THE ART OF GLASS LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL PROFILE: DAAN ROOSEGAARDE GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL
BY R . & E . B O U R O U L L EC
AIM
2013
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INTRO & INFO
Welcome Throughout its different states, from glowing molten treacle to glistening frozen forms, glass holds an almost magical appeal, so it’s no great surprise to find that those who embrace the challenge of traditional hand-blown glass production feel so passionately about it. Like many traditional industries, however, glass studios are facing some stark challenges as they struggle to stay relevant for the contemporary age. That’s why it was heartening to discover the Glass Is Tomorrow project while visiting the MOST exhibition in Milan earlier this year. This European initiative aims to connect glass blowers and contemporary designers to find fresh ways of engaging in each other’s worlds. The results of the Glass Is Tomorrow workshops will be presented at an exhibition at some point in the future, but in the meantime we’ve spoken to some of the participants about their work, as well as pulling together some examples of the multifarious ways that glass is being used in modern lighting design. Glass aside, you’ll also notice a strong London flavour to this issue in honour of this September’s London Design Festival. The darc team will be doing the rounds so please do seek us out, and don’t forget to pick up an extra copy from our displays at 100% Design and Designjunction. - Pete Brewis • darc Editor
Contents 006
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CHRISTOPHER’S • LONDON
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CAFÉ ROUGE • UK NATIONWIDE
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ZAHA HADID SHOWROOM • LONDON
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FOLIO: II BY IV DESIGN
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PROFILE: DAAN ROOSEGAARDE
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COMMENT: A NEW AGE OF GLASS
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GLASS IS TOMORROW
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GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL • LONDON
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GLASS GALLERY
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PROFILE: BETHAN LAURA WOOD
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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL: DISTRICTS & DESTINATIONS
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LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL: PRODUCT PREVIEW
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IF...
COVER IMAGE: Plum+Spilt Milk, Great Northern Hotel, London. © Keith Collie EDITOR : PETE BREWIS : p.brewis@mondiale.co.uk
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT : ROB LEEMING : r.leeming@mondiale.co.uk
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR : PAUL JAMES : p.james@mondiale.co.uk ADVERTISING : JOHN-PAUL ETCHELLS : jp.etchells@mondiale.co.uk / JASON PENNINGTON : j.pennington@mondiale.co.uk PRODUCTION : DAVID BELL : d.bell@mondiale.co.uk / MEL ROBINSON : m.robinson@mondiale.co.uk darc is a supplement of mondo*arc magazine ltd, Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ, UK Printed by Buxton Press, Palace Road, Buxton, UK • ISSN 2052-9406
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PROJECT / CHRISTOPHER’S, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON, UK
All photography: © Hufton + Crow
LONDON ASSURANCE Christopher’s sits in a building that once hosted London’s first licensed casino. Reopened with an interior by De Matos Ryan, the restaurant is standing up for opulence in austere times. When the Monte Carlo Casino opened in 1856, gambling was considered to be something of a dubious pastime often found in seedy pubs and other dens of iniquity, yet the newly plush and gilded gaming halls of Monaco began to alter this perception, after all the Monte Carlo casino was bankrolled by a cardinal, and not just any cardinal, a cardinal who went on to become Pope. When news of gaming and its newfound Mediterranean glamour reached England, the Victorian gentlemen of London, always eager to be on the front foot in matters of fashion, flooded to London’s first licensed casino. The great city’s answer to Monte Carlo was to be found amid the fruit and veg of Covent Garden (and why not, it worked for an opera house) in a former
paper mache factory with an ornate façade added on to create the required sense of style. The building still stands today and is home to that stalwart of the Covent Garden dining scene, Christopher’s. After twenty years and more of culinary service, during which time the restaurant became a favourite lunching spot for media moguls and West End impresarios, Christopher’s has recently reopened after receiving a thorough re-fit. The building’s opulent new interior, designed by De Matos Ryan and created in close collaboration with Christopher’s owners, eschews the current climate of austerity and financial abstinence that has been a mark of recent times. The new sumptuous interiors hark back to a bygone
Above: The pristine first floor dining room at Christopher’s features a range of lighting fixtures by Serge Mouille, the multi-armed insect like fixtures can be seen on the ceiling. Opposite (top left): Decorative fixtures from Delightfull are deployed to impressive effect in the Martini Bar, the Coltrane family fixtures are suspended above the bar. Opposite (top right): Foscarini fixtures in the former service stairwell that leads to the private Club Room. Opposite (bottom left): A fixture from Serge Mouille lights the wall and ceiling by the fireplace in the first floor dining room. Opposite (bottom right): A Sinatra floor lamp by Delightfull in the Club Room featuring bespoke dark red aluminum shades.
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PROJECT / CHRISTOPHER’S, COVENT GARDEN, LONDON, UK
PROJECT DETAILS Christopher’s, Covent Garden, London UK Client: Christopher’s Interior Architect: De Matos Ryan
LIGHTING SPECIFIED Decorative Lighting Plass’ Feature Pendant - Foscarini Sinatra Pendants and Floor Lamp - Delightfull Coltrane tube Pendants and Wall Lights - Delightfull A range of fixtures - Serge Mouille Architectural Lighting Recessed LED downlights - Orlight Recessed LED Bathroom downlights - Orlight Sunbeam mini recessed LED downlight - The Light Corporation Recessed dimmable LED strip light - Orlight
era of glamour and revelry, which celebrate the ornate and exceptional character of the existing building, summoning up the atmosphere of heady decadence the building has embodied since Victorian times. In creating sumptuous interiors De Matos Ryan has evoked the real and imagined history of the building. The new Christopher’s comprises three distinct areas for drinking and dining; a ground floor Martini Bar offering cocktails and informal dining, an elegant dining room on the first floor and a club room for private events on the lower ground. Each of these spaces has been characterised whilst establishing a clear tonal and material palette continuity throughout.
The entrance hall sets the tone with its charcoal grey walls, restored marble floor and domed ceiling highlighted with warm silver ornament. The Martini Bar is conceived as a theatrical and atmospheric drinking parlour, with a palette of materials expressing the rich patina and alchemy of cocktail mixology. The double height space is dramatised by a 6.6 metre long onyx sharing table leading up to the main focal point of the room, a gold mirrored and brass-clad bar. Bottles are displayed against a faceted smoked gold mirror backdrop cut with the repeat abstracted motif of a martini glass. Light levels are kept deliberately low with a dy-
namic installation of suspended Delightfull Coltrane tube pendants, sculptural lights hung at varying lengths from adjustable magnetic cable, animating the gold mirror backdrop. Coltrane Wall Lights by Delightfull have also been used to excellent effect, mirroring the sleek pendants while adding a sense of modern creativity. The dining room is located on the first floor and comprises two interconnecting rooms. Diners arrive via a grand spiral staircase, dramatically lit by three large glowing faceted pendants by Serge Mouille. In contrast to the Martini Bar this is a much brighter space with expansive windows overlooking London’s Theatreland. The classic contem-
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Above: Delightfull’s Coltrane family bringing a fine visual effect to Christopher’s Martini Bar. The pendants are attached to an adjustable magnetic cable, while the wall lights mirror the pendant’s sleek design. Left: Foscarini’s Plass feature pendant installed in the former service stairwell. The fixture’s colouring meshes perfectly with the Victorian tile work in the hallway. Opposite (top): The first floor dining room has a lighter feel and the fixtures provided by the France based Serge Mouille bring an unfussy style to the space. Opposite (below) Natural light plays an important role in the first floor dining room, large windows look out over central London.
porary two-tone grey panelled walls are framed by a theatrically lit silver gilded ceiling cornice. The cornice is reflected in antique mercury mirrored panels and accented by flashes of warm gold velvet in the predominantly grey leather upholstery, a look designed to maximize magnificent views across Waterloo Bridge from the smaller dining space. Slender black metal wall and ceiling lights, again by Serge Mouille, a company well known for angular, insect like fixtures that often feature several arms, punctuate the two dining rooms and complement the dark tones of the painted timber floor, allowing the original architectural features and the food itself to
take centre stage. The Club Room for private events is concealed within the basement and is accessed by a discreetly lit reconditioned former service staircase. The stairwell space is impressive, the winding stone stair and wooden banister meshing well with the original tiling in the lower hall. The Foscarini Plass feature pendant, which rests perfectly in the open space between ceiling and stair, adds a touch of modernity. The dining space is classic and restrained with mid-century inspired pendant and floor lamps. Mirror lined walls give the illusion of greater space in this more intimate setting and a ‘gold nugget’ polished brass bar adds
drama. Delightfull Sinatra pendants and a floor lamp with bespoke shades are also featured. The sculpted Sinatra floor lamp, fittingly named and placed in the former casino, a setting in which the fixture’s namesake felt most at home, is a sculptural brass creation with three dark red aluminium shades on three movable arms, adding a versatility, which allows the lamp to be easily integrated into any natty space. The new Christopher’s achieves a sensitive balance that is difficult to accomplish, the interior offers a thoroughly modern look whilst summoning the glamorous memories of the building’s past. www.dematosryan.co.uk
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PROJECT / CAFE ROUGE, HAMPSTEAD, LONDON, UK
ATMOSPHERE AND SOME As it approaches its twenty fifth birthday, the popular Café Rouge now boasts a remade interior. Design agency AfroditiKrassa looked to Canal St Martin for Parisian inspiration. In the classic Parisian film Hotel du Nord, the actress, Arletty, famously replies to her partner after he announces he is desperate for a change of scene, ‘Atmosphere, atmosphere, do I look like an atmosphere kind of girl.’ It may have meant nothing to Arletty, but atmosphere is a crucial factor in the creation of a successful restaurant and when the owners of Café Rouge turned to AfroditiKrassa to redesign the chain’s look, the design agency in turn looked to the Hotel du Nord for inspiration. The real Hotel du Nord, made famous by the film, still stands on the banks of the Canal St Martin, now much gentrified in comparison with the docker’s hostel it used to be.
Once an industrial heartland, the area now flourishes with urban, bohemian Parisian bistros, all prefect fuel to Afroditi and her design team. The Tragus Group approached AfroditiKrassa in the Spring of 2012 with the task of revolutionising the iconic restaurant. The studio approached the project with sensitivity to the established Café Rouge brand, yet with a real zest to inject creativity and innovation. The brief was largely focused on introducing Café Rouge to a new, younger audience in an increasingly competitive market place, and with this in mind AfroditiKrassa created a new brand world and design concept based on heritage, authenticity, quirkiness and
Above: The well stocked bar in the Café Rouge lit by two customised brass pendants with red twisted textile cable, produced by Northern Lights. Right: Two Lee Broom Crystal Bulbs over a dining table in the Norwich Café Rouge. The bulbs are suspended from the ceiling by twisted flex and each feature a G9 LED lamp, creating a dazzling effect.
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PROJECT / CAFE ROUGE, HAMPSTEAD, LONDON, UK
Top Left: Round sconce wall lights by Tom Dixon create a circular light between the building’s French casement windows. Bottom Left: Customised chandeliers from Northern Lights reflect in the bistro’s large mirror.
humour. Four pilot sites were launched just before Christmas of 2012, in order to gauge the response of the Café Rouge customer base and beyond. The results were impressive with large sales increases recorded. A mix of lighting was used in the roll out of the new design nationwide, with Firefly Lighting Design providing the architectural lighting scheme and AfroditiKrassa the decorative design. Lamps from Holloways of Ludlow are a new standard in the guidelines of the brand and can be seen in restaurants across the country. A polished brass external
wheelhouse wall light from Holloways as well as a wheelhouse lobby pendant light, also in polished brass, have been used to fine effect on the restaurant’s exterior. The lamps from Holloways are complimented by white LED garlands from Power Road Studios in Chiswick, which suit the large French windows and wood panels, hallmarks of the exterior design. The interior of the bistro is fresh and airy, with multi-coloured tiles, red leather booths and rustic furniture working well together. Little trinkets of French cul-
ture have also been scattered around the interior, Laurent Voulzy record sleeves lean against iconic Jacques Tati film posters, accompanied by an obligatory Eiffel Tower or two. Clusters of Lee Broom crystal bulbs play an important role in the interior design. The brass and crystal pendants each feature a G9 LED lamp and hover over the dining tables from gold coloured twisted flex, creating an almost supernatural effect. Lighting from another British designer, Tom Dixon, also features in the interior of many
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PROJECT / CAFE ROUGE, HAMPSTEAD, LONDON, UK
Top Right: The exterior of Café Rouge, Hampstead. Lighting from Holloways of Ludlow and Power Road Studios has been used on many Café Rouge façades across the country. Bottom Right: The Red Connection Ball Pendant chandelier from Shoreditch Lighting makes for an impressive centerpiece, while Tom Dixon brass pendant void lights can also be seen at the edges of the room. Three pressed glass bowl wall lights, also from Tom Dixon, can be seen on the two sidewalls.
LIGHTING SPECIFIED Hampstead site Outdoor LED garlands - Power Road Studios External wheelhouse brass wall light - Holloways of Ludlow External wheelhouse lobby pendant - Holloways of Ludlow Medium Picture Light ATLGPR18 - Andy Thornton Pressed Glass Light - Bowl Wall scone light - Tom Dixon Void Light Mini Brass Pendant - Tom Dixon Brass and crystal bulb pendant - Lee Broom RAL 3001 Signal red table lamp - Northern Lights Red RA L 3001 Signal - Northern Lights Bespoke chandelier with red metal structure, 9 globe lights and golden cable - Northern Lights Customised brass pendant with red twisted textile cable (bar area) - Northern Lights Customised chandelier, with 3 globe lights and powder coated metal - Northern Lights Red Arc customised Lamp - Northern Lights Atomic Lobster arc floor lamp - CB2 Jean Prouve style Potence mounted wall light - Interior Addict Red Arne Jacobsen Style Desk Lamp - Interior Addict Approved fixture list Madelaine Chandelier - Delightfull Ella Chandelier - Delightfull Norah Chandelier - Delightfull Lindvall pendant - Wastberg Brubeck pendant - Delightfull Bead Pendant - Holloways of Ludlow Aretha Chandelier - Delightfull Moooi Heraculeum - Twentytwentyone Waldorf Flush ceiling light - Holloways of Ludlow Astoria 15 pendant light - Chaplins Achille Castiglioni Taraxacum 88 pendant - Iconic Lights Bocci Chandelier - Foundry Light & Design Anglepoise Duo Maxi pendant - John Lewis Felix Rise & Fall Ceiling pendant light - John Lewis Serge Mouille MCL-R6 Style Contemporary Pendant Lamp - Interior Addict Louis Pendant Light - Interior Addict Smoke Nadine Cluster chandelier - BHS ‘Eyeball 6’ Retro Spotlights in black - Shoreditch Lighting E27 Avant Garde Iron chandelier - Light In The Box Replica Circa 1949 small red pendant light - Litecraft Stanley Medium Pendant - Lighting Matters Red Connection Ball Pendant Light - Shoreditch Lighting
of the new restaurants. Round sconce wall lights by the designer jut out from the bistro’s sides helping to illuminate many of the French ornaments on display, the pressed glass bowl wall light features a silver crown incandescent bulb. Tom Dixon has also provided a brass pendent void light with a hidden bulb that hangs down from the restaurant’s periphery, creating a warm and welcoming light. A number of different chandelier options were considered by AfroditiKrassa to form the lighting centrepiece of the dining room. For the Hampstead arm of the restaurant chain a chandelier formed with red cable
was chosen. The Red Connection Ball Pendant light from Shoreditch Lighting makes for a creative eye-catcher that blends seamlessly into the decor. Other chandelier’s from CB2, Litecraft, JSPR, Light in the Box and Foundry Light and Design were considered and feature in other Cafe Rougé interiors around the UK. The new interior creates an atmosphere you want to be a part of, the first step towards the required alchemy that always makes for a memorable meal. www.afroditi.com www.fireflylightingdesign.com
PROJECT DETAILS Cafe Rouge, Hampstead, London, UK Client: The Tragus Group Interior Architect: AfroditiKrassa Decorative Lighting Design: AfroditiKrassa Architectural Lighting Design: Firefly Lighting Design
FOREST LIGHT by HildenDiaz
www.within4walls.co.uk award-winning lighting and interiors
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FOCAL POINT / ZAHA HADID GALLERY
ARIA IN BLACK During this year’s Clerkenwell Design Week, architects Zaha Hadid Design launched a new gallery to showcase its impressive portfolio of work, including the futuristic Aria and Avia. An aria in opera, like a soliloquy in Shakespeare, is a personal statement, often delivered with a dramatic flourish. They are the centrepieces, the keystones that hold together a story. An aria is the anchor everything else revolves around. Zaha Hadid’s Aria and Avia lamps, created for Slamp and presented for the first time at Euroluce, are both dramatic statements in themselves, objects the rest of a room will revolve around when installed. The lamps played a major role in the opening of Zaha Hadid Design in Clerkenwell during Design Week, a new gallery space containing a selection of Hadid’s work. The gallery presented a slew of designs by the Hadid practice, including furniture that supports the lamps in look and feel. Aria is a suspended centrepiece, which gently illuminates its environment with light cast through its sculptural fins, fins that
number 50 and are made from translucent Cristalflex (a techno-polymer patented by Slamp) black plastic. Devised as an elegant embodiment of the seamless fluidity of movement, Aria features six 60W E27 halogen light sources that face outwards and a downward facing 75W E27 spotlight. The shape of Avia brings to mind a billowing cloud, both rising to ceiling and sinking to floor at the same time. Avia is comprised of a similar plastic material in white or black. Featuring four 60W E27 halogen lights as well as one 75W E27 spotlight, the lamp is also available in different sizes. The fixtures can currently been seen at the Danish Architecture Centre in Copenhagen, which is devoting its summer exhibition to the work of Zaha Hadid. The exhibition runs until the 29th of September 2013. www.zaha-hadid.com
Above: The Aria and Avia lamps on display at the Zaha Hadid Design Gallery. Below: The lamps are featured as part of the summer exhibition of Zaha Hadid’s work at the Danish Architecture Centre in Copenhagen.
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RW&Co Canada (NATIONWIDE)
Our regular feature highlighting the importance of decorative lighting in the work of one interior design practice. This issue, we present Toronto-based II BY IV. II BY IV Design was founded in 1990 by partners Dan Menchions and Keith Rushbrook. Their shared passion for creating design solutions that are both innovative and functional has seen the firm constantly expand, drawing in a talented team from a variety of design backgrounds. Continually traveling the globe, the team finds inspiration in art, fashion, food and culture, which keeps II BY IV Design in touch with current and emerging consumer lifestyles and attitudes. The practice’s varied portfolio includes projects in a wide range of fields: hotel, retail, hospitality, residential, exhibition, office and bespoke design. A clear understanding of good lighting design, both architectural and decorative, is a key element in the creation of high end, often high profile projects. In many cases, lighting pieces are custom made to II BY IV Design’s specifications, providing the perfect focal point to complete a scheme. Based out of Toronto, the firm has just launched its first international studio in New York. www.iibyiv.com
Photos: David Whittaker
Beer Boutique Toronto, Canada
Inspired by modern glamour and high-energy contemporary fashion, II BY IV Design’s concept for RW&CO’s flagship store in Toronto has become the template for outlets across the country. The store’s structure, a series of planar surfaces and sliced geometric shapes, is tempered by the shimmer of chrome and diamond, from the glowing studs on the store façade to the three-piece chandelier within. The latter is part of the GIA Light series of fixtures developed by II BY IV Design. Long rectangular, polished chrome frames are strung with crystals and suspended from the ceiling by aircraft cable. The GIA has been used in a number of the practice’s projects, evolving into different shapes and styles to suit different settings. The most recent example of this is in the new Trump International Hotel and Tower in Toronto, where circular versions adorn the lobby areas for both hotel and residential suites.
A celebration of traditional craftsmanship, the Beer Boutique caters to local gourmet tastes for artisan beers, lagers and stouts as well as classic brews. Bottles are showcased in curved Beer Theatre displays, which soften the industrial-inspired space. Drawing upon the neighbourhood’s history of manufacturing, II BY IV Design chose interior finishes of reclaimed wood, exposed brick and copper to evoke a sense of being within a brewery. The heritage atmosphere is further enhanced with herringbone plank floors and an exposed ceiling that emphasises a striking custom chandelier of copper pipes linked by LED tubes. Reminiscent of the piping that connects copper stills, this centerpiece, manufactured by Visio, juxtaposes the traditional and modern to great effect. This prototype design is set to be rolled out to stores nationwide.
Photos: David Whittaker
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Chairman’s Suites Toronto, Canada
Photos: David Whittaker
Donato Salon + Spa
Design decisions for the Chairman’s Suites, a high-end private members club located within the Air Canada Centre sports arena, were focused on providing a unique upscale venue in which to enjoy the game and entertain. Rosewood tables, cognac-coloured leather upholstery and polished bronze chairs give the space an opulent finish. Keying in to this aesthetic, custom light fixtures were created, manufactured by Lighting Nelson & Garrett following II by IV Design’s specifications. A series of polished bronze fins radiate in a circular array around a central light source - MR16 up- and downlights set within a frosted acrylic diffuser. The piece is present in two styles: a shallower fixture located above the semi-circular dining booths and a taller version in the bar area.
Toronto, Canada With a dramatic colour palate of dark ebony and ivory, the Donato Salon + Spa concept seamlessly melds classic design elements within a contemporary context. The client’s objective was the creation of a new flagship location that would strengthen their already-established brand, attract new clients and maximise sales of their new cosmetic line. Avoiding unwanted shadows and ensuring accurate colour rendering were key considerations for the salon areas, but so too was visual impact. Each zone has its own distinct character, including the entrance space, which was styled to mimic the experience of visiting a luxurious hotel. Two chandeliers, custom designs by II BY IV Design and produced by Eurolite in Toronto, hang above a custom designed counter, reminiscent of a hotel concierge desk, welcoming guests into the space.
Photos: David Whittaker
Photos: Ben Rahn / A Frame Inc
SnAKS NEW YORK, USA The design of the new tartinerie in Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship Rockefeller Center location balances timeless glamour, New York verve and a charming freshness. The clean lines, sparing details, modern classic furnishings and pale lavender and cream palette are at once lady-like, sexy and fashionable. The multipurpose space provides shoppers with a location to lunch, as well as an additional space for Saks to host shows and launch events. A row of Zebra pendants from Viso (designed by Filipe Lisboa) hang above the counter, their silver metallic stripes designed to evoke a spectacular idealism and sophistication. “We liked the simplicity of the design and reflective nature of the material,” notes II BY IV Design’s Keith Rushbrook. “At night the light creates beautiful shadows.”
If you’re an interior designer with an eye for decorative lighting and have five projects worth sharing, contact: editor@darcmagazine.com
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PROFILE
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daAn ROOSEGAARDE Studio Roosegaarde is a Dutch powerhouse of creativity, led by a young, socially conscious firebrand who is bringing his art to the people.
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Opposite: Lotus, Daan Roosegaarde’s ‘living dome’ turns Zedekiah’s Cave in Jerusalem into an experience bordering on the spiritual. Above: An underpass in Rotterdam was transformed by ‘Dune’ a ‘nature hybrid’ made from fiber optic cables, bringing to mind a swaying riverbank of reeds. Left: Daan Roosegaarde works on Lotus.
“In terms of the economy, in terms of energy, the whole system is crashing and a new world needs to be discovered, somehow,” says the Dutch designer, architect and artist, Daan Roosegaarde. The trick is in finding the ‘somehow’ and in today’s tangled world, trapped in-between massive technological advancement and economic despair, with the principles of society getting lost somewhere amid the fray, we should be grateful Roosegaarde is willing to take on the task. The key to getting out of trouble has always been society, people coming together to improve circumstances, but today real social interaction is being challenged by social networking, an impersonal experience dressed up in shimmery clothes. “I don’t believe in computer screens,” says Roosegaarde, they are one of the nightmares of our age, we call it social networking but all I see are people looking at screens.” This increasingly digitalised world spurs Roosegaarde into action, his work in part is about reuniting people with people, tearing them away from their laptops, phones and tablets. “There are separate worlds
developing,” Roosegaarde says, “there is the analogue world, Europe standing still, stalled building projects and a credit crisis, and faced with this we are connecting our dreams, our emotions, to a virtual cloud via Facebook and Twitter, there is a growing separation, a missing link and I’ve always felt the urge to join these things up.” He attempts to do this by making our environment, the spaces people use, more human. A continuing project called Dune has won Roosegaarde praise since its first incarnation was staged in a suburban pedestrian tunnel in Rotterdam in 2007. The project is a ‘nature hybrid’, lengths of fiber optic cables creating a swaying riverbank of glowing reeds, kitted out with sensors that react to the sounds of people when they walk past. Utilising just 60 watts the project revitalized a grim tunnel by bringing people and architecture together. It prompted conversation in a space usually reserved for shuffling through with your head down, people even had their wedding photographs taken with Dune in the background. Dune is one of many interactive projects that Studio Roosegaarde has developed in public spaces, projects that have included
Marbles a set of large coloured moulded shapes that interact with people via sound, light and colour in a public square in Almere and Sensor Valley, Europe’s largest interactive sensor artwork, which interacts with human motion and touch in the Dutch city of Assen. A more recent project, Crystal, is comprised of illuminated rocks, ‘Lego from Mars’ as Roosegaarde terms them, little pieces of glowing crystal, containing a single LED, that can be picked up and used to write and build with. “There were two agendas with Crystal,” says Roosegaarde, “one was public lighting, instead of saying here’s a streetlight, a pillar with a lamp high above you, Crystal is personal, it’s like a candle in the Middle Ages, you had the light with you then, it was hand held, you walked with the light, you can do that with Crystal.” “The second agenda concerns communication, you can write with the crystals, you can leave messages behind, you can share them, you can steal them, they only work within an certain area, they need a small rubber power mat to charge, but with the open sourced way we made the crystals, it is possible to make your own, so you
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Left: ‘Lotus’ works its magic in the Sainte Marie Madeleine Church in Lille, the light work transforming the church’s Baroque interior. Above: ‘Crystal’ features a single LED that can be picked up and used to build with. Below: Daan Roosegaarde takes his message on the road.
can make one for your girlfriend, then you can go to the exhibition and suddenly the crystal will burst into light like a wish fountain.” Crystal will be placed around Eindhoven during the upcoming Dutch Design Week. One of Roosegaarde’s most visually stunning projects is Lotus, a living dome made out of hundreds of smart flowers that fold and open in reaction to human behaviour. “Making architecture that comes alive,” Roosegaarde says, was the inspiration behind Lotus. “The project feels natural, it doesn’t copy nature but behaves like it, it feels very organic, but is completely industrialised, Lotus is very sensual,” the designer concludes, “and that is very important.” Lotus has been placed in different locations, one of the most effective being the 17th-century Sainte Marie Madeleine Church in Lille with its beautiful Flemish Renaissance and Baroque interior, a whole host of painted Christs and Apostles coming to life when the dome is tripped into light by movement. “The church is a beautiful orna-
mental building,” says Roosegaarede, “but nobody went there, like a beautiful model at a party, she was lonely, because everyone was a bit scared to talk to her.” The splendour of Catholic piety in all its seventeenth century glory doesn’t bring you closer to the Almighty, but instead overawes and leads, ironically, to a feeling of disconnection. “So we made the church dark” says Roosegaarde, “and when you walk by and the dome illuminates, you literally scan the whole building, you are rediscovering this ancient world, you are seeing what was already there in a different way.” Lotus was also displayed in Jerusalem in Zedekiah’s Cave, a onetime quarry and the first Masonic lodge in the Holy Land. “The cave was more brutal,” says Roosegaarde, deep underneath the Holy City of Jerusalem, it was an administrative nightmare to get the piece set up, but when it was it turned visiting the cave into a very powerful, almost spiritual experience. I like updating places like that.” Light tends to be an important part of Roosegaarde’s art. “My work is about be-
haviour and the type of interaction you cre ate between people, between your body and landscape,” he says, “light is a really good medium for that. Most likely we are made of stardust anyway, so there is an intriguing relationship between light and us human beings, it is a very elementary component.” As Roosegaarde hares off from one project to the next, he leaves behind him a set of reenergized public spaces, which fire the imaginations of the people who use them. “I’ve always wanted to make environments people can add things too,” Roosegaarde says, “that they can change, or be a part of, I think that is the kind of world that we are going to live in, one where technology becomes our second skin, our second language.” As long as Roosegaarde continues to champion technology as something that can bring people together in the flesh, rather than through the phoney medium of a computer screen, he might be nearer to solving the mystery of that ‘somehow’ than you think. www.studioroosegaarde.net
ph. Andrea Pancino
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GLASS : COMMENT
A NEW AGE OF GLASS Glass artist and educator Róisín de Buitléar reveals the rich tradition of European glass design and highlights its relevance for modern design studios. Traditional glass blowing regions in Europe developed where there was an availability of Silica sand (the main constituent of glass) and access to fuel to run large-scale furnaces. A proliferation of traditional factories can be found in Eastern Europe, in an area formerly known as Bohemia (now mainly the Czech Republic, but including parts of bordering Hungary, Poland, and Germany), where wood was plentiful to fuel the furnaces. These factories were known for their clear crystal and faceted cutting patterns, which refracts light. Opulent pieces in intense colours with gold decorative details are also characteristic of these regions. Contemporary production is now centred around Novy Bor in central Czech Republic. Italian blown glass from Murano near Venice is characterised by colourful, highly textured and patterned work, with baroque forms and rich use of colour. This island was a sanctuary for the production of glass and containment of industrial secrets. A rich patrimony of skill was handed down from one generation to the next ensuring a solid cultural identity on which it still trades. The Alsace area of North Eastern France was home to Emille Gallé and René Lalique who drew on local resources to create iconic
glass objects in the art nouveau style. Lalique is one of the only remaining large factories still in production in this area, employing local, skilled workers. Traditionally, Scandinavian factories also supported particular designers, including Nuutajärvi and Hämeenlinna in southern Finland, Homlegard in Denmark, and Orrefors in Smaaland in Southern Sweden. Across Scandinavia, simple lines, sparse use of colour and an exploration of the liquidity of the material prevailed. Crystal manufacturers in Ireland and Britain were heavily influenced by the Bohemian tradition, maximising the optical quality of clear lead crystal that produces a highly reflective and refractive surface. Today the majority of traditional glass factories are struggling to survive. The production of hot glass is expensive due to high energy costs and because making glass by hand is so labour intensive. It is also physically demanding work undertaken in extreme heat and requiring intense concentration. Glass making is a community activity. It requires a team to work in synchronicity to bring each individual piece to fruition. The savoir-faire of each glassmaker is something that can be taught but takes many
years of practice to perfect. Traditionally this was done through the apprenticeship system and most young men started at age sixteen, many of them following their fathers into the local factory. Creating a team that works seamlessly and without incident, where coordinated movements of hand and eye control the molten liquid sufficiently and expertly to produce similar results of high quality, takes years of training. Many factories are still trading on the legacy of their history, and producing traditional products that increasingly have little context for contemporary living. Many of these products are connected to regional rituals, patterns of behaviour and symbols of wealth. High costs of research and development, means that struggling factories are not investing in developing new ideas that are connected to current rituals and changing cultural values. This is stunting the growth of new markets and new products including lighting. With a more open access to communication, inspiration is constantly moving across national borders, resulting in less diversity in cultures and ideas. This pattern of patrimony and tacit knowledge of this process-led community is coming to an end. The existence of large glass producing
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factories is in decline. With its end, intangible qualities of a community’s capabilities, potentialities, and social relationships, will disappear. Despite this trend, the exceptional qualities of glass hold enormous potential as a modern, relevant design material. Glass records a memory of its journey, from its molten state to its cooled solid form. The blowing process is a series of steps that stretch, contain and restrain the fluid material. The innate qualities of glass are liquidity, refraction, reflection, magnification, distortion, and absorption of light. It can also contain air, which can be controlled and used to create remarkable patterns that refract light, such as the Reticello technique popular in Italian styles. Glass can be opaque transparent or translucent. It can contain texture and colour within the body of the material or on its surfaces. A spectrum of colour can be controlled to create patterns, resulting in the bending, containing or directing of light. Much of this work can only be achieved by hand and possibilities for exploiting these characteristics are infinite. By collaborating with field experts, creating exciting lighting solutions, which avail of these qualities, is possible. The essential
ingredients for collaborative success, are communication, patience, time and financial investment. Product designers can hold the key to advancing ideas on new products that are relevant to contemporary living. Finding suitable affordable solutions to product development and exploration with field experts remains a difficult stumbling block. All too often, a misunderstanding of the material, and a limited knowledge of production methods and timescale needed to evolve new ideas, prevents designers from attempting innovative ideas with skilled glassblowing teams. A lack of financial investment mean that many projects never evolve beyond initial drawings. A number of glass centres have evolved where residencies and research projects are supported and investigated. CIAVmeisenthal in France, for example, has supported a number of recent lighting projects. Residencies in places such as Pilchuck glass school, USA, Canberra glassworks arts centre in Australia and Nuutajaravi glass centre in Finland are offered each year. However many of these residencies are availed of by artists wishing to pursue creative exploration of personal work rather than items for commercial production. Glass depart-
ments of art and design schools encourage collaboration with established designers and emerging designers. Prototyping can often evolve more easily in these environments. Specific initiatives such as the recent European network ‘Glass is Tomorrow’ can also contribute to be a catalyst in this regard, bringing together designers and makers in traditional glass centres to explore and share ideas on evolving new products. Significant financial investment, which allows creative exploration for the production of glass objects including lighting, can lead to developing successful commercial answers to a contemporary lifestyle and ensure the future of traditional glass manufacturing.
Róisín de Buitléar is an artist and educator, based in Dublin, Ireland. CAUTION! Fragile, a collaborative exhibition of glass by de Buitléar with master craftsmen from Waterford, will be shown at the Museum Of Glass in Tacoma, USA, from 9th November 2013 to 30th September 2014. www.roisindebuitlear.com
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GLASS
GLASS OF 2013
Clockwise from left: Versa Light (Lucie Koldova & Dan Yeffet, 2012); Muffin Light (Lucie Koldova & Dan Yeffet for Brokis, 2010); Spin Lights (Lucie Koldova for Lasvit, 2013); Balloons (Lucie Koldova & Dan Yeffet for Brokis, 2011); Bondage (Lucie Koldova for Lasvit, 2013).
Pic: Martin Chum
We catch up with some of the designers and glass blowers who took part in the Glass Is Tomorrow project. Glass Is Tomorrow was established in 2011 with the aim of creating a European network for glass producers and professional designers. As part of the project, an ongoing series of workshops have taken place at glass studios across Europe, allowing the different disciplines to form fresh collaborations, reinvigorating each others creative process with fresh ideas. We caught up with some of the participants to find out how they are applying glass techniques to their contemporary designs. www.glassistomorrow.eu
DAN YEFFET
Pic: Martin Chum
Pic: Martin Chum
Pic: Martin Chum
Dan Yeffet grew up in Israel, but established his first studio in Amsterdam in 2003 after graduating from the city’s Gerrit Rietveld. In 2005 the studio moved to Paris where he works on a diversity of projects, from conceptual spaces to objects, such as light pieces. Yeffet has collaborated with Lucie Koldova on a number of projects, including the PHYTO light (pictured), a lighting object created during the Glass Is Tomorrow workshop in Nuutajärvi in 2011. Its stacked glass composition allows the outer coloured shade to be changed as desired. www.danyeffet.com
Pic: Martin Chum
Pic: Martin Chum
LUCIE KOLDOVA Czech-born Lucie Koldova studied design in Prague before moving to Paris in 2009. Her work focuses on the creation of furniture, glass objects and light pieces, with particular emphasis on fine craftsmanship and the use of basic materials such as wood and glass. “For me glass represents a tough, resilient material, characterised as both strong and fragile at the same time,” she says. “Somehow the material and its features feel very familiar to me.” For Koldova, the challenges of understanding glass, its various states from fluid to solid, its unpredictability, heighten the creative rewards. “Sometimes the glass acts in its own way and I have to respect it and change the idea completely. However, the glass blowing techniques fascinate me and I try to let go of my need for control. Hand blown glass is a craftsmanship where every piece is an original and that’s an important value for me.”
The rich glass history of her native Czech Republic is a point of pride for Koldova and continuing that tradition is a huge motivation in her work. Already, she has worked with respected Czech brands Brokis and Lasvit and continues to experiment with different light sources and craft materials alongside traditional glass blowing techniques. In 2012 she took part in the first wave of Glass Is Tomorrow workshops. “I had the chance to observe how differently the real art glass blowers perceive and feel the material compared to designers,” she says. “Their work is based upon translating the melting hot material into a real shape and the whole process is their main ‘journey’. For me as a designer, I tend to be more fixed on the final result than the procedure itself. These differences I found very exciting and enriching. It gave me another perspective on working with glass.” Many of her light pieces are the product of collaborations with Dan Yeffet (see left). www.luciekoldova.com
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Right: Two pieces from Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert, both produced in free hand blown using the filigrane technique. The golden brown and orange of the Molten pendant (2012) and the floating forms of Clouds (2012).
FREDRIK NIELSEN
Pic: Petr Krejci
Fredrik Nielsen runs The Glass Factory studio in Boda, host to the most recent Glass Is Tomorrow workshop. For this wall piece, a free-blown, silvered glass shape was created, before being coated with clear car paint for added strength and then sawn in half with a hedge strimmer. “It’s very violent, the way I do my stuff,” explains Nielsen. www.theglassfactory.se Pic: Petr Krejci
Pic: Jeremy Josselin, courtesy of Galerie Caarole Decombe
JEREMY MAXWELL WINTREBERT
PIA WÜSTENBERG Pia Wüstenberg’s Glass Lights (pictured) are made from the excess glass cuttings from her Stacking Vessel objects. Each glass element is unique and topped with colourful processed paper beads. “Why do I like working with glass? Because it is a magical material,” she says. “As an outcome it is the most colour intense and pure material I know. I love combining glass with other materials to create contrast and highlight the qualities in the glass.” www.piadesign.eu
Jeremy Maxwell Wintrebert was 18 when he first experienced the glass blowing process first hand. The young artist was instantly won over by the mysterious dance of molten glass as it was coaxed into shape and resolved to learn as much as he could about the skills and techniques involved. “Working with hot molten glass at the end of a blow pipe is a very exciting way to express yourself as an artist,” he explains. “The material is incredibly dangerous, sensual and sensitive. It is almost alive.” Born in Paris and raised on the west coast of Africa, Wintrebert has spent most of his adult life split between the US and France. In between he has travelled to glass studios and production shops both in America and across Europe – in particularly to Murano Italy and the Czech Republic – learning his craft. “There are many constraints working with hot blown glass,” he says. “It is technically the most challenging way to work the material. There are many parameters; its science is very abstract and the only way to attain this knowledge is through word of mouth or imitation of the movements. It is like decrypting an ancient language. It is so complex that most people are never truly able to tap into its real creative potential. But of course once you explore and accept all of the constraints you are then free. The dialogue becomes fluid and therefore incredibly rich.”
Wintrebert draws on many Venetian techniques like encalmo and filigrane work, but also develops his own style and processes. Crucially, his work is always entirely free blown, avoiding the use of blow molds completely. “It’s a very important detail,” he says. “In a blow mold you are creating a volume by constraining it, whereas for free hand blown glass you are creating a volume freely around an axis. These are two very different schools of working.” It is the physicality of free hand blowing, he says, the fact it requires a fluidity of movement that matches that of the molten glass, that makes it such a satisfyingly direct expression of his creative energies. “The complexity of the material and unlocking its huge potential by learning this abstract language is really stimulating intellectually,” he explains. “Even more so because it is through my hands and body movements that this occurs, which keeps everything very real and down to earth. “In a world which is increasingly turning to technology to produce more and more to satisfy this insatiable virtual need for high consumption, it is more important then ever to keep alive the old ways of making things. Otherwise everything would become much too diluted and our spaces extremely stale. “The underlying approach to my work is to align my body and mind and spirit with the glass in such a way as to enable the creative energies to flow through me.” www.jeremyglass.com
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GLASS: PROJECT / GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL, LONDON, UK
A PLUM JOB Once close to demolition, the Great Northern Hotel reopened this June following a £40 million renovation project, restoring it as the gatekeeper to London’s newlook King’s Cross station. The Great Northern Hotel has a place at the heart of British railway history. Originally opened in 1854, a textbook example of early Victorian Italianate architecture, it marked the arrival of a new wave of London railway hotels. By the time of its closure twelve years ago, those glory days were long gone. Now, following a £40 million renovation, the building is welcoming guests once again. Positioned at the entrance to King’s Cross station, its clean-cut elegance stands in striking contrast to the gothic grandeur of its neighbours, the George Gilbert Scott designed St Pancras Station and Renaissance Hotel. Given the success of the finished project, it is startling to discover that this Grade II listed building was close to being demolished as part of a wider redevelopment of the area. Long dilapidated and unloved, its reprieve came when master-planners decided to incorporate the hotel into the sweeping glass and white steel canopy that now forms the new entrance to King’s Cross station. Indeed the Great Northern’s curved structure is now part of the new concourse roof’s outer spine, its ground floor housing ‘Kiosk’, the hotel’s high quality coffee and hot-sandwich shop, and the GNH bar, which links in to the hotel itself. It was Jeremy Robson of RAM who, as the hotel’s new owner-operator, took on the challenge of bringing the building back to
Plum + Spilt Milk, the Great Northern Hotel’s first floor restaurant, features over 150 bespoke glass pendants by Rothschild & Bickers. Set against the rich blue and walnut panelled interior, their golden glow creates a scene redolent of Whistler’s ‘Nocturne’.
All photography: © Keith Collie
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GLASS: PROJECT / GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL, LONDON, UK
Top: Plum + Spilt Milk includes its own bar area, allowing diners to enjoy a quite drink after their meal. The bar features a further series of hand-blown glass pendants by Rothschild & Bickers. Above left: Three Estadio chandeliers from Santa & Cole adorn the intimate hotel reception lobby.
life. “The restoration and re-opening of the Great Northern Hotel has been a dream of mine for many years,” he says. “ I saw the quality in the original architecture and realised what a careful renovation could contribute to the major regeneration being undertaken at King’s Cross. The hotel has an enchanting beauty and enjoys the most spectacular of locations in one of London’s most exciting neighbourhoods. I wanted to recreate something of real and lasting value; a London landmark that would serve visitors and Londoners alike.” Inside, the Great Northern has been sensitively refurbished to preserve the building’s historic character, while also introducing a high-end, modern feel. David Archer and Julie Humphryes of Archer Humphreys Architects were tasked with creating the interior
concept, adapting Lewis Cubitt’s original architecture to create a classical yet contemporary look. Naturally, lighting is an essential part of their design and, while the architectural illumination by Firefly Lighting Design plays a key role, it is the inclusion of artisan decorative pieces that provide the distinctive finishing touches to each space. The majority of the ground floor is given over to the GNH Bar. Red velvet curtains, black and white tiling and a 25 metre pewter bar combine to form a glamorous setting that echoes a golden age of international train travel. “The idea of having a very elaborate and quite decadent bar on a station platform is something that’s more common to Paris or New York than to the traditional British Rail waiting room,” notes David Archer. He
points to Le Train Bleu at Gare du Lyon and the Oyster Bar at Grand Central station as a point of reference for the team as they forged the bar’s romantic interior. The room is completed by two hand-made chandeliers from Bohemian glass manufacturer Preciosa, following a 19th Century design once popular with Europe’s aristocracy. A deep coffered, engraved mirrored ceiling allows the pieces to be seen from all angles, exaggerating the room’s already significant height and duplicating its rich interior. In contrast to the bar, the hotel reception occupies a discrete corner of the ground floor. Its polite, 1930s aesthetic is complemented by three Estadio chandeliers from Santa & Cole. These circular pieces comprise metal frames tightly suspended from the ceiling and crowned with solid
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GLASS: PROJECT / GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL, LONDON, UK
Top and above: Two Preciosa chandeliers in the GNH Bar help evoke the rich glamour of international railway station bars and restaurants like Le Train Bleu at Gare du Lyon and the Oyster Bar at New York’s Grand Central.
glass blocks that introduce a sparkle to the space. The hotel’s restaurant, Plum + Spilt Milk, takes its name from the traditional cream and purple livery of the London and North Western Railway’s carriages. Located on the first floor, the space is surrounded by full height sash windows that provide a series of impressive views, be it the new King’s Cross Piazza, the modern glowing glass concourse canopy or George Gilbert Scott’s iconic clock tower. Over 150 bespoke smoked-glass pendants hang at different heights across the room. Hand-blown to create a subtly nuanced collection of individual pieces, each illuminated by a traditional ‘squirrel cage’ filament bulb.
The pendants were created by UK-based glass studio Rothschild & Bickers in dialogue with Archer Humphryes. “The concept in Plum + Spilt Milk was to make something that was a little like Whistler’s ‘Nocturne’, where you have the deep hues and colours of the blue ceiling and walnut panelling alongside this twinkling gold cascade of light,” says Archer. “The lighting was laid out very carefully, aligning it with the seating, which was developed to fit the space, the clientele and the dining concept, so it’s all integral to generating a complete environment.” www.archerhumphryes.com www.gnhlondon.com
PROJECT DETAILS Great Northern Hotel, King’s Cross, London Client: Jeremy Robson, RAM Architect & Interior Design: Archer Humphryes Architects Architectural Lighting Design: Firefly Lighting Design Fixture & Fitting Procurement: yoo Furnishing
LIGHTING SPECIFIED Decorative Lighting 100 x bespoke glass pendants - Rothschild & Bickers 5 x bespoke glass pendants - Rothschild & Bickers 2 x custom chandeliers - Preciosa Lighting 3 x Estadio - by Miguel Milá for Santa and Cole Various pieces used in rooms - Original BTC
preview, © Cyril Lagel. DCWE © Ian Scigliuzzi. Kristalia s.r.l © Paolo Contratti. © Qui est Paul ? © Francis Amiand. SAFI organisation, a subsidiary of Ateliers d’Art de France and Reed Expositions France
Home sweet home
6-10 SEPT. 2013 PARIS NORD VILLEPINTE, hall 8 www.maison-objet.com
International home design exhibition
Trade only.
Visitors: Promosalons UK Tel. +44 208 216 3106 charlotte@promosalons.co.uk
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GLASS : PRODUCT
glass GALLERY From classic chandeliers to modernist flights of fancy we present a short selection of pieces that demonstrate the beauty of glass as a design material.
Pia Lucis
Utrem Lux DeGross DeGross Design & Innovation is a multidisciplinary design studio based in West London. In line with their ethos of sustainable, environmentally sound solutions, they created the Utrem Lux series. Made from reused glass bottles that had been discarded behind the DeGross studio and, wood offcuts from their next-door neighbours, each piece is made individually, by hand. Following the huge rise in demand, the team now source bottles from Labwaste Ltd. Pieces are available as pendant, desk and wall light versions. www.degross.co.uk
Modern in style and original in design, the Pia collection was created for Lucis by Daria Podboj. It comprises a series of shades made from Czech hand-blown triplex opal glass, their shape inspired by popular fruit sweets. The range includes suspension, ceiling and wall lamp versions. The Pia collection exhibits the precise craftsmanship that went into its creation. www.lucis.eu
Shoal Scabetti In contrast to the warmth that emanates from the translucent bodies of Scabetti’s English fine bone china sculptures, their foray into hand-slumped glass brings a new aesthetic to Shoal, the Bromley’s iconic luminaire. The depth of shadow created by refracted light on the glass evokes visions of shimmering waters. www.scabetti.co.uk
Neverending Glory Lasvit Designed for Lasvit by Jan Plechac & Henry Wielgus, the Neverending Glory collection reinterprets the opulence of traditional candle chandeliers as single-piece glass pendants. The iconic chandelier shapes are taken from five of the world’s most eminent concert halls and theatres; La Scala in Milan, Palais Garnier in Paris, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and, of course, the Czech Republic’s Estates Theatre in Prague. www.lasvit.com
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Glam Prandina Designed by Luc Ramael in 2005, Glam table lamp remains one of Prandina’s most iconic pieces. A reinterpretation of the typical table lamp, it comprises two blown glass elements: a cylindrical diffuser with a flattened closed top and a truncated cone base that supports it and holds the hidden bulb support. The opal white, red, black or mirror finishes of the diffuser can be combined with an opal white or transparent crystal base. The character of the lamp - the formality of its appearance - and the quality of light it provides is dependant of the glass combination chosen. www.prandina.it
Petrona Fred & Juul Inspired by children’s educational toys, two basic shapes in primary and secondary colours are combined around a light source to form a complex shape of hand-blown glass and gunmetal-patina brass. Looking through both glass elements, a tertiary colour is created. www.fredandjuul.com
Hollywood Icicle Brand van Egmond
Empatia Artemide Designed by Carlotta de Bevilacqua and Paola di Arianello, Empatia elegantly combines the great traditions of Italian glass-blowing and the latest LED technologies. Artemide worked closely with Venetian master glass blowers to create a unique craft object whilst not compromising on light efficiency. The resulting Empatia combines a high performance LED light contained in a smooth glass dome – fading from clear to opaque - that will reflect light without glare. The Empatia is available in 3 different power levels and sizes: Empatia diameter 360mm x H382mmm /28W; diameter 260mm x H289mm /21W; 160mm diameter x H191mm /14W. www.artemide.com
In the creation of the Hollywood collection, Annet van Egmond and William Brand took inspiration from the diversity of tree forms they encountered over their years of travelling the world. For this special edition of the series, the slender, nickel plated branches are hung with glistening hand blown glass icicles. www.brandvanegmond.com
Shadows Brokis
Pic: Martin Chum
Designed by Lucie Koldova and Dan Yeffet, Shadows is inspired by the classic ‘atelier light’.The full collection consists of five styles of shade, each avilable in three different types of glass. The collection is powered by a hidden warm white LED light source. Shadows exist in three different colour/material combinations: grey glass with a black wooden neck; opaque black over a black wooden neck; opal /opaline glass with natural oak wooden neck. www.brokis.cz
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GLASS : PRODUCT
OverNight by Odd Matter Vessel Gallery
Lupa Velt
Created by studio Odd Matter for Vessel Gallery, these crystalline pieces are formed by taking stained glass panels in rich shades of ruby, amber and mother of pearl and holding them in place by copper strips which are immersed over night in an electro-plating bath. It is during these twilight hours that these pieces literally grow as the strips act as a starting point for more copper to form, bonding all the edges together to make a perfect, tight fitting frame which holds the piece as one. www.vesselgallery.com
The name Lupa translate from Polish as ‘lens’, an apt description for this pendant piece from Jeremi Nagrabecki, the creative force behind Velt. Key to the design, the halogen light source is located above the glass shade rather than within it, as in conventional fixtures. This has the effect of distorting and magnifying the light that travels through the hand blown, 15cm diameter glass piece. The transformer for the light is hidden in a metal ceiling rose or, in the wall mounted version, within the metal sconce. www.velt.pl
Stelle Filanti Venini Murano glass experts Venini like to push the bounaries of glass design. Proof of this can be found in their recent collaboration with Swiss design creatives Atelier Oi whose Stelle Filanti suspension lamp collection launched in Milan earlier this year to much critical acclaim. www.venini.it
Knot Lamps Vitamin
Grapeflut Italamp
Knot Lamps come in two different designs of hand blown glass shade each supported by a monkey fist knot. The knots are tied in to the brightly coloured cable - available in five colour options - and the narrowing inner neck of the glass shade wedges to hold everything in place. www.vitaminliving.com
Grapeflut is a new piece designed for Italamp by Stefano Traverso and Roberta Vitadello. It comprises a complex but harmonious flurry of blown glass bubbles, clusted together in a voluptuous, fruity bunch and nominally bound together by looping threads of Swarovski Elements. www.italamp.com
Pick-n-Mix Rothschild & Bickers The simple forms of the Pick-n-Mix range come in Rothschild & Bickers’ full range of signature colours and can be embellished with a palette of fabric covered flex, including neons and herringbone finishes. Available individually or as multiple drops with customised ceiling plates. Ideal for use with an elegant filament bulb. www.rothschildbickers.com
ONE GREAT CITY. FOUR GREAT SHOWS
MAY DESIGN SERIES / 18-20 MAY 2014 EXCEL LONDON
FOUR CO-LOCATED DESIGN EVENTS FOR LONDON
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ORGANISED BY
05/04/2013 15:12
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GLASS : PROFILE
design file
BETHAN LAURA WOOD An expressive visual style characterises the eye-catching work of this Designer of the Future nominee, not least in her locally-influenced Pyrex pieces for W Hotel in Mexico City. Since completing her MA studies at the Royal Collage of Art in 2009, Bethan Laura Wood has become something of a Name To Watch on the design circuit. Her eye-catching style involves taking elements from existing, everyday objects and re-contextualising them to create new products that “rediscover, explore and celebrate different attributes and aspects of the ‘mundane’”. Her work often focuses on the pattern, colouration and patination of objects, the result of the making process and subsequent traces of usage. For her lighting pieces, Wood has drawn on hand blown glass Pyrex production techniques. Her first piece, Totem, was a column of stacked shapes that began development when working with Pietro Viero during her 2010 residency at the AAA Cercasi Nuovo Artigiano in Italy. The piece has since been
purchased by the MUDAC, Musee de design et d’arts appliques contemporains Lausanne for their glass collection. This year, Wood was shortlisted for the W Hotel Designers of the Future Awards, showcased at Design Miami Basel in June. Each nominee was asked to create a bespoke piece for a new or refurbishing W Hotel and Wood was invited to tackle the Mexico City site. In particular, the operator wanted a light piece that would draw guests towards the stairs and reduce traffic flow through the lifts. Taking in a host of local influences, including the garlands of colourful treasures that fill Mexican markets, Wood created a piece that blended the Pyrex skills of Piero Viero with the coloured glass of Mexico-based Nouvel Studio to create Crisscross: long, clear pipes and transparent fixings that
nod to the extruded tube forms inherent in Pyrex. Coloured Pyrex forms are blown out by hand to create bespoke volumes echoing the interplay between the light, sickly-sweet colours of Mexican lollipops. Meanwhile, companion petals were produced by Nouvel Studio, to inject a vibrant jolt of colour, from milky greens to transparent neons. www.woodlondon.co.uk
Top: Bethan Laura Wood with Crisscross. Above: Petals created by Nouvel Studio.
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ON SHOW / LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2013
DISTRICTS & DESTINATIONS This year’s London Design Festival runs from 14-22 September and, with more on offer than ever before, we bring you a taster of what you can expect to see.
KENSINGTON PALACE 22-25 SEPT
FITZROVIA NOW
Tagged on to the end of the official festival, Decorex will this year relocate to Perks Field & The Orangery at Kensington Palace to deliver its more traditional take on interior design. www.decorex.com @decorex_Intl
DECOREX EARLS COURT 18-21 SEPT This year we’re promised a show built around the theme of ‘Creative Balance’, with the likes of Benjamin Hubert co-opted in to design the auditorium for the ‘Talks With 100% Design’ programme. For the first time, the show will also hosts the Delight in Light National Young Designer Competition. All four corners of Earls Court will be illuminated by fixtures designed by the UK’s brightest lighting designers. The winner will be announced during the event. www.100percentdesign.co.uk @designlondon
BROMPTON DESIGN DISTRICT
100% DESIGN
CHELSEA HARBOUR DESIGN 22-24 SEPT
CHELSEA DESIGN QUARTER
FOCUS 13
Another addition to the tail end of the festival, FOCUS is an annual interior design event which takes place at the Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour. www.dcch.co.uk @DesignCentreCH
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OLD TRUMAN BREWERY 19-22 SEPT Tent London returns to showcase both undiscovered individuals and established independents, interspersed with Project Spaces where architects and designers will experiment with ideas and processes. Tent is joined by sister event Super Brands London. www.tentlondon.co.uk @tent_london
CLERKENWELL DESIGN QUARTER
SHOREDITCH DESIGN TRIANGLE
TENT
DESIGNJUNCTION THE SORTING OFFICE 18-22 SEPT
SOUTHBANK CENTRE SOUTHBANK 14-22 SEPT The Southbank Centre has a host of events, including: Designersblock (1922 Sept), a showcase for young design talent; the Designers In Production showcase of international talent (18-22 Sept); a 50th anniversary celebration of the iconic Lava Lamp (11-30 Sept); plus the festival’s Global Design Conference and much more. www.southbankcentre.co.uk @southbankcentre
For the second year, the voluminous industrial 1960s Postal Sorting Office in Holborn is the backdrop for designjunction, a design show presenting an edited selection of global brands and emerging companies. This year high-end decorative lighting takes centre stage in the new ‘lightjunction’ area. Staged in partnership with experts Cameron Peters Fine Lighting, the show brings together international lighting brands to exhibit their beautiful yet practical lighting designs. Sponsors Megaman will host a series of seminars on the use of LED light sources in decorative fixtures as well as the lightjunction debate on the 21st discussing technologies that support and enhance ‘emotional design’ and creativity. www.thedesignjunction.co.uk @_designjunction
KEY TO DISTRICTS Fitzrovia Now - www.fitzrovianow.com - @FitzroviaNow Brompton Design District - www.bromptondesigndistrict.com - @BromptonDesign Chelsea Design Quarter - www.chelseadesignquarter.co.uk - @ChelseaQuarter Shoreditch Design Triangle - www.shoreditchdesigntriangle.com - @ShoreditchDT Clerkenwell Design Quarter - www.clerkenwelldesignquarter.com - @ClerkenwellDQ
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ON SHOW / LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2013
london design festival
Cutting Corners Björn Andersson
The Cutting Corners design process started with exploring versions of a common basic concept: cutting a corner of a box. The leftover triangles and chipped cubes are inserted with precision-cut Plexiglas, with the steel structure either left exposed or powder coated white. www.bjornanderssonstudio.com
2013
ALIGHT HERE FOR... Among the many design destinations available this year, visitors are promised a panoply of decorative lighting from the established, high end chandelier to the solo-designer’s start-up collection. What follows is by no means comprehensive - we’ll bring you a full round-up in our LDF review in our next issue. www.londondesignfestival.com
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Tall Ternion Broomley Furniture
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Silo Zero
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Inspired by the silhouette of an agricultural grain silo, this minimal pendant has a distinct industrial character. Silo comes in black, white, yellow or a soft green version. It works just as well visually as a single pendant or more dramatically in a group or linear installation. www.zero.se
Ilio Artemide
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Designed by Artemide founder Ernesto Gismondi, the Ilio is a pared-down, back-to-basics floor light inspired by simple geometry. Each light is a cylinder of painted aluminum containing a 39W LED light source that produces enough diffused, indirect light to illuminate a room. www.artemide.com
The statuesque Tall Ternion lamp is carefully constructed in either solid oak, black walnut or cherry wood. The shades are offered as a drum or cone shape, covered in carefully sourced fine fabrics. The piece can also be purchased with an opaque white glass shade in a globe or tulip form. www.broomleyfurniture.co.uk
Portland Plaster Innermost
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This plaster version of the Portland (designed by James Bartlett) offers an elegant alternative to the rough cast concrete of the original design. With an ultra smooth pure finish and a single colour inside and out, it lets the simple form of Portland speak for itself. 27cm tall and 19cm in diameter. www.innermost.net
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Patrick Laing The Flying Skirt
Evo Light Cruisin’ Design
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Cruisin’ Design is an emerging multidisciplinary creative design team, primarily focused on unique designs made from upcycled used vehicle parts (including bits from motorcycles, cars, industrial vehicles and more). Evo Light was designed by Ray Riley following these principles. www.cruisindesign.com
The new version of the Flying Skirt is primarily controlled by surrounding movement. Passers by can now sculpt the form indirectly, anyone walking towards it will be lulled into the realisation that their movement has direct control over its changing form and pattern of emitted light. www.patricklaing.com
Incomplete Lighting Eunhak Kim
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Part of Eunhak Kim’s drive for purity over ostentatious design, Incomplete Lighting was designed to have no fixed shape. The user can create their own lighting shape by threading various combinations of wooden beads, encouraging a line of communication between the designer and user. www.eunhakkim.com
Re-Born Lighting Y-Studio
Brisa Vibia
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Y-Studio aims to celebrate the products that are often considered as outdated. They organise and rebuild these products so they have a place in modern times, reusing old products in a way that they will give them a new stylish aesthetic. They have redesigned the film camera into a modern lamp. www.ystudio-style.com
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Brisa is part of Vibia’s new Outdoor Collection designed by Lievore Altherr Molina. Its sleek silhouette blends with flora during the day and provides a beam of intense yet warm light, accenting those surfaces that require higher levels of illumination. Available in khaki or matt oxide lacquer. www.vibia.com
Daisy Sarah Turner
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Daisy from award winning eco artist and designer Sarah Turner is handmade from waste two-litre drinking bottles. After cleaning and sandblasting, the bottles are hand cut and trimmed to different lengths. Each decorative piece is then formed around the lampshade rings in a funky retro style. www.sarahturner.co.uk
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ON SHOW / LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2013
Arundel pendants Daniel Schofield
CLERKENWELL DESIGN QUARTER
Gino Sarfatti Collection Flos Showroom In its Clerkenwell showroom Flos will be showing a collection of lamps originally designed by Milanese designer Gino Sarfatti for his company, Arteluce in the 1950s and ‘60s. The collection made its debut in Milan earlier this year, but this is the first time the lights have been seen in the UK. The Gino Sarfatti Special Collection will go on sale at the end of October. www.flos.it
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The Arundel pendants were inspired by the road in Sheffield on which they are made. Arundel street was once at the heart of Sheffield’s metal working industry with the road full of forges and machine shops, but now only a small handful of craftsmen are left. Arundel pays homage to their work. www.danielschofield.co.uk
Chou Lzf
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Inspired by the film ‘The World of Susie Wong’, designers Yonoh Studio have created a piece intended evoke the cinematic splendour of Hong Kong. The Chou series is created from natural wood. The shades come in two sizes: MGB (58cm tall) and MGA (88cm tall). Both are 49cm in diameter. www.lzf-lamps.com
Bespoke lighting Baranska Design
King Edison Mineheart
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Baranska Design have been using bespoke handmade glass for fifteen years creating solutions for private investors, developers, architects and interior designers. Their pieces have been used in all kinds of installations from small hotels to well-known hotel operations, restaurants and public buildings. www.baranska.pl
This pendant lamp designed by Young & Battaglia combines the pure simplicity of an Edison light bulb with the romance and glamour of a Kings chandelier. It consists of a miniature brass chandelier inside a hand blown clear glass shade. Two icons of illumination brought together in one. www.mineheartstore.com
Maki Light 7Gods
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7Gods is launching its new Lighting collection at 100%. This multi-disciplinary British design company offers interior design, architecture and product design services. The designs are all hand made creations of experimentation, only available on limited edition. www.7gods.co.uk
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DESIGNJUNCTION
18-21 September 2013 | Earls Court London Register FREE at www.100percentdesign.co.uk
A Media 10 event
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ON SHOW / LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2013
Hooked Collection Buster & Punch
SHOREDITCH DESIGN TRIANGLE
Electra House Lee Broom
Buster & Punch started in a small garage in East London, where they discovered a passion for customising things, from light fittings to motorcycles, furniture to leather jackets - elevating the ordinary into the extraordinary. Their first collection, Hooked, explores the darker side of life. www.busterandpunch.com
Lee Broom will be unveiling Electra House, his first dedicated retail space in the heart of Shoreditch. As part of the celebrations, the designer will launch Carousel, a striking light fitting, and the OLO light and Crystal Bulb in a new wooden finish. www.leebroom.com
Leaf Atelier Areti
Pic: James Harris
Bobby and Bandit Vera & Kyte
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Atelier Areti features the work of sisters Gwendolyn and Guillane Kerschbaumer. The Leaf is a wall mounted lamp constructed from powder-coated metal in black or white. The opaque central bulb (a 25W dimmable halogen capsule) has a circular shade that can be rotated around the bulb’s stem. www.atelierareti.com
Harvey Light Inertia Projects
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These pendant lamps are a tribute to the well know cartoon chase between bobby and bandit. Playing around with colours and proportions gives rise to an interesting dynamic between the individuality and similarity of these lamps. With every new combination another character comes to life. www.vera-kyte.com
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Inspired by a dollop of cream falling off a spoon, this organic-shaped pendant is a collection of contrasts: asymetric yet perfectly balanced; matt on the outside, glossy on the inside; narrow at the top and voluminous at the bottom. A standard, directional 10W LED globe is hidden within. www.ashallen.com
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Inertia Projects is a design and manufacture company based in the UK. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign they have now created their first product: Harvey, an adjustable LED task lamp. It features a stylish look and an innovative magnetic joint that allows easily directable light. www.inertiaprojects.com
Dollop Light Ash Furniture
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ON SHOW / LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2013
Adam Lamp Pos1t1on
CLERKENWELL DESIGN QUARTER
Showroom launch NUD The NUD pendant lighting collection which allows designers to ‘explore’ a space with the variety of cord colours and lamp options. To celebrate the launch of their new Clerkenwell showroom, NUD will be showing a special series of London Underground inspired bulbs. NUD will also be providing lighting for the TfL and Camden Town Brewery bar at Designjunction. www.nudcollection.com
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The POS1T1ON Collective was founded at the beginning of 2010 through the initiative of five friends working in different fields of the design industry. Adam Lamp, designed by Adam Juhasz, comprises digitally cut sections of very thin white translucent plastic, providing a pleasant, diffuse illumination. lab.pos1t1on.com
Crystal Series Sooncho Textiles
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Soon Cho is a textile-based lighting designer living in Canada. A fascination with the fantastical is clear in the studio’s lighting collection, which includes the Crystal series: 30cm diameter, brass-plated metal frames - encrusted with crystal and acrylic beads - hanging around a central light source. www.soonchotextiles.com
Burgundi WesternTrash
Parlour Lighting I Do Cartwheels
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Based in Kreuzberg in the heart of Berlin, WesternTrash are glasswear and lighting designers who have developed an art for upcycling discarded bottles into simple yet attractive decorative pieces. As they say themselves, “WesternTrash is simple and sexy - just like Berlin itself.” www.westerntrash.com
Donna Bates of ‘I Do Cartwheels’ is a lighting and furniture designer. Her Parlour Lighting range was inspired by growing up on a rural Irish dairy farm where she would assist her father in the milking parlour. These mouth blown glass vessels have sandblasted bottoms to symbolise the milk collected. www.idocartwheels.com
Opticals Toby House
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Made with panels in rigid lighting PVC and PETG a wonderful even bright light is cast and a perfect diffused glow backlights the optical surfaces. In bright white with contrast fluoro trim details, these shades integrate perfectly both within clean minimal spaces and more ecclectic busy spaces. www.tobyhouse.co.uk
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DESIGNJUNCTION
The Interiors Design Summit is the definitive business event for people passionate about design and decor.
7th October 2013 Grange Tower Bridge Hotel, London The Interiors Design Summit is a highly focused one day event for suppliers to attend and create new business relationships with Interior Designers, Hotel and Leisure Industry key purchasing personnel. More and more companies are choosing to attend the Interiors Design Summit as the smart way to create new business. Why not join them for a full day of guaranteed face to face meetings with pre-qualified buyers? Don’t just take our word for it; see what previous buyers have said…
“A really informative and interesting day. Definitely to be recommended” Barts “Fantastic event as always, with quality and relevant suppliers” Idolise Interiors “Another extremely useful event where I met new and relevant suppliers” Purcell Miller Tritton “It’s a great way to meet face to face and discuss our work with architects and designers” Inspired By Design
For further supplier information, please contact Katie Kingsbury on 01992 374100 or email k.kingsbury@forumevents.co.uk If you would like to attend as a delegate, please contact Emma Fludgate on 01992 374100 or email e.fludgate@forumevents.co.uk.
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CONDITIONAL THINKING
if...
you should ever find yourself in Istanbul and in need of some five-star luxury, the new Shangri-La Bosphorus could be just what you require. As part of its opulent interior design, the hotel asked Lasvit to create a series of bespoke light sculptures to adorn the lobby, atrium and bar areas. Lasvit’s in-house designer Katarína Kudějová Fulínová, working in collaboration with LRF Designers in Hong Kong, agreed on a distinctive style for each piece. The main lobby area, for example, is inspired by Turkish ornaments and comprises hand-blown glass and polished pearls. In the atrium (pictured), a two-storey cascade of stylised glass flowers is layered with hand-blown drops to form a rainfall effect that leads the eye up to the rafters. Lasvit’s collaboration with the Shangri-La group is set to continue this autumn with the installation of four new pieces in the public areas within London’s tallest building, the Shard. www.lasvit.com