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ISSUE 92 | JUL + AUG 2016 AUD$15.95
ISSUE #92 | JULY + AUGUST 2016
JULY + AUGUST 2016
THE ART OF THE INTERIOR SPECIAL 20TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
AUSTRALIANDESIGNREVIEW.COM.AU
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Contents #92
STUDIO #12 #16 #20 #25 #28 #31 #34
THE PRODUCTS
Editorial Contributors In Review: White Rabbit In Review: Milan 2016 Dateline Designwall Survey: Designers working overseas
#40 #44 #47 #50 #52
Insight: Textiles Objects: Stephan De Roeck Folio show Spotlight: Artedomus Spotlight: Stylecraft
THE PROJECTS #72
The Theodore Treehouse Studiobird
#78
Pacific Lighthouse 511 SJB and Koichi Takada Architects
#86
Castan chambers Inarc Architects Barrister’s chamber fmd Architects
#94
Studio Greg Natale Greg Natale
#102
Bar Brosé Luchetti Krelle
#106
High House Dan Gayfer Design
THE MINDS TOP RIGHT
Atelier, Guild and Vanguard fabrics from Instyle. Image courtesy of Instyle. Page 40
RIGHT
Carl Hansen & Søn and EOOS. Page 66
FAR RIGHT
Studio Greg Natale by Greg Natale. Image Anson Smart. Page 94
#57 #58 #62 #66
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Practice: Schiavello Profile: Jin Kuramoto In-house: Sydney Theatre Company Discourse: Carl Hansen & Søn and EOOS
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inside
EDITORIAL
his issue of inside is a very special one as it marks the 20th year of our magazine. Where did the time go? It seems like only yesterday that Kate Stewart, inside’s first editor, was introducing the inaugural issue to the architecture and design community and now, two decades later, the magazine is stronger than ever. Reading through some of the back issues, the editorials and articles, some things seem to be very much the same. Conversations about government contributing (or not) and collaborating with design, how to ensure the success and recognition of Australian design, and how to safeguard the rights of Australian designers were hot topics back in the mid-1990s. And, yes, they still are today. These are issues that it would be gratifying to have put to bed many years ago, but still we have these challenges. Leafing through the pages of projects in each issue reinforces what we all know – that Australia has an abundance of talent. Projects over the past 20 years still have the ability to wow the reader– amazing houses, restaurants, cafés, workplaces, public projects and everything in between. Style and creativity were the passwords of a great design 20 years ago and we are glad that in this there is no change. The projects in this, the 92nd issue of inside, speak of a design aesthetic that is sophisticated and mature, inventive and innovative. As with any 20-year-old, growing from baby to adult, our magazine has organically changed over the years. At the age of seven inside’s IDEA (Interior Design Excellence Awards) came into being under the stewardship of editor Ewan McEoin. The idea was as grand as the name: it was a good idea and is an even better IDEA in 2016. This year marks the greatest number of entries ever received, with practices embracing the awards and the ideal of IDEA. It will be a fabulous party in Sydney on 18 November and another night to well and truly remember, as we pay tribute to this year’s winners and indeed to all who entered the program. So what has changed over the past two decades? The design industry is strong and has become stronger, weathering financial storms and the ebbs and flows of design fortune. This is not to say that it has been easy, but practices have formulated a vision
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of the future and have reinvented the way of doing business. They have become lean, more collegiate, more individual and more independent. Many, many designers work overseas, diversifying their offering with a more complete package for clients. What was once solely an interior design commission now becomes a project that works with architecture for a unified design, with the possibility of providing bespoke furniture and objects, graphics, wayfinding and branding. Technology has seen the rise of instant design gratification with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn and all the rest as vehicles for self-promotion and general awareness. The community is linked by smartphones, tablets and computers, and the world is just a few keystrokes away from information overload. ‘Real time’ is ‘now time’ with designers realising projects in time-frames once thought unrealistic (and perhaps they still are). Australian product designers are finally being accepted for the stunning talents that they are. Australians are embracing their object designers and it’s cool to have Australian design at home and not just the European brands. Acceptance has been a long time coming and it’s still not perfect, but understanding and appreciating home grown design is way more evident than it was two decades ago. We are proud to have the opportunity to be a part of inside at this very auspicious time in the life of the magazine. Together, we have been contributing to inside over many years and in many forms. As assistant editor, editor, Sydney editor and writer, and now as co-editors, the last two and half years have been a joy. We would like to thank everyone in the design community for your support and goodwill and for giving us the opportunity to showcase your work and lives to the greater community and your peers. Without you there would be no inside or IDEA and it is an honour to work with each and every one of you. Thank you.
JAN & GILLIAN
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inside PUBLISHER
DESIGN
FIND US ONLINE
Chris Rennie
EDITORIAL DESIGN Marcus Piper
australiandesignreview.com @inside_magazine facebook.com/ insideinteriordesignreview
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION CO-EDITORS Jan Henderson jan@hendersonmc.com.au +61 412 198 156 Gillian Serisier gillian@gillianserisier.com +61 416 025 195
COVER
Image Brooke Holm
Photograph from Artic series by Brooke Holm. Barrister’s chambers by fmd Architects
SUB-EDITOR Madeleine Swain CORRESPONDENTS BRISBANE Michelle Bailey NORTH AMERICA David Sokol EUROPE Joy Weideman UK Rebecca Roke
ADVERTISING BRAND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Laura Garro laura.garro@niche.com.au BRAND AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Brunetta Stocco brunetta.stocco@niche.com.au
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Alicia Pinnock DESIGN & DIGITAL PRE-PRESS Monique Blair Nikita Bansal PRINTING Graphic Impressions
PUBLISHING CHAIRMAN Nicholas Dower MANAGING DIRECTOR Paul Lidgerwood
PHOTOGRAPHERS Barnaby and Wilson Peter Bennetts Dean Bradley Peter Clarke Felix Forest Brooke Holm Nozomu Matsunaga Matt Montgomery Masaki Oshima Takumi Ota Anson Smart Prudence Upton Michael Wee Dave Wheeler
COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Joanne Davies CONTENT & DIGITAL DIRECTOR Chris Rennie FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Sonia Jurista
SUBSCRIPTIONS Freecall 1800 804 160 Tel: +61 3 9948 4900 subscriptions@niche.com.au inside.australiandesignreview.com
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Neha Minhas neha.minhas@niche.com.au
Notice: Statements and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. All material is copyright. No responsibility is accepted by the publishers for the accuracy of the information contained in the text, illustrations or advertisements.
inside ISSN 1326 9631 © 2016 Niche Media PTY LTD. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, internet, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publishers accept no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in this publication. the views expressed in this publication are not necessarily endorsed by the editor, publisher or Niche Media PTY LTD.
Architecture and Design Division: Linking Design and Business inside Interior Design Review is a publication of Niche Media Pty Ltd ABN 13 064 613 529 1 Queens Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Tel 03 9948 4900 Fax 03 9948 4999
NICHE MEDIA PRIVACY POLICY This issue of inside Interior Design Review may contain offers, competitions, surveys, subscription offers and premiums that, if you choose to participate, require you to provide information about yourself. if you provide information about yourself to Niche Media, Niche Media will use the information to provide you with the products or services you have requested (such as subscriptions). We may also provide this information to contractors who provide the products and services on our behalf (such as mail houses and suppliers of subscriber premiums and promotional prizes). We do not sell your information to third parties under any circumstances, however the suppliers of some of these products and services may retain the information we provide for future activities of their own, including direct marketing. Niche Media will also retain your information and use it to inform you of other Niche Media promotions and publications from time to time. If you would like to know what information niche media holds about you please contact the privacy officer, Niche Media PTY LTD, 1 Queens Road Melbourne VIC 3004. IDEA 16 TERMS AND CONDITIONS 1. Niche Media and its partners will not be held responsible for any loss, damage or non-receipt of entries however so caused. 2. Entries will not be returned. 3. Each category has specific criteria for entry with which you must comply. Items deemed by the shortlisting judges not to meet these criteria will be deemed invalid. 4. Submissions in all categories must be projects completed between January 2015 and June 2016. 5. All entries must be completed works at the point of entry. They must not be items created specifically for the awards, speculative works, client pitches, mock-ups or other works not taken to final execution for whatever reason. 6. By signing the entry form all entrants warrant that they have permission from all parties including
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clients, copyright holders and collaborators allowing inside and its partners to publish their work in the shortlist categories, the inside IDEA 2016 Special Edition and any associated promotional material, posters etc. including the IDEA 2016 website, without limitation. 7. By signing the entry form you indemnify Niche Media, inside IDEA 2016, its employees and agents and supporting partners from any liability for wrongful use or misrepresentation of the works submitted. You assert that you are the author of the work and own the intellectual and moral rights to the work under the Copyright Act. Wrongful assertion of such rights will render the entry invalid and the entrant accepts all liability for any claim for damages or loss resulting from such wrongful assertion. 8. By signing the entry you assert the truthfulness of this information and assign copyright in this text to Niche Media, further authorising the editing and publication of this synopsis by inside and its partners in the shortlist categories, the inside IDEA 2016 Special Edition and any associated promotional material, posters etc. including the inside IDEA 2016 website, without limitation. 9. All entrants must provide details of the commissioning client and obtain their permission to enter the project into the awards. 10. In the event that an entry is subsequently found to breach any of the terms and conditions of entry it will be ruled invalid and withdrawn from consideration for an award. 11. In the event that an award winner is subsequently found to breach the terms and conditions of entry their work may be ruled invalid and the award deemed null and void. The entrant will be liable for any costs incurred and must return the prize(s) received. 12. Judges reserve the right at all times to determine whether an entry qualifi es as an acceptable work within the category for which it is submitted. Works the judges deem not acceptable will be ruled invalid. 13. Terms and conditions may be amended, deleted or added from time to time at our discretion and we will publish the revised terms and conditions on the website. By checking the box on the entry form you agree to the full terms and conditions so read them carefully. 14. All judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into relating to the judging process or the outcome. 15. Privacy Information. inside, Niche & IDEA 2016 maintain a database of registered details. We may send you promotional material or pass your information to other companies that support inside IDEA 2016.
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inside
THE CONTRIBUTORS
PETER BENNETTS PHOTOGRAPHER Camera to hand, Peter Bennetts may be found on a remote coral atoll in the Central Pacific, topping out on a tropical glacier or skiing a black run in the Alps. When he’s not fighting global warming and his own fears, you’ll also find him maintaining the image of those architects and designers most dedicated to the idea of sangfroid. Bennetts’ work appears in The Guardian, Condé Nast Traveller (UK), Travel and Leisure (US), Time, Domus, Frame and Architectural Review Asia Pacific.
REBECCA GALLO WRITER Rebecca Gallo is a Sydney-based art writer, artist and editor. She is a regular contributor to Vault magazine and The Art Life, and her work has also been included in inside, Runway, Framework and the Archive Space Emerging Writers’ Program. She is the former editor of online publication Raven Contemporary. Gallo completed a Master of Art at UNSW Art and Design in 2015, and has exhibited at Firstdraft, Bus Projects (forthcoming), Kudos Gallery, Customs House and Juniper Hall, among others.
SARAH HETHERINGTON WRITER Sarah Hetherington moonlights as an arts writer based in Sydney, Australia. She has contributed to a range of arts magazines including Vault, Art World, the Art Market Report, Eyeline and Artlink as well as museum publications including Heide Museum of Modern Art’s Cubism and Australian Art. Having previously held roles as a curator and then commercial art gallery manager, she now works in private philanthropy for the Biennale of Sydney. Hetherington is also a member of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA). She has been known to make art pilgrimages to remote locations including the Chinati and Judd Foundations in Marfa, Texas and Dia: Beacon, New York. She has also recently discovered a passion for indoor plants.
BROOKE HOLM PHOTOGRAPHER Brooke Holm is a Melbourne-based photographer whose work traverses dramatic landscapes, conceptual still life, considered interiors and architecture. Working across editorial, commercial and fine art projects, her defining attention to detail is a result of her unique eye for art direction and composition.
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STUDIO With the launch of (inside) interior review we are breaking away from the predictability of interior design publishing. In the past 12 months we’ve been through the process of questioning Australian designers to find our exactly what ingredients make up a great magazine. Not surprisingly, we found strong graphic design, beautiful photography and a large spacious format are all important in the formula. But so is a level of commentary that doesn’t insult your intelligence. Recognising designers and architects want insights, ideas and information as well as imagery, we have developed a magazine with more depth and less fluff. (inside) will focus on the fundamentals of structure, space, texture and form, and will do so with substance, practicality and individualism. Combined with coverage of extraordinary interiors, reviews and discussion on design, we offer a magazine the Australian industry has been waiting far too long for. #1 1996 | EDITOR Kate Stewart
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inside
STUDIO
{ IN REVIEW }
HEAVY ARTILLERY WHITE RABBIT GALLERY 30 BALFOUR STREET CHIPPENDALE WHITERABBITCOLLECTION.ORG UNTIL 7 AUGUST 2016
text - Rebecca Gallo
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H
eavy Artillery is the latest exhibition showcasing the impressive collection of contemporary Chinese art that Judith Neilson has been amassing since 2001. If you haven’t been to White Rabbit yet, it is worth it just to see the transformation, by Smart Design Studio, of this former Rolls-Royce service depot into a gleaming contemporary gallery, complete with a teahouse and gift shop. For the work that best interacts with the exhibition title, Heavy Artillery, catch the lift to the top floor to see Tank Project by He Xiangyu. Slumped on a shiny, reflective black floor is a full-scale military tank, composed entirely of luxury handbag leather. Its main gun barrel, rather than protruding menacingly, is laid out along the ground, saggy and flaccid. Military power has been replaced by a new power that wears a different kind of camouflage: luxury consumer goods, the shiny exteriors of which disguise the labour conditions that produced them. This is particularly pertinent in contemporary China, where mass labour is very cheap, and capitalism and consumerism are playing out on a grand scale. As with much of the White Rabbit collection, many the works selected for Heavy Artillery are striking for their scale, evidence
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#21
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BELOW
He Xiangyu, Tank Project, 2011-2013, leather, 150 x 890 x 600 cm. Image courtesy the artist and White Rabbit Gallery
LEFT
Liu Wei, Density 1–6, 2013, books, steel, wood, dimensions variable’. Image courtesy the artist and White Rabbit Gallery
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inside
STUDIO
{ IN REVIEW }
of labour and the frequent use of incongruous materials. We suspend disbelief to take in works by Taiwanese artist Ah Leon, where a wooden school desk and chair are sculpted from clay, and Chinese sculptor Song Hongquan, whose granite-carving tools are carved from granite itself. Books and paper feature across a number of works, including Liu Wei’s Density 1-6, comprising massive geometric forms carved from compressed books. Wang Lei spins mottled, sculptural yarn out of newspapers and dictionary pages, knitting it into a suit of armour and a scroll. Collaborative group Polit-Sheer-Form Office presents a blue ‘library’ of 10,000 empty books, each with an individually printed blue cover. In all of these book-based works, the actual written content is obscured, rendered illegible or made deliberately blank. It’s a fitting reflection of many of the works in the collection, where the focus is on complex, industrious surfaces that make for striking, photogenic façades. A work by Liu Chengrui stands as a direct comment on labour in the midst of works that internalise many hours of production into slick finished products. In a performance that recalls the myth of Sisyphus, the artist shifts mouthfuls of dirt across a concrete floor, to the relative indifference of onlookers. When labour is stripped of aesthetic pleasure or practical use, it becomes difficult to watch. As we’ve come to expect from White Rabbit’s seasonal exhibitions, Heavy Artillery is a fascinating journey into one facet of the complex landscape that is contemporary Chinese art.
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BELOW
Liu Chengrui, Guazi Moves Earth, 2007-08, video (7min 41 sec) and photographs 120 x 88 cm. 3 of 4 works. Image courtesy the artist and White Rabbit Gallery
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STUDIO
#25
{ IN REVIEW }
M MARVELLOUS MILAN
INSIDE CO-EDITOR JAN HENDERSON VISITED MILAN THIS YEAR AND PRESENTS A CONCISE OVERVIEW OF HER VISIT TO SALONE DEL MOBILE 2016 – THE ‘ONCE A YEAR’ EXPERIENCE FOR LOVERS OF DESIGN.
text - Jan Henderson
IN91_p25-27_News_InReview Milan.indd 25
ilan, the word on everyone’s lips each April, as the design community asks that question… Are you going this year? At the beginning of each year we may be just thinking about attending Salone del Mobile, but the Italians are already working frantically to accommodate the annual influx of designers, architects, manufacturers and buyers that inundate the northern Italian city for that one special week in April. When that week arrives, the weather can be warm and sunny, or grey and rainy but never boring. The city is alive with installations, openings, gatherings and happenings, while FieraMilano at Rho, the ‘just out of town’ fairground, and the heart of Salone del Mobile, is in preparation for the crowds. This year Salone del Mobile accommodated 2407 exhibitors over 207,000 square metres in the 24 halls and, with some 372,151 visitors in attendance, it was definitely a crowded affair. It is a privilege to visit Salone; the sights, smells and sensory overload all add to the stupendous experience and make it a week to remember. It’s mostly about what you see, but it’s also about what you don’t see that can make reasonable people walk dozens of kilometres traversing the city and the fair at breakneck speed endeavouring to fit it all in. FOMO (fear of missing out) is rife, but even if you miss the tour de force event/stand/ installation, there are so many other things to see that everyone has their own special experience. This year Salone was a relaxed and convivial occasion. The dark days of the 2009 global financial crisis seem to have been expunged from the common psyche, and parties and events were ebullient affairs.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT
_Prosciutto and parmigiano _Local Design _Restful palazzo garden _Milan city crowds
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inside
STUDIO
{ IN REVIEW }
TOP TO BOTTOM _Takeo Paper show installation
_New premises for De Padova _Benny the Weaver at work on a Carl Hansen & Søn Wishbone chair _‘Birds’ in the Moooi showroom
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Design celebs and ‘starchitects’ could be seen cruising the corridors of the fair giving interviews and creating hotspots. It is, however, the products that are the hero here and they did not disappoint. Salone showcased some magnificent stands, with Edra, Baxter, Dedon, Missoni and Kartell presenting theatrical experiences to accompany their collections. There were beautifully resolved exhibits from Arper, Poliform, Ritzwell, Carl Hansen & Søn, Cassina, Vitra, Bonaldo, Pedrali, Walter Knoll, Magis, Mattiazzi and so, so many more that choosing a favourite was virtually impossible. SaloneSatellite again provided an avenue of display for young designers with some exciting new talent destined for great things in the future. There were new products from just about every designer and manufacturer and this was particularly true at EuroCucina. The participants of this biennial kitchen extravaganza (120 exhibitors) presented an amazing array of products with Miele, Sub-Zero and Wolf, Barazza, Asko, Bosch, Gaggenau and Smeg all introducing new products that take the home kitchen into the commercial realm. Valcucine made a statement with the presentation of its new technology touch-free kitchens and beautiful designs that will set kitchen trends the world over. Salone Internazionale del Bagno (200 exhibitors) presented all that was new in bathrooms with Duravit, Axor, Laufen, Vola, Falper, Fantini and Lema exhibits particular favourites. It is only possible to touch the surface of the fair at Rho, but it provides a good foundation of who’s doing what, the trends and new products and directions. In the city it was all about visiting the showrooms and the special exhibitions and installations. Brera is the ‘official’ Milanese design district and many of the companies that reside here were also at the fairground; however, there were many who use their showrooms as exhibition stands, feeling that they achieve more ‘traction’ this way. Boffi is one such company that only presents in Brera and its showroom is always a standout. It is known as the trendsetter for kitchen design and draws the crowds. Agape also chose to present from its fabulous showroom, with an outstanding offering of new products over the four-storey premises. Moooi is another that showcases an independent design vision. For the past four years, the Dutch brand has taken the exhibition space at Via Savona 56 and created its ‘own Moooi world’ – the area is vast and the interior product and decoration curation is always spectacular. Hay, in collaboration with lighting brand Wrong, established residence at La Pelota, another vast space, and created rooms in a very large ‘Hay house’. This year Tom Dixon and Caesarstone combined to reinterpret the interior of the Rotonda della Besana with swathes of stone benches, seats, fixtures and fittings all bathed in light from the ubiquitous Tom Dixon bronze and gold pendant lights. Ventura Lambrate became the place to exhibit for emerging talent some seven years ago and it is still the area for the rising stars, including our very own Ross Gardam and his Polar light; however, other collectives were dotted around the city. Local Design, for
example, showcased 12 Australian designers in the Teatro Arsenale and wowed not only the Australian visitors, but the locals as well with the innovative products on display and the decoration of the space. Spazio Rossana Orlandi has cemented its place as another destination of note with displays from new designers as well as an excellent idyllic courtyard in which to relax and enjoy a bite of lunch. La Triennale di Milano again played host to myriad exhibitions of art, architecture, product, film and everything in between. It is, however, the unexpected that makes Salone special; for example, wandering into Cinema Arti to find the COS and Sou Fujimoto installation – where spotlights beamed from the ceiling illuminating people below. Swirling fog and mirrored walls created an eerie atmosphere and the whole was reminiscent of a forest, albeit with light and shadow. There was more of the unexpected just up the street, with the discovery of a shoe exhibition in a large palazzo with a wonderful garden in which to sit and relax. A visit to the Viabizzuno showroom was also interesting. Not only were there wonderful lighting installations within, but a personal guided tour of Silos Viabizzuno outside was a highlight. This installation of aged copper silos was first launched in 2015 and a new iteration was planned for 2016, but unfortunately the work was unfinished at the time of this year’s Salone week (the project was running behind time). Still the interiors, which featured light and nature, were stunning just the same. Nendo, the prolific Japanese design studio, was again in evidence this year and the particular installation that grabbed everyone’s attention was 50 Manga Chairs (in conjunction with New York gallery Friedman Benda). Fifty individually designed stainless steel chairs were placed in the large courtyard of Basilica Minore di San Simpliciano and the setting was a perfect foil for the display. There are so many things to see and do and, of course, the food and wine and the famous aperitivo made everything just that more enjoyable. Salone del Mobile for 2016 was magical and it’s an event every designer should experience. With the next fair from 4 to 9 April 2017, perhaps it’s time to plan a visit and book a flight with the guarantee that it will be a week to remember.
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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
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_Ross Gardam’s Ora desk lamp _Ornate gate to a residence _Nendo’s installation 50 Manga chairs _Stellar Works _Interior of one of the Viabizzuno silos _Exterior of Viabizzuno silos _Tom Dixon lights _The COS and Sou Fujimoto Forest of Light installation _Caeserstone benches at the Rotonda della Besana _A unique forest of product in Milan
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DATELINE JULY – AUGUST
1 | SETOUCHI TRIENNALE 2016: SUMMER SESSION
2 | NORTHMODERN COPENHAGEN, 18 – 20 AUGUST
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Go-Oh Shrine, 2002, Hiroshi Sugamoto, Naoshima. Image David Serisier
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Image courtesy northmodern
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Jonathan Dalton, Isolation on an Angry Sea, oil on board, 2016. Image courtesy the artist and Nanda\ Hobbs
12 ISLANDS OF THE SETO INLAND SEA, JAPAN, 18 JULY – 4 SEPTEMBER Fulcrumed by the art island of Naoshima where work by Tadao Ando, James Turrell and Hiroshi Sugimoto are realised as unique reimaginings of traditional Japanese architecture, the Triennale expands the experience across the whole sea. Teshima, for example, plays host to exceptional work by Tobias Rehberger and Christian Boltanski, plus the Teshima Art Museum itself: a collaborative creation of architect Ryue Nishizawa and artist Rei Naito. And, while each island offers a different curation of artists, it is the contextualisation offered by the islands themselves that makes this a key art and architecture pilgrimage. Naoshima has four Ando designed guest houses.
Combining furniture, design, art, architecture and objects, northmodern, while a relative newcomer to the trade fair circuit, brings high-end design together with new talents, galleries and showrooms. And it does it exceptionally well with the Danish Modern movement, and Copenhagen’s unique position as a cultural destination, providing the cornerstone to what is essentially a Scandinavian showcase that doesn’t mind sharing the stage with the best of the rest of the world. This year’s special project will include the Crystal Hall curated by 1.618 (The Golden Ratio) where ideas of contemporary design, luxury and art will be brought together.
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3 | JONATHAN DALTON: THE REMNANTS OF A MIGRANT’S TALE
5 | OPEN DESIGN CAPE TOWN, 10 – 21 AUGUST
NANDA\HOBBS GALLERY, SYDNEY 23 JUNE – 23 JULY Winner of the 2009 US Council/Irish Arts Review Portraiture Award (Ireland’s equivalent of the Archibald), Dalton’s current body of work is a richly layered telling of the universality of the migrant’s lot. Working from snippets of text borrowed from a collection of diaries found in an antique store, the images tell of moments rather than a linear progression. As such, one image may be a horse captured in the moment before it leaps from the ship to the sea, while another shows the captain’s wife adrift in the ocean, while still another shows the young woman being ceremoniously dipped in the river.
With a stated mission to ‘develop a culture of design’ that will in turn cultivate future socioeconomic growth, Open Design Cape Town celebrates design for all the right reasons. It is, however, not a didactic education-based platform; rather it is a bringing together of diverse practices, communities and solution-based design outcomes. It is also a bit of fun with Instagram tours of Cape Town, maker stations that pop up all over town, table tennis tournaments, TED talks, exhibitions and lots and lots of parties. And it is within this envelope of seeming frivolity that design brings people together.
6 | KAWITA VATANAJYANKUR 4 | XXI TRIENNALE DI MILANO MILAN, 2 APRIL – 12 SEPTEMBER
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Scale of Justice [video still], 2016, © Kawita Vatanajyankur. Image courtesy the artist and Stills Gallery, Sydney
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XXI Triennale di Milano, W. Women in Italian Design at the Design Museum
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Image courtesy Open Design, Cape Town
For those who didn’t make it to Milan for the Salone del Mobile in April, there is still a fabulous reason to go this year. Boasting exhibitions, events, happenings and conferences etc, the Triennale is making up for a swathe of missed triennials with XXI being the first since 1996. Covering everything from architecture, interior design and art to fashion, films and cultural commentary, it is one of the best and broadest offerings in terms of combining an entire city as a single cultural event. That said, there are highlights, including the Triennale’s ninth edition of W. Women in Italian Design at the Design Museum.
STILLS GALLERY SYDNEY, 22 JUNE – 23 JULY Strangely compelling, visually splendid and one of the standout artists on show at the Melbourne Art Fair in 2014, Vatanajyankur continues to produce work that explores and challenges norms of women’s everyday labour. Part endurance performance, part documentation, part high pop, the colour saturation belies the fact of endurance, while colour and form coalesce in an aesthetic born of pure composition. Having graduated from RMIT in 2011, in 2015 she was a finalist in the Jaguar Asia Pacific Tech Art Prize and curated into the Thailand Eye exhibition at Saatchi Gallery, London (20152016). Vatanajyankur has exhibited widely across Australia, as well as Asia and Europe.
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{ DESIGNWALL }
RAW TRADER DESIGN Studio Y LOCATION Melbourne, Australia PHOTOGRAPHY Barnaby and Wilson
Raw Trader is a speciality raw dessert bar in Melbourne’s CBD specialising in all things vegan, organic, paleo, gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. Studio Y’s design for Raw Trader complements the name of the project with a raw and contemporary style that stimulates the senses and showcases the produce. Studio Y has crafted a layered design with many tactile elements; the space has an industrial, raw look and feel. Textural wallpaper has been used over black wall panels and a timber crate wall doubles as shelving for fish bowl plants. Pendant lights, made from a material that consists of used and compacted coffee beans, hang from shelves and the tables set between stools have been upholstered from coffee bean sacks. The man-made blue trees with communal seating are a visual and practical inclusion and together these elements enhance the raw aesthetic. The warm timber coupled with the baby-blue hues and slick concrete surfaces create a sophisticated yet playful and inviting environment. Raw Trader is an urban retreat in the busy cityscape, and is the perfect spot for a healthy, guilt-free sweet treat. STUDIOY.COM.AU
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THE REFECTORY AT WERRIBEE MANSION DESIGN Doherty Design Studio LOCATION Werribee, Australia PHOTOGRAPHY Matt Montgomery
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An elegant and refined colour palette and customised material finishes give The Refectory at Werribee Mansion a new lease of life. Doherty Design Studio was tasked with restoring The Refectory ballroom to its former glory. The hall stairwell and bridal styling room upstairs were also in need of an upgrade. It was important that the refurbishment meld the building’s gracious 1870s heritage with a thoroughly contemporary aesthetic. The interior of the main ballroom was stripped of the previous 1980s refurbishment. A sensitive approach to the restoration was required, so the original features of this room (and the hall, stairwell and bridal styling room upstairs) could once again shine. The walls, ceiling and skirting boards were painted a soft grey colour that highlighted the grandeur of the former ballroom and provided an up-to-the minute, contemporary feel. Doherty Design accentuated the room’s windows, doors and decorative pillars in a soft white that helped reinforce the symmetry of the space. By contrast, the stairs leading to the bridal room were given a contemporary upgrade using a dark paint finish. This contrasting palette helps bring the original plasterwork and classic architectural elements to life as standout features of the room, and reinforces the 1870s architecture and grand Italianate features of the building. The newly decorated function centre features a bespoke rug in the hallway and a
grey custom-made wool carpet in the main ballroom. Initially the carpet was designed to help inform the rest of the colour scheme. The grey colour of the carpet and soft white sweeping semi-circular pattern mimic the original arch windows and leadlight glass panes, bringing balance and proportion to the room. Sheer grey, linen curtains add texture and softness, while hand-blown glass pendant lights, designed by Mark Douglass, introduce a contemporary artisan touch and further emphasise the refined palette and glamour of the room. WWW.DOHERTYDESIGNSTUDIO.COM.AU
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THE RABBIT HOLE DESIGN Matt Woods Design LOCATION Barangaroo, Australia PHOTOGRAPHY Dave Wheeler
Following the launch of its flagship Tea Bar in Redfern last year, the second store of The Rabbit Hole opened in Barangaroo South in June and the owners again enlisted Matt Woods Design to provide the interior design. Woods customised the fitout of the first store, and has duplicated Redfern’s bright and crisp interior within the constraints of a slightly smaller space at Barangaroo. The new interior is dominated by white – matching The Rabbit Hole brand imagery – with splashes of gold and tan detailing. Timber furniture and tan seat cushioning blend with tones in the exposed brick, which features proudly on the top half of the store’s walls. The lower half of the wall is painted white, a firm line determining the break between the two opposing elements. Texture is a strong motif in the design, from the brick to the counter, the front of which comprises broken up white ceramics. Arranged and melded together to form a solid surface, the counter is reminiscent of the Japanese practice of kintsugi, in which broken pottery is mended with gold dusted lacquer. This theme continues and features in an even more explicit manner in the collection of raised bowls that display tea varieties. The bowls are white with gold ‘cracks’ and are placed torso-height on timber stands. Woods has focused intently on the small details in this design. Carefully thought out elements, such as gold cutlery and varying lighting techniques, come together to create a humble and relaxing environment that affirms the brand. KILLINGMATTWOODS.COM
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{ SURVEY }
W text - Gillian Serisier
THE INTERNATIONAL SET
hen it comes to Australians doing well overseas, mainstream thinking seems to stop at the mega-stardom of Marc Newson. The product design sector is, however, alive with a swathe of Australian designers who have their eye set on the prize, including a reputed 11 Australians with Alessi products to their credit. The likes of Helen Kontouris, Adam Goodrum, Adam Cornish and David Knott are now names the design industry freely associates with international brands. Compounding this is a rising sea of talent – some with surprising international clout, others with stardom borne of their product. And while each has hit on a product that sells and sells well, the commonality is a handcrafted unique quality. Indeed, Australians are getting much better at not mucking this element up. Edges are messy, colours are allowed variation and form celebrates the influence of materiality. This then is a short list of just a few of the other Australian designers making their mark in the world. CHRISTOPHER BOOTS The sheer audacity of Christopher Boots’ lighting is undeniable: beautiful, sculptural and always decidedly and singularly unique. Boots has never wavered from the simple principle of designing and hand-making each design himself. Granted, he now has a team of exceptional artisans in his Melbourne atelier, including glass blowers, coppersmiths, ceramicists, sculptors and bronze casters, but the primary tenet remains. Or, as Boots puts it, all products are made with love and care. And it is this element that simply cannot be faked; the objects are quite obviously handcrafted with care and sensitivity to the nuance and irregularity of material, where it is these very irregularities that are brought into the light. Specialising in limited edition and unique pieces, his work has most recently been showcased as the central design for Hermès’ holiday windows in both Madison Avenue stores, New York.
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ABOVE
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Christopher Boots Asterix lamp, polished brass
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{ SURVEY }
DAVID OLIVER Launching 11 new wallpapers and three coordinating fabrics under licence worldwide to F Schumacher Inc in New York this past May, David Oliver is fast making a name for himself. The founder of David Oliver Original/Paint and Paper Library brands, after 20 years, he has recently sold the operation, while retaining a retail arm in Chelsea, London, where he continues to sell the architectural colours and original paint library that have garnered him the ‘darling of interior designers’ moniker. This rather substantial sale has allowed him to pursue his love of interior and travel photography, including a large and comprehensive body of work for a 2017 Rizzoli publication of preeminent New Zealand interior designer Veere Grenney. Moreover, his interior photography and portraits have recently been published in both the US Architectural Digest (Top 100 issue) and the US Vogue (Hamish Bowles March 16 Issue). MUD With flagship stores in Sydney, Melbourne, New York and London, as well as stockists across Australia, Canada, the US, the UK, France and the Netherlands, there is nothing of the small town ceramicists to Mud. Yet this is exactly its charm. Designed by Shelley Simpson to combine craft, colour, clean lines, palette and functionality, each piece retains the feeling of having been handmade. The secret to this feeling of authenticity is astoundingly simple: it is handmade – and not in a factory where blemishes are worked into the design. Rather these remain handmade in Sydney by a team of in-house ceramicists. With so many looking for ways to fake it, it’s a delight when the real emerges as the winning formula. To wit, Limoges porcelain is tinted throughout to give depth to even the palest of hues. Clear glaze is applied only to the interior, leaving the vitrified surface slightly rough, slightly stone-like and, more importantly, able to wear and age with use, so that smooth patches that match the user’s hand form over time.
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David Oliver Ovington Blues wallpaper in blue for F Shumacher Inc
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Pink Tea Cup and Saucer by Mud
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NICK RENNIE Quite possibly the first Australian designer to have a sofa go into production with a major European manufacturer, Nick Rennie, AKA ‘Happy Finish Design’ is an Australian designer very much in the international eye. His Softly sofa, manufactured by Ligne Roset, is certainly testament to his particular and exceptional talent with sumptuous comfort, quirky lines and an overall elegance not generally associated with this degree of comfort. (Softly should shortly be available in Australia, through Domo.) Rennie states that he “looks to explore design that takes its inspiration from interaction with everyday items”; his Chart rug, also for Ligne Roset, is simple, beautiful and one of the great interior design tools of the past few years with a diagonal fade of squares that allows myriad forms of visual manipulation.
THIRD DRAWER DOWN Bridging the gap between artists and cultural institutions in the most sensitive way possible: the humble tea towel. Rather than whack a Mona Lisa on a piece of stiff cotton, Third Drawer Down sets out to work directly with artists of considerable note. The result is an impressive foray into cultural retailing with stand-alone projects realised as hand-screened scale-specific art works on really fabulous linen. Early collaborations included Louise Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei and Yayoi Kusama, but have expanded to include Kathy Temin and Chris Ofili among the 150-plus artists to date. Not bad, for a small Melbourne outfit that set its sights high with institutional collaborations including the Tate, MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), the Guggenheim and Whitney adding considerable calibre from the beginning. Moreover, beside the exceptional tea towels, the group has developed and produced an extensive range of licensed art objects. TRULY TRULY Operating from the Netherlands, Truly Truly was founded by Australian husband and wife design team, Joel and Kate Booy, just three years ago. That said, they have been working in one capacity or another for considerably longer, with a portfolio that includes textiles, lighting, furniture, objects and exhibition design. Collaborating with designers of calibre, including Hella Jongerius (Translation blanket for the ‘by TextielMuseum’ label), Truly Truly has also designed a range for the 2017 IKEA PS collection. Effectively playing with industrial process to test limits, while exploring decontextualised abstractions, the studio’s designs are wholly grounded in the scope of materiality. As are its spatial explorations for exhibition or sculptural form, which similarly juxtapose ideas of weight and fragility to create a sense of the unreal. UTOPIA GOODS Making its mark in San Francisco, Texas and New York, Utopia Goods, an offshoot of Deuce Design, produces incredible fabrics for furnishings, soft furnishings and anything else requiring amazing textiles. Designed by Bruce Slorach and Sophie Tatlow, each design is illustrated by Slorach (his work is included in the permanent collections of both the Powerhouse and the National Gallery of Victoria, and, for those old enough to have been groovy in the eighties, he was half of Sara Thorn). Hand screen-printed on premium linen, the collection features Australian flora and fauna, but not as your grandma knows it! Rather, the flowers are stylised and voluminous with colour and detail writ large, while kangaroos, koalas and kookaburras are used as repeating print motifs of exceptional beauty.
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ABOVE TOP
Nick Rennie’s Chart rug in blue, Ligne Roset
ABOVE BOTTOM
OTI LED Dark Matter by Truly Truly
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Third Drawer Down, Louise Bourgeois Champfleurette tea towel
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Utopia Goods uniquely Australian fabrics
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Michel, seat system designed by Antonio Citterio. www.bebitalia.com
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane Singapore, Kuala Lumpur
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PRODUCTS If Australia’s economic worth rings in at no. 11 out of the top 100 list of economic entities at a lovely figure of US $375 billion it is safe to assume that most of the ‘real assets’ that Australia has until now relied upon to forge this figure come out of the ground and not out of people’s heads. A pertinent question then is how much a part of the ‘modern economy’ envisioned by some world leaders do we wish to be? Is it wise to focus on resource export and industrial agriculture to underpin our long-term economic prosperity, while ignoring the benefits of internal value-adding through, for example, design and manufacturing? #23 2002 | EDITOR Ewan McEoin
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THE PRODUCTS
{ INSIGHT }
T
FEEL ME, TOUCH ME…
text - Jan Henderson
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From the earliest days textiles have held a special place in the hearts and hands of artisans and consumers. Fabrics can evoke memories by touch, inspire design by texture and pattern, and create warmth and interest within a project. Today, the boundaries for using fabric do not exist. Anything goes, from rich velvets on a modern sofa, to metres of sheer curtain floating across a set of French doors or a natural linen on a wingback chair. There are no rules, just the delight of choosing a fabric, pattern and colour and placing it where you please.
extiles are a part of life and living. We wear them, sleep on them, sit on them and admire them. Fabrics stand the text of time although applications change. Over the last decade we have seen a shift from blinds and bare windows to projects featuring curtains, sheers and side curtains. Leather on furniture is wonderful, but the textures and patterns of upholstery fabrics make velvets and linens must-have products on a designer’s shopping list. Technology has also made an impact through the use of photo imagery on fabrics, while modern fibres and weaving techniques provide more and more options creating new and renewed textiles. Of course a range is not a range unless it is available in dozens of colours and, in many cases, the full colour spectrum. This means that fabric companies need to keep thousands of metres of fabric on hand and be able to supply orders within reasonable time parameters. Take Germany fabric company JAB, distributed by Seneca, for example. JAB has five million metres of stock in store at any given time and can service clients within 48 hours. One velvet alone is available in 110 colours and that’s just the beginning. JAB sees itself more as a ‘lifestyle’ brand, presenting its product as an integral part of living not an adjunct to life. The company’s 150-page catalogue accentuates lifestyle rather than pure product and the pages are filled with images of people living with the textiles and this is a trend that can be seen throughout the broader textile industry. The de Le Cuona range available from Boyac is another such ‘lifestyle’ textile. The range is predominantly linens in various weights and weaves, but also includes wools and velvets. This range mirrors the ideals of sustainable products that are natural but offer quality and luxury for the designer and client. Boyac offers product from 28 fabric houses and there is something for everyone. Managing director of Boyac, Susanna de Vienne is well-placed to see fabric trends through the many designers who purchase from her collections. “Colour is much more important now with a move away from greys and beige; however, colour accents are being used in projects for those who are not so brave,” she says. “There is a move back to fabrics in commercial projects, especially with the resurgence of sheer drapes. Clients don’t want double-lined curtains, but do want fabrics in their offices for the heat and acoustic value,
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Fabrics offer luxury and decoration, warmth and acoustic properties.
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OPPOSITE
Atelier, Guild and Vanguard fabrics from Instyle
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From the de Le Cuona collection from Boyac
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{ INSIGHT }
Colour and texture add interest and depth to any project, and with the variety of fabrics now available there is a veritable feast of product from which to choose.
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and that feeling of comfort and luxury.” She adds that the de Le Cuona range is one of her best-selling collections, but that wools and quilted velvets are also in demand. As fabrics, colours, patterns and styles are diverse, so too are the projects that are using such textiles. Tracy Mak, marketing and environmental manager for Instyle, says, “There is a lot more diversity in aesthetics of projects these days, with more depth and texture being used, making for individuality in design.” Instyle’s offerings are many and varied and include a general range, high performance fabrics, a healthcare range and a sustainability collection – with a variety of price points. Another area where fabrics play an integral role is in acoustic panels. This section of the business is growing and Instyle’s acoustic panels are being widely utilised, not just in commercial applications, but in many residential and hospitality projects. Zepel Fabrics has made strides in the industry over the past 38 years. The business was established from a base of just one fabric, a 100 percent cotton velvet, but today it stores more than 85,000 SKUs (stockkeeping units) of a variety of fabrics on the 1.2-hectare warehouse site. It’s a second-generation Australian family business. “[We’re] textile specialists and this sets Zepel apart,” says national sales and marketing director, Joanne Harris. “The company prides itself on providing fabric for every type of project, whether it be commercial, aged care, residential or retail; however, hospitality projects are a major focus.” Just launched in June is a new range of ‘fabric’ by Austrian giant Swarovski and, yes, the fabric is of course made with crystals. This new product can be affixed to MDF, metal or concrete… in fact any hard surface and the designs and application are fabulously bling. Harris says, “The designs are only limited by a designer’s imagination.” While every fabric house provides ranges for many design applications, Laine Furnishings has focused on the commercial and hospitality projects. There are a multitude of plains and textures available in a staggering range of colours with a variety of price points. To assist clients and their lead-times, Laine holds 150,000 metres of fabric in its 30,000-square metre premises. The business has developed over two generations and is still run by the family. Aside from fabrics, Laine offers a range of acoustic panels and this section of the business is growing exponentially. From a large Australian company to a newcomer on the fabric block, Willie Weston was conceived by Laetitia
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Prunetti and Jessica Booth. Both women have a background in the arts and a particular love of Indigenous art, and so their shared vision is to present Indigenous design through fabric. The company is barely a year old, but the product, two ranges in several colourways, is gathering attention. Each fabric design is a labour of love, with the process from concept to manufacture taking time to develop. They start with the relationship to the artist that begins in most cases through contact with an art centre coordinator (for the fabrics in the current range this required contacts in Queensland and Western Australia). Once the artist agrees and a design is chosen, colourways are developed and manufacturing is completed in Sydney. Authenticity and respect is key for Prunetti and Booth and so they ensure that the artist of each collection receives a payment for every metre of fabric produced. Willie Weston is small at the moment, but the unique fabric designs are bound to become favourites both here and overseas. Fabrics offer luxury and decoration, warmth and acoustic properties. Colour and texture add interest and depth to any project, and with the variety of fabrics now available there is a veritable feast of product from which to choose. May this always be the case.
OPPOSITE
Trendy chenille fabric from JAB available at Seneca
TOP RIGHT
Laine Furnishings’ Easy fabric
ABOVE RIGHT
Selection of fabrics from the Ampilatwatja and Tiwi collections from Willie Weston
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Copper by CASAMANCE from Zepel
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THE PRODUCTS
{ OBJECTS }
{01}
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{03}
STEPHAN DE ROECK {04}
A design specialist extraordinaire, De Roeck has spent the last 10 years creating bespoke tours of interior design and architecture for design professionals. With clients from all over the world, he creates highly specialised tours that focus on particular details, whether that be hospitality, retail, residential, commercial or as an insight into emerging trends. Multilingual, with French, German, Spanish, English and Dutch languages at hand, De Roeck has moved his practice base over the years from Tokyo to London and now Hong Kong via Berlin; however, his tours are conducted all over the world whether for groups, such as the September tour of Scandinavian Design coordinated by Odyssey Travel (Sydney) or one-on-one specialised engagements.
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{05}
01 | ERASED HERITAGE Jan Kath single-handedly revolutionised the traditional Oriental rug space. The Erased Heritage collection actually revives the Oriental rug and makes it attractive again for the contemporary design-conscious consumer who may have grown weary of buying the same objects that were found in their parents’ home. Kath’s creations also make cool wall hangings. 02 | SATELLITE SERIES 28, BOCCI When I discovered the Satellite Series of Bocci, I used it frequently in interior design projects, as it allows endless personalised combinations. Because of the coloured glass baubles’ blown aspect, it also brings something warm and semi-handmade into the present designer’s lighting offerings, which are often a little cold and industrial.
03 | DORNBRACHT CL.1 BATHROOM FITTINGS SERIES I am somewhat of a Dornbracht fan and the way the company considers itself not merely as a tap manufacturer, but a supplier of aquatic experiences to exalt our frequent routine daily passages through the bathroom and kitchen. 04 | MIRAGE VASE BY GÖRAN WÄRFF FOR KOSTA BODA I find this particularly interesting because it presents a tension between its Viking-like chunkiness in the shape, contrasting with a sophisticated, refined colour scheme. 05 | DEZZA ARMCHAIR, 1965, GIO PONTI FOR POLTRONA FRAU I am so pleased Poltrona Frau continues to produce this 60s design armchair. It is so compact, comfortable, light and playful, and easy to fit in as an addition to an existing seating landscape.
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Your kitchen’s best kept secret Fully integrated bottom mount refrigerator with two freezer drawers – hidden behind your kitchen cabinetry. At 75 cm wide, large platters and dishes fit easily on adjustable glass refrigerator shelves. With BioFresh, food retains its healthy vitamins, fresh appearance and full flavour for much longer than in an average refrigerator compartment. LED lighting in the refrigerator, BioFresh and freezer compartments makes it easy to locate items within.
Professional quality freezing performance thanks to NoFrost technology in the freezer compartments: Never defrost again!
Automatic internal IceMaker (plumbed).
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ECBN 5066
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THE PRODUCTS
#47
{ FOLIO SHOW }
FOLIO SHOW
CULT DESIGN AG X CULT 2016 COLLECTION
HUMANSCALE DIFFRIENT SMART CHAIR
Cult proudly presents the Adam Goodrum x Cult 2016 Collection with the introduction of four new product families and exciting product updates, using new materials and techniques. Designed in response to the blurring lines between work and home, this democratic range of furniture is reductive in form, honest in materiality and timeless in style.
Diffrient Smart chair, designed by Niels Diffrient for Humanscale, is an intelligent mesh task chair with a striking linear aesthetic. With a unique U-shaped back and minimal lines, Diffrient Smart also features armrests that are attached to the back of the chair, moving with the user. Diffrient Smart’s revolutionary tri-panel mesh backrest offers instant support and allows the user to engage in healthy, ergonomic postures. As well as simplicity and ease of use, Diffrient Smart offers comfort, style and flexibility. Like the Liberty and Diffrient World chairs, the chair uses Humanscale’s revolutionary Form-Sensing Mesh Technology and mechanism-free recline for perfect support for every user.
www.cultdesign.com.au Image credit: The new Bower Collection by Adam Goodrum for Cult. Styling by Marsha Golemac, photography by Brooke Holm.
MAXIMUM PORCELAIN PANELS The future of architectural surfaces... Innovative Maximum large format, fine profile porcelain panels are strong, light, and made entirely from natural materials. Developed and made in Italy using leading edge technology, Maximum is fast becoming the architectural finish of choice for leading architects and designers for both residential and commercial developments. Available in 40 beautiful colours and finishes, Maximum panels are costeffective and offer complete architectural sustainability and unprecedented design flexibility for interior and exterior applications, including floors, walls, benchtops, bath faces, drawer fronts and splashbacks. www.maximumaustralia.com
www.humanscale.com
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THE PRODUCTS
{ FOLIO SHOW }
WORKSPACE COMMERCIAL FURNITURE 3.60 CHAIR INTERSTUDIO JONAS IHREBORN COLLECTION
Collaborating with ITO Design, Forma 5 has developed 3.60, a task chair that allows the user to change positions while supporting the body. The 3.60 task chair has been designed from the study of ergonomics, kinematics, general perception of the human body and, in particular, the postural development in the office throughout the working day. Features: backrest resistance adjustment, side-to-side action, 4D adjustable arms, height adjustment, locking mechanism for backrest angle and optional lumbar adjustment and headrest. Because Movement is our Nature… Exclusive to Workspace.
Introducing to Australia Jonas Ihreborn – a collection of fine upholstery and accessory lines. Ihreborn, the founder of the company, is the third generation in a family of upholstery craftsmen and producers. With designs by Helene Tiedemann and Matz Borgström, the collection brings not only great design, but also innovation. The Story range features a flexible model for high back collaborative seating, while the modular sofa system Honey opens up a range of possibilities and the Pod easychair is available in a wide range of formats. The company also has a longstanding commitment to sustainability, monitoring every stage in production to ensure an effective and efficient use of resources.
www.workspace.com.au
www.interstudio.com.au
ILVE CUSTOM COLOURED HANDCRAFTED ITALIAN OVENS ILVE has announced that some of its most popular oven collections will now be available, custom-built in almost 2000 colours. With ILVE’s new colour concept, customers can truly make an oven their own using the latest technology from RAL colours. Used by architects and designers throughout the world, it is the leading instrument for choosing individual colour designs. This new and bespoke choice is available for all of ILVE’s bestselling freestanding ovens. ilve.com.au
LAUFEN CITYPLUS Laufen has introduced a new family of taps, designed by Andreas Dimitriadis (platinumdesign), each with its own distinctive style. With their elegant design, the new Cityplus taps are sleek and contemporary, with a pure, flat design and horizontal proportions that make them perfect for cosmopolitan living. The Red Dot Award-winning range includes washbasin mixers with heights of 115 millimetres and 140 millimetres, and a high version at 190 millimetres for freestanding washbasins. The range also includes Cityplus zero, a rotary control version with an exchangeable cap, available in a choice of Chrome, Matt Chrome, Night Black, Glacier White, Pure Orange and with the Swiss cross motif. The caps can be quickly and easily changed to provide an instant update. The Cityplus range is exclusively available through Reece. www.laufen.com.au
INSTYLE ATELIER, GUILD AND VANGUARD A modern textile collection that embraces the past. Instyle’s latest textile releases – Atelier, Guild and Vanguard – showcase three traditional weaving techniques, giving a nod to the past that is reinterpreted for the modern day. Comprising a soft rich and luxurious velvet, a stripe that captures the magnificent essence of intricate Jacquard weaving and strong geometry, this uniquely versatile collection is able to create schemes ranging from subdued ambience to full colour saturation. instyle.com.au
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It’s your time.
16 : 23
Living Systems, Kitchens & Bathrooms for every moment of the day.
Time to relax.
rogerseller.com.au
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THE PRODUCTS
{ SPOTLIGHT }
It is with delight that this spotlight focuses on one of the most successful architectural products of our era: Maximum porcelain panels. Revolutionary, award-winning and always beautiful, this unique product, developed and made in Italy by Graniti Fiandre, has been constantly finessed and expanded. Through steadfast attention to making the panels more beautiful, more ecofriendly, more robust and more user friendly, the Maximum range embodies a perfect suite of architectural and interior solutions. Using ANAB (ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified materials such as sand, quartz, clay, feldspar and recycled content, without the addition of agglomerates or chemical binders, Maximum porcelain panels are a handsome and ecofriendly solution. One hundred percent natural, Maximum’s green credentials have recently been tested, confirmed and certified by Bureau Veritas, an industry leader in quality and environment risk assessment. Additionally, the strength and durability inherent in the technology behind Maximum’s porcelain panel construction allows a thickness of just six millimetres, effectively reducing raw material use by up to 200 percent as compared to a quarried product. More impressive still is how this reduced thickness affects use. At six millimetres, the slab size can be much larger, while cutting, drilling and grouting solutions remain commensurate with much smaller slabs. From a weight perspective, the reduced profile exponentially increases use from table tops to ceilings and even fitting out the interior of a yacht, where a high-end finish pairs to perfection with a lighter product (the Fiandre Extralite 3000 by 1500 by six millimetres format, weighs 14 kilograms per square metre). Aesthetically refined and elegant, Maximum has stayed true to the core philosophy of architecturally rich solutions with natural stone, concrete, timber and metal finishes augmented by the glamorous options of black, white and grey.
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Neptune is a particularly impressive addition to the grey palette. Developed exclusively for the Australian market, to complement the Aster range, Neptune is textured with a subtle brush effect. Aesthetically and tonally similar to Italian bluestone, Neptune works particularly well within the current Australian palette of timber and stone. The most recent addition to the natural-stone inspired Marmi portfolio is the sublime Pietra Grey. Beautifully realised through four variations of a warm grey-brown background and fine white veining, the pressed porcelain panels have been designed for continuous installations (where the right-hand side of panel D matches the left-hand side of panel A). Moreover, the thinness of the product allows backlighting for a rich and decadent interior finish, while the robust quality ensures longevity as an exterior solution. Effectively, Maximum provides a means to create expansive and rich surfaces wherever the opulence, luxury and beauty of a premium architectural aesthetic is required at scale. And, while the versatility of the extensive range makes it exceptional, it is the authenticity of being a 100 percent natural material that makes each Maximum finish look like natural stone. But, with the use of Fiandre’s proprietary technology, it has been designed to outperform quarried and composite materials, making this the perfect finishing choice for any project, whether grand or intimate, interior or exterior.
ARTEDOMUS: MAXIMUM PORCELAIN PANELS
WWW.MAXIMUMAUSTRALIA.COM
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Pillows feature fabrics Canopy 67, Plank 67 and Relax 95 from JF Fabrics.
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THE PRODUCTS
{ SPOTLIGHT }
ARPER ON SHOW
TOP
Steeve sofa
RIGHT
Kinesit chair and Parentesit acoustic wall modules
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In the world of design Italy is a major contributor, a leader of innovative product and outstanding workmanship. This year, Arper, one of the great Italian furniture companies, has introduced a plethora of new products into its ranges that include office chairs, sofas, tables and even an acoustic system for work and home. Anticipating the needs and desires of designers and architects is what Arper does best and these new products exemplify design that is modern, clean, practical and beautiful, each product manufactured with integrity and quintessential attention to detail. One of the most exciting new products is Kinesit, Arper’s first office chair, designed by Lievore Altherr Molina. Kinesit is the embodiment of style and functionality, and has the ability to be customised to suit every body shape. It is light and minimal in design with a fully adjustable seat and back for ultimate comfort. A hidden built-in mechanism allows the user to adjust and synchronise movement and seat height, while the inclusion of a concealed lumbar support within the slim frame increases flexibility. Kinesit is available in three seatback heights, a variety of bases and can be requested with or without armrests. To further individualise Kinesit there is a wide selection of upholstery fabrics and leathers from which to choose, along with the standard mesh covering. From one end of the spectrum to the other, the Steeve lounge designed by Jean-Marie Massaud adds an element of luxury that again can be
customised and configured to suit the office and home. Steeve is a module system with three components – bench, armchair and sofa – and the interior application is only limited by one’s imagination. To build on the stellar reputation of Steeve this year, Arper has developed an aluminium base (available in black or white) that perfectly complements an architectural, modern interior. This new base provides a sleek silhouette and adds an architectural integrity to the product as a whole. Along with the plush seat cushions and the seamless back and arm covers that stretch over the frame, the design is uncomplicated, modern and a complement to any interior. Along with a large variety of fabrics, leathers and finishes available, the offering is enhanced and allows for total customisation of this unique product. Kinesit and Sleeve are just two of the new products that are now available from Stylecraft in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra and Singapore. Other new Arper products launched this year include Parentesit (an acoustic wall module), Catifa Sensit (office chair) and the versatile Cross table. Arper is passionate about work and life, and the company designs to enhance both. Each year Arper pushes the boundaries and invents and reinvents solutions for the interiors its products inhabit. This year Arper is on show and the display is design at its best. WWW.STYLECRAFT.COM.AU
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S T O RY HELENE TIEDEMANN Jonas Ihreborn
melbourne | sydney 1300 785 199 | info@interstudio.com.au
www.interstudio.com.au
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THE MINDS Is there an Australian aesthetic when it comes to bars, clubs and restaurants? Curiously, looking at the projects in this magazine, one cannot help but note that perhaps their most authentic Australian characteristic lies in their very eclectic internationalism. Like art historian Rex Butler declaring that some of the best art being made in Australia today is decidedly unAustralian, the handful of exemplary projects presented here demonstrate a diverse and layered identity, freely borrowing from the traditional Japanese izakaya or West Hollywood club, Asian hawker stand or Amsterdam dining room, New York disco or 60s swinging London. In the nocturnal world of fun, anything goes. #47 2007 | EDITOR Andrew Mackenzie
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First.
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#57
{ PROFILE }
F
50 YEARS text - Gillian Serisier
At 50, Schiavello is not only a hero of Australian design and manufacturing, it is an exemplar practice with its sights well and truly set on the future.
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ounded in 1966 as a partnership between brothers Tony and Joe Schiavello, the company we now know as Schiavello was deeply concerned with office solutions from the start. Indeed, an initial contract to install demountable partitions was quickly followed by the company developing a partitioning system of its own, which answered many of the needs that were previously unaddressed. By 1968 Schiavello had secured its first government project and a major commercial fitout. Not bad for a two-year-old! Never a company to rest on its laurels, Schiavello started thinking outside the box. Importantly, it was thinking about the shift technology was bringing to the workplace and by 1982 had designed and manufactured its first ergonomic, height adjustable desk, suitable for computer work, the Primatic. Interstat and Logico soon followed as computer led offices evolved. “Australian interior and product design has evolved to embrace human needs as a key influencer in design decisions,” explains Anton Schiavello, director of Schiavello International. “Fifty years ago companies were focused on creating stand-alone furniture that fit nicely into a catalogue, and over time [they have] progressed towards the creation of concepts that embrace diversity in working styles, ergonomics and mental well-being. Today, we strive to create flexible spaces that support a diverse work force, designing for human needs.” This has been a significant aspect of Schiavello’s success, in fact. Rather than only responding to demand, Schiavello has actively engaged with its end users to pre-empt trends and create solutions for future problems. For example, Climate, developed in 2010, answers many of the issues workplaces are facing now, while Krossi, developed in 2013, delves deeper still, with health a primary objective. The agility of each of these systems is borne from Schiavello’s 50 years of home-grown, and Australian workplace specific, research and development. “At Schiavello we are proud that over the past 50 years, through our focus and investment in manufacturing in Australia, we have enabled interior and industrial designers to utilise our capabilities and partner with a team of product specialists to realise their designs,” says Schiavello. The quality of solution inherent to the Schiavello name, while the result of 50 years of learnings, is underscored by an ingrained premise of ensuring the
knowledge behind the design remains a core objective. In doing so, the company has steadfastly supported, promoted and taken a chance on Australian designers as part of the extended Schiavello family. “Being a part of a 100 percent Australian owned business, we understand the importance of supporting Australian designers and promoting their work locally and internationally,” says Schiavello. Indeed, supporting Australian designers has been and continues to be a key objective with Helen Kontouris, Akira Isogawa, L.A.V.A, Chris Connell, Joost Bakker, Korban/Flaubert, S!X, Thomas Coward and Sue Carr among the many Australian designers to have worked with Schiavello over the past 50 years. “In supporting local designers, we ensure our rich, vibrant design culture stays alive in Australia,” says Schiavello. ‘Looking forward’ is a hackneyed expression, but decidedly true of this company, as he explains. “In the past and looking into the future, the question that we ask ourselves is: what makes a workplace effective? Is it the physical space, the culture, the people? Through our understanding of culture, technology and trends in human behaviour, we have been able to generate a robust collection of knowledge that helps to influence our furniture design that will support an organisation’s needs now, and continue to contribute to greater productivity and organisational effectiveness far into the future.” Never resting, Schiavello has shifted from generation to generation with young minds, such as Anton Schiavello, ensuring the company remains in perpetual motion, while never forgetting the strength of its history, lessons and drive for innovation.
LEFT
Helen Kontouris 101 Chairs for Schiavello, shown in situ at Linkedin Singapore
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inside
THE MINDS
{ PRACTICE }
DESIGNING practice - Jin Kuramoto text - Jan Henderson
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#59
J
apan is a country that applauds creativity and embraces design. Reverence for the past permeates the present and the Japanese aesthetic of beauty and subtlety is the continuum that joins the two. To be a successful designer in Japan, among so many creatives in this cultured country, takes a special talent. This is a country of artisans where only the best survive and shine, so meeting with Jin Kuramoto was indeed auspicious. As product designers go there are many that have an international profile; take Oki Sato of Nendo or Tokujin Yoshioka for example, but now is the time for Jin Kuramoto. His practice was established eight years ago in Tokyo and it has been running at full capacity ever since. Kuramoto commenced his designing life as a carpenter and learned the traditional skills that are required to understand craft and material. He studied art at the Kanazawa College of Art and then moved onto industrial design as an in-house designer for NEC where he learned the detail and process of inventing and reinventing all manner of household appliances. This training afforded him the opportunity to better understand the everyday product, but in 2003 the more ephemeral side of his creative spirit came to the fore with an exhibition for Tokyo Design Week. This installation Grass was composed of glass and light and was so well-received that Kuramoto and his work travelled to Milan for Salone del Mobile in 2003 and then on to England for London Design week. This success whetted his appetite to explore the other side of design, as object and furniture maker, and so Jin Kuramoto Studio was established in Tokyo in 2008. From inception the studio was busy with industrial commissions, but now there was the opportunity to extend his creativity. This he has accomplished with a wide range of objects and furniture designs, with many more commissions on the drawing board. The chairs he designs are sculptures; the small objects, such as a tea set or kitchen implements, are art works and the various installations that he has created stir the imagination. He has the Midas design touch and his collection of work now at hand proves the point. Kuramoto works with major brands such as Offecct and Arflex, but he also has a healthy list of large Japanese companies such as Honda, Nikon, Toyota and Sony as industrial design clients.
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A VIEWPOINT
In the suburbs of Tokyo there is a designer who is quietly working his way to international prominence. inside co-editor Jan Henderson visited the studio of Jin Kuramoto to talk to the man who is challenging design and pushing his own boundaries at the same time.
ABOVE
Meteor from No pain, No gain exhibition. Image Takumi Ota
OPPOSITE
Tea Setby Jin Kuramoto
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THE MINDS
{ PRACTICE }
Kuramoto is obsessed with redefining design through ‘hands’. He creates without drawing, without pencils, and lets his hands think and become the instrument of the design. He says that designing for him is “not by brain but by hands, by hand is the motto of the practice”. As we talk in his studio, he turns to point to a designer working on a new commission using paper to create and invent a product. This is a serious way of working for Kuramoto and his team and the by-product of the process is delightful ‘origami art work’. The design thread or continuum between all of his work is function, but primarily what he calls ‘viewpoint’. Kuramoto says, “Viewpoint of an object or product is a kind of filter for the designer.” In other words, the design is produced by ‘filtering’ out those things that do not contribute to the design, so that when these extraneous elements are removed the essence of the product or object is realised. His design credo has been translated into the many products now produced by the studio and, while his furniture designs focus on chairs, they also include a range of beautiful tables and accessories. For example, the JK chair for Arflex Japan is perfect. This design pays homage to the heritage of Japanese chair design, but with a modern sensibility and style. The Meetee collection, a collaboration between carpentry workers from Hiroshima and the studio, is detailed – the Nadia
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chair for example reimagines the ribs of a boat in the design of the back and Molly (a shelf series) utilises timber and fabric. Then there’s the Blur collection – a vase, cutting board and table. Each object is separate yet integral to the other. Kuramoto has also created installations that stretch his prowess as a designer. No pain, No gain was an exhibition presented in 2013 that explored and challenged design boundaries. For this, Kuramoto created non-functional, delicate geometric metal sculptures with themes such as ‘Nucleus’, ‘Structure’, ‘Gradual Change’ and ‘Boundary’. Jin Kuramoto is making a name for himself in the world of design and creating a legacy of beautiful products that will stand the test of time. We will hear more from this talented designer in the future, as his products are his greatest advocates. It is all about the viewpoint, but the essence of Kuramoto is a powerful force.
ABOVE
The JK chair. Image Nozomu Matsunaga
RIGHT
The Sally chair. Image Takumi Ota, Masaki Oshima
To be a successful designer in Japan, among so many creatives in this cultured country, takes a special talent.
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inside
ABOVE
THE MINDS
{ IN-HOUSE }
Alicia Clements’ set design for the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Noel Coward’s Hay Fever swelters in a hothouse of grandeur and lush excess. Image features cast members: Harriet Dyer, Heather Mitchell, Tom Conroy and Tony Llewellyn-Jones
SYDNEY THEATRE text - Gillian Serisier
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#63
There could not be two plays as dissimilar in temperament, style or creative needs. Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prizewinning Disgraced is charged with political, social and cultural morés of staggering complexity, while Noel Coward’s Hay Fever is an insouciant confection of decadent frivolities.
DISGRACED SET DESIGNER: ELIZABETH GADSBY (STC RESIDENT DESIGNER) LIGHTING DESIGNER: DAMIEN COOPER HAY FEVER SET DESIGNER: ALICIA CLEMENTS LIGHTING DESIGNER: TRENT SUIDGEEST
COMPANY
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THE MINDS
{ IN-HOUSE }
P A mid-century aesthetic, augmented by luxurious nuances.
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laying simultaneously at The Sydney Theatre’s Wharf venue and the Opera House’s Drama Theatre, Disgraced and Hay Fever each have a design that presents a visual echo of the play’s written setting and creates the physical constraints and apertures, blind corners and offstage spaces for the actors to expand and use as needed. The skill of each of these sets, however, lies in their ability to support the emotional setting of the unfolding tale. Effectively layering and un-layering racial tolerance through the intimacy of a mixed Muslim/Christian marriage, “Disgraced is a theatrical bombshell that doesn’t let anyone off the hook,” as Seattle Times theatre critic Misha Berson put it in her 14 January 2016 review. Unfolding an incredibly complex sequence of ideas and interwoven expectations, where political correctness and incorrectness vie for a plethora of separate truths, the play’s triumph is its ability to remain unresolved, to not answer, or even try to answer, the concerns of a fragile changing society. Elizabeth Gadsby’s set facilitates this complexity superbly with a near empty New York loft apartment that is clear and uncluttered, and effectively allows the unravelling of the relationship room to breathe. “The text itself was so important I needed to create a space that would support the hearing of that text,” says Gadsby. Creating an authenticity to the
set, as the home of Amir, a high-income New York lawyer and his artist wife Emily, centres on a mid-century aesthetic, augmented by luxurious nuances. Gadsby points out that asking a set painter to create paintings that represent a body of work evolved from 20 years of thinking is never going to work and, as such, has chosen to create an authentic interior with furniture sourced from auctions, authentic Punjabi embroidery and African masks. She has also very cleverly placed the artist’s work on the forth wall, leaving it to the audience to imagine and experience through the eyes of the players. Taking advantage of the double height of the Wharf theatre stage and its corner position, Gadsby has given the back wall over to a set of windows – the small rectangular panes are instantly recognisable as New York, as are the sounds emanating from the offstage street below. That she has built a physical long balcony behind the glass is an exceptional decision that most would reject in favour of a painted depth and some sort of ‘NY’ indicator. Instead, she allows the depth a life of its own, a three-dimensional void where light can change, noise can shift and, in a crucial moment, a crystal glass can be resoundingly shattered. Pairing this wall is a staircase and curtained loft bedroom where ideas of transparency and obfuscation provide an off-script parallel. “When [Emily Kapoor] goes upstairs to get changed… it was also her stripping bare physically, which is about to happen to her emotionally… it also keeps her very much in the consciousness,” explains Gadsby. On a far lighter note, Noel Coward’s Hay Fever, about the eccentric and self-centred Bliss family, could not be in better hands than Alicia Clements. Taking the idea of Coward’s play as an experience of theatricality, Clements has framed the stage with a proscenium of moulded architrave of mossy and verdant greens and a frivolously gold curtain. “I have an interest in the aperture through which you see a production… Noel Coward is so theatrical and from that old world of theatricality… I set about turning it into an old theatre as much as possible, but I wanted full immersion when the play was underway, so I created a proscenium that was an extension of the interior space,” says Clements. And beautifully so. The interior is more conservatory than lounge, yet it is the natural place for these hothouse characters. It is also
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#65
rather fabulous, with hanging potted ferns, a claw-foot bath doubling as lounge (as per both traditional English bohemia and contemporaries, including Stella McCartney) and a mosaic floor, all of which conspire to reference the play’s 1924 inception. Where the set shifts beyond the script is the subtle incorporation of ideas. One such nuance is the Japanese room, which, while never seen, is brought to mind through the Oriental choice of flowers such as chrysanthemums and peonies coupled with a slightly Oriental arrangement and the subtly Oriental decoration of the lead actress, Judith Bliss’, dressing gown. These touches conspire perfectly to reinforce both the era and theatrical nature of her character, while the addition of rain splashing down on the conservatory windows and spilling through the open doors (perfectly lit by Trent Suidgeest) defines the Bliss family’s penchant for the muddy!
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OPPOSITE
De rigueur to English eccentricity - the claw foot bath as lounge. Image shows Heather Mitchell, Tom Conroy and Braille Clarke in Hay Fever
ABOVE TOP
Elizabeth Gadsby’s set design is elegant, open and simple enough to support the complexity of Ayad Akhtar’s Disgraced. Image shows Sachin Joab in Sydney Theatre Company’s Disgraced. Image © Prudence Upton
ABOVE BOTTOM Transitioning to dusk the double
volume windows of the loft apartment are quintessential New York without the hackneyed clichés. Image shows Sachin Joab and Shiv Palekar in Sydney Theatre Company’s Disgraced. Image © Prudence Upton
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inside
THE MINDS
{ DISCOURSE }
Carl Hansen & Søn is known for some of the most iconic and recognisable products in the world today. But the company is not content to rest on its laurels and has collaborated with celebrated Austrian architecture and design practice EOOS to produce a new range of chairs that sit perfectly with the heritage of the company. This new collection, called Embrace, complements the style and attitude of a Carl Hansen & Søn piece, but also stands alone in design and innovation. While in Milan in April this year inside co-editor Jan Henderson spoke with Knud Erik Hansen, managing director and CEO of Carl Hansen & Søn, and Gernot Bohmann and Martin Bergmann from EOOS about their collaboration, Embrace and our changing world.
Jan Henderson: Have you been looking for a collaborator to work with Carl Hansen & Søn? And tell me about working with EOOS. Knud Erik Hansen: We have, yes of course. We are very well-known for what we are doing and it was all done 50, 60, 70, up to 100 years ago, but we have beautiful [pieces of] furniture that can still sell because they are classical. But, our collaboration with EOOS was fun; we must have some fun! The most beautiful part is, we can work with somebody who is alive. I mean these two guys are very much alive, and therefore we can discuss the project. Here, at least, we get a dialogue, and it took us a long time but it’s fun. And looking to the future? KEH: Now we can develop, we can take the company further. And this is exactly what we are doing here. But what is important for us is that Embrace doesn’t look like anything else. You can do something that has a liking to the old masters, but be totally different. And, you will be building on that series? KEH: Yes. Now, we have the lounge chair, the dining chairs and perhaps a table soon. So, we will probably have a whole range from this. Where did the idea for the furniture pieces come from? Did you feel the need to compromise your ideas to fit the Carl Hansen & Søn mould, Gernot? Gernot Bohmann: It’s never a compromise for us because we are very interested to kind of feel the soul of a company, and to make something that is a combination of both identities of the company and us. So, we have to locate the overlapping area where we can say, ‘the design is EOOS’ and Carl Hansen & Søn can say ‘it’s Carl Hansen & Søn’, but it was hard and took several years. We had the idea, but you cannot make something like a Wegner in a short time or you will fail immediately. So, Martin how long did it take to develop Embrace? Martin Bergmann: It took six to seven years in total, but two years of doing prototypes and models. It’s very important for us because, of course, we are drawing, but we immediately made one-to-one models to scale, ergonomic models, design models for proportions. Also, for the upholstery, we have a sewing machine, we test, we try to find the right fit of this folded upholstery, as inside it’s really loose, it’s like a jacket hanging on a wooden frame. It was difficult to get the idea and then
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OPPOSITE
EOOS partners, Harald Gründl, Martin Bergmann and Gernot Bohmann
ABOVE
A collection of Embrace chairs designed by EOOS for Carl Hansen & Søn
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EMBRACING THE FUTURE CARL HANSEN & SØN AND EOOS
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THE MINDS
{ DISCOURSE }
to transform it for the company. We worked with a lot of prototypes and we learned and learned. KEH: Yes, exactly. It looks so casual, but it isn’t. There’s actually a lot of work to get it to look like that. Was sustainability something in your mind when you began the designing as well, Martin? MB: Sustainability is part of Carl Hansen & Søn because of the handcrafted work. With the upholstery we thought we should do the minimum work, but maximise the comfort, not to create upholstery volumes. We came up with the idea of a thin, folded upholstery, and we think that’s a part of this thinking about reducing material, reducing foam. GB: And, it’s also easy to repair, very easy to repair. After 30 years you need a new textile; it’s super easy to put on a new cover. MB: You can change the cover, it’s not stapled, it’s not traditional upholstery. For us it’s a new combination of how we can handle upholstery and woodwork for Carl Hansen & Søn. But, the company itself is sustainable too. It’s not that we are sustainable designers, but it’s more the way of Carl Hansen & Søn. A little about EOOS. When did the
This new collection, called Embrace, complements the style and attitude of a Carl Hansen & Søn piece, but also stands alone in design and innovation.
RIGHT
Embrace chair with matching footstool is the ultimate in comfort and style
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two, or actually three with Harald Gründl, come together? MB: We met 27 years ago at the front of the University for Applied Arts in Vienna where we were waiting to sit an entrance examination. There was a row, and Gernot was in front of me and Harald was at the back. Over the years we studied together, did the diploma together and then we founded EOOS in Vienna immediately afterwards. So Knud Erik, you’re collaborating with someone who’s not Danish? KEH: I think that’s great, because Carl Hansen & Søn used to be a very Danish company. Now we are an international company, we have branches all over the world. We have more than 80 people outside Denmark employed by Carl Hansen & Søn taking care of our interests all over. And that means that I do not want to just limit us to Danes. There are some very good Danish architects, but there are many more outside Denmark. We are international; today the world is international. We are all moving. Some people are called refugees, but we must get used to it, we will mix up, we can fly to the other side of the world in nine or 10 hours, so we can’t keep our borders anymore. We integrate, which is very healthy, culture and religion wise, and things like that, we have to. So, within the next 10 or 15
years I think the most important part for all of us is the environment, that we don’t kill each other with the smoke and exhaust fumes. I think, whether you are Austrian, Danish, Australian, whatever you are, you all have to unite and cultivate the products that don’t harm us. So what’s next for you, Martin and Gernot? MB: The next big thing for us is the Architecture Biennale as we are representing Austria in Venice. For us it’s not about architecture, it’s more about the big social problems. Our theme is Places for People. We have one big building in Vienna where about 400 or 500 refugees are living and waiting to get their visa or not get the visa; they are waiting there for six to eight months. They are sitting there, living there, 24 hours a day, doing nothing, just waiting. And their question was, of the government and of the Austrian curator, “How can design improve this situation?”, which was quite a hard task. So, we thought we can bring something to them where they can be active and they can communicate instead of just sitting in their rooms. The food is delivered and they just eat in their rooms. So we installed many kitchens with furniture where they can meet with big tables, benches and stools. It’s a kind of program that they can build on their own, so we installed a big workshop and the refugees build these things themselves. When you cook and eat together then communication is starting. KEH: We have 16 refugees from Syria working in the factory now, and they’re excellent people. Some of them can already speak Danish and they have only been there for six months. They are so motivated, you wouldn’t believe it, and speaking Danish, which is a difficult language. And, you can have a little conversation with them, and they are so kind. We had one of the big Danish newspapers come to interview one of the guys and he said, “What are you doing?” in Danish, “What did you do before?” and the worker said, “I sold cars, I had my own big car shop.” (He sold Kia cars). So the journalist asked, “What have you got now?” and he said, “Me? I have the clothes I wear, nothing else. I have nothing. My family is sitting in Turkey. I have nothing, and I have my work, and I’m so happy. That’s all I have. I have nothing else to hold onto. The Government brings me money and things like that, but that will never last, but my work will last because I will do a good job.” It really touched me. He was fantastic.
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Impeccable mastery by Philippe Starck, Lou Read is an armchair with an organic outline, perhaps anthropomorphic, which pays tribute to the Danish design of the 50s. Fifteen years ago, the French designer Philippe Starck met Lou Reed at the Royal Monceau Hotel in Paris. They remained friends, so when Starck recently refurbished the hotel in his signature style, he included this new ‘Lou Read’ chair named for the musician. Starck says, “This project is a reminder that it is far better to spend time in conversation or reading activities than in front of the TV or computer.” The chair was developed for Italian furniture company Driade, and it is made of leather fixed onto a fibreglass skeleton. Height: 120cm, Seat Height: 42cm, Width: 70cm, Depth: 76cm, Arm Height: 42cm
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PROJECTS We just use paper and words around here (and perhaps an iPad), but in the interactive process of creating a new edition – each time engaging with a talented group of creative individuals – these age-old things, these pages, come to life again in a new form. Our internal decisions are central to the progress we wish to make and document, not only for the sake of good design, but for you, the reader, in this case. #66 2011 | EDITOR Domingo A Robledo
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inside
THE PROJECTS
ABOVE
The peppercorn tree outside the balcony window that lends it’s name to the project
OPPOSITE
Looking through the chain curtain into the main sitting area
AMONG THE TREETOPS IS A FABULOUS APARTMENT THAT CELEBRATES ORDINARY OBJECTS IN A MOST UNUSUAL STYLE. MATTHEW BIRD HAS REIMAGINED AN INTERIOR THAT DEFIES CLASSIFICATION EXCEPT TO SAY THAT NOWHERE ELSE IS INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY SO EVIDENT. INSIDE CO-EDITOR JAN HENDERSON VISITS THIS FANTASTICAL PROJECT BY STUDIOBIRD AND FINDS OUT WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LIVE WITH THE BIRDS. project - The Theodore Treehouse design - Studiobird text - Jan Henderson photography - Peter Bennetts location - Melbourne, Australia
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#73
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THE PROJECTS
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#75
O
nce upon a time objects were made to keep, to stand the test of time and be passed down from one generation to the next. Made furniture and objects were cherished and valued, not just for their craftsmanship and utility, but for their beauty and history. Over the past decades things changed. New was better, latest was best and if it was broken, well disposable became the norm. However, these days there is an understanding that resources are finite and authenticity and the handmade are to be valued. These days more is not best, especially in the world of Matthew Bird. Studiobird was created by Matthew Bird in 2007 as a vessel to ‘house’ his various interests. A chameleon in the world of design, Bird has many talents and a diverse body of work that includes interior design and architectural projects, creative endeavours for the stage, lecturing at MADA (Monash Art Design and Architecture), artistic installations and just about everything in between. In fact, Bird has just returned from the Venice Architecture Biennale, invited as an Australian representative to present his work Sarcophagus (a nomadic bed chamber and abstract teleportation vessel) in the Time Space Existence exhibition at the European Cultural Centre in Venice. However, it is through his latest design project that Bird’s disparate talents have been brought together to create an interior that pushes the boundaries of style, innovation and creativity. The project is called The Theodore Treehouse and it is a two-bedroom apartment located in a leafy Melbourne suburb. The name Treehouse pays deference to a substantial peppercorn tree situated at the very edge of the apartment balcony that fills the entire outlook. Bird says that seeing the tree so close at hand made him feel like “a kid again climbing trees and living in the sky” and this was the inspiration for the interior of the apartment.
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Despite the fact that the apartment is rented and along with the usual design parameters of no structural changes and careful interior modification, Bird has still made this project a standout. Bold colours have been used throughout to delineate areas, while furniture ensembles create pockets of interest. Everything that has been used in the decoration of the apartment has either been bought off-the-shelf (generally at Bunnings), purchased at vintage shops or are ‘found’ objects. Here the ordinary is made to look extraordinary and the usual is very unusual indeed. The apartment block was built in 1962 by celebrated local architect Ernest Fooks and the footprint of the apartment is substantial at 75 square metres with 2.9-metre high ceilings. The floorplan is conventional and rooms are accessed via a right-angled passageway. Upon entry, the kitchen is to the left, a riot of colour in bright red (Geranium, Haymes). No remodelling was allowed, but the inclusion of a marble-topped workbench adds a touch of the contemporary while supplying the practical. The installation of Sherrin footballs decorated with bicycle reflectors on the main wall is Bird’s own homage to the game of Aussie Rules, but also injects humour and whimsy. Down the dark passageway/gallery (Black Pitch, Haymes) there are displays of artworks, more installations and shovels and this eclectic mix of objets heralds the promise of things to come. To the right is the open plan dining and living rooms (Mission Brown, Haymes) and this is where the fun really begins. The dining table is surrounded by 12 steel car park bollards with custom steel fittings together arranged as a tepee (design Studiobird). The table is circa 1980s, the design inspired by Norman Foster’s Nomos table, and the Trip dining chairs are by Marcello Ziliani (all vintage purchased from Mode 707). This fantastical setting is a revelation of design and process and one would
Here the ordinary is made to look extraordinary and the usual is very unusual indeed.
OPPOSITE
The fantastical diningroom featuring 12 steel carpark bollards that surround the table
ABOVE
The study with customised desk and found objects that include the comfortable chair
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THE PROJECTS
BELOW
The kitchen features an installation of three Sherrin footballs decorated with bicycle reflectors
OPPOSITE
The 1960s bathroom has been updated with the inclusion of a large pink saucer-like crown as a pendant light and bluestone pavers and granite aggregate on the floor
The celebration of the design is through the invention and reinterpretation of objects and how each works with the other to complete the whole.
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suppose that food would have to taste better in surroundings such as these. The living area is also a creative tableau of ordinary objects that have become something completely different. The side table is a construction of four checker-plate toolboxes upended and lashed together topped with a once discarded, off-cut of Indian marble (design Studiobird). The side lamp has been made from four stacked stainless steel ‘buttweld tee’ pipe fittings with a standard lamp inside (design Studiobird) and the pendant, aptly named Astro Boy, above the 1970s Tecno coffee table (vintage Mode 707), is the combination of two mirror surveillance domes with laser cut aluminium and an orbital texture finish (design Studiobird). These furniture pieces all sit particularly well with the 1970s sofa and chair in brown velvet (vintage Dario Zoureff, Mode 707) and the addition of an original Verner Panton textured wool wall hanging completes the picture… well, almost. From Bird’s imagination comes window dressing with a difference. A ‘sheer curtain’ made from lengths of chains with spanners attached to the ends has been hung across the windows and wall the span of the dining and
living room. At night when the pendant light is on, this metallic ‘curtain’ shimmers and shines, but also affords a view of the tree outside. Enchanting. The second bedroom/study is situated at the beginning of the right angle of the passageway and is the beating heart of Bird’s home/work area. The desk (Doodle desk, Studiobird) has been decorated with laser cut etchings that are a tag of Bird’s name. A 1960s Eames chair complements the desk, while an occasional chair (found on the street, of unknown origin) blends perfectly with Bird’s own artwork that has been hung above the guest bed. The master bedroom between the study and bathroom is quite the statement piece. The room has been painted pure white and Bird has designed and engineered an extraordinary bed or bed box. ‘Palanquin’ as it has been named, is made from a powder-coated steel frame, paint rollers, shovels and a wallaby fur bedhead and is unlike anything of its kind although, true to its name, it is almost possible to believe this bed could be a litter soon to be carried away by four able minions. The bathroom remains largely unchanged except for two design initiatives. The first is the landscaped floor of bluestone pavers and granite aggregate that creates an outdoor feel to this very indoor room; the second is the addition of a large pink saucer shaped crown suspended overhead as a pendant light that adds an ‘other world’ dimension. It is definitely not your average bathroom, but somehow everything just works with the 1960s fittings and fixtures. inside published Bird’s first interior project, Alphaomega, back in 2008. The project was the interior of another rented apartment and it was creative, weird and wonderful, and marked Bird as a designer to watch. Now eight years on, The Theodore Treehouse is proof that Bird’s design prowess has developed and evolved organically into a more sophisticated and innovative reality. The Theodore Treehouse is individual, a manifestation of Bird’s active imagination, and there is delight in every room. The celebration of the design is through the invention and reinterpretation of objects and how each works with the other to complete the whole. Matthew Bird may be living in the treetops with the ‘other’ birds, but may he always keep reimagining, reinventing and showcasing the commonplace object as his special brand of design, art and sculpture.
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#77
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THE PROJECTS
ABOVE
A 165-square metre terrace takes full advantage of the lifestyle and view afforded this premier position on Bondi Beach. Gandia Bosco flat rocking chair, side table and ottomans, Hub
OPPOSITE
The essence of beach is explored through textural variation, nuance and an inviting tactility that invites a bare foot lifestyle. Argentinian hide rug, Hub
TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE PENTHOUSE POSITION OVERLOOKING BONDI BEACH, THE PACIFIC LIGHTHOUSE APARTMENT BY SJB, KOICHI TAKADA AND PTW POSITS ‘BAREFOOT GLAMOROUS’ AS A PERFECT INNER CITY BEACH MODE. interior design - SJB interior architecture - Koichi Takada architect - Andrew Andersons of PTW Architects text - Gillian Serisier photography - Felix Forest location - Bondi Beach, Australia
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THE PROJECTS
T
he concept of layers that finesse and adjust from foundational architecture to interior architecture, interior design and inhabitant specific accoutrement and styling is generally reserved for end user engagements. And, to some extent, creating a temporary home for renowned photographer, Mario Testino fulfils all mandates for end user needs. The story then is how the layers work and how good interior design creates foundational narratives that absorb and reflect myriad nuance. In doing so, Pacific Lighthouse effectively functions as a lesson in exemplar interior design. Developed by Eduard Litver of the Capit.el Group and Allen Linz of Rebel Property Group, the Pacific is a rebuild of the former wedding cake architecture of the Swiss Grande. Andrew Andersons of PTW (formerly Peddle Thorp and Walker) provided the architecture design throughout, including the long, light-filled vaulted volume and expansive terrace of Lighthouse 511 (457 square metres over two storeys, plus a 165-square metre terrace). Key to the design is an arching curve that shapes the end wall of glass to the terrace and the interior curve of wall and ceiling of the upper floor. Sleek and singularly impressive, the volume feeds the view into the room, while the terrace’s expanse acts to steadily frame and reframe the magnificence of the beach view, before presenting an uninterrupted panorama. In an interesting shift, the developers have forgone the usual off-the-plan choice of thematic schemes (driftwood, beach etc); buyers are offered a choice of designer for the interior architecture governing base decorative and functional elements of layout, including flooring, kitchen and bathroom: Jonathan Richards of SJB, Koichi Takada or George Freedman of PTW. The idea, however, was far more complex than simple calibre leveraging. Rather, the developers were adamant the project be design led and actively engaged buyers in the process of interior design. Jonathan Richards, interior designer and director of SJB, explains that a process of working together, while retaining independent design integrity to create a single workable layout strategy, was not without difficulty given the requisite three designs each across three different iterations.
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“We were given the opportunity to plan out the apartments as we thought best,” he says. “As you can imagine it’s a vertical building and I might have been placing my kitchen not above Koichi’s. So there was a huge amount of coordination that went into rationalising our respective designs just to make it practical.” And while initial meetings were slightly uncomfortable as the designers discussed the separate designs (Takada and Richards had never met), a camaraderie born of mutual respect prevailed. “In the end it became a collaboration rather than three designers doing their own thing; it was a cooperation where we got together a lot. Interestingly, we all came up with very different things, which was pleasing.” Koichi Takada agrees, “It was a very good way of presenting, as we kept raising the bar! Each week we would see what each other was doing and improving in not so much a competition, but it’s human nature to do better.” Moreover, the levels of mutual respect resulting from the project were unanimous, as Takada makes clear. “It is wonderful to understand how thoughts are worked through a project. Through an exchange of thought in a work in progress we can influence and push each other through a friendship and respect that has developed. We started as competitors, but have ended as very close friends: it is fantastic.” Additionally, a range of interior designers and stylists have been engaged to work with clients post-completion for personalised interiors. Richards was selected by the developers for
RIGHT
A natural palette of soft linen, oak and wool is layered for nuanced depth
BOTTOM RIGHT Designed in 1957 by Paulo
Mendes Da Rocha, the sculptural form of the Paulistano armchair (Objecto at Hub), remains one of the best BOTTOM LEFT
The sweep of a spiral staircase provides a graceful element of glamour and sculptural form to the white on white of the lower floor
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#81
Sleek and singularly impressive, the volume feeds the view into the room.
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THE PROJECTS
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#83
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THE PROJECTS
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PREVIOUS
The expanse of the Koichi Takada designed kitchen is perfectly balanced to the weight and ratio of the living area. A Sorry Gioto floor lamp (Enzo Catellani, Catellani & Sons, Hub) adds height and balance to the whole
ABOVE
Hand finished plaster subtly highlights the curving architecture to frame and make intimate this otherwise very large bedroom
TOP LEFT
A palette of natural stone and bronze mosaic is augmented by bronze accessories and the luscious tones and textures of Loom towels and hand towels, Hub
BOTTOM LEFT
Filling and softening the corner with its voluptuous curves the Chubby Chic armchair, Diesel By Maroso, Hub, is a delightful and extremely comfortable whimsy
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#85
Lighthouse 511, effectively creating a showcase of Andersons’ architecture, Takada’s interior architecture and Richards’ interior design: their three stars in one apartment! Concurrently, Vogue was looking for a location for photographer Mario Testino while shooting in Australia. The project then switched from an exercise in finishing an apartment without an end user and became skewed towards Testino, as a resident. “It brought it back to life… bringing someone in as a person, returned it to the realm of a normal project,” says Richards. Rather than going for a stylised parody of beach, Richards pursued the experiential elements quintessential to a beach life style through textural variation suited to a barefoot lifestyle. Effectively, the result is a sensory experience of soft linens, natural fibres, leather, stone and wood that marry a high-end lifestyle aesthetic with a natural beach style of living. It’s an aesthetic combination Australia is championing, where European design elements of furniture and lighting are given a softened material palette suiting both our actual and philosophical lifestyle. The upper floor is perhaps the most striking, with the view at full volume as Richards states, “The real theatre is looking out at the horizon and beautiful Bondi Beach.” In keeping with this tenet, he has optimised the view and sense of infinite space with furniture selected for its low bulk, while sculptural floor lamps create a sketchy vertical that activates the space without interfering with the view. Forming an alliance with Hub as the single supplier allowed a tight turnaround and on-the-fly specification adjustments for furniture, lighting and objects, including the beautiful linens and Loom towels used
throughout. Takada’s kitchen design adds exponentially to the exaggeration of the architectural form. Visually providing a long horizontal plane to run parallel with the walls, he has effectively created a perspective line that draws the eye perpetually to the sea. “We wanted to connect to the nature of Bondi Beach, where light is constantly changing – never singular and monotonous, but a constant changing atmosphere that we could reflect in the interior,” says Takada. Moreover, the balance of mass and length is superb (few designers can work this well at this scale). During the day, the strong natural light has the effect of visually saturating the line as it proceeds to the window. At night, the island and cabinetry become a central contained hub that draws on its own weight. The lower floor entry is perhaps the more traditionally glamorous with a white on white expanse punctuated by a slow turning staircase. Layered in form and texture through hand blown glass, linens, rugs and furnishings the main colours of deep sea greens and blues are reserved for the bathrooms. Conversely, upstairs the whole colour scheme is muted to sand, olive, grey and grey-blue. As Richards says, “It’s one of the only places in the world where backpackers and millionaires are walking the same pavement, enjoying the same lifestyle – a true city beach.” As such, the decision to create an aesthetic combining a relaxed lifestyle with glamorous overtones is perfectly suited to Bondi. And then of course, there’s always the view!
European design elements of furniture and lighting are given a softened material palette suiting both our actual and philosophical lifestyle.
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THE PROJECTS
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project - Castan Chambers design - Inarc Architects photography - Peter Clarke project - Barrister’s Chamber design - fmd Architects photography - Brooke Holm interior architecture - Gray Puksand text - Jan Henderson location - Melbourne, Australia
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IN THE RAREFIED AIR OF A TOWER BLOCK IN THE LEGAL PRECINCT IN MELBOURNE A REVOLUTION OF SORTS HAS TAKEN PLACE. THERE ARE NO DEMONSTRATIONS, RAISED VOICES OR PLACARDS, JUST A CHANGE OF DESIGN GUARD AT THE EPICENTRE OF THE CONSERVATIVE LEGAL PROFESSION.
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THE PROJECTS
D
There is the perception of legal rooms of old with brown leather chesterfields and dark wood panelling, and the omnipresent piles of journals and legal books.
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esign can change the way people live and work, how they feel and the way they go about their daily routines. Take the legal fraternity, and barristers in particular, and the workplaces they inhabit. There is the perception of legal rooms of old with brown leather chesterfields and dark wood panelling, and the omnipresent piles of journals and legal books. At Castan Chambers, however, the barristers that make up this group have rethought their environment and agreed upon an office interior that embraces a sophisticated and contemporary style more suited to 2016. These new chambers are located in the legal precinct spread over two floors high above Melbourne city and each floor contains rooms for 20 and 15 barristers respectively. Although the Chambers is a collective, each member works independently; however, there was a mutual consensus when it came to the design of the common areas. This collegiate approach was mirrored by the fact that the renovation of the areas was equally a cooperative venture between three architecture and design practices. Inarc Architects designed the public areas, fmd Architects focused on one of the barrister’s chambers and Gray Puksand was responsible for the documentation, administration and project management of the project (and also the individual fitouts of each chamber). There was a tight schedule for the build, but through collaboration between client and the architecture and design practices, the project was completed on time and on budget. The two floor plans of the Castan Chambers have a similar footprint with the rooms arranged around the edge of the large middle common area. This allows for natural light to fill the office spaces where the day-to-day work is conducted; however, this floor plan created a problem – how to allow natural light to filter into the interior of the floor? To resolve this, Inarc Architects director Christopher Hansson has incorporated thin, black powder-coated, steel-framed glass doors as the entry to each chamber, and this simple solution has helped to provide a large amount of natural light into the interior. Barristers’ work is for the most part sensitive and, as such, a major requirement was for a high level of acoustic segregation.
Acoustic expert design group, Hanson Associates, was consulted to ensure that there was adequate soundproofing and the necessary requirements were seamlessly integrated into Inarc’s design. The common areas on both floors contain a reception and client meeting area, meeting rooms and kitchen and utility facilities, but they have each been configured to the tenants’ needs. For example, the kitchen on the upper floor is open plan and a good place to meet for Friday night drinks, whereas the lower floor has an enclosed kitchen dining area. The colour palette is warm and light with accents of dark brown and black. The lower floor reception area has been tiled (Fibonacci) and timber tongue and groove 153-millimetre wide boards (Royal Oak, white smoked) have been used on the upper floor. The joinery finishes are white laminate and European oak veneer that match the timber floor. On the lower level there are timber armchairs (Claude, Ritzwell, Stylecraft), sofas (Alfred, Jardan) and small coffee tables (Oblique, Prostoria, Luke Furniture) with floor and table lamps (Luceplan, JSB Lighting)
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PREVIOUS
The reception area for the lower level of Castan Chambers is relaxed and comfortable, contemporary and sophisticated. Image Peter Clarke
OPPOSITE
Inarc Architect director Christopher Hansson included glass doors to the barristers’ chambers to increase light into the interior area. Image Peter Clarke
TOP
The common space designed by Inarc Archtects on the upper level includes an area for meals and socialising. Image Peter Clarke
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THE PROJECTS
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OPPOSITE
Mirrors create space and depth on the upper floor of Castan Chambers by Inarc Architects. Image Peter Clarke
ABOVE
An overview of the barrister’s chamber by fmd Architects. Image Brooke Holm
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THE PROJECTS
As the barristers of Castan Chambers work separately and together so did the different designers and architects involved with this multilayered project.
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TOP
The dark stained oak floor complements the Arctic landscape photograph by Brooke Holm that dominates the space in the barrister’s chamber by fmd Architects. Image Brooke Holm
OPPOSITE
Detail of the storage cupboards made from American oak with recessed leather pulls in the barrister’s chamber by fmd Architects. Image Brooke Holm
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sporting white shades. On the upper floor, armchairs and lighting remain the same, however there is a different sofa (Bosko, Jardan) and coffee tables (Frame, Prostoria, Luke Furniture) with rugs (Tretford, Gibbon Group) placed to delineate seating areas. The meeting rooms contain task chairs (B5, Stylecraft) and the kitchen areas have bar stools (Catifa, Stylecraft) around a large table (Blade, Stylecraft and Carma contract table, Luke Furniture). In all, the atmosphere is relaxed and modern, but with a touch of restrain that sets the tone of the business at hand. Each barrister had the opportunity to individualise his/her own chamber and so no two are the same; however, there is one standout that definitely makes a statement. This chamber was designed by Fiona Dunin from fmd Architects and, having completed previous projects for this client, she was perfectly placed to interpret his needs and desires. Dunin has created an enveloping space with the colour black. The original ceiling tiles have been painted black and the American oak timber floor has been stained black (Royal Oak). Interestingly, this opens up the space as a blank canvas would and is not at all oppressive. Custom joinery has also been made from American oak, but with a clear finish and recessed leather pulls (Made Measure) and this adds softness to the room. There is a large glass window with excellent views of the city below and this adjoins the main wall where Dunin has placed a two-seat sofa and side tables (Harper sofa and Nash tables, Jardan) in front of a very large photograph of an arctic landscape (Brooke Holm’s Arctic series) that lifts the area and merges it with the sky outside. On the other side of the window is the barrister’s desk (Tailored, Ross Gardam, Stylecraft)
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with task chair (B5, Stylecraft) and in the middle is a conference/work table (Tailored, Ross Gardam, Stylecraft) and comfortable chairs (Tub, Devorm, Great Dane). It is, however, the inclusion of two pendant lights (Mark Douglass) that creates a feeling of being at home, relaxing in a contemporary space, that pulls the room together. This barrister’s chambers is out-of-the-box and absolutely at the other end of the ‘leather chesterfield’ spectrum, but the design has interpreted the requirements of the client moving one design step further and pushing the boundaries of style and good taste. As the barristers of Castan Chambers work separately and together so did the different designers and architects involved with this multilayered project. The end result shows that, just as the barristers have embraced a new era of design, the different parts that were Inarc Architects, fmd Architects and Gray Puksand contributed to a greater ‘whole’ and the barristers at Castan Chambers are more than happy with the result.
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THE PROJECTS
project - Greg Natale Design headquarters designer - Greg Natale text - Sarah Hetherington photography - Anson Smart location - Surry Hills, Australia
GREG NATALE’S NEW SPACE IS A SYMPHONY OF BLACK, WHITE AND GREY – PRINT, PATTERN AND PANACHE AS SARAH HETHERINGTON DISCOVERS.
OPPOSITE
Setting a tone of opulence and glamour, Vintage brass lighting warms a monochrome palette of black, white and grey
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THE PROJECTS
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ABOVE TOP
Materiality, tone and texture are extended to envelop the kitchen in the same luxury seen throughout
ABOVE BOTTOM Natale’s 3D collection of Tiles
(Marmo) with Emu- Heaven chairs and dinning table (Ke-Zu) OPPOSITE
The main reception lounge features Natale’s lounge from the Chest range (Stylecraft) and his Worlds Away armchairs in black and gold below a magnificently elegant vintage brass feature light
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nside an unassuming 1960s modernist building in Sydney’s Surry Hills lies a world of luxe, sophisticated glamour, exquisite craftsmanship and elegant touches of Hollywood Regency. Discreet ‘Greg Natale’ gold lettering, set against the pale grey façade, is the only signal that this is the interior design firm’s new headquarters. Established in 2001, Greg Natale’s eponymous company works predominantly in high end residential. Inspired by the fusion of public and private spaces within the late American fashion designer Halston’s East 63rd Street, Manhattan townhouse, twice designed by architect Paul Rudolph in the 1960s and 1970s, Natale undertook the construction of his headquarters as architect, interior designer and, of course, client. He notes, “The project uniquely enabled me to really do what I want; I was the client, it was my brief.” The building was purchased in 2015 and redeveloped straightaway at a rapid pace, with the terrace transformed from two to four split-level storeys. As a representation of his brand’s aesthetic and design sensibilities, the headquarters express Natale’s distinctive penchant for a neutral palette of black, white and grey. Many projects commence with this structural base and, from there, Natale layers and tailors, adding touches of warmth, tone and texture with accents including rugs, cushions and art, achieving a “timeless, classic style that transcends trends”. Upon entering the offices, one is met with an instant visual feast of luxurious finishes, high-end furniture and layers of detail. Black and white geometric marble tiles (Sottsass by Greg Natale) line the floor of the compact entranceway, complete with cement rendered walls, which enhance the space’s tonal elegance. To the right of the vestibule, a sleek gold console table nestles underneath the stairwell and features a striking metal sculpture by Los Angeles artist, Dan Murphy – the first of many contemporary artworks featured throughout. Above the table, hangs a gestural black and white painting by Kerry Armstrong. To the left
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THE PROJECTS
The contrasting tile patterns are immediately striking and create a syncopated dance for the eye.
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of the entranceway is the boardroom, where the flooring comprises a black and white mosaic tile grid (Zucchi by Greg Natale) skirted by grey terrazzo. The contrasting tile patterns are immediately striking and create a syncopated dance for the eye. Inside the boardroom, a large oval Florence Knoll marble table is set among six refurbished black leather, steel-framed chairs, all situated underneath a ravishing brass vintage pendant light – the effect creates a formal space where clients and staff can meet and present ideas. Across the windows, grey linen curtains drape from ceiling to floor, cleverly subduing the afternoon sun. Opposite the doorway, on the far cement rendered wall, sits an abstract painting by artist, Jo Davenport – the first real injection of colour thus far. Natale believes a great artwork truly “finishes a space… the final layer”. Continuing upstairs, one ascends a grey Carrara marble staircase framed with a black steel balustrade towards the main reception, which features a black marble desk, brass vintage lighting and a specially commissioned wall relief sculpture by Dion Horstmans – three geometric forms in black, bronze and white. Pieces from the designer’s collaborations, such as the charcoal lounge from the Chest range and black leather tub chairs from the World’s Away range, are located in the lobby, and set around a three-tiered, high gloss, black coffee table. Plush geometric rugs punctuate the grey terrazzo flooring and add warmth. The original brick structural walls have been retained, painted white and this, along with the perforated ceiling acts as a decorative feature, while being functional in reducing sound. Behind the reception, a series of divided spaces unfold using fluted glass supported by a motif of black steel rectangular frames, and house offices, a bathroom and another client meeting room complete with Flos pendant light, Eames chairs, an intimately-scaled marble table atop a yellow and black geometric print rug, and a framed work on paper by artist Graham Kuo, where bold strokes of purple, black, watermelon and gold coalesce into a frenzy. Here, the glass walls provide both translucency and privacy for clients and staff. Further beyond, the designer has constructed a spacious showroom in which to display the ever-expanding range of interior products, and also a discreet double garage at the rear of the premises. It is worthwhile highlighting the innovative use of white tiles set against black grouting in the bathroom and shower, accentuating the recurring element of strong geometry.
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OPPOSITE
The boardroom is centred by a Florence Knoll dining table (dedece) with refurbished vintage black leather dining chairs and vintage brass lighting
ABOVE
The golden tones of an Oluce Atollo Desk lamp (Euroluce) echo colour and form in the Natale designed rug and his gold tone and marble Worlds Away dining table
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Ascending the marble stairs to the third and fourth floors, one uncovers a treasure trove of Natale’s inspirations in his swatch studio – numerous swathes of fabrics, sample tiles and finishes line the shelves. Continuing upstairs, one reaches the kitchen, staff room adorned with Andy Warhol Campbell’s Soup Can prints, rooftop terrace, private office and a large open floorplan design studio with 16 workstations for the growing team. Natale’s private office features a library area complete with lounges, a red marble coffee table, shelves of books sorted by colour and a striking painting by artist Scott Petrie, framed by lamps from James Said Collections, Perth. The space allows Natale to quietly create and work on projects and designs. The kitchen comprises retro 1970s-style Smeg appliances, sleek carpentry in a Yosemite finish along with matt black tapware and stone benchtop with matching splashback. Beyond, the rooftop terrace provides an inner-city oasis and features an over-scaled staircase where staff and clients can lounge, tiled with the soon-to-be launched 3D Collection (Marmo), furniture by Ke-Zu and a selection of potted greenery and succulents. Natale admits he had a strong “vision for the site, seeing it completed as a whole” prior to commencing. The headquarters exemplify his streamlined and cohesive mix of luxurious
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finishes – smooth marble, plush fabrics, matt tiling, high gloss fixtures, black carpentry, opaque glass and the rawness of the painted brickwork coalesce in a considered, yet seemingly effortless manner. Natale says, “Our DNA is the use of print and pattern. Classic and clean lines.” The designer is thrilled with the results, fulfilling the needs of his clients and staff. He is undoubtedly energised and driven to work, noting, “We are currently working on a hotel in Perth, and have just completed an 80-room hotel in the Hunter Valley, due to open soon.” The scale of the enterprise is a remarkable feat given the staff of 15 who work on a portfolio of 30 to 40 simultaneously active projects, as well as myriad additional interior products, with a range of homewares launching in the near future. Recently published and exquisitely designed, The Tailored Interior features an insightful introduction by Jonathan Adler and a photographic journey of projects, shot spectacularly by Anson Smart. Inside, Natale’s candour when describing his approach and design philosophy is refreshingly accessible. As the man behind one of Australia’s leading and award-winning interior design firms, Greg Natale is on a mission to create “luxury and glamour” – spaces for his clients to live in that are “tailored to their dreams”.
RIGHT
Natale’s private office includes lamps from the James Said Collection, Perth and a painting by Scott Petrie
LEFT
A flexible design studio for 16 that can accommodate expansion in an open-plan style that suits Natale well, seated at right
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“Our DNA is the use of print and pattern. Classic and clean lines.� Greg Natale
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THE PROJECTS
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o say the design is transformative somewhat misses the mark when a corridor of inky black on black is reimagined as a light filled, simple and decidedly hip place to hang out. That the food is divine is simply a bonus! What was a nightclub is now a super groovy restaurant headed by the cool school of ACME and chef Analiese Gregory of Quay restaurant fame. The Luchetti Krelle (LK) design suits the transition and then some. Shotgun in shape, the space is essentially a corridor running across a narrow Darlinghurst block. As such, there is a slight crick where the Victoria Street and Darlinghurst Road tenancies were joined in past iterations; there is, however, no sense of a jigsaw. Rather, it is a slight shift from distal to proximal interior zones, well-realised through continuity of big picture thinking of colour, texture, timber and light. Read from the Victoria Street entrance the restaurant’s immediate presence is a casual dining space of Ercol timber stools and Tasmanian oak shelf tables. Elegant, simple and uncluttered in typical Luchetti Krelle LK style, Bar Brosé’s nuances reside in details such as the low wall of glass brick and the use of builders’ clay vents as an aesthetic detail that gives a slightly Oriental quirk. Nooks for the chef’s fish-shaped copper terrine moulds, duck- and rabbit-topped casseroles and the elegant pike dishes provide the room’s only dimensional decoration, bar the beautiful Porcelain Bear two-tone Cloche ceramic pendant lamps. And sensibly so given the limited space. Rather, the room’s interior space exists as a blue grey expanse (Dulux, Byron Place paint) that travels from floor to walls in a false dado line that gives way to white. The next room is in less of a hurry with Tasmanian oak tables for four grouped with a pair of Ercol dining chairs and an Ercol two-seater, which allows the introduction of black. The kitchen and chef are on show here with a stainless steel kitchen providing frame and workspace, while backlit builders’ vents at top and bottom anchor the slick austerity of steel to
project - Bar Brosé designer - Luchetti Krelle text - Gillian Serisier photography - Michael Wee location - Darlinghurst, Australia
DEFINING INNER CITY COOL, LUCHETTI KRELLE’S DESIGN FOR BAR BROSÉ IS AS LIGHT AS AIR.
OPPOSITE
Smoky mirrors and ceramic builders’ vents lend a rich, but mellow ambience to the main dining room
ABOVE
Ercol two-seaters and Ercol dining chairs are paired with custom Tasmanian oak tables in various arrangements that allow the restaurant to transform as seating needs dictate. Porcelain Bear Cloche pendants provide an elegant touch that harmonises exceptionally well with the oversized legacy speakers
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THE PROJECTS
The nuances reside in details such as the low wall of glass brick and the use of builders’ clay vents.
ABOVE
Somewhat seventies in mode, the six custom tables in Tasmanian oak form a single table for 12 below a second-hand sourced pendant lamp
OPPOSITE
A false dado in Dulux Byron Place is perfectly offset by a backlit wall of glass brick. The displayed chef’s accoutrement adds a touch of authentic copper to the palette that is picked up in the bar
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the earthy aromas emanating from within. Several legacy elements remain; the first is the excessively large black speakers hanging from the ceiling. Rather than fight them, LK has exaggerated their presence with a white background and the black cords of the Porcelain Bear pendant lamps. Another legacy is the smoky mirrored wall, which, while replaced with a better quality solution, was too good a device in a small room to deny. In combination with the blue grey floor and dado line, it works exceptionally well and is most definitely not nightclub-ish! The next room is a continuation of the restaurant, with an expanded version of stools and tables for four. It is also the bar and in the tradition of all the best bars it is long and thin with a brass foot rail, room for a drink or snack and lots of tall stools to perch on. The addition of a brass facing and a lowered shelf table running the length of the bar masterfully demarks this as a dining bar, without alienating those who are simply enjoying a drink. Major themes such as the glass bricks are revisited as floating light sources, while the blue/grey and white continues, as does the mirror. In this iteration the mirrors fit into the exposed archways where backlighting rebounds in the arch corner to give the impression of a solid neon arc of light. (Prior to this renovation all walls were plasterboard; LK has exposed and worked with the building fabric throughout.) The final room is deceptively simple. In the centre is a bespoke hexagonal table in Tasmanian oak and a group of second-hand pendants. The table is in fact six tables and, as such, the hexagonal iteration allows dining for 12, while each of the tables can separately accommodate three (or four at a pinch). Low-back Tangerine chairs by Resident provide the best possible solution in terms of comfort and lack of visual clutter. There is an overall elegance to the design that works perfectly in terms of clientele, location and zeitgeist. More important, however, is the simpatico relationship between interior and the food. Both of which are light, fresh, nuanced and a delight of aesthetic subtleties.
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THE PROJECTS
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SUSAN MULDOWNEY VISITS A VICTORIAN TERRACE IN INNERCITY MELBOURNE TO DISCOVER A PROJECT PAR EXCELLENCE BY DAN GAYFER DESIGN THAT MAKES THE MOST OF THE SPATIAL FOOTPRINT BELOW AND THE NATURAL LIGHT FROM ABOVE. project - High House design - Dan Gayfer Design text - Susan Muldowney photography - Dean Bradley location - North Fitzroy, Australia
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THE PROJECTS
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igh House by Dan Gayfer Design is a home with two faces. While the classic Victorian façade is of little surprise in a terrace-lined street of Melbourne’s North Fitzroy, the soaring gabled extension, accessed via a cobbled laneway at the rear, is anything but expected. Gayfer’s clients set high demands for the renovation from the start. The house is located on a narrow plot just five metres wide, so the only way was up. They engaged Gayfer to design a highly flexible, highly functional space that aided social interaction and made the most of every centimetre. They wanted a second storey that felt like a natural extension of the first, rather than an extra room tacked on the top. They wanted plenty of storage that integrated with the overall design of the home. They also wanted an abundance of natural light – a seemingly tough call for a south-facing footprint. Gayfer’s response was to turn the classic terrace house on its head. Only the two bedrooms at the front of the house have been retained. The rest, as Gayfer puts it, was ‘dusted’. He has created a wonderful sense of space through a pitched-roof extension and the home is the now perfect reflection of how this young couple and their oneyear-old like to live – without complication or effort, surrounded by good company. Gayfer believes south-facing houses are too easily underestimated. “A lot of people write them off,” he says. “You just need to be very considerate about how to get the light in.”
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PREVIOUS
The outside deck with built-in seating captures the sun and is perfect for entertaining and relaxing
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Overview of the staircase and kitchen that features Gayfer’s Brutalist island bench that has been softened by gentle curves on either end
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Four casement windows break the façade of the rear of the house taking out the ‘bulk’ from the exterior
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They engaged Gayfer to design a highly flexible, highly functional space that aided social interaction and made the most of every centimetre.
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THE PROJECTS
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OPPOSITE
The blackbutt floor extends from the kitchen into the diningroom
TOP RIGHT
The blackbutt staircase features a custom fabricated steel balustrade that subtly references the sliding doors at the rear of the house
BOTTOM RIGHT
The upstairs lounge area doubles as an office with built-in desk and shelving
Gayfer took on the challenge of the southern orientation through simple elements like skylights and more thoughtful additions, such as a glasslined central courtyard that welcomes the sun and divides the home’s original structure from the new addition. The rear of the house is clad with distinctive pale blue tiles. What could have been a dull, flat rear exterior is broken up by their intricate grid and the addition of four casement windows, which project from the tiled surface when opened. Gayfer explains that the lack of mullions between the windows reduces any sense of weight. “I wanted to take out any bulk from the back exterior,” he explains. “The front of the house is quite ornate. The back feels completely different.” Custom steel and glass sliding doors at the rear lead into the living area, which has a concrete floor in beautiful contrast to the warm Russian birch joinery that lines the wall. “It’s harder than typical treated ply and it’s the blondest there is, so it doesn’t appear heavy on the walls,” says Gayfer. What is perhaps most impressive about Gayfer’s design is the effortless sense of continuity from one space to the next. A line of concrete extends from the floor of the living area to the kitchen’s bold, Brutalist island bench and Gayfer has softened its form through the addition of gentle curves. The blackbutt timber floors in the kitchen and dining area extend to the staircase, which also features a custom fabricated steel balustrade that subtly references the sliding doors at the rear of the house. Gayfer’s focus on light continues upstairs with the addition of louvred windows in the lounge area, which are also a feature of the bathroom downstairs. “I wanted this space to feel like a sunroom,” he explains. “The louvres bring a bit of a Queensland feel into the room.”
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The lounge area doubles as an office with a built-in desk and shelving that references the designs downstairs.
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THE PROJECTS
A small terrace extends from the lounge and provides a sunny view of the surrounding rooftops. To meet the social requirements of his client, Gayfer has designed the terrace with built-in seating and a bar fridge concealed behind pale pink tiles that line the space. “I always think about creating opportunities for social connections through design,” says Gayfer. The lounge area doubles as an office with a built-in desk and shelving that references the designs downstairs. “Continuity of details brings the space together and connects the upstairs and downstairs,” says Gayfer. “Too often, there’s a sense of disconnection with first-floor renovations.” The master bedroom, located just beyond the lounge room, features the casement windows that create that extra dimension to the home’s exterior rear wall. A sense of continuity and connection is also created in the en suite, which is lined with pale pink tiles that match those of the terrace.
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Back downstairs, Gayfer has addressed the need for functionality with storage built into the staircase. Space has also been saved through the addition of a pivot door that leads to the entrance hall. “By eliminating the need for architraves, you can create a sense of extra space,” he explains. Gayfer’s design of High House thoughtfully overcomes the challenges that this narrow, south-facing site presents. No element has been overlooked and the clients have a bright and flexible home with the social aspects they required. It is testament to an architect at the height of his game.
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The materiality of High House is echoed in the spacious bathroom bathed in light
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A framed view of the hallway and built-in bookcase that offers additional storage
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No element has been overlooked and the clients have a bright and flexible home with the social aspects they required.
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A R E VO LU T I O N A RY C E R A M I C M AT E R I A L . SaphirKeramik, a high-tech material driving innovative design. With its precise, thin-walled forms and tight-edge radii, Laufen brings a new language to bathrooms.
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