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SOFFA ISSUE 24 CZECHOSLOVAKIA
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SOFFA: JOY FROM THE HEART OF EUROPE Discover the best and the most beautiful from the Czech Republic and Central Europe: exquisite design, inspirational stories, unknown interiors and hidden gems well worth your visit.
Š SOFFA, s.r.o. 2017 I All rights reserved www.soffamag.com | info@soffamag.com cover photo: Lucie Desmond
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Editorial | Turning Over a New Page Travel | Devon Design | Design for the Future SOFFA celebrates | Two Birthdays
Editorial
TURNING OVER A NEW PAGE Just as at the start of every year, we welcome 2018 with vigour and with new initiatives, products and surprises. The first are our new web pages www.soffamag.com, which finally received a much-needed revamp. We hope they will be easy to navigate and you will find in them everything you want and more. Changes are also in store for the printed issue of our magazine, for which you will have to wait until February when SOFFA 25 is published. To make your wait more palatable, our January mini issue offers up a small but delicious feast: a photo gallery from county Devon in the southwest of England, a report from the Heimtextil trade fair in Frankfurt, and a reflection on our launch of the ‘Czechoslovakia issue’ SOFFA 24 in Villa Winternitz, an architectural gem built during Czechoslovakia’s so-called First Republic. Happy reading!
Adéla Kudrnová | editor in chief P.S. We are keen to hear your ideas! Write to us about what you would like to see on our web pages and in the printed issues in 2018.
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Travel
DEVON DRAMATIC WHITE CLIFFS MEET ROLLING HILLS OF GREEN ON THE SOUTHERN TIP OF ENGLAND, A BUCOLIC LANDSCAPE EVOKING THE LAND OF HOBBITS. text: Kristýna Svobodová | photo: Lucie Desmond
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Travel
CLOVELLY IS A SMALL FISHING VILLAGE NESTLED INTO DEVON’S NORTHERN COAST, HOME TO FEWER THAN FIVE HUNDRED PEOPLE. LIFE IN THE VILLAGE HAS REVOLVED AROUND FISHING SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AND AS THE VILLAGE STREETS ARE UNUSUALLY STEEP AND NARROW, FOR SOME FIVE HUNDRED YEARS THE LOCALS HAVE BEEN USING WOODEN SLEDGES TO PULL THE DAILY CATCH UP TO THE VILLAGE. TODAY CLOVELLY RINGS OF TRUE DEVONSHIRE SPIRIT AND ITS WHITEWASHED HOUSES AND TRADITIONAL FISH FARE ARE BUT A FEW OF THE ATTRACTIONS THIS CHARMING CORNER OF DEVON HAS TO OFFER.
The coast beckons with wild surf, purple heath and romantic legends of King Arthur, while in Devon’s interior time stands still. Verdant pastures fringed by endless ribbons of low stone walls enchant visitors who come in search of locally grown products and fresh sea air, away from the tourist resorts of the so-called British Riviera on Devon’s southern coast. Appledore, a coastal village located north of Clovelly, is a perfect example of Devon at its best. The confluence of the rivers Taw and Torridge is framed by sandy beaches and in the harbour humble fishing boats jostle for space with luxury yachts. The pastel facades of the village houses wear the mark of time – just as in much of Devonshire, Appledore’s settlement history goes far back. In spite of the progress of time, the community seems to have preserved the slow pace of life of yesteryear, with local restaurants serving the same traditional seafood that has been served here for generations. This is Devon, where azure blue skies give way to stormy clouds and the jolly squabble of seagulls surrenders to roaring waves. ■
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FORMEX SKLO
THIS PAGE AND NEXT SPREAD: Clovelly still exudes the magic of a true fishing village. Steep lanes shelter small houses buried in greenery and every path leads towards the harbour. In the past tourists were taken uphill by donkeys but today they must use their own two feet. Thankfully there are several local pubs along the way and you can recharge your batteries while taking photos of the stunning panorama. The colour palette is rooted in tried and tested basics. Steel blue, light grey and weathered white on house fronts, adorned with red flower planters that are brimming with colourful geraniums.
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THIS PAGE AND NEXT SPREAD: The Clovelly harbour is the traditional epicentre of village life. Fishermen’s nets belong to Devon as much as local agricultural products and the county’s green pastures. Devon’s beaches are wild and serene, pebbly and sandy – there is a beach for everyone.
THIS PAGE: Appledore, separated from Clovelly by the arc of a bay, is both a favourite destination and a starting point for a number of excursions – Devon offers up castles, islands and surfing beaches.
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Design
DESIGN FOR THE FUTURE
EVERY YEAR FRANKFURT HOSTS THE OPENING EVENT OF THE DESIGN SEASON – HEIMTEXTIL, THE LARGEST TEXTILE TRADE FAIR IN THE WORLD. THIS YEAR HEIMTEXTIL FEATURED NEARLY THREE THOUSAND EXHIBITORS AND INTRODUCED THE LEADING TRENDS FOR 2018/2019. text: Helena Novotná | photo: Helena Novotná and Messe Frankfurt GmbH / Pietro Sutera, Rei Moon
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‘THE FUTURE IS URBAN’ WAS THE MOTTO OF THIS YEAR’S HEIMTEXTIL THEME PARK, WHICH INTRODUCED THE MAIN LIFESTYLE TRENDS FOR THE COMING SEASON: THE HEALTHY SPACE, THE FLEXIBLE SPACE, THE RE-MADE SPACE AND THE MAKER SPACE. SEVEN INTERNATIONAL TREND AGENCIES WERE INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING OF THE THEME PARK, AND THE FINAL LOOK OF THE INSTALLATIONS WAS THE WORK OF THE BRITISH DESIGN STUDIO FRANKLINTILL.
More than half of the global population lives in cities, and this number is likely to grow in the coming decades. As urbanisation expands it brings many challenges to our way of life. Many are asking how this will influence the way we live, work, consume and socialise in the future. How will architects and designers respond to our changing demands? The Heimtextil trade fair introduced four lifestyle trends that will set the tone not only for the coming season, but also for the coming years – trends that are attempting to find creative solutions to changes that affect each and every one of us. The first trend is focused on the flexible space. People move around more today than ever before, and there is growing pressure on space in big cities, causing apartments to shrink to an absolute minimum. The second trend is that of the healthy space. Whether we are working or relaxing, on average we spend about ninety per cent of our time indoors. This has immense implications for our health and so designers are looking for solutions through ‘return to nature’ initiatives and also in the use of colours and their influence on our moods. Another trend, recycling or remaking, is about addressing the ever-growing mountain of refuse that we collectively generate on a daily basis. New technologies are emerging around meaningful recycling, not only for paper and plastics, but also sawdust and textiles. The last trend can be understood as a return to craft in an era of digitisation. People no longer want to simply buy – they want to be involved in the making process and to support local production. ■
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LEFT: Every person produces on average 0.64 kg of refuse per day, an amount that is likely to grow. It is no longer enough to focus on how to reduce the rubbish we produce – we must work on remaking existing refuse into useful materials. In the aptly named Atelier installation visitors could try out traditional techniques of processing and dying textiles under the helpful guidance of the designer Lola Lely, for whom the creative process is as important as the outcome itself.
ABOVE AND RIGHT: London-based designer Lola Lely explores the traditional Japanese resist dying technique known as shibori, in which she uses natural pigments derived from plants and food. The number of city dwellers grows with each year. How does urbanisation change our lives and how should we respond to these changes? This was the main focus of the Theme Park, an annual Heimtextil installation that looks at future trends.
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RIGHT: The London-based Studiomama introduced a flat in which every piece of furniture is multifunctional and every centimetre has its use. The studio asks the question of what we can’t do without. Insomnia and other sleep disorders are common in cities that never sleep. Studio (Un)Known Collective explores the influence of colours on our mood and energy. The collective used an audiovisual installation called Colour Experience to explore the influence that red and blue colours have on us.
ABOVE AND RIGHT: The designer Conor Taylor from Foresso studio came up with an idea for using wood waste – more specifically the shavings of high quality wood. The result is a product with a grainy surface that closely resembles terrazzo. They say that even one living plant in a workspace improves productivity and concentration. At the Green Work Space installation, visitors to the trade fair could refresh in a green oasis inside a large technical hall.
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SOFFA Celebrates
TWO BIRTHDAYS LAST DECEMBER WE CELEBRATED OUR FOURTH BIRTHDAY AND LAUNCHED SOFFA 24, WHICH WE DEDICATED TO CZECHOSLOVAKIA. THIS YEAR MARKS THE CENTENARY OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA’S FOUNDING, AND WHERE ELSE TO CELEBRATE SUCH A SPECIAL JUBILEE THAN IN AN ADOLF LOOS VILLA? text: Patrik Florián | photo: André Reis
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SOFFA Celebrates
FOR US IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE, BUT SOFFA HAS ALREADY TURNED FOUR! WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY FROM THE FIRST ISSUE, PUBLISHED ONLY ONLINE, AND THE FIRST PRINTED ISSUE, PUBLISHED ONLY IN ENGLISH, TO NOW SAVOURING THE PRINTED MAGAZINE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CZECH, OUR MOTHER TONGUE. FOUR YEARS COVERING TWENTY-FOUR ENGAGING THEMES: COLOURS, TRADITIONS, SPORT, TIME, MUSIC AND MORE. EACH ISSUE HAS TAUGHT US SOMETHING NEW, INTRODUCED US TO FASCINATING CREATIVES, TOOK US TO PLACES WE DID NOT KNOW EXISTED, AND INSPIRED US AND OUR READERS FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE GLOBE.
Truth be told, the entire magazine team was excited about SOFFA 24, which closed the doors on 2017 and opened 2018 with a heartfelt homage to the founding of the independent Czechoslovak state in 1918. The period between the two World Wars, known to us as the time of the First Republic, left a rich legacy of spectacular structures, timeless design, unique personal stories and many typically ‘Czechoslovak’ phenomena. What happens today in iconic First Republic buildings? Who carries on with the traditions of this exciting era? The new issue of SOFFA explores some of the best of what emerged in our land over the past one hundred years. Explore SOFFA 24 and join our celebration of Czechoslovak nationhood. Our warmest thanks go to all our readers, partners, friends and everyone else who has been with us on our journey. A special thanks also to Villa Winternitz for their gorgeous venue in which we celebrated the two birthdays, 440 Audio – the masters of quality sound – for the music that accompanied the event, and the Sisters bistro for their delicious chlebíčky, the pretty little open-faced sandwiches that must be served at any self-respecting Czech party. For more information about Villa Winternitz peruse SOFFA 24 or visit www.loosovavila.cz. ■
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EDITORIAL STAFF
CONTRIBUTORS
Adéla Kudrnová I editor in chief adela@soffamag.com Lenka Hlaváčová I art director & designer lenka@soffamag.com Adéla Havelková I photographer adela.h@soffamag.com Lina Németh I photographer lina@soffamag.com Michaela Karásek Čejková I photographer michaela@soffamag.com Róbert Kováč I graphic designer robert@soffamag.com Helena Novotná I editor & distribution helena@soffamag.com Patrik Florián I editor & fashion stylist patrik@soffamag.com Dita Loudilová I event manager dita@soffamag.com David Šoukal I production manager david@soffamag.com
Lucie Desmond I photographer
Terézia Bělčáková I sales manager terezia@soffamag.com Petr Novák I sales mananger petr@soffamag.com Kristýna Svobodová I intern info@soffamag.com
Ingrid Martonova I English translation Peter Stannard I English revision
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