a puck-shaped, lead weight to keep it in its place. Also being introduced in Milan for Flos were Jorge Herrera’s Find Me lights. They are something quite different, though there is still a hark back to times past. Reminiscent of the 70s, the LED light source does bring it to the present day. They can be concealed in the walls and protrude as a downlight. They can also be fitted to stretch from the ceiling and become a cylinder of light.
Find Me by Jorge Herrera
Cosmit
above and facing page: String Lights by Michael Anastassiades for Flos
Michael Anastassiades
London-Cypriot lighting designer Michael Anastassiades prefers the term “reductive” rather than “minimalist” to describe his work – he employs subtraction to bare the soul of an object. Whatever the term used, it’s very appealing. His String Lights designed for Italian firm Flos were one of Salone’s biggest hits. Inspired by pylons and swathes of wires found in most Mediterranean cityscapes, they resemble the lightest
touch of telegraph wires with thin black electrical cord drawing geometric shapes in the air, with black conical and spherical pendants fitted with LED light sources hanging from the flexes. The designer also showcased freestanding and wall lamps, lighted spheres on stems of satin-finished brass. This time the inspiration was a little more artistic – the juggler Tony Duncan, rolling circular objects along his arms and hands.
Cosmit Roche Bobois
Nautil pouffe
This year France’s Roche Bobois used Milan, which has become, as for so many, an incredibly important date in their calendar, to showcase their Autumn Winter 2013 collection. The art de vivre of Roche Bobois has truly created an aspiration for worldwide audiences and this year their new creations have included perfect illustrations of the variety within their collections. There were distinct new sofas: Profile and Abstract from Italian designers Roberto Tapinassi and Maurizio Manzoni; and the Nautil from Cédric Ragot, the French designer. Each an interpretation of the “art de vivre”, they are an expression of creativity, technological innovation and quality craftsmanship. With his Nautil, Ragot has inspired a world of sleep. The words sleeping bag and winter jacket could be used to describe the extremely comfortable looking sofas – they endeavour to wrap the body with their snug form. There is a reminiscence of a 70s design (something that was not unique to Roche Bobois at Milan this year) but the design has remained complex with a highly engineered saddlestyle structure that the designers say could only be created in the digital age. For Roche Bobois, the advanced nature of the structure is highlighted by the use of contrasting upholstery fabrics. A heavily textured weave is accentuated by thick leather piping which
follows the outline of the sofa, dividing the padded interior and stretched fabric-covered exterior. It’s acutally a counterpoint to Arobase, an all-leather design created by Ragot for the previous collection. The 70s vibe is continued with Tapinassi and Manzoni’s Profile sofa, upholstered in Cabaret velvet and Jean Paul Gaultier fabric; the memories of sofas in the basement are conjured up, only this time with more sophistication and more spring. Ragot’s flair didn’t end at the sofas, and this year he has designed for Roche Bobois a So Quiet armchair, Precious cocktail tables with tempered glass, a Stiletto chair with eggshell resin with a lacquered square tubed metal structure, lacquered metal Full Moon, Lady and Fuji lamps, and the Reverb rug. With all the trappings of a futuristic bachelor pad, the tables leave no one in doubt of a slick and black-clad theme. The Mister X cocktail table, a glass-made, slinky piece of furniture, does also come in grey and blue; alongside the Ovni cocktail tables from Studio Roche Bobois, aluminium bases with a natural finish of clear or smoked glass, in various colours. Roche Bobois really is a company that has a global reach, with over 250 showrooms in 45 countries and last year alone saw its export sales increase 11%, a company first. Their bold and yet timeless offerings have been able to continue a 50-year tradition of creativity and quality.
Cédric Ragot’s So Quiet armchair
The Roche Bobois dining room effect at Salone
Cosmit
Vibia
As part of Salone’s Euroluce the Spanish firm Vibia introduced several new lighting concepts, including Nuno by the Japanese design studio Nendo. Using soft layers of linen they have produced a complex take on the more basic circular paper lamp. The textures provide a warm light and exude a naturalness, combining both oriental and minimalist elements. The Set by Josep Lluis Xuclà (above), the Spanish designer, has created a game of lights and shadows with his wall-
hung lights, in geometric shapes, making a wall no longer something to just be banging nails into, but rather something to be dressed and customised. The Parisbased designer Arik Levy has created a sculpture of a light source with his Wirflow. Powered by LED terminals and made up of a thin rodded structure, he easily reinterprets classical chandeliers for the contemporary, providing a direct dialogue with art. Something we should all aspire to with our lights.
Arik Levy’s Wirflow
Cosmit
Dedon
Fedro
Statement pieces for your summertime lounging. Fedro The Fedro sun lounger from Dedon is a mix of the Mexican and the city chic so appropriate for the Middle East. The ergonomic design, which sees the seat balancing on two narrow skids, allowing one to rock back and forth, is the brainchild of Milanese fashion, textile and accessories designer Lorenza Bozzoli. After watching her son, whose name is Fedro, make use of an old chair with no legs, balancing to play his video games, Bozzoli was inspired to create a kaleidoscopic version – think multicoloured birds of Latin America. It comes with a handle on the back, for easy carrying, and a cushion for the head. Dala American designer Stephen Burks is noted as one of the continent’s brightest new talents, so we’re lucky that he’s become available to us so far away from home. For several years Burks has been working with artisan groups around the world and has thus found inspiration for this Dala collection from those skilful artisans and the improvised seating arrangements that they
inhabit. The word ‘Dala’ means ‘to make’ in a dialect encountered by Burks on his travels, very appropriate then for a collection made up from a variety of recycled food and drink packaging, and recyclable polyethylene. The collection includes a lounge chair, footstool and stool; lightweight, portable and colourful to the extreme, your summer gatherings will never be the same. Swingrest Dangling amongst the trees, feet left to hang as you sway and tuck into your favourite summer read, or simply gaze into the eyes of your loved one – it must be a giant swing seat, yes? The big brother to 2011’s Nestrest has finally arrived. The Swingrest, from French designer and architect Daniel Pouzet, is the open-air version, if you like, of a successful sun lounging couch, destined to make any lazing spot a luxurious location. With the ability to fit more people, but without taking up more space than the Nestrest, it is perfect for hanging on the terrace or veranda, even indoors. Simple in function and style, it is available in a natural coloured weave and optional fabric curtain cover – privacy and shade are never a problem.
Swingrest
Dala
Fuorisalone Of course a ‘salone’ just wouldn’t be enough and so, as part of the INTERNAZIONALE DEL Mobile, the city is transformed into a huge fair. This is an animation of the city in order to show off, in the best way possible, the works of companies, in showrooms, palazzos and museums. Here are some of our favourites from the Fuorisalone.
‘Fish skin on the roof’ carpet.
Nichetto=Nendo
It is a collaboration that has been a long time coming: the influential Japanese studio of Nendo, known for its chromatic designs, with the Venice born designer Luca Nichetto. It started with a rendez-vous for coffee in Stockholm and they soon realised that now was their time for a great meeting of minds, a meeting that would complement one another’s approach to design. It is a sevenpiece furniture collection. It has taken its form in a way similar to the Japanese poetry genre known as tanka (short poem). In this way one person writes the first three
lines, and then another person composes the final two. In this same vein Nichetto and Nendo set to work. According to the pair, the project was an experiment in dynamic making: “Nothing was planned in advance”. They said that “the design process felt like a jam session, with each participant taking turns improvising new melodies”. Simple circular motions and smooth curved lines are what define the collection and the pieces include a knitted screen, soft and rounded seating, and circular shelving devices.
A Nichetto=Nendo architectural model
Fuorisalone
Moooi
Naked multi-coloured
globe were featured,
mannequins and blown-up
including the work of their
images – all form the
own founders. Wanders
theatre of new accessories
introduced his collection of
for Moooi.
Bell lamps – glass bells hung Described by
from the ceiling were
some as the “showiest” they
topped with ceramic bows.
have ever been at Milan,
He also showcased his
Moooi, the Holland-based
Farooo lamps – baluster
interior design studio, went
shaped bases, coming in
all out with an homage
three sizes; and his Cloud
to their collaborator and
Sofa, covered in white
friend Erwin Olaf. One
cushions, looking exactly
of Holland’s foremost
like…clouds.
commercial photographers,
Studio Job
and an old friend of
debuted their Labyrinth
Moooi co-founder and art
chairs and Bucket Lamp,
director Marcel Wanders,
while the Chinese Neri & Hu
Olaf was asked to produce
displayed their Common
blown-up photographic
Comrade collection of
images nearly five metres
tables – no doubt a nod to
in height. Apparently he
the homeland, the varying
thought it was a joke, but
shapes and sizes were
it wasn’t and the aptly
united by the deep red of
chosen size was perfect
each piece.
to offset the Unexpected
Juuyo lights
Welcome collection of
from Lorenza Bozzoli are
home furnishings and
where soft shapes come to
accessories all set out in
Moooi. With its graceful prints, the ceiling hung lamp gives a very sensual approach to the East.
staged living quarters. Various designers from around the
A Moooi installation at Salone
Juuyo light
Common Comrades
Construction Lamp by Joost Van Bleiswijk
Labyrinth Chair
Fuorisalone
Cloud sofa
Farooo lamp
Bell lamps
The Golden Chair from the Slovenian designer Nika Zupanc was a simple addition but the gold certainly set it apart. Alongside these international designers was also the work of Frame Moooi award winners Thomas Vailly, Itay Ohaly and Christian Fiebig. The
alumni of the Design Academy Eindhoven created their Impulsive Furnishing Unit in order to compact the creation of furniture. A playful take on how one could decorate one’s own living space, Moooi brought a truly warm and eccentric feel to the Salone.
B&B Italia
Staying true to their flair for clean lines and darkened hues in a modern style, B&B Italia did not disappoint this year. Positioned on Via Durini, a catalogue of different designers was on offer from the Italian furnisher. Entering in to what one might dare to term as a space-age theme, beds were a big part of the collection on show. The new Papilio bed from designer Naoto Fukasawa took its headboard design from that of a chair of the same name, Grande Papilio, also on display. The headboard, like the chair, envelops the sleeper with a soft finish. Appropriately the Grande Papilio was the debut piece for a large family of chairs. Formed of a natural abaca interlacing and on a fixed or swivel seat, the accompanying ottoman helps to
accentuate the details. The Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola has been designing for B&B Italia since the 90s, and her famous Husk range was continued this year with a bed and side tables. Going for a typically cushioned effect, she, like Fukasawa, has taken the hard shell and soft furnishing inspiration from her own chairs. Her sleek side tables come with their die-cast supports holding a tray top with a new copper finish. Multidisciplinary Italian designer Antonio Citterio went for a more traditional leather headboard design for his bed, the Erik, but with a lace motif on each panel, recalling a tradition from the town north of Milan, Cantu, famous for its lace work. The leather-work was continued with the Alys bed of designer Gabriele and
Oscar Buratti. Sheets of leather “pinched” around the edges gave the effect of enveloping, as we’ve seen before, the occupants. Honeycombs, ottoman style cushions and tables - it’s a modern take on the traditional from the Swiss designers at ecofriendly Atelier Oï. Hive positions intricately crafted pieces of leather that were otherwise going on the scrap heap, into cushions positioned atop chrome steel rods, with the tables composed of folded sheets of metal painted in matt nickel bronze – a fantastic homage to our dwindling bee populations. Moving to a more smooth lined approach to tables, the Italian duo Guiseppe Manente and Abramo Mion at Studio Kairos are responsible for the elegantly neat Dado
Fuorisalone
Andy ‘13
Orione cabinet
The Grande Papilio
Canasta ‘13
Tobi-Ishi
Antares table for Maxalto by Antonio Citterio, part of the Orione series.
Andy ‘13
Orione series by Antonio Citterio for Maxalto
cabinets, with the satin and glossy finish adding a sleek accompaniment to the bedside, as a table or hiding place. Continuing the tables on offer from B&B Italia is the Tobi-Ishi range from the Brits Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. Produced in cement, marble, white carrara and black marquinia, they are
more than the simplistic design suggests – never was the need to touch rather than just look more relevant. Ranging from sombre in colour to a bold candy red, the iconic personality of the table is never lost. Hand in hand with Italian Paolo Piva’s reinterpretation of his classic Andy sofa, now
Andy ’13, the Area tables and storage spaces couldn’t be more appropriately named for that space in the home in which we all gather and converse. A movable cushioned ottoman slots easily into a polished chrome and nickel table-top, summarising the multifunctional ability we so often crave in modern life.
MOST (Museum of Science and Technology) One particularly exciting host to exhibit in the Fuorisalone this year was the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST). Put together by the British designer Tom Dixon, the aim was to ‘disrupt design’ and return power to the designer and challenge the status quo. Here are a few of our favourites.
Japan Handmade
Japan Handmade is among the newest of kids on the block. A collaboration of craftspeople from Kyoto, they draw on the timehonoured traditions of Kyoto craftsmanship offering a playful approach to old styles of ceramics, metalknitting, tea-ware, wood and bamboo crafting, through novel design. They have teamed up with the Danish Design Studio OeO to bring fresh energy to their unique heritage products and when it comes to a design tradition, the clean lines and functionality of Japanese and Scandinavian ideas, they are very much in line. On show at Salone this year were several brands including Kaikado. Established in 1875, its founder Kiyosuke was the creator of the first Kaikado tin tea caddy and the Chazutsu tea caddy is still the brand’s signature product. They have worked with Studio OeO to create
their Objects Collection (above), bringing a unique and modern take on the tea caddy. Nakagawa Mokkougei are wood workers who, using the centuries-old method of making wooden buckets, ki-oke, often used for bathing or storing rice, have developed their Ki-Oke Stool, fusing together the tradition with Western sensibilities with Studio OeO and designer Shuji Nakagawa. Lastly, Hosoo, a Kyoto-based textile company founded in the 17th century that can trace its roots in the Kyoto silk industry back to the sixth century, has created its Fabric Collection. Revisiting and reapplying a Japanese three-dimensional weaving technique, they have created sophisticated and contemporary fabrics. www.japan-handmade.com/ collection
The Ki-Oke Stool by Nakagawa Mokkougei
MOST (Museum of Science and Technology)
©Takumi Ota
Koloro-desk by Torafu Architects
Created by the inventive minds at Torafu Architects, a Tokyo-based agency, the Koloro-desk brings the dollhouse to the grownups. The undeniably ‘cute’ workspace came about when Torafu was asked to create something that could showcase the polyester-coated plywood of the manufacturers Ichiro. Essentially a box on a table top, it closely resembles a privatised desk often found in libraries. You can hide yourself away and create a little world of work. There are hatches on the sides that can either be closed for more privacy, or be opened up and used as shelves. Storage space can be found beneath the seat pad and you could also have a plant pot in the ‘roof’.
At Milan the use of the desk was taken a step further by the design company Tokyo Bussanten. As part of the MOST at Salone it held an exhibition that saw 10 different designers and fashion brands create installations using one Koloro-desk each. The participating designers included Tadahito Ishibashi, Akihiro Kumagai, Yota Kakuda, and Jin Kuramoto. If your childhood was spent decorating the interiors of miniature homes, finding little ceramic basins for the bathrooms, wooden bedsteads for the guestroom, and putting a ghost in the attic, then, a Koloro-desk for your grown-up accessories is probably the item you always wanted, but didn’t know you could have.
ŠTakumi Ota The 10 designers display their work spaces.
Fuorisalone at Rossana Orlandi Rossana Orlandi is deemed by many to be a doyenne of contemporary design and since 2002 has opened up her incredibly hip spazio each year to designers from around the world. Here are some of our picks.
Frog platter from the John Derian collection at Astier de Villatte
Astier de Villatte
BenoÎt Astier de Villatte and Ivån Pericoli are renowned for their black terracotta clay and retro-look white china adornments, made in their Bastille workshop in Paris where Napoleon’s silversmith once grafted. However, they founded Astier de Villatte in 1996 as a furniture manufacturer. Inspired by Baroque and classical pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries
found in junk shops and flea markets, they sell a range of their own classicstyle furniture, shot through with tongue-in-chic postmodern humour. The plates were made only as a decorative sideline, but their handmade allure has gained them a cult following in Japan and the US. Their selling point is their imperfection, giving them an air of authenticity.
Astier de Villatte scented candle
Fuorisalone at Rossana Orlandi
Bokja
Beirut design duo Hoda Baroudi and Maria Hidri create from a premise: textiles talk. And the tales their hand embroidery and patchwork tell rival Homer’s Odyssey. Thankfully though, their Migration Collection didn’t have to traipse wearily on foot to Milan: it was flown. They produce vibrant, colour-rich stories which have won over everyone from Christian Louboutin to Kate Hudson and Julia Roberts. Migration – an
ever-vital theme in Lebanese culture, reflecting war, taxes, instability, economics and love – is reflected in an emotive assemblage of decorative arts. The sofa, for instance, carries rolledup rugs and bedding on its back like so many belongings, and a drawer at its base evokes a clothes-stuffed suitcase. It has flapping wings and a bird motif, and is accompanied by Migration wallpaper and rugs.
Special exhibitions
Analog Blast design through the lens of Ramak Fazel
When in 2009 the IranianAmerican photographer Ramak Fazel returned to the US after a 15-year sojourn in Milan, working as a freelancer for Domus magazine and other globally renowned institutions, he left his celluloid adventures behind thick glass in his “Milan Unit”, also fondly known as the “blue kitchen”. Domus and curator Delfino Sisto Legnani persuaded
Fazel to briefly return for the Salone and a show in the 15th-century Casa degli Atellani. They wanted him to display an organic mass, from Polaroids to old lenses, showing intimate portraits of design gurus such as Starck and Magistretti, Sottsass and Zanuso – an exhibition blowing the design world of the past two decades wide open, befitting of its title, Analog Blast.
Portrait of Angelo Mangiarotti by Ramak Fazel.
The photographer Ramak Fazel and his assistant in his archive.
Special exhibitions
Hyperion light by Paul Heijnen
2.0 Exhibition at the Museo Bagatti Valsecchi
Hidden between Via Santo Spirito and Via Gesù in the centre of Milan, the late 19th-century neoRenaissance palazzo has been offering itself up as a museum since 1994. Rossana Orlandi, art and design curator extraordinaire, teamed up with entrepreneur Goga Ashkenazi to bring together the work of 16 different artists and designers, all to be displayed in the Museo. Artists featured included:
Dirk Vander Kooij, Paul Heijnen, NielsHoebers, Tomáš Libertíny, Yukiko Nagai, Frédérique Morrel, Marten Baas, James Plumb, Martin Smith, Enrico Marone Cinzano and Desiree Von Pelt. Hosting such contemporary and outlandish pieces in such a traditional and classical setting allowed for an original way in which to view the surroundings, as well as to interpret the pieces within.
The Diffusor Cabinet by Dirk Vander Kooij
Large-scale needlepoint works by Frédérique Morrel
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Fresh from Minsk, full of Italian flavour and with designs on Beirut
Guiseppe Zanotti is a chef with ambition Words by:
H e l e n
A s s a f
Walk into Cavalli Caffè Beirut and it’s easy to be struck by the sleek black and glass décor populated by zebra print. With the arrival of Italian chef Guiseppe Zanotti to take the gastronomic helm, though, it will be the food that has everyone talking and coming back for more.
left: Guiseppe Zanotti
H
e’s cooked for Madonna, Berlusconi and the football teams of Barcelona and Real Madrid, but now Guiseppe Zanotti is looking to woo the tastebuds of Beirutis. Hailing from the Italian city of Parma and with an impressive 14-year international career behind him, Zanotti has taken over the head chef position at Cavalli Caffè Beirut with a mission to do things no one else is doing. “I am quite a dynamic and ambitious person,” he says, rattling off his accolades of having been ranked in three different countries as having the best Italian restaurant (by Tatler magazine, the Times of India, Time Out magazine, and Italy’s top food and
above: Cavalli Caffè Beirut
beverage magazine). Among his award-winning career he’s worked in Singapore (at the Mandarin Oriental’s Bologna restaurant), Thailand (at Bangkok’s first five-star hotel, the Dusit Thani), and India (Hyatt Regency Mumbai). His last position was in Belarus’ capital Minsk at a VIP luxury restaurant, presumably quite a contrast when swapping the minus 25 degrees Celsius of Minsk for Beirut’s more humid climes. Since taking over at Cavalli Caffè Beirut, Zanotti has set about bringing his vision to the menu. One of the early examples of this was the introduction of the ‘Aperitivo concept’. “I bonded with that [concept] since I was 12 years old,” he says. “This was one of my first ideas that I gave when I arrived along with a new menu.” In his own words, ‘aperitivo’ is where Italian
left: The ‘Aperitivo concept’ launch party was attended by Cavalli himself.
employees file out of their jobs at six o clock, head to a bar with their friends, and order an aperitif or glass of wine to go with hot and cold taster plates of olives, cold cuts, and more laid out on the bar. For Zanotti, it’s a tradition that is “simple, nice, tasty!” For the concept’s launch in Beirut, the maestro himself, Roberto Cavalli, jetted in by private plane to attend the party. Zanotti feels that the aperitivo concept had been lacking from Beirut and his general philosophy is to launch things that he believes no one else is doing. He talks passionately about his approach to food that he calls “Tradition Evolution”, which combines elements of regional cuisine with fine dining
above: The terrace at Cavalli Caffè Beirut
and Zanotti’s own touch. Fresh, good, local produce is prized in Zanotti’s kitchen and already within his first weeks of being here he has sourced an organic extra virgin olive oil from one of Lebanon’s villages that he is incorporating into dishes. He uses up to 15 different kinds of extra virgin olive oil in his menus, and claims to like the local taste so much that he won’t be importing any from Italy. There will be plenty of Italian flavour in the menu still, though, with a healthy dose of fresh pasta, including a ‘zebra ravioli’ with sage and butter sauce. “Many things are going to happen in this restaurant,” he says. To find out what exactly, a visit to the Cavalli Caffè comes highly recommended.
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Beirut Design Week 2013 Words by:
K a s i a
M a c i e j o w s k a
N
ow in its second year, Beirut Design Week (BDW) celebrates all forms of design that spill from the city’s international talent pool. From a rooftop installation of exclusive design-art by Rima Khatib at Le Gray hotel in downtown Beirut, to a collaborative workshop on the future of Lebanese food at Platform 39 in Ashrafieh, a lo-fi studio exhibit of 3D-printed ceramics at the Rapid Manufactory at The Bakery in Gemmayze, and a two-day conference on critical practice - this year’s programme represented contrast and variety. Doreen Toutikian and Maya Karanouh set up the MENA Design Research Centre in 2010 with support from TAGbrands. They founded BDW last year because they wanted to acknowledge the role that Beirut plays in the current explosion of the design scene across the Arab region. Toutikian explains, “Design exhibitions in Qatar, Doha and Dubai always include Lebanese creators but they don’t usually have a platform at home. All the gems are here so I think holding a festival to acknowledge and support that is a positive step.”
As a young festival, the series of events, exhibitions, workshops and talks still carry the creative energy of something emerging. International designers and architects flew in to speak at the weekend conference, held at the Lebanese American University, and mixed with contributors of Lebanese origin, living in Beirut and overseas. All the happenings were free and open to all, inviting collectors, creators and the general public to mingle and experience design from outside their usual comfort zone. “There is still a divide across the MENA region between how consumers and creators understand design. The established notion among luxury customers that design is only about decoration remains strong, in contrast to perhaps a more educated understanding that design can also be integral to improving functionality and quality of life,” says Toutikian, who hopes to bring the two sides closer together by boosting debate and discussion at BDW. This drive towards a more critical perspective on design was the guiding theme behind the conference, which addressed the future of architecture, urban ecology, and how to create products that speak to the human psyche.
Design Week Highlights
Rana Salam is internationally known for her graphic work that re-frames Lebanese popular imagery, so it seemed only fitting that she opened her studio doors for BDW13 to inspire young creatives and give them a chance to hone their craft with her at an open graphic design workshop.
Design Week Highlights
Michael Anastassiades came from London to give a highly personal talk at the conference. His words offered a touching insight into the importance of independence and individuality in creating a distinct brand and designing objects that have poetry and longevity. Chatting with him afterwards we liked his belief that design should think big: “Design shouldn’t limit itself to being a quick fix or a witty product. Design is about being human and about life, and it should communicate that.”
Design Week Highlights
Archittetura Sonora installed its bespoke speakers into urns, seating, and elegant hanging ceramics suspended from trees around the villa gardens of the landscape architect Vladimir Durovic in the summer getaway town of Broummana. The sound designer behind the brand, Lorenzo Brusci, explained how he uses speaker position to shape architectural space using music – as he is doing for Zaha Hadid at her new London gallery this autumn.
Design Week Highlights
Maria Halios launched her new Nest table at her store for the festival. This sculptural centre piece takes its structure from natural beehives and distorts it by accentuating the angles – while the high shine red finish makes it ultra-contemporary. She chose to exhibit work by Greek ceramicist Manoussos Khalkiadakis in her window for the week and created a whimsical but clean assemblage of his boats and balloons whose hand-crafted texture posed a relaxed contrast with her own sleek work.
Design Week Highlights
Jo Baaklani was our favourite fresh face at the Newcomers exhibition at Atelier NS in Mar Mikhael. The recent graduate from Central Saint Martins art school, in London, chose gouache to paint his naïve kooky illustrations and translate them into prints on fabric – now he just needs a fabric company to put his hand-drawn patterns into production.
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A Map Modern
Le Cercle explores the Venice Biennale 2013 and finds the boundaries of art as everexpanding as the universe
I
n a world where the number of art exhibitions is multiplying faster than new McDonald’s, it’s difficult to find a comprehensive overview of what’s out there – and what art right now is trying to say. Every second year, however, the Venice Biennale trumps all other appointments; as the world’s longest running art fair, it’s a must-go. For this
Biennale’s Central Pavilion, curator and contemporary art critic Massimiliano Gioni is offering the bewildered art explorer a map that outlines the fringes of the past century’s art canon via his Encyclopedic Palace. Tracing the boundaries of “what constitutes art” is as perilously ambitious a task for an art academic as looking for the edge of the universe is for the astrophysicist – but Gioni’s treasure trove sparkles.
of Art Words by:
R i c h
T h o r n t o n
The experience begins in the vaulted canals outside Venice’s Arsenale – the city’s old shipyard which has been reborn as an exhibition space. A group of men huddle over their brass instruments, playing a repetitive tune aboard their tiny vessel, the SS Hangover. The boat, and its inhabitants, is self-described by the Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartsson as a “performative kinetic soundsculpture” and the vessel itself is influenced by Greek, Icelandic
and Venetian ship design. Such multi-influenced, multimedia art work makes for a good introduction to the rest of Gioni’s Encyclopedic Palace. Once inside, the viewer is confronted by an alternative Venice. A colony of plastic humanoid sculptures, modelled on the real bodies of living Venetians, is Polish artist Pavel Althamer’s contribution to this aesthetic classification. They haunt, stretch, gape and converse
all in an unnerving attempt to show that the soul cannot live without the body. Other notable works in this ontological chocolate-box include Lin Xue’s achingly precise drawings of forests which resemble anatomical hearts – a mysterious collection of work from an artist who not-so-famously has a distaste for verbal communication and a total indifference to the media. Xue’s eccentricity might only be
topped by the late Arthur Bispo do Rosario, a Brazilian artist who spent his days in a mental asylum building things and writing on them, and who was only discovered – like all the best artists – after he was dead. Moving away from the Central Pavilion and into the Giardina offers the chance to discover the displays at the National Pavilions. At these small, often quirkily-designed galleries, each country selects one artist or art piece to represent them.
Austrians Oliver Croy and Oliver Elser somehow snuck into the Italian Pavilion to continue to attack the question ‘What is art?’ with their intriguing display of miniature houses, built by a man named Peter Fritz in the 1960s who never considered himself an artist. The art at the Finnish Pavilion has an equally unintended origin. Falling Trees
gains its name and inspiration from the unexpected event of a tree falling on and destroying the old Finnish Pavilion at the 2011 Biennale – but the art (and the new pavilion) is definitely worth a look. If the way to learn is to ask questions, the Venice Biennale 2013 will soon be the wisest – as well as the most famous – art fair in all the world.
The Seoul of Venice Words by:
R i c h
T h o r n t o n
South Korea’s Who is Alice? exhibition at the 2013 Venice Biennale captures the diversity of the country’s contemporary art, as well as its unifying questions
N
ot content with its national pavilion’s main display within the Giardini at this year’s Venice Biennale, South Korea presented a second special exhibition of contemporary art at the collateral venue Spazio Lightbox. Inspired by the mystical timelessness of its host city, Who is Alice? collects the
work of 15 Korean artists ‘who reinterpret and transform the evocative, period room of Lightbox into a dream scenery’. By using Lewis Carroll’s story Alice in Wonderland as its launch pad, the exhibition takes you down the rabbit hole of the Korean artistic imagination with installations, sculptures, videos, paintings and photos that stretch through the ten Lightbox rooms and have you tumbling out the other side.
Xoo-ang Choi is known for distorting the human form to represent the mental maladies of contemporary men and women; here his Wings sculpture treats human hands as angelic feathers soaring for a flap of expression.
Perhaps the keynote piece of the collection is Du Jin Kim’s The Youth of Bacchus; his dancing skeletons act as a rebellion against the ‘law of symbols’ characterising the history of art, and simultaneously solidifying Korea’s place within it.
Yeon-Doo Jung examines the ‘editability’ of modern life by broadcasting an unedited 85 min video, with all scene changes, prop additions and bloopers left intact.
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