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letter from the editor issue 64, 2016
In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, architect Richard Rogers quipped, “Architecture is about public space held by buildings.” Reversed, his comment implies that public space is architecture outside of buildings. This may seem obvious, however over the course of creating this issue of Indesign, we have repeatedly come up against the tension between the degree to which a public space can be designed, and the degree to which it is organic and spontaneous. Whilst we firmly believe that design does play a pivotal role, we also recognise there is value in a broader understanding of the factors that contribute to creating successful public space, and have chosen to include a number of articles that explore these (see Comment, p.50, and Zone, p.190). A further challenge has been that of how to define the criteria by which public spaces are judged, as with such a broad group of stakeholders and users, polemic is inevitable. We have selected projects based on what we perceive as genuine merit, balancing the more prosaic elements of aesthetics and function with a less tangible ‘x factor’ of social contribution, and yet it would be presumptuous to assert that our evaluation is definitive. Thus we have also ensured variety in our coverage, ranging from public thoroughfares to community learning centres, with the hope of identifying the underlying strategies that unify successful projects. Beyond these specific considerations, however, the examination of public spaces prompts query into what we wish our common ground to be, and for which reasons. Our public spaces, and how we use them, are part of our collective identity, and this country’s historic commitment to them (we are, after all, a ‘commonwealth’) should act as inspiration and reminder to design cities that benefit us all. LORenzO LOgI – MAnAgIng edITOR ALIce BLAckWOOd – MeLBOuRne edITOR
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Alice Blackwood and Managing Editor, Lorenzo Logi
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contentIndesIgn
february-may, 2016
Issue 64 regulars
portfolio
027 evolve Bite-sized portions from the latest people, places, products, events.
CommerCial
032 interfaCe + indesign The third creative collaboration in Interface’s ‘Beautiful Thinking’ campaign sees Cox Architecture delve into the landscape of the mind. 063 fuse More than just new technology, the sophistication and sensitivity with which lighting products are being deployed that is revolutionising the way public spaces are illuminated. 072 praCtiCe Over 10 years, Siren Design has impressed, flourished and expanded. Most admirably however, it has created a culture that nourishes professional and personal satisfaction among its staff. 078 all in the family Born in Italy in the early 70s, Living Divani received all the attention and love a family could possibly give – and flourished as a result. 084 luminary CEO of dwp | suters, over the last 30 years Leone Lorrimer has worked as strategist, project leader, researcher, campaigner for gender equality and sustainable cities, and, of course, architect.
090 Westpac Centre, Sydney, Geyer, Rogers Stirk Harbour, Woods Bagot publiC spaCe 112 Grace Farms, Connecticut (USA), SANAA 119 The Goods Line, Sydney, Aspect Studios, CHROFI 126 Delft Train Station, Delft (NL), Mecanoo 135 108 Flinders Courtyard, Melbourne, Tract Consultants, Fender Katsalidis 140 Realm & Town Square, Melbourne, Seventh Wave, The Buchan Group, Acme CiviC 146 Len Lye Centre, New Plymouth (NZ), Pattersons Associates residential 154 Fold House, Bay of Islands (NZ), Bossley Architects 161 Seccull House, Melbourne, Guilford Bell
171 pulse Transferring modern and ethnic themes around the Pacific, Douglas Snelling introduced mid-century glamour to Oceania. Pairing artisanal craftsmanship with echoes of the natural world, Christopher Boots’ creations are coveted worldwide. 181 Zone The new Barangaroo Reserve on Sydney Harbour raises many questions about parks and placemaking. Paul McGillick ponders whether any of those questions were actually asked. Perth is experiencing its biggest shift in attitude to design and public space to date, with a number of projects set to redefine the city. 192 ps A community-supported lending library in Newport, Canada, adds a new level of amenity to a public space.
Cover Len Lye Center, New Plymouth, NZ, Photo: Simon Devitt indesignlive.Com
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DIRECTORYINDESIGN INDESIGN MAGAZINE AND ITS SUBSCRIBERS CAN BE FOUND ALL OVER THE WORLD Indesign magazine is available at newsagents and bookshops in Australia and internationally. Indesign is published quarterly. To subscribe securely online visit indesignlive.com or alternatively email subscriptions@indesign.com.au to subscribe or request a full list of locations where Indesign magazine is available.
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people places pRoDUcTs evenTs
urban reflections Winner of the 2015 flatiron Holiday Design competition, nova by softlab takes its inspiration from the traditional gazebo. constructed from lightweight aluminium, the strength of nova lies in its modular composition, while its unique, kaleidoscopic beauty comes from the structure’s acrylic internal cladding. nova sits within a landscape where it is able to be viewed from all angles as well as allowing for pedestrian interaction. SOFTlab softlabnyc.com Curated by Alice Blackwood, Melbourne Editor of Indesign. indesignlive.com
oUr gUest editor arm arChiteCtUre’s interior design leader, andrea Wilson, piCKs oUt a series of “robUst, raW and theatriCal” speCs – perfeCt for pUbliC spaCes.
raw metal finish “The places we deal with are largely places of destination,” says Andrea, highlighting Signorino’s Metalli Plumbeo Ossidato – ideal for walls, floors and façades. New technology enables these tiles, which feature a raw metal finish, to be produced in huge one-by-three metre sheet tiles. “We’re using it for floor and wall applications internally,” says Andrea, “to give a feeling of the industrial.” Definitely destination quality!
Signorino signorino.com.au
sweet treats The leather upholstery, artfully wrapped around these six-metre-high columns in ARM’s recently completed Geelong Library and Heritage Centre (Victoria), appear like “giant marshmallows”. They make for a visually arresting treat atop the blue of ARM’s custom designed rug from RC+D.
Pelle Leathers pelleleathers.com.au RC+D rc-d.com.au
elephant in the room among arm’s many public space projects are libraries – a haven for children who are looking for playful interaction. the eames elephant from Vitra is super strong in construction and a design classic to boot. “Kids should learn about and understand original design from a young age,” says andrea. Why not start with the best? Space Furniture spacefurniture.com.au
evolveindesign
set the stage “I’ve included these because they look like stage set lights,” says andrea of the Bouroullecs’ aim lights for Flos. the lights bring that extra “theatrical element” to a space, where architectural lighting often flies under the visual radar. Euroluce euroluce.com.au
PaPer with flavour “We’re interested in seeing human craft – not just the mechanical” says Andrea of Cole & Sons’ unique wallpaper designs. Pictured here is Delano from the Geometrics II range, launched in Australia late last year. “Cole & Sons’ wallpaper designs”, says Andrea, “allow you to move away from strictly commercial fabrics to use sturdy, quality-produced wallpaper that sets the tone of a space with its striking and theatrical designs.”
Radford Furnishings radfordfurnishings.com
lone Pine leg Designed by Jeremy Stewart and built by Loren Dalgarno Lockwood this beautiful Lone Pine table was made for the Shrine of Remembrance (SOR), redeveloped by ARM in 2014. The table began its life as a commemorative tree in SOR’s reserve site; a fungus infection felled the tree, ARM resurrected it as a table for the new shrine.
ARM a-r-m.com.au
quiet statement Netherlands design brand, PROOFF, are aficionados of acoustically refined, agile furniture items. The PROOFF #001 Ear Chair offers privacy and quiet, coming fully equipped with wired power and data outlet. “They are a statement study chair for public libraries and large offices,” says Andrea.
Living Edge livingedge.com.au
indesignlive.com
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evolveindesign
more moiré The Hexx table lamp is a functional yet decorative light that produces patterned illumination on both the surface on which it sits as well as the walls around it. Taking inspiration from basic shapes, the Diesel creative team has used perforated sheets to form two hexagonal prisms that overlap, creating an intriguing and playful pattern known as moiré. Though geometric and industrial in its design, the dual light sources produce an ambient atmosphere.
Space Furniture spacefurniture.com.au
nyc meets miami the work of spanish designer Jaime Hayon is celebrated in a ‘Funtastico’ exhibition that runs until april this year at the design museum Holon. Working at the confluence of design and art, Hayon conjures the fantastic and fantasy through his colourful references to the baroque, eclectic and surreal. Pictured here is the american chateau – a new york city meets miami style design, by Jaime Hayon and nienke Klunder. Design Museum Holon dmh.org.il
cABineT TAlK Redefining the way we feel in our bathroom – and use it as well – is the Quattro Zero from Falper. Characterised by delicate lines, precise finishes and beautiful detailing, the range combines vanity and modular cabinetry options with various colour and finish combinations, so you can craft your vanity to suit your space. Thanks to its modular, wall hung design, Quattro Zero offers a smaller footprint without compromising on quality – its supreme sense of elegance makes certain of that!
Rogerseller rogerseller.com.au
indesignlive.com
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inTeRFACeindesign
Yin-Yang Cox Architecture delves inside the mind for the third iteration of Interface’s Beautiful Thinking campaign. he Cox interior design team was invited to combine Interface tiles with props or materials of their choosing to create a mindful space. The campaign is the next step in Interface’s commitment to biophilic design, aiming to create ecosystems in the built environment that awaken one’s ability to thrive, collaborate and think creatively. The Cox team started their design response with an individual exercise, exploring what the notion of mindfulness meant to each of them. Senior Interior Designer Trent Schatzmann recalls, “My first thought was of when I saw the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the MCA a couple of years ago… he has this ability to create experiences that allow you to get lost in the moment. We then thought about creating something that would let the viewer get lost in the moment.” The team followed the thread of discovering ‘internal’ space; as Senior Interior Designer Lauren Smith explains “this thinking evolved into a three-dimensional space using carpet tiles which represent a landscape inside the mind; we played with positive and
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negative ideas, thought forms and beliefs, we also looked at peeling back the various layers of the mind... We were investigating the idea of mindful space happening within the mind.” “We decided to only use the laser cut words,” adds Schatzmann, “which cover most of what happens within our mind: positive or negative.” The team also responded to the particular aesthetic of Interface’s Narrative tiles: Ingrid Kelly, Head of Interior Design at Cox Architecture, observes that, “the collection has two distinct patterns running through it – an ancient script form and also a lineal form, so we looked at the pattern of the carpet and thought about how that could apply to mindfulness and how the mind works; it can go in all sorts of different directions.” Reflecting on the installation, Kelly concludes that “the concept of beautiful thinking and mindful space are very relevant to today’s design. We deal with the way people move within an environment and how they work and live and play, and we need to be aware of those responses, we need to create spaces that are beautiful.”
CREATIVE dIRECTIon Cox Architecture interior design team (back row) Trent Schatzmann, Ingrid Kelly, Andy Medhurst, Lucy Williams (front row) Claudia Hobor, Lauren Smith, Stella Wongso PHoToGRAPHY
Tim Robinson dEsIGn Michelle Byrnes WoRds Lorenzo Logi
BRougHT To you By InTeRfACe interface.com
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Of the Land Developed especially for the 100% Norway exhibition at London Design Festival 2015, the Fauna range by Hallgeir Homstvedt is a project that focuses on using historic materials to create something new. Paying respect to the roots of the materials, Fauna is a range of animal figures that are made largely of granite native to Nordic countries. The animals chosen for the series have been made into simplified figures that accentuate the precise cuts of the granite and intricate detail of the material itself.
Hallgeir Homstvedt hallgeirhomstvedt.com
UnO MOMentO The very form of the Momento light is like a ripple suspended in time – that moment right after a droplet hits the water’s surface. When you stand to its side however, it changes form and seems as if it is a drop yet to fall, suspended in its last clinging moment. Designed by Nao Tamura for WonderGlass, the Momento’s gentle folds of blown glass create an ephemeral glow.
WonderGlass wonder-glass.com
RECYCLED CHARM Created by Lammhults, the Funk table features a deeply etched wood grain finish that invites the user to make a tactile connection with the piece. The combination of its chrome frame and the textured detail of its tabletop gives Funk a distinctive aesthetic personality. Available in a range of sizes, heights and powder coated finishes, Funk is flexible in application while also an expressive addition to any environment. Yazz yazz.com.au
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the BOLD AND the BeAUtIFUL the kind of sofa that makes you want to be completely enveloped – that’s Bold by Moroso. Designed by Patricia Urquiola, Bold derives its beauty from incredibly detailed upholstery and quality finishes. During the design process, small adjustments were made to ensure the user experience is as beautiful as it is functional. top-stitching highlights each module, and the simple and balanced lines are the distinguishing features of the Bold series. Hub Furniture hubfurniture.com.au
Poetic Reaction Curiosity and intrigue are what first comes to mind when setting eyes on the Réaction Poétique collection. Designed for Cassina by Jaime Hayon, this wooden collection pays homage to Cassina’s heritage of craftsmanship, creating an interplay of forms through elements of light and shadow. The organic shapes of Le Corbusier’s architecture and esprit nouveau artwork inspired the design of each of the objects.
CULT cultdesign.com.au
indesignlive.com
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The nuTcracker Paying particular homage to the Australian bush, Dr. Crunch by Marc Harrison, is a poetic solution specifically designed to crack open the macadamia nut. Comprising two parts – the javelin and the anvil – Harrison has crafted Dr. Crunch to share the mass and weight of its user equally. Its undulating form and ergonomic design make it a beautiful object as well as a functional tool for any household.
Quench quench-design.com
ELEMENTaL ELEGaNCE The La Chance Magnum Table embraces both bulky and light characteristics using materials that are robust in profile yet visually elegant. The table, designed by Pierre Favresse, brings enduring style to any dining room through the use of timeless elements such as timber, marble and metal. Living Edge livingedge.com.au
feel good flooring Bates Smart and RC+D worked in collaboration to produce this custom-designed carpet for the client-facing areas of Corrs Chambers Westgarth’s new Brisbane offices. The hand-tufted carpet emanates the look and feel of a premium floor finish coupled with the ability to withstand the busy workplace. The carpet meets demands across all areas of the office, designed with a ‘hospitality overlay’ to give the space a unique feel.
RC+D rc-d.com.au
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cReATURe comFoRTs Debuted at London Design Festival 2015 as a part of Fredrikson Stallard’s exhibition, ‘Momentum’, Species is a series of formless structures that force us to question all that we thought we knew. Inspired by experimental practices and contrasting elements, Fredrikson Stallard created this series to displace ideas of comfort and draw you in with its dramatic finishes. Challenging traditional perceptions of furniture, Species celebrates the unique with the mass-produced.
Fredrikson Stallard fredriksonstallard.com
seTTing new benchmARks Designed originally for personal use, the Botan bench by Jasper Morrison for Maruni reframes our perception of bench seating using his trademark light touch. Produced in light cedar, the bench is minimalistic in its design, featuring clean lines and a slim profile. The slightly angled seat offers a unique point of difference that appears both soft and yet ultimately comfortable.
SeehoSu seehosu.com.au
suspended charm at a glance, these sLIde shelves by nendo for GLas Italia look to be suspended, grounded only by a single sheet of glass that appears as if ‘slipped’ from its original position. an optical illusion, trickery of the eyes; the offset black shelf is subtly – but sturdily – bonded to the transparent glass using only a small area of cross-section. Space Furniture spacefurniture.com.au indesignlive.com
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athletic feats of seating theatrical lighting An old jail repurposed into a 1000-seat theatre forms the latest edition to Bendigo’s thriving arts and culture scene. The design of the new Ulumbarra Theatre pays homage to the site’s heritage listing, creatively integrating into its interior architecture a subtle yet distinctive lighting solution in the form of the TRILUX lighting range. The lighting system, supplied by Victorian distributor Buckford Illumination Group, playfully highlights the modern interior features, drawing the eye towards both the detailing and overall aesthetic of the space.
Mimicking the innovative technology of the sports sector, the X-Code by the Dauphin HumanDesign Group excels in ergonomic comfort and sleek aesthetics. Constructed from a sturdy plastic shell and contoured tensioned membrane, the chair’s backrest is intricately designed to ‘bounce back’ into shape, returning to its original form following long periods of intense use. Ideal for all office settings, the X-Code devotes its form and function to its users’ ongoing motivation and work-day performance.
Light Culture lightculture.com.au
Dauphin HumanDesign Group dauphin-group.com/en
shadow play stripped of its exterior elements, the Bolet wire pendant designed by alexander lotersztain demands we all look up! The skeletal form of the Bolet wire follows the contours of its predecessor, the Bolet, to cast an ambient light intersected by a delicate cross-thatch of shadows. designed for derlot Editions, the range comes in a variety of elemental finishes whose strength contrasts seamlessly with the light’s gentle, warm hues. Stylecraft stylecraft.com.au
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VOLA Design Pty. Ltd., Tel.: +61 402 372 480, lna@vola.com, www.vola.com
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LOUNGING LaNdSCaPE Characterised by its soft, simple lines, antonio Rodriguez’s Guest Sofa for La Cividina offers features that will make it the focal point of any living area. It is a versatile product whose grand dimensions mean it is ideal for large commercial areas, and whose detailed finishes add depth and personality to private, residential environments also. The Guest Sofa is a modular system that allows the user the freedom to arrange the setting as they wish. Own World ownworld.com.au
delicate and dainty Made from metal and oak, the Bon Ton collection for Torremato showcase simple form and feminine accents. The line of suspension lamps take their cue from pendant earrings – female accessories that come in a range of designs. Elegant finishes are dainty and pretty, with the lamps closed at the end by a copper butterfly swirl.
Lightco lightco.com.au
casUal elegance
fOOdIE fINESSE finesse, the transparent modular kitchen system from Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka offers us a new and original vision for contemporary kitchen design. To complement kitchen ranges and products that are show-worthy, the smoked glass cabinetry transforms pots, pans and plates into silhouetted centrepieces. The modular design of the finesse system means that it is an ideal choice for a variety of kitchen environments and aesthetic demands. Toyo Kitchen Style toyokitchen.co.jp indesignlive.com
Inspired by a trip to the Hawaiian Islands, Australian designer Ivan Woods created the Maui line of products to celebrate casual, elegant timber furnishings with subtle hints of personality. Contemporary and timeless, the Integral chair encourages its users to relax into its angled lines. Constructed from solid European Oak, it is ideal for commercial and personal settings thanks to its sophisticated yet casual appeal.
Schiavello schiavello.com
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BRYDIE Sofa and Side Table Collection
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above ‘Digital Art’
collection by Ceramica Sant’Agostino, the range that won the Ceramics Design Award at Cersaie 2015 beloW ‘Shadewall’ collection by Ceramica Sant’Agostino opposite above ‘Sharp’ collection by Simas opposite beloW ‘Terre Nuove’ collection by Ceramica Sant’Agostino
cersaie 2015 We reveal a feW perspectives of the 2015 cersaie fair, from business-like market place to inspirational aladdin’s cave. Words Nicky Lobo
ersaie, the international exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, takes place annually in bologna, italy in late september. last year it attracted 872 exhibitors and over 101,000 visitors from around the world, including a small but vibrant australian contingent. an analysis of design directions seen by these distributors reveals how they will translate to the australian market, from the mid-level to high-end market as well as bespoke. timber-look tiles are, by all accounts, ubiquitous. What was revolutionary 10 years ago has now been diluted fully to the mass market and the majority of suppliers. it has become so mainstream that “even if you release a nice one, no one notices” – this according to one australian industry source. the ‘size wars’, they say, is similarly tiresome. While some tiles look fantastic, with slabs available in sizes up to 3200x1600 millimetres, the reality is “most tilers can’t work with them; one mistake and you break a whole piece – how do you deal with waste?” moreover, because of this, they cost significantly more per square metre.
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With the high quality of digital printing technology, surface design has become almost irrelevant as a differentiating factor. any pattern, colour or graphic can be replicated on cheaper tiles, virtually unidentifiable to a casual observer. as such, professional, indepth knowledge is more important than ever, to educate clients about the value of products that appear the same, but are at a higher price point. like we’ve seen in furniture design, one way to combat the tyranny of replicas is to focus on the elements of manufacturing that cannot be easily or cheaply copied. tile designs are now exploring three-dimensional and faceted designs, often in shades of matte white. the focus is on the form, rather than colour, size or graphics, which are replicated all too easily. it was refreshing to see bold colours and textures being embraced. in the bathroom, coloured ceramic basins and faceted tiles were noticed by interior designer Gabrielle Walsh of adelaide practice Walter brooke. she’s hopeful this boldness will translate to australian bathroom design, which is currently “quite conservative
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in comparison to the European market. Australia is generally safe in its selections and it would be great to introduce more boldness, colour and personality into everyday homes,” she encourages. Visiting Cersaie on a sourcing trip for distributor Cerbis Ceramics, Walsh steered clear of the standard colours and finishes such as white tiles and, at the Marmomacc stone fair, Cararra and Calacutta marbles, in her quest to direct the market towards more interesting specification. Franco Parisi of Parisi agrees that unique colours were a standout, and also identified that thin wall basins have become common. “They have received most popularity in recent years due to their ability to maximise space,” he says. Though small in comparison to the European, American, Russian and Asian markets that Cersaie caters to, the Australian market will see a selection of the full spectrum on offer, from the practical and functional to pure inspiration. Justin van Nierop of Urban Edge Ceramics attends Cersaie each year to source specific designs, identified as extensions of existing trends. For example, the timber and concrete look is developing into “postindustrialism – somewhat decayed, rusted metals, distressed, and softening into pinks, sages and beautiful dusty blues.” Acting more as an art dealer sourcing rare finds, van Nierop seeks out the manufacturers that have greater willingness to express more daringly, those that are “more outward-looking and forward-thinking, investing money into research and development and the expression of ‘passion pieces’”. These pieces are not for the consumer market, which is driven by budget and accessibility, but rather the small, highend projects that represent a more unique, creative and daring client. And here lies the excitement for van Nierop, in the hunt for tiles that are “like a gemstone plucked from Aladdin’s cave”.
Nicky Lobo is Editor of Habitus Magazine.
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When the circus cAme to toWn As AcclAimed internAtionAl guests set foot on Western AustrAliAn soil for the design circus, indesign lAunched its neWest bAby – contemporAry – Amidst An exciting locAl design movement. Words Claire Watkins photography D-Max Photography,
OK Media Group
this page Xavier Mañosa,
founder of Barcelonabased ceramics studio Apparatu, leads a workshop at Design Circus 2015 opposite Nina Masó of spanish lighting specialist Santa & Cole discusses the brand’s history and tradition
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here were no acrobats or clowns. No animal trainers or even trapeze artists. Yet as The Design Circus rolled into Perth from December 1-3, it drew crowds of design lovers, left many with a newfound appreciation of authentic, original creations, and provided the ultimate backdrop to the launch of Indesign Media Asia Pacific’s latest online title – Contemporary. Hosted by Mobilia and curated by Pepe Garcia of Culdesac in Valencia, Spain, the second year of The Design Circus welcomed very special guests Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien of Doshi Levien Studio (London), Xavier Mañosa of Apparatu (Barcelona), and Nina Masó of Santa & Cole (also Barcelona). In an interactive experience of an international calibre, the event showcased some of the latest products from some of the world’s most acclaimed and award-winning designers, with all money raised throughout the exhibition and design lectures going to local charities. “When the Mobilia team sat down to plan this year’s Design Circus we wanted to add layers to the event to involve even more sectors of the design community, and also reach out to people that may not have been exposed to design before,” explains Salvatore (Sam) Fazzari, Director of Mobilia. Visitors were treated to a display of stunning pieces that included the Roll Chair by Patricia Urquiola for Kettal, Rabari 3 Rug by Doshi Levien for Nanimarquina, Monkey Side Table by Jaime Hayon for BD Barcelona, the Follow Me Lamp by Imma Bermúdez for Marset, and much, much more. With a record number of visitors in 2015, all workshops, exhibitions and talks were at capacity, revealing an undeniable level of community support for the growing design culture in Perth. “Those record numbers also allowed Mobilia to help raise over $55,000 for local charities, which was very uplifting,” Sam said.
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While the Circus was open for the general public to peruse from 10am to 3pm daily, ticketed nightly events ensured the rhythm of the festivities didn’t slow down once the sun had set. The energy was palpable as guests filed into a sold-out theatre on the first night for Doshi Levien: A Conversation. In what can only be described as a truly candid talk from the respected Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien, guests were left not only inspired but also well informed on the extensive and often arduous design and material selection processes that go into every single piece in their stunning collection. “They brought a frank and honest insight into their design lives and experiences, that apart from a plethora of exciting A-list clients exhibited processes, concepts and traits the audience could relate to,” says Benjamin Braham of Braham Architects. The Launch With spirits high and minds still buzzing from the creative brilliance of Doshi Levien, guests made their way to the courtyard for a night under the stars and the much-anticipated launch party of Contemporary – a West Australian-focused online design hub from the team behind Indesign, Habitus and DQ. Indesign Media’s Managing Director Kavita Nandan addressed a crowd of more than 200 architects, designers and industry professionals, explaining the importance of nurturing WA’s growing design culture. “For years, we’ve seen – and captured – the best of WA in terms of projects, products and people,” Kavita said. “Now, after tending to the Perth seed in isolation, we are finally ready to fertilise, water and grow it. Our vision is simple. We intend to take Perth to the world and bring the best of the world back to our
Day 1 Taking over the Courtyard of The State Theatre Centre for three days, the event kicked off on a sunny Tuesday morning in a workshop with modern-day ceramicist and founder of Apparatu, Xavier Mañosa (affectionately known as Xavi, pronounced “Chavee”). Charming the group with his quick humour and easy-going nature, Xavi’s workshop gave participants the chance to get their hands dirty as he guided them through the process of adding colour and pattern to ceramic brackets that had been prepared earlier, and that would be fired later. Next up was interior editor of Spanish lighting specialist Santa & Cole, the delightful Nina Masó. In a pop-up theatre to the side of the courtyard, Nina and her colleague Jordi Sunyer shared their experiences about the history and future of the Santa & Cole brand.
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Perth. To enrich the existing design-hunter culture and introduce you to those you don’t know yet.” WA-based Craig Steere of Craig Steere Architects says the recent arrival of Indesign’s WA-focused architecture and design platform marks the beginning of an exciting new period of awareness of the state’s unique design industry. “This new focus on promoting and supporting our local industry, to establish Indesign communities across Australia and South East Asia, will offer new awareness and exciting opportunities for us to be exposed to,” Craig said. As the drinks flowed and the DJ kept up the positive party vibe, guests were able to mingle with fellow industry members in the collaborative manner that Contemporary aims to cultivate. “The launch of Contemporary seems to have coincided with a much greater appreciation of design within Western Australia,” says Neil Cownie of Neil Cownie Architect. “With the support of Indesign Media, the Western Australian design community now has the opportunity to showcase their best work.” Day 2 In honour of the 60th anniversary of Arne Jacobsen’s Series 7 chair (produced by Danish furniture manufacturer Fritz Hansen) and in support of local charity Autism West, nine West Australian artists were invited to add their own personal touch to the chair for Exhibition 7. Curated by Janet Holmes à Court, the chairs were displayed at The Design Circus and went to auction at the event’s cocktail party, where Charlie Paganin (a young artist on the autism spectrum) fetched the highest bid for his creation. “Seeing Charlie Paganin with the proudest look on his face as he reached a whopping $10,000 for his masterpiece was definitely a highlight,” Sam said. Day 3 In an intimate long table setting, a VIP luncheon was served under the trees followed by an exhibition in celebration of Curtin University’s Interior Architecture Program 25 Year Anniversary. Guests were treated to the insights of guest speakers Dario Reicherl of Fritz Hansen and Pepe Garcia of Culdesac, before moving inside for the official opening of the Future Practice: IA_Context_ IMPACT exhibition. The final evening saw more than 250 design devotees fill the State Theatre Centre for the DIA WA 2015 Design Awards, where winners included Woods Bagot, Chindarsi Architects, Geyer and Design Theory. The evening also saw Kristina Melnikova win the Mobilia and Santa & Cole HEAD HAT by me competition for her Sofia Light Shade, taking home
the grand prize of a trip to Barcelona to meet the cofounders of the Santa & Cole brand. As The Design Circus and launch of Contemporary came to an end, the buzz amongst the WA architecture and design community refused to fade. In what was an exhilarating three-day event that brought some of the greatest creative minds to Perth, the excitement of what it means for the local design community continues as Contemporary fortifies its position as a place where architecture and design as a way of life is celebrated and quality craftsmanship is relished. contemporaryau.com mobilia.com.au
Claire Watkins is Editor of Contemporary Perth.
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previous The Design
Circus installation, featuring a playful collection of Spanish designs above London-based design duo Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien of Doshi Levien discuss their desgn and material selection process right A special edition Contemporary broadsheet was printed to celebrate the launch of the Western Australian design platform
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comment Amid the vogue for polished, plAnned communAl spAces thAt Are shAping our cities, stephen todd queries how these mAnufActured iterAtions stAck up AgAinst the home grown vAriety. Words Stephen Todd portrait Jamie Morgan illustration Michelle Byrnes
t takes a lot to drag me to cranbourne, but i figured the Australian gardens were worth the trip. A satellite of melbourne’s lush royal Botanic gardens, this 25-hectare site is nothing like its yarra river antecedent, reminiscent of a rambling sussex forest. (i always expect to get a glimpse of christopher robin and winnie the pooh strolling through). cranbourne is a determined attempt to counter the victorian era penchant for english style public gardens which anchor many of our capital cities, and so redress an imbalance inherent in european settlement. it does this by orchestrating an almost heroic allegory of outback typologies; its impressive red sand crater is a geometric dot painting of scrub, long golden rods of brush and perfectly swept crescent dunes. A peripheral, serpentine typography deploys estuarine vegetation in undulating, user-friendly ways. sculptural, dramatic, the spectacular
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creation of melbourne-based practice taylor cullity lethlean is in tune to the contemporary landscaping agenda of expressing location and history, to educate and edify. thing is, it’s a tad too didactic. even, a little dull. like Aspect’s goods line in sydney, diller and scofidio’s new york high line and almost anything by copenhagen’s extraordinary stig Anderson, cranbourne is majestic in its choreography of space. But, also like those other urban interventions, it has the aura of an amusement park, each ride intended more stupendous than the last. or a zoo, with plants as petting things. (stig Anderson has in fact designed a ‘medieval park’ in oslo as well as landscaping helsinki’s korkeasaari Zoo – he is also escaping sydney’s problematic green square.) they are spaces you have to go to, not just be in. At the risk of seeming an ungrateful curmudgeon, i admit to getting more of a thrill driving down the freeway from cranbourne towards portsea. the m11 peninsula link is a rare example of a radial city celebrating its expressways, rather than trying to bury them under layers of pebble mix and stucco. painted a fluorescent green not dissimilar to nike’s Jordan melo m11 sneaker (coincidence, surely?) the sidings, egress ramps and overpasses of the m11 positively zing with energy (and speed cameras, as it turns out). punctuated by oversized sculptures, like louise paramour’s memphis-esque panorama station or callum morton’s hyperreal hotel, the m11 brings art and
greenery to where the masses really are: commuting daily, in their cars. in a similar way, i get excited by those corner parks on quiet streets in marrickville, or stanmore, or surry hills, land previously occupied by houses but either bequeathed to the council in final will and testament, or acquired via local government resumption as a result of rezoning. like a portrait of a house in relief, the mature trees and plantings often remain, echoing the original configuration, but have been supplemented by new garden beds, perhaps a BBq, a bench or an adventure playground. these gardens feel spontaneous, unscripted, organic. human in scale, humane in intent, they are signs of – and incentive to – a prospering community. “And railway verges in germany or holland,” points out urbanist and architect, linda gregoriou, warming to my theme. “when you’re traveling by train through europe, you see people using these spaces to recreate, to garden, it’s where they have their little summer houses. europeans are good at optimising space since it is of such a premium. in Australia we’re not so good at this for precisely the reason that space is so available.” But with a marked increase in young Australians now electing to live in inner cities rather than the lifeless suburbs, this issue of urban public space is becoming critical. my concern is that massive parks in suburbs like cranbourne and urban spectacles like the goods line (which is only, after all, 500 metres long) are red herrings deflecting attention from
where it really should be directed: integrated, meaningful community green space. “when you design a good street,” says gregoriou, “you design a good city.” her four-part series, the spaces Between Buildings, to air next year on the ABc will explore precisely that: the less spectacular parts of cities which give them rhythm, heart life. they’re the parts that excite me, the spots where you can really take a city’s pulse. in paris, for instance, you’ll get a greater sense of the city walking, playing pétanque or even picnicking along the planted alleys in the middle of a boulevard, than you will indulging fantasy idyll in haussman’s faux forests of Boulogne (to the west of town, for the rich and their attendants) and vincennes (to the east, for the working class). in new york, i would gladly sit for hours in the tiny parish park around saint luke’s in the west village, than stress out about getting all the way up to central park until i finally arrive to relax. (interestingly, central park also serves to separate the upper west side Jews from the upper east side wAsps and vice versa.) in sydney, you’re much more likely to find me in a public park in stanmore that you are down at Barangaroo – unless, of course, i have overseas visitors to impress.
Stephen Todd writes on architecture and design.
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FIFTY UNDER FIFTY: INNOVATORS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
EPISODIC URBANISM: THE RMIT URBAN SPACES PROJECT 1996-2015
LNXX LAHZNIMMO ARCHITECTS: A TWENTY-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE
Written by Beverly Russell, Eva Maddox & Farooq Ameen Published by Images Publishing 352pp hardback, $59.95 imagespublishing.com Reviewed by Ashley Tucker
By Peter Elliott Published by URO Publications 192pp softcover, $69 uromedia.com.au Reviewed by Leah Cwikel
Written by Andrew Nimmo and Rachel Hurst Published in-house using 1010 Printing International Limited 162pp softcover, $39.95 lahznimmo.com Reviewed by Sophia Watson
Fifty Under Fifty is a seminal investigation into global design innovation with essays by three contributors in the architecture and design world: Beverly Russell, Eva Maddox and Farooq Ameen. After a global search, they selected 50 top architecture and design firms to present. To help qualify, or at least set some parameters, the selective criteria called for candidates to be 50 years old or under at the time of publication. More importantly, they were chosen because they represent a generation of visionaries shaping design and architecture through the filter of humanitarian and ecologically conscious mandates, aware of global issues needing imaginative design solutions. A five-person jury presided over the final selection of 50 honourees, which span 19 countries across five continents; from Bangladesh to Sweden, Japan to Mexico. Significantly, 15 of the 66 individuals in the book – or a quarter – are women, representing the growing leadership of women in architecture and design across the globe. In 2015, as the world grows ever more interconnected and geographical boundaries become irrelevant, design innovation is at the forefront of our collective consciousness. The 50 under 50 presented in this book are a new generation of leaders in architecture and design worldwide, the first group born into the Internet Age who have adapted communications and technologies for intelligent thinking. Throughout the lavishly designed 352-page hardback book, designs are illuminated with photography and detailed illustrations that help showcase the group’s passion for exponential learning. The group is holistically conscious of global needs, and they perceive architecture and building through the lens of humanitarian structures. Out of the box solutions are presented for schools, medical centres, sustainable low-cost housing, affordable and effective transportation, integrated agriculture opportunities – which cater to a growing population and generate a better quality of life.
When considering a public space, there are questions that need to be answered. What purpose does the space serve? How does the space accommodate multiple activities? Does it utilise existing geography? Born of the earliest settlements, public spaces both reflect and develop the urban fabric in which they reside. Divided into three sections, Episodic Urbanism is an intriguing and playful publication designed by Stuart Geddes. The book focuses on the transformation of two blocks in the heart of Melbourne – the RMIT rejuvenation from a rather privatised space to an animated, public urban campus – to discuss and challenge what we thought we knew about public space. The 192-page softcover is a tactile tapestry of photography, architectural drawings and textual elements that all lend to the diversity of the project itself. The strength of Episodic Urbanism lies in the contributors’ conviction, each of them actively involved in the topics of urbanism and the city landscape. The main body of the publication is Robert Nelson’s Episodic ‘Journey’ whose chapters flow seamlessly from one to another, delving into the core elements that contribute to urban environments. “The episodic quality of the street throughout Renaissance towns of Europe is hard to emulate,” says Nelson, “Melbourne has matured over the past 25 years to become an energetic and sophisticated city, in many ways, the transformation of RMIT as a campus closely relates to the wider metamorphosis of its host.” Laced between the chapters, crisp, colourful photographs of the project provide a deeper context and a sense of the fully interactive space. Episodic Urbanism is an accessible foray into the public environments that modern architecture and design are looking to create through traditional practices. “It is part of the city’s morphology and essentially defines, as well as shapes, Melbourne through both its connectivity and porousness, but also through its spatial sequencing.”
I know what you’re thinking, “*sigh*, not another firm retrospective”. But don’t be too quick to dismiss them all just yet; there are still those rare gems that are – thankfully – not self-indulgent ‘look how fabulous we are’ monographs. LNXX Lahznimmo Architects: A Twenty-year Retrospective is one of them. This cleverly-edited, limited edition book charts the progress of lahznimmo architects since their establishment in 1994 by principals Andrew Nimmo and Annabel Lahz. Released to celebrate the 20-year milestone, LNXX is a crisp 162-page book that documents the first two decades of the architecture firm, exploring the perception of their work from several viewpoints: the architect, the critic, the photographer and the illustrator. And this is what truly makes this book different. The book covers highlights of the practice spanning everything from the ‘look’ of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games to cafés and amenities blocks at Sydney’s Hyde Park, Centennial Park and Tamarama Beach, university business schools and libraries, public spaces and the Lowy Cancer Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. What I find really enjoyable about this retrospective is the inclusion of local creatives such as South Australian academic Rachel Hurst, who wrote a meaningful essay for the book while Brett Boardman, arguably one of Australia’s most iconic architectural photographers, contributed a large selection of the imagery. The book is also wonderfully paced with constructivist-style illustrations by Rohan Cain to break from the richness of the actual copy; we are after all, quite visual creatures. Beginning with the partnership between Andrew Nimmo and Annabel Lahz, the book is an honest and genuine reflection of not only the practice, but the themes and ideas of each period in time through which they have steered their practice.
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A HoTEL THAT CHArMS BATES SMArT CAPTurE THE ELEgAnCE of A BygonE ErA In ADELAIDE’S nEW MAyfAIr HoTEL. Words Leanne Amodeo PhotogrAPhy Sean Fennessy, Peter Barnes
Above Decorative
hardware in brass, bronze and steel compliment colour finishes and reinforce Copolov’s fine attention to detail
he brief for Adelaide’s new 170-room Mayfair Hotel called for an intimate interior that respected the character and quality of the existing structure. As the project’s interior designer (alongside the base building architect JPE Design Studio), Bates Smart delivered just that, taking their cue from ornamentation and detailing on the heritage-listed 30s Colonial Mutual Life building’s elegant façade. “We thought the notion of a Moderne-type style was what was appropriate for this project, so we picked up on a lot of the exterior’s key design elements and extended them internally,” explains Bates Smart’s Director of Interior Design Jeff Copolov. The 30s as a golden era of travel was also a source of inspiration (a hotel, after all, is for travellers) and so early-era Art Deco sensibilities reverberate throughout the interior’s overall scheme. It was important for Copolov and his team, including Project Leader Erica Lienert and Principal Interior Designer Kendra Pinkus, to achieve a consistent design language across all areas of the hotel. “We wanted people to be able to walk in and not
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quite know which parts we’d touched,” he says. But while there is strong harmony between old and new, the black steel ribbon staircase connecting first floor through to lower ground floor gives no apology as a recognisable insertion. Adding a dramatic sculptural element to the paredback lobby, it becomes the design’s unifying feature, together with black balustrades and dark timber panelling in the restaurant, which reference the exterior’s metal frame windows. The rest of Mayfair Hotel’s muted colour palette stands in stark contrast, with grey, taupe and putty hues functioning as a backdrop across all 14 floors. For the full story visit indesignlive.com/mayfair-hotel
Leanne Amodeo is an Adelaide-based writer on architecture and design.
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BEAUTIFUL
design IS IN OUR NATURE
Building Cladding - Elba
Elba
Calacatta
Turco Argento
Carrara
Savoir
Superwhite
Portsea
Elegant Grey
Titanium Travertine
Titanium Gold
Antique Brown
Nero Tempesta
MELBOURNE 4-6 FREIGHTER ROAD MOORABBIN VIC 3189 P +61 3 8552 6000
MELBOURNE SHOWROOM 597 CHURCH ST RICHMOND VIC 3121 P +61 3 8552 6090
SYDNEY 20 YULONG CLOSE MOOREBANK NSW 2170 P +61 2 9822 5155
E info@cdkstone.com.au
SYDNEY SHOWROOM 40-42 O’RIORDAN ST ALEXANDRIA NSW 2015 P +61 2 9822 5910
W www.cdkstone.com.au
GOLD COAST 26 WRIGHTS PLACE LABRADOR QLD 4215 P +61 7 5537 3222
cdkstone
PERTH 231 CAMBOON ROAD MALAGA WA 6090 P +61 8 6240 2200
HERMANMILLERINdEsIgN
words lorenzo logi photography courtesy of herman miller
Table of Ideas Herman Miller’s new T2 is not so much a desk as a suite of tools for empowering today’s workplace. indesignlive.com
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Opener Considered,
attractive finishes create a compelling first encounter with T2 this page T2 floats effortlessly at different heights
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2 celebrates the era of ideas – where the next disruptive idea can come from anyone. T2 is designed like no other table in the industry, inspired by emerging companies like Uber and Airbnb. These companies truly embrace the potential of new technology, from cloud infrastructure to a digitally enlightened user experience. Inherent in their culture are fluidity and agility, enabling the company to rapidly respond to disruptive new ideas and emerging consumer needs. When conceptualising the T2, Herman Miller’s design team asked themselves, “how does workspace design support these new types of companies, and how does it serve the needs of workers, helping them to create a culture of hard work and camaraderie?” Their response: a mobile, height-adjustable table with an adventurous personality and a highly intelligent core engine. Concealed in its mainframe are multiple sensors, power outlets and a landing pad for devices. T2 also comes embedded with microchips and sensors that sync with Herman Miller proprietary apps, enabling you take incremental steps towards a healthier lifestyle. Marc Fong, Director of Herman Miller Research and Development, APAC says, “Our vision is a high performance desk, a superdesk that facilitates different postures throughout the day and a truly satisfying online and offline user experience.”
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Part of the Family Building on Herman Miller’s knowledge of height adjustable solutions, T2 joins currently offered solutions such as Locale and Augment – extending the brand’s portfolio of ergonomic workstation solutions to suit your needs. ‘Designed Invisible’ Core Engine T2’s core engine is cleverly designed to be hidden away and discrete in motion. Every part of T2 is shaped with soft, organic curves; the high performance actuator and structural beams are seamlessly integrated and housed in the custom-designed chassis; keeping the undercarriage clutter free. Each chassis is thermoformed in a precision-set mould and assembled with a lightweight and highly durable frame. Carefully designed cable reticulation ensures all cords from the floor to the desk are completely hidden. With its unique profile, T2 gives generous and optimal legroom for users to recline and rest their feet on the built-in footrest.
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previous Striking colour
options and concealed cabling pair aesthetics with function right T2’s elegant yet robust profile conceals unrivalled functionality
Effortless Adjustments Users can choose between crank and digital adjustments. The digital platform enables users to control the desks using a new Herman Miller App named Verb. The membrane control panel integrated on T2’s desk surface is a work of art, with an intuitive LED-lit indication providing real-time information on the adjusted height and intuitive panels, inviting users to interact constantly, changing postures throughout the day. As your phone comes into close proximity, users can pair with T2 by opening the Verb app. When not in use, simply un-pair to free up T2 for the next user. Workspace in your Pocket Verb gives you unprecedented control over your work environment. Verb is about better health and a better you. The quantification of your daily stand and sit behavior can help you improve how often you sit or stand. T2 puts you in the know. Verb sends you a signal when you stay in ‘sit’ mode for too long, prompting the owner to adjust to a standing height “Almost everything we do generates data,” says Gary Wolf, Editor of Wired. “Tapping into the stream of data they generate can give people new ways to improve their quality of life in other ways.” Used in combination with a Herman Miller chair, T2 supports lounge, seated and standing postures. Verb helps you establish your best ergonomic standing height and provides additional information on how often you stand (and sit) and burn calories. Even as you take a seat, T2 anticipates your ergonomic needs with a built-in footrest, encouraging you to lift and rest your feet on a soft incline. Verb along with Herman Miller Passport App is available for sale with T2 from March 2016.
Silent and Fast The movement of the actuator is engineered to be as silent and smooth as possible, rising/falling 58 millimetres per second without load. Adjustment ranges for digital adjustment is 650-1250 millimetres and 650-950 millimetres for manual adjustment. The core engine produces a low 48 decibel of ‘growl’ sound during adjustment. Smart Sensing Built in sensors provide ‘anti-collision’ functions to ensure the desk does not collide with objects below that the user might not be beware of. Gravity sensors prevent ‘sinking’ and allow for precision adjustment. Load bearing was another important factor, and the 80-kilogram weight limit on the desk allows users to boost T2 with multiple display screens and hold various work artefacts. Devices In Order T2 brings power closer to you – a built-in power console providing energy to the core engine as well as your personal devices. The power console is designed as an organic and dynamically shaped humpback bringing users additional tactile delight. The surface of the power console is angled towards the user, enabling devices access during charge mode. Hidden under the power console is an all-new compartment to house devices you don’t need at the moment as well as built-in power sockets.
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“Our vision is ... a superdesk that facilitates a truly satisfying online and offline user experience.” MARC FONG
Take control “The workspace is always designed and decided by someone – a designer, the facility manager, the CFO – but seldom by individuals who actually work there. T2 puts the user in control. Just move it to better suit your needs,” says Samantha Giam, Director of Living Office, APAC. “T2 is a great solution for companies who want to empower their employees. It’s a huge motivation for teams and individuals to be able to design their own space.” The unique design of T2 lowers the desk’s center of gravity resulting in improved ease of moving. Concealed castors make the desk completely mobile.
Behind T2 The name ‘T2’ was inspired fi rstly by the profi le of the table. ‘T’ could also be interpreted as ‘Taking Control’ of your work and life. T2 can also be written as TeeToo as inspired by Artoo-Detoo from Star Wars. T2 is available for viewing and purchase from all Herman Miller Certified Dealer Partners.
Lorenzo Logi is Managing Editor of Indesign.
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INVESTIGATING THE LATEST TRENDS AND PRODUCTS IN LIGHTING
In this issue we look at how public space is lit.
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he distinction between illuminating and lighting a public space lies in the degree of attraction which the latter creates in the minds of those who experience it. Whilst adequate illumination can create a sense of security, and the ability to function safely and efficiently, it does not necessarily establish an image which delights and invites return. Pretty much since the invention of electric light, the cityscape has been marked by ‘floodlighting’ schemes. In the short period since LED based ‘electronic’ lighting has become pervasive, the recognition of the opportunity to add something more than purely practical illumination
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to public spaces has experienced a quantum leap forward. The ability to light buildings, structures and landscapes in dynamically changing colour, to conceal lighting equipment with relative ease and operate lighting schemes with minimal energy use and maintenance, has opened a bottle from which the genie has well and truly escaped. There appear to be no limits to visual sensation, to the ‘eye-candy’ of moving colour-play and to the blurring of ‘architectural lighting’ with the burgeoning field of ‘light art’. However, in many instances the prosaic demands of illumination versus the poetics of lighting raises conflict. It is one thing to make an environment sensational, attractive and memorable
at night but designers are also up against the dictates of code compliance, tight energy quotas, maintenance considerations, capital and operational budgets and ensuring the longevity of their specified installations. In the following article Davina Jackson reviews a number of outstanding examples of lighting in the public realm. These evidence the fact that it is possible to fulfil the practical demands made of lighting in a manner which also preserves the delights of chiaroscuro and the pleasures of working with, largely, white light. André Tammes is Indesign’s Lighting Editor.
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opener Van GoghRoosegaarde cycle path, Eindhoven Daan was inspired by Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ - through light, this is where ‘history and future meet.’ Photo: Studio Roosegaarde left Lighting designers, Electrolight, and Bates Smart Architects’ interior space at 171 Collins Street speaks to the external public realm – even by day. Photo: Will Scott opposite At Cheonggyecheon River Park, Seoul, an intensely urban location is transformed at night – becoming a ribbon of water, light and people Photo: Lim Wai Yen
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words davina Jackson photography various
While technology continues to offer new possibilities to lighting designers, it is the sophistication and sensitivity with which these are deployed that is revolutionising the way public spaces are being illuminated. xtravaganzas of morphing colours and imagery have dominated public awareness of LED-era urban lighting – and, indeed, remain essential components of successful city night celebrations. However, contrary strategies are gaining momentum; these produce monochromatic nuances which were not feasible when using last century’s bulky and hot equipment. Experimental artists continue to explore the technicolour potentials of solid state kit and sensors – as exemplified by Yann Kersalé’s Miroir de Mer (Sea Mirror) heliostat flickering above the Central Park precinct in Sydney. Yet most commercial lighting designers must focus on pragmatic ways to illuminate public places for regular evening uses. They are developing subtle environmental and architectural scenes, using LEDs in warm-to-cool white colour temperatures. White light remains the largely ubiquitous specification for interiors – which are often prominent, behind panels of glass, in outdoor views of cities. One Melbourne example is the lantern-like lobby of BHP Billiton’s headquarters at 171 Collins Street. Designers at Electrolight installed lines of LEDs in the high ceilings, skirtings and panels beside escalators, and used other fittings to softly illuminate the soaring travertine walls. These tactics enhance the lantern effect when the lobby is seen from the street. In London, recent schemes to relight prestige shopping zones display chiaroscuro (light and shadow) contrasts that highlight the architectural modelling and surface
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textures of historic stone and brick façades. One pioneering example is the after-dark renaissance of Regent Street: a project continuing since 1995 by the Crown Estate with Tony Rimmer of Studio-29 Lighting Design. This sweeping boulevard, originally designed by architect John Nash in the early 19th Century, is now resplendent at night with ice-tobutter tones of light, juxtaposing the sand-to-terracotta shades of building materials. After extensive consultation with stakeholders, Rimmer’s team is delivering a flexible scheme using customised spotlights, floodlights, projectors, cold-cathode tubes and LED strips (from manufacturers such as Meyer, acdc, iGuzzini and Osram). Owners of Regent Street fashion stores transcend the regular illumination mode with fantasy spectacles for Christmas and other shopping promotions. They share a basic strategy to define this precinct as a twinkling wonderland; an approach intended to trigger Cinderella sentiments among female customers. In London (and elsewhere in Europe), prestige stores tend to avoid the circus-style signage and razzle effects that identify zones offering risqué entertainments, such as Soho and Leicester Square. However some highend retailers are emulating Piccadilly – and Asian tourist precincts like Shinjuku, Tokyo and Orchard Road in Singapore – by installing giant video screens across display windows and façades (if council regulations allow). Perhaps influenced by Regent Street’s after-dark atmospherics, and as the first in a series of steps to realizing a London property
investor’s vision for improving their major asset, Chelsfield commissioned designers GIA Equation to glamorously illuminate their 500 metre-long block at the heart of Knightsbridge (adjacent to Harrods, Harvey Nichols and near the V&A Museum). GIA’s team (led by Alkestie Skarlatou, Maida Hot and Kevin Theobald) also specified dynamic white highlight effects ranging from warm to cool appearance. They worked with manufacturer, acdc, to adapt its Plaza LED uplighter as a more versatile luminaire, and installed 1500 of the adapted fixtures to highlight architectural features along the heritage buildings. Along with Traxon linear luminaires, all light sources are controlled with a DMX system comprising 14 universes and 3000 channels. This is programmed to switch
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off normally at 2am, and to alternate between summer and winter colour temperature settings. Arrays of colourchanging RGB fixtures also have been installed around windows of the corner buildings, to provide vari-hue spritzes on special occasions. As well as these architectural displays of chiaroscuro, lighting consultants have been white-lighting open spaces – parks, promenades and plazas – using special purpose luminaires fixed at various heights and positions, to create nebulous effects and minimise glare to pedestrians. The outstanding international example is New York’s The High Line parkway, where all sources of white light were installed below waist height and angled or shielded to beam light downwards. This scenario, developed by Hervé Descottes at L’Observatoire International, allows wanderers to fully appreciate their elevated, intimate views of Manhattan’s night lights. London’s StudioFRACTAL recently used white LEDs to transform the plaza at London’s Kings Cross Station. Designers Tim Downey, Chris Sutherland, Ben Hollands and Alex Lang specified clusters of white spotlights fitted around the tops of three 20 metre-high poles, dispersed across the grey-striped paving. They also fitted white luminaires to shorter poles, under benches, along signage panels and set into paving blocks to uplight trees, producing sophisticated shadow effects without compromising a safe general level of visibility. Chiaroscuro illumination techniques, often using gobos (perforated metal templates) as light filters, are also being used to mimic natural scenes, such as moonlight dappling through foliage or ripples of water. This approach is favoured by Dutch light artists and designers – notably
Daglicht & Vorm (Rudolf Teunissen and Marinus van der Voorden) with their mottled lighting of footpaths along Atjehstraat in Rotterdam. In 2014, another Rotterdam designer, Daan Roosegaarde, interpreted Vincent Van Gogh’s 1889 painting, ‘The Starry Night’, to create luminous swirls along a new bicycle track at the Van Gogh Village in Nuenen. Instead of being lit by streetlamps or bollards, the path itself glows at night, thanks to a novel layer of luminous stones which absorbs solar energy during daytime, then transmits phosphorescent colours after dark. To illuminate a tree-lined path through London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, designers Speirs and Major suspended a catenary (necklace) of spherical aluminium luminaires, each punctured with holes emulating craters on the Moon. The perforated shades are durable, minimise glare and cast romantic shadow effects across the allée.
lEft Lighting designers Speirs+Major create a night oasis of light and shade whilst providing safety and amenity at Queen Elizabeth Park, London. Photo: James Newton abovE Kings Cross Square, London: “All structures and landscape elements glow at night, with lighting subtly incorporated into the granite cladding, transforming King’s Cross Square into an exemplary public urban square.” - Alan Stanton, Stanton Williams Architects. Photo: Will Scott oppositE Lighting design by GIA Equation unites a large group of building elevations at Knightsbridge Estate, London into a common and iconic night time statement. Photo: James Newton
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Asian cultures seem to prefer coloured lighting of public zones and landmarks – perhaps a legacy of the region’s traditional red lanterns but recently including retina-assaulting RGB spectacles. Demonstrating diverse lighting strategies – from disco-style laser-fountain shows to subtle architectural installations – is the Cheonggyecheon river park which has reinvigorated central Seoul, South Korea. Replacing an elevated motorway and road reclamations which subsumed the original stream, this 11 km long waterway now constantly entertains pedestrians. It is a cooling antidote to the city’s heat-island effect, and a refreshing escape to nature for citizens and tourists. At night, Cheonggyecheon is mostly illuminated indirectly – with white downlights recessed into stone retaining walls, clusters of underwater lighting, linear lighting along the tops of stone walls below bridges, and occasional uses of coloured LEDs to backlight waterfalls, highlight archways and define landscape features. This project, and its lighting scheme, was delivered by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, with lighting advice from Lighting Design Partnership’s André Tammes and
local lighting specialists Crelux Lighting Design, Alto Lighting and Nanam Electrical. Today’s era of electroluminescent lighting, and its computerised control, has enabled marvellous transformations of urban environments at night. Compared to the nefarious atmospheres of flame-lit cities before Edison, and the brash floodlighting of roads and buildings during the ‘modern’ era of mechanically switched electricity, today’s solidstate and sensor technologies offer vast potential to reinvent our milieu. However, intelligent designers recognise that these culturally exciting technologies include some dark ecological and health implications. Balancing light and dark is the eternal art of chiaroscuro.
Sydney writer Davina Jackson is the editor of SuperLux, a new book on ‘smart light cities’. She is also a founder of the Vivid and iLight festivals in Sydney and Singapore.
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Work Style Reissi Mall’s exclusive range of Italian designed and manufactured office furniture takes stylish working to new heights. this page
‘Zeus’ office chair by Reissi Home – elegant, funcional seating for the modern workplace
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words lorenzo logi photography courtesy of reissi mall
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n office has to work, look good, and express a company’s values. Reissi Mall’s range of Italian workplace furniture offers superb quality and optimal performance across a range of styles. With each piece fully customisable, you can design the perfect environment to suit your work style. Reissi Mall’s proprietary Reissi Home by Layform brand manufactures seating for the office and home, as well as multi-purpose and public community areas, developing new products that fit the office environment of today and the future, based on technological research. Reissi Mall believe in authentic, high-quality, beautiful Italian design. They believe we should express ourselves through our surroundings, and surround ourselves with products that make us happy. Most importantly, Reissi Mall believe that everyone has the right to do so, and that beautifully designed products should also be affordable. To achieve this, over six years Reissi Mall have built a network of designers and manufacturers in Italy, and curated a selection of over 10,000 products. Then, they developed a logistics and supply network that brings every order from Italy to your home, quality controlled, and fully customised to your exact specifications. Lastly, they created a business model that allows them to offer this to you at ultraaffordable prices. Powered by a highly sophisticated logistics and quality control system, all orders are conveniently delivered to customers’ doorstep for them to start enjoying the Reissi Mall experience immediately, with two-year warranty and 14-day returns policy.
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Lorenzo Logi is Managing Editor of Indesign.
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ABOVE Meshed backrest
fabric, articulated posture support and headrest make the ‘Alluminia Nero’ by Reissi Home a flexible, comfortable office chair OPPOSITE ABOVE Varied colour and finish options in the ‘Visit’ occasional seating range by Reissi Home make it a bright addition to any workplace OPPOSITE BELOW The ‘Arko’ seating family by Reissi Home boasts plush upholstery and sinuous lines
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We should express ourselves through our surroundings, and surround ourselves with products that make us happy. LORENZO LOGI
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HUMAN ceNtred Over the last 10 years, Siren Design has impressed, flourished and expanded. Most admirably however, it has created a culture that nourishes professional and personal satisfaction among its staff.
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words lorenzo logi photography courtesy of siren design
or design – as for many industries – success is often measured according to a traditional model of financial prosperity and perceived status. However, as innumerable pseudospiritual quotes across the social media-sphere attest, there is a growing thirst for success that satisfies deeper human sentiments. Siren Design, by virtue of the company’s culture and leadership style, makes a case for both kinds of success being possible, and serves as an inspiring example of how professional and personal satisfaction can be symbiotic. When asked about her motivation for launching the company in 2005, CEO Mia Feasey is candid: “I wanted to manufacture a life for myself where I walked in the door every morning and I looked forward to work. I don’t want to be a slave to the business,” she adds, “the business is here so it can assist all of us in having the life that we want.” Feasey was no inexperienced idealist – shortly after emigrating from the UK, the young designer found a job at Geyer, where she pivoted from librarian to junior designer. After cutting her teeth there for three years, Feasey moved to a smaller firm, where she learned more of the technical aspects of design, and then set up a design and construction business with a builder, giving her further insight into how projects are realised. At 28, Feasey was ready to do things her way, and Siren’s founding ethos was in good part a response to her experiences working in the industry until then. “I wanted it to be very open and transparent and supportive, particularly of the younger staff. I wanted the culture to be a sharing one, where you can put your hand up and say, ‘I don’t know how to do this,’ and ask for help. I wanted a firm where clients felt that we were accessible. We’re warm and inviting and listen to their needs and requirements and they don’t just necessarily get what we think they want.”
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design
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opener Twitter APAC
offices in Singapore (2015) by Siren Design ABoVe Facebook’s Sydney (2013) office by Siren Design right JustCo coworking space, Singapore (2015) by Siren Design opposite (left-to-right) Melbourne director Nicole Pollak, CEO Mia Feasey and Singapore director Penny Sloane
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“ The business is here so it can assist all of us in having the life that we want.” mia feasey
Of course, good intentions by themselves are of limited commercial value, and the firm would not be what it is today without its impressive portfolio of projects. “Projects-wise we were very, very fortunate,” recalls feasey. “The first project we won as siren was yahoo7. That really said something to the market about us, that people of that calibre were willing to trust us with a significant sized job. everyone would have been wanting it.” since then siren has won a series of further projects for tech companies, including facebook, Twitter, Google and atlassian. But the firm is also eager to take on smaller jobs, basing its selection as much on the relationship with the client as the nature of the project. “it always comes back to people,” comments feasey, “We don’t need to work with people who don’t have similar values.” success has led to expansion, with siren offices now operating in melbourne and singapore. Characteristically, the establishment of the firm’s singapore operation was as much a function of Penny sloane, feasey’s first staff member at siren, wanting to move to the south-east asian city as of a desire to expand the company. indeed, the longevity of staff, the close relationships among them, and the degree to which the company responds to their wants and needs, are the most powerful endorsement of siren’s culture. Beyond sloane, melbourne director Nicole Pollak, sydney design director sonya alexander and associate Chloe Gal have been with the company for years, and the staff even includes Jeanne Kidd, who played in a girl band with feasey in London in her early 20s. as a firm predominantly staffed by women, (“because we only do interiors,” feasey explains, “if we had architecture, then we would have access to boys.”) siren has also evolved a demonstrated sensitivity for allowing employees to take time off to have children (there is even a ‘cursed’ chair in the office that has been occupied by six women at the time when they became pregnant) and rebalance their commitment in the office to allow for more time with their families.
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LEFT Siren Design’s Sydney studio LEFT BELOW Siren’s new logo for its 2015 rebrand, composed in response to feedback from staff, with each symbol representing a trait of the company: high heel = powerful, rocket = fast, cogs = cooperative, flaming heart = passionate, lighthouse over crown = ideas are king, leopard = agile, zebra = bound by shared values, but individually unique
Feasey feels that pregnancy and maternity leave are over-dramatised in the workplace: “You have to learn how to pitch with a stomach that’s enormous and guys looking at you going, ‘well, you’re obviously not going to be around much longer,’ and you’d be like, ‘actually, I’m not dying and I’m not going to another country. I’m just having a baby,’” she comments. And when it comes to fi nding the right work-life balance, the company has found solutions ranging from a nine-tothree work-day to a four-day work-week, walking the walk of responding to employees’ needs. This human-centric approach to running a business is the defi ning feature of Siren Design, and is perfectly encapsulated in Feasey’s answer to what the future holds: “I’m really looking forward to seeing how the juniors will be working, what they’ll be designing and working on in the next few years, and how they will grow as people. I think that’s probably always for me the most exciting thing, is to watch people really take fl ight.” Discover more about Siren Design at sirendesign.com.au
Lorenzo Logi is Managing Editor of Indesign.
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words alice blackwood photography courtesy of living divani
The story of Living Divani
DESIGN DYNASTY Born in Italy in the early 70s, Living Divani received all the attention and love a family could possibly give – and flourished as a result.
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arola Bestetti cannot remember a time when she didn’t live, breathe, eat and sleep Living Divani. With the marriage of her parents, Renata Pozzoli and Luigi Bestetti, came the founding of the company and from a very young age she was sister and part custodian of the design enterprise that was (and still is), the pride and joy of her family. The company made its mark in upholstery early on, cultivating what Bestetti describes as an “intensive dialogue with the contemporary world”. Through many milestones and a couple of “starts from scratch”, Living Divani has gradually developed a vast and varied offering encompassing upholstery systems enhanced by seating, beds, tables, bookcases, carpets and an outdoor collection. The company has carved out a niche for itself among the growing plethora of contemporary design manufacturers, defending its well-earned territory with a “quiet elegance” – defined by “extremely refined upholstery systems with discrete shapes and details that can be placed in any environment,” qualifies Bestetti. In the early years Living Divani catered to its internal market, forging an exclusive distribution agreement with the chain, Roche Bobois. It was a successful move for the then-fledgling company. But Bestetti’s family had an international vision and just enough guts to give up everything they knew, in order to try their hand in the big game. “When my parents realised that the demand of Roche Bobois, a relatively big company, was preventing [Living Divani’s own] growth, they were brave enough to ‘drop them’ as clients and focus on the development of Living Divani’s own brand identity,” says Bestetti.
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They were looking to shift the perception of Living Divani from that of a traditional brand to a modern brand focused around design-based production. It was a daring and risky move that sent their turnover from six billion liras (“Of the time!” interjects Bestetti – about four million australian dollars), down to zero. It was during this period of disruption that the Bestetti family first met Piero Lissoni – a dynamic young man with big vision and little to show in the way of experience. “I didn’t know how to sell myself, without having anything to sell,” recalls Lissoni. “Yet I had to sell something that was, in my opinion, intangible but important: I was selling them a vision.” Lissoni pitched himself as an art director for the company – someone who wouldn’t simply design a product for Living Divani, but together with the company, “design the company itself”. The company, already on the road to internationalisation, took Lissoni on in 1988 and never looked back. Together he and Bestetti’s parents carved out an unmistakable identity for the brand which played on essential design, lightness, clean-cut forms and perfect proportions. Lissoni’s entry into the company as art director and designer was akin to acquiring a new family member – “like a big brother for me, or a young one for my parents!” comments Bestetti. She credits him with the evolution and solidification of the brand’s unique style of “discretion, formal neutrality, lightness and dynamism”. “He definitely pushed the growth of this company and characterised its style to the point that his name goes unavoidably hand-inhand with the company’s.”
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opener Carola Bestetti,
daughter of Living Divani’s founders, sitting in the ‘Bloom chair’, designed by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga (2000) previous From left to right: Carola Bestetti with her parents, Living Divani founders, Luigi Bestetti and Renata Pozzoli above ‘Lipp’ sofa, designed by Piero Lissoni (2014)
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Lissoni’s entry into the company as art director and designer was akin to acquiring a new family member. Alice blAckwood
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Bestetti, already an honorary company associate, formally joined Living Divani in 2003, taking on the role of marketing and communication director and, in doing this, widening the company’s view to encompass new markets, new design collaboration and through this, new product development. “If my mother with her exuberant and determined nature has always followed mainly commercial aspects, my father, more thoughtful, has supervised the development of new collections and supplier relationships.” Into this environment, Bestetti imbued her future-focused view for product development and communication. Working alongside Lissoni she follows the development of new collections – many of which have come to fruition through her committed scouting of fresh talent among the new generations of design. The development of Living Divani’s communication tools goes hand in hand with this. “Although they seem [to be] two different worlds, both contribute to determine the identity of Living Divani,” she comments. Her path has not always been easy. Bestetti herself acknowledges that her entry into the company – which at the time was strongly “Lissoni-centric” – followed a path “neither immediate nor simple”. “I tried to make my parents understand that the company needed to be more open towards other typologies of products and other designers, too, because … we can’t be identified with just one label.” Working in close collaboration (and harmony, Bestetti notes) with Lissoni, they have navigated a new trajectory for the brand, teaming up with the likes of Nathan Yong, Studio Juju, Massimo Mariani and David Lopez Quincoces – to name just a few designers.
Through these new and culturally diverse design partnerships, the Living Divani range of products have become interwoven with inspirations, culture relations, sensitivities and experiences that, while eclectic, remain extremely accessible. The widening of its global viewpoint has seeded new growth in international markets. With new spaces and presentations taking place in cities like Milan, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Jakarta and more, it’s a clear sign, says Bestetti, that there is interest in the international market for Living Divani’s “unmistakable stamp of discretion”. It’s a stamp that runs in the family – carved from Lissoni’s unerring eye and fed by the Bestettis’ love for balanced, minimalist design that combines clear-cut lines and shapes with comfortable ergonomics. Living Divani is available in Australia exclusively through Space Furniture spacefurniture.com.au
Alice Blackwood is Melbourne Editor of Indesign.
Living Divani is avaiLabLe in austraLia excLusiveLy through space Furniture spaceFurniture.com.au
previous above ‘ile’
sofa, designed by piero Lissoni (2003)
previous below
‘extrasoft’ sofa, designed by piero Lissoni (2008) above ‘Frog’ armchair, designed by piero Lissoni (1995) indesignlive.com
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LEONE LORRIMER CEO Of dwp | sutErs, OvEr thE last 30 yEars lEOnE lOrrimEr has wOrkEd as stratEgist, prOjECt lEadEr, rEsEarChEr, industry lEadEr, CampaignEr fOr gEndEr Equality and sustainablE CitiEs, and, Of COursE, arChitECt. or many years a director of Woods Bagot, in Sydney, where she honed her skills in business management and strategic facilities planning, Lorrimer was at the forefront of the revolution in corporate culture and workplace design that swept through Australia in the 1990s. Moving to Doha in 2005, she oversaw the construction of the multi-award-winning Qatar Science and Technology Park, then went on to major master planning projects around the world for the city of Dubai and for three new museums in Abu Dhabi, designed by some of the stars of international architecture: Frank Gehry, Jean Nouvel, and Foster + Partners. Returning to Sydney, Lorrimer joined Suters Architects in 2012 and immediately set about expanding and revitalizing the firm, including rebranding to dwp | suters in 2013, forming an international alliance with 450 employees and 15 offices in Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Even as a young girl, Lorrimer says, she was extremely organized, persistent, and she didn’t like to waste time. Leone McGrath grew up in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, one of four girls in a family where music, play-readings and performances were part of everyday life. Through high school, over-achievement came naturally: she “did extra subjects all the way through,” as well as learning clarinet and piano. Studying architecture at Sydney University in 1975 she met Matthew Lorrimer, and after she’d completed the first part of her degree the couple married and travelled to London. There Lorrimer worked on architectural refurbishments in heritage buildings, finished her architectural qualification with distinction and an RIBA prize, and had two children – all part of what she calls “me and my crazy life.” By 1984 the family was back in Sydney, and Lorrimer continued working on hotels. On joining Stevenson & Turner (S&T) in 1985, she was immediately invited to set up an independent in-house interior design company. An active proponent of gender equality in the workplace, she admits that, “This is where sexism really starts to give my career a kick.” At 28 she was suddenly managing director of S&T’s subsidiary, Innerspace, with a $14 million interiors budget for the Sydney Renaissance Hotel, and within 12 months, a staff of 35. “Not only was I exposed to running a large
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Words Jan hoWlin portrait anthony BroWell photography various
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“ ...My job, if you like, is designing the organization, but also being a design evangelist all the time� leone lorrimer
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business, I was also exposed to the highest level of project control on new construction in the city of Sydney, so I had a tremendous fast track into the top level of project management.” Her good fortune continued when Adelaide-based Woods Bagot wanted to open an office in Sydney a couple of years later. They approached the managing director of S&T, David Tregoning to join them, and he advised them to take Lorrimer and her interior design arm too. “We came as a job lot,” says Lorrimer. “So we bought into Woods Bagot and opened the doors in January ‘88.” The company was restructured shortly afterwards and Lorrimer became one of 11 equal shareholders of the entire business, the only female ever in that position. “So over the next 19 years effectively, with David as managing director, and me having his back, we grew the business, nationally first,” then internationally. “There was always an office in Hong Kong, and after that we went to Asia (Thailand and Malaysia) and then the Middle East,” (Dubai and Doha), to China and then London, “so that was really a tremendous learning process,” she says. With Tregoning’s support and mentors such as Woods Bagot’s banker at Westpac in Adelaide, Helen Lynch, (who later became Woods Bagot chairman) and Mike Hodgetts, head of quantity surveyors Rider Hunt, who introduced Lorrimer to the who’s who in property and construction, Lorrimer thrived. She found another early mentor in Chak Bautista, a much-admired American business strategist Woods Bagot had brought over to introduce corporate Australia to strategic facilities planning – a conflation of business strategy, real estate, corporate culture and workplace design that together with mobile communications technology led to the open-plan office. Bautista’s mantra was that “the Harvard Business Review was her MBA,” and Lorrimer, following her lead, found herself exposed to another fast-track learning experience. “I spent the next two or three years on the road with Chak, pitching to the top end of town.” As a result, between 1990 and 2004, Lorrimer consulted on major property strategies for ANZ, CBA and Westpac involving refurbishments, relocations, branch concepts and implementations. She handled workplace strategy and fit-outs for many of Australia’s most prominent finance and technology companies and as a frequent speaker at corporate, architectural and property seminars and conferences, became a go-to business strategist and workplace specialist for comment. In 2001 Lorrimer became managing director of Woods Bagot, Australia, at the same time introducing a company-wide intranet system that rationalized and standardised all the support functions of the business: QA, practice management, finance, marketing, HR and IT, a platform she believes remains a great strength of the organization. Around that time she also led the Woods Bagot team which, together
with Bligh Voller Neild, won the 2003 AIA Sulman Award for the Faculty of Information Technology at UTS, in Sydney; and another of her projects, on which she led the strategy, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, was awarded the 2004 Canberra Medallion. The most exciting challenge for Lorrimer, though, was the Parramatta Civic Place Master Plan Competition, a 285-page proposal (with Multiplex) she put together in 2004. “I was desperately trying to shed this stereotype of ‘Leone Interiors’. I love master planning. Cities are my big passion,” she says, adding that she believes urbanization and sustainability are the greatest challenges of our time. “I wanted to go from strategizing corporates to strategizing cities, but at Woods Bagot I couldn’t get out of that corporate interiors box.” It was time for change. In 2005, Lorrimer and her husband, who was working on the 2006 Doha Asian Games, moved to the Middle East. As Director, Woods Bagot, Middle East, she was charged with overseeing construction of the Qatar Science and Technology Park, which was just beginning, and with the 25-building campus, College of North Atlantic, which was almost complete. Then in 2007 she opted for further change, accepting an offer from Sama Dubai, a company that invested Dubai’s sovereign
previous above Zayed
National Museum, UAE, 2011. Lorrimer was design manager working with Foster + Partners. Photo: Courtesy of Tourism Development and Investment Company, Abu Dhabi
previous below
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, 2011. Lorrimer was design manager with Gehry Partners. Photo: Courtesy of Tourism Development and Investment Company, Abu Dhabi below College of the North Atlantic, Qatar, 2007 by Woods Bagot, Middle East, where Lorrimer was director. Photo: Eric Sierens
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above Australian
Bureau of Statistics, 2004, by Woods Bagot, where Lorrimer was managing director. Photo: Eric Sierens
opposite left & right
Arthur Andersen offices, Sydney, 2005 by Woods Bagot, where Lorrimer was managing director. Photo: Martin van der Wal
wealth in international real estate, building towers, resorts or new master planned cities. “As head of the Investment Committee, my job was as gatekeeper of every project,” she says. “I had a team of people and we’d go through the financial feasibilities, the sales and marketing proposals, the market research, master planning, the geotechnical reports, and stitch all that together and say whether it flew or it didn’t.” She worked on master plans for new cities to be built on rehabilitated land in Tunisia, Vietnam and Morocco, developing her own methods for investigating and analyzing these uncharted, culturally diverse, hugely complex projects. The work thrilled her. After the financial crash in Dubai in 2008, Lorrimer moved to Abu Dhabi. Employed as Design Manager of the city’s new cultural precinct on Saadiyat Island, she began working closely with Foster + Partners on the Zayed National Museum, with Atelier Nouvel on the Louvre Abu Dhabi and with Gehry Partners on Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, as well as a new commercial building. Again Lorrimer revelled in the experience: “I was working on these fabulous designs with international consultants, the best in the world, on public realm master planning, on the final coordination of all the utility planning and infrastructure. So I was immediately back into what I do best, which is looking at strategy.” By the end of 2011 Abu Dhabi had its own financial troubles, and Lorrimer and her husband, with grandchildren on the scene back in Sydney, decided to come home. At dwp | suters for nearly four years now, Lorrimer has been focusing on the firm’s areas of specialization, adding workplace, residential, retail and hospitality
to health, education, aged care, and sports, and concentrating on design quality. “I wanted to create a culture where even the last technician doing the last detail is passionate about design,” she says. To facilitate this she has introduced a series of initiatives: a weekly design review process and other discussion groups where staff share content on anything they find stimulating. “So my job, if you like, is designing the organization, but also being a design evangelist all the time – calling it when it doesn’t reach the bar that we’ve set, and praising when it does.” Along with the unique experience Lorrimer brings to her role, other aspects of her approach are particularly her own. Because architecture is such an extraordinarily complex activity, she says, deep understanding is critical, and she‘ll often scope out her own research project targeting a specific need and produce a rigorous study as a result. As a strategist she sees herself as someone “who can come up with viable design solutions for these big complex problems and bring together the expertise of many specialists and experts.” While the specialists are doing the lateral thinking, she says “somebody’s got to collect all that up, bring it back in, join the dots, and package it up into some new innovation that challenges the status quo.” She says, “It’s not analysis, it’s ‘synthetic thinking.’ That’s why change, revolution, seems to be a constant theme because it’s always about pushing boundaries.” Lorrimer’s energy is another hallmark. “I always throw myself into things. I’m even enthusiastic about putting out garbage,” she quips. “And I’m an eternal optimist, don’t tell me it can’t be done.” To this she adds, “I just believe that you get back what you put in, wherever it comes from.” Practicing this dictum, her life is as packed as ever with speaking engagements, publications and causes. “I’m trying to change the profession. I’m trying to change the way we view ourselves, I’m trying to change the culture that we have, I’m trying to change the way the government procures architecture – from piecemeal, chipchopping it up to engagement on merit for the life of the projects” “I’m on the national competitions committee for the AIA, National Gender Equity for AIA. I’m a pay equity ambassador for Workplace Gender Equality Agency. I’m a member of Chief Executive Women and I’m active in NAWIC. I do mentoring through NAWIC, internally, and I do mentoring through AIA. I’ve got a belief that you’ve got to set out a big strategy but you’ve also got to change things, increment by increment, every single conversation you have is part of the change programme.” When asked, incidentally, if she’s still reading the Harvard Business Review, she smiles. “I’ve got a Danish work colleague and he sends me the best articles. Sometimes I can’t fit my life into my life.”
DWP | SUTERS dwpsuters.com
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leone lorrimer timeline 1956 1974 1977 1978 1978-1981 1981 1983
1984-1985 1985-1987 1986 1988-1990 1988-2007 1990-2001 1990-2005
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Born and raised in Sydney Completed HSC at Ascham School, Edgecliff Graduated with a BSc Arch from Sydney University Worked at Sydney Cove Redevelopment Authority; relocated to London Worked at Peter Ednie & Partners, London, on expansion of Browns Hotel First daughter born, London Graduated with a Dip Arch (Hons) with Distinction and RIBA Student Prize from the Polytechnic of North London (now London Metropolitan University); second daughter born, London; Returned to Australia Worked for Davenport Campbell & Partners, on hotel projects for Southern Pacific Hotels Corporation, including Parramatta Parkroyal and Adelaide Parkroyal Worked for Stephenson & Turner (S&T) on Sydney Renaissance Hotel interiors; Peppers Hotel, Terrigal; various other hospitality and commercial fit-out projects Established Innerspace, an interior design subsidiary of S&T, as founding MD Worked on various hotel projects Became a director & board member of Woods Bagot Optus Communications offices, switching centres and data centre Worked on integrated fit-outs of new office buildings for Johnson & Johnson, Goodman Fielder and Siemens; Led major property strategies for ANZ, CBA and Westpac and workplace strategy and fit-outs in Australia for Accenture, Andersen, Amadeus, Apple, AT Kearney, ASX, BHP, Brisbane City Council, Citigroup, Computer Sciences Corporation, DLA Phillips Fox, Ernst & Young, Fuji Xerox, KPMG, Macquarie Bank, Philips and UUNET Study tour to USA investigating new workplaces Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, a new building with integrated fit-out, awarded the 2004 AIA Canberra Medallion Faculty of Information Technology, UTS, Sydney, won 2003 AIA Sulman Medal, jointly with base building architects BVN
2001-2005
2004 2005 2005-2007 2006 2007 2007-2009 2009-2011
2012-present
2013-present
2014 2014-present
Managing director, Australia, Woods Bagot, involved with workplace strategy and fit-outs internationally for Société Générale, Hong Kong, Air New Zealand, College of North Atlantic, Doha, Qatar Parramatta Civic Place Master Plan, Competition (with Multiplex) NAWIC Award for achievement as a Business Woman Became director Middle East, Woods Bagot, working on Qatar Science & Technology Park, Doha, Qatar and Jordan National Financial Centre Climate Study: Design for extreme climates, College of the North Atlantic, Qatar Research Paper: Islamic Design Principles in the Contemporary World Director of planning & development, Sama Dubai LLC, Dubai, UAE; Oversight of Salam Resorts and Dubai Towers internationally and new cities in Tunis, Morocco and Dubai Senior design manager, Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), Abu Dhabi, UAE design manager for master plan for Saadiyat Island, dedicated cultural island in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Design manager working with Foster + Partners on Zayed National Museum, Atelier Nouvel on the Louvre Abu Dhabi and Gehry Partners on Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and a new commercial building CEO of Suters Architects (rebranded to dwp | suters in 2013); Various workplace, hotel and retail projects. Design Competitions for Devonport City Council, Melbourne Quarter, Abu Dhabi Education Council and Abu Dhabi Vocational and Training Institute Took international study tours to Scandinavia, Northern Europe, UAE and Qatar and undertook research projects on 1. Collaboration, 2. Community Futures and 3. International Benchmarks in Residential Development AIA NSW jury chair for Commercial and Interior Architecture Member of AIA National Gender Equity Committee; WGEA Pay equity ambassador; member Chief Executive Women; member AIA National Competitions Policy Review Task Group
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Words Paul McGillick PhotoGraPhy richard Glover, lendlease© architect Geyer, roGers stirk harbour, Woods baGot location sydney | aus ProJect WestPac centre, baranGaroo
Creating ConneCtion Westpac Group is explorinG a neW Workplace culture as Well as creatinG an extended campus in sydney’s neW BaranGaroo precinct. indesiGnlive.coM
opener The arched
timber-profiled promenade on Level 15 hosts a concierge facility for staff support. Photo: Richard Glover above The interaction of materiality, texture and illumination creates a subtle yet sophisticated aesthetic environment. Photo: Richard Glover opposite The triple-height volume, spiral staircase and extensive glazing connect the lobby with the operational heart of the building. Photo: Lendlease©
ood policy often only results once we have run out of easy off-the-peg labels. Westpac Group’s occupancy at Sydney’s new CBD precinct of Barangaroo is an excellent example of what happens when decisions are evidencebased rather than the usual ready-mades. It is true that Westpac occasionally use terms like ‘agile’, but their new workspace – 60,000 square metres over 27 floors or two-thirds of Rogers Stirk Harbour’s Tower Two – is actually the result of an inside-out, bottom-up process to arrive at a fit-for-purpose facility. As Westpac’s Kristen Miller points out, what began as a property consolidation, ended up as a radical rethink of the group’s workplace culture, including the creation of a campus made up of Barangaroo and the nearby Kent Street building (2006) with interiors also by Geyer. Kent Street was already a flexible work environment, so it offered a good starting point and an easy transition to what is now a far more sophisticated strategy. “Our baseline was great,” says Geyer’s Melinda Huuk, “but we were able to enrich it.” The ergonomics, health and well-being, she points out, have gone up to a “whole new level”. Functionality, too, is impressive. Kristen points out that they have achieved 95 per cent height-adjustability for their workstations, and by careful planning they have been able to achieve up to two additional floors of occupancy with very little change to the existing built environment. Apart from Kent Street, Westpac already has other workplaces which mirror a long-standing company emphasis on flexibility with a large number of the company’s staff already working flexibly. So, says Kristen, the reality already existed and “we have now built another workplace that supports this with our people choosing where, when and how they wish to work.” Reflecting the inside-out approach, the aim was for a timeless aesthetic with an emphasis on natural
G
light (strongly supported by 2900 millimetre and 3100 millimetre ceiling heights beyond the Level 15 transfer floor), textures, tactility, honesty to materials and sensitive landscaping of the floors. The palette is largely neutral with occasional splashes of colour, while built structures, decorative finishes and signage (by Urbanite) subtly tell Australian stories – a tactic which also quietly distinguishes the different business units, given that the amenities are basically the same throughout the fit-out. Employees are given a neighbourhood, wireless technology and a personal locker, but without any restriction on where they can work in the building and within a clean desk policy. While each neighbourhood provides all the amenity a worker might need (cafés or tea points, a variety of work and meeting options), people are encouraged to move around. Unlike ‘agile’ pacesetters such as Macquarie, CBA, ANZ and NAB, the building does not have a central atrium providing visual connectivity – although there is strong visual connectivity across the ‘villages’ on each floor, but voids and connecting stairs were factored into the lease and these were enlarged to create a degree of visual connection. Still, in order to encourage movement across levels there are basically two types of villages which alternate between floors: collaborative, and quiet, individually-focussed where the work spaces are on the perimeter and enjoy the sensational views out to the harbour. Westpac Group occupy up to Level 28 of the tower, including the three levels of the podium. Its occupancy, however, begins in the dedicated grand southern lobby space. Apart from the decorative American Oak timber shingles on the eastern wall – a motif repeated upstairs – the lobby (designed by Woods Bagot, but aligned with the fit-out by Geyer) offers the Club Lounge as a private, invitationonly meeting space behind the reception desk, and
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The aim was for a timeless aesthetic with an emphasis on natural light, textures, tactility, honesty to materials and sensitive landscaping of the floors. PAUL MCGILLICK
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previous The
‘mashrabiyah’ screens divide space, but retain a degree of visibility while adding materiality to the interiors. Photo: Richard Glover left Detail of the ‘mashrabiyah’ screens which act as a motif throughout the fit-out, adding a decorative flourish to an otherwise restrained interior. Photo: Richard Glover below The client hospitality and meeting spaces on Levels 27 and 28 highlight texture, light and proportion with the classical order occasionally interrupted by gentle curves. Photo: Richard Glover opposite Double-height voids generate vertical connection to match the predominantly horizontal visual connection. Photo: Richard Glover
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the Working Lounge where visitors can work in preparation for meetings. Both are finished in the signature American Oak. A dramatic spiral staircase leads up to the Level 1 reception, designed to take pressure off the lobby and the lifts and provide visual and operational connection between the lobby and the business. Also on Level 1 is the Private Wealth Lounge connected directly to the car park by its own lift. This concierged area supports meetings between clients and their private bankers. As a client-facing area, the formal design language established here is continued on Levels 27 and 28: spacious, restrained elegance and an opportunity to display some of the corporate art collection. In a fit-out rich in amenity for both staff and visitors, Level 3 stands out. Being at the top of the podium provided the opportunity for an extensive outdoor terrace. Aspect/Oculus have designed an intriguingly wandering landscape of customised furnishings with a managed outdoor barbecue facility. With its own plot of genuine grass, the terrace is aptly described by Geyer’s Uta Wolf as an “oasis”. The terrace links by operable glazed doors to one of the building’s two main cafés to offer a major function space. The cafe is social rather than work-based, although Wi-Fi is available as it is throughout the building – an internal app known as WorkSMART seems to supply almost any kind of information anyone might want. Towards the core of the café space there is a variety of informal work and meeting spaces, including small pods with exquisite laser-cut aluminium ‘mashrabiyah’ screens for privacy while still allowing connection. Also on Level 3 is the Wellness Centre with a multipurpose room for yoga and Pilates along with six consultation rooms offering treatments and services including physiotherapy, remedial massage, podiatry and dieticians – all part of a strategy to provide everything employees could need in-house. Down to the 9000 plants which green the interior, the Westpac tenancy is a kind of world unto itself. Surely, it is the ideal working environment where work and going to work become a pleasure and where everything is provided to facilitate productive and efficient work. And even when someone does eventually leave the building, there is a concierge who will give you tips on where to eat – that is, after they have organised your dry cleaning. Share your thoughts on Westpac, Barangaroo at indesignlive.com/westpac-barangaroo
Paul McGillick is an independent writer on architecture, art and design.
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prevIoUS The best views are reserved for the quiet/ focused work areas, each with its timber-framed ‘tree house’. Photo: Richard Glover beLow In the collaborative areas, the ‘noisy’ spaces sit between the core and the quiet perimeter. Photo: Richard Glover oppoSIte Layered transparency and vertical lines of sight create balance between connection and seclusion. Photo: Richard Glover
LeveL 1 fLoor pLan
LeveL 28 fLoor pLan
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in discussion As Workforce Transformation Director for Westpac, Kristen Miller oversaw the people, culture and change programme supporting the project throughout.
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Melinda Huuk led the Geyer design team. Here she outlines the overall design strategy.
K
ent Street was a highly flexible and mobile workforce, so it was a relatively easy transition. I think the strategic drivers around innovation, agility and speed suggested we could take a leaf out of there. It is about the landscape and diversity and giving people options. You’re not forced to move about. You have to clean your desk up every day. But it’s basically going to the right place. We started with a vertical community and then broke
t began as a property consolidation strategy. How do we consolidate our CBD sites and create a campus? A decision was made to consolidate eight CBD sites into Barangaroo and create a campus connection to Kent Street. What started as a pure property consolidation was then seen as an opportunity to fundamentally change the way Westpac worked. We engaged with Geyer, we engaged with Lendlease project management. We engaged Lendlease workplace to help us establish the right way for Westpac to work in the future. A large group of people were open to enhancing the way we worked. What began as a pure property project became a much larger, enterprise-wide project referred to as WorkSMART. This is our way of implementing ‘Activity Based Working’ (ABW), which we call ‘Agile’, across Westpac Group. So, it was a property environment, it was people, culture and collaboration including empowering our employees, giving them enough flexibility to be able to continue to work in a flexible, collaborative and innovative
environment with a workspace design and cultural mindset centred around excelling service excellence. We are not the first people to have done this, but using Geyer and Lendlease and a variety of other people, we feel we’ve done a very good job at adopting global best practice of leading in the future ways of working.
it down into key destinations. We had some key destinations, which is like a social glue, where people bump into each other from completely different parts of the building. Then we took it to a multi-floor strategy. We had alternative floors, hubs, so people weren’t travelling. Everything you need for convenience is on your floor, but you travel up and down for extra amenity. This is very much a Westpac Group property solution. Internal and external facing are different from Westpac. How we present outwards – consumer facing – is very much a competitive market. But internally they wanted to tap into the knowledgesharing and the wealth of insight that all these brands can bring together. So, it’s a collection of the best minds, if you like. It was about creating a brand
agnostic environment. Visitors don’t feel they are getting more of a vibe from one brand or the other because they are passing through the same spaces. It was more of a custodian approach. So, at the moment, St George and BT are custodians of this. We did a lot of workshopping with the different brands to make sure we all agreed and landed on a look and feel that everyone was comfortable with. It is the ultimate flexibility having multi-brands or groups sitting within one building and having that custodianship, being able to rotate in and out. I think that with a brand agnostic approach there was very much this notion of us having a global mindset but a local context. So, the idea of having an Australian flavour came through for us. indesignlive.com
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leFT The main café on Level
3 takes the workplace lunch to a new level of amenity and theatricality. Photo: Richard Glover below The curvilinear towers sits on top of the angled podium, signaling the play of curved and orthogonal forms inside. Photo: Lendlease©
wesTPAc, bArAngAroo inTerior ArchiTecT Geyer bAse building ArchiTecT Rogers Stirk Harbour lobby ArchiTecT Woods Bagot ProjecT mAnAger Lend Lease sTrucTurAl engineer Lend Lease mechAnicAl & elecTricAl engineer Norman Disney Young AcousTic engineer Norman Disney Young, Acoustic Lounge lighTing design Point of View lAndscAPe design Aspect geyer geyer.com.au rogers sTirk hArbour + PArTners rsh-p.com woods bAgoT woodsbagot.com FurniTure Walter Knoll ‘Oki Table’ and ‘Andoo Lounge’, Hower ‘40/4 Stool’, Prooff ‘WorkSofa’, Living Edge. MDF Italia ‘Flow Chair’, Hub. Gervasoni ‘Grey 21 / 23 Chair’, Anibou. Andreu World ‘Dado Table’ and ‘Woody Stool’, Sancal ‘Boomerang Chill Armchair’, Sancal ‘Pion Table’, KE-ZU. Vitra ‘Hal Stool’, Unifor. ThinkingWorks ‘Blade Table’, ‘Stylus Table’, Stylecraft. Porro ‘Jade Chair’, Living Divani ‘Metro 2’, Maxalto ‘Lithos Tables’, Space. Minotti ‘Caesar Side Tables’ and ‘Jensen Armchairs’, De Padova ‘Pouf Capitonné’, Dedece. ‘Graph Chair’,
Wilkhahn. Coalesse ‘Massaud Work Lounge’, Steelcase. lighTing Custom lighting throughout, Lightforce. Tom Dixon ‘Etch Web Steel Pendant’, Dedece. ‘Softscape’ floor lamp, Stylecraft. Bestlite ‘BL9 XL’, Cult. Flor ‘Ktribe F Lamp’, Oluce ‘Atollo Lamp’, Euroluce. ‘Tolomeo’ Table Lamp, Artemide. Formstelle, ‘Neat Noon Lamp’, Café Culture + Insitu. Finishes Custom upholstery throughout, De-Jonge. General upholstery throughout, Kvadrat Maharam, Sparkk. General carpet throughout, Interface. Porcelain floor tiles, Skheme. Timber ceramic floor tiles, Earp Bros. ‘Timber Vinyl’ flooring, Karndean. Custom rugs, Designer Rugs. ‘Broadloom’ carpet, Shaw Contract Group. Fixed & FiTTed ‘Timber Veneer’ joinery throughout, Briggs Veneers. Concierge counters, Caesarstone. Custom screens throughout, Quantum Innovation. Concrete wall render throughout, Bishop Decorative Finishes. General wall paint throughout, Dulux. ‘EuroPanel’ timber paneling, Euroline. Travertine wall tiles, Artedomus. ‘Shingles’ wall panels, Baresque.
For the full directory of supplier contacts, visit indesignlive.com/dissections64
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MODeRN fLOORiNG iN WORKPLAce DeSiGN Office environments are places for thought, discussion and creativity. choosing the right flooring finish is key to creating a space that’s comfortable, inspiring and practical. Driven by trends for flexible and activity-based settings in workplace design, architects, designers and facility managers are looking to luxury vinyl flooring (LVT) in place of traditional finishes for its durability, ease of maintenance and endless design capabilities. Responding to the movement towards open plan interiors, Karndean Designflooring’s award winning LooseLay wood and stone tiles offer an acoustically sound and comfortable workspace that is quieter to walk on, with a unique wave backing which features an embedded acoustic layer. The collections’ large scale wood planks and stone tiles are also quick and easy to fit, which means reduced downtime and reduced installation costs – perfect for busy office environments. Sustainability is also a key attribute of Karndean’s floor offering – after all, it’s about saving clients’ money by conserving energy, creating a space that will last and providing a healthy work life. “Architects, designers and builders are looking for more environmentally friendly project outcomes,” comments Alex Stock, Head of commercial Sales at Karndean Designflooring. “Our Luxury Vinyl Tile range is certified for GreenTag™ LcARate Silver certification which indicates that our products are in the top 20 per cent of its market category and now offers eco-credit points towards GreenStar building projects.”
With regards to aesthetics, Alex explains the trends that Karndean Designflooring is seeing in workplace environments: “We’re seeing more texture and intricate details as offices foster vibrant and inspired environments for staff. To accommodate this trend, our expanded Van Gogh wood collection replicates the rustic, reclaimed and repurposed aged timber look. inspired by rich grain details such as cathedral arches, brushing and etching, the designs reflect the trend’s we’re seeing for authentic and textured interiors.” “What’s more, our new Art Select Stone collection showcases our most intricate and realistic embosses to date, reflecting the unique patterns and textures of natural stone. We also look forward to the upcoming launch of our Da Vinci collection later this year.” “Whereas previously designers would have avoided mixing flooring types in one space, they’re now looking to combine wood, stone and textile to create interest and encourage movement and direction, without the need for a physical divide. for example, the Westpac Barangaroo Project recently opted for the cool highlights of our Opus Niveus against the use of carpet tiles and ceramics.” “More and more designers are moving away from natural wood or stone and instead replacing specifications in domestic and commercial environments with LVT for its endless design capabilities in order to create something truly iconic. introducing design strips, striking borders and inlaid feature pieces can simply transform a floor.”
For more inFormation please visit karndean.com or Call 1800 810 920
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Get Active The design inspirations of POSH’s Cloud Desking System and Activity Chair may contrast in origin, but both are animated by a passion for healthier, more flexible work environments.
right Activity Chair is
designed with Gen Y workers in mind – fun, original and accessible
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words lorenzo logi photography courtesy of herman miller
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nspired by the ancient Japanese tradition of Origami, POSH’s Cloud Desking System employs folded sheet metal, grooves and laser cutouts to create robust forms with minimal materials. Beyond the aesthetic appeal of these strong yet delicate objects, the material frugality reduces waste and production costs. Shigeru Ban said, “The strength of the structure has nothing to do with the strength of the material.” Lead by Jack Wang, Head of Research and Development, POSH Design Lab (PDL) explored several materials in the development of Cloud. Sheet metal and paper were transformed into various structural components and above-desk accessories, resulting in a flexible, functional, modular desk ideal for contemporary workplaces. The accessories for the Cloud Toolbar also reference natural and man-made shapes around us, such as the Cloud Storage Box, inspired by the architecture of the iconic Torii Gate of Kyoto, Japan. Dividing screens come with toolbars for users to attach a myriad of accessories, and can be specified in Acrylic, Wood, Fabric, Glass or customized corrugated cardboard, and above-desk guarantees convenient power access for all your devices.
I
this page Cloud Desking is
a complete workplace desking solution – healthful, attractive and functional
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“Activity Chair gives you instant comfort so you can get active right away.” JACK WANG
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PREVIOUS, RIGHT Activity
Chair’s unique supportive back design is the result of a two-year-long development with material exploration and user trials
Taking a different approach, the design of POSH’s Activity Chair stems from PDL’s two-year research into various compositions of Polyamide compounds. PDL researched the material to explore various degrees of hardness and flexibility, and how it can be harnessed to create better back support. The resulting design features a lumbar attached to the chair’s ‘backbone’, giving users 45-degrees of adjustment inwards and 60-millimetre height adjustment. Combined with the sliding seat pan, which provides a 50-millimetre range of adjustment to cater to users of different heights, this creates a host of adjustable settings that support individual health and comfort. Passive local back support is also incorporated in the overall design to ensure the lower spine is always pushed forward to a natural ‘S’ curvature, and pairs with a weight sensitive mechanism, giving users an instant comfort from the moment you sit down. A series of other design features promote better health and comfort, from the headrest to the highly adjustable armrests, which support various working postures, whether reclining and checking a mobile device or sitting upright at the desktop. Highly dematerialized and flexible, Activity Chair can support the full spectrum of occupants’ movements.
Lorenzo Logi is Managing Editor of Indesign.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY POSH, A HERMAN MILLER COMPANY VISIT POSHWORKSPACE.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Public space is a big topic, and the projects that fall under its umbrella intersect with almost every other typology of man-made structure. In the following focus section, we have curated a cross-section of examples that highlight the importance of balancing the numerous, often competing demands made on our shared environments, to the benefit of both built and human contexts.
PUBLIC SPACE ISSUE BroUght to yoU By SCrEENWooD
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right Zurich office, Brisbane, by ODCM architects (2013). Screenwood supplied their profile 6030 in Western Red Cedar with a half strength walnut coating and SCP50 acoustic batts, introducing aesthetic lightness and acoustic comfort to the shared foyer space
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State of Grace MasterMinded by the tokyo firM sanaa, Grace farMs fuses spirituality and a reverence for nature into an eleGant Glass pavilion.
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wordS diaNa BUddS PhotoGraPhy iwaN BaaN, deaN KaUFMaN architect SaNaa locatioN New caNaaN | USa ProJect Grace FarMS
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Grace Farms inspires a sense of awe and reverence for the natural world. Diana BuDDs
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o really understand Grace Farms, a new structure by the Tokyo-based firm SANAA, it is essential to get a sense of what came before it and what exists outside of its serpentine glass walls. Located in New Canaan, Connecticut, the visually arresting glass pavilion sits on a sliver of retired farmland. Rolling meadows blanketed with tall grass, 100-year-old trees, and a serene lake share the same 80-acre site. When architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, SANAA’s co-principals, describe the $67-million (USD) commission, they extoll the natural environment and explain how context was an important force guiding the design. The building is meant to enhance its surroundings – not compete with them – becoming a lens through which to view the rural idyll. It inspires a sense of awe and reverence for the natural world – a filling architectural allusion for the structure’s purpose. Home to the Grace Community Church and the Grace Farms Foundation, a non-profit with a social justice directive, the building is meant to be an inclusive gathering place in a region known much more for its stately mansions than its public spaces. Grace Farms is privately owned and faith-based, but it has civic-minded ambitions. Fostering community is one of its core tenets. It houses an arts and crafts center, a gym, library, cafe, ceremonial tea room, 700seat auditorium, and media lab that are open to the public. 77 of the 80 acres are designated as open space. Sharon Prince, the president of Grace Farms, wants it to become a place where people can bring their family, grab a coffee, and picnic in addition to hosting Sunday services for her congregation. The building – dubbed the river – is downright beautiful, its sensibility serving as a beacon to draw people to the site. The 7,700-square-metre structure’s roofline stretches about 420-metres from end to end but because of the switchbacks in the design, the structure is just 210-metres long as the crow flies. The effect is such that the whole building is never in full view when you’re standing inside, and it constantly reveals new angles as you complete the promenade architecturale. Over 200 double-glazed glass panels compose the pavilion’s walls and are fitted with seven-millimetre-thick spaces to achieve the look of shear transparency. In effect, the building melts away. SANAA clad the interior ceiling with warm-toned wood to offset the concrete floors and white drywall.
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To further the disappearing act, the architects specified the longest glue-laminated timber beams transportable by truck to support the open-plan auditorium, and they built the gymnasium partially underground to accommodate the space’s height without interrupting the building’s silhouette. In addition to its aesthetic bona fides, the design treads lightly on the land from an environmental standpoint. The floor-to-ceiling glazing allows for day lighting, the structure is fitted with water-conserving fixtures, and geothermal wells heat and cool the interior. The landscape plan, masterminded by the renowned Philadelphia firm Olin, preserves the native flora, fauna, and wetlands. When Sejima and Nishizawa won the Pritzker Prize in 2010, the jury lauded the duo for “architecture that is simultaneously delicate and powerful, precise and fluid, ingenious but not overly or overtly clever; for the creation of buildings that successfully interact with their contexts and the activities they contain, creating a sense of fullness and experiential richness.” Grace Farms is perhaps the most elegant expression of their work to date.
opener SANAA’s
earth-hugging design for Grace Farms mimics the site’s natural topography. Photo: Dean Kaufman previous above The interior ceiling is clad with warm woods and appears to float over the concrete floor. Photo: Iwan Baan previous below The stage of the 700-seat auditorium is framed against a natural backdrop. Photo: Iwan Baan above The roof is clad with anodized aluminum panels, each measuring 60 centimetres wide and six metres long. Photo: Iwan Baan
Share your thoughts on Grace Farms at indesignlive.com/grace-farms
New York–based writer Diana Budds covers design, architecture, and the built environment.
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Previous An existing barn
was renovated to house a welcome center, classrooms, and art studios. Photo: Iwan Baan right SANAA specified red-oak flooring for the library and administration office. The artwork is by Thomas Demand and the bench is SANAA’s ‘Flower’ for Vitra. Photo: Iwan Baan
grAce FArms Architect SANAA Builder Sciame Construction, LLC civil engineer McChord Engineering Associates structurAl engineer SAPS/Sasaki and Partners, Robert Silman Associates mechAnicAl engineer BuroHappoid Engineering/MEP Building surveyor Rocco V. D’Andrea Inc. Acoustic consultAnt Nagata Acoustics sustAinABility consultAnt Transsolar custom Furniture Troy City Woodwork, Thosmoser electricAl instAllAtion Casman Electrical Contractors Inc. lAndscAPing Steven Dubner Landscaping, Inc. sAnAA sanaa.co.jp
Furniture Custom Harvested Wood tables, Troy City Woodwork. Custom Sanctuary chairs, Thosmoser. Customer lecture hall seating, Poltrona Frau Group North America. lighting Generally throughout, custom fixtures by 1212 Studio, Crenshaw Lighting. Dimming System and Lighting Controls, Electronic Theatre Controls. Finishes Drapery and tracks, Draperies. Wood flooring, Haywood Berk Floor Company. Floor and Wall tile, American Floor Covering, Ann Sacks, Nemotile Company, Bisazza Mosaico. Wood Flooring, Haywood Berk Floor Company. Acoustical Ceilings, 9Wood, Baswa Acoustic North America, LLC. Paints and stains throughout, Sherwin Williams Family
of Companies. Paint throughout, Nosal Industries. Glass curtain wall, Roschmann Steel & Glass Constructions, Cricursa. Fixed & Fitted Interior Glass and Mirrors, Cherry Hill Glass. Precast Concrete Fireplaces and BBQ Pit, Get Real Surfaces Concrete. Floor Hatches, The Bilco Company. Entrance Door Hardware, Dorma. Metal and Wood Door Hardware, Assa Abloy Family of Companies. Metal and Wood Doors, Curries Company. Curved metal doors, Nosal Industries. Toilet fixtures, Nosal Industries. Custom curved beams, Chicago Metal Rolled Products. Glue-laminated beams and trusses, Structurlam Wood Products. Barn doors and windows, Marvin Doors & Windows. Generally throughout cabinetwork and custom woodwork, Legere Group. Wood Soffits and carpentry, Penlyn Construction Corporation.
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Uncover #MID16 With over 8,000 designers, architects and specifiers engaging in an industry defining programme of international product debuts, seminars and creative installations, this is an event you can’t afford to miss.
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Strategic Partners
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words rebecca gross photography Florian groehn landscape architect aspect studios, chroFi location sydney | aus proJect the goods line
Got the Goods Sydney’S new urban park SeeS a diSuSed rail corridor refreShingly revitaliSed to become a key Strategic link in a more navigable and networked city.
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oPeneR The Goods Line
showcases UTS’s Dr Chau Chak Wing Building designed by architect Frank Gehry PRevious Yellow metal furnishings, green zones and timber seating abut the prefabricated concrete ground plate elevated four metres above street level above Stage 1 of The Goods Line provides pedestrian and cyclist access between Ultimo Road underbridge (right) and Macarthur Street (left)
cross the Sydney CBD and inner city suburbs, urban renewal projects are revitalising pedestrian areas, public spaces and disused industrial zones. From Barangaroo to Eveleigh, new commercial and residential precincts are being built, transport networks improved and infrastructure upgraded. Amongst these larger developments nestle smaller rejuvenation projects that bring focused attention and renewed vitality to pockets of neglected space in a bid for a greener, more connected and increasingly liveable city. The Goods Line in Ultimo is a NSW Government initiative spearheaded by Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and designed and executed by ASPECT Studios with design partners CHROFI. The project has seen a derelict railway corridor, closed to the public for more than 150 years, transformed into a linear park with refreshing creativity and innovation. Stage 1, from Ultimo Road underbridge to Macarthur Street, opened on 30 August 2015 while Stage 2, from Central Station to Ultimo Road, is still in concept stage. Despite its modest size – just 250 metres long by 20 metres wide – The Goods Line has proved a key strategic link for Sydney to become a more navigable, networked and walkable city by unlocking north-south and east-west movement in the area. Pedestrians and cyclists can now travel uninterrupted between Darling Harbour and Central Station, two new roads resolve access between Ultimo and the city, and the vision of a direct thoroughfare between Darling Harbour and Redfern has moved one step closer. Yet, The Goods Line provides more than just a transitionary pathway; it is also a dynamic hub where
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people can engage with each other and the physical place. The project team conceived a strategy based on community engagement and actively involved public and private stakeholders including UTS, TAFE NSW, MAAS and the ABC. The result is a public space that functions and feels like a gathering area, outdoor campus, playground and museum. Given this capability to facilitate movement, connectivity and exchange, The Goods Line is appropriately named for the commercial railway that occupied the land from 1855, connecting Darling Harbour to the west and transporting commodities to and from the harbour. Accordingly, the architectural team took its cues from the area’s industrial past, intertwining history with contemporary design and landscaping. A robust railway palette of concrete, timber, steel and gravel is used lightly and with precision. More than 600 modular panels of prefabricated concrete, laid like railway sleepers, form the ground plate that is elevated four metres above street level. Concrete benches (with convenient power points), walls and steps demarcate the hardscaping and lush grassy zones punctuate the stretch. Vivid metal furnishings in ‘safety yellow’ clearly designate social structures and establish a visual identity that is cheerful and inviting. Landscaping includes native plants, existing fig trees and elements typically found in “leftover and in-between places,” says Sacha Coles, director of ASPECT Studios. Threads of disused track, cast iron details and almost-sculptural railway artefacts are reminders of the site’s original use and interpretative panels encourage people to linger and learn. Various
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... The architectural team took its cues from the area’s industrial past. rebecca gross
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zones abutting the pavement cater for relaxation, play and fitness, and include sandpits, study pods, a communal table, exercise bars and table-tennis tables, while raised seating and steps at Mary Ann Street create an amphitheatre for films, performances and other gatherings. The Goods Line has already won an Australian Award for Urban Design 2014 (Policies Programs and Concepts – small scale) demonstrating the important role of design in social and economic infrastructure and how public space is being addressed in Sydney. “It’s an investment in the social life of the city,” says Coles, with local beneficiaries including 80,000 tertiary students, nearby employees and residents of densely populated Ultimo as well Sydneysiders and visitors to the city. Indeed, in the light of Sydney’s present and future sustainability, productivity and liveability, the vibrant and interactive strip packs a punch far bigger than its size suggests. It boosts the city’s green space, renews the vitality of the area, enriches public space in Ultimo and Chinatown, and contributes to manoeuvrability and connectivity within Sydney. Certainly, while vehicles will no longer delay or interrupt pedestrians and cyclists between Central Station and Darling Harbour, the history, energy and charm of The Goods Line deservedly will. Share your thoughts on The Goods Line at indesignlive.com/the-goods-line previous A robust railway
Rebecca Gross is a Sydney-based design historian and freelance researcher and writer.
palette of concrete, timber, steel and gravel intertwine history with contemporary design and landscaping Above Threads of disused track and cast iron details are reminders of the site’s original use
The goods line ArchiTecT CHROFI civil, sTrucTurAl, hydrAulic & elecTricAl engineer ACOR lAndscApe ArchiTecT ASPECT Studios lighTing designers Lighting Art + Science
lighTing Light poles throughout, Vicpole, Gartner Rose. ‘WE-EF Spot Light, ‘WE-EF Inground Uplights’ and ‘WE-EF Area Light’, Light Culture, Gartner Rose. LED Channels and custom LED downlights, Nocturnal Lighting, Gartner Rose.
chroFi chrofi.com AspecT sTudios aspect.net.au
Finishes Concrete paneling, Hanson, Gartner Rose. Custom designed stairs and concrete panels, ASPECT Studios, Gartner Rose. Water play brick channels, Bowral Bricks, Gartner Rose. Timber hardwood decking, Gartner Rose.
FurniTure Custom designed benches, seats, 20-seat communal table and ping-pong tables, ASPECT Studios, Gartner Rose. Bins throughout, Emerdyn, Gartner Rose. Custom grating throughout, Rhino Grating, Gartner Rose. Custom bike racks, ASPECT Studios, Emerdyn, Hanson, Gartner Rose.
Fixed & FiTTed Custom designed exercise equipment, ASPECT Studios, Gartner Rose. ‘SU600 Round Drinming Fountain’, Urban Fountains + Furniture, Gartner Rose. Custom balustrade, Ficogi Engineering, Gartner Rose. ‘SSP150FC’ bollards, Leda, Gartner Rose. ‘Richter Spielgerate Mushroom Spring Pump’ and ‘Richter Spielgarte Rotating Gate’, Kompan, Gartner Rose.
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words lauren grieco PhotograPhy courtesy of mecanoo architect mecanoo location delft | nl ProJect delft train station
Subterranean SolutionS Can a train station single-handedly welCome, serve and ignite the imaginations of a City’s hundreds of thousands of visitors? meCanoo’s design for delft taCkles the Challenge.
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he South Holland city of Delft welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors all year round. If it’s not tourists discovering authentic Delft Blue artefacts in blue-hued tin-glazed porcelain, then it is commuting residents as well as students attending the world-renowned Delft University of Technology. Since the tracks were first laid in the mid-1800s, train travel became an effective means of movement between Amsterdam and The Hague. Although well connected to other cities in the Netherlands, Delft itself became divided by these tracks – and by an elevated viaduct in the 60s – enduring a train barrelling through its core nearly every five minutes. A proposal by Spanish architect Joan Busquets aspiring to accommodate the region’s increasing ridership while eliminating this eyesore was accepted and put into action in the early 2000s. In addition to accessibility issues experienced by visitors and residents alike, the elevated overpass and frequent trains passing atop it formed an unsightly addition to a charming backdrop of 17 th Century buildings and canals. The country’s rail provider, ProRail, teamed with the city for a decade-long joint venture, driven by a combined goal to improve the rail network’s safety and punctuality for riders as well as a much anticipated urban improvement for society. The plan called to relocate all four planned tracks beneath the 750-year-old city within a 2.3-kilometre-long tunnel, removing the infrastructural blemish in the historic scenery and restoring the viaduct’s stretch of land back to the public realm. Effortlessly sitting atop this unfathomable subterranean solution, a similarly multitasking structure fuses transit functionality with offices for the municipality. Charged with the building’s expression, the locally based, internationally renowned architectural practice Mecanoo was able to apply incomparable research acquired from its own team’s commutes through the original station (built back in 1883) towards its concept for a new one. Upon receiving its first passengers in February 2015, Delft’s second station building has become a stage for a serendipitous choreography, isolating views of its historic neighbour as well as streamlining circulation within the structure and
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opener The undulating,
vaulted ceiling of the new station hall creates a powerful sense of arrival to travellers emerging from the underground train platforms above The hall houses public counters, consultation rooms and technical services of the municipal offices, and the commercial functions of the station opposite Columns are decorated with mosaics of tiles in the colour of Delftware, one of the city’s most famous exports
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The centrepiece ceiling and curving walls form a stage as passengers float up escalators and stairs. lauren grieco
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its surrounding context. The replacement station’s angular facets encapsulate five levels which function simultaneously: tunnels, halls and municipal offices. A façade of alternating high-performance transparent panes and opaque fused glazing – a modern interpretation of a handmade technique found throughout Holland – reduces the scale of the 20-metretall elevations. Notches carved from the upper three storeys produce courtyards which invite daylight deep into the municipal office spaces. The roof’s gentle downward slopes blend with existing buildings and present optimal inclines to seamlessly integrate solar panels, should the city choose to install them. When arriving to the station by train, passengers first encounter the below-ground platforms designed by Amsterdam-based Benthem Crouwel Architects, who were part of the realisation of the recently opened Rotterdam Central Station. Passengers funnel up an open riser stairway towards a bright and airy landing, situated one storey below street level. Rushing regulars can dart right into the also Benthem Crouwel-designed interior public parking facility to retrieve their bicycles from the 5000 stored within a 5000-square-metre space amongst a row system of compact, double-decker racks. Cyclists enjoy a host of amenities including free storage for 14 days, a store with handy supplies such as a free air pump, bike lights and rain ponchos plus an on-site repair shop. A direct exit to an outdoor ramp leading up to street-level bicycle lanes is an infrastructural anomaly made possible by Dutch societal needs. For those arriving to the parking area by bike, screens display the transit schedule as the once audible rumbles of approaching trains are now subdued with rock-like sound-absorbing panels along the tunnel’s interior walls.
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delft tRain station aRchitect Mecanoo total flooR aRea 28,320 m2 mecanoo mecanoo.nl
PRevioUs Clear glass
windows at ground level allow visual connection from passers-by on the street outside and views of the surrounding city above With no obvious front or rear, the Delft Train Station is efficient and versatile. Notches cut into the upper storeys reference the intersecting streets of the city and allow natural illumination to penetrate the structure
Upon ascending the stairs from the platforms, the attention of newcomers is immediately captured by Mecanoo’s monumental ceiling. An undulating vault comprised of thousands of lamellae spans the 7700-square-metre open interior, stopping tourists in their tracks. Aluminium panels collectively depict a massive city map dating from 1877, creating a lasting impression of arrival. Bordering the periphery of the gigantic graphic, mushroom-topped cylindrical columns are dressed with a tile mosaic which abstracts traditional Delftware into its white-to-blue hues. Hand finished with care, the tiny ceramic pieces surface every curved interior wall. A horizontal glass window wrapping the perimeter enclosure frames Mecanoo’s modern interpretation of Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer’s iconic cityscape View of Delft: a picturesque perspective of the abutting canal, bustling bus plaza and its adjacent predecessor, which patiently awaits its next function. Looking inward from the bus plaza, the same window outlines another scene: the centrepiece ceiling and curving walls form a stage as passengers float up escalators and stairs and – coming soon upon its completion in 2017 – employees darting across the waiting hall into the attached Municipal Offices. Mecanoo’s building becomes a canvas painted with Delft’s visitors, an urban backdrop fit for the next 150 years. Share your thoughts on Delft Train Station at indesignlive.com/delft-train-station
Lauren Grieco is an Amsterdam-based writer on architecture and design.
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sTARon® Design AWARD WinneRs Recognising outstanding applications of staron® solid surfaces in design projects, the staron® Design Awards 2015 winners have been announced. Judged across three categories of commercial, Residential and concept, the awards were open to any designer, architect, developer, or student. The competition was judged by nicky Lobo of Habitus, stephen Varady of stephen Varady Associates, and Amanda stanaway of Woods Bagot. Jacqui esdaile, Leigh Devine and Kate Tuffley of Valmont took out the win in the commercial category with their work in a stunning office fit-out for Mccullough Robertson in Brisbane. Focusing on the concept of geometry, the new fit-out hinges on “the functional workplace drivers of flexibility, adaptivity, collaboration, community and the notion of working together,” says Tuffley about the initial design objectives. The focal point of the reception area is the curved Bright White staron® counter, which is imprinted with flush, mounted tessellating marble mosaic tiles.
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The Residential winner was Kim Duffin of sublime Architectural interiors. Awarded for the unique design work in a family home, Kim was asked to design a kitchen that extends to the outdoors. employing staron® solid surfaces throughout, the kitchen reflects the style and mood of its external environment. staron ® solid surfaces were a key feature of the kitchen, and have been used vertically and horizontally on the island benchtops and throughout the joinery. Kianoosh Kavoosi, student of central institute of Technology Perth, is the concept category winner. Kianoosh designed a clock frame entirely in 6mm staron® in Bright White. The clock can be backlit with LeD lighting thanks to the illuminating nature of the material. complemented by a timber frame and striking red lock hands, the clock is functional and creates a relaxing, ambient atmosphere. The staron ® Design Awards will be back in 2016, for more information visit staron.com.au
For more inFormation please visit staron.com.au sales enquiries (61 2) 9822 7055
clockwise from top left Winners of the staron® Design awards 2015 in the concept, residential and commercial categories
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words stePhen craFti PhotograPhY michael cowled, Plant images architect tract consUltants, Fender Katsalidis location melBoUrne | aUs ProJect 108 Flinders street coUrtYard
up rooted A melbourne multi-residentiAl building’s courtyArd shows how limited inner-city spAces cAn yield inviting public AreAs. indesignlive.com
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elbourne is synonymous with generous parks and gardens. However, many landscape architecture projects focus on tight inner-urban areas. In many cases, these green wedges offer respite from the daily ritual of working or living in small air-conditioned or heated spaces. The outdoor spaces aligned to these inner-city abodes not only need to address the architecture, but address the needs of those using these areas. “It can be quite a difficult process, particularly if the client doesn’t share the same vision in wanting to make a difference to people’s lives,” says landscape architect Steve Calhoun, Founder of Tract Consultants. “In the inner-city, people are being ‘squeezed’ for space. It’s important to create a sense of release,” adds Calhoun. That sense of release, as well as surprise, has been delivered by Tract Consultants at 108, a high-rise apartment building at 108 Flinders Street, Melbourne. Designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects, these apartments feature a breathtaking courtyard at the core of the site. With only eight metres separating apartment windows, and wall-to-wall towers either side, designing a traditional courtyard garden would have not been appropriate. “Plants need light as well as soil to survive. There has to be the structure in place to support the amount of soil required, particularly for a lush garden,” says Calhoun, who worked with graphic designer Garry Emery on this project, as well as collaborating with architect Karl Fender. So needing to diffuse the sight lines from opposing apartment windows, as well as creating a lush green garden in a relatively harsh urban environment, produced this extraordinary solution. “I had this light-bulb moment. The idea was mulling over in my sub-conscious even though at that point I had no idea what the scheme would look like,” says Calhoun. Tract Consultants’ scheme features a series of ficus trees, all potted, but hung upside down on a few steel cable wires. “If they were placed upright, we would have needed considerably more bracing,” says Calhoun. Having these trees inversed and spread at various levels creates a chandelier effect. When asked about the survival rate of placing trees in this position, Calhoun delights in informing this writer that they are plastic, as is the substantial green wall on
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the eastern elevation of the courtyard. And to muffle the sound of passing traffic along Flinders Street, Tract Consultants included a glass-bottomed pond. The ripple of the water further reduces sound and also creates a lightwell to the car park at ground level directly below. “The idea is to accentuate the verticality of this courtyard space, as well as animating it for residents,” says Calhoun, who was delighted with Emery’s brightly coloured mural that pays homage to the ‘Garden of Eden’. Residents can appreciate the courtyard space from their apartment windows, from the communal gymnasium and from the communal living areas. In contrast to the ‘Garden of Eden’, 108 features a real, but considerably smaller rooftop garden offering 180-degree views of Melbourne’s parklands and the Melbourne Cricket Ground through to its arts precinct. Complete with raised garden beds, timber decking and built-in barbecue facilities, the rooftop garden at 108 offers a completely different experience of living in the centre of town. “Here [at 108] we’re appealing to a younger market which appreciates a more playful approach to design,” adds Calhoun.
opener The courtyard
at 108 Flinders Street Melbourne features ‘floating’ artificial trees that appear as oversized chandeliers. Photo: Michael Cowled previous The artificial trees have been suspended in pots to create a green oasis in the centre of town. The trees also create privacy between apartments. Photo: Michael Cowled below The vertical green wall also comprises artificial plants. Photo: Plant Images team
Share your thoughts on 108 Flinders Courtyard at indesignlive.com/108-flinders-courtyard
Stephen Crafti is Indesign’s Melbourne correspondent.
“In the inner-city, people are being ‘squeezed’ for space. It’s important to create a sense of release.” STEvE CAlHoun
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108 Flinders street courtyard landscape architect Tract Consultants architect Fender Katsalidis’ green wall Plant Image tract consultants tract.com.au Fender Katsalidis fkaustralia.com lighting 24V Waterproof LED Strip Light, SAL. Flood Light 1P 65, BEGA. Finishes Alumabond panels with printed vinyl graphics mounted and surface laminated 3mm, Emery Studios, Sassy Signs. For the full directory of supplier contacts, visit indesignlive.com/dissections64
right The vibrant mural referred to as the ‘Garden of Eden’ was designed by Garry Emery and creates a surrealistic effect. Photo: Michael Cowled
in discussion
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Tract Consultants Director, Mike Stokes, on how inner-city landscaping is contributing to Melbourne’s public spaces. indesignlive.com
esigning urban spaces, particularly in the inner city, takes considerable skill and ingenuity. “When neighbourhoods feature a hard edge, there’s a need to provide a softer and more welcoming environment, the opposite of a windblown plaza,” says Mike Stokes, Director of Tract Consultants. Words such as material, context, microclimate and accessibility come into the ‘equation’. “It’s about creating that dappled light in winter and protection from the sun during the warmer months,” says Stokes, who sees the problem of being in an artificial environment set at 22.5 degrees all year round. Sanctuary, a large apartment development on the banks of the Yarra River in Abbotsford, illustrates the importance of creating public spaces people want to use. Previously a corporate office, the land was cleared for three apartment buildings designed by Rothelowman Architects.
Working with the architects, Tract Consultants designed the masterplan that included activating the outdoor areas adjacent to the Yarra River: a coffee shop, restaurant and even a yoga studio. Sculpture sourced by Mars Gallery was included in the scheme. In order to entice the public to use the amenities on the banks of the river, Tract included a watercourse that started its track adjacent to busy Victoria Street. Eucalypt trees can now be found on the riverbank as well as at street level. “Unlike the previous landscape (when the office existed), there’s no corporate look and not one generic style of planting,” says Stokes. Tract Consultants has also made a considerable indent into the Forest Hill precinct that borders Chapel Street and Toorak Road, South Yarra. “We’ve been working with Michael Yates (developer of the precinct) for over 10 years,” says Stokes, who presented Yates with a masterplan well before the many towers started reaching
for the sky. Some of the streets in this precinct have been transformed into one-way thoroughfares and in places streetscapes have become asymmetrical. Locating parking on only one side of the street and increasing the other side with planting that allows for outdoor tables and chairs already creates an engaging, rather than a severe, environment. “By extending the eastern pavement you’re already allowing light penetration throughout the day,” says Stokes. In one part of the Forest Hill precinct, known as Daley Street, plans are underway to transform this vehicular focused cul-de-sac into an urban oasis. Widening footpaths, tree planting and outdoor seating will provide a sun-trapped microclimate for locals to enjoy. “The question I always pose, is “Would I personally want to be in this space?” says Stokes. “Does the outdoor space have life and soul and how does it respond to the buildings surrounding it?”
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PeoPle s Realm The auThenTiciTy and generosiTy of easTland’s ringwood Town square, iTs nod To conTexT and inTegraTion of realm, public TransporT and hospiTaliTy, make a communiTy space of desTinaTion qualiTy.
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Words marg hearn photography courtesy of maroondah city council architect seventh Wave, the Buchan group, acme location melBourne | aus proJect ringWood
own Square and Realm’s opening on October 29, 2015 in the heart of Ringwood, 23-kilometres east of Melbourne CBD, marked the completion of the first stage of Eastland Shopping Centre’s $665 million transformation. The project is part of bigger picture Metropolitan Activity Centre (MAC) revitalisation works for Ringwood (totalling $1.2 billion in private and public investment to date). The overarching aim is of serving as a CBD alternative and a gateway to the Yarra Valley. Steven Leigh, managing director QIC Global Real Estate, Eastland developers, says Eastland’s urban environment is “the culmination of years of planning and development in partnership with the Maroondah City Council and the state and federal governments.” Since the late 90s Phillip Turner, director planning and community, Maroondah City Council, has been pivotal in those discussions, about how Eastland could be integrated with Ringwood. He says Ringwood, like a number of other MACs, were the old centres of Melbourne. And although some had been by-passed by large shopping centres, Ringwood had the benefit of Eastland within the town centre. It was people’s reliance on cars and negative perceptions around safety that contributed to a lack of street activation and the demise of smaller traders nearby. “We looked at how you make people proud again of what’s here and how to get an urban look and feel to the place,” Turner says with Council and QIC then working closely to consolidate the land required. All of the ‘core ingredients’ needed to create a vibrant town centre have been embedded, says Chris Zidak, manager business and development and Realm. Namely, the integrated transportation hub with a public forecourt on Maroondah Highway’s south flank narrowed its width and reduced the speed limit, pedestrianising the council owned, community Realm building and Town Square, and consolidating their alignment with commercial and retail activity. To help realise Council’s vision for public spaces that would be welcoming, functional, adaptable and
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“ People feel and understand when something is done with honesty and integrity – and that’s been the big push here.” CHRIS ZIdAK
opener Realm’s iconic
form, scale, stature and prominent siting, now signifies arrival into Ringwood’s rejuvenated town centre above Town Square’s edges are activated by a quality epicurean dining offer and high street retail. The food offer’s focus on local produce and selection of local materials for landscaping celebrate Eastland’s proximity to the Yarra Ranges opposite above Realm’s customer service centre signage ‘discover, learn, explore, connect’ speaks of the multiple functions and philosophies provided by Maroondah Council as a focal point for community activity opposite below left The co-working space outdoor amenity engages with Town Square. Community members can sign up as regular or casual members at very affordable rates opposite below right
Light is filtered in through Realm’s veil-like façade in a way that responds to the unique functions of each space within
authentic, reflective of the Yarra Valley region yet urban in look and feel, QIC Global Real Estate engaged Seventh Wave in collaboration with The Buchan Group and ACME. “There was a conscious effort to create a piece of architecture that was timeless and of a level of quality that could stand up to scrutiny on a global scale,” says Grant Withers, principal head of design, The Buchan Group. To create a sense of arrival for visitors to Ringwood town centre, Realm needed to be an “iconic form with a civic connotation to it,” he says. Initially replacing the suburb’s library, Realm evolved into a three-storey civic amenity housing multiple council and agency services. Some of those include: a Council service centre, an art space, a library facility, BizHub (a business resource centre with an activated co-working space), a creative content studio with film and sound recording studio, Caffé Stazione, and a Centre for Regional Knowledge and Innovation. A Realm wall opening onto the Town Square is “almost blurring the line between what is the retail and commercial offer and what is the community, culture and civic offer,” Zidak says. “For Town Square to work as well as it does, it is really dependent on the activation of the perimeter,” stresses Turner. Getting that right was the subject of considerable testing as to how spaces might work in different scenarios. “We debated over a long period of time the proportions of the square, the scale of the buildings, the proportions of the portal archways that frame the restaurants, and the balance of hard and soft landscaping needed in Town Square – in effect defining a distinction between a civic square versus a landscaped courtyard garden,” explains Withers.
In the context of public spaces in Australia, Leigh believes Town Square and Realm create “a new benchmark for community and consumer experiences. We have moved beyond the traditional retail model and like leading brands, endeavour to establish a relationship with our community. As part of this we have created an authentic community space that will draw people to it; we believe that this is the future of retail experience.” It’s that authenticity that Zidak suggests is integral to community adoption of public spaces. “People feel and understand when something is done with honesty and integrity – and that’s been the big push here.” How to get diversity into retail projects is one of the prime subjects currently around the table, says Withers. “What this project demonstrates is that large public spaces in a commercial precinct can work cohesively. It’s part of a step-change in thinking.” It is intended that activities in the spaces have the ability to evolve over time. People visiting Town Square may or may not interact with the commercial offer – it’s about people feeling comfortable in the space, whether that’s sitting down reading a book or watching the large screen. “That’s the synergy between the civic, the community and the commercial,” Withers says. Informing the design and functions of the spaces were the user requirements expressed by the community through extensive consultation. In addition to many ideas about the specifics, the community generally wanted ‘a high quality urban space where people could meet and where there’d be a diversity of dining and retail experiences that couldn’t be accessed in Ringwood’. Council and QIC share curation of Town Square, so that programmed events
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low res
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LeveL 1 fLoor pLan
LeveL 2 fLoor pLan
LeveL 3 fLoor pLan
right Hospitality and retail
offers activate Town Square. The natural stone shopfront portal elements align with the project’s vision of a high-end, timeless and magnificent retail destination opposite Town Square is orientated to ensure the axial link between Ringwood Station and the centre of Town Square is perfectly aligned, paving the way for a pedestrian crossing connecting the two. The more overt and sensuous sculptural form of the Shard relative to Town Square, delineates a symbolic entrance to the shopping centre
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such as night markets, farmers’ markets and outdoor cinema will complement the organic use of spaces. With its basis in connectivity and community, Withers says the new civic hub is very much “the epicentre of the town centre” and will be the “catalyst for other activities to spring off it.” That momentum is omnipresent in the MAC area, and with the $80 million Costco project and $52.2 million Aquanation aquatic complex both operational, Ringwood Station’s $66m upgrade is due for roll-out by the end of 2015 followed by additional Eastland retail in March 2016. It’s estimated that around 500 new apartments have been built since 2010 and another 1300 are approved or in planning stages. “We call this the platform to build on, when you have the core right – the public space in front of the station, the Town Square and a number of taller buildings, to get those connections happening here,” Turner enthuses. “For the first time in our municipality, I believe we have a place that the people own and are really proud of, but it also works functionally for us – as the interface between a whole range of different players.” Ultimately, Turner says, “We want people to say this is our place, this is the meeting place.” Share your thoughts on Realm and at Town Square at indesignlive.com/realm-town-square
Marg Hearn is a Melbourne-based writer on design, architecture and property.
ringwooD liBrary, learning & Cultural Centre Creative DireCtor Seventh Wave arChiteCt The Buchan Group interior Design The Buchan Group FaçaDe Design ACME Managing ContraCtor: Probuild ProjeCt Manager Turner & Townsend Thinc struCtural & Civil engineer Arcadis Australia Pacific BuilDing serviCes engineer Norman Disney & Young Fire engineer Arup BuilDing surveyor Gardner Group tiMe to CoMPlete Realm: 15 months total Floor area Realm: 3000m2, Town Square: 3000m2 the BuChan grouP buchan.com.au Furniture Billiani ‘Hippy Chair’, Alma ‘X Collection Stool’, Ross Didier ‘Tiller Lounge Chair’, Café Culture + Insitu. ‘Ariz Chair 560V’,
‘Segis’ collection, ‘Ply Candy table’, ‘Ariz Trolley’, Kfive. Industrial operations chair, ‘Flow Task Chair’, ‘Globe’ mobile storage unit, Universal modular wall unit, bookcase, hinge door credenza, ‘Rize’ table, ‘SP001 Flip Table’, ‘Frame’ work desk, Krost ‘Framework Corner Workstation’, ‘Framework Bow Shape Executive Workstation’, ‘Merge P Shape Desk with Fitted Return’, ‘Conti Table’, ‘Uno Table’, Klein Furniture. ‘Boomerang Chill Armchair’ and ‘Quiet Lounge’, Zenith. ‘Coz Low Back’ drafting chair, ECF. ‘Slimform’ collection, ‘OPAC’ suspended shelf, Scott Reed Resource Furniture. ‘Kidzworkz Lilypad Leaf’, Victorian Educational Furniture. ‘Nurkka’ ottoman, ‘Hoodie Integrated’ Koskela. ‘Howe – Skyline Modular Seating’ and ‘Blade Table’, Living Edge Furniture. ‘Kelly’ ottoman, ‘Indie’ coffee table, Jardan. Custom made ottomans, PGR Furniture. ‘H Frame Elevate Table’, ‘Body Language Custom Mobile Table’, ‘Elevate Height Adjustable Desk
Frame’ and ‘Elevate Rectangular Desk Frame’, Stylecraft. ‘Laminex Squareform Benchtops’, Laminex. lighting ‘Bill’ floor lamp, Stylecraft. ‘Tube LED SUS’ reception feature lights, Darkon. Finishes ‘Au.diPanel’ acoustic tiles, Atkar. ‘Ecoustic’ acoustic tiles in Charcoal, Lime, Yellow and Light Grey, Instyle. ‘Autex Quietspace’ acoustic panels, Autex. ‘Walk the Plank’ carpet tiles in Beech and Maple, Interface. Paint, varnish generally throughout, Dulux. Lightblocks board mounted on ply substrate, Baresque. ‘Coloured Film Face Range’ on white birch exterior plywood in ‘Maxi Black’, ‘Maxi White’ and ‘Natural’, Maxi Plywood. ‘ASI Polyurethane Non-slip’ floor sealer, A & I Coatings. Standard sealer, CTP. ‘DuPont Corian’ joinery in ‘Glacier White’ and ‘Earth’, Corian. ‘Dark granite’, ‘Grey granite’ and ‘Bluestone’ paving, DeFazio
Tiles & Stone. Reconstituted stone slab, Caesarstone. Solid Australian ‘Yellow Stringy Bark Eucalyptus’, Shiver Me Timbers. ‘Style Line’ tiles, Signorino. ‘Vogue Special’ tiles in ‘DY Pistacchio’, ‘DY Grigio’, ‘DY Ferro’, ‘DY Latte’ and ‘IN Latte’, Sallie Boucher. ‘Eucalypt High Feature’ timber veneer, Fethers. ‘Tapiflex Excellence 65’ and ‘ID Excellence 50 Click’ vinyl, Tarkett. ‘Polyfor Polysafe Apex’ vinyl, Polyflor. ‘Reflex’ vinyl, Reflex. FixeD & FitteD ‘VFLOAT Superclear (low iron) glass’, internal single glazed window and internal double glazed window, Viridian Glass. ‘Multi-purpose Contact Laminate’, ‘Sakkara Ivory Laminate’, Formica ‘ Magnetic Laminate’, multi-purpose solid laminate and ‘Natural Finish’ glass, Laminex Group. Häfele. JD MacDonald. RBA Group. Ergomotion. Barben, Access Hardware. Caroma, Reece. Interloc. Initial. Blanco. Zip Heaters. Fisher & Paykel. Dyson.
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inDesignlive.CoM
KINETIC WAVES A beAcon for experimentAl film And contemporAry Art, the len lye centre opens in new plymouth As A combined Art museum with the Govett-brewster Art GAllery.
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Words andrea stevens PhotograPhY varioUs architect Patterson associates location neW PlYmoUth | nZ ProJect len lYe centre
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opener The polished stainless steel façade makes liquid reflections day and night, with its tilts and folds evoking a sense of movement. Photo: Simon Devitt left The atrium is crossed by two bridges linking the Govett-Brewster galleries with the new Len Lye Centre galleries. Photo: Simon Devitt right Leading up to the galleries, the processional ramp is animated by a towering, undulating concrete colonnade recalling the movement of Lye's kinetic sculpture. Photo: Patrick Reynolds
pioneer of experimental film in the 30s, and internationally renowned for his kinetic art in the 60s and 70s, Len Lye (1901-1980) was a dynamic one-man art movement who pursued his own ‘theory of motion’ over a lifetime. Described as “the least boring person who ever existed” by British poet Alastair Reid, the New Zealand-born artist had a long and prolific international career spanning Wellington, Samoa, Sydney, London and New York. The new Len Lye Centre in New Plymouth is home to his archive and collection, and reflects the increasing local and international interest in the artist and his place in the history of modern art. Owned and operated by the New Plymouth District Council as part of the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, the Centre provides for the care, display, access to, research and development of the artist’s works and ideas. Lye’s relationship with New Plymouth and the Govett-Brewster grew out of a major solo exhibition in 1977, Kinetic Works, the first exhibition of Lye’s work held in New Zealand. In New Plymouth he found curators and engineers daring and ambitious enough to realise his kinetic sculptures at a grand scale, pushing materials and engineering to its limits – something he was unable to achieve in New York. Lye once said, “My work I think is going to be pretty good for the 21st Century … it’s simply that there won’t be the means until then … to have what I want, which is enlarged versions of my work.” And so he set up the Len Lye Foundation and arranged for his archive and collection (the largest body of his work in the world) to be
A
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“ We were inspired by Len Lye's Cloud Temple sketches - a living, moving, kinetic building� andrew patterson
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sent from his home in New York to the Govett-Brewster following his death. His work has remained integral to the museum’s curatorial programme ever since. After more than three decades in the planning, the new Centre has opened alongside and physically linked to the existing Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, a heritage cinema building adapted in 1970 into a contemporary art museum. They operate as one flexible and shared venue. The architecture of the new Len Lye Centre is striking – a gleaming beacon of light and originality as charismatic and bold as the artist himself. “The design of the Len Lye Centre was informed by Lye’s ideas and particularly his views on the relationship between art and architecture,” explains its architect, Andrew Patterson. “We were inspired by Lye’s Cloud Temple sketches – a living, moving, kinetic building – and by the movement of light in his sculptural and film work.” The building exterior is wrapped in a colonnade of undulating precast concrete units, left exposed on the inside and clad on the outside with a highly polished stainless steel skin. Glazed slots between each unit transmit light inside, while watery reflections animate interior and exterior surfaces. A kaleidoscopic reflection of its surroundings ripples across the façade, activated by the movement of people, cars, the sun and clouds. The steel curtain veils a 3000-square- metre state of the art facility housing Lye’s archive, display galleries, an education centre, and a 62-seat cinema. The Centre shares an entrance, café and administration with the Govett-Brewster, with a public programme focussed on the exhibitions in both.
previous above A cross
section through the processional ramp, main gallery (in red) and basement cinema previous below The new state-of-the-art 62-seat cinema hosts a strong film programme and ability to view Lye's films in their original 16 millimetre format. Photo: Sam Hartnett right Large Works gallery with four of Lye's Fountains, including a new member – an eight-metre tall version engineered by the Len Lye Foundation. Photo: Sam Hartnett
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Off the main entrance within the Govett-Brewster building, an impressive hall opens up within the new building, granting access to a three-storey atrium between the two buildings and a broad processional ramp. Winding its way up and around the perimeter, past the undulating concrete colonnade, the ramp provides access to the basement cinema, education space, Large Works gallery and main gallery. On the top floor, two bridges tie the new building back into the Govett-Brewster galleries so that visitors can follow a seamless journey around both buildings. The opening exhibitions features sculpture made at an all-new scale, while the cinema has screenings of Lye’s famous scratch films and other experimental film. Gongs from cork against metal, the warping and whistling sounds of moving steel, and the jazz soundtracks of his films, create an air of excitement and suspense. The building supports Lye’s energetic art by being dynamic and strong in character, yet also serene and reverent on the inside, setting the stage for the art performance.
Andrea Stevens in Indesign’s New Zealand Correspondent.
above Looking up to the
ceiling from the processional ramp, the large concrete curtain has a monumental scale. Photo: Simon Devitt
len lYe cenTRe aRchiTecT Patterson Associates PaTTeRson associaTes pattersons.com elecTRical insTallaTion Holden Peel Projects lighTing ‘Bright Green’, ECC. ‘Concord’, cusTom joineRY Lighting Creations. Designed by Patterson Associates, manufactured Finishes by New Plymouth Joinery Carpet throughout, Irvine. Seating
covering, Figueras. Paint throughout, Resene. Fixed & FiTTed Retail and archive shelving, IMO. Educational shelving, Pattersons. Sanitary fittings, Metrix. Bathroom fittings, Sopers Macindoe. Internal doors, Pattersons.
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volcanic limestone baths
Get the right advice. Contact a bathroomware specialist. Petersham 02 9569 5555 600 Parramatta Rd Waverley 02 9389 5000 82 Carrington Rd
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Pure of Heart The painsTaking renovaTion of a minimalisT home resTores a miesian masTerpiece To iTs original glory.
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words stePhen craFti PhotograPhy nicole england architect gUilFord Bell location melBoUrne | aUs ProJect seccUll hoUse
or a serial renovator and mover with a passion for architecture, the offer to inspect the Seccull House in Brighton, Melbourne was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Such was the case for cardiologist Martin Hiscock, who had previously purchased both architect Roy Grounds’ iconic 1954 house and his last house, designed in 1982, and Nic Bochsler’s mid-90s townhouse. “I really wasn’t intending to buy the house. But I was fascinated to see it. This house can only be found in a few select architectural publications of that period,” says Hiscock, referring to the year 1972 when builder Bill Seccull commissioned architect Guilford Bell to design a family home in the prestigious beachside suburb. While the experience of walking through the Seccull House for the first time didn’t exactly mirror the few black-and-white images Hiscock had seen, he was impressed with the simplicity of the design and importantly, its strength. “I’m drawn to crisp architectural lines irrespective of the period. But this house was like a Miesian palace: every detail was so precise, along with Bell’s wonderful use of symmetry.” Indeed the house was very much born as a work of passion, with architect Graham Fisher, Bell’s younger business partner, recalling that “Seccull lavished all of his love and attention onto the project. It was a labour of love for Guilford and for Bill.” The 500-square-metre house, set on 2,000 square metres of manicured garden, with courtyard-style gardens with every bedroom, was all on one level and had a generous garage at ground, rather than basement level. The soaring ceiling heights (over three metres) and plentiful accommodation sealed the deal with Hiscock ringing his wife Silvana Marasco, a cardiothoracic surgeon, to see the F-plan-designed house.
F
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opener The foyer/entrance
which is reached from the side of the house is illuminated by a generous skylight above The study located next to the main bedroom features a built-in desk and is lined with bookshelves right The travertine ensuite to the main bedroom features a sunken bath/shower opposite The new all-white kitchen is sympathetic to Guilford Bell’s original design
From the time one closes the garage door, the word ‘scale’ takes on a different meaning. The laundry, for example, is the size of most kitchens, with the original ‘Maytag’ washing machine and dryer still in place. “Apparently, the maids once used this area to take their private calls,” says Hiscock, who even retrieved an original basin from the Barbican in London when restoring the house with Fisher. Other ingenious nooks become apparent, like the built-in barbecue cupboard adjacent to the family room. Bell was a stickler for detail so it’s no surprise this cupboard includes its own flue and is fully lined in black bricks to reduce maintenance. Although the Seccull House could be easily ‘read’ by Hiscock and Marasco, some elements needed reworking. The original kitchen had been replaced in the 90s with black granite benchtops and the travertine floors had been filled with a salmon-pink grouting. The white carpet in the dining, formal living area and bedrooms (three plus the main bedroom) also required replacing, as did some of the rusty steelwork in the gallery wings. The crew had to work like ‘surgeons’ to remove the travertine tiles without damaging the sub-floor heating pipes. These flourishes allude to the deceptive simplicity of the house, such as, in Fisher’s words, the “folly in the form of jets of water that were plumbed into the paving opposite the lemon tree courtyard.” Fisher reflects, “it’s a very serious looking building, but there are these other more theatrical aspects to it.” Those entering the Seccull House will find it extremely difficult pointing out new from original, although the lack of wear in the streamlined kitchen suggests a subtle contemporary interpretation. The furniture, many pieces from Geoffrey Hatty, also capture the refinement of Bell’s design, with Hiscock customising a number of pieces, including lights in the Bell style. One set of wall lights were even commissioned by a British manufacturer.
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“ It’s really like living with great art, but made of masonry and glass.” MARTIN HISCOCK
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this page above
Elevations of architect Guilford Bell’s Seccull House this page below The formal living room features northern and southern large sliding doors to allow cross-ventilation through the spaces opposite The courtyard, separating the formal living areas from the main bedroom wing includes a manicured lawn and original concrete planters, also designed by Bell
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The main bedroom wing, which stretches out at the rear of the site and is orientated to the north, has been impeccably restored and only lightly touched. What was once a sauna room and change area for the Secculls (a tennis court was sliced off the site many years ago), is now a study and enclave for Hiscock’s shell collection. One of the most adventurous rooms in the Seccull House is the ensuite bathroom, fully clad with slabs of travertine. The Roman-style sunken bath, also in travertine, includes dual basins (rare for the early 70s) and customised nooks for the tapware as though chiselled from the block of travertine. And given Bell’s concern for symmetry, there are customised ventilation grids not only above the door to the ensuite, but also to a dressing area directly opposite. The Seccull House doesn’t ‘scream for attention’ from the street. The main structure is hidden by a high brick wall, and the only suggestion of its grandeur is the 40-metre-long pathway with pergola to the front door. “Not being able to see the house adds to the intrigue,” says Hiscock, who loves the home’s two northern ‘frontages’ and the many unimpeded vistas throughout; “It’s really like living with great art, but made of masonry and glass.” Share your thoughts on Seccull House at indesignlive.com/seccull-house
Stephen Crafti is Indesign’s Melbourne Correspondent.
seccull House ArcHitect Guilford Bell & Graham Fisher Architects Builder Bill Seccull
bedroom: Jacques Adnet desk. Knoll 'Brno' chair, dedece. Hallway: Knoll 'Bertoia' chairs, dedece.
guilford Bell & grAHAm fisHer ArcHitects (03) 9866 4138
ligHting Jacques Quinet lamps, Geoffrey Hatty, Flos Tobia Scarpa marble lamp, Euroluce.
furniture Living room: Czech cubism chest, 40s Italian mirror, Geoffrey Hatty, De Sede sofas, DOMO, Jacques Quinet 40s entry console. Early Wagner Thonet hat stand, Thonet. Breakfast room: Saarinen dining suite, dedece. Playroom: BEB Italia 'La Bambole' sofas, SPACE. Formal dining area: 40s Mangiarotti marble and bronze dining table. Belgian deco dining chairs. Study/living room: Knoll Barcelona chairs, dedece. Tugendhat glass table. Farnsworth desk. Childrens'
finisHes Carpet generally throughout: custom made in New Zealand wool, Don Currie Carpets. Mosaic bathroom tiles, Bisazza. fixed & fitted Gaggenau oven, microwave, gas cooktop, dishwasher Sampford IXL. Fridge, freezer, Liebherr. Mixer & spray, Dornbracht.
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Finding Balance
words andrea stevens PhotograPhY simon devitt architect BossleY architects location BaY oF islands | nZ ProJect Fold hoUse
The laTesT coasTal house by bossley archiTecTs carefully bridges The sea and The bush.
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opener An outdoor dining
area is cut into the plan for protection from the sea breeze while maintaining views of the bay left A wide gallery through the spine of the main house is top lit in the centre opposite above Blue glass tiles tick out the bath and shower surrounds in the main bedroom ensuite opposite below From the main lounge, steps follow the ground contour up to the dining, kitchen and main bedroom beyond
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here is a gentle iconography and sense of balance in the coastal houses designed by Bossley Architects. Stemming from a keen sensibility for the land and climate, and characterised by a craft approach to details of structure and finish, they reconcile the impact of building in these unique settings with the requirements of the project brief. They tune each design for its microclimate, according to which coast and which island it is sited, and the local topography. Fine post and beam framework allows structure to step lightly across the terrain, and they break down scale by making a large house in smaller parts to create an ‘encampment’. These strategies mean houses are less visually intrusive, more climate responsive and better able to support an informal holiday lifestyle. The latest incarnation of this type is the Fold House in the Bay of Islands. Its east coast location and benign climate have led to a long, low and very open house. A large footprint is dispersed across three buildings, which nestle as a group into the horse shoe-shaped plot. With the bush-clad valley as a backdrop, there is a real sense of enclosure to the site, while also being open to the bay. A large four-bedroom house, three-bedroom guesthouse, common room and swimming pool make up the programme. The main house lines the western flank of the valley, arranged so that the morning sun reaches the bedrooms, providing the main living space with maximum exposure to sun and view, and the main bedroom with a north-western outlook. Service rooms face the hillside, and a garage sits at the southern end where the driveway comes in.
T
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previous The architecture
is a minimal and subtle backdrop to the beauty of the coastal setting right The house occupies a grass island on the valley floor surrounded by hills with regenerating native bush
The long, linear guest wing lines the other side of the small valley, with a swimming pool at its northern end to complete the symmetry. Between the two dwellings, at the base of the horseshoe, is a freestanding shared lounge. This open arrangement creates a strong relationship with the outdoors and an open centre of rolling lawn that flows gently down to the bay. Concrete floors inside each house transform into terraces outside, with an easy step onto the lawn. The overall effect is a very relaxed and open edge to each house, similar to the experience at the smaller and simpler baches dotted along the coast. There is a genuine lack of pretention, and while the scale is impressive, its overall impact is subdued. Delicately propped off the stepping concrete plinth floats an iconic triangulated roof. Like the rolling surface of the ocean, the undulating poplar plywood ceilings create soft shifts of light reflecting the constantly changing sea and skyscapes. “We wanted the roof to have an identity of its own,” explains architect Pete Bossley, “so the triangular facets create a different geometry to the more orthogonal layout of the walls below, and in many cases it is supported on its own structure that reads differently from the walls. It is almost as though the roofs had alighted there, of their own accord, rather like leaves, and the buildings slowly appeared below it.” It is an architecture that proposes how one might live by the sea and on the edge of the bush, for the houses bridge these two conditions. On the one hand is their desire to reach for the sun and water, and on the other to engage strongly with the land, referencing its physicality, geography and history. There is a real conceptual depth to the practice’s work, with the Fold House advancing these concepts in subtle and dynamic new ways.
Andrea Stevens is Indesign’s New Zealand Correspondent.
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“ It is almost as though the roofs had alighted there, of their own accord, and the buildings slowly appeared below it.� PETE BOSSLEY
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ABove A concrete lap pool
extends from the end of the guest pavilion stretching out toward the sea
fold House ArcHitect Bossley Architects Bossley ArcHitects bossleyarchitects.co.nz furniture B+B Italia ‘Tufty’ sofas, Maxalto ‘Musa’ dining chairs, Poltrana Frau ‘Archibald’ chairs, Mattise. Minotti ‘Anderson’ sofas, ‘Jensen’ armchairs, Linteloo ‘Log’ coffee table, ECC.
finisHes Kitchen Trendz interior cabinetry, Mastercraft. American Oak timber flooring throughout, CTC Timber Floors. Floor rugs, Cronz NZ. Sisal and wool rug, Artisan. fixed & fitted Dornbracht tapware, Duravit and Marblo basins, Metrix. Laufen Palomba basins and bath, DCS.
ligHting Delta light fittings, Viabizzuno pendants, Inlite. ‘Tolomeo’ desk and bedside lamps, ECC. For the full directory of supplier contacts, visit indesignlive.com/dissections64
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171
profiling the life and work of creators around the globe douglas snelling christopher boots
architect and designer douglas snelling, photographed by Max dupain, 1964. photo: courtesy of snelling estate
172 176
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Transferring modern and ethnic themes around the Pacific, DOUGLAS SNELLING introduced mid-century glamour to Oceania.
above Snelling delivered Australia’s first spill-edge swimming pool to the Kelly House 2 at Vaucluse in 1965, using technical advice from Los Angeles architect John Lautner, who built the world’s first modern ‘infinity’ pool in 1963 opposite above
Snelling’s 1964 perspective of the Kelly House 2, built on a steep waterfront site at Vaucluse opposite below Douglas Snelling as a young commercial artist, taken by an unknown studio in Sydney, 1944
xactly a century after his birth in London’s docklands, Douglas Snelling (1916-1985) remains a misunderstood translator of glamorous American modernity to his adopted homelands of Australia and New Zealand. Yet his diverse achievements as a designer and architect are vital to the cultural histories of both countries – and to growing knowledge of mid-century modernism around the Pacific. His international career – spanning the mid-30s to the mid-70s – helps to illuminate how American modern aesthetics spread west across the Pacific, to influence post-colonial development in the antipodes and Asia. He rapidly transferred new publicity and design concepts from Hollywood to Wanganui and Wellington in the late 30s, and interpreted American modern furniture, interiors, architecture and landscape advances in Sydney and Noumea from 1940 to the early 70s – before retiring to Hawaii in 1977. At the height of his architectural career, he was a prominent South Pacific exponent of the tropical ethnic paradise movement that Los Angeles researcher Sven Kirsten recently labelled ‘tiki style’ and ‘Polynesian pop’.
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words dAvinA JAcKson photogrAphy mAX dUpAin, snelling estAte
With his major ‘fantasy’ residences and holiday resort concepts, Snelling elaborated Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic modern architectural principles with pseudo-thatched roofs in eccentric forms, and juxtaposed Garrett Eckbo’s modern (massed and layered) landscape planting concepts with spectacular California swimming pools, expansive sandstone-paved terraces and traditional Japanese water gardens including ponds of koi carp. He adapted glamorous interior design and atmospheric lighting concepts from his late 30s visits to Hollywood film sets and40s shops and offices by New York designers including Morris Lapidus and Richard Kelly. Since his death, Snelling has been recognised mainly as a furniture designer – but this was a minor facet of his multi-disciplinary accomplishments. In 1945 and 1946, he prototyped and sold the first range of modern chairs, tables and storage furniture to be nationally marketed in Australia after the Second World War. These timber chairs, with interlaced webbing seats and backs, were ‘rough’ copies of early 40s H.G. Knoll (New York) models by Jens Risom and Ralph Rapson (which themselves were diminished versions of early 30s handcrafted bentwood designs by Alvar Aalto in Finland and Bruno Mathsson in Sweden). Snelling placed his furniture in most of the restaurants and shops that he designed in the late 40s. Inspired by photographs of American store interiors by Morris Ketchum Jr., Victor Gruen, Morris Lapidus and others, he installed modern plate glass storefronts and created customer-enticing interiors with obliquely angled cabinets, wavy timber ceilings, novel paint combinations, dramatic lighting effects, and mirrors to multiply dazzling reflections of the merchandise.
His first fit-outs, completed 19461948 – notably the Etam Glove Shop, Dasi Pen Shop, Sydney Snow clothing store and American National Club – were published in trade magazines Decoration and Glass, Rydges, and Building and Engineering. In 1949 and 1950, two of his first house concepts were featured (as models and plans) in the legendary California magazine Arts and Architecture. The Melbourne-edited journal Architecture and Arts strongly promoted Snelling’s buildings through the 50s. Snelling was more savvy about publicity than most architects and designers of his time. His creative and communications skills emerged during his last years of high school in mid-30s Wanganui, New Zealand, when he created window displays, street parade floats and banners, and cinema movie posters for local retailers. For his skill drawing cartoons, he was offered an animation job at the Walt Disney studio in Hollywood – but his visa conditions forced him into six months of freelance work drawing caricatures of stars in costume on film sets. His Hollywood experiences during 1937-38 later influenced his strategies for glamorous Sydney interiors and gardens.
doUglAs snelling Born Gravesend, UK lived Eastbourne (UK), Wanganui (NZ), Los
Angeles, Wellington, Sydney, Honolulu worKed Douglas Snelling Architect
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Snelling parlayed his six-month Los Angeles sojourn into eighteen months of New Zealand celebrity as a radio commentator, magazine columnist and Warner Bros film publicist in Wellington. After sailing to Sydney in 1940, he worked through the war in electronic equipment factories and designed the streamlined Bakelite shell for one of Australia’s first postwar radios. Snelling returned to Los Angeles in 1947 with his first wife, New Zealand heiress Nancy Springhall, and briefly worked as an interior designer with Beverly Hills architect Douglas Honnold and his younger associate, John Lautner. This office was creating flamboyant retail pavilions; pioneering a gravity-defying architectural style that was later named ‘Googie’ (after a Lautner-designed coffee shop in West Hollywood). After Snelling left the Honnold office, he and his wife drove through the California and Arizona desert on a pilgrimage to inspirational architectural sites – including Richard Neutra’s then-new Kaufmann Desert House in Palm Springs and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West desert camp near Scottsdale. On return to Sydney in early 1948, he studied architecture at home to gradually pass the professional registration exams in 1952 – while expanding his business to include more buildings. His Hay house in St Ives (1949-53), Kelly House 1 in Bellevue Hill (1953-55), Keith Smith house in Mosman (1955-58), Assef house in Bellevue Hill (1964), Little house in Clareville (1964-65) and Kelly House 2 in Vaucluse (196566) all included Wright’s substantial stone fireplaces and extensive use of cedar, with face brick walls and sliding glass doors to outdoor terraces. Some projects (notably Hay) also exploited
Neutra’s pinwheel floor planning; the Smith house used triangular structural geometry recalling some of Lautner’s Googie tactics, and Snelling’s kitchens included sliding shoji screens, as favoured by Gordon Drake. Snelling’s oeuvre of more than 70 projects also included highquality office buildings, factories and apartment towers: notably the Hartford Fire Insurance Company at 49 Margaret Street (1952-53), Armco Steel Company in Kirrawee (1953-56), the J.H. Liddle and Epstein office building on Macquarie Street at East Circular Quay (1954-56), the Bibaringa ‘homes in the sky’ tower at Double Bay (1962-63) and the Roslyn Gardens Bachelor Flats block in Elizabeth Bay (1963). He also built Australia’s first modern infinity pool – using technical advice from his former work colleague, John Lautner – at the Kelly House 2 overlooking Sydney Harbour at Vaucluse (1966). During his final years of practice, he built two major houses in Noumea (1968-69) and designed unbuilt schemes for holiday
resorts in Vanuatu and Fiji (1970-72). Despite – or because of – his diverse talents, achievements and charisma, Snelling was marginalised by younger Sydney architects and their coteries. Contemporary academics in both Australia and New Zealand still decline to support any exhibition of the splendid Max Dupain photographs of his buildings – so Snelling’s oeuvre remains mysterious in this centenary year of his birth.
previous One of
Snelling’s illustrated articles for a 1947 issue of Rydges business maagazine, explaining new trends in shop design, highlighting his interior of the Etam glove shop in central Sydney below Curved cocktail bar between the kitchen and billiards room off the pool deck of the Arthur F. Little house, Clareville Beach, 1965
Davina Jackson is a visiting research fellow with Goldsmiths, University of London. A new update of her controversial PhD thesis on Snelling is contracted with British publishers Ashgate-Routledge and her douglas-snelling.com website is archived with the National Library of Australia.
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THIS PAGE Christopher Boots’ studio in Fitzroy, Melbourne, artfully displays Boot’s lighting amongst the eclectic assortment of objects and artifacts OPPOSITE The team behind Christopher Boots’ lights
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words stephen crafti photography christine francis
Pairing artisanal craftsmanship with echoes of the natural world, ChristoPher Boots’ creations are coveted worldwide.
ighting designer Christopher Boots has been called to the phone. it’s hermés, from New York. Boots’ initial conversation with the French brand has progressed over a few years, with his lights gracing its prestigious Madison Avenue address. Featured in seven windows of the store, Boots showcased the metamorphosis of life, starting with the big bang. For this light, the vessel took the form of a bronze egg filled with crystals that evoked the start of life. While Boots has been working as a lighting designer for more than a decade, initially with the late Geoffrey Mance, his own signature lighting, under his own banner, only started in 2011. And in a little over four years, the Melbourne-based designer has established a reputation for bespoke lighting not only in Australia, but also in America, europe and Asia. Now with 18 staff, and working between two warehouses – one as a showroom, the other a couple of blocks away, for production – Christopher Boots speaks modestly of his success. “it’s the pleasure of working with great clients, whether architects or designers. But it’s also
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working with this great team of people in the studio, whether they were artists in a previous life or industrial designers,” he says. Boots’ warehouse-style showroom, located in Gore street, Fitzroy, is a perfect capsule for the many brass pendant lights on display. the worn and weathered walls sharpen the lights, such as the distinctive one-point-fivemetre-long oblique rhombic Prism (orP) inserted with LeD lighting. the National Gallery of Victoria recently purchased this design. then there’s the Prometheus, a linear-style pendant encrusted with crystals, each one cleverly magnetised to allow for cleaning as well as to suit the amount of luminosity required in a room. “As you can see, i love working with brass as it ages so beautifully. But it’s also timeless,” says Boots, a quality that remains paramount in all his work. so no colour appears and anything slightly faddish isn’t entertained; “i want my lights to look as good in 25 years as they do now,” says Boots, who is drawn to materials such as brass rather than to creating things that simply ‘scream for attention’. Crystals are also a signature of many of Boots’ designs, whether they take the name of ‘sugar sticks’, loosely resembling Marge simpson’s beehive do (but opaque rather than blue) or his Prometheus iV that illuminates the open kitchen in the studio. “As a child, i was always collecting crystals. Nature has this wonderful healing power,” says Boots, who still loves to fossick for sticks and features found on his nature walks. “My instinct makes me a collector and gatherer,” says Boots, pointing out the unusual objects in his studio, including an old-fashioned Victorian leather horse used in a gymnasium, antique globes of the world and crystals on every second surface.
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Whether one is entering a drawing room in London, or being welcomed at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Christopher Boots is as concerned about the quality of light in a space as its aesthetics. Boots’ ‘Portal Table Lamp’, a brass ring carefully poised on a marble plinth, can be easily adjusted by a connected brass unit to create a light that’s 6500 kelvin for a cool hue or 2700 K for a warm one. “You should walk into a room and feel immediately comfortable. The light should also be complementary to your skin,” says Boots, who only produces lights on a made-to-order arrangement rather than being purchased off the shelf. “People sometimes like to customise our lights, which we’re more than capable of doing since everything is produced locally,” he adds. Unlike many lighting houses that produce a collection every year, Boots’ work evolves, with one idea morphing into something else. “I have an endless number of ideas on my bench, with piles of sketches. Sometimes, it’s about bringing two ideas together. Other times, it’s about taking things away, editing to ensure the design is pure and there are no distractions,” says Boots, who sees the idea of simplicity in design as one of the most difficult
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things to achieve. And while production lights are given to staff, each prototype stays in Boots’ hands until it is fully resolved. Boots now has representatives in most countries. There’s Fiona Barratt Interiors (FBI) in London and Jorge Cruzata showing Boots’ lights from his showroom, Siglo Moderno, in Los Angeles. About to step on a plane to meet some of the reps for the first time, Boots is also keen to resume talks with Hermés in New York. Importantly, he’s also keen to see how his lights are displayed, whether in store windows or high-end residential projects. “Lighting isn’t seeing how a room can be changed. It’s also about seeing the effect it has on those entering a space, whether it’s residential or commercial. It’s never the same,” adds Boots.
CHRISTOPHER BOOTS BORN Melbourne LIVES Melbourne WORKS Founded his own studio in 2011 BACKGROUND Studied Industrial Design at
the National School of Design, apprenticed with Geoffrey Mance
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Share your thoughts on Christopher Boots at indesignlive.com/christopher-boots
Stephen Crafti is Indesign’s Melbourne Correspondent.
ABOVE LEFT The crystals
attached to Boots’ lights form a rich and ‘crusty’ edge ABOVE Lighting designer Christopher Boots
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ISSUES AND IDEAS AROUND DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE Barangaroo reserve perth puBlic space puBlic space vs affluence
AeriAl view of BArAngAroo reserve. Photo courtesy of BArAngAroo Delivery Authority
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The new Barangaroo Reserve on Sydney Harbour raises many questions about parks and placemaking. Paul McGillick ponders whether any of those questions were actually asked.
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words Paul mcgillick PHoTograPHY Barangaroo deliverY auTHoriTY
arangaroo in Sydney’s East Darling Harbour is a major 22-hectare waterfront renewal project. Creating a mixed-use precinct out of this former dock site has involved demolition of vast concrete aprons, reclamation and remediation. The project has been intensely controversial, throwing up issues to do with the privatisation of public assets. In Sydney, a city which is synonymous with its harbour, alienation of the waterfront is a lightning rod sure to ignite public hostility. The new six hectare Barangaroo Reserve on and around the headland has been almost as controversial as the rest of Barangaroo, but not because people didn’t want it. Indeed, a cynic might suggest that the park was finished first – the rest of Barangaroo is not scheduled to finish until 2023 – in order to assuage public misgivings about the sell-off of prime public waterfront real estate. Part of the debate goes back to the original issue as to how much the ‘new’ Barangaroo should reference its industrial heritage – which has now been effectively obliterated, leaving only the Sydney Ports Harbour Control Tower on the point of the headland, and the government apparently determined to demolish that as well.
B
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opener Trees are largely restricted to the inaccessible, contourhugging, terraces leaving open green space exposed to western sun and winds left Large sandstone blocks act as seating, while smaller blocks form a barrier to the water, not a means to access it
Like so much design, it longs to be noticed. PAUl MCGIllICk
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Unquestionably, urban parks like this one ought to reference their context. It not only gives them meaning, but also helps ensure they offer amenity appropriate to the people likely to use the park. This is an argument to retain the Control Tower, not just as a sentimental gesture, but because it helps sustain a productive dialogue between Sydney’s past and present. Such dialogues are essential to the identity of a city. But there is another context: Sydney Harbour. This goes much further back than white settlement or even the Aboriginal Gadigal people whose territory it was before 1788. Sydney Harbour is a drowned river valley whose characteristic coves, headlands and water edges consist of sandstone smoothed into its typically sensual forms by millions of years of water action. Sydney is replete with superb headland parks, as well as inland parks such as Cooper Park, all formed in this way. What is so beguiling about these parks is the way they grow organically out of the landscape, combining welcoming bushland with panoramic
views and easy access to the water. To visit these parks is to inhabit them, to be a part of that landscape, to be embraced by the aura of Sydney and the mysterious unpredictability of its bush and marine landscape. The interventions are so subtle the parks hardly feel designed at all. Barangaroo Reserve, however, is very designed. And like so much design, it longs to be noticed. It wants to be looked at, but shuns embrace. Its alltoo-crafted, sharp-edged sandstone blocks along the water edge are not for climbing over or for dangling one’s feet into gently lapping water. Its terraced landscaping is inaccessible, made only to be admired. The grassy area at the top is barren of trees and exposed to the relentless western sun. This park is for walking, cycling and photo-ops. And you had better keep going because there is no shade – not even when the trees mature, because they are on the inaccessible terraces. Perhaps the urbanites expected to visit the park don’t do picnics. The disappointment of Barangaroo Reserve is the same as that which comes with design-as-fashion. It stems from a failure to ask not just the right questions, but any questions at all. User, purpose, context… is it that difficult? Barangaroo was never going to replicate Sydney’s other headland parks, but it might have learned something from them.
Paul McGillick is a freelance writer specialising in architecture, art and design.
issUe#65indesign
NEXT ISSUE In Indesign #65, our mixed use focus issue, we explore projects that incorporate a variety of space typologies, including buildings and spaces that cater to multiple functions.
We look at projects that exemplify an innovative approach to hybrid functions, buildings on a large scale – but also spaces on a smaller, more focused scale – that have been designed for supreme f lexibility, efficiency and versatility.
this page ‘Wurdi Youang’
event/function/lecture space at Geelong Library and Heritage Centre, by ARM Architecture. Photo: Emma Cross
On an urban scale, do these projects respond to the growing densification of our cities and ref lect a new vibrancy through variety? And culturally, do they foster diversity and pluralism?
Perth is experiencing its biggest shift in attitude to design and public space to date, with a number of projects set to redefine the city. here’s no doubt about it – Perth is in the midst of a huge growth spurt, with new, large-scale works such as Elizabeth Quay, Northbridge Link, the Scarborough Redevelopment and multiple apartment and housing developments attracting the opinions of design industry professionals and the general public. With Perth’s population predicted to grow from 1.5 million to 4.2 million by 2056 (for example, in Richard Weller’s Boomtown 2050), forward thinking architects and urban planners are looking at ways in which to restructure the city with the distant future in mind. Ideas are being formed with the awareness that buildings alone won’t create a city, and that it’s a sense of community through shared public spaces that residents are now craving. “The current generation of first homebuyers is opting for place over space,” says Paul Edwards, director of
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Site Architecture. “This is driving the demand for higher density living in and around Perth and access to quality public spaces.” A vocal minority still holds on to the great suburban dream of the large plot of land in the suburbs, however Clinton Matthews, Director of Lantern Creative, says the number of high-rise apartment buildings still under design, construction and development in Perth defies the naysayers through the volume of product sales. In 2013, the Office of the Government Architect launched Better Places and Spaces: a policy for the built environment in Western Australia. Aimed at improving the quality of the public realm, it focuses on raising industry and community awareness of good design and promotes sustainability design principles. Public space is such a significant part of everyday life and experience, yet something so often taken for granted. If designed appropriately, it can have a crucial and often profound impact on people. “All too often these spaces are attenuated to meet an immediate budget without a holistic approach to issues such as physical and mental health, environmental sustainability and potential crime,” says Matthews. “There needs to be greater consideration of the building interface with the public realm when being designed.”
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words claire watkins PHotograPHY courtesY of PertH metroPolitan redeveloPment autHoritY
The Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority (MRA), who are delivering a number of transformational high profile projects across Perth, are leaders in the place making approach to design and project delivery. “Perth City Link and Elizabeth Quay are changing the face of our city, so it is vital that we design these places around people. Our place-focused approach ensures that public spaces and the people who will use them are at the forefront of the planning process.” “We are working to create new urban communities with a sense of belonging, where people want to live, work and play” said MRA chief executive officer, Kieran Kinsella. Along with Perth’s ever expanding population comes the realisation that low density, single lot, single storey housing is an unsustainable typology that exacerbates urban sprawl and causes devastation to the hinterland landscapes of Perth. John Tuzee, director of PLAN E Landscape Architects, explains that the overall result in new subdivisions is an endless sea of roofs with very little relief from greenery and vegetation. “Our parks and open spaces are proving to be the only opportunities in these new suburban developments where existing vegetation and landscape character can be retained, or where significant landscape amenity can be provided in the form of recreational opportunities
and vegetation re-establishment,” Tuzee says. With that being said, the importance of getting the design of these spaces right is imperative. Edwards believes making a public space through good design principles is only part of the solution, and that good public space comes from activation. “Local councils, corporations and not-for-profit bodies are continually planning and improving events and activities in underutilised public spaces,” he says. Perth is now home to movies on the rooftop of the Roe Street City of Perth Carpark, markets in the Perth Cultural Centre, a colourful array of FORM’s recent public art installations across the city and regional WA, and so much more in the shift towards supporting and encouraging more vibrant public spaces, and carving out an identity that is truly unique to Western Australia.
Previous Surrounded by
mature palm trees, landscaped gardens and timber decking terraces, the BHP Billiton Water Park will offer an interactive water feature that can be flooded to create a reflective pool or drained to provide an event space for up to 800 people above Elizabeth Quay comprises 12 unique spaces surrounding The Inlet, including The Landing that will provide a major event space for lunchtime sports, pop-up vendors and concerts
Claire Watkins is editor of Contemporary Perth.
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As our homes have become larger and more comfortable, we have lost a major incentive to inhabit public space. But can private amenity replace communal contexts?
or millennia, the squalor and lack of comfort in most houses forced people out of doors, and the public square acted as roofless living room in the city. Goethe, during his travels in 18th Century Italy, observed: “On market days the squares are piled high with garlic and onions and every sort of vegetable and fruit. The people shout, throw things, scuffle, laugh and sing all day long. The mild climate and cheap food make life easy for them. At night the singing and music get even louder.” In the late 60s, I rented a front room in a terrace at Shepherd’s Bush in London, which shared a kitchen and bathroom. It was so cramped and minimal, the only escape was a nearby pub, which, unlike Australian pubs, was furnished so it resembled a middle class Englishman’s living room, even maintaining personal drinking glasses for its regulars. I understood that the pub in England, with its bleak weather, was for an Englishman, what the piazza, with its sunshine, represented in Italy. Living in much more affluent times and having access to large, commodious houses with spacious media rooms equipped with the latest entertainment technology, we forget how crucial a role the street and square performed for people living centuries ago. Go to Asia and you encounter a similar vibrant street culture, street food, and craftspeople actively pursuing their livelihood. Whether it is Verona, Beijing, Tokyo, Dubrovnik or Mykonos, in the 18th Century you find much the same picture described by Goethe: “People here are always on the move,
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and certain streets where the shops and stalls of the artisans are crowded close together look especially merry. These shops have no front doors, but are open to the street, so that we can look straight into their interiors and watch everything that is going on… all of them half out in the street.” It is tempting to theorise about the secret to designing successful public spaces, which possess the same exuberant popularity as in the past. Our present day lifestyle – our levels of wealth, habits, tastes – have radically changed since the 18th Century. Our need to socialise, meet new faces and escape dull, confining routines remains unchanged. In spite of our houses being much larger, the multiple en-suites and expansive media rooms, human nature remains quintessentially the same. The fundamental nature of the city as a place bringing people together has not changed; technology may instantly connect us to anywhere on the planet, but it cannot assuage human feelings of loneliness or isolation. There are so many variations in public spaces ranging across national and regional typologies – each having its own special qualities. We each have our favourites. A particular favourite of mine is Mykonos with its stunning whitewashed houses threaded by winding, narrow, freshly painted alleyways. The highlight is the ruined St Mavrie Paraportiani church. The rambling streets were meant to confuse and delay attacking pirates. Each twist and turn produces a new vista, a new visual discovery and revelation. One is never bored.
People make squares, it is their use of a public space that dictates its character, whether, in the instance of the Piazza Navona, as a circus constructed by Emperor Domitian as a stadium for athletic competitions, or as the setting for a horse race in Siena’s shell-shaped Piazza del Campo. Our understanding of such historic examples is of little aid today in framing new and vital urban public spaces. Providing plenty of restaurants trivializes and impoverishes the square’s potential for human variety. Visit Australia Square any balmy Friday summer’s evening – you will be surprised by what you see! It is jam packed with people, after-work professionals at play seeking members of the opposite sex or merely intent on relaxing from the tensions of the week. It is doubtful Harry Seidler ever imagined it like this; he was far too serious about architecture to have envisaged such an outcome – yet there it is, an established fact of Sydney nightlife. Or, for that matter, the South Bank in Melbourne around Crown Casino. Names do matter; a square without a name is no place at all. The plaza in front of the Sydney Opera House casually identified as ‘the forecourt’, is Sydney’s premier public space. Up until now, it lacks a proper distinguishing title and this diminishes it greatly. If it were given a geographically unique title such as, ‘Opera Place’, or ‘Arts Place’, the simple act of naming it would indelibly inscribe it in everyone’s memory not to forget history. Herman Hertzberger once gave a slide lecture on streets during which
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words PHiliP drew
he illustrated the effect of removing the parked cars – it immediately filled with children playing games. His question for the audience was: “Where did the children play before this?” His explanation, indeed the lesson, is that any neglected space quickly finds a human activity in dense cities. Space is at such a premium, is such a valuable commodity, abandoned houses, empty neglected building plots, are promptly invaded and occupied such is the human hunger for living. The architect needs only to anticipate human desire and meet it head on to succeed in designing public space. The increasing size and rich entertainment offerings currently available in private dwellings threaten the popularity of public space. In the 50s, television caused the demise of many cinemas. Today, the threat to public space comes from homes augmented by online entertainment. Confronted by this challenge, governments have increasingly responded with spectacles such as Vivid Sydney that transform the city to tempt families out of the safe seclusion of their domestic cocoons. In their 1969 entry to the Monaco Entertainments Centre competition for Monte Carlo,
Archigram proposed a landscape equipped with plug-in electronic nodes supporting a wide range of cultural events, including circus, ice hockey, and variety shows. With its newly installed permanent power and video grid, the revamped forecourt of the Sydney Opera House realises Archigram’s Monte Carlo vision. Whether such investments in turbo-charging superpiazzas are ultimately successful or not has yet to be seen. Public spaces have been with us since cities began. It is unthinkable they should suddenly disappear in the face of competition from magnificent and selfsufficient private dwellings. By their very nature, cities are social places that express the social nature of Homo sapiens. Without viable public spaces, the very existence of cities must be in doubt. Frank Lloyd Wright’s alternative vision of spacious openness in his Broadacre City model of 1932 is no city at all.
ABove Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy. Photo: John Kellerman
Philip Drew is a Sydney architect, historian and critic.
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One last thing design ATelieR KAsTelic BUFFeY pRojecT sToRY pod conTAcT AKB.cA Positioned on the edge of a newly developed civic square, the Story Pod is a community-supported lending library in the heart of Newmarket, Canada’s historic district. The pod is a compact two-point-five by two-point-five by three metre structure, with two walls that pivot open, evocative of a book, inviting visitors to lounge, read, or leave something for another to enjoy. At night, when the walls are recessed and locked, energy efficient solar powered LED lanterns illuminate the pod’s interior and provide ambient light for night markets and community events.
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TexT LEAH CWIKEL imAge BOB GUNDU