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asia edition / issue 23
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FROM THE EDITOR
I
’m writing this from one of my favourite cities in the world: Copenhagen. A city that hardly needs an introduction and requires little effort to love, it’s a place I’ve returned to several times for several reasons. And while it’s endlessly appealing for foodies and design lovers alike, it’s also welcoming to those of us who identify as digital nomads: good coffee and Wi-Fi are easily found. The phenomenon of being so digitally nomadic seems recent — at least, the term is — but there are certain individuals from an earlier era (think W Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling, both of whom have suites at several iconic establishments named after them) who made their way across the globe with such apparent ease that we forget how much slower and more expensive international travel was back then. We’re incredibly fortunate to live in a time when it’s become so much more accessible. This issue is dedicated to the peripatetic creatives who spend countless hours in airport lounges, dividing their time between continents and cultures, and running businesses across time zones. Welcome to the annual international issue of Design Anthology. We hope you enjoy, wherever in the world you may be. Suzy Annetta Editor-in-Chief
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WEST SEATING SYSTEM | RODOLFO DORDONI DESIGN LAWSON ARMCHAIR | RODOLFO DORDONI DESIGN DISCOVER MORE AT MINOTTI.COM/WEST
MASTHEAD
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December 2019 The International Issue The editors, writers, columnists, designers and photographers behind this issue
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Suzy Annetta suzy@designanthologymag.com Managing Editor Philip Annetta phil@designanthologymag.com Deputy Editor Simone Schultz simone@designanthologymag.com Art Director Jeremy Smart jeremy@designanthologymag.com Commercial Director, Hong Kong Petula Kincaid petula@fifthblackmedia.com Commercial Manager, Australia Brad Johnson brad@fifthblackmedia.com Editorial Concept Design Frankie Yuen, Blackhill Studio Text Theresa Christine, Max Crosbie-Jones, Danielle Demetriou, Christopher DeWolf, Rachel Duffell, Kee Foong, Duncan Forgan, Sophie Kalkreuth, Christina Ko, Joseph Koh, Jae Lee, Karine MoniĂŠ, Simon N Ostheimer, Simone Schultz, Sanjay Surana, Sandra Tan, Payal Uttam
Get a subscription to Design Anthology Invest in an annual subscription and receive four issues delivered direct to your home or studio, anywhere in the world designanthologymag.com /subscribe/asia Correction In Issue 22 (the Korea edition), we incorrectly stated that designer Saerom Yoon works with AI and 3D technology. Rather, his work is a response to these modern production methods, and his own practice involves laborious handicraft.
Images 516 studio, Arch-Exist / Yu-Chi Li, Tom Blachford, dbox, ecru Studio, Philip Jablon, Minkyeong Kang, Keizo Kioku, Nataly Lee, Jonathan Leijonhufvud, Frans Parthesius, Michael Paul, Propapanda, Antoine Raab, Takuji Shimmura, Meital Shushan, Jeremy Smart, Monica Steffensen, Studio Dosi, Hosanna Swee, The Ingalls, Christoph Theurer, Yoshiaki Tsutsui, Frederik Vercruysse, Boogi Wang, Scott A Woodward, Yuna Yagi designanthologymag.com/asia contactus@designanthologymag.com instagram.com/design_anthology facebook.com/designanthologymag
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Design Anthology is published quarterly by Fifth Black Media 14C, E. Wah Factory Building 56–60 Wong Chuk Hang Road Aberdeen, Hong Kong +852 3489 0240 hello@fifthblackmedia.com fifthblackmedia.com Media Sales, Hong Kong Josephine Leung +852 2856 3543 josephineleung@visiononehk.com Media Sales, Italy Carlo Fiorucci +39 0362 144 6000 info@fiorucci-international.com Media Sales, Thailand Nartnittha Jirarayapong +66 2 635 5185 noo@njintermedia.com Media Sales, United Kingdom Rebecca Harkness +44 7500 949434 rebecca@designanthologyuk.com Media Sales, other regions Petula Kincaid +852 3489 0240 petula@fifthblackmedia.com Printer Asia One Printing Limited 13/F, Asia One Tower 8 Fung Yip Street Chai Wan, Hong Kong Distributors Hong Kong, Macau & China Foreign Press & Far East Media Singapore & Malaysia Allscript Thailand Asia Books Taiwan Multi Arts Philippines APCEI Indonesia Periplus Europe, Canada, Brazil, South Africa, US & Japan Export Press
CONTENTS
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+LJLTILY The International Issue Our selection of the ILZ[ KLZPNU Z[VYPLZ MYVT around the world
9LHK TVYL VUSPUL Explore the world of Design Anthology between issues with exclusive interiors, interviews and reportage on design, published throughout the week at designanthologymag.com
Australia Edition Published in Melbourne, our Australia edition is focused on the changing face of design in Australia and New Zealand designanthologymag.com /australia
<UP[LK 2PUNKVT ,KP[PVU Discover Europe’s creative JVTT\UP[` ^P[O Design Anthology UK, published by Astrid Media designanthologyuk.com
Dossier 20
Openings studio adjective’s recently launched sister company objective is a personally curated online store for all things design and lifestyle
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Products New collections and collaborations
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Studio In Singapore, a secondgeneration woodworking studio is pushing boundaries and elevating the craft
Wanderlust 58
Read Upcoming and new books on design, art, interiors and architecture from some of the world’s best publishers
Resorts, Myanmar Two new resorts in the remote Mergui Archipelago offer luxe bases from which to explore the pristine and largely uncharted enclave
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Profile Meet the fire-wielding, woodturning Melbourne-based maker Makiko Ryujin
Luxury Lodges, New Zealand A trio of pastoral lodges make exploring the North and South islands a luxurious affair
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Hotel, Melbourne A beachside icon has reopened with a look that pays tribute to its locale
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Openings The best of the new boutique and luxury designer hotels from around the world
Urban Decay, Thailand Relics of rich cinema history, and their striking architectural typologies, are immortalised in a photography book by Philip Jablon
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Design Karimoku Case Study is a collaborative project between Japan’s largest wooden furniture producer and top architects from around the world
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maison&objet, Paris The Korean designers and brands that stood out at this year’s edition of the Paris fair
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Adaptive Reuse, Cambodia French-Cambodian architect Antoine Meinnel’s Phnom Penh firm Bloom Architecture is behind several projects that reflect its approach to heritage conservation
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www.baxter.it â&#x20AC;¢ www.baxtersrl.cn
CONTENTS
Vernissage
Architectonics
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Emerging Artists, Indonesia This year’s Art Jakarta featured several artists making a name for themselves thanks to their boundary-pushing practices
166 Development, Hong Kong Robert A.M. Stern Architects’ new project aims for a sensitive treatment of a historic area
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Profile Chinese artist Song Dong’s work deals with the fast-changing world around him
Home 82
New York The Tribeca loft of Janis Provisor and Brad Davis reflects their shared passion for seeking out unusual and beautiful objects from around the world
100 Brussels Designer Michael Young’s voluminous loft is his home away from Hong Kong, and a home for his portfolio and galleryworthy collection 4 Bangkok Bill Bensley’s home is a technicolour retreat filled to the hilt with personal treasures, plants and art
Front cover Designer Albano Daminato’s minimalist approach to this historic Lake Como villa celebrates the home’s original details and the natural landscape Image by Frederik Vercruysse See page 142
2 Taipei Interior designer Jin Chen’s home epitomises his approach of bringing together seemingly disparate elements in an intriguing whole 2 Como Studio Daminato incorporated sensitive references to the history and context of this historic villa overlooking Lake Como
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168 Urban Futures, Tokyo We speak with Thomas Heatherwick about his contribution to the ToranomonAzabudai Project, an ambitious urban regeneration project in Tokyo inspired by the concept of future cities 174 Profile Tsuyoshi Tane’s archaeological approach to architecture has him looking to the past in order to create forward-thinking projects 178 Architectural Practice Be it a jazz club in Beijing or a remote village in eastern China, Chiasmus Partners approaches each project as an invitation to explore, interpret and blur boundaries
The Flâneur 182 A Postcard of the Past A flâneur is an urban explorer — a connoisseur of the street. In our rotating column, guests share their musings, observations and critiques of the urban environment in cities around the world. In this issue, travel writer Theresa Christine shows us a side to Tel Aviv that left her feeling at peace
AD Beatrice Rossetti - Photo Federico Cedrone
Japanese lifestyle brand Karimoku Case Studyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new collection was created in collaboration with Denmarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Norm Architects Image by Monica Steffensen, courtesy of Norm Architects
DOSSIER
Design news from around the world
DOSSIER / Openings
objective, Hong Kong Recently launched e-store objective is the sister company of young but already award-winning design practice studio adjective. Eight years ago, Hong Kong-based founders Emily Ho and Wilson Lee had the idea to create a ‘worry-free’ shopping destination for their residential design clients. Customers can select from objective, a range of products that can be easily incorporated into their homes and daily lives, as well as new brands the two discover on their travels, including Ho’s favourite ceramic brand Ghost Wares. Alongside the gentle ceramic pieces from this Melbourne studio, objective offers an extensive selection from Scandi skincare brand Tangent GC as well as smaller furniture items by Ishinomaki Laboratory, including the studio adjective-designed Tripodal stool. obj.com.hk
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DOSSIER / Products
Frank Chou One of the most exciting young designers working in China today, Chou launched a series of new pieces under the name Combo at Design China Beijing earlier this year. The Combo armchair (seen here), perhaps the most representative piece, was inspired by the history of handmade upholstery and reinvents a ‘classic’ in a modern design language through an interesting modular combination. The variety of colours and forms creates a chair that is uniquely dynamic. frankchou.com
ril creed × openuu Hong Kong- and Tokyo-based ethical leather goods company ril creed first became acquainted with Hong Kong design studio openuu when it commissioned the young duo to design the brand’s first flagship store in Hong Kong. After a successful collaboration the two decided to work together again, this time on a collection of eco-friendly home accessories. Made from leather offcuts and utilising ril creed’s handbag making techniques, the result is the Amber Home collection of pillows and footrests. rilcreed.com / shop.openuu.com
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DOSSIER / Products
Nuura Award-winning designer Sofie Refer is part of the inhouse design team at Danish lighting brand Nuura. According to Refer, ‘respect for nature and the beauty of simplicity’ are the most valuable qualities in her work. For the new Blossi series, Refer was inspired by the Nordic autumn light, which she’s translated into a collection that gives a warm glow via indirect lighting from a hidden led. Made from mouth-blown white opal glass, the table lamp (seen here) evokes classic Danish design. nuura.com
WonderGlass × John Pawson At this year’s London Design Festival, WonderGlass exhibited a series of three glass pendant lights — including Sleeve, pictured here — designed by revered minimalist architect John Pawson. ‘Whether at the scale of a monastery, a house, a saucepan or a ballet, everything is traceable back to a consistent set of preoccupations with mass, volume, surface, proportion, junction, geometry, repetition, light and ritual. In this way, even something as modest as a fork can become a vehicle for much broader ideas about how we live and what we value,’ says Pawson. wonderglass.com / johnpawson.com
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DOSSIER / Products
Korai Japanese craft brand korai has launched a second collection under the theme ‘a time for reading’, consisting mainly of reading paraphernalia such as bookends and paperweights. We’re quite partial to the hitsu cup and carafe set (seen here). Handmade by Kyoto-based Kumago Co., an almost century-old ceramics producer, the pieces are created from clay-based ceramics and decorated with a hand-brushed white engobe finish. koraikogei.com
j.hill’s Standard × Nigel Peake The craft of hand-cut crystal is synonymous with Ireland, particularly Waterford. The area is home to j.hill’s Standard, a small family-run company that prides itself on balancing contemporary design and traditional craft. For its third collection of crystal glassware, the company collaborated with Irish artist Nigel Peake to create the Hand Drawn Glass series of tumblers, a decanter and a bowl. Oak lids and stoppers signed by Peake top each piece. jhillsstandard.com / nigelpeake.com
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DOSSIER / Products
UN/FOLD STORIES un/fold stories is a new brand founded by Hong Kongbased textile artist Elaine Yan Ling Ng, known for her platform the fabrick lab. The Central Saint Martinstrained designerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest venture is a continuation of her work with skilled but underprivileged women in remote villages in China, who create textile products while reviving and maintaining heritage techniques. The inaugural collection of table linens was produced in Guizhou using natural, locally produced indigo dyes in a local form of resist-dyeing, and the range of products, including placemats and napkins, is available in a variety of patterns. theunfoldstories.com
FLIQ Singaporean designer George Soo founded furniture brand and design consultancy fliq in 2012 with the vision to improve lives through sustainable design. Sooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest design is the Label Y Jeans table, which the designer says was inspired by fast fashion and the versatility and durability of denim jeans. The table base has been designed to be affordable, interchangeable, versatile, long-lasting and easily assembled. fliq.co / labelyhome.com
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A blank canvas “Vitsœ’s furniture does not shout; it performs its function in relative anonymity alongside furniture from any designer and in homes from any era… Good design must be able to coexist.” Dieter Rams, 1976
vitsoe.com
DOSSIER / Products
Yashesh Virkar Mumbai-based designer Yashesh Virkar studied interior design in Singapore before launching his product collection under the name Yasanche. His latest Water series is a collection of resin vessels — vases, trays and bowls — that he calls ‘tabletop art’. Inspired by the organic fluidity and flow of water, each piece evokes a sense of mystery and sensuality and is executed in a palette of dreamy feminine colours. yasanche.com
ic! berlin × Studio Sebastian Herkner German product designer Sebastian Herkner, known for his collaborations with furniture brands such as dedon, ClassiCon, pulpo and Moroso, has recently collaborated with innovative eyewear brand ic! Berlin to design four unisex frames. ‘The idea behind our joint collection was to showcase diversity and to create different styles, connected by an elegant and modern use of high-quality materials and unexpected surfaces,’ explains the designer. ic-berlin.de / sebastianherkner.com
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Curatorial expertise to elevate your space and revolutionize your art collection S C A DA R T S A L E S .CO M
BY A P P O I N T M E N T 2 9 2 TA I P O R OA D S H A M S H U I P O, H O N G KO N G 852.2253.8000 S C A DA R T @ S C A D. E D U
DOSSIER / Read
Designing Japan: A Future Built on Aesthetics
Francis Sultana: Designs & Interiors
by Kenya Hara (Lars Müller)
edited by Bronwyn Cosgrave (Vendome Press)
Designing Japan is the result of two years’ worth of columns written by Kenya Hara for Tosho magazine, originally under the rubric ‘The Education of Desire’, which the legendary designer sees less as consumption-focused marketing and more as cultivating human desire through interaction with refined design in all areas of life.
A regular on the ad100 list, Francis Sultana is known for his eclecticism and ability to create spaces that work with and highlight his clients’ extensive art collections. Produced for the tenth anniversary of the designer’s eponymous studio, this publication showcases both. Each of the four chapters is accompanied by an essay from a noted design contributor, including British Vogue style editor Gianluca Longo and design expert Brook Mason. The chapter covering client projects focuses mostly on London, and showcases the art-filled interiors expected, while in a final chapter titled Inspirations, Mason covers Sultana’s own furniture design practice and its evolution, replete with archival images and sketches. But it’s the opening two chapters that steal the show: the first, Malta, devotes significant space to the designer’s renovation of his childhood home and his spectacular revitalisation of the Palazzo de Torres, now his home away from his London base. The London chapter focuses on Sultana’s residences at the landmark 18th-century Albany residential complex.
According to Hara, this concept is more valid than ever given Japan’s unprecedented social and economic circumstances, i.e. a dialectic of nativism versus Westernisation originating from the Meiji Restoration. He argues for a future driven by the intentionality of design and informed by the aesthetic sensibility that underpins Japan’s approach to work and industry but firmly focused on the future. Spread over six categories, topics range from design platforms and the taxonomic to homes, materials, tourism and the re-conceptualisation of growth, with aesthetics becoming the primary resource in the natural resource-starved nation. The work marks the first presentation of these ideas in English, and Hara explicitly courts non-Japanese people as part of the dialogue. And while Hara’s conception of Japanese culture is highly reified, the distillation contributes to the clarity of his ideas, making for a fascinating read.
Much of the book is project-focused, with some coverage of Sultana’s career highlights, and the sumptuous, large-format photography evokes the colour of the designer’s ‘radical Baroque’ style.
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DOSSIER / Read
Inside Studios: Indonesian Artists
Design Authenticity Matters in Philippine Architecture
by Alexandra Corradini, photography by Indra Leonardi (r&w)
by Edwin Dychauco Uy (Edwin Uy Design Office)
The Indonesian art scene has seen strong growth over the past decade, and is as vibrant as it is large. In this volume, art historian Alexandra Corradini and art expert and ambassador Amalia Wirjono present 28 personal portraits of artists’ studios and work.
Filipino architect Edwin Uy spent time at Hong Kong Polytechnic University undertaking a master’s degree, the capstone of which was a book encapsulating his work throughout the course. Uy had been struck by the characterisation of his work by compatriot architect Buck Sia as ‘authentic’, and set about delving deeper into the concept, guided by the philosophies of luminaries like Ettore Sottsass and Paul Rudolph. Four chapters trace the application of critical regionalism as a response to globalisation in architecture, with particular reference to smaller practices that incorporate cutting-edge techniques, as a kind of bridge between current approaches and the heritage crafts for which the Philippines is still known — this, to Uy, is where design authenticity is to be found.
Given the relatively small group of artists covered in such a sizeable volume, in terms of both format and page count, there’s ample space for in-depth coverage. Introductory texts are accompanied by several full-bleed shots of the spaces and the people behind them. Studios vary widely from architectdesigned to improvised, and are interspersed with more focused treatments of selected works as well as studies and notes. An appendix of biographies adds to the selection and prompts further study, but Corradini is clear that the work shouldn’t feel like a directory; to her credit, it feels more like a curated collection. A short commentary on the concept of the studio by doyen of Indonesian architecture Andra Matin, whose work is shown within, is a pleasing touch.
Interestingly, the book itself is an exemplar of the craft Uy discusses and strives to display in his own work, with multiple paper types, a diy weaving centrefold in reference to the Philippine craft tradition, and Smyth-sewn binding that reveals the underlying structural properties of the object.
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DOSSIER / Read
From Crisis to Crisis: Debates on why architecture criticism matters today
Courtyard Living: Contemporary Houses of the Asia-Pacific
edited by Nasrine Seraji, Sony Devabhaktuni & Xiaoxuan Lu (Actar Publishers)
by Charmaine Chan (Thames & Hudson)
The result of an international public symposium hosted by the University of Hong Kong in 2017, this book draws together historical, theoretical and geographical aspects of the territory’s transformation from a gateway between China and the world to a more regionally focused hub.
While the term ‘courtyard house’ might conjure a particular typology, author and former South China Morning Post design editor Charmaine Chan considers it more in terms of the ‘conceptual and amorphous as well as visual and functional’, allowing her to focus on a more contemporary selection of homes — in this case in the Asia Pacific region. This beautiful volume features 25 such courtyard homes, which are appropriately given plenty of space to breathe, with comprehensive photo treatments alongside plans and substantive commentary.
A roster of international thinkers is represented, and the work is part symposium report, part anthology. Four sections covering contemporary criticism, criticism in China and architectural education are each introduced with a short essay by a ‘moderator’, followed by several essays on the subject and a transcript of a debate between the authors under the guidance of the initial moderator. Similarly, the final chapter is the closing debate between all authors represented, and their diversity of opinion makes for provocative and at times polemical reading. While the text can be dense, it is leavened by imagery that illustrates many of the concepts being discussed.
The regional focus becomes manifest in the categories into which the homes are divided. One chapter deals with introverted homes in built-up areas, another with multigenerational dwellings; there are homes with sightlines connecting them to their geographies, others in which the courtyard provides essential light and ventilation to mediate the natural or built environment, and some that transcend the outside-in cliché in contemporary riffs on Tropical Modernism.
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DOSSIER / Read
Balkrishna Doshi: Architecture for the People
Into the Future: Indonesian Women Artists
by Mateo Kries, Khushnu Panthaki Hoof & Jolanthe Kugler (Vitra Design Museum)
by Carla Bianpoen (Cemara Enam Foundation)
This year the Vitra Design Museum hosted the first-ever international retrospective of the 2018 Pritzker Prize winner’s work outside of Asia, to which this volume is an accompaniment. The first comprehensive survey of Doshi’s work in decades, it includes nine illustrated essays by respected commentators — including one by Doshi himself — four portfolios including sketches, the architect’s doors and handles, and two photo essays, one of which is by Iwan Baan. Drawings and plans, including archival scans, provide context and demonstrate the thorough approach.
Cemara 6 Galeri Museum was established in 1993 by Dr Toeti Heraty N-Roosseno, who was an early actor in the 1998 protests that overthrew President Suharto. With an explicitly feminist agenda, the gallery has held women-only exhibitions over the years and is continuing to move forward in promoting Indonesian women artists, particularly of the younger generation. This book is the accompanying volume to a 2019 exhibition of the same title, which featured 21 contemporary female artists whose work affirms the curatorial statement that ‘Technology is thriving, new findings in science are life-enriching and the female spirit is making a breakthrough, all of which are opening up new challenges, new possibilities and a new way’.
The treatment of Doshi’s 65-year career is multifaceted and fascinating. The architect has seen functionalism supplant modernism and itself be replaced by regionalism and postmodern approaches. He worked with Le Corbusier, among others, and has realised more than 100 projects, from educational, government and cultural facilities to public and private housing, in addition to urban planning. Including end matter for further reference, the book is an exhaustive companion to Doshi’s work and its context that should satisfy the most ardent collector.
The work includes seven critical essays by figures from government, arts and academia, and profiles of all artists included in the exhibition. Representative works are accompanied by explicatory essays and biographical information. From moody photography to bright mixed-media riffs on pop culture, the volume is an intriguing sample of the country’s art production — and the fact that it represents the historically under-represented only adds to its appeal.
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DOSSIER / Profile
Incendiary Talent
W
hat might possess someone to incinerate their carefully crafted timber work? It’s a question that Makiko Ryujin, the rogue craftswoman becoming known for her prowess with a blowtorch, is uniquely placed to answer. Born and raised in Japan, Ryujin spent a year in Indonesia before moving to Melbourne to complete high school. On finishing a photography degree at rmit University, she sought a more hands-on pursuit, which led to a woodwork course at the Victorian Woodworkers Association in 2016. There, she discovered a fascination for woodturning, mesmerised by its immediacy. ‘I couldn’t believe how quickly it could happen,’ she recalls. ‘You take a rough block and suddenly, you have something you can use. It was like a magic trick.’ Even if woodturning itself provides almost instant gratification, the full undertaking of transforming tree into bowl is no simple feat — especially when the trees in question happen to be hefty eucalyptus and your main supply line is private sellers listed on the aptly named community marketplace Gumtree. Through this network, Ryujin finds fallen trunks salvaged from the Victorian bush, and searches for trees obstructing Melbourne’s urban sprawl, untreated and ripe for rescue. These still-moist trees are cut into huge sections and forklifted into Ryujin’s workshop, a grungy space she shares with industrial designers Michael Gittings and Jonathan Ben-Tovim on the northern outskirts of Melbourne.
After about a year spent honing her turning skills, it occurred to Ryujin to singe the vessels. Something about the medium sparked an unexpected connection to the memories she has of the small Buddhist spirit figures (known as daruma) of her childhood and hometown. ‘Probably ninety per cent of all daruma in Japan are made in Takasaki,’ Ryujin explains. ‘We have a big ceremony at the end of the year where we tie them up at the temple and burn them to give thanks. I remember watching them in the fire, and there’d always be a moment where I wanted to save them because they looked so beautiful.’ Though not entirely intentional, Ryujin’s process has become a personal way to honour a centuries-old custom. Mimicking the ceremonial burning, it takes only ten minutes to flame her vessels. And while she can now better anticipate the way timber might buckle and char, the true poetry of her work is that the flames have the last word. She considers the fire as her collaborative partner. Today, Ryujin continues to build her on her body of work, and to great local acclaim. As the winner of the Front | Centre award for emerging talent at the 2019 edition of Australian design event denfair, she now has access to the full suite of facilities at Melbourne makerspace fab9, and looks forward to exploring the new materials and contemporary processes available to her. ‘I’d never really considered using methods like cnc machining and 3D printing,’ she says. ‘But there’s something there — maybe some way to combine the new with the traditional work that I do. It’s very exciting.’
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Text Sandra Tan Images Courtesy of Makiko Ryujin
Facing page, top From her studio in Melbourne, Japanese woodturner and photographer Makiko Ryujin shapes and then burns sculptural vessels, whose imperfections only add to their mystery and beauty Facing page, bottom Shinki vessels made from eucalyptus, blackwood and cypress sit atop Formation plinths. Ryujiin is drawn to the materials’ irregularities, which give a variety of textures to the pieces before they are turned or fired
Crafted from tulip tree, plaster and oxide pigments, the Formation series of sculptural plinths was inspired by the eroded rock seen across Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural landscape 36
DOSSIER / Urban Decay, Thailand
Ruins & Romance
I
n the popular imagination, Thailand is a spectral land where ghosts coexist with the living. This holds true architecturally as well as spiritually: the country’s urban and periurban areas are peppered with structures that are neither fully present nor entirely absent, haunted by the past and unable to reconcile with the future. The most famous of these abandoned buildings, Bangkok’s Ghost Tower — a half-built skyscraper thwarted by the 1997 Asian financial crisis — has never truly lived. However, the very opposite is true of the palatial Art Deco and severe mid-century structures that fill the pages of Thailand’s Movie Theatres: Relics, Ruins and the Romance of Escape. ‘In the days before most houses had electricity, the local movie theatre was where everybody came together, irrespective of class or occupation,’ writes its author Philip Jablon of the heyday of this fast-disappearing typology. An American sustainable development researcher, Jablon was first drawn to the Kingdom’s stand-alone cinemas in late 2007, after a brief encounter with the ‘paint-chipped modernist facade’ of Chiang Mai’s Tipanet theatre piqued his interest. In the years since, he’s devoted his life to documenting them, not because he wants to relive the past (he grew up frequenting Philadelphia’s cinemas, not Thailand’s) but because he relishes the nomadic research process and feels a sense of solidarity with their fate. ‘In the back of my mind were memories of the lost movie theatres of my youth,’ he writes of the book’s genesis.
Text Max Crosbie-Jones Images Philip Jablon
Sustainable development researcher Philip Jablon documents the relics of Thailand’s rich cinematic history, preserving the memory of these architectural icons and the bygone cinema culture they represent. Among them is the Bang Khae Rama theatre in Bangkok. Though it didn’t shut its doors until 2015, from the 1980s it operated as a pornographic film theatre
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DOSSIER / Urban Decay, Thailand
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DOSSIER / Urban Decay, Thailand
Top The derelict interior of the Petch Siam theatre in the province of Sukhothai Bottom Given its proximity to U-Tapao, whose airfield hosted US forces during the Vietnam War, the Burapha theatre in Ban Chang was created with a ‘soundtrack room’ — a small glass-windowed seating area where English speakers could watch films with the original soundtrack, as opposed to those dubbed over by Thai voice actors
Like the cinema ushers of old, this elegiac coffee table book shines a torch into the darkness, illuminating those movie theatres that were — when Jablon encountered them, at least — still intact. Since he visited, a number have met ‘the wrecking ball of progress’, while others have succumbed to the vicissitudes of consumer taste and digital technology, teetering uncertainly between glorious life and a squalid death. Turning the pages, a picture emerges: of a mongrel modernism, typified by brutish facades and bold dimensional signage, evolving in what Jablon calls ‘a closed circuit’. Offering a welcome counterpoint to all the rot-stained ruins and crumbling marquees, meanwhile, are more upbeat chapters in which the author gives a human face to what was once a rich leisure industry ecosystem. We meet rugged film projectionists, the poster painters who turned movie marketing into a head-turning art form, and the sound dubbers who, on account of their skilled voicing of multiple characters and giving imported storylines a Thai flavour, were often a bigger draw than the movie stars themselves. A sobering epilogue also offers a glimmer of hope. A conservationist call-to-arms as well as a heartfelt eulogy to what’s been lost (only three stand-alone cinemas are still active, we’re informed), Thailand’s Movie Theatres singles
out the planned conversion of the hoariest relic in Bangkok’s faded movie-going past, the wooden Sala Chalerm Thani, as an example of what can be achieved when sensitivity to the country’s shared cultural heritage triumphs over unsentimental market forces. Jablon dares to dream, in other words, that other ghosts might yet be saved from purgatory, that their dust-caked foyers and desiccated auditoriums will one day reassemble and come alive again — if not exactly like before, then in a similar spirit.
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On-The-Fringe
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DOSSIER / Design
Collaborative Craft
Text Karine Monié
Facing page Contemporary lifestyle brand Karimoku Case Study’s debut collection was designed in collaboration with Danish firm Norm Architects under the guidance of associate partner Frederik Alexander Werner Next page The Kinuta collection was first exhibited in a residential setting, emphasising the collaborators’ belief that furniture and spatial design contribute to quality of life Images by Monica Steffensen, courtesy of Norm Architects
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apan and Denmark have much in common when it comes to design, and new contemporary lifestyle brand Karimoku Case Study is a fine example. The brand launched at the 2019 edition of the 3daysofdesign festival in Copenhagen, with an exhibition that saw the Kinfolk Gallery converted into a contemporary apartment. The inaugural collection is the result of a three-way collaboration between Karimoku — Japan’s largest wooden furniture manufacturer, founded in 1940 — Danish practice Norm Architects and Tokyo-based studio Keiji Ashizawa Design. ‘One of our concepts is a deep love and respect for wood,’ says Hiroshi Kato, vice president of Karimoku. ‘That means our furniture should be long-lasting and leave time, around fifty to a hundred years, for the trees to grow and mature.’ Echoing the concept behind the Case Study Houses — the experimental programme that ran from 1945 to 1966 in the US, in which major architects such as Richard Neutra and Charles and Ray Eames were commissioned to design affordable homes — Karimoku Case Study will invite architects on a yearly or project basis to spend time at the Karimoku factory in Aichi, Japan, to work onsite and exchange ideas before designing and producing new pieces. The Kinuta collection (Case Study 01) comprises 12 furniture pieces inspired by the temples, shrines and gardens of Japan, and its original exhibition setting was within two apartments in the Kinuta neighbourhood of Tokyo’s Setagaya ward. A collaboration between Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa Design, both the collection and spaces reflect
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a high level of artisanry, a serene feel and a timeless aesthetic achieved through the use of organic shapes, natural materials and earthy tones. ‘We want to bring back environments that are more balanced and human-centred,’ says Frederik Alexander Werner, designer and associate partner at Norm Architects. ‘We work with materials as if they were natural bodily extensions.’ The harmonious furniture pieces were created with the aim of enhancing quality of life while also embellishing the user’s lifestyle over the years. For architect Keiji Ashizawa, ‘consideration of space is a starting point for furniture design. Space rules furniture design and furniture design rules how comfortable a space is — this interaction really inspires us.’ In both Denmark and Japan, the connection to nature is not only significant in people’s daily lives but is also present in the two countries’ design traditions — a fact highlighted by the intuitive nature of this collaboration. Reflecting a human-centric and holistic approach where architecture and design meet, Karimoku Case Study presents the opportunity to rethink how spaces and furniture interact, and how they enrich one other. In what is a matter of refining rather than reinventing, the use of high-quality and honest materials places the focus on well-being, inviting the user to experience design through the senses. ‘With Karimoku collaborative work to contribute to that benefits both concludes.
Case Study and our with architects, we want making a perfect space people and nature,’ Kato
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DOSSIER / maison&objet, Paris
Crafty Korea Maybe we’ve had Korea on the mind lately, with our annual country edition (Issue 22) this year having been dedicated to the small northern Asian nation, but it seemed that at this year’s iteration of maison&objet in Paris the Korean talent and potential were out in force Text / Suzy Annetta
Minkyeong Kang Ceramicist Min-Kyeong Kang was a favourite from the Korea Craft and Design Foundation group stand. Kang creates colourful buncheong pieces (a type of traditional Korean stoneware) using a paste brush technique known as kwiyal. The vessels’ irregular lines and asymmetric forms are a result of Kang’s coiling technique, and while the traditional buncheong celadon or greyish-blue powdered finish gives a spontaneous, crude and coarse feeling, Kang’s versions are refined and serene.
Image copyright Minkyeong Kang
kcdf.or.kr
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Image copyright 516 studio
DOSSIER / maison&objet, Paris
Go Bokyung Korean textile designer Go Bokyung also exhibited her new series Material Space within the kcdf group stand. The miniature vessels are hand-crocheted from a material called hanji paper yarn, based on a traditional Korean fibre made of mulberry bark. The natural organic properties and texture of the yarn make each piece entirely unique. Larger pieces in the series are bottomless, making them ideal as light shades and allowing them to be transformed when viewed from various perspectives. kcdf.or.kr
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DOSSIER / maison&objet, Paris
ago New Korean lighting brand ago is based in central Seoul’s former industrial neighbourhood of Euljiro. Each of its products is created in collaboration with emerging designers from Korea and Europe, and the collection spans ceiling, floor, table and wallmounted configurations, all harmoniously balancing aesthetics with function. One of our favourite designs from the collection is nova, by young multidisciplinary designer Jinsik Kim. Made from coated metal and white opal glass, nova is an abstract reinterpretation of images of stars, and the pieces’ colourful elements and dramatic shadows would add a whimsical touch to any space. Image by Studio Dosi
agolighting.com
Craft Bro. Company Craft Bro. Company was founded by furniture designer Hyunho Shin and lighting and metal craft designer Sang-min Lee. Both explore the interplay of natural materials and modern production processes to create distinctive designs rooted in simplicity and functionality, and whose refined aesthetic blends modernist lines with traditional furniture craft. Shin and Lee had for some time been fascinated with each other’s craft and material choices, so the decision to collaborate was an easy one. The resulting pieces seek to embrace and highlight each material — the rounded walnut desk with integrated brass lamp is a case in point.
fromhence The emerging but already multiple award-winning studio of industrial designer Kyu-Hyun Lee is forging a path for itself with its modern interpretation of traditional Korean metal craft. We fell in love with the cutlery set, made from a centuries-old traditional bronze formula called yugi, a unique ratio of copper and tin that gives the material healthful properties and makes it ideal for tableware. The design is also a modern take on traditional implements, with simple silhouettes and elegant lines. fromhence.com
craftbrocompany.co.kr
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#The Cassina Perspective La Rotonda table design by Mario Bellini Passion chair design by Philippe Starck cassina.com
2/F-3/F, No.38-42 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong T. +852 2960 0071 Cassina@AtelierAplus.com | cassina.com
DOSSIER / Adaptive Reuse, Cambodia
In Bloom A
ntoine Meinnel never planned to open his own architecture firm in Cambodia, but a trip in 2015, when his parents asked him to fly over from France to visit a heritage property they’d bought in the seaside town of Kampot, set in motion a series of events that eventually resulted in Bloom Architecture. ‘When I saw the beauty of this old, neglected colonial shophouse, I decided to quit my job and focus on helping them find a solution to preserve the envelope while modernising and adapting the inside. I only intended to be here for a few months, but during the renovations I started Bloom and ended up staying,’ he says. In just a few years, the firm’s work has gained increasing recognition, from concept plans for downtown parks to sleek office interiors and luxury resorts. However, it’s the heritage projects, which Meinnel prefers to label ‘adaptive reuse’, that stand out. The first of these was the ‘neglected colonial shophouse’ that so captivated the designer. Now Atelier Kampot, a restaurant and pepper boutique, the space has been beautifully transformed from the dilapidated shell his parents originally purchased, in what he describes as an attempt to ‘create continuity between old and new, and offer a timeless experience without simply copying the past’. ‘We don’t do heritage work in the purest sense of the term,’ explains Meinnel. ‘I’d say that heritage relates more to monuments, sites or buildings with value in terms of history, art or science. The structures we’ve worked on so far are interesting to the collective consciousness but weren’t intended to be monuments. Our belief is that these buildings should be preserved by adapting them to contemporary needs and offering new uses for them. Unlike an artefact kept in a museum for tourists to look at, new spaces arise that respect the spirit of the past.’
Looking to the future, Meinnel says the most profound challenge facing budding local architects is cultural. ‘Many young Cambodians haven’t learnt the skills to express their intuition,’ he says. ‘They’ve become afraid of debating on a conceptual level what’s told to them by their clients or teachers. That’s why the work of the architect here is often reduced to aesthetic matters, forgetting architects’ major role in providing an understanding of the use of a building and how it can be integrated into its environment.’ After graduating from the École nationale supérieure d’architecture in Versailles, Meinnel spent time at the offices of oma and Herzog & de Meuron. ‘They were my references when I was an architecture student. I learned a lot at both firms, not only design-wise, but also how important it is for an architect to have opinions and orient the client towards what we believe is the best way to build for a specific context,’ he says. ‘Both offices craft a specific solution to each project’s constraints, which is why all their buildings are different from one another, but with a familiar signature. This is the mindset I wanted to bring to Bloom.’
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Text Simon N Ostheimer
This page Cambodia-based Bloom Architecture’s approach to heritage renovations is to adapt existing structures so that they become contemporary, relevant spaces rather than ornamental monuments. One example is Factory in Phnom Penh, a 1960s garment factory that has been transformed into a modern cultural space Image by Antoine Raab
This page Housed in a former colonial shophouse, restaurant and pepper boutique Atelier Kampot was architect Antoine Meinnelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first project in Cambodia and prompted him to establish his own firm Images by Nataly Lee 51
DOSSIER / Studio
Crafting a Legacy
Text Joseph Koh Images Hosanna Swee
Facing page Morgan Yeo is one of three brothers who took over their family’s carpentry business in 2014, building Roger&Sons into a bespoke furniture production studio that emphasises experimentation and innovation. Yeo is also keenly aware of the potential impact of their craft on the environment, and incorporates sustainable initiatives into the studio’s practices
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espoke furniture producer Roger&Sons opened its showroom and event space in 2019, amid the hardware stores and newfangled eateries of Singapore’s Jalan Besar neighbourhood. Morgan Yeo, a secondgeneration craftsman, took the helm of his family’s carpentry business in 2014 when his father passed away. ‘As the eldest of his three sons, I’ve always known that I’d be a part of the business because I want to uphold his legacy,’ Yeo says. Morgan and his younger brothers Lincoln and Ryan have assiduously transformed the enterprise from a stagnant system furniture fabrication business into a spirited studio that creates bespoke interiors and objects. ‘The competition from Malaysian and Chinese manufacturers gave us impetus to veer away from assembling run-of-the-mill office furniture. Now we want to push the boundaries of woodworking by taking on unconventional and technically challenging projects that most local carpenters would reject,’ Yeo explains. In Singapore, carpentry work is mostly rudimentary — kitchen cabinets, wardrobes and their ilk — but the Yeo trio restively prototype and experiment with new materials. This is exemplified by the diverse range of projects Roger&Sons has undertaken in the past few years, from outfitting the Singapore outpost of famed New York bar Employees Only to constructing a periodic table display case for a scientist. The grist for the mill of Yeo’s success is a tightly knit team that has stuck with him through the ebbs and flows of this venture. Three stalwarts have been with the company
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for more than two decades, and there are at least ten younger apprentices who have picked up the trade. This multigenerational workforce not only differentiates Roger&Sons from most local woodworking companies, but ensures that the vanishing trade is passed on to a younger generation of artisans, thereby proving that carpentry can be a viable career in the technocratic city state. Building on his father’s legacy has also spurred Yeo to champion environmental sustainability. ‘Why are we importing wood from Indonesia when we have the supply we need here in Singapore?’ he asks as an overture for this conviction. A 2017 report by Singapore’s National Parks Board revealed that by 2032, a projected 10,000–13,000 trees could be felled to make space for redevelopment projects. Most of this dislodged timber would be used for mulch or biofuel. As a response, Yeo initiated the Local Tree Project, an initiative to salvage the surfeit and create meaningful, long-lasting pieces from discarded local wood. Taking it one step further, he has also partnered with a handful of organisations, such as Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, to repurpose felled trees into communal furniture for public spaces. Accoutred with an unyielding and infectious passion for craft, Yeo and his team ultimately seek to establish a singular carpentry style for which Singapore will become renowned, similar to how their Japanese counterparts are esteemed for their joinery and deep affinity with vernacular architecture. ‘We’re a young nation, so we’re still figuring it out, but I believe we’ll get there,’ he says.
A space that represents their passion for craft, Roger&Sonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; new studio and showroom in Jalan Besar embodies the teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resolution to establish a uniquely Singaporean style 54
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The Santa Monica Proper makes its home in a restored 1920s Spanish Colonial Revival building Image by The Ingalls
WANDERLUST Designer destinations
Frontier Islands Text / Kee Foong
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WANDERLUST / Resorts, Myanmar
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arely 20 years ago, the Mergui Archipelago was hidden from the world, its 800 or so tropical islands off the coast of southern Myanmar uninhabited by humans, except for small populations of Moken, also known as ‘sea gypsies’, taking shelter during the monsoon months before returning to their nomadic life on the water. Since then, intrepid travellers have slowly begun to trickle in, mostly on sailing and diving charters, though even today most people would struggle to pinpoint the enclave on a map. In 2018, however, two resorts opened in the archipelago — Wa Ale and Awei Pila — each on its own private island, introducing a type of wild luxury not previously seen in these parts. Imagine Bali, but with whiter sand; or a jungle-covered Maldives; or Phuket, its nearest neighbour, without the tourists and tat. Add to it dramatic karst formations, crystal water, pristine mangrove forests, deserted beaches and an abundance of flora and fauna, and Mergui is ripe for sustainable discovery. Getting to the archipelago requires effort, either flying from Myanmar’s capital Yangon, or crossing by car and ferry from Thailand to the border town of Kawthaung, followed by an almost two-hour speedboat ride to either resort. The approach to Wa Ale only hints at what’s in store. Depending on the tides, guests either alight at a jetty or go toes-first into a shallow mangrove bay. A short buggy ride through evergreen forest leads to the big reveal: a grand pavilion with soaring timber ceiling, thatched roof and stone walls, and the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea beyond. From the dining pavilion and sundowner shack to the three treehouses and 11 tented villas, the entire resort was built and assembled by hand. No trees were felled or heavy machinery used, and recycled and reclaimed materials are used throughout. It reflects owners Chris
and Farina Kingsley’s vision for a sustainable beach-meets-safari-chic getaway, where a portion of net profits and of room revenue goes to a conservation and education foundation. Thanks to its location within the Lampi Marine National Park, the only such conservation area in Myanmar, Wa Ale is a haven for wild land and marine life, and guests can discover the island and its surrounds through guided jungle hikes, kayaking through mangrove forests, and snorkelling or diving little-explored reefs. Also good for divers is Awei Pila, with a fledgling house reef suitable for beginners. Backed by Burmese tycoon Serge Pun, the resort offers a more familiar holiday experience compared to Wa Ale. Designed by architect Daniel West, it has a fan-shaped infinity pool, and there are plans to add pool villas, a wellness centre and sunset bar. For now, 24 air-conditioned yurts line the beautiful beachfront or nestle among trees. Interiors are crisp and modern, with light woods, cream fabrics and furniture custommade to fit the circular structure; the bedhead, writing desk, wardrobe and curtain rails all curve. But of course, the best spot to be is outside, on a sunbed, looking out to the dreamy horizon.
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Previous page Guests arrive at Wa Ale, one of a new breed of resorts in Myanmarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mergui Archipelago, via a shallow mangrove bay Image courtesy of Wa Ale Facing page and this page Wa Ale was built by hand, and its tropical-chic spaces retain a hint of the rustic. The Treetop Villa (facing page, image by Scott A Woodward) lives up to the promise of an exotic hideaway, echoed in the bathroom of the Beach Villa (this page, top; image courtesy of Wa Ale). The main pavilion (this page, middle and bottom; images by Scott A Woodward) opens to the turquoise Andaman Sea, and is the space for communal gatherings 61
WANDERLUST / Luxury Lodges, New Zealand
Farm-Style Luxury or a textbook example of Mother Nature’s unrivalled design, one needn’t look further than New Zealand, a nation where the outdoors is as great as the idiom suggests. This country of almost five million people has lovingly maintained its rolling countryside, sultry beaches, volcanic lakes and alpine peaks. It’s also home to properties meticulously attuned to their environment, none more so than the Luxury Lodges of New Zealand. A loose amalgam of 31 boutique hotels and resorts spread across the North and South islands, these lodges are unified by their exceptional comfort, fine local food and wine, warm hospitality and design that reflects and celebrates their sublime settings, whether waterside, on a mountain or next to a vineyard.
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resort situated on a working sheep and cattle farm. Its design scheme introduces a cluster of agricultural buildings that seem to fuse with the landscape, and from its imposing main building to its 22 suites, the property radiates a charmingly agrarian aura. Giant barn-style doors and sturdy beams dominate the reception area, while the dining area is a soaring circular room that recalls a grain silo. Rooms continue the agricultural approach: door handles are stable latches, cushions are embroidered with sheep imagery, tables are made from old barrels and sliding barn doors mark the entrance to the bathroom. Guests in search of a closer encounter with the bucolic life can book a four-wheel-drive tour to explore the expansive farmland.
Three properties in particular, each a bucketlist destination in its own right, exemplify the brand’s dna. In the centre of the North Island, Huka Lodge was built in 1924 by Irishman Alan Pye as a fishing lodge. The location was an obvious choice for anglers, sitting on the trout-filled Waikato River. Today, the lodge’s humble genesis is celebrated throughout the property with touches such as mounted fish, fishing nets and rods hanging on walls, fishshaped chocolates being served after meals, and a trout motif on bed linen. In one of the cottages, framed Maori fish hooks made from pāua (abalone) shell link indigenous heritage to the lodge’s elementary provenance. Just over 20 suites and cottages unfurl along the river, each with views of the water and decorated as a comfortable outdoors retreat, with wood siding, a palette of greens to reflect the shades of the river, and tartan carpets. The riverside setting is used to admirable effect, with walking trails that wind throughout Huka Lodge’s seven hectares and to more than 20 disparate locations where guests can dine in the natural splendour.
On the South Island, Marlborough is an area synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc, home to labels like Cloudy Bay and fromm. It’s here that The Marlborough Lodge, which sits on several hectares surrounded by vineyards with more than 30 cellar doors nearby, welcomes as an intimate country home. The soft-grey Victorian lodge was originally a Catholic convent dating back to 1901, and in the 1990s was shipped in five pieces to its present site, where it was reopened as a five-room bed and breakfast. The current owners pushed out the footprint and added balconies, though they retained the original staircases and stainedglass windows, increasing the room count to ten and outfitting interiors with an eclectic mix of historic and modern furniture in a warm range of colours, prints and textures. Flora and fauna motifs appear variously in suites, while in the dining room a large painting of a flower garden by acclaimed New Zealand artist Karl Maughan bursts with vivid greens, oranges, purples and crimson. As with any memorable country home, the outside is just as important, and guests can wander the park-like grounds that include a creek, a bridge, walkways, freerange chickens and hundreds of varieties of flora, a keen distillation of New Zealand’s bounteous natural wonders.
A few hours south-east in Hawke’s Bay, a region known for its beaches and wineries, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is a hilltop
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Text Sanjay Surana
Facing page Huka Lodge on New Zealand’s North Island is one of the country’s premium farm-style getaways. Originally established in 1924 as a fishing lodge, it retains this dna in its overlook of the trout-filled Waikato River and fishing gear available for guests Images courtesy of Huka Lodge
Picturesque Hawkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bay is known for its beaches and wineries, and is also home to The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, a bucolic 22-suite resort situated on a working farm Image courtesy of The Farm at Cape Kidnappers 64
WANDERLUST / Hotel, Melbourne
Long Live the Prince Text / Suzy Annetta Images / Tom Blachford
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elbourne inner suburb St Kilda has always had a Miami-like allure. Tucked behind the grand palm tree-lined esplanade that winds its way from Port Melbourne, the neighbourhood is home to exemplary pastelhued Art Deco architecture, some of the city’s best bars, restaurants and live music venues, and just enough grit and character to remind us of its former life as the red-light district. Located a short walk from the waterfront on one of the precinct’s most famous streets is a recently revitalised icon. The Prince Hotel, formerly known as The Prince of Wales, dates back to 1863, making it one of Melbourne’s first guest houses, and was rebuilt in 1936 by Robert H McIntyre — founder of one of the country’s longest-standing architectural practices — in the modern Art Deco style that now graces the streetscape. The recent sympathetic overhaul of the 38room boutique hotel, led by IF Architecture and design studio Meme, sees interiors that better reflect its proximity to the bay and embody the spirit of the neighbourhood — a little rough, a little refined. Pastel hues are used unabashedly as the backdrop for furnishings and photography by a roster of local designers and artists. Also a highlight is the Prince Dining Room, where executive chef Dan Hawkins (formerly of nearby Stokehouse and The Prince’s former fine-dining venue Circa) and head chef Dan Cooper continue to reinforce Melbourne’s position as the culinary capital of Australia.
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WANDERLUST / Hotel, Melbourne
Art Deco icon The Prince Hotel has had a sympathetic overhaul by IF Architecture and design studio Meme. Its pastel-hued, a-little-rougha-little-refined interiors embody the spirit of the neighbourhood, and include furnishings and photography by local designers and artists
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WANDERLUST / Openings
Image copyright Zannier Hotels
New Hotels This page Sonop, Namibia Facing page The Standard, London (left), Santa Monica Proper, Santa Monica (right)
The Standard — London
Cour des Vosges — Paris
A 1974 Brutalist structure is now home to The Standard’s first outpost outside the US. Designed with long-time collaborator Shawn Hausman and interior architect Archer Humphryes, The Standard draws inspiration from its cool Camden surroundings and the historic Kings Cross neighbourhood. The hotel’s own Sounds Studio, which acts as a platform and incubator for London’s musical community, and the library lounge (with in-house librarian) both reflect the neighbourhood’s connection to punk, politics and intellectual thought.
In the fashionable and historic Marais district, contemporary design meets the country’s regal past at Cour des Vosges, the latest addition to the evok Hotels collection. Designed by Lecoadic Scotto on the national heritage site of the former Hôtel de Montbrun, the twelve-key 17th-century residence overlooks the charming Square Louis xiii and surrounding pinkbrick houses. A Roman bath, ground-floor terrace, tea room and myriad period pieces complement the accommodation and come together to create a distinctly French joie de vivre.
Il Palazzo Experimentale — Venice
J.K. Place Rive Gauche — Paris
The Experimental Group’s latest property, in Venice’s Dorsoduro neighbourhood, offers proximity to cultural attractions like the Guggenheim Collection and Galleria dell’Accademia, but also a quiet canal served by the hotel’s own pontoon, an intimate rooftop terrace and the Experimental Cocktail Club, designed by Milanbased Cristina Celestino, so it’s an ideal spot from which to explore the city or enjoy a more relaxed experience. Housed in a Renaissance palace revived by designer Dorothée Meilichzon, the hotel offers 32 sumptuously outfitted rooms and suites, as well as Il Ristorante Adriatica, the famed Italian Supper Club’s first location in its home country.
Architect and interior designer Michele Bönan has transformed the former European Consulate into J.K.’s first property outside Italy, which offers a chic French twist on the brand’s Italian dna. Each of the 30 rooms is unique, with private and public spaces outfitted in an eclectic mix of custom furniture and restored pieces from the city’s famous flea markets. Furthering the brand’s vision to bring the warm and convivial spirit of Italy to the French capital, the restaurant — conceived in collaboration with Casa Tua — offers a private homestyle culinary experience.
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Image by The Ingalls
WANDERLUST / Openings
Aman — Kyoto
Sonop — Namibia
A secluded garden in Japan’s ancient imperial city is the site of the newest Aman, located close to Kinkakuji temple and at the feet of the mountains to the city’s north. Designed by Kerry Hill Architects, the resort is inspired by traditional ryokan and onsen, and comprises a series of stand-alone pavilions nestled in a hidden valley of 32 acres of forest and gardens. Each of the 24 guest rooms and two villas has been crafted in harmony with its idyllic surrounds to encourage calm, relaxation and contemplation.
On the southern edge of the stunning Namibian desert, Sonop is the ultimate in isolated luxury. The ten-tent camp sits atop a group of boulders surrounded by rolling dunes, and in reference to the refined travel of the British colonial era, each tent is furnished with a rich array of antiques, carpets and precious woods, though the solar energy, Wi-Fi access and infinity pool make it the perfect retreat for any modern traveller.
Santa Monica Proper — Santa Monica
Raffles Hotel — Shenzhen
Billed as the ‘first high-end lifestyle hotel to open in Santa Monica in two decades’, the Santa Monica Proper makes its home in a restored 1920s Arthur E Harvey-designed Spanish Colonial Revival building. Realised by the doyenne of Cali cool Kelly Wearstler, the hotel features elements of historic Spanish architecture and Moorish details interwoven with local art and design pieces that embody the city’s laid-back lifestyle. What’s more, the hotel boasts the Westside’s only rooftop pool deck.
Raffles Hotel occupies the top floors of an 80-storey tower in the One Shenzhen Bay development area, affording guests striking views over the bay. Created by LW Design, interiors of the 168-key hotel are inspired by Chinese culture, from black lacquer doors to patterned white marble and traditional furniture pieces, and the entire space is given a luxurious spin. ‘The real emphasis was to create an ambience which reflects everything a guest would wish for in their home, whilst adding the conveniences that a hotel brings,’ says design lead Pia Sen. Of course, the four drinking and dining options and luxe spa don’t hurt either.
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Fika Ria Santika is part of a new generation of Indonesian artists challenging their audience Image courtesy of Gajah Gallery
VERNISSAGE News from the art world
VERNISSAGE / Emerging Artists, Indonesia
Freedom to Explore
Text Payal Uttam
Facing page, top A new generation of artists is exploring Indonesia’s history and complexities, and extending the limits of creative production in doing so. Among them is installation artist Bagus Pandega, whose 2018 work A Pervasive Rhythm is made up of 450 motorcycle indicator lights Image by Keizo Kioku Facing page, bottom Fika Ria Santika’s ethereal wall reliefs evoke fleeting natural phenomena, and many resemble floating, phosphorescent Petri dishes. Shown here are details of the Tumpuk Lapis Tampak series, in resin, acrylic sheet, acrylic rod, pigment, flexible led and stainless steel Images courtesy of Gajah Gallery
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pair of eyes darts back and forth, peering out curiously from a red mailbox slot. Below, an envelope to Ray Tomlinson (the first person to send an email) is visible with a handwritten address that reads ‘Anywhere you are’. Titled Telepresence, the animated sculpture by Indonesian artist Bandu Darmawan explores the transformation of technology and how, thanks to the Internet, we can now transport ourselves anywhere. This playfully insightful work is characteristic of a new generation of young artists from Indonesia. ‘They have a witty tendency to read what seems to be usual as extraordinary, which makes their work outstanding,’ says Alia Swastika, curator and director of Jogja Biennale Foundation. ‘They challenge the audience to look at issues from different perspectives.’ Bandung-based Darmawan was among several new talents who drew attention at the newly revamped contemporary fair Art Jakarta. In recent years, the Indonesian art scene has exploded with a new crop of experimental artists emerging from creative hotspots like Yogyakarta and Bandung. Since the 1990s, when art from the archipelago first began gaining recognition overseas, there’s been a silent expectation for artists to create work rooted in craft traditions or local politics. In fact, the art pouring out from studios is far more complex, nuanced and boundary-pushing. For instance, in Fika Ria Santika’s performance Terkurung Hendak di Luar (‘Cooped (Desired to be Out)’), the artist clad herself in an otherworldly costume made of round mirrors and stood motionless — face and body
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obscured — in a forest and then on busy city streets, attracting strange looks from passersby. Though she’s perhaps best known for her installations that invoke fleeting natural phenomena, in this performance she questions our relationship with each other as well as our impact on our surroundings. ‘It also shows that women are free to choose their place in society,’ the artist says. ‘There’s nothing to limit how women show their abilities and their independence.’ Bandung-based artist Syaiful Aulia Garibaldi also draws inspiration from the natural world, except his medium of choice is organic material like fungi and lichen, the latter appearing on objects found around his home city. The former agriculture student’s work ranges from painted landscapes to immersive video and bio art installations. His installation Balitsa Ehoor, consisting of 150 vertical steel bars enveloped in lichen, was among the most talked-about works at the fair. ‘For me, this living material represents the mutual relationship between humans and the environment, and a strategy for survival,’ he says. Garibaldi’s project required the use of a 200-metre fence from a particular site, which necessitated negotiation with the government in order to secure the space. A few years ago, reaching out to the government for such a project would have been unthinkable. ‘It’s a good situation today because we have a civil government rather than the military state when Suharto was president,’ explains veteran artist Heri Dono, known for his paintings that blend folk traditions with contemporary
VERNISSAGE / Emerging Artists, Indonesia
concerns. ‘Today we can see an evolution. There’s freedom of creativity and expression in Indonesia. Before we were only following senior artists, but now everybody can choose different directions.’ As Dono suggests, young Indonesian artists aren’t afraid to cast a critical eye over their country. Yogyakarta-based Yudha Kusuma Putera, for instance, is part of Ruang mes 56, one of the city’s most progressive artist collectives whose members use photography to grapple with social and political issues. In a series titled Past, Present, Future Come Together, Putera interrogates patriarchal family structures and Suharto’s lingering ideals of a conventional family unit. He invited nine families closely associated with Ruang mes 56 to select a ‘face’ or ‘head’ of their family and create one single body using props, the results of which he photographed. When exhibiting the series, Putera also invites viewers to use props to create their own idiosyncratic family portraits. Like Putera, many Indonesian artists have developed practices enmeshed in their daily lives and rooted in their environments. ‘Indonesia’s history and complexity has been a great inspiration for artists,’ says Swastika. ‘Artists have the freedom to compose works inspired by everyday life. The fact that the art ecosystem is quite open also means that the scene offers surprises.’ Today, an increasing number of young artists are making waves outside the country. Installation artist Bagus Pandega is one example. Among his most prominent works is a monumental outdoor installation — first shown at the Amsterdam Light Festival in 2017 — illuminating the famed slogan attributed to Gandhi ‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world’ in 1,000 floodlights. ‘The work is about people daring to face their deepest fears or coming out from their comfort zones to become someone better,’ Pandega says. ‘Change is never easy, but for a better future, a better dream, it’s worth trying, especially for the younger generations.’ In many senses these potent words describe his own efforts and also those of his fellow artists who are taking Indonesian contemporary art to new heights.
This page In this work from Yudha Kusuma Putera’s 2017 series Past, Present, Future Come Together, a little boy flexes his muscles as he perches above his family, in an interrogation of the conventional patriarchal family unit Image courtesy of the artist
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Top Installation view of Syaiful Aulia Garibaldi’s Porculen Microorganism #16, at Mind Set Art Center, Taipei in 2018 Middle Installation view of Garibaldi’s Tubifex Landscape, at artjog, Yogyakarta, 2017 Bottom Among the most popular works at Art Jakarta was Garibaldi’s lichencovered installation Balitsa Ehoor (2019), made up of150 found iron bars All images courtesy of the artist 75
VERNISSAGE / Profile
Conspicuous Consumption
Text Christina Ko
Facing page Artist Song Dong’s exhibition Same Bed Different Dreams was a physical manifestation of his tireless commitment to exploring limited subject matter and material. Several works, all with unique titles and individual nuances, are created from the same materials in similar geometric forms. Pictured is Window Door No. 3, 2019, installation. Old windows and doors, glass, mirror, coloured plastic mirror, window and door hardware, 174 × 100 × 88 cm Image copyright Song Dong, courtesy of Pace Gallery
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hen Song Dong discovered his mother’s hoarding problem, both a cultural product of her upbringing as a ‘havenot’ and a coping mechanism after his father’s death, he took this overflow of some 10,000 items and turned it all into an art installation. The result, Waste Not, is not only one of Song’s most renowned works, it’s also fairly representative of his practice, which deals with the social implications of China’s encroaching urbanisation, combined with notions of impermanence and consumerism. One of China’s foremost conceptual artists, Song has the unique ability to translate his ideas into installations that are at once conceptually groundbreaking and commercially palatable — sometimes literally. Eating the City was a series of edible metropolises created to be consumed by its viewing audience; it neatly and viscerally illustrated the way in which Asian cities are built and razed at an alarming pace, and how our very base hunger and willingness to succumb to the temptation to destroy contributes to this phenomenon. Dong’s recent solo exhibition at Pace Gallery in London, Same Bed Different Dreams, was a showcase of his one-man opposing force: the survey exhibition highlighted, among other things, his loyalty to his single thesis, and the way in which he has taken the same subject matter and explored it time and again through different formats. For Song, mining the same idea over and over is a natural inclination. Change, after all, is his only constant. ‘I’ve lived and worked through the great changes in China,’ he says.
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‘Things are always changing, but the process is more important than the result.’ In two video installations that form part of the exhibition, Broken Mirror and Crumpling Shanghai, Song smashes or crumbles reflected images of people going about their daily lives. In another, Mandala, he creates meditative shapes from spices and seeds. Different though these pieces are, they all return to ideas of fragility and ephemerality: ‘The world has never been quiet,’ he explains. ‘The fight between different values and interests constantly destroys and changes the world; in the span of time, what we experience and create is only a moment. Art allows us to retain a time that is no longer usable, but this time can also generate energy beyond time, and give us thoughts about the future.’ Make no mistake, however — while Song’s practice deals with themes of great gravity, he’s in no way married to sadness or longing. In fact, avant-garde as it is, his art occasionally reveals a playfulness that’s testament to the diversity of his approach and the breadth of his work’s appeal. Examples are his edible cities, which come with cooking instructions ironically presented in elegant calligraphy, and At Fifty, I Don’t Know the Mandate of Heaven, in which porcelain dolls re-enact Song’s signature performance pieces. But Song isn’t tied to that approach either. Rather, his ultimate obsession is with freedom: ‘Same Bed Different Dreams is a contrariwise meditation on control,’ he explains. ‘It’s an appreciation of freedom — the implication of my works’ multimedia presentation and diverse expression of materials and ways.’
Facing page, top Usefulness of Uselessness — Varied Window No. 13, 2019, installation. Old wooden windows, mirror, mirror panel, glass. 192 × 258 × 8 cm Facing page, bottom left Window Door Screen — Single Screen No. 2, 20182019, installation. Old windows and doors, glass, mirror, coloured plastic mirror, window and door hardware 174 × 80 × 15 cm Facing page, bottom right Same Bed Different Dreams No. 3, 2018, installation. Steel, wooden windows, doors and beds, mirror, coated glass, lights, daily necessities, porcelain, 254.5 × 224.5 × 361 cm This page Dong painstakingly created works in the Mandala series from spices, seeds and condiments, once again transforming the familiar into an artistic medium Top, left Mandala 011, 2015, installation. Dietary alkali, leaf mustard, curry powder, chilli powder, pepper, chicken powder, cumin, fennel and other condiments, knife, diameter 98.5 cm Top, right Mandala 006, 2015, installation. Beetroot powder, purple rice, red pepper, curry powder, pepper, aniseed, chicken powder, starch and other condiments, knife, diameter 22.7 cm All images copyright Song Dong, courtesy of Pace Gallery Bottom Song Dong at his 2016 exhibition Surplus Value, held at Pace Beijing Image by Boogi Wang 79
Introducing Our First Collaboration Ceramics by Yarnnakarn
Founded in 2010, Yarnnakarn is a Bangkok-based family business, working with local craftspeople to produced unique, handmade works of ceramics from their home studio. In our first collaboration, Design Anthology has partnered with the firm to produce a co-branded collection of original pieces.
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Designer Michael Youngâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s loft in Brussels is representative of his love for materials and objects with stories Image by Christoph Theurer
HOME Timeless spaces
All Things Bright & Beautiful Text / Sophie Kalkreuth Images / Jonathan Leijonhufvud
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HOME / New York
‘W
e didn’t use a designer,’ Janis Provisor, co-founder of hand-knotted carpet producer Fort Street Studio, tells me when I arrive at the Tribeca loft she shares with her husband and business partner Brad Davis. This much seems clear — the space is too layered with whimsical ceramics, one-off art pieces, vintage furnishings and inventive reupholstery to be the work of a disinterested professional. ‘We wanted to create the feeling of a vestibule here at the entrance, even though it’s a big, open space,’ says Davis, gesturing to a sculptural glass and bronze wall light by Venetian designer Angelo Brotto hanging above a Carlo Hauner-designed sideboard from Brazil. On the adjacent windowsill, a ceramic creature — half mermaid, half penguin — by Swedish artist Klara Kristalova presides over the loft, a cheerful Moroccan rag rug at her finned feet. ‘This type of rug is called a Boucherouite,’ Provisor explains. ‘The Berbers originally made them for dowries. Our dealer told us if you go into a Moroccan house and you see this rug on the floor, you know it’s a good marriage.’ If the rug, or indeed the couple’s luxury rug business, is any indication, their decades-long marriage is a great one. ‘We don’t always agree,’ Provisor admits. ‘If one of us really doesn’t like something we can veto it,’ Davis says, before Provisor adds, ‘Sometimes we’ll say “Well, if you really like it you can put it in your studio, but I don’t want that in the house”.’
When the couple met in the 80s, both were artists showing at New York’s Holly Solomon Gallery, and both were already avid flea-market hunters. But, according to Davis, when they got together ‘there was an explosion’. ‘It was a great collision,’ Provisor agrees. ‘We realised that collecting together was our form of play.’ The loft, which they have occupied since 2002, is the result of decades of play — at flea markets, auctions, galleries and art fairs. In addition to a keen eye for materials, a fondness for mid-century furniture and a love of warm olive tones, Davis and Provisor have a thoughtful approach to how space is utilised. In the bedroom, an entire wall is dedicated to figurative paintings by Hong Kong artist Wilson Shieh, a favourite from the pair’s time in Asia, while bolder contemporary art is reserved for the main living space. ‘We call this wall our female gaze,’ says Provisor, pointing to large colour prints by American artists Catherine Opie and Mickalene Thomas. Opie’s stylised portrait shows a young woman in front of a green backdrop, her eyes locked on the lens. ‘It reminds me of a Hans Holbein,’ says Davis, referring to the Renaissance painter who also isolated his subjects against vibrantly coloured backgrounds. Both Davis and Provisor can recall where every artwork, lamp or chair was discovered and why it first caught their eye. Thus the home is more than an accumulation of collectables; it’s a map of their life’s journey, with objects woven into their own histories. As Provisor puts it: ‘All of this stuff is a part of our big adventure.’
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Previous page The Hong Kong- and New York-based duo behind Fort Street Studio, Brad Davis and Janis Provisor, are both avid collectors — and it shows in their New York loft, where furniture and artefacts have been gathered from around the world. The hand-knotted Karl rug is by Fort Street Studio Facing page An Eames lounge chair upholstered in fabric by Hella Jongerius sits beside a Karimoku table from the New Standard collection, on top of which are one of Fiona Waterstreet’s Gold Birds, German pottery from the 1960s and a Fazzoletto vase by Venini
Facing page The open-plan living space is also home to a classic standing lamp by Artemide and a mid-century American glass-topped coffee table from Lane Furniture. The green velvet chair by Sawaya & Moroni draws the eye, and is surrounded by more small objets
This page The loft retains its industrial edge in places, softened here by artworks on the walls and the 1950s Paul Frankl bench. Ceramic sculptures by Anna Sew Hoy and Arlene Shechet sit next to a vintage German vase and Murano glass piece. The wall sculpture is by Evgeny Antufiev and the larger painting is by 19thcentury Chinese artist Hu Gong Shou
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This page A Moroccan Boucherouite runner from the 1960s complements the Fort Street Studio floor coverings elsewhere. The chair is a 1960s German piece from Pagholz, while the cabinet to the back is a vintage piece by Carlo Hauner. The striking light fixture above is a 1960s piece by Angelo Brotto
Facing page Provisor’s preferred spot for answering emails and eating meals is a plush green Polder sofa designed by Hella Jongerius for Vitra that anchors one end of the living room. ‘I don’t eat a meal at a table unless I have to,’ she says. Behind, sculptures by Klara Kristalova complement a bronze Singing Siren piece by Kiki Smith
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Facing page A sparkling 1960s Accolay coffee table made of resin and broken glass was picked up at a Paris flea market. In the foreground, early 20th-century Chinese cloisonné cups make an eye-catching complement to the couple’s more modern pieces. The artworks on paper are by Thomas Nozkowski
This page A Christian Liaigre sofa and Norbert Schwontkowski painting anchor one corner of the living space. On the table is one of Kiki Smith’s Alice series and two ceramic sculptures by Heidi Lau
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Facing page In the kitchen, a 1960s Paul Evans dining table and Gio Ponti chairs provide a suitable setting. Beneath a Mickalene Thomas photograph, the sideboard by Florence Knoll holds a variety of sculptural pieces including a seated figure by Paloma Varga Weisz. One of the coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite pieces in the entire home is the Italian standing lamp in the corner
This page An elephant sculpture by Klara Kristalova flanks the sideboard, resting on an 18th-century Chinese temple stand beneath a Catherine Opie photograph
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At the other end of the kitchen, a reading nook is overlooked by a Patricia Blanchet photograph and David Weeks wall lamp. The sofa is by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso, and sits on a wild silk shag rug by Fort Street Studio
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VitsĹ&#x201C; shelving and a 19th-century Chinese side chair mark the path to the master bedroom
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The striking chair in the master bedroom is a Ragamuf piece designed by Tuula Pöyhönen and produced by female Syrian refugees. Hong Kong artist Wilson Shieh’s works adorn the walls, while the 1950s bedroom set is by George Nelson for Herman Miller. A Fort Street Studio Grasscloth hand-knotted wild silk carpet provides comfort underfoot 97
Facing page Silvertone pottery by Weller and a Flos lamp bookend the dressing table below a 19th-century Chinese painting
This page The couple are also noted artists and creators, exemplified here by pieces from Janis Provisor Jewelry
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Material Man Text / Christopher DeWolf Images / Christoph Theurer
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HOME / Brussels
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s an internationally renowned industrial designer, Michael Young spends a lot of his time trotting around the globe. Perhaps it’s fitting, then, that his loft in Brussels includes a tent. More than just a cheeky acknowledgement that he belongs to a tribe of global nomads, it also serves a practical purpose for when Young’s Hong Kong-based team members need to travel to Europe. ‘There was one year in Milan when I decided we should go to Belgium for the month and stay there,’ he says. He was already geared up to hike Mount Everest, so he pitched tents for his staff to sleep in, one of which remains in place today, sitting beneath a row of Tibetan prayer flags strung across the back of the room. It’s hardly roughing it though — the loft is filled with a gallery-worthy collection of furniture, art and design objects that Young has collected over the years, along with whatever projects his studio happens to be working on at the time. ‘It’s a very peaceful space,’ he says. ‘It’s also become a place where we store all of our samples from China, or anything from exhibitions in Europe. It’s a bit of a library, a legacy place, really. It’s like a studio away from Hong Kong, where we keep valuable products. When we do museum shows, the organisers can borrow pieces from the loft.’ Young bought the space nearly 20 years ago, when he was still based in the UK. ‘I’d been in London for ten years and fancied a change,’ he says. To be more specific, he bought a
percentage of the building from an art collector friend who’d acquired it with the hope of fixing it up. ‘I completely rebuilt it,’ says Young. ‘It hadn’t been renovated since it was built in 1886. We had to strip it down to the bare bones. We kept as much of the old brick, beams and metal pillars as we could, but we replaced all of the door frames, knocked half the building down and put in underground parking. We did a lot — the process took about four years.’ When the work was finished, Young began to furnish it. He avoided his own products — ‘I’m a fan of other people’s work,’ he says — except for a minimalist kitchen he designed for Italian brand Scavolini. Young’s acquisition of the loft coincided with increasing commissions from Asia, so he stocked the space with objects from his travels as well as some of his favourite designers. ‘I’m a bit of a magpie,’ he says. ‘There’s some Carl Hansen, samurai armour, idée furniture from Japan, pieces from Lane Crawford, and others from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. It’s weird but it all kind of works together.’ What ties it all together is a tactile quality, from the weathered timber ceiling beams to the carefully considered feathers of a Lakota headdress. ‘I think I have a level of connection with the materials — materials that seem to have a soul,’ Young muses. ‘The Japanese say if you stow an object long enough, it’ll give you life back. It’s the history of the wood, the maker, the way the product has been put together and the love with which it was made.’
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Previous page and this page Designer Michael Young completely overhauled this loft in Brussels when he acquired it almost two decades ago. In the living room (previous page), characterful pieces like the Togo sofa and ottoman by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset and wildlife photography by Laurent Baheux are set against original beams and brickwork, while elsewhere Young’s Parallel Brain handtufted rug for Belgian brand Limited Edition hangs over a steel staircase (this page)
Previous page Young’s deep affinity for materials is reflected in the open-plan kitchen, where the high-gloss cabinets and Bianco Carrara marble island of the designer’s modular Tetrix kitchen, designed for Scavolini, contrast with the oak and leather of the Hans Wegner-designed Elbow chairs and CH327 dining table from Carl Hansen & Søn. Further contrast comes in the form of the organic sculptures and textured rug
This page left Given Young’s international lifestyle and tendency toward the unconventional, it’s perhaps unsurprising that a tent and prayer flags are permanent fixtures in his home. On the floor in front of an iconic Sibley tent is a Globe-Trotter trunk and hide rug, while a graffiti piece is taped to the wall, creating a space that is at once worldly and rebellious
This page, right Young’s steel 4a chair for Hong Kong furniture brand eoq sits to the left of an antique Samurai suit from Galerie Cecile Kerner in Brussels. The myriad items throughout the home are tied together by tactility — here, steel, leather and wood are echoed in wall, chair and antique 106
Previous page Young admits that he’s something of a magpie, and the eclectic mix of furniture, art and design in the living room includes personal mementoes and collected items, displayed behind a seating area that features a classic Eames lounge chair and a side table sourced from Thailand. The irregular lines in soft furnishings and another graffiti work add to the dynamic space This page An original Lakota headdress shares space with a speaker system, commuter bicycle and selection of design references — a scene that accurately reflects Young’s lifestyle 110
This page, left As in the rest of the loft, wood (in the form of a Mark Tuckey bed and exposed ceiling beams) combines with original brickwork and concrete floors in the master bedroom, softened with textural bed and floor coverings
This page, right Behind the bed is a pared-back bath area, decorated with a kendo mask, artwork from Pearl Lam Galleries and a robe from Bali
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In Typical Fashion Text / Duncan Forgan Images / Michael Paul
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HOME / Bangkok
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ver the past three decades, Bill Bensley has carved sumptuous tented camps out of Cambodian jungle, applied colourful backstories to resorts around Asia and worked on private projects for luminaries ranging from Mick Jagger to a sultan. It’s little surprise then that Baan Botanica — the prolific architect and designer’s fantastical home in Bangkok — is alive with his trademark panache. In the master bedroom, Bensley and his partner Jirachai Rengthong, a horticulturist, hotelier and business heir, sleep beneath a white crown guarded by two lions (formerly a five-metre-high archway inside the Dutch embassy in Yangon). In one of the guest rooms, meanwhile, pride of place goes to a suit of Samurai armour — a tribute to the designer’s father. Elsewhere, rooms, hallways and public spaces are generously embellished with objets d’art, paintings and antiques, all testament to Bensley’s voracious collecting habit. Anyone familiar with the designer’s work at stunning resorts and hotels like The Siam Hotel in Bangkok and The St. Regis Bali Resort will recognise in Baan Botanica his flair for carrying off the astonishing. But, while his paid work is always rewarding (he won’t take a project on unless it promises to be fun), he says that the constant evolution of his home is more like a labour of love. Bensley purchased Baan Botanica, which is tucked away in a leafy enclave down one of
the tendril-like side streets of busy Sukhumvit Road, from an American named Billy Bones. ‘At first, I was more intrigued by the name of the owner than the house itself,’ he recalls. He has well and truly bonded with the space in the ensuing years. Indeed, since taking ownership, the designer has used it as a place of retreat to relax amid a whirlwind schedule that often has him and his studio working on between 40 and 50 projects at any one time. He also treats it as something of a laboratory for his restless creative instincts. ‘Madness has always been a driving factor both at work and at home,’ he chuckles as he outlines the various tweaks he’s applied to the place over the years. Though Bensley claims that he overhauls the property every time he returns from a trip, there are several constants: he’s a keen painter, and his love of art is evident in a collection that includes work by Swedish painter and sculptor Richard Winkler, Australian architect and artist Robert Powell and Indonesian contemporary artist Nyoman Masriadi. The designer’s passion for art also informs his nomination of the veranda as his favourite part of Baan Botanica. Here, he can set up his easel overlooking the bright gardens, swimming pool and gazebo with its copper clawfoot tub. ‘The veranda is the sweet spot,’ he says. ‘From there I can see every coming and going. But I love everything about the house. It's my sounding board, my refuge, my touchstone.’
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Previous page Beyond the facade of famed architect and designer Bill Bensley’s Bangkok home — fondly known as Baan Botanica — lies a veritable treasure trove This page Bensley shares Baan Botanica with Jirachai Rengthong, his husband of three decades, and their five Jack Russell terriers
A large-scale painting by British artist James Mortimer takes centre stage in one of the sitting rooms, where pops of bold red and cerise come in the form of a painting by Bensley himself on the left wall, a pair of wooden horses bought from an antique warehouse in Kochiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish quarter, and cushions on locally made wicker furniture. The 1970s Italian Brutalist three-piece coffee table was a surprising find during a trip to the Cotswolds 119
This page In the foyer between the two sitting rooms, an early 20th-century Anglo-Indian table and striking flower arrangement reflect the home’s larger-than-life personality, while the French Art Deco ceiling lamp contrasts with the pair of Burmese angel sculptures — a birthday present for Rengthong — standing guard outside one of the living areas
Facing page Bensley’s father lived in the ground-floor apartment for 17 years, and Bensley still refers to this as ‘Dad’s room’. The Samurai armour is a tribute to his late father’s formidable character
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The garden kitchen is flooded with natural light from all sides, with an imposing 1950s Thai teak cabinet taking pride of place
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This page The separate ground-floor apartment is well-appointed, with its own pantry and outdoor bathroom
Facing page The sunny master bedroom sports a Burmese carved teak arch from the Dutch embassy in Yangon. A pair of 19th-century Burmese tigers flank two plaster busts of a French bulldog and giraffe â&#x20AC;&#x201D; meant to represent Rengthong and Bensley â&#x20AC;&#x201D; atop a 1920s Louis Vuitton steamer trunk
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The guest room is dubbed the Bonnet Suite after Rudolf Bonnet, the Dutch artist who spent much of his life in Bali and is known for his influence on the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s art. The black cabinet is a contemporary Burmese piece, while the bed is a repurposed billiards table. A 1960s Italian chandelier hangs over a stack of refurbished silver suitcases from France
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This page Another dramatic painting by Mortimer hangs above a 19-century Danish chest of drawers in the foyer of the master bedroom
Facing page The master bedroom en suite is peppered with athletic trophies from Burma. Reflected in the mirror is a painting by Filipino artist Bernard Vista
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In one of the gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s numerous follies, a copper bathtub filled with purple moon orchids is surrounded by 200-year-old Indian columns
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The wraparound veranda is filled with picturesque vignettes such as this one, though in typical Bensely fashion the scenes are rearranged and updated weekly
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Raw But Rich Text / Simone Schultz Images / ecru Studio
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HOME / Taipei
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here are two qualities Taiwanese designer Jin Chen values in any home: an abundance of natural light and ample open space. His own apartment in Taipei’s Da’an neighbourhood has both. ‘I fell in love with the rooftop and the sunshine it gets and lets into the space,’ he says. ‘And that there aren’t many doors — in fact, there’s only one door in the entire apartment, for the bathroom.’ Located a stone’s throw from Taipei’s largest park and Jianguo market, the city’s largest weekend flower market, the quiet residential area is also home to other creative spaces such as graphic and interior design studios. And as the founder of up-and-coming multidisciplinary firm ecru Studio, Chen has found that the location befits both his lifestyle and his creative proclivities — his home sits between his own studio and three of his projects: antique store Delicate Antique, restaurant Xiang Se and private members’ bar Staff Only. As a designer, Chen is deeply inspired by the aesthetic minimalism and imperfection of wabi-sabi, so it’s no wonder he maintained the home’s original raw concrete walls and floor. ‘The previous owner had decorated half of the unit, while the other half was completely unfurnished and in its original state. I left what’s now my bedroom in this original state, repainted some of the walls and ceilings elsewhere in the apartment, and modified some of the pipes, but that’s it, really,’ he explains. In the absence of any formal design education, Chen’s foray into the field began with a love for antiques and spaces that have a similarly wabi-style unrefined and unusual quality to
them. ‘Delicate Antique was my first store, and the antiques there are displayed in a rustic, pure environment. My other projects at that time had a similar aesthetic,’ he says. But the designer’s home also embodies the combination of primitive, modern and vintage now used in his work. ‘I was only exposed to the mid-century and Art Deco styles in 2018, when we opened Staff Only, which totally changed my style,’ he continues. ‘That’s when I began to mix old with new and modern with vintage.’ Chen’s home was to become a repository for all of his ‘favourite things’, and he wanted to ensure he struck the right balance between them all. His curation of antiques and newer pieces alongside contrasting materials like velvet, wood, linen and raw concrete, and an overarching muted colour palette, speak to his belief that ‘conflict is key to good design’. Vintage and contemporary Scandinavian, European and Asian pieces collected over the years fill the home. Among his most beloved are a painting bought at Le Mans antique fair, which hangs on the living room wall, a pair of unusually shaped 60s chairs from Italy, an 18th-century brocade screen and a stone bust that once made its home in a French manor. Constantly challenging himself to combine seemingly opposing or discordant elements allows Chen to test and improve his own skills in what he believes is a lifelong remit. ‘In new projects I want to experiment with styles I’ve never worked in before, so I’m always rearranging and changing my home to match my current design mood and influences,’ he says. ‘You could say that my home is my design lab and the epitome of my design mindset.’
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Previous page and this page Designer Jin Chen’s light-filled and open-plan Taipei apartment is designed in his signature style of raw and refined materials in both vintage and contemporary styles. In the living room, natural, raw textures in the form of original concrete walls, an antique stone bust, a marble sculpture, a midcentury table and an antique wooden chair from Denmark combine with plush soft furnishings and a velvet armchair purchased at the ohvl antique fair in Chartres
Two of Chen’s favourite pieces are a muted, abstract painting by an unknown Dutch artist and an unusually shaped chair from an antique dealer in Belgium. Though its designer is also unknown, Chen says it was ‘love at first sight’, and he instantly fell for the chair’s unique form. The slab of carved stone was purchased from an antique dealer in Ghent, while the entire scene is bookended on one side by a brocaded 18th-century French screen 136
This page, top Chenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home is his testing ground for design ideas, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no wonder that even the kitchen is a balance between old and new. The contemporary, minimal space is furnished with a V-Type chair by Pierre Jeanneret, antique stool from Belgium and 17th-century French mortar This page, bottom and facing page The dining area offers views out to the neighbourhood. Chen alternates the chairs around an antique dining table that once made its home in a farm house in Avignon, which suits both the vintage Danish dining chairs (this page) and Cesca chairs by Marcel Breuer for Knoll (facing page). The chairsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; curves are emphasised by the Carolin T549/3 pendant light by Hans-Agne Jakobsson
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The star of the pastel-hued master bedroom is a rounded rattan daybed Chen purchased from an antique dealer in France. A textural 1970s armchair contrasts with the raw concrete walls, whose effect is softened further by the pale pink artwork — found at Tokyo’s Oedo Antique Market — against their colour wash
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La Dolce Vita Text / Payal Uttam Images / Frederik Vercruysse
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HOME / Como
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hen Bangkok- and Singapore-based interior designer Albano Daminato first visited Villa Peduzzi, an abandoned hilltop home on the edge of Lake Como, it was almost as if the owners had just left. Furniture was piled up everywhere, but the pots and pans were still in place, and crockery and cutlery lay in the kitchen sink. ‘The mood was solemn, rich and cinematically romantic,’ says Daminato, creative director of his eponymous studio. ‘This feeling really stayed with me, and it was important to me that the villa didn’t lose these qualities.’ Perched almost a kilometre above sea level, the villa was designed by its Italian owner Rocco Peduzzi and built in 1909. Rumoured to have been inherited by his nephew in the 1960s, the mansion was left mostly vacant and little was known about its history until it was purchased in 2015. Set within a lush forested garden, the nine-bedroom villa is entered via a trip down a narrow village lane, through wrought iron gates and onto a raised garden terrace that leads to the formal entrance hall. Warm yellow flooring, featuring original mosaic tiles with Peduzzi’s name set among decorative motifs, brightens the space. The foyer leads to communal spaces that form the heart of the home, including a library, cosy piano salon and formal dining room, each of which open onto the sprawling stone terrace. Several al fresco dining areas were designed with Italian summers in mind, including a pergola overlooking the lake. The original attic was raised during the renovation to add a billiard lounge, outdoor terraces and a bar for entertaining. Finally, the basement housing the caretakers’ quarters was extended to include a yoga and fitness area with stunning views.
Retaining historic details while updating the villa, which serves as a holiday home for a large family, was a careful balancing act. Studio Daminato spent almost four years working with artisans specialising in terrazzo, marble and frescoes to transform the interior architecture. The villa’s intricate Liberty-style ceiling inspired the mood and colour palette of the home — for instance, a soft pastel-pink fresco was replicated in one bathroom clad entirely in rosy Portuguese marble. In classic Art Nouveau fashion, sinuous and organic nature-inspired forms frame windows and accent sculptural works on the villa’s facade. Taking this as a departure point, Studio Daminato designed delicate joinery and curved furniture. The team also sought out furniture with a similar sensibility from various periods. ‘Mid-century cabinetry or armchairs, with sweeping arms in open, organic forms, sit comfortably in dialogue with fresco motifs, for example,’ says Daminato. Allowing the dramatic views to take centre stage, the designers emphasised simplicity and celebrated natural materials. Many rooms have walls clad in panels of hessian linen or heavily textured Italian linen, which add warmth to the interiors. The designers were also deeply influenced by the work of Giorgio Morandi, the Italian painter known for his subtle, muted still lifes. ‘We were inspired by his compositions, his removal of excess,’ says Daminato. ‘In his paintings we find a sense of meditative calm and peace.’ These qualities combine with Daminato’s delicate, humble approach to create a blissful sanctuary that has one foot in the past with the other treading lightly into the future.
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Previous page and facing page Dramatic, romantic and classically Art Nouveau in style, this nine-bedroom hilltop villa on Lake Como was given an update that maintains its rich history with contemporary flair. Designer Albano Daminato made sure that the breathtaking views remained the focal point, creating a holiday retreat that embraces la dolce vita
This page Original flooring and mosaic tiles were retained, and natural materials in the form of a 1920s Carl Westman lantern and vintage Danish oak-framed mirror complement the yellow tones. The wall-mounted marble shelf, custom designed by Studio Daminato, adds a contemporary touch
Facing page The details of the Liberty-style ceiling are the focal point in this sitting room, where Studio Daminatoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s furniture designs (with the exception of Maxalto armchairs), inspired by the muted and minimal work of Giorgio Morandi, are subtle enough not to detract from the details overhead. The rounded form of a Japanese paper and timber lantern mirrors the circular motif of the ceiling pattern
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This page A custom terrazzo countertop and island unit combine with a custom leather banquette to give the kitchen a retro Italian feel. A Danish element is added via the oak dining table and chairs, designed by Børge Mogensen for Fredericia Furniture, while handmade ceramic tiles from Thailand add a clean touch
Facing page A dining room wall is covered in an oak-framed hessian and linen textile, the soft material a contrast to the leather-upholstered armchairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina. The ten-armed Admont pendant lamp by Kalmar hangs low over a custom-made solid oak table by Finnish carpentry studio Nikari
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Linen and wood predominate in the piano salon, where a Studio Daminato-designed sofa is joined by a vintage coffee table by Hvidt & Mølgaard and armchair by Otto Færge. Eero Saarinen’s Womb chair and ottoman and a 1901 Steinway grand piano bookend the space 151
In one sitting room, the materiality of an Italian linen wall covering is echoed in the modular sofa from Verzelloni, while the deep tones of the mid-century Danish rosewood coffee table are matched by Studio Daminatoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smoke-stained oak media armoire and hand-beaten bronze side table.
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This page Views and fresh air can be enjoyed from the Nanna and Jørgen Ditzeldesigned basket chair or the Pure sofa by Andrei Munteanu for TribÚ in one of the terrace lounges
Next page Floor-to-ceiling windows, more basket chairs and a Verzelloni linen sofa make for an inviting seating arrangement in this lounge area. The custom nettle rug is by Studio Daminato
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The master en suite is known as the Rose Bathroom, named after the Rosa Portogallo marble that envelopes the room. The dusty pink ceiling is an original fresco that the designers had restored 156
Left As in the rest of the home, the nine bedrooms are all accoutred with mostly Danish and custom design in similar materials and colour schemes. In the master suiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dressing room, a 1960s Birgitta dressing table by Carl Malmsten is paired with a reupholstered oak chair from the same decade, designed by Guillerme et Chambron
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Right Another vintage Danish oak mirror frame appears in a first-floor suite, hung above a Peter Løvig Nielsen and Jens Quistgaard-designed flip-top desk and an Elbow chair by Hans Wegner
The first-floor junior suite has its own en suite and terrace, complete with freestanding bathtub from The Albion Bath Company. In the bedroom, walls are covered in linen from Belgian textile company Designs of the Time, while the oak bedside table was custom designed by Studio Daminato to include an integrated carrying tray
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Designers Albano Daminato (standing) and Nicola Acquafredda were deeply influenced by the scenery of the Lake Como area, which sits at the foothills of the Alps, and succeeded in designing a villa that perfectly captures the landscape as well as the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history
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The Micro-Theater by Chiasmus Partners, located in Beijingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Liu Hai Hutong Image copyright Chiasmus Partners
ARCHITECTONICS Surveying our built environment
PARTNER CONTENT / Volume Projects
Sculpting Communities T
o build a community, it takes a kind of community — one of like-minded collaborators from architects and designers to builders and residents. This is a concept at the core of young Melbourne developer Volume Projects. ‘To us, architects are sculptors,’ says Bao Nguyen, who founded the company in 2016. ‘They draw the shape of the communities we build, and we see the result as a meeting of minds, rather than just another building.’ The company’s youth is evident in its approach, which brings a sense of freshness to its three boutique residential properties. Island House, a penthouse-focused development on a crest at the western end of Bridge Road in Richmond, is a case in point. The site is formed on its own ‘island’, set slightly back and elevated to form a kind of gateway to the heritage streetscape. Diagonally opposite, the former Yarra Park School is a key element in this streetscape, its heritage listing an assurance of continuing clear views to the mcg and city.
In a nod to the area’s typology, local architects Pitch Architecture + Design chose to clad Island House’s podium in brick veneer. In contrast, the upper-level box is wrapped in perforated metal for a touch that’s both modern and light. Interiors are by award-winning Australian designer Fiona Lynch, and their material touches and attention to detail create a sense of calm in the bustling neighbourhood. This type of sensitive, successful intervention has led to Volume developing a small but supportive institutional and investor network locally and from as far afield as Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Vietnam. Its works feel like an anthology: each may be born of a different author, but Nguyen’s guiding hand and attention to the smallest detail creates a continuity of aesthetic and of purpose. volumeprojects.com.au
ARCHITECTONICS / Development, Hong Kong
Building on History A
pproaching St. George’s Mansions, the latest residential development on Hong Kong’s sought-after Kadoorie Avenue by developers Sino Land and clp group, it’s immediately apparent that you’re moving into a luxurious private world. Screen walls hint at what’s beyond, but when the sound under the car’s tyres changes as the road becomes cobblestoned, the doors open to the soothing sound of water and you step onto the richly patterned paving of the motor court, you know you’ve arrived somewhere special. An abundance of Gascogne cream limestone, so soft in tone that it almost glows with warmth, is reminiscent of the off-white walls of the original Kadoorie Estate villas that surround the new property. Punched windows add to an aesthetic that takes inspiration from the past. Situated within the serene oasis that is Kadoorie Hill, St. George’s Mansions comprises three connected towers offering 175 apartments in total. The vision for the property was to create something that draws on the heritage of the site, emphasising the highest quality of design and materials in order to build on and ensure a future for its legacy. That’s where the team at Robert A.M. Stern Architects came in. ‘Our approach involves learning from the past, stepping back to move forward and really understanding what architects have done before us, so we can speak the same language, reinterpreting architectural elements from the past in ways that give continuity. We reinterpreted these ideas to create a 21stcentury building,’ explains Grant Marani, partner at ramsa. The result is a trio of buildings that brings the
Kadoorie Estate’s past into the modern day. ‘A lot of other architects want to show off what they can do; there’s too much ego,’ adds Marani. ‘We like to create a meaningful dialogue with the architecture of the neighbourhood and of the place.’ This is best reflected in the property’s two facades. While the height and scale of St. George’s Mansions differ from nearby buildings, the towers’ facades reflect the two sides of the neighbourhood. One faces the Kadoorie Estate and is designed to blend in with its setting, reflecting the proportions, scales, textures and horizontality, while the other brings a sense of modernism, with a larger scale and vertical components that echo the more urban setting. Heritage elements are reflected in the new buildings. Take, for example, the hooded windows of the original villas. ‘Over many of the windows we’ve introduced this element into our design to offer sun protection, but this detail also gives a nod to the architecture of the Kadoorie Hill houses to tie the two together. Even though the new building and surrounding houses are of different scales, they’ll share common elements that make them one family,’ says Marani. The design team also aimed to embody modern notions of luxury. ‘Part of what makes this project so luxurious is the use of rich and authentic materials,’ says Bina Bhattacharyya, associate partner at ramsa. ‘The elegance of the design, together with the refined details and quality craftsmanship carry forward the best architectural traditions of Kadoorie Hill. We put a lot of thought into every aspect of the design to imbue it with a sense of place and permanence.’
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Text Rachel Duffell
Facing page, top and bottom right In designing St. George’s Mansions in the historic Kadoorie Hill neighbourhood, Robert A.M. Stern Architects drew on the area’s rich architectural and cultural heritage to create a residential development rooted in history but adapted for contemporary living Image copyright dbox, courtesy of Sino Land Bottom left ramsa partner Grant Marani and associate partner Bina Bhattacharyya emphasised the use of rich, authentic materials and quality craftsmanship. The team was deliberate in its use of architectural language that would create a dialogue between building and context, and past and present Images by Jeremy Smart
ARCHITECTONICS / Urban Futures
A Village for Our Time Text / Danielle Demetriou Images / Courtesy of Mori Building Co.
I
t’s the antithesis of a hard-edged skyscraper: wrapped in greenery, it rolls, drapes and undulates, rising 40 metres before flowing underground, with homes, shops, a school and even a temple lying among its curves. The ‘it’ in question is an innovative, organic structure designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick for the Toranomon-Azabudai Project, an urban regeneration development in Tokyo masterminded by Mori Building. ‘It’s almost like a latticed tablecloth,’ says the designer. ‘It drapes across the site, with work and living spaces underneath the lattice, but it also rolls down to make a six-thousandsquare-metre public open space in the middle, with sakura trees. Imagine pushing down on a tablecloth and its edges rolling up.’ Construction work has just begun on the project, one of the city’s most ambitious urban developments in recent years: spanning an eight-hectare site in the heart of the capital and close to three decades in the making, the so-called ‘city within a city’ is set for completion in 2023.
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ARCHITECTONICS / Urban Futures
Powered entirely by renewable energy sources, it will comprise three high-tech towers, interlinked by Heatherwick’s undulating structure that flows seamlessly through the public spaces. Dubbed a ‘modern urban village’, it’s expected to house 20,000 office workers, 3,500 residents, 150 shops, a luxury hotel, an international school and cultural facilities, with Mori estimating that up to 30 million people will visit the new landmark every year. According to Shingo Tsuji, president and ceo of Mori Building, the project was inspired by the changing nature of life and work ushered in by technological advancements, and by questioning the essence of a city and what a future version should look like. Heatherwick is among a star-studded roll call of global creatives who are attempting to answer these questions, with the three skyscrapers designed by global firm Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and a portion of retail spaces by award-winning Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto. The project taps into Heatherwick’s prolonged interest in the foundations of modern living, shifting work-life values and the quest for quality of life, while seeking an antidote to the rise of increasingly homogenised urban developments cropping up in cities around the world. ‘We’re fascinated by how you can have urban density but also intense quality of life,’ explains Heatherwick, whose structure encompasses the public realm and lower-level architecture that sweeps through the project. ‘Our site has these three very significant towers, and our role was to create all the other architecture to support that, including homes, workspaces and a school.’ The towers’ stark physicality led Heatherwick and his team to seek out a counterpoint that would make the site distinctive, rather than what he considers the ‘faceless, generic and soulless’ new districts being built in cities around the world. ‘Often you have large towers that sit on these inhuman podium structures, so we were interested in breaking away from these notions and creating a more natural, more human-scaled counterpoint to the towers.’
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Previous page Thomas Heatherwick’s design for the Toranomon-Azabudai Project in Tokyo flows above and below ground — ‘almost like a latticed tablecloth’, according to the architect — to provide a modern village powered by renewable energy and with no hard edges in sight This page, top The project is expected to house 150 retail outlets, with some of the retail space designed by Sou Fujimoto This page, bottom Heatherwick’s design ‘rolls down to make a six-thousand-squaremetre public open space in the middle’, replete with cherry trees. The project taps into his interest in quality of life in the context of work-life balance and urban density Facing page Skyscrapers are being designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, and will include commercial, hospitality and residential spaces. Heatherwick and his team sought to create a counterpoint to the towers’ stark physicality 170
ARCHITECTONICS / Urban Futures
Horticulture is a vital ingredient in Heatherwick’s design, as seen in the planted pergola that will flow across the site and reflect its original topography of a small valley. Its grid structure was inspired by the Hampstead Pergola in London — an Edwardian landmark renowned for the romance of its faded elegance — with thousands of plants and hundreds of trees interwoven into the structure. ‘One of the missing elements in many new pieces of cities has been horticulture,’ he says. ‘Our idea is an undulating, heavily planted grid that creates landscape and blurs the levels of the site: you can walk up or underneath it and it plunges down at different points. It also respectfully allows the temple to sit above in a moment of reverence. It acts to stitch the whole site together like a piece of embroidery.’ Japan’s famed craft heritage is also woven into the structure, with Heatherwick currently creating prototypes of engraved glass inspired by traditional Edo kiriko glass-cutting methods, but executed using modern techniques.
For Heatherwick, the entire project is the culmination of a long-standing appreciation of Japanese aesthetics and artisanry. He recalls creating a design for a temple in southern Japan’s Kagoshima region almost 20 years ago, and though the temple was never actually built, he still describes the experience as ‘influential’ and ‘key’ to his development. ‘It was the first time I’d experienced the country,’ he says. ‘The values in Japanese culture were legendary to me as a design student, so it was powerful to experience the phenomenal craftsmanship and approach to simplicity and landscape.’ Given his fascination with Japanese culture, it’s not surprising that Heatherwick describes himself as being ‘thrilled’ when Mori approached him for this project. ‘There aren’t many developers who’d have the confidence to do something like this,’ he concludes. ‘They’ve been assembling the site gradually over more than twenty-five years, working with the community. They’re very committed to doing something meaningful here.’
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Located on eight hectares between other notable mixed-use projects ark Hills, Roppongi Hills and Toranomon Hills, the development has been almost three decades in the making 172
ARCHITECTONICS / Profile
Architect-Archaeologist Text Jae Lee
Facing page Japanese architect Tsuyoshi Tane’s winning design for the Estonian National Museum, in collaboration with Dan Dorell and Lina Ghotmeh, aimed to translate the country’s history for the new generation. Tane notes that the decade-long project served as the foundation for his approach to architecture Top image by Takuji Shimmura, courtesy of dgt Bottom image by Propapanda, courtesy of dgt
I
n 2010, Tsuyoshi Tane stood in front of a line of 99 framed clock prints inside a warehouse gallery in Tokyo. Despite the occasion being the young architect’s first solo exhibition in Japan, he chose to title this installation Pasts, and in it presented memories from growing up in Tokyo through to the process of winning his first international competition in 2006, for his design of the Estonian National Museum with Dan Dorell and Lina Ghotmeh. Tane, Dorell and Ghotmeh’s winning proposal involved moving the construction site to a nearby Soviet-era military base, and features an archive room where the climate is controlled purely by the design, needing no special system fitted to preserve the delicate objects within. Naturally, this radical proposal tempted many to label the architect with buzzwords like ‘green architect’ or ‘innovator’, but Tane politely denies such associations, preferring the term ‘social artist’ instead. ‘We just wanted to learn as much about Estonia’s history as possible and translate it directly for the future generation,’ he says, noting that the decade-long project served as the foundation for his approach to architecture. Shortly after the completion of the museum in 2016, the trio dissolved their partnership and Tane set up his own studio in Paris, Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects, in 2017. Initially located inside a brick building where the world’s first metre-long platinum measuring rod was once produced, Tane’s practice has continued the dialogue between past and future through his designs of museums, houses and even sports stadiums. In 2018, a pair of exhibitions in Tokyo, under the theme Archaeology of the Future and titled Digging & Building and Search & Research respectively, showcased the architect’s obsession with the past.
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The exhibitions introduced Tane’s research methods of excavating vast numbers of historic images, texts and artefacts associated with a site. To house the data collected over the years, the studio now has museum-like archive rooms with shelves of found objects, and a library of the team’s self-made encyclopedias. ‘When an archaeologist goes to a field, they start from empty land or a desert. They might find what they were looking for, or they may discover an unexpected history. This is what I’m trying to apply to my buildings. Instead of looking up at the sky for a new invention, I want to dig into the past to discover something that is both new and old. The memory of a place can provide the most durable concepts for architecture,’ the architect explains. For Tane, this is not only an operational skill but a departure from modernism. He believes that we’re on the cusp of witnessing the limitations of modernism and that we cannot achieve sustainability unless we embrace diversity, traditions and craft. Modern architecture sought to standardise lifestyles across the world, and the industrialisation of building materials made construction incredibly efficient. ‘One of the research rules I give to my studio staff is to avoid referencing the modern period, because I try to stay away from using prefabricated materials,’ he says, before explaining that one of the first questions he asks at the outset of a project is how it might have been built before the industrial era. He highlights that while he’s not inventing anything new, incorporating components or methods that came before the 19th century is a challenge in today’s construction industry. ‘A lot of traditional methods have all but disappeared,
ARCHITECTONICS / Profile
and the challenge is to rediscover, recalculate, reintroduce a way that works in today’s efficiency-driven system.’
his major projects include a football stadium in Shibuya and a contemporary art museum for the city of Hirosaki.
His most recent project in Paris, Japanese chef Sota Atsumi’s highly anticipated restaurant Maison, began from this minimal yet fundamental starting point. ‘I asked “What is eating? Why do we gather at a table to eat? How have dining rooms in France evolved since the Middle Ages?”’ the architect explains. ‘Since crops grow in dirt, we wanted to use soil, and eventually settled on baked terracotta tiles.’ Red terracotta tiles are produced in different shapes and sizes all over France, but the material also embodies the antiindustrialisation mentality Tane advocates.
Referring to the recent Notre Dame fire, which he witnessed first-hand, Tane says that his hope is that it might help us ‘understand durability in architecture better’. ‘A building that has lasted over eight hundred and fifty years is true architecture. A few green patches or a layer of environmentally friendly paint is not the solution. Notre Dame should influence the way we value sentimentalities and sustainable spiritualities.’ Despite this, however, Tane is careful to add, ‘I still wouldn’t call myself a green architect’.
Tane applies this archaeological excavation to residential projects as well. In 2018 he completed the Todoroki House, a three-storey family home in a densely populated urban forest in Tokyo. Its proximity to a river means the air close to the ground is humid, while a constant breeze blows through the trees above. The resulting home is a combination of Tane’s research into how early civilisations built their homes in both humid and arid areas. The ground floor is built a metre into the ground, the living room embedded in the jungle-like garden growing at eye level. The upper floors feature large windows facing every direction and open floor plans to take advantage of the wind blowing from the nearby ravine. Tane is set to complete another residential project in 2020, this time a weekend home for a French family, set within more than 20,000 hectares of protected forest in Fontainebleau. According to Tane, aside from site-specific memories, the sentimental differences between Japan and France are especially noticeable when working with families. ‘Japanese clients are more inclined towards opening up the floor plan, breaking down the barriers between the interior and the exterior. In Europe, clients prefer covered spaces and defined rooms.’
Facing page, top left Tane is often likened to an archaeologist for his assiduous approach to collecting and cataloguing information associated with a site. ‘The memory of a place can provide the most durable concepts for architecture,’ he says Image by Yoshiaki Tsutsui Facing page, top right and bottom Todoroki House is a threestorey family home in a densely populated urban forest whose microclimate led Tane to research how early civilisations built dwellings in both humid and arid areas Images by Yuna Yagi
At the moment, Tane travels between Japan and France at least once a month. In France, he recently won the proposal call for the new Al Thani Collection spaces at the historic Hôtel de la Marine in Paris; in Japan, some of
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This page The Paris-based architect is currently working on a weekend home in the 20,000-hectare forest of Fontainebleau, influenced by both site-specific memories and his observations of the differences between Japanese and European lifestyles Image by Frans Parthesius
ARCHITECTONICS / Architectural Practice
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ARCHITECTONICS / Architectural Practice
Form Meets Function Text Sophie Kalkreuth
O
ver tea at New York’s Baccarat Hotel, James Wei Ke, design principal at Chiasmus Partners, shows me photos of his firm’s latest project, a village in Zhejiang province that resembles a scene from a traditional Chinese ink wash painting. Flanked by limestone cliffs and lush tea plantations, Chayuan Village dates to the Qing dynasty, but like many rural towns, it fell into disrepair as local populations, struggling to transition to the new economy, left to find work in larger cities. ‘Many of the village houses were in very poor and sometimes precarious condition,’ Wei Ke recalls of his initial site visit.
US- and Asia-based Chiasmus Partners created the intimate Micro-Theater performance space in Beijing’s historic Liu Hai Hutong. The area’s urban typology of long passageways with sudden openings is echoed in the firm’s design of Blue Note jazz club in the same city Image copyright Chiasmus Partners
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Over the last four years he’s worked to restore the homes, adding thermal insulation and modern sanitation and turning them into a destination for what he calls ‘slow tourism’. ‘The model is akin to the pensione in Italy,’ he explains. Residents will remain in their own homes, and once the structures are renovated and, in some cases, rebuilt, they’ll be able to rent out their extra rooms as hospitality spaces. During the restoration, Wei Ke ‘intermingled’ the new structures with traditional rammedearth walls and used as many local and recycled materials as possible. The beauty of the vernacular and the sense of timelessness are shaped by a fusion of old and new forms. ‘We really shunned the making of architectural statements,’ he says. ‘Instead, we searched for a type of architecture that would blend into the existing fabric of the village and its surrounding landscape.’
ARCHITECTONICS / Architectural Practice
The tranquil village is worlds away from the glass and steel peaks of midtown Manhattan, but Wei Ke, who founded Chiasmus with Hyunho Lee in 2005, appears to transition seamlessly between continents and cultures. His firm now has offices in Beijing, Seoul and Newport Beach, and works across a range of typologies and scales, from performance spaces and commercial towers to private residences in Asia and beyond. In China, the firm has completed several highprofile performance spaces, including Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai and Blue Note jazz club in Beijing. For the latter, which is located adjacent to the Forbidden City, the firm designed long passageways with sudden turns and openings, a spatial unfolding conceived to echo that of Beijing’s hutongs. ‘We believe the spatial and structural characteristics of a building are inseparable from its function
and meaning,’ says Wei Ke. ‘The boundaries between form and content become blurred.’ This blurring also occurs at Urban Hamlet, a residential commission Hyunho Lee recently completed on the outskirts of Daejeon in South Korea. Lee experimented with the concept of public versus private in the family context to design a home that is its own kind of village, with programmes that shift between intimate and personal, and open and communal. ‘Residential architecture should facilitate the relationships between family members,’ says Wei Ke. How this is achieved, though, varies from scheme to scheme. ‘To Chiasmus there is no such thing as ordinary questions and fixed answers,’ concludes Wei Ke. ‘Each project is a new invitation, an opportunity for creative interpretation.’
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This page and facing page Chayuan Village in China’s Zhejiang province dates to the Qing dynasty but fell into disrepair as the population dwindled. Chiasmus co-founder James Wei Ke is leading a project to modernise the villagers’ homes and add new context-sensitive structures, with the plan to eventually take advantage of the spectacular location for slow tourism Images by Arch-Exist photography / YuChi Li
THE FLÂNEUR
A Postcard of the Past
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f there’s one word I want you to know while you’re here,’ my guide advised when we met in the hotel lobby, ‘it’s shalom. It’s how we say hello and goodbye, but its literal translation is peace.’ Peace isn’t the first thing I associated with Israel — but as it turns out, Tel Aviv is full of surprises. When I imagined the city, I envisioned street after street of worn, faded facades and quiet locals in modest dress. Instead, I discovered people lounging beachside and soaking up the sun, warmly greeting friends for a relaxed al fresco lunch at the latest cafe, or partying with fervour well into the night. Despite my naive, narrow view of this part of the world, everyone insisted Tel Aviv is a modern city. And they were right, sort of. Take Neve Tzedek, a posh neighbourhood filled with boutiques selling high-end, handmade jewellery, one-of-a-kind art and elegant home goods. The main drag, Shabazi Street, was exactly the picture of a modern city I’d heard it is. Lush ivy blankets the storefronts as morning light casts a golden glow on the clean streets — photographs wouldn’t even do the tranquil scene justice. Wandering into the nearby neighbourhood of Florentin, I sensed a shift as properties became more dilapidated and streets less orderly; Tel Aviv’s up-and-coming bohemian district has more edge. At times I found myself wandering empty streets alone, even in broad daylight, admiring the colourful spray-painted
murals that pop against the sandy, sun-worn buildings. Interspersed throughout the streets are cosy coffee shops inviting passers-by to pause and enjoy the quiet. These coexisting realities meet mere blocks away at the bustling Rothschild Boulevard. One of the first established streets in Tel Aviv, this artery pulses with the life of a simpler time. I watched residents laugh with friends as they casually strolled down the tree-lined pedestrian walkway, flanked on either side by sleek Bauhaus architecture. Lining the path, however, were groups of dockless e-scooters, a fresh-on-the-scene mode of transportation in Tel Aviv. An endless stream of them zoomed by, some no doubt destined for the wares at the Jaffa flea market or the mouth-watering fare at Sarona market.
Text Theresa Christine Illustration Meital Shushan
I hopped on one myself to head west, where the edge of the city kisses the Mediterranean. The promenade led to Gordon Beach, where I saw sunseekers playing volleyball, dining at a laidback waterfront cafe or reclining on the sand. And while this vibrant, modern city sprawled behind me, what I saw here was a postcard from the past. Faded beach umbrellas dotting the waterfront. Pristine water for miles. A place and a people so carefree that the stresses of modern life simply washed out to sea. Leaning back on my elbows with eyes closed, I felt the sand grind between my toes, smelt the salt in the air and listened as waves crashed on the shore. I found peace.
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Theresa Christine is a travel writer and adventure lover based in Los Angeles