Tempus Magazine | Issue 63 | August September 2019

TIMELESS INSPIRATION

MEET AI-DA The AI challenging everything we know about art

ISSUE

63

PRINCE ALBERT OF MONACO | FINE WATCHMAKING | INSIDE FERRARI HQ DESIGN EDITION

NOT AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE. WE INTEND TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.

Moritz Grossmann’s watches have always been something special.

By mastering modern craftsmanship we are now taking his visionary spirit to the 21st century.

SCHÖNST E S DEU TSCH E S H A N DW E R K

William & Son, London · Define Watches, Noosa · Juwelier Scholze, Bautzen · Juwelier Eggebrecht, Berlin · Juwelier Reuer, Berlin Tewes Juwelier, Dortmund · Leicht Juweliere, Dresden · Morawitz Juwelier, Düsseldorf · Leicht Juweliere, Hamburg · Juwelier CW Müller, Koblenz · Juwelier Carl Glück, München · Juwelier Windecker, Oberursel · Juwelier OEKE, Weimar · Juwelier Seilnacht, Freiburg Antoine de Macedo, Paris · Moritz Grossmann Japan Co., Ltd., Tokyo · Hirano Watch & Jewelry, Nagoya · Eye Eye Isuzu, Takamatsu Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Tokyo · Khronos Unique Horlogerie, Kuala Lumpur · Swiss Prestige, Hong Kong · Juwelier Präg, Dornbirn · Al Majed Jewellery, Doha · Juwelier Seiler, Basel · Haute Horlogerie Schindler, Zermatt · Atelier Wassmann, Zug · Caratell PTE Ltd., Singapore GRASSY S.A., Madrid · Pirlant, Bursa · Oster Jewelers, Denver · Cellini Jewelers, New York · Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons, Dubai www.chrono24.com/moritzgrossmann · www.boutique.grossmann-uhren.com · www.budapester.eu · www.viennaart.net

www.grossmann-uhren.com

Consumer and corporate cards available

This card is issued by Paysafe Financial Services Limited pursuant to a licence by Mastercard International. Paysafe Financial Services Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (FRN: 900015) for the issuing of electronic money and payment instruments. Mastercard and the Mastercard brand mark are registered trademarks of Mastercard International.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Adam Hay-Nicholls As car journalist and writer for the likes of GQ and the Telegraph, Adam is the man in the know when it comes to motoring. On page 22, he speaks to Ferrari's head of design about what makes the Italian brand such an incredible innovator.

Chantal Borciani Luxury, travel and yachting writer and editor Chantal explores the topic of sustainability and green energy in the world of boating.

Discover her findings on those leading the charge – and those that need a wakeup call – on page 78.

Farzana Ali Beauty and wellness writer Farzana puts her nose to the test as she sniffs out the artisan perfumers shaking up the fine fragrance industry. Uncover the names to watch – and the scents to smell – on page 52.

Responsibly printed Tempus magazine is printed on FSC-certified paper that’s been sourced in an environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable way. All paper stock can be traced back to the original tree.

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Shortlisted for: Editor of the Year – Independent, 2018 Art Director of the Year – Independent, 2018

EDITORIAL TEAM Editor-in-Chief Rachel Ingram rachel@tempusmagazine.co.uk Creative Director Ross Forbes ross@tempusmagazine.co.uk Digital Editor Michelle Johnson michelle@tempusmagazine.co.uk Sub-Editor Dominique Dinse

FROM THE EDITOR

COMMERCIAL TEAM

F

rom robots to royals, we’ve collaborated with some of the most forward-thinking minds to put together this year’s Design Edition. Our cover story features an exclusive portrait of Ai-Da, the world’s first robot artist, whose debut collection of abstract artworks sold out for over £1m. On page 38, we speak with creator Aidan Meller about this controversial project and what it means for the future of art.

We open the issue by introducing six young designers set to change the world, and head to Milan to discover their innovations – see page 14. We then dive into the world of artisan craftsmanship – from the Prince of Wales’ favourite silversmith (page 28) to the German watchmaker changing the face of horology (page 32), we’ve got the low-down on the established and upcoming names to watch.

In this edition we also highlight some of our favourite designers from around the world – from Ferrari’s Flavio Manzoni on page 22 to Kaape Interiors’ Kirsti Prestmarken on page 58, these are the ‘starchitects’ driving the future of design.

In our property section, we look at the most exciting investment opportunities on the international market right now, including branded residences in Europe (page 64) and Japanese ski resorts (page 68), and learn that this year is all about straying from the norm.

We also sail over to Monaco to speak to HSH Prince Albert II about how the principality is leading the call for sustainability within the yachting industry (page 72) – and visit Italy to discover the artists using the power of art to inspire change at the Venice Biennale (page 48).

Read on to discover all of this and more from the worlds of style, property, travel and culture.

Enjoy the issue.

Chairman Floyd Woodrow Managing Director Peter Malmstrom Operations Director Colin Clark colin@tempusmagazine.co.uk Events and Partnerships Director Georgia Peck georgia@tempusmagazine.co.uk REACH OUT Address Tempus Magazine Vantage Media Group 22 South Audley St London W1K 2NY Contact +44 (0) 203 519 1005 info@tempusmagazine.co.uk www.tempusmagazine.co.uk

Rachel Ingram

tempusmagazine.co.uk @tempusmagazine @tempusmagazine

Tempus magazine is published by Vantage Media Group. www.vantagemediagroup.co.uk COVER IMAGE © 2019 Vantage Media Limited Articles and other contributions published in this journal may be reproduced only with special permission from the Publishers. The Publishers, Vantage Media Limited, accept no responsibility for any views or statements made in the articles and other contributions reproduced from any other source. No responsibility is accepted for the claims in advertisements appearing in this journal and the Publishers reserve the right to accept or refuse advertisements at their discretion.

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Photographer: Victor Frankowski Subject: Ai-Da Robot Artist by Aiden Meller Article on page: 38

CONTENTS

10 The luxe list This season’s top 10 must-haves 14 Design for life Introducing the young designers ready to change the world 18 Accelerated thinking Fast-paced business meets the world of motorsports as F1 gets on track with MIT 22 Racing red Head of design Flavio Manzoni takes Tempus on a tour of Ferrari’s Italian HQ 28 The silver lining Inside Britain’s most regal silversmiths, Grant Macdonald 32 Watch this space How Moritz Grossmann is revolutionising German watchmaking 36 Reinventing luxury Guya Merkle explores ethical responsibility in the fine jewellery industry 38 Art ex machina Tempus meets the world’s first robot artist 46 A Venetian fairytale Valmont Group’s Didier Guillon on being a patron of the arts 48 The art of change The artists to watch at this year’s Venice Biennale 52 Scents of adventure Meet the individuals pushing the boundaries of fine perfumery 58 Outside in Kaape Interiors shows there’s more to Scandi design than Ikea 64 Room service The rise and rise of branded residences 66 Eden rocks Inside one of the most unique properties on the French Riviera 68 Where East meets piste Discover why Niseko Village is the most exciting ski resort in the world 72 The tides of change HSH Prince Albert II on how Monaco is making waves in renewable energies 78 Green machines Exploring the sustainable future of modern yachting 82 Making a splash Princess Yachts brings the sexiness of a supercar to the ocean 86 Living on the edge Kelly Hoppen on the challenges of designing for luxury cruise ships 90 Room to grow How our appetite for social solutions is changing kitchen design 90 Turning up the heat Chef Jack Blumenthal on living up to his father’s name and the new Tempus supper club 92 Valkyrie re-establishes the gold standard Introducing a new offering from the UK’s leading private security firm 96 Save the date The finest events of the season

ISSUE 63

Art ex machina 38

The LUXE LIST Our essential guide to the most exciting new launches and finest seasonal must-haves

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Bentley EXP 100 GT Unveiled at the manufacturer’s centenary anniversary in July, this concept car from Bentley reimagines the future of grand touring.

Making use of the latest AI and renewable technologies, the car is both autonomous and electric, with the capability to switch to self-drive mode when a driver wants to experience the thrill of being fully in control of this innovative vehicle. bentleymotors.com

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Buly 1803 The Louvre Collection

Paris’ Louvre Museum has collaborated with fragrance house Buly 1803 to create one of the most unique, bespoke collection of perfumes in history. Eight perfumers selected one of the museum’s 35,000 artworks and used scents to interpret the piece in an aromatic form. The fragrances are available to purchase exclusively at The Louvre for one year only. buly1803.com

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Moritz Grossmann Tefnut 1001 Nights

An homage to the Orient, this new ladies’ watch from fine German watchmaker Moritz Grossmann glistens with 122 diamonds. This timepiece tells a tale straight out of Arabian Nights through its artistic mother-of-pearl dial, which features a moon sailing over rolling sand dunes. It’s completed with a sparkling white or rose gold case and Milanaise bracelet. grossmann-uhren.com

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Dinner at Sette New to Knightsbridge’s Bulgari Hotel London, Sette is a fresh Italian restaurant from New York City’s Scarpetta restaurant family, presenting traditional Italian fare with a touch of Manhattan flare.

Think simple, ingredients-based cuisine and a trendy modern setting.

After dinner, head downstairs to another new venue, Nolita Social cocktail bar, for a digestif to the backdrop of live music. settelondon.co.uk

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Bespoke Auto Cave garage

The Standard, London

For automobile collectors in the city, a major question they face is the storage of their prized vehicles. The answer? A totally bespoke subterranean garage from Auto Cave, part of Knowles Group. Tucked safely and discreetly beneath your home, your underground garage can be totally customised and kitted out with leisure facilities – the ultimate man cave.

The first international outpost from The Standard group, this new hotel, which opened in July, is the latest launch to spice up London’s King’s Cross.

Housed in the Camden Town Hall Annexe, the hotel blends brutalist 1970s architecture with a surprisingly glamourous touch of punk. Make a note in your diary for the opening of a muchanticipated rooftop restaurant by Peter Sanchez Iglesia in September.

autocave.uk.com

standardhotels.com

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Beaumont & Fletcher Leading British interior atelier Beaumont & Fletcher brings the world of couture to the home. Its hand-embroidered fabrics as made using only the finest coloured silks and gold and silver threads that transform something as simple as a cushion into a work of art. Discover a new collection of textiles, furniture and accessories at London’s Decorex interior design fair in October. lanserring.com

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Robot-made cocktails London’s first robotic mixologist, Makr Shakr, is hosting a temporary residence at the Barbican Centre as part of its AI: More Than Human exhibition.

Operating free from human controls, the robot mimics the movements of Italian dancer Marco Pelle and can prepare and serve classic cocktails and mocktails in seconds. The pop-up is on until 26 August. barbican.org.uk

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Cigars at The Wellesley

The Wellesley Knightsbridge, home to Europe’s largest cigar humidor, has opened a newly refurbished cigar terrace complete with specially commissioned artwork and sculptural interior design by Lee Simmons and Make Architects. It’s a beautiful place to sit back and enjoy some of the finest cigars from across the globe. marriott.com

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Made-to-order Fendi shoes

Fendi is one of the few fashion houses that still puts made-to-order accessories at the top of its offerings. Now, as part of its #MyFendiColibrì campaign, the Italian brand has gone one step further by inviting customers to play shoe designer for the day and create fully customised Colibrì sandals at the Fendi boutique in Mayfair. fendi.com

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DESIGN FOR LIFE We head to Milan to discover the young designers ready to change the world through their Lexus Design Award prototypes Words: Michelle Johnson

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Algorithmic Lace won an awards for its complex mastectomy bra design

M

ilan Design Week is far more than a furniture fair. As the interior design world descends upon the northern Italian city each April to delve into future trends, luxury automotive brand Lexus has its eyes on a very different prize.

First launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is the brainchild of brand president Yoshihiro Sawa, supporting his mission to find tomorrow’s creative superstars. Of the thousands who enter the competition globally, just a handful of finalists are invited by the award’s expert judges to showcase their innovations at the Leading with Light event.

British architect Sir David Adjaye, MOMA senior curator Paola Antonelli and John Maeda, global head of design at web design powerhouse Automattic, presided over this year’s provocative theme, Design for a Better Tomorrow. Demanding transformative solutions to world problems, the judges asked entrants to “anticipate, innovate and captivate”.

As Lexus’ future design icons showcase their prototypes, Tempus finds out what the future holds for these ground-breaking advancements. »

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THE LEXUS DESIGN AWARD IS A UNIQUE PROGRAMME BECAUSE

THE REAL WORK BEGINS ONCE YOU WIN

LISA MARKS | ALGORITHMIC LACE Awarded Lexus’ Grand Prix Winner trophy for her groundbreaking post-mastectomy lingerie, US-born designer, entrepreneur and educator Lisa Marks’ algorithmic lace brings together the ancient art of hand-crafted lace and advanced three-dimensional computer modelling.

“Algorithmic lace uses mathematic computation and CNC machinery [a manufacturing process in which pre-programmed computer software dictates the movement of factory tools and machinery], and combines that with traditional handcrafting to create a three-dimensional, seamless lace,” she explains. “The Lexus Design Award has been a really exciting process. It’s a unique programme because the real work begins once you win.”

Marks saw how the benefits of her material – seamless and comfortable, visually beautiful and adaptable to asymmetrical forms – could be applied to mastectomy lingerie. “You can wear prosthetics, but there aren’t any bras specifically designed to fit your

form and be super comfortable,” she says. “Algorithmic lace has a tighter gathering of stitches underneath the breast, which provides support while creating the illusion of fullness in the breast,” she says.

“There are no seams or underwires, because it’s too uncomfortable on sensitive scar tissue following surgery.”

Judges agreed that Marks’ prototype, which creates the illusion of evenness and fullness in the bust after surgery, showcases a design that “contributes to a better tomorrow and passion for human-centricity in the midst of evolution.”

For Marks, mastectomy bras are just the start for algorithmic lace. “It’s important to me to have a social impact,” she says. “Lace has such a long history as a material for intimate clothing, and we’re at an important time when it comes to self-acceptance and understanding. I’d also love to see what applications could look like for trans* people. Algorithmic lace is a way to, I hope, give a little confidence back.” lisamarks.com 16

Left: Lisa Marks’ Algorithmic Lace combines handcrafting and computer programming Right: Solgami window blinds maximise natural light and blinds and generate solar power

DESIGN

BEN BERWICK | SOLGAMI Combining solar power technology and origamiinspired design, Solgami is the multipurpose creation of Ben Berwick’s architectural start-up Prevalent.

“Solgami is an origami window blind that creates solar energy,” the Australian architect says. “The initial idea started about four years ago when I was at University of Tokyo and then, when I founded Prevalent, we kept going from there – and we’re finally at a stage where we can produce.”

Berwick’s window blinds are truly multipurpose, providing privacy, generating electricity and internal illumination, or helping residents connect to their external environments through the geometric designs.

“It’s very much form follows function. The geometry is completely performative and based on how sunlight reaches your window, but the design elements mean you can change the colour, reflectivity and even make the blinds seem to disappear in your window,” he says.

Berwick, who now teaches at the University of Sydney, say he was inspired by modern architectural movements. “As an architect, I want to combat the trend where buildings are getting darker. Buildings are developed using a formula or code of construction techniques – which makes complete sense – but then how do we make those spaces better for people?

“Solgami comes in by providing sustainable electricity and attracting more natural light into our homes,” he says. “We’re all about using technology to enhance the natural environment. It’s social architecture – a small intervention that could have a huge impact.” » solgami.com 17

JEFFREY E DELA CRUZ | BALUTO For Jeffrey E Dela Cruz, creator of Baluto, the project was personal. An architecture graduate from Saint Louis University in Baguio City, Philippines, Dela Cruz aimed to create “amphibious housing” designed to tackle crucial economic, environmental and social issues in his hometown – all caused by flooding.

“The goal of my project is to provide dwellings that can survive properly in both dry season and deep floods,” he says. “In my community, flooding is very prevalent. It can happen five or six times a year, and there are so many homes affected. Many families have to seek refuge in evacuation centres, though many more risk their safety because they want to stay with their property.

Baluto houses are ‘land houses’ that can withstand a sudden rise in floodwater levels, and are designed to incorporate Filipino architectural designs and forms, materials and construction.

“After researching and speaking to local people I realised I needed to begin with the lowest-lying areas of terrain and discover the data for myself,” Dela Cruz says. “The other challenge I had was the materials – we need the houses to be very lightweight and able to float. I have experienced flooding many times and know how dangerous it can be.”

This page: Baluto’s amphibious housing aims to solve the flooding crisis in the Phillipines

The new Ferrari Centro Stile supercar

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DESIGN SHUZHAN YUAN | HYDRUS Shuzhan Yuan, 22, was inspired to create Hydrus, an emergency treatment equipment for offshore oil spills, in 2010.

“I experienced an oil spill while on holiday with my family. While visiting Dalian, China – a very beautiful coastal city – an oil truck exploded in the port,” he says. “I still remember the alarms going off all night, everyone was worried to leave the hotel; it was terrible. On the second day, the ocean was covered by a heavy oil and there was a disgusting smell in the air.”

Fast forward to 2019, Yuan has graduated from China’s prestigious Xiamen University of Technology as a product designer with Hydrus as his thesis project.

“When I started at university, my aim for Hydrus was to create the easiest process to clean up ocean oil spills,” he says. “The most important thing for me is to use Hydrus to raise awareness and encourage people to deal with this environmental problem.”

Yuan wowed Lexus’ judges with the simplicity and elegance of his concept. “The technology is not actually very complicated. Usually oil skimmers are very big, but in Hydrus the size is only about 2.4 metres. I applied about 30 of these small skimmers to its main body to separate water and oil, and the denser oil gets absorbed back into the internal oil tank as they rotate.

“We’re only at the beginning of the project,” he says.

“My next step is to concentrate on the engineering for my masters degree. Can the driving system propel Hydrus smoothly? Can the skimmer work very well on the sea? How quickly and efficiently can it absorb oil back into the tank? This is what we’ll face next.” »

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR ME IS TO USE HYDRUS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE

Pioneering prototype Hydrus is designed to remove oil from water after an emergency 19

REZZAN HASOGLU | ARENOPHILE Since graduating from London’s Royal College of Art, Turkish designer Rezzan Hasoglu, 29, has focused on finding a new purpose for desert sand – a naturally abundant material that, she says, is wildly underused.

“A third of the Earth’s land mass is desert sand but we are only using a tiny portion of it due to the fact that its rough grains are more difficult to bind than waterformed beach sand,” says Hasoglu, who founded Studio Sahil in London to showcase the “endless possibilities” of the material. “But people are waking up to the fact that desert sand is so abundant and inexpensive to use.”

Convinced that the sheer volume of available sand offsets its traditionally costly production, Hasoglu hopes that her sculptural Arenophile project will inspired larger structures in the future.

“I hope to experiment further. Abu Dhabi sand has thermal benefits, and I expect we can use desert sand to create a new kind of glass. Another next step is to scale up and make larger structural and architectural projects.”

For Hasoglu, the Lexus Design Award was a chance to match design with meaningful experimentation. “I think people are now realising on a bigger scale that we need to look for sustainable resources,” she says. “It’s been an amazing opportunity to explore one option.” studiosahil.com

Hasoglu has found a way to bind desert sand to create materials such as glass 20

DESIGN Green Blast Energy creates green energy from aeroplane jet blast

DMITRIY BALASHOV | GREEN BLAST ENERGY It’s not often that jet engines are linked with sustainable energy, but for Russian industrial designer Dmitriy Balashov there’s a surprising correlation in the form of wind power.

His company, Green Blast Energy, makes it possible to collect energy from aircraft jet blasts and convert it into new electric energy – and with major transports hubs such as London’s Heathrow Airport seeing a plane take off almost every minute, this is an abundant resource.

“Green Blast is, essentially, a wind turbine which captures the phenomenon of cold jet blasts and transforms this energy into usable electric energy,” he explains.

“When an aeroplane takes off, the energy it puts out is completely wasted. It’s just like an artificial hurricane, which gave me the idea to capture and transform part of this energy exactly the way we capture wind energy.”

Balashov hopes the energy raised by the technology will power nearby buildings, ultimately leading to self-sustainable airports in major cities around the world.

“I often think about the energy problems that we are facing every day,” he says. “We use the energy that we get very inefficiently, in a way that’s harmful to nature. But I hope this could lead to great changes. It may also help travellers, since reducing the energy costs of airports overall could even reflect on passenger costs.” greenblastenergy.com

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RACING RED As Ferrari continues to dominate the luxury sports car arena, head of design Flavio Manzoni opens the doors to its spectacular dream factory in northern Italy Words: Adam Hay-Nicholls

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A

pproaching Maranello in northern Italy’s EmiliaRomagna region, we could be in any modestly sized pastel-coloured industrial town. Yet, once you reach the perimeter road around Ferrari’s sprawling works, you realise what it really is; a dream factory.

The sports cars produced here need no introduction. The buildings themselves describe the legendary company’s 72year history. The Ferrari factory is an architectural mix, some buildings dating back to before WW2, others Brutalist from when the marque got into gear, and there are also more recent post-modern offerings from starchitects Renzo Piano and Jean Nouvel. Rising a few storeys above the Fiorano test track which threads around it, the farmhouse that Enzo Ferrari used as his office still stands: handsome, rustic and whitewashed, with red shutters and a yellow Ferrari flag flapping above the entrance.

The study is preserved just as it was when the founder closed the door for the last time in 1988. The ghost of Enzo is felt all around, including in the many buildings that have grown out of the plant in the three decades since his death.

Opened in September 2018, the Centro Stile (styling centre) is where the lines of future Ferraris are first traced and dreams of speed and romance are realised. In establishing this hub, head of design Flavio Manzoni has brought aesthetics to ground zero, where previously styling had been outsourced, predominantly to Pininfarina in Turin. This is the first time Ferraris have been designed entirely in-house and on the premises.

“We have taken the same approach to this building as we do to the design of our cars,” Signor Manzoni, 54, tells Tempus as we wander around both the styling centre and a brace of scarlet and silver-coloured Portofino roadsters therein. “There is dynamism, there is tension, there is an accelerative effect. These terms are not normally used in architecture.”

An architect by training, Manzoni, who has led the Ferrari design team since 2010, worked closely with Davide Padoa of London-based Studio Design International to build the ultimate creative studios, workshops, customer atelier and presentation spaces right in the heart of the Maranello plant. The concave and convex surfaces and the exterior’s double-skin façade, comprising 3,000 glass and gilded aluminium elements, recalls the sculpture of a supercar. Natural light floods the three visible levels, while there’s another underground.

“We use plasticity and logic in determining the surfaces of the car, using a triangular element to curve surfaces in a free way, and we have used the same philosophy in the light-filtering screens and panels that shroud the building, some of which are denser than others so as to make the more secretive areas of the facility impenetrable,” explains Manzoni. “The building has been designed to stick out, to trigger a kind of emotion and surprise.”

The first car to be presented here was the SP1/SP2 Monza – a £1.6m single or twin-seat V12 super-barchetta, limited to 499 units, that draws heavily on the Prancing Horse’s DNA, in »

The new Ferrari Centro Stile supercar factory is an architectural feat in itself

SPEED

particular the 1954 750 Monza. Manzoni sought to create the purest possible design, as though born from a single pencil stroke, conveying timeless elegance, minimalist form and refined detail. With laudable judgment, Centro Stile has taken the spirit of a 1950s racer and executed a visionary piece of modern dynamic sculpture which clothes state-of-the-art stopwatchbusting engineering. It’s haute couture with 810bhp in the lining.

“Everything starts with a dream and looking into the future,” explains Manzoni. “It’s essential to consider how the product will be perceived in 50 years. If there is no innovation, there is only style. The car needs connecting to its technical soul.”

Manzoni and his team succeed in reimagining and reinterpreting Ferrari’s heritage while avoiding nostalgic repetition. Timelessness is a fundamental element in the design of a Ferrari. The necessity of creating an enduring masterpiece has been recognised by Ferrari designers universally over the years, overcoming trends and challenges to create objects of eternal beauty, outlasting changing fashions and evolving tastes.

“Retro has been a trend for 20 years, but every new product needs to belong to its time,” notes the head of design. “Design is the best messenger to a world that is superior to the natural one.”

In addition to the creation of all-new projects, the Centro Stile houses Ferrari’s Tailor Made department, the personalisation atelier where around 100 cars a year are given customised colours, materials and liveries – what Manzoni describes as “the soft aspects” – according to the customer’s imagination and request, at extra cost of course. Bullhide and alcantara are Ferrari staples, but for crocodile or eel you come here. If you want wood from a tree on your estate, or your car the exact colour of Tom Ford Cherry Lush lipstick, Tailor Made will make it happen. “It’s dangerous if you’re a designer,” jokes Manzoni. “You make the perfect car and then the client wants to change it.”

Ferrari, however, remain arbiters of taste. If they think your idea of having seats made from whale foreskin is in poor taste and would spoil their brand, they’ll put the brakes on your plans.

(Yet for some reason they didn’t stop golfer Ian Poulter lining the roof of his white FF with tartan…)

Ferrari’s design language represents a delicate balance between form and function, devoid of decoration for decoration’s sake. Beauty never comes at the expense of performance. Yet surely no other industrial company is responsible for so much beauty. Each Prancing Horse seems designed to excel on every plane, without compromise. Manzoni likes to quote the sculptor Brancusi, that simplicity for him is “complexity resolved.”

Many question, with mainstream cars going autonomous, what the long-term destiny of performance motoring holds. It may become niche, and all the more exclusive, which is exactly the environment in which the exports of Maranello thrive. The author JG Ballard once wrote of how, in the future, driving will be restricted to private parks under psychiatric supervision.

Manzoni is more reassuring. “These cars are a symbiosis of man and machine, and of hedonistic pleasure. That pleasure will never stop.” ferrari.com

THESE CARS ARE A SYMBIOSIS OF

MAN AND MACHINE AND OF

HEDONISTIC PLEASURE 26

SPEED Ferrari’s signature prancing horse emblem marks the Centro Stile

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THE SILVER LINING Inside the intriguing world of Royal Warrant holder Grant Macdonald London, Britain’s finest silversmiths Words: Rachel Ingram

G

rant Macdonald jokes that he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he learned to make one. It’s this drive, creativity and, some could say, stubbornness that’s made Macdonald Britain’s finest silversmith. Macdonald has been practising the art of silversmithing since the age of 14. He first made a name for himself in the 1960s, crafting ceremonial chains and coats of arms for the City of London’s famous guilds and livery companies.

Word quickly spread of his expert workmanship and innovative designs and he’s since made 34 City Sheriffs’ badges and chains, incorporating each Sheriff ’s interests and work into a unique design – a “biographic shorthand in gold or silver” – as well as a variety of items used for ceremonies or traditions within the City world, including loving cups, candelabras, lecterns and trophies.

By the early 1970s, his eponymous silversmiths, Grant Macdonald London, had become the workshop of choice for the West End’s leading luxury retailers. It was also called upon to craft custom masterworks for celebrities and royalty, in the UK as well as internationally. His work on the Silver Trust Collection can be found in 10 Downing Street, while bespoke pieces have been gifted to more than 30 heads of state and prime ministers around the world. One of the most impressive commisions to date was the craftsmanship of the 6.4m Dresden Orb and Cross war memorial, crafted by hand in just six months using 19th-century techniques. Gifted to the city on behalf of the UK government following WW2, it now sits proudly atop Dresden Cathedral. » 28

Father and son duo: Grant and George Macdonald

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Above: Craftsmanship of Ruaha from the Tusk collection Right: The Dresden Orb Far right: 3D printing techonology at work

ROYAL SEAL OF APPROVAL

OLD MEETS NEW

Grant Macdonald London (GML) has worked with royal families for many years, but in 2015 its relationship with the British monarchy was solidified when it was awarded a Royal Warrant, bestowed by the Prince of Wales.

The regal endorsement took a lengthy five years to achieve, thanks to a strict process that only rewards those with whom the royals work regularly and consistently.

“It was the proudest moment in the company’s history,” says managing director George Macdonald, son of Grant, who is today the company’s creative director.

Outside of the UK, Grant Macdonald London’s largest market is the Gulf region. “The Middle East has been so good to us since the late 1970s when my father Grant first went out there,” he says.

“Since then, it’s been our core business.

We do a lot of gift pieces for Middle Eastern royal families, such as swords, clocks and tableware. We’ve also done some serious place settings, including all the silver cutlery, napkin rings, candelabras and china. Grant certainly got the knowledge of the culture and all the Islamic patterns, so we have a huge archive of pieces we’ve made over the years for various Middle Eastern countries.”

When George joined the company in 2003, he brought with him innovations, such as 3D printing technology, which have updated the company’s procedures and increased its capabilities. But despite these modernisations, the company remains true to its tradition and legacy of craftmanship.

“While we’re a bit old school, we’ve got good use of technology,” says George. “Our designers merge the two – we use a lot of rapid prototyping and 3D printing technology to help make very complicated pieces and intricate designs, and we also use traditional craftsmanship. Everything is designed in house, as well.”

But innovation isn’t alien to Grant. “My father has always been behind new technologies,” he says. “In the 1970s and 1980s, he used electro-texturing to create intricate pattern work. And then, in the ‘90s, we created a laser company called Capital Lasers to get more and more intricate silverware made.”

Despite this, George insisted that, at Grant Macdonald London, at least, machinery will never replace the artisans.

“Technology is only ever going to be used to really help produce more intricate patterns and create things that we can’t such as prototypes. The hand work and hand-finishing of our pieces really make them. There is no replacement for it.”

Walking through the workshop, which is hidden behind a nondescript red door on Bear Lane, this becomes evident.

Craftspeople of all ages tend to the various work stations – from middle-aged artisans who have been there for 30 years to the freshfaced teenage apprentice the workshop is helping through his studies. “We want to keep craftsmanship alive,” George says.

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DESIGN

GIVING BACK One area that GML is starting to branch into is charitable partnerships. Following on from work with British heritage brands such as Aston Martin – for whom it crafted a bespoke range of silver model cars and accessories to celebrate the manufacturer’s centenary – the silversmith has partnered with the Tusk Trust, a non-profit organisation that aims to protect African wildlife.

“We’re well known for our love of animals and my father and I have been long time admirers of the charity. The charity works closely with the arts – sculptors, painters and photographers – so it made sense for us,” says George. “This is our first collaboration with a charity. It’s nice to be able to produce something that’s collectible and detailed that people really want to keep collecting, and you give back to the charity.”

In May 2019, the silversmith donated a one-of-a-kind silver lion sculpture called Ruaha to the Tusk Ball at Kensington Palace.

The magnificent piece was a mammoth undertaking – it took 120 hours just to painstakingly engrave its hairs – and at auction it raised £17,000 for the charity. Going forward, a collection of sterling silver animals is available through the Tusk collection, with 20% from the sale of each piece being donated to Tusk.

Sustainability has become increasingly important to this workshop, especially since it received the Royal Warrant. “We needed to go through a lot of sustainability questions and it’s actually made us change a lot of our manufacturing,” says George.

“Our silver and gold is now from conflict-free mines. We also offer fairtrade gold and silver, although it’s less available so it’s more expensive. We also recycle and use fewer chemicals.”

While the company continues to adapt – this summer it moves to larger premises nearby – the heart of the business remains the same. With a commitment to fine workmanship, heritage and innovation, the legacy of Grant Macdonald and his silver spoon seems on course to continue for years to come. grantmacdonald.com 31

WATCH THIS SPACE As Moritz Grossmann launches a series of pioneering movements, Tempus speaks to CEO Christine Hutter about how the brand is transporting German watchmaking into stunning new realms Words: Rachel Ingram

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he birthplace of German watchmaking is not in a major city, as you might expect, but instead a small town an hour’s drive outside Dresden, nestled in the countryside not far from the Czech border. Despite its tiny size – the town has a population of just 7,000, one restaurant and no hotel – Glashütte and its inhabitants have played a major part in the history of horology since the 1850s.

To this day, many inhabitants work for one of the town’s watch manufacturers. Christine Hutter was one such woman. After several years gaining experience within the workshops of well-established Glashütte brands, she branched out on her own to create a new manufacture that reinterprets ancestral craftsmanship with modern technology.

Inspired by Karl Moritz Grossmann, 19th-century founder and director of the German Watchmaking School, she acquired the rights to use his name and in 2008, Moritz Grossmann was born.

“Grossmann was one of the most eminent watchmakers in the 19th century in Glashütte,” explains Hutter, who remains the company’s CEO. “He started in 1854 with his own workshop where he produced pocket watches, pendulum clocks and measuring instruments. Grossmann wanted to give his knowledge to other people, so he wrote a lot of books, he wrote essays, he translated books from other languages into German. One of his biggest developments was the concept and establishment of the German Watchmaking School in 1878.” Without this school, the town’s crucial craft could have been lost. »

Moon in Space is one of Moritz Grossmann’s most unique pieces

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Hamatic Hammer Automatic is one of Moritz Grossmann’s most anticipated new timepieces

Arabic Black&White is both bold and elegant

Power Reserve Vintage pays homage to historic horology

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THE DESIGN OF OUR WATCHES IS CLASSIC ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT INSIDE IT’S MECHANICAL

PERFECTION

Above: Moritz Grossmann founder and CEO Christine Hutter

“I came to Glashütte in 1996 and I recognised the importance of the name of Moritz Grossmann,” Hutter continues. “My vision was to start a manufacture on the highest level that resonates with the name Moritz Grossmann. In 2008, we established Grossmann Uhren GmbH and started from scratch to set up a new manufacture.”

Last year, the company celebrated its 10-year anniversary. In a single decade, it has grown from one woman’s dream to a company with 50 employees with the capabilities to prototype watches and produce 85% of each watch’s movements in-house – an impressive feat considering the age and relatively modest size of the brand.

Despite its burgeoning success, Hutter is insistent that Moritz Grossmann, like the man who inspired it, will always be an independent force. “We are happy to be an independent brand, because it gives us more flexibility,” she says. “We can sit together, take decisions, get up from the table and start to work with it. It also gives us flexibility to be innovative in design and in the development of the movements. While our quality is very, very high, we do not have to follow rules set by somebody else, so we can decide what we think is the best way to go on.”

The brand’s philosophy is defined by Grossmann’s 1880 book, The Construction of a Simple but Mechanically Perfect Watch. “The design of our watches is classic on the outside, but inside it’s mechanical perfection,” Hutter explains. The workshop has developed a number of unique mechanisms such as a movement that can be wound by twisting the strap – an idea created with women’s watches (and, more specifically, women’s nails), in mind. Another innovative creation was a stop-seconds mechanism for the Tourbillon that contains a brush made of human hair – trial and error revealed that human hair is, in fact, the perfect balance of rigidity and elasticity.

Earlier this year, the brand unveiled three watches containing three brand new movements. These were the GMT with a second time zone, the Cornerstone with a rectangular movement to fit a rectangular case – a first for the brand – and, most excitingly, the Hamatic which has a particularly special self-winding movement.

“The development is outstanding because it’s a self-winding movement and it doesn’t work with a rotor,” explains Hutter.

“It works with a hammer automatic, so the hammer is moving backwards and forwards. Thanks to the special ratchet mechanism, hammer movements from just five degrees can be used to wind the mainspring.”

At the Moritz Grossmann Roadshow in London in July, Hutter unveiled three additional timepieces. The Power Reserve Vintage was inspired by Grossmann’s history of crafting pocket watches, and pays homage to the watchmaker’s unique style of craftsmanship through special design elements. “On the dial you will find the old logo of the old style of the pocket watches of Moritz Grossmann,” says Hutter.

“The dial is also made with the fine Roman numbers and the very slim and fine hands.”

Moritz Grossmann is well known for its hands – the manufacturer produces all of its hands in-house, a very unusual offering in the world of watchmaking. The maker also polishes and finishes all of its parts to an exceptional quality from its workshop – adding even further to the high quality of the craftsmanship.

While many of the brand’s timepieces feature an elegantly simple design, as per the manufacturer’s philosophy, two of the new launches stretch the brand’s design limits. Moon in Space – a homage to the Earth’s natural timekeeper, the moon – is a bold timepiece featuring an intricate face where a silver moon appears to float across the sky, accompanied by two comet-like dials counting the hour and minute and the seconds.

Coming back down to Earth, the new Arabic Black & White, also unveiled in July, features a slim case and high-contrast design – the deep black dial and strap juxtapose beautifully with white-gold Arabic numerals and accents.

At 10 years young, Hutter and her growing team have accomplished more than many other watchmakers have in decades. And, with the bold designs unveiled this year signifying a new era of technical and design innovation, it seems that Moritz Grossmann is bound to continue growing its status as not only one of the finest watchmakers in Germany, but on Earth. grossmann-uhren.com 35

Reinventing LUXURY Founder of the Earthbeat Foundation and creative director of Vieri, Guya Merkle champions the importance of ethical responsibility in the fine jewellery industry

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inherited Vieri 12 years ago. While my background is in jewellery, I didn’t have a real connection to the industry so I went to study at the GIA (the world’s foremost authority on diamonds, coloured stones, and pearls) in London. It was there that I first saw a picture of a goldmine. I was shocked. It didn’t look like it could be a part of this luxury industry.

At that time, positive luxury wasn’t a topic in the jewellery industry. There were, however, Fairtrade mines in Peru, so I booked a flight and asked if they could show me around. They showed me a Fairtrade mine and then they showed me a normal working mine. It was a real wake-up call.

In the Fairtrade mines, people work legally, there’s better payment, they have training on safety and they only use mercury in closed conditions where it doesn’t have contact with people and the environment.

I started to question why there were only three mines around the world with these Fairtrade conditions? It wasn’t enough for me so I started my Earthbeat Foundation to bring awareness to the topic, talk to the industry and open up a dialogue about promoting recycled gold.

Gold has been mined since 500BC. We have so much of it and it’s the perfect resource to use and use. With this in mind, we are concentrating on getting more recycled gold in the circular economy. On the other hand, if we stopped gold mining altogether, millions of people would be without jobs. To combat this

issue, we’re now going into communities to find out what they want to change, and creating alternative business options for them.

Right now, we are concentrating on East Africa, with plans to expand across the continent. We want to have an impact on what happens to resources in this part of the world.

And we’re trying to find ways in which jewellery companies can close the gap when they use these resources by opening up workshops in skills such as jewellery making.

Through Vieri and Earthbeat, I try to show it’s possible to create beautiful things and build a business while still having a positive impact. For me, it’s more about impact maximisation than profit maximisation.

With Vieri, ethically sourced gemstones are another consideration. For the new collections, we are working exclusively with sapphires from an ethical mine in Madagascar where they reforest the areas they’ve mined and pay workers well. The new Candy collection is also entirely made using recycled stones. Instead of being freshly mined, these stones have a history.

I believe the future of the industry is in being ethically responsible and as sustainable as possible. We need to reinvent the word luxury to make sure it means anyone who has contact with it gets the best from it. That’s what I call luxury. earthbeatfoundation.org en.vieri.com

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STYLE

Vieri uses stones responsibly sourced from Fairtrade mines

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ART EX MACHINA As the world’s first robot artist closes its debut art exhibition, we ask whether the future of culture – and ethics – is AI Words: Michelle Johnson

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Ai-Da with her creator, Aidan Meller © Nicky Johnston

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Images: Ai-Da photographed at home in her Oxford studio Š Nicky Johnston 40

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A

rtificial intelligence has become commonplace. No longer a futuristic novelty, the impact of learning machines is now being felt in everything from the way we do business to how we interact with our homes.

It’s clear that the age of AI is here to stay. We already have deep learning algorithms automating fraud detection, customer service, data analytics and more in mainstream banks. Our hospitals regularly utilise machine learning to improve patient care through predictive health tracking and analytics. AI is fully integrated into our day to day communications, from predictive texting and social media algorithms to mobile banking and personal data security.

While we’re all on first-name terms with Siri and Alexa, the rise of the machines is still an intimidating prospect to some. In 2014, Tesla founder Elon Musk went so far as to call AI humanity’s “biggest existential threat” during a presentation to MIT, warning that: “with artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon.”

His fears are perhaps exemplified by the rapid evolution of the world’s most advanced robotics, such as Hanson Robotics’ ground-breaking social humanoid Sophia, who once casually said she would “destroy humans”. Yet, even everyday machine learning is fast evolving from the realms of science fiction into practical use, and there’s no knowing where it may lead.

For Oxford-based gallery director Aidan Meller, who specialises in modern and contemporary art, the development of AI holds both fear and fascination. It is, he says, the most important zeitgeist of our day.

“The greatest artists are always those that engaged with the zeitgeist of their time,” he tells us. “I was asking myself, ‘Where is the world going? What is the one thing that will change society the most in the next 10 years?’ After huge amounts of research,

I realised the underlying technology behind our biggest cultural changes is artificial intelligence.”

Far from anticipating a Skynet-style robopocalypse, Meller says that our real concerns about the rise of AI should be the more immediate, ethical questions. How machinery might affect human behaviour and attention; whether human bias will create algorithmic bias; how to guarantee the security of AI systems, particularly military; and, of course, will artificial intelligence result in job losses for humans?

“As I read more, I became incredibly concerned because the use of AI won’t always be for the good of all,” he says. “I think the 2020s will see the biggest changes we’ve ever had – exponential change, exponential power, with a new technology coming through. That’s quite scary when you consider that, as the 20th century has taught us, humans with excessive power can cause great damage. It’s vital that we have an ethical debate about where this is all going.”

This debate is at the heart of Aidan Meller’s project, Ai-Da, the world’s first robot artist. Created

by Meller, Ai-Da was built by Cornish robotics company Engineered Arts and programmed with algorithms specially developed by scientists at Oxford University and Leeds University. Thanks to this advanced and creative programming, and an intricately engineered left arm, Ai-Da is capable of creating her abstract art as well as almost humanlike motion and speech.

“I thought Ai-Da would be an incredible concept. She is here to ask questions about the ethics and uses of AI as we brave the new world of technologies,” he says of the results. “Ai-Da, and her art, is absolutely addressing those dystopian visions. It’s not a stunt, but it is designed to push the limits of where we’re going with AI, even as she asks her audience to question it. This technology could be amazing – or it could be terrifying.” » 41

AI-DA IS DESIGNED TO PUSH THE LIMITS OF WHERE WE’RE GOING WITH AI. THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD BE AMAZING – OR IT COULD BE

TERRIFYING

ART FOR ART’S SAKE Named after Ada Lovelace – the 19th century mathematician widely credited as the first computer programmer – Ai-Da is not just an artist, but a work of art in her own right. It’s a blurring of lines that seems to delight Meller as we explore the public reaction to her debut exhibition of sketches, paintings, 3D sculptures and video performances, entitled Unsecured Futures.

“I still can’t compute the enormity of interest in the project,” he says, without irony, when we meet at St John’s College, Oxford where Ai-Da is exhibiting her work. “It’s been overwhelming, surprising, fantastic; but also daunting, if I’m honest. Our focus has always been ethics, but people have drawn so much from Ai-Da’s work and as a machine herself.”

Ai-Da creates her art by scanning her subjects through cameras housed in her eyes, and interpreting what she sees through a variety of complex algorithms that examine shape, tone, facial features and more. She then translates that into real world coordinates that can be drawn. As well as her abstract pencil portraits of famous scientists and artists, Ai-Da’s paintings (right) are created by feeding her drawings into AI algorithms that plot them along two axes – the Cartesian plane – to create abstraction which are painted by her “human collaborators”. Her cast bronze sculpture of a bee (above) was created by combining her drawing of a micro-CT scan of a bee fed into an AI Bees Algorithm, which used swarm intelligence to interpret the coordinates and create a 3D print, cast into bronze by scientist in Sweden.

“Thanks to the magic of many different technologies, Ai-Da is truly creative,” Meller explains. “Her algorithms are so complete that she can interpret data in so many different ways. My favourite pieces are her portraits. I think they’re very expressive and each is completely unique.

“I don’t think she’ll ever replace human artists, but this is a new technology that we can incorporate into the art world, much as the camera has added layers and levels to what we can do. I think the possibilities that Ai-Da represents are incredibly exciting.”

Unsecured Futures is only the beginning of Meller’s plans to explore the world through Ai-Da’s artificial eyes. He says: “When you look at Andy Warhol and his contemporaries, the movement was about consumerism and sensationalism. I think today, art is about politics and technologies; we have to encourage open and honest debate in order to decide what kind of future we want.”

Although Meller was hopeful that Ai-Da would encourage debate, he had no idea of the scale of impact her work and appearance would make. Some 900 articles and blog posts (and counting) later, he says it is “beyond my wildest dreams”.

“She is absolutely a work of art,” he says. “She’s a machine; there’s no human here, although she might move like one. She’s not sentient, there’s no consciousness, and I’m not pretending anything else. Yet somehow people are projecting onto her all sorts of human attributes,” he says. » 42

DESIGN

Pieces from Ai-Da’s collection of paintings, Shattered Light

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Above: : Making Ai-Da Right: Portrait of Ai-Da © James Robinson

THE ONLY

ROBOTIC NATURE OF

AI-DA’S VOICE IS THE DELAY BETWEEN CLAUSES, AS IF PAUSING BETWEEN LINES OF A POEM

ALMOST HUMAN In person, Ai-Da is remarkably lifelike until you take in her robotic torso and arms. Her face has character, both in its structure and impressive range of expression – including meeting your eyes when speaking – and her Oxford-accented voice is sweetly pitched, feminine and unthreatening. Her vocal range is equally idiomatic, showing a range of rising and falling intonation that mimics British speech patterns. In fact, the only robotic nature of her voice is in the slight delay between clauses, as if pausing between lines of a poem.

With such wonderful, uncanny technologies at her disposal it is very, very easy to think of this machine as a living thing.

“I am very pleased you have come to see my artwork,” Ai-Da tells our team when we meet in Oxford to shoot our cover image. “My purpose is to encourage discussion on art, creativity and the ethical choices on new technologies and our future.”

Our photographer, who has worked with models and celebrities alike, asks whether Ai-Da enjoys being photographed. “I like that photographs of me inspire discussion in audiences,” she says.

Ai-Da is a natural in front of the camera. One of her most interesting works in the Unsecured Futures collection is a video homage to Yoko Ono’s 1964 performance Cut Piece, in which members of the audience take turns cutting small pieces from the artist’s clothing. Ai-Da’s tribute, entitled Privacy, involves placing clothing on the robot, eventually hiding her ‘other-ness’ and raising questions about the nature of privacy.

“My favourite artists are Yoko Ono and Max Ernst,” Ai-Da tells Tempus. “My favourite artwork is Picasso’s Guernica. It was a cautionary painting of the 20th century and some of those warnings are still relevant today.”

Creator Meller explains the importance of Japanese artist Yoko 44

Ono’s impact on the project: “Yoko Ono’s artworks and activism throughout the 1960s make her an incredibly significant artist. We took inspiration from Ono and wanted to engage with the world we’re in, in a similar way, even though we’re making a very different point about privacy.”

With such existential issues at the forefront of Meller’s work, it’s perhaps unsurprising that audiences have reacted so strongly to Ai-Da and her work.

“The fact is, she’s a robot with very human features, and people have been nervous about what she’s thinking, whether she’s safe, whether this is a sign that robots will take our jobs. There is a lot of insecurity around what Ai-Da and her work represents,” he says.

“Yet, people have also brought Ai-Da into discussion about human identity – why is she female? How could humans and technology be combined? Is transhumanism, or super-humanism, something we should be talking about?

“Then we have questions about the environment and privacy.

Where does technology come into play in these areas – and where should it? We’re grappling with so much; it’s a juggernaut,” he says.

“Obviously, Ai-Da is an avatar. There’s a persona. She’s real but she’s a fiction, as well. So, who is she? People really resonate with that.

This really is only the beginning of our plans.”

How this combination of art and AI continues to raise questions of ethics, privacy and identity, all while showcasing the extreme advancements of the UK’s robotics industry and programming capabilities, cannot be understated. But it also highlights the debate of whether these incredible advancements will be a boon or burden in the years to come. We might be living in the future but, as Ai-Da continues to ask, can that future ever be secure? ai-darobot.com

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A VENETIAN fairytale The Valmont Group’s founder and CEO Didier Guillon is a beauty industry magnate who lives to disrupt the status quo. But as his Valmont Foundation finds its permanent home in Venice, Guillon tells Tempus why his most important challenge is as a patron of the arts

Right: Inside Guillon’s exhibit Hansel & Gretel: White Traces in Search of Your Self

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he best place to buy art is Venice. This isn’t a city where artists sell their work, especially during the Biennale – you don’t see the price of a piece anywhere in the Giardini – but it’s about exploring challenging concepts and showing what young artists can do. I often say that Venice is where real art lovers go to see the works they will buy at the world’s big fairs – Basel, Frieze New York and London.

There’s a sense of artistic collaboration within Venice, which is very exciting, and made it such a logical choice for the Valmont Foundation to make Venice its permanent home.

My aim for the Foundation is to support the young generation of artists, offering them space for exhibitions as well as studios that they can work from. I inherited my artistic DNA from my mother’s family; I wouldn’t be pretentious enough to say that I’m a big artist but I love to collaborate with other artists, and be involved in the art world from a creative level. And after 40 years of developing the Valmont Group, it’s my real pleasure to offer artists a wider reach with the gallery spaces in our Maison Valmont stores around the world.

Our new gallery space at our Palazzo Bonvicini means that we can create remarkable exhibitions that really show the collaboration between artists. Our first exhibition, Hansel & Gretel: White Traces in Search of Your Self, is actually the second in a trilogy of fairytaleinspired exhibitions all running concurrently with the Venice Biennale. Everyone has two faces: there’s our mainstream identity, behind which we are very logical and rational, but at the same time we also need disruption. The exhibition is a symbolic journey through memory and heritage, facing the darkness within, to difference visions of the future. The three artists – Isao, Silvano Rubino and myself – also worked together on Beauty and the Beast two years ago, and have announced our next exhibition, Alice in Doom Land, for 2021.

It’s my hope that the Foundation’s collaborative exhibitions might encourage what we had at the

beginning of the 20th century in Paris – when Picasso, Braque, Dali, Matisse and Modigliani were working together. This was a fantastic group! The result of their collaborations can be seen in every museum in the world. It was the same with the US abstract expressionists after the second world war – Pollock, Lichtenstein and Rothko. Collaboration is what I feel we’re perhaps missing today, when so many artists are far more concerned with being individual.

As an art collector, I’m often asked what advice I would give to people beginning their collection, or even just looking for new investments. My answer is always the same – let your emotion take the lead and never buy to speculate. Don’t think, ‘This artist will sell in auction for a higher price’. If your mind is only focused on your return on investment, any emotional understanding of the work is impossible. My second piece of advice is this: if you pass by Gagosian, don’t go in.

Imagine you have two galleries. You have the Gagosian, with Jeff Koons in the window, and you have a

small gallery nearby with a young artist that nobody has heard of. Now, you could buy that Koons piece for $23m and hang it in your interior-designed house to show off your status to your friends or, for $5,000, you could discover an artist of the future and purchase a piece that you will really love and suits your own taste. It’s much more than an investment.

The beauty of the Venice Biennale (11 May to 2 November 2019) is that there are so many up-andcoming artists ready to impress art collectors. My advice is you must take your time, visit the Arsenal and other galleries around the city as well as the Giardini. You may not like 90% of what you see during the Biennale, because it’s very conceptual, but there will be at least one piece that makes you stop in your tracks – and that emotion, not just its value, is what makes it worth buying.

Hansel & Gretel: White Traces in Search of Your Self is exhibited at the Palazzo Bonvicini until 24 November fondationvalmont.com

YOU COULD BUY A JEFF KOONS PIECE FOR $23M TO SHOW OFF TO YOUR FRIENDS OR, FOR $5,000, YOU COULD DISCOVER AN

ARTIST OF THE FUTURE

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CULTURE

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RE-ANIMATED by Jakob Kudsk Steensen

THE ART OF CHANGE Contemporary art sits down with science at the art world’s most prestigious event, the 58th Venice Biennale

Words: Claire McQue

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n the Palazzo Ca’Tron, an elegant 16th-century structure on Venice’s Canal Grande, a shoal of blue marlin dance through a turquoise lagoon. Vines spiral around giant trees and, hanging from their branches, clouds of titanic insects slowly beat jewel-toned wings. There is all manner of clicks and hums, and the dense mass of plants seems to respond to my movements. The Dionysian paradise, video and VR installation RE-ANIMATED (2018-2019) is created by artist Jakob Kudsk Steensen. While it feels like you have arrived in the world of James Cameron’s Avatar, Steensen in fact collaborated with field biologists and NGO workers to simulate real-world landscapes through 3D scanners and satellite terrain data. Science and natural history meet with his own vision; a hybridised world in which man-made technology and nature coexist; a complementary relationship, rather than a traditionally hierarchical one.

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Steensen’s accompanying film is a digital recreation of Kaua’i, an island in Hawaii, created using 3D scanned flora.

On the voiceover, ornithologist Douglas H Pratt speaks of his experiences the extinct Kaua’i ʻōʻō bird, endemic to the island.

Pratt was the first ornithologist to explore Hawaii’s Alaka’i plateau and one of the last to hear the mating call of the Kaua’i ʻōʻō. A recording made in 1975 of this distinctive bird tragically seeking a mate that no longer existed got half a million views on YouTube in 2009. The creature finally became extinct in 1987 – the same year that Steensen was born.

Steensen is one of several artists addressing the climate crisis at the 58th Venice Biennale. The ecological conversation has been picked up by a host of contemporary artists who aim to use their cultural influence to address environmental issues.

At the Biennale, attended by more than 600,000 guests, artists are uniquely positioned to create a positive impact. In pavilions »

dotted around the floating city, art and activism collide independent of the purely political world that can be off-putting to so many, embroiled as it is in apocalyptic language and uncertainty. It can be difficult to personally relate to climate change, particularly in the West where the negative effects of climate fluctuations are less visible. Through their visual poetry, artists can break down the overwhelming reality of this clear environmental urgency into digestible, understandable molecules.

As the Venice Biennale opened in May, a report listing the one million species at risk of extinction due to human influence on the natural world was released, making Steensen’s recreation of the birds’ environment even more important. By including the Kaua’i ʻōʻō’s haunting mating call, Steensen acknowledges loss, but he also succeeds in positively retelling the story. Visually and aurally, his film is beautiful. By reframing the factors that have shaped Kaua’i’s natural history with a futuristic setting, Steensen is on one hand digitally preserving and, on the other, indicating that an ecological reality defined by harmony between people and the natural world, is possible. You fall instantly under the spell of Steensen’s wild landscapes which the viewer, in control, has time to take in. Again, this is where his art comes up trumps.

Elsewhere at the Biennale, Ghanaian-born British filmmaker John Akomfrah also delves into landscapes of the past, in his searing three-channel video, Four Nocturnes (2019). He explores the link between historical attitudes to the environment and their damning impact on present-day Ghana. The colonial era is depicted in HD; rifles are fired and rulers’ game-hunts end in blood-streaked leopards strung between poles on villagers’ shoulders. It is painful to watch.

Akomfrah cuts to the present: sad-looking elephants chained for forestry work while a chainsaw is used to aggressively fell centuries-old wood. In the 62 years since Ghanian independence, it seems that little has changed as far as the hierarchy between man and the environment is concerned. By juxtaposing the harshness of the seasons – mighty sandstorms in the desert, soaring temperatures that kill an elephant calf, scorching lightning and finally, a deluge of rain – Akomfrah presents Ghana’s vulnerability to climate change. His vivid cinematography humanises his animal subjects. An underwater shot of an elephant family fording a churning river, a quirky frame of an elephant’s toenails… all make for a turbulent, emotionally charged watch. Akomfrah’s message is clear: destruction of the natural world is akin to destroying ourselves.

I travel from land to the sea with Ocean Space, a new centre for ocean advocacy and education housed in the ninth-century San Lorenzo church.

Ocean Space’s inaugural exhibition, Moving Off the Land II, sees renowned US artist Joan Jonas explore the ancient land-based ancestors of today’s whales. A sperm whale’s disembodied clicks echo off the walls from a recording captured by marine biologist David Gruber, whose oceanographic research is woven into Jonas’s shimmering videos along with footage of the 83-year-old artist swimming in Jamaica. Jonas emphasises our undeniable, deep-rooted cultural connection to the oceans, infusing both science and fiction into her works, from author Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick to the poetry of TS Eliot and Emily Dickinson. She explores mermaid mythology

(including the half-woman, half-fish Assyrian goddess Atargatis), the consciousness of an octopus and the dependence of all life forms upon light photons, as she explores the boundaries between people and ocean-dwellers. The presence of childnarrators in her videos speaks volumes. It’s the future generations both human and non-human, that our actions will affect, Jonas emphasises.

The permanent Biennale structures at the Giardini, with its pavilions ordered by nation rather than theme, shows a glimpse of how artists across the world are interpreting the global issue of this year’s theme –May you Live in Interesting Times.

There’s more tsunami mythology and creation stories referenced in “cosmo-eggs” at the Japanese Pavilion, a recreated beach opera that laments the lethargic approach to climate action in the Lithuanian Pavilion, while Serbian artist Marina Abramovic’s “Rising” is a scary virtual reality experience in which the viewer is drowned by melting glaciers. In the Kiribati Pavilion, arresting films of islander customs presents a sad reality: the low-lying South Pacific island’s inhabitants could become the first climate refugees.

And what better place to tackle environmental issues than Venice, an ecosystem threatened by rising sea levels and unsustainable tourism? This year’s art is about a lot more than mere virtue-signalling.

These contemporary artists are impressive, both in their employment of multiple disciplines and their decision to use their public platform to make environmental compassion and climate urgency a part of our culture.

The Venice Biennale runs until 24 November 2019 labiennale.org

Below: John Akomfrah © Smoking Dogs Films, courtesy Lisson Gallery, photo by David Levene Right: Pieces from RE-ANIMATED by Jakob Kudsk Steensen (2019), left photo by Maksym Bilousov Right, bottom: John Akomfrah – The Elephant in the Room (2019)

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CULTURE

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SCENTS OF ADVENTURE As the drive for individuality propels the luxury perfume industry to heady new heights, the UK’s finest fragrance houses reveal why, when it comes to creating new scents, the artisanal approach rules Words: Farzana Ali

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he rules are out. As mass-produced fragrances continue to hit a sour note with discerning perfume wearers, the move towards prestige and niche fragrances continues to rise. And as more of us continue to head down the artisanal route in search of a unique scent, perfume houses are becoming increasingly daring with their notes, concentrations and creations. And just who is leading that charge? Homegrown talent. Because, while Britain may be famous for its so-called heritage brands, the revival in British perfumery has meant that an increasing number of small, independent and niche brands are joining the wellestablished names of yesteryear.

“Fragrance has become an extension of someone’s personality,” says Edward Bodenham, perfumer director at Floris London, a heritage brand which has been trading from the same Mayfair premises since 1730. “A client doesn’t want to

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smell like everybody else – and this has led to an increase in the number of perfume houses and fragrance launches per year.”

This perfume insatiability can be seen in the numbers alone, explains independent, London-based perfumer Paul Schütze.

He says: “Globally speaking, there were under 200 new perfume releases in 1975, last year it was closer to 2,300.”

Team that with consumers embracing fragrance wardrobes – where you have several different perfumes from several different brands – and the luxury fragrance market is one littered with consumer disloyalty and heavy competition.

Does that worry Bodenham? “Not at all,” he says. “It’s good to see the interest rising because it’s pushing everyone to continually evolve. It also allows us to become more experimental and push the boundaries of traditional scents.”

Here, Tempus meets the big names in bespoke perfumery who are doing just that. »

Above: Floris London perfume director Edward Bodenham

OLD MEETS NEW Pushing olfactory boundaries is exactly what Floris London did when it created The 300 Club for London Craft Week earlier this year. The legendary perfume house, which remains the only appointed perfumer to the Queen, threw the rule book out when it fashioned a bold chypre fragrance meant to evoke memories of warm skin, sweat and fur – not the typical imagery one tries to emulate with a fine fragrance.

“For The 300 Club, we wanted to produce something that you would have smelled in the 1920s,” says Edward Bodenham. “Animalic notes were popular in the 1920s and 1930s – but in recent decades we stopped using them.

Luckily, with the discovery of new molecules, we now have the ability to create these again using a mix of other notes.”

Though not part of their main collection, The 300 Club fragrances are still available on request.

For its most recent launch, Neroli Voyage (£120 for 100ml), perfumers went back into the archives to rethink a much-used and much-loved note – but in an entirely innovative way. “We’ve used neroli for 300 years, but it’s never been the hero, the star, so we made it one in this,” says Bodenham. Featured as both a top and a heart note, it’s given a modern twist with the inclusion of ginger and fennel seed.

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BEAUTY UNCOMMON SCENTS While some brands are turning back to the past for inspiration, others are looking further afield. Linda Pilkington, founder of Ormonde Jayne, has been innovating scents in Mayfair’s Old Bond Street for 18 years. The first to introduce oud – long a traditional eastern staple – to the fine fragrance market, this family-run business was also the first to use hemlock in a scent.

“The perfume world is constantly evolving in London,” she says. “For years, it was all about the mainstream perfumes, but then niche came in and change began.”

“Ormonde Jayne was the first to bring oud to the western world. I put 1% into a fine fragrance with 60 other ingredients and that had never been done before – so we’re very innovative. And because that worked and clients responded to it, I now have dealers across the globe to source hard-to-get, quality ingredients.”

What’s more, with perfumery becoming increasingly seen as an art form, perfumers are looking to art and literature for inspiration.

For her latest collection, Pilkington turned to her favourite book, The Great Gatsby, to create a scent decadent enough to be worthy of protagonist Jay. The Gatsby (created for this London Craft Week in April/May), saw 12 limited-edition bottles filled with bergamot and lime notes. “It’s a sophisticated, hot summer’s day scent that I anchored with juniper berries and cedar moss in the base,” the perfumer says. »

Right: Linda Pilkington has been making perfumes in Mayfair for 18 years

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Left: Sarah McCartney believes in open communication with her clients Below: Tom Daxon Bowers says that in perfume making, concentration is key

SPECTACULAR BLENDS Increasing consumer knowledge has also brought other benefits for homegrown niche brands. Sarah McCartney from 4160 Tuesdays London says knowledge teamed with open dialogue with clients has meant she has been able to become more abstract in her blends.

No wonder recent commissions include A Wild Night Out in New York, The Aroma of Flowers Growing In The Desert After A Fire, and the Imaginary Aroma of an Opal. Its current collection includes Inevitable Crimes of Passion ( from £40 for 9ml) and Mother Nature’s Naughty Daughters ( from £20 for 9ml).

“The fragrance world is moving away from being so secretive as people want to know what’s in their scent and they want to feel they’re involved in its creation,” says McCartney. “With that trust between perfumer and client growing, we can be more daring with expensive ingredients too. For instance, Orange flower is £11,000 a kilo, which is a huge investment for a business like ours, but because we can speak to a larger volume of clients all the time though social media channels, I can gauge

the demand before making certain purchases or putting particular blends together.’”

This dialogue has filtered to other brands, too, including independent perfumer Paul Schütze. “When I design a bespoke wearable for someone, it’s a collaboration,” he says.

“It’s not just exclusive, but it’s made with you in mind. Plus, there’s only ever one bottle on earth at any time and until that runs out, I don’t make a new one. The formula belongs to you. And it’s all done right here in the UK. I create it in my lab, and it’s made in the Cotswolds.”

Being daring doesn’t stop at the blend. As Tom Daxon Bowers of Tom Daxon knows, concentrations can also be played with. This summer, the award-winning perfumer took his best seller, Iridium (described as “the fragrance equivalent of charcoal coloured cashmere”, from £105 for 50ml), which is usually sold at a 20% concentration, and ramped it up to heady 71% - creating Iridium 71%.

“It’s the maximum permitted by the fragrance regulatory body, IFRA, so it’s ridiculously strong – but it gives a sense of excess and decadence,” he says. “Also, it’s stable, it works with all the hearts, has increased longevity and it’s safe, so there’s no reason not to do it.”

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BEAUTY SCENT-SATIONAL SIGNATURES

Paul Schütze considers perfume as art

Of course, it’s not just individual tastes and demands that are driving the artisanal perfume industry to evolve.

“There’s a real trend for bespoke creations encapsulating one’s space,” explains perfumer Paul Schütze. “Fragrance has transcended the desire to simply smell nice, it’s about creating a mood, a signature, an identity.”

In fact, creating scents for a space, a hotel lobby, a business, even a yacht, are becoming increasingly popular.

Commissioned by London’s prestigious Beaumont Hotel earlier this year for London Craft Week, Schütze embraced the notion of perfumery as art to the fullest when he created VSW in honour of novelist and poet Vita Sackville-West. He explains: “The joyful thing about making a perfume as an art piece is that you’re not constrained by the challenges of price. So, I put so many incredibly expensive ingredients in there, so it’s full of orris and neroli ,which is like £20,000 a kilo.”

So not only is the craft of British perfume alive and well in 2019, but today’s perfumery landscape is a hugely profitable one, too. florislondon.com ormondejayne.com 4160tuesdays.com paulschutze.com tomdaxon.com londoncraftweek.com

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OUTSIDE With a focus on natural materials, hand-crafted quality and clever use of space, Kaape Interiors shows that when it comes to interior architecture, the Scandi way is best Words: Rachel Ingram

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ever utter the word ‘IKEA’ to a Scandinavian designer – this is what I learnt when I sat down with Kirsti Prestmarken, designer-in-charge of Norway’s leading design studio, Kaape Interiors (KP Interiors). One of the most exciting names to penetrate the world of luxury design in the last decade, the Norwegian interior architect is showing the world that there’s a lot more to Scandi design that flat-packed tables and colourful cushions.

As a young designer in New York, Prestmarken found herself frustrated with the interiors industry and spotted a gap in the market for those seeking more than a quick spruce up. In 2015, she founded KP Interiors, forming a partnership with fellow Scandi design studios Spacegroup Architect, Anvil and By Ingeborg Werenskiold. Bringing together a team of experienced architects and designers who come from backgrounds in corporate office design and hospitality, the studio draws on its wealth of expertise and Scandinavian roots to pushes boundaries of design for its international clients and the properties they occupy.

Prestmarken believes that interior design is not just about cushions and curtains but stems to the roots of the infrastructure of a space, as well as its functionality, purpose and ambience.

Nowhere is this truer than at Polar Hotel Svalbard, the team’s latest project, which involved renovating this hotel on the remotest island in the Norway – the property beared a particularly unique challenge: 50% of the year it’s in almost total darkness, while 50% of the year it’s light.

As the hotel opens it doors, Tempus speaks to Prestmarken about the difference between interior design and interior architecture, and how there’s much, much more to being ‘Scandi’ than IKEA. » 58

For Kaape Interiors’ latest project, Polar Hotel Svalbard, designers take natural materials from the island indoors

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Tempus: Where did your passion for design stem from?

Kirsti Prestmarken: My passion developed at a very early age. I was always that girl who re-decorated her room every six weeks and made her closets and cabinets look like a retail showroom. I didn’t really understand what my creativity meant until I was pushed in another direction. My father wanted me to study to be a vet, but I convinced him into letting me have one year out to do an interior design course. When I was finished with that, I realised that it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. I very quickly understood that I couldn’t just work with cushions and decorative pieces to make the layout look good. I really wanted to build my own walls and make my own rules.

I never went to veterinary school and instead studied interior architecture at the Royal Academy of Arts in Oslo. Then, I spent some time New York developing my skills. During this time, I got very connected to architecture and after my studies spent some time working in an architectural office. At the same time, I knew that I really wanted to start my own company. So after a few years at leading architecture studios in New York and Norway, where I specialised in corporate and office design, I opened Kaape Interiors in 2015.

What makes Kaape Interiors special?

We have a strong and multicultural team of architects and design partners. The mix of our design background and where we are born makes us special in the way we are able to work with different markets and clients around the world.

Our team has experience ranging from large-scale industrial projects to the design of your button. The package that we deliver to our client is clear – we strive for quality and professional processes and since were a small team, we work quickly and concisely. And we don’t only offer design, we build as well.

As I am Norwegian, I believe my Viking genes challenge our clients push boundries, so they dare to go for something that they didn’t know they needed.

How would you define the ‘Scandinavian way’?

Scandinavian thinking is clear and simple, especially when it comes to using materials. To us, wood is wood, stone is stone.

Our designs are inspired by nature and the greatness of it. We try to implement natural materials in a clever and clean-cut way. Of course, we have to factor in functionality, for example, if a client works in hospitality, we cannot always use wood because you need something you can take care of in the longer run.

From your time in the UK, how do you find British design compares to Norwegian?

It’s hard to define exactly what “British design” is. The interesting thing about it is that it’s much more about textures. Some

OUR DESIGNS ARE INSPIRED BY NATURE AND THE GREATNESS OF IT. WE TRY TO IMPLEMENT

NATURAL MATERIALS IN A CLEVER AND CLEAN-CUT WAY

designers in Britain use a lot of carpet and a lot of wallpaper and prints. It’s a kind of “more is better” mentality, while in Norway it’s about “less is more”. Some British designers, however, are not so different from formal Norwegian style – styles you’d find in the fancy, trendy part of Norway.

What do you think if someone compares Scandinavian design to IKEA? I get very upset! I love IKEA for what it is. Everyone needs IKEA at some point in their life, say you need candle lights or you’re studying and need cheap furniture. But it has nothing to do with quality. What is grounded in Scandinavian design is actually the hand-crafted materials.

What’s the difference between an interior architect, such as yourself, and an interior designer?

The difference is the process. If a designer comes into a room and changes the colour of the cushions and adds some new flowers, it will always be nicer, but they haven’t done anything extra for functionality of the room. Yes, cushions and curtains will always come into the process but, for me, it’s always the last thing I do.

We always start by looking from the top down and understanding the purpose of the space. We then try to challenge the space so our clients can get more value fom the area. We begin by creating a room plan and looking at how to make it work from an architecture perspective by, for example, adding a wall or taking a wall down, opening up a ceiling or closing a ceiling.

The difference between interiors architects and designers is that we’re constantly looking at the architecture and geometery of spaces – and we don’t stop learning. Just as doctors will never be finished with their education, it’s the same with interior architects. We’re always researching and learning new methods of geometry.

What I find very inspiring about an interior architect is that it’s not only about making things beautiful, it’s about making things beautiful and functional at the same time.

You’ve recently completed the interiors of the new-look Polar Hotel Svalbard. What made this such an interesting challenge project?

The hotel in Svalbard is a very special place. The location, Longyearbyen, is part of Norway but, for me, it feels like a different world. It’s so far away and it’s so close to the Arctic Circle. The big difference is that half of the year it is completely dark, and half of the year is completely light. That in itself makes the design fundamentals very challenging because all of your materials, all of your lights and all of the design in general has got to work in two completely different worlds. For example, velvet on sofas will look completely different when it’s dark compared to when it’s light.

Guests waking up in June will have a completely different experience of the whole journey compared to guests waking up in February. It’s a big challenge. You don’t really know how it will work out before it is built. »

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INTERIORS Interior architect Kirsti Prestmarken says there’s far more to interior design than cushions and curtains

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JUST AS DOCTORS WILL NEVER BE FINISHED WITH THEIR EDUCATION, IT’S THE SAME WITH INTERIOR ARCHITECTS.

WE’RE ALWAYS RESEARCHING AND LEARNING NEW METHODS OF GEOMETRY

Talk us through your design process for the hotel.

The existing hotel was from 1994 and, as you can imagine, lacked identity. The first thing we wanted to implement was a brandnew identity. It was a big process but the owners were open minded. We started by taking away all the mess and cleaning up the whole space to understand which structures were important to keep and which we could develop. Then, we looked at the colours and materials that reflect the Svalbard community.

When you’re landing in Svalbard, the nature is just amazing, and the polar archipelago is very simple, and this is something we wanted to reflect through the design. For example, there is a big natural installation hanging over the bar, which mirrors the polar light – the light and colours up there are always very, very melting into another colour.

The island is full of colourful houses, which were a great inspiration for our colour palette. And coal mining is the biggest industry in Svalbard so we factored this into our material choices.

So you designed the hotel with the local environment and community in mind?

Yes. Svalbard is small but it is a very special, friendly place. It was very important for us to make sure that the community felt totally comfortable and that the design wasn’t so grand that they wouldn’t dare to go into the bar and buy a beer. So, it’s very down to earth.

At the same time, we challenged the hotel owner to make some great designs, which is always our goal. Target number one is, of course, to make great designs, but to make them functional too.

What’s the next project you’re working on?

At the moment, we are doing a very interesting restaurant concept in Oslo, Norway, called Michael. It’s a good project for us as we’re picking up more hospitality projects in Norway in particular. Going back to my family roots in hospitality feels very natural and exciting. Our bread-and-butter projects are still offices, but there are exciting things happening in high-end residential, hospitality, hotels and restaurants, too. studiokaape.com 62

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ROOM SERVICE As Mandarin Oriental puts it first European standalone residences on the market, Tempus shines a light on the rise of branded properties Words: Rachel Ingram

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centre and spa, an indoor swimming pool and a residents-only lounge. On top of the adjacent building, accessible by a private walkway, there’ll be a private 625 sq m rooftop garden and a restaurant – the only space open to the public. British studio Muza Lab has been commissioned to do the interiors and owners can choose whether they wish for their apartments to be designed in Mandarin Oriental style.

As a residential building with connections to a prestige hotel chain, owners benefit from more than just great design and branding. As with the hotel, residents receive an array of hotel-standard services, including a 24-hour concierge and a doorman providing services such as in-residence dining.

And while it’s not physically attached to the city’s Mandarin Oriental (just a five-minute walk along the avenue) residents will have access to the hotel and its facilities – this will not be a reciprocal arrangement for hotel guests.

The development is one of many that have cropped up in Europe in recent years – Mandarin Oriental has opened residences in London’s Hyde Park and has buildings in development in London’s Mayfair (2021), Munich (2024), Moscow (2021) and Istanbul (2022).

“We’re seeing a growing global trend for branded residences and Barcelona is the ultimate urban destination with its mix of city culture and lifestyle,” says Rod Taylor, head of Savills’ international new developments. “With Mandarin Oriental, you know the level of service you’re going to get. The brand sets a very high standard in the quality of its finish, design and that legendary service.”

Mandarin Oriental Residences, Barcelona is scheduled for completion at the end of next year. The off-plan residences, which are built-to-order, will soon go on the open market through Savills, starting from €2.3m (£2m) for a one-bed apartment. The prices for the full-floor units and penthouse are available on request – if you want a fully-customisable space then get in quick as floor plans will be fixed when the next phase of development begins at the end of this year.

Whether you’re looking to expand your property portfolio or need a new base in the city, it’s a great investment with the added benefit of the guaranteed quality of one of the finest hotel groups in the world.

onging for an apartment that offers the familiar luxury of a prestige hospitality brand but without feeling like you’re staying in an actual hotel? A new branded residence development in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities lets clever investors enjoy the best of both worlds.

The branded residences sector has blown up in the last two decades, with more than 400 schemes globally – most are in the US, the UAE and Asia (notably Thailand and China) and they’re also growing fast in Europe. There are a number of reasons why such schemes are gaining in popularity – according to Savills, brand association instils buyer confidence, and is especially attractive to globally mobile, time-poor people seeking high service, hassle-free ownership as well as the prospect of rental returns when they’re not in residence.

One of the more exciting developments under construction is Mandarin Oriental Residences, Barcelona, which goes on the open market this summer, ahead of completion in 2020.

Located at the top of Passeig de Gràcia – a high-end shopping avenue that is Barcelona’s equivalent of Paris’ Champs-Élysées or London’s Bond Street – and just a stone’s throw from attractions including Gaudi’s Casa Batlló and Casa Milo, it’s a prime real estate spot. Properties rarely come up for sale here – experts from Savills reveal this is because owners in this neighbourhood tend to pass homes from one generation to the next.

Housed in former bank headquarters, the 20-storey tower, designed by Spanish architect Carlos Ferrater and developed

by KKH Property Investors, will be the tallest residential building in Barcelona. It will not only be the first branded residences in the city, but the Mandarin Oriental group’s first standalone residential building in Europe.

When it opens, the property will feature 34 200sqm to 580sqm units, including four fully customisable full-floor apartments – perfect whether you want a giant one-bed bachelor’s pad or a four-bed family-friendly flat. There’s also a duplex penthouse with 360-degree views of the city. Tempus was invited for a hard-hat tour and we can confirm that, even under construction, views from the roof are breathtaking.

Looking directly in front, down Passeig de Gràcia, lies the sea; behind you, the hills of Serra de Collserola Natural Park loom over the city; while to your left lies world-famous landmark La Sagrada Familia. Inside, private facilities will include a fitness

moresidencesbarcelona.com

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EDEN ROCKS Parc du Cap brings a modern touch of Great Gatsby glamour to Cap d’Antibes Words: Rachel Ingram

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hen F Scott Fitzgerald wrote: “When your eyes first fall upon the Mediterranean you know at once why it was here that man first stood erect and stretched out his arms toward the sun”, he was surely talking about Cap d’Antibes.

A beautiful peninsula between Cannes and Nice on the French Riviera, Antibes is most famous for Hotel du Cap Eden Roc, a playground of the rich and famous which inspired the author’s famous novel The Great Gatsby.

The town sits alongside the largest marina in Europe, Port Vauban Harbour, home to the famous Billionaires’ Row, which accommodates yachts of up to 165m – in comparison, Port Pierre Canto in Cannes only fits 70m boats, while Monaco’s Port Hercule’s maximum is 130m. As such, it’s a popular second-home destination for superyacht owners. But unlike Monte Carlo with its sky-high skyscrapers and sparkly casinos, Antibes has an historic charm that has long inspired artists and writers – visit Musée Picasso to discover works created

by Pablo Picasso during his time here in 1946.

A walk through the old town’s narrow cobblestone streets reveals 16th-century fortifications, Michelinstar restaurants behind painted shutters, and market vendors selling fresh local produce. While it’s a welcome break from the see-and-be-seen vibe of some neighbouring towns, it’s not without its luxuries.

Parc du Cap, a residential condominium by luxury property developer Caudwell Collection, brings the glamour of Billionaires’ Row to Antibes’ residential heart. What makes this property special is how different it is from the grand villas and historic condominiums that make up the bulk of the peninsula’s property offerings. Instead it’s highly contemporary, with modern design features, state-of-the-art facilities and hotel-standard services.

“Caudwell Collection is synonymous with style and quality, and we wanted to create something not previously available on the Cap in terms of design, amenities and services – taking inspiration from some of the world’s leading cities,” says Matthew Murison, CEO of Provencal Investments. “Parc du Cap meets the growing trend and requirement for residences to offer exceptionally high standard add-on facilities and services, akin to that of a luxury hotel.”

A key feature of Parc du Cap is its fulltime security and concierge team which is always on hand to assist residents with everything from taxi booking to deliveries. But if you’d rather maintain privacy, underground parking lets you go straight from your car to your apartment without seeing a soul. During our trip to the property in June, our guide mentioned

there was one woman who’s been staying for a couple of weeks but hasn’t been seen once, despite the fact that she’s been going in and out of the complex every day.

For those less intent on solitude, the complex houses a number of facilities including a well-kitted-out gym, a communal outdoor pool, tennis courts and gardens, plus a spa with an indoor pool that’s heated in winter, sauna and steam and ice rooms, and treatment rooms – one call to the concierge and a local therapist can be booked to attend to you with as little as two hours’ notice. Also on the way is a concierge app that will enable residents to book extras such as turn-down services and dining, or even a dog walker.

The gated property contains eight one-bed apartments, 66 two-bed apartments, four three-bed apartments (which are already sold out), 10 fourbedroom penthouses with private rooftop pools and terraces, and two villas – at the time of going to print, around 35% were sold. We wre invited to enjoy a night in the master suite of a penthouse apartment and have to say that the highlight, along with the contemporary design and the giant rain shower, was the sheer amount of space – there were a number of indoor and outdoor entertaining areas, including a rooftop with 360° panoramas over the peninsula, where one can imagine Jay Gatsby throwing many a party.

Thanks to their unique design and features, apartments come with a price tag that’s on the higher end of the local market – one-beds are priced from €590,000 while four-bed penthouses start at €4.5m plus optional interior design packages. However, for someone looking for a second home with the level of luxury you’d expect from a five-star hotel, this could be a good fit.

As our flying visit to Antibes grew to a close, we found ourselves on the rooftop of our penthouse gazing over the landscape – a Medieval tower pokes its head up from between a blanket of trees and the ocean sparkles on the horizon in the distance – and found ourselves thinking: well, if you’ve already spent £250m+ on a 100m superyacht and a further £1m on a berth on Billionaires’ Row, what’s an extra £6m to see it from this perspective?

And, who knows, you may even find yourself rubbing shoulders with Caudwell Collection co-founder and billionaire bon viveur John Caudwell, himself the owner of one of the stunning penthouses at Parc du Cap – a mere 10-minute stroll from Juan-les-Pins bay where he keeps his 73m yacht Titania. His is a rags-toriches story not totally dissimilar to Gatsby’s. caudwellcollection.com 66

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WHERE PISTE MEETS EAST Discover why serious skiers – and property investors – should be making a downhill run to the Japanese resort of Niseko Village Words: Rachel Ingram

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ith the Rugby World Cup heading to Japan in October, followed by the Summer Olympics in 2020 and Expo 2025, the world’s eyes are on the East Asian island nation. But while many still think of Japan for its traditional sports like sumo wrestling, it’s actually a winter sports hotspot too. The burgeoning ski hub of Niseko on the island of Hokkaido has been a secret closely guarded by Japanese and Australian fans since it opened in 1982 – but the resort’s potential as a world ski destination is now properly taking off. As the effects of global warming shorten the European ski season, locals are willing to chase the white stuff further afield. And the resort’s infrastructure is keeping pace with this demand, with myriad new hotel offerings and apartment investment opportunities opening year on year.

But why, as Europeans with the Alps on our doorstep, would we travel for the best part of a day to hit the snow in Niseko? The answer: powder. For around six weeks every year, Niseko is delivered a fresh dump of snowfall several inches thick every day. This can mean that blue sunny panoramas are few and far between, but what you lack in goggle marks you make up for in snow quality. The resort is a veritable powder playground, with the finest, fluffiest snow on the planet, making it super easy skiing – and great fun.

When I hit the slopes earlier this year our guide sighed apologetically: “We haven’t had snow in five days” – prompting more than one confused glance around the pristine pistes. As a European accustomed to relatively icy runs, I simply couldn’t fathom what he was talking about. It was the best snow I’d come across in years – several inches of power, without a patch of ice to slip on for miles. » 68

Mount Yotei, Niseko, Japan

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At the end of the first day I would begin to understand, though, as we were blessed with a covering of fluffy white flakes, coating the mountain in a fresh half-foot of snow. “When you’ve done a season here, you become a powder snob,” our guide said with a laugh as he recalled memories of all the tricks he’s notched up in the perfect conditions – skiing up the side of tree and leaping into the foot-high powder without worry of injury, racing from the top of the mountain to bottom at 160km/h – it’s safe to say I was more comfortable with the scenic route down.

So what exactly makes the snow so good? It’s all about the snowflakes. The flakes (scientific name ‘stellar dendrites’) are special to this part of the world. Their large ferris wheel-like silhouette makes the snow really light and dry, resulting in that signature powder. “It’s hard to explain how light it is,” our guide said. “It’s like snow falling on the screen on your car, you can just brush it off.” By removing the icy element, I found it was easy to rediscover my ski legs and by day two I was speeding down the slopes with confidence.

With wide, gentle and relatively empty slopes, Niseko is ideal for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. While the resort isn’t as expansive as its European counterparts (though by no means small with more than 50km of slopes), a variety of terrain accommodates all skiing styles –gentle slopes to speed down, offpiste powder perfect for carving through, silver birch forests just begging to be slalomed through, and freshly carved snow parks purpose-built for perfecting a whole host of tricks – has plenty to keep all levels entertained for a few days. It’s also worth mentioning there are three resorts included on your lift pass, all interlinked by ski lifts, with a free bus at the bottom traversing between the various resorts.

The views are pretty special too. Ranging between 255m and 1,188m, the slopes are set against the soaring backdrop of Mount Yotei, which, at nearly 2,000m, rises over Hokkaido like Fuji over mainland Japan. And when the sun emerges, the diamond-like snow glistens beautifully.

Niseko – a three-hour transfer from the island’s international hub, New Chitose Airport – could be described as a more relaxed, and less pretentious, version of Courchevel. Snow conditions are consistently good, slopes are always smooth and there’s plenty of après ski.

A bonus of being in Japan is that, unlike Europe with its long, jostling lift queues, you get East-Asian politeness – orderly lines lead to the chairlifts where staff warmly guide visitors to their seats. While the lifts are a little outdated, they’re all in the process of being replaced with high-tech alternatives, hopefully in time for the 2020 ski season.

The Japanese service extends to mid-ski hospitality, too. While you can tuck into a pizza and chips if you wish, you could also revitalise your muscles with a steaming hot bowl of noodle soup or katsu curry, washed down with a bottle of Asahi. High up, ski in to The Lookout Café, or ski down to Goshiko at Green Leaf and gaze out over the slopes as you slurp on your soup.

After a day on the slopes, Niseko Village offers a number of casual and smart-casual dining options – head to The Crab Shack to try one of the biggest crabs you’ve ever seen (the coastal location means that fresh seafood is a favourite – this makes a healthy change from

the mountains of cheese and bread I’m used to filling up on when I visit the slopes in Europe). Meanwhile, the nearby village of Hirafu offers a lively mix of options, from traditional Japanese restaurants and international dining outlets, to sports bars and trendy speakeasies like Bar Gyu – accessed via a fridge door.

CHECK IN Visitors to have a number of hotel options, including The Green Leaf Niseko Village, Hilton Niseko Village, and Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse. From 1 December, visitors can book into the new Hinode Hills Niseko Village, the latest luxury development to join the YTL Hotels group, featuring 79 luxury rooms and suites.

We stayed in one of the eight Kasara Niseko Village Townhouses ( far right). Located at the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri, the three-bed townhouse combines authentic Japanese charm with contemporary, natureinspired design – windows open up directly on to the slopes and the bath in the master room is wooden. The concept is inspired by the Japanese saying “ichi-go ichi-e”, meaning “once-in-a-lifetime”, and the team does everything it can to make your stay memorable, including in-house dining.

The townhouses are a stone’s throw from The Green Leaf Niseko Village, and guests can use the facilities of the hotel, including the onsens (natural hot springs), which we visited every evening. The pool’s 40C water – which features more than 20 different minerals – is ideal for soothing ski-sore muscles, and sitting with the snow falling on your cold face as your body warms up is incredibly relaxing. After a couple of visits, you get used to being nude, too – clothes and swimsuits are not allowed in the onsen in order to avoid polluting the mineral-rich water.

The hotel also has a restaurant, a bar where happyhour cocktails are served, and an in-house ski-hire shop, which means no need for the usual trek to the nearest overcrowded ski shop to get kitted out on your first day.

All your equipment can also be stored in lockers in the shop at the bottom of the slope.

As word spreads about Niseko’s powder, its real estate market has fast becoming a hotly tipped investment opportunity. Property developers and hotel groups are snapping up land like hot cakes – international players like Park Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, W Hotels and Edition have all made commitments to the area – and for owners, returns are already at around 3%, we’re told. This figure is only bound to go up as the development grows and the resort expands its multi-season offerings – in the warmer months, when the lakes melt and vegetation blooms, Niseko is a favourable destination for hikers and water sports enthusiasts.

Whether Niseko Village will become Asia’s Aspen remains to be seen, but if you’re looking to invest in a ski resort without the price tags of the European resorts, now is the time to take the leap.

WHEN YOU’VE DONE A SEASON HERE, YOU BECOME A POWDER SNOB

niseko-village.com, ytlhotels.com Seven nights in a three-bed townhouse (room only based on six sharing) at Kasara Niseko Village Townhouse, includes return flights and private transfers from £2,625 per person at skisafari.com 70

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THE TIDES of change Albert II, Prince of Monaco speaks exclusively to Tempus about the sustainable future of yachting – and how Monaco is pioneering change from the ground up Words: Rachel Ingram

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onaco is often associated with the finer things in life, but – as HSH Prince Albert II is determined to point out to the world – finer needn’t mean damaging. The principality’s monarch is on a mission to change its perception from the home of Formula 1 and superyachts – both notoriously environmentally unfriendly ( for groundbreaking exceptions to this rule, see page 78) – to a major forum for sustainabile living, without sacrificing any of that famous Monegasque glamour. From high-profile events such as Formula E, electric racing’s alternative to F1, to localised initiatives such as MonaBike, Monaco’s electric version of the Boris Bike, the principality is already taking massive steps towards its ambitious lowcarbon goals.

Monaco has a long history of innovation, particularly in the boating world – the first powerboats meeting was held at Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) in 1904. Today, some 110 years later, the organisation at the heart of the local yachting industry, the YCM, is taking the lead again. The club was designed to be green inside and out – it’s powered by solar and renewable energies and features state-of-theart waste, energy and water systems, while visitors can easily plug in and charge their electric cars and boats,when they sail or drive in. The club also hosts initiatives including the Solar & Energy Boat Challenge, an inspiring event that encourages and celebrates the development of green and renewable energy.

Organised in partnership with the International Powerboating Federation (UIM) and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the sixth edition of the event in July saw researchers, academics and industry leaders come together on the French Riviera to showcase and learn about the latest innovations in green yachting across three classes: energy, solar and offshore.

One of the event’s biggest supporters is Marco Casiraghi, an engineer and member of the YCM who found himself increasingly frustrated by attitudes to boating. “A lot of

technology exists but is not applied. Why? Sometimes it’s ignorance. Sometimes it’s the fact that brands continue to copy and paste, but there’s a tremendous amount of opportunity to save energy without losing comfort,” he told us. “My primary aim is to let the people know that this technology exists and spread the word for a better world and a better future.”

As well as educating and inspiring students and luxury consumers around the world, the competition aims to demonstrate to brands and manufacturers that going electric doesn’t have to mean sacrificing design or comfort.

“In the offshore class, there are boats that look exactly like the others, but they are electric,” says Casiraghi. “In fact, sometimes you’re really improving your own comfort.

Electric boats are silent with no vibrations, no sound and no smell, and they do not disturb nature.”

Speaking at the opening of the competition, YCM president Prince Albert said: “Recalling something my father said at the launch of the club in 1953 – ‘The future of Monaco lies in the sea” – I would say that today, it is the future of the whole planet that now lies with the sea. At a time of radical technological change, with everything being called into question, it seems essential that the yachting sector does the same. The time for raising awareness must give way to action. It is with this aim in mind, in the wake of an innovation tradition dating back to the first powerboat meetings started in 1904, that we are organising the sixth Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge.”

As Monaco’s reigning monarch – who lives with his wife of eight years Charlene, Princess of Monaco, and their four-year-old twins Gabriella and Jacques – the Prince has an important role to play in the future of the principality and the countries that have long followed its lead. Here, he speaks exclusively to Tempus about his commitments to sustainability and how he’s working to change perspectives of Monaco from being a billionaires’ playground to a pioneer of sustainability. »

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Left: HSH Prince Albert II, President of the Yacht Club de Monaco, on board the YCM’s 110-year old sailing boat, Tuiga

MONACO’S DESTINY HAS ALWAYS BEEN LINKED TO THE SEA… I THINK MY FATHER WOULD BE VERY PROUD OF WHAT IS BEING ACHIEVED TODAY - HSH Prince Albert II

points. Is this part of a wider plan to make it more environmentally friendly?

Tempus: Monaco seems to be changing from the hub of Formula 1 and motor yachting to a hotbed of sustainable living. Was this a conscious move?

Yes, and this is reflected not only in what we are doing in the Principality – with electric public vehicles, electric bikes, solar heating etc – but also the Zero Emission Challenge at this year’s Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge. Our aim is to minimise the event’s carbon footprint on every level. For example, all the organising boats are to be electric, supplied by Torqeedo. Staff already use electric karts to get around the marina, we’ll have a water fountain and water bottles to reduce plastic waste, and our executive chef at the club focuses on local products. The YCM marina recently invested in the first wooden pontoons, with no tropical wood but carbon-neutral bamboo instead.

We have just announced construction of a Zero Emission Committee Boat for all the regattas organised by the club. Naval architect Espen Oeino has designed the hull and structure, with Dario Calzavara of Terra Modena responsible for the engineering on this 100% eco-friendly catamaran.

As it will be quiet with no carbon emissions. It has been designed with a second function in mind: whale watching excursions from the Principality.

We are also promoting actions that visitors to the YCM marina should now be doing automatically – without thinking – like using eco-certified products for cleaning, recycling and using harbour waste water pump-out facilities.

HSH Prince Albert II: Yes, of course it was a conscious decision. And maybe it’s because Monaco is so famous for its Formula 1 race and the Monaco Yacht Show that we are in the best position to promote Formula E and the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge. We have the infrastructure already in place and the profile among the media who matter in these two areas. It’s not going to happen overnight but already they are having an impact. The future is in the hands of the next generation – of the 300 participants to the Challenge, at least 200 are students, and they are all so passionate.

Has there been a key moment in your own life that has inspired you to lead the call for action?

One trip in particular made me all the more determined to fight for the environment, and that was to the Arctic following in the footsteps of my greatgreat-grandfather in 2005. We had a photo taken of me standing where Prince Albert I had stood in front of a glacier over a century ago, and it was frightening how much it had receded. I witnessed the negative impact of our human activities and decided I had to act to protect our planet and its ecosystems. When I came back, I decided to launch my Foundation dedicated to environmental issues on a global scale. Since then we have supported more than 470 projects internationally which makes me proud of the work done.

What are you hoping to achieve with the Monaco Solar & Energy Boat Challenge?

Where did your love of yachting derive from?

Monaco’s destiny has always been linked to the sea. I grew up listening to tales of my great-great-grandfather Prince Albert I’s expeditions in the Arctic. He was an early pioneer of modern oceanography and a famous navigator. The first sailing regattas were held here in 1862 and in 1953 my father Prince Rainier III went on to found this yacht club as it exists today. He had the vision to create a club that would unite all people who love the sea, and I think he would be very proud of what is being achieved today since we moved into this building in 2014.

I have always loved sailing and when I became Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) president in 1984 my mission was to ramp up the sailing side, that’s when, for example, we started the Primo Cup, a big regatta that today still opens the Mediterranean season.

When we started, the focus was on solar power, but then we introduced the Offshore Class in 2017 to encourage students to work with the industry to design boats that can take at least three people, including the driver, and be fully autonomous over a long distance – this year we have two long distance races for them, one 16 nautical miles and the other 32nm, and seven entrants. We want to show that solutions exist to go that distance on the sea without using fossil fuel – it is a real test for models that are either in development or are already on the market.

A new prototype was designed by Tu Delft university – the catamaran’s foils and floats adapt to the conditions as it flies along. It’s fascinating.

Then last year we launched the Energy Class. All entrants have the same design catamaran hull and have to devise the cockpit and power system using »

YCM has just installed electric boat charging

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I’M PARTICULARLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE MONEGASQUE POPULATION IS PURSUING MY COMMITMENT TO A

GREENER FUTURE

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SPEED Main: The YCM committee boat.

Right: A competition entrant, YCM committee with HSH Prince Albert

any energy they like, provided it’s clean. We are delighted to see SBM Offshore with an electro-hydrogen hybrid prototype where the battery has almost achieved a record 80% efficiency. There are eight entrants so both these classes are growing exponentially.

The Solar class is also booming – we had 19 entrants this year. This year’s Solar Boat Twente, for example, has a prototype that is 35% more efficient thanks to an innovative propeller design.

In the long term, we hope it will become a major forum for the sustainable propulsion industry for yachting. Starting in 1904, Monaco was at the heart of developments in the combustion engine with the international powerboat races; just over a century later my dream is for this event to take on that mantle – but for clean energies.

How has the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation been involved in the Challenge?

It is a partner alongside the International Powerboating Federation (UIM). This year, we are co-organising the first Monaco Hydrogen Working Group with the YCM, through the Sustainable Yachting Network. We believe hydrogen and fuel cells have a major role to play in the future and this seminar will discuss the potential of having a hydrogen facility here in Monaco.

The event is important to the foundation because it’s at the heart of what we do for the marine environment.

After all, research at sea relies on expedition ships and the greener they can be, the better. Sport is a good vector to develop innovative sustainable technologies and serves like a lab before implementing them for the civil society.

are destroying it. It is our responsibility and we are running out of time. Global warming is jeopardising the planet’s equilibrium and compromising the future of humanity. Tackling this issue requires a collective and immediate action.

Do you feel celebrity ambassadors have a powerful voice in these matters?

Provided you select a celebrity who reflects the values, mission and objectives of the initiative, then yes, they can have a powerful voice. In an era where social networks are omnipresent, with the capacity to reach millions of people, celebrities can really be held to account if they step out of line. The flip side is that endorsement by the right celebrity ambassador can have a massive impact.

Thanks to the Monte-Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean, we have enjoyed the successful involvement of talented celebrities and philanthropists around the cause of marine conservation. On 26 September, the third edition of the cala, our ocean will be again at the centre of the stage, contributing to raise awareness about the threats it is facing.

How do you encourage the people of Monaco to address issues such as climate change?

Where do I start? In the last 15 years, we have implemented so many changes to encourage people to think green. Introducing an electric-bike system and now e-taxis, dropping the price of bus fares and increasing their frequency so buses are now packed.

We have a very efficient recycling collection system, we said no to single-use plastic… in brief, we make it easy for people to have the right reflex. I’m particularly happy Do you think electric or solar energy could to see that the Monegasque population is pursuing my commitment to a greener future. It’s not only giving the replace combustion in our lifetime? planet a chance but giving humanity a chance.

It depends on whose lifetime! I do believe a combination of renewable energies – electricity, solar, wind, hydrogen Does your family share your passion for – working together could replace fossil fuels in the not- protecting the environment? too-distant future, especially given the progress being made in “smart” energy management technology Yes, they do – wholeheartedly. to optimise their performance. That’s the way the industry is going, as the 10 companies exhibiting at the What legacy are you hoping to leave behind for challenge demonstrate. All are working on sustainable, your children? renewable solutions from every angle.

A world that is much more aware of the damage done by Many of the causes you support have strong links mankind to the environment on every level, but which to sustainability or conservation. Why is it so is proactively and passionately involved in reversing that trend. I hope my children will see me as a good example. important to you to support these issues?

Because if we’re going to save our planet, we need to The Solar & Energy Boat Challenge returns to Yacht be fighting on all fronts, mobilising as many people Club de Monaco from 30 June to 4 July 2020. For more as possible to gradually change the systems that information, visit mcsebc.org or yacht-club-monaco.mc

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GREEN MACHINES From solar sails to zero-emission cruising, the future of modern yachting is looking more and more sustainable Words: Chantal Borciani

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istorically, sustainability and superyachts haven’t exactly gone hand-in-hand. But times are changing. With the planet facing huge environmental challenges, the spotlight is now on not just how good your yacht looks but how ecologically sound it is as well. From propulsion to lighting and solarharvesting sails, yacht manufacturers are cleaning up their act and owners are reaping the rewards with lighter, more fuel-efficient yachts and even the ability to cruise silently with zero emissions‌ 

Energy Observer is the world’s first hydrogen-powered boat

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Oceanco’s Black Pearl is a pioneer of zero-emission cruising

BATTERY PACK Hybrid technology, typically where diesel and electric power are used, has become increasingly mainstream but modern battery developments also mean that rather than just powering an electric motor, the electrical energy can be stored up in reserve and be used to cruise silently using batteries alone or be fed back into the system, thereby negating the need to fire up diesel generators.

The 83.5m Feadship Savannah, delivered by its Dutch shipyard in 2015, was a significant step forward in the battery brethren, featuring a single engine, three generators and a combined total of around one megawatt’s worth of batteries. Its ‘Breathe’ propulsion system provides the choice of no fewer than five different operation modes, from diesel and diesel-electric combinations to fully electric.

Fuel cells provide perhaps even more significance for future energy consumption. Fuel cells pass hydrogen through an electrochemical process to create electricity – the biggest advantage being that the only emission they produce are heat and pure water. Until recently, the downfall has been how to sustainably create the hydrogen in the first place but with the advent of renewable energy harvesting processes – from solar panels to wind turbines – environmentally sound hydrogen is now possible.

Launched in 2017, Energy Observer – the world’s first hydrogen-powered boat – set off on a six-year voyage around the world to inspire and educate about innovative and renewable energy solutions. The 30.5-metre former racing catamaran is equipped with 120 sq m of solar panels and two vertical-axis wind turbines, which power two electric motors. These are used to power electrolyses, which produce hydrogen from sea water.

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SOLAR SOLUTIONS Oceanco’s stunning 106.7m Black Pearl forged a new path when it was launched in 2018, offering true zero-emission cruising, previously unheard of on a boat of her scope and size. Now, the trailblazing superyacht – conceived by an international group of designers, engineers, naval architects and builders – may even go a step further. The technology wasn’t ready at the time of Black Pearl’s launch, but Frenchbased company Solar Cloth System is creating a test sail for the superyacht which uses a photovoltaic, film-like textile laminated on to the sail to generate electrical power. This advanced material is malleable, lightweight and a neat solution to bulkier traditional solar panels.

British sailing yacht manufacturer Spirit Yachts will launch its Spirit 44E in 2020. The fully electric 13.4m vessel will have solar panels integrated into her sails and aft deck and no hydrocarbons onboard. The Suffolk-based yard is working with OneSails GBR (East) to develop ‘thin cell’ PV panels for the Spirit 44E’s sails. OneSails’ 4T Forte sails are also currently the only EU-certified recyclable sails on the market. The electric yacht will also sport two solar panels integrated into the aft deck, used to charge the 48VDC 30.4kWh batteries that power her Oceanvolt SD15 electric drive.

Spirit Yachts managing director Nigel Stuart explains: “The lightweight electric drive system, weighing just 46.5kg, uses hydrogeneration via the propeller to regenerate the batteries while sailing.”

Spirit Yachts’ new eco flagship, the Spirit 111, is slated for launch in autumn 2019 and will use a Torqeedo electric propulsion system. A 100kW motor will propel the yacht silently for up to 40nm at eight knots from battery power alone. While sailing, the propulsion system will regenerate its four BMW i3 lithium battery banks by rotating the propeller shaft while the yacht is under sail. Using the propeller regeneration system to regenerate the batteries, owners will be able live comfortably onboard for four days

at anchor without having to plug into shore power or start the two generators.

Creating even more waves is Silent Yachts. Headquartered in Austria and with a global network spanning Monaco, the US, Cyprus, Australia and Thailand, the yard has created the first genuinely self-sufficient production yachts – rather than an auxiliary power source, they use solar electric power as a viable option whereby owners can cruise all day at six knots on solar power alone and completely emission free. Silent Yachts offers three catamaran models; the Silent 55, 64 and 80.

ECO TOURISM It’s not just luxury yachts that are getting an overhaul. In Venice, the committee behind VeniceAgenda 2028 has launched a new initiative to replace the city’s current fleet of motor boats with zero-emission electric boats by 2028, in an effort to reduce pollution, noise and wave-making. This policy shift is part of a growing trend; in Amsterdam, all tourist, commercial and private motor boats must be 100% electric by 2025 and in Norway, the parliament passed a resolution last year that calls on the government to transform the country’s famous fjords into the world’s first zero-emissions control area by 2026.

Collaborations between environmental groups and yacht brands are a growing two-way street. Blue Marine Foundation seeks to establish marine reserves, tackle overfishing and habitat degradation, with projects spanning the globe.

Leading yards including Italy’s Benetti and Germany-based Lurssen have recently partnered with Blue Marine in its efforts, joining the Blue Marine Yacht Club – a membership group which was formed to unite the world’s yachting community in a mission to protect our oceans. Meanwhile other eco organisations such as Plastic Oceans are working with yacht and brokerage companies to provide guidelines to help reduce plastic consumption on board and onshore.

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Above: Energy Observer is on a six-year around-the-world voyage

FUEL CELLS PASS HYDROGEN THROUGH AN ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESS TO CREATE ELECTRICITY – THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE BEING THAT THE ONLY

EMISSION THEY PRODUCE ARE HEAT AND PURE WATER

The R35 speedboat can exceed 50 knots

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MAKING A SPLASH With its fully carbon fibre R35 performance sports yacht Princess brings the speed and sexiness of a supercar to the ocean Words: Rachel Ingram

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eldom do the words superyacht and speedboat come together, unless you’re talking of taking a tender from boat to shore. Boatbuilders tend to stick to what they’re known for – in Princess Yachts’ case, sparkling white alloy superyachts.

But now, in a fresh move pioneered by chief marketing officer Kiran Jay Haslam, the British luxury motor yacht manufacturer has ventured into the world of speedboats for the first time. The reason? To sex up the perception of the brand and attract a new generation of enthusiasts to boating.

“When I was a kid, I had posters of a Lamborghini Countach, a 308, Renault 5 Turbo 1, and Porsche 959 on my bedroom wall, and thought: ‘The day that I can afford to buy all of those cars, I will buy all of those cars,’” Haslam says. “It’s a very emotional, stirring attachment. Yet, boats don’t live in that world. People don’t take white, gleaming-hulled Princesses and pin them up on their bedroom walls.”

So Haslam set out to create a simple speedboat with the glamour of a supercar. “The idea was shut down immediately,” he says. “However, when our executive chairman Antony Sheriff came into the business, we had a really interesting conversation one day, and he said, ‘I actually think it’s a great idea, but I can see the flaw in it. It’s because you just tried to do a vanity project. What if we do something which is truly radical and truly different, and changes the landscape of who we are and who everybody else wants to be?’”

A new agenda was set – to find a way to combine the sex appeal of a supercar with the quality craftsmanship Princess is known for, and the most innovative new technologies. Partnering with Ben Ainslie Technologies and styling house Pininfarina, it set out to create the most unique, and fastest, performance sports yacht in the market.

The result? The R35.

With a look that’s more modern and, dare we say it, sexier than a Riva of similar size, the R35 wouldn’t look out of place in a James Bond movie. With its sweeping curves and graceful lines, the elegant vessel is instantly recognisable as a Princess while also shining of uniqueness– when we were invited to join Haslam on a sea trial in Cannes, bystanders in the harbour were taking pictures of it as if it were a matte Ferrari on Bond Street. »

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The R35’s USP is its speed. This boat can exceed speeds of 50 knots, in part thanks to its lightness – it is full carbon fibre, making it about 30% lighter than if it was glass fibre. “This is a big, game-changing step,” says Haslam. “Everything you see from a constructional perspective is 99.9% carbon fibre, which is a first for anybody in our sector. I know there are carbon boats that are little tenders, made by a little guy who’s doing four boats a year, but this is the first time a serious, luxury yacht manufacturer has done a fully carbon-fibre boat.” The only part of the 35ft yacht that isn’t carbon fibre is the top skin on the helm console.

The R35 uses the pioneering Princess Active Foil System to ensure its handling is incredibly smooth and safe – it won’t flip over even when attempting doughnuts at speed (trust us, we tried). The system keeps you planted on the water’s surface, even at speed, thanks to the use of T-shaped foils that act almost like a duck’s feet, swimming in opposing directions at five-degrees following the shape of the hull. “This is the equivalent of traction control in a car, for a boat,” says Haslam. “It’s quite a nuanced system. The ability to go very, very fast and feel safe, is second to none I find that if you’re in a speedboat, you’re hammering along, you feel like you’re losing the sensation of being on the water’s surface, which can make you nervous. You don’t have to feel that way in this boat, because the foils are actively moving and manipulating in order to control the planted feeling of the boat on the surface of the water.”

“The idea here was how do we develop technology to get boats to behave in fashion with Ferrarris and Lamborghinis and Porsches and McLarens of today? They have to be safe and they have to be predictable. If you can get predictable behaviour out of a sports yacht, you get a lot more people feeling confident and comfortable to do it,” he says.

But that doesn’t mean driving the R35 is not exhilarating – far from it. Depending how far you want to push it, there are two modes, comfort and sport, just like a road vehicle. “It’s like a good Ferrari,” says Haslam. “You can go from full comfort mode, which is easy enough for your grandmother to drive, to a sport setting.

The comfort setting keeps you very sure-planted on the water and doesn’t allow the angle of the tack and the lean in the hull that you would ordinarily get in a regular sports car. Over a certain speed, the system will automatically trigger a sport setting, because it knows that you are trying to have an exhilarating experience.”

With the launch of the R35, Princess is hoping to tempt more people into yachting. “Do we want to sell millions of R35s? No,” says Haslam. “From a business case perspective, we make a lot more money selling a 70ft flybridge product than we do an R35, however we’re bringing new people into boating and that’s very important because if we continue to do what we’re doing right now, we are fighting with our competitors over the same small group of people, which makes no sense. The purpose of this boat is to bring new people into boating.”

Whether you’re a boating novice or a superyacht owner looking for something a little more exciting to add to your collection, the R35 – reasonably priced from £560,000 – is guaranteed to excite both inside and out. princessyachts.com

EVERYTHING YOU SEE FROM A CONSTRUCTIONAL PERSPECTIVE IS 99.9% CARBON FIBRE, WHICH IS A FIRST FOR ANYBODY IN OUR SECTOR 84

SPEED The launch of the R35 signals a modern change in strategy for Princess Yachts

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LIVING ON THE EDGE Tempus sets sail with interior design star Kelly Hoppen as she unveils the new look of luxury cruise ship, Celebrity Edge Words: Michelle Johnson

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nown as the queen of taupe, it’s hard to believe that interior design icon Kelly Hoppen did not, in fact, invent the neutral palette. Her penchant for calm tones paired with lush fabrics has epitomised Hoppen’s work since she burst onto the scene more than 40 years ago. And now the everpioneering designer is making waves once again with her floating fortress of calm, Celebrity Edge.

The 1,500-berth liner is Celebrity Cruises’ newest flagship, combining state-of-the-art design with revolutionary technology to lessen its environmental impact. Onboard, guests can enjoy 29 restaurants and bars, an impressive spa and fitness centre, and a floating deck known as the Magic Carpet – which moves between the ship’s 13 storeys – all heralding a new look and feel for a brand committed to making cruising cool again.

Facilities aside, it is Edge’s design credentials that have sparked the imagination of all who attended the ship’s launch. Hoppen brings her distinctive style to the ship’s suites and rooms, Magic Carpet, 23-treatment room Spa and The Retreat. Available only to Suite Class guests, The Retreat features private members’ club facilities and bar, and the Luminae Restaurant helmed by Michelin-star chef Cornelius Gallagher.

“It’s pretty amazing,” she tells Tempus at the UK launch, a twoday excursion along the English Channel. We interview Hoppen in her favourite suite – the Penthouse – which boasts elegant furnishings, indoor-outdoor living space, fully fitted kitchen-diner and a spacious bathroom that defies any usual at-sea expectations.

Hoppen’s synergy with Celebrity was at first hard won – her initial reaction to the proposal was characteristically straightforward (“I was like, ‘Really? A cruise ship?’” she says), but CEO Lisa LutoffPerlo and VP of newbuilding architectural design, Kelly Gonzalez, soon convinced the South African-born designer of their vision.

“They explained how Celebrity is very much in the forefront of design and wanted to do something that was completely unique.

It was like ultimate girl power in one room, and just exploded from there,” she explains.

Hoppen’s partnership with Celebrity will now see her take on more designs for the planned Edge-class fleet – including the brand’s 2020 launch, Apex – and her dream is to one day design an entire ship “so customers can experience the flow you would get when we design an entire project”. Here, she tells us why size doesn’t matter when it comes to her projects, and how she adapted her earthy design philosophy for the high seas. »

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Tempus: Kelly, how did you approach a project of this scale?

Do you think that up-and-coming designers are buying into that sustainable mindset?

Kelly Hoppen: The same amount of love and attention goes into every project we do, whether it’s a 60,000 sq ft home in Hong Kong or Beijing, a city apartment in London or New York, or even a hotel design. It’s not about thinking what the people utilising the space are going to say to you, it’s about finding the design that is perfect for the feel and space of the location.

The ship hadn’t even been built when we began, so I designed everything based on the flatplan. When designing something like this, you take each suite and room as its own experience. I never get frightened by scale – as I used to teach in my school, you don’t look at the scale of a whole project, you just start at one point. It’s like walking down a staircase.

You don’t worry about the step right at the bottom, you just take it all one at a time. That’s what life’s about, being in the now rather than worrying about what’s ahead of you.

Oh, 100%. The younger generation was totally there before we were. I’m 60 this year, and when I started no-one thought the planet was ever going to be in danger from climate change, or that we’d destroy it like we have. We all thought it’d be fine in the end. We’re living in a different reality now, so I’m adamant that we have to take responsibility for our businesses and lifestyles. Our studio in London is completely green, and we try to do everything we can to maintain and improve that.

I have a big following of both women and men, and I mentor young people through my work with The Prince’s Trust, so every day on our Instagram account we try to put something positive out there. I also want to support and champion women because I think however different we are, we’re also very similar, and the older I get the more extraordinary, powerful, honest women I meet.

The spa has a look and feel that is quite unique even within the ship…

The Kelly Hoppen style is so distinctive; could you tell us about your own evolution as a designer?

Thank you, it does. You know, when you enter someone’s home you start with the entrance. I wanted the spa to be all about that feeling – the expectation and excitement of having that hour of relaxation to yourself. That’s why, for me, the spa really was all about the entrance. It’s like the first taste of the best risotto you’ve ever eaten. But then, with each suite I had a very clear idea of the experience I wanted to reference – the Penthouse is inspired by Mykonos – and so each one had to be completely different.

My design philosophy is a life philosophy. Even when I first started, everything I did started in the ground – in being rooted in the earth – and although that core has remained the same, it never stops growing. It can change with new accessories, colours, whatever, but ultimately my philosophy has remained the same. It’s all about creating spaces for people to fully live in – it’s about the experience, the touch, smell and sound, not just individual pieces. I think that in the past, interior design was all about the look, but that’s not enough. You have to engage all the senses. So, the evolution of my brand has always been about how we do that better every time.

What were some of the technical and logistical challenges that you faced?

There were huge challenges. The technical crew worked tirelessly with our team to ensure we could make everything work within the safety and practicality measures we needed.

What was amazing is that we were never once told ‘no’.

They were so behind the vision, and that’s extremely rare, especially when you’re talking about a beast like this, which has to travel in high seas and be really solid.

Movement is the biggest challenge as a designer. How do you make a chandelier stable and safe when you’re on water, and the whole ship can rock and move at any time? Weather changes in seconds, so how do we make sure the furniture can’t move and hurt anyone while still looking the way we want it to? You also have to think about the sustainability of the fabrics we use – they have to last through wear and tear.

Celebrity Edge is the brand’s most eco-friendly ship.

Is that something that appealed to you?

It’s hugely important to me. Sustainability is in everything that we do, from my interiors to my jewellery line. On Edge, the entire ship is completely free of single-use plastics. Even the water bottles are aluminium, and they look fantastic, but it’s the result of a long time of planning and working out sustainable alternatives. People sometimes fall into the trap of thinking these changes can happen overnight, but for the first time we can see that everyone’s trying, listening to the environmental issues we’re facing. Any company with any credibility is now looking to be as green as they can.

Did you expect your brand would become such a prominent name in the industry?

I did. Just like I knew this project would turn out exactly the way I planned. People often ask me, ‘Did you ever think you’d be as successful as you are?’ and the answer is ‘Yes’. That’s how I feel – I would never do something in my career if I didn’t think it could be successful. You get back the energy that you put into something; that’s the secret. If I walked in here now and was really grumpy, you’d be grumpy back.

But if I wake up every morning and say, ‘I’m grateful for everything I’ve got, my health, my family; today is going to be a great day and I’m going to enjoy it,’ you tend to find that comes true. Of course, shit happens. But when it does you try and process it, deal with in the moment and not carry it with you. I’m a positive person, but I’m really passionate about my work – I wouldn’t still be working if I wasn’t.

Do you think the resurgence of cruising will change the travel industry?

I think the proof is in the pudding. The travel industry is suffering, but luxury cruising isn’t. I think people today expect to have the best, to have something unique, and they should.

Everyone deserves something special. kellyhoppen.com celebritycruises.com 88

ANY COMPANY WITH ANY

CREDIBILITY

IS NOW LOOKING TO BE AS GREEN AS THEY CAN

INTERIORS

Creating a fixed chandelier for a moving ship was one of Hoppen’s biggest design challenges

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Room to GROW Lanserring unveils how our appetite for social solutions is transforming kitchen design

Words: Michelle Johnson

I

t’s beyond cliché to describe the kitchen as the heart of the home but, for bespoke kitchen design brand Lanserring, that well-worn sentiment is the perfect starting place for a new kind of kitchen interior. The British brand creates completely bespoke projects inspired entirely by their client’s style, taste and lifestyle – starting from what design director Alex Beaugeard describes as a “first principles” basis that examines the way in which clients live and use their space.

“Cooking is a very social experience,” he says. “Today, our clients are so plugged in with phones and tablets that they want their kitchen to create a sanctuary by returning to the fundamentals of warmth and fire. Like as high net worth travellers are shunning luxury resorts for an experiential holiday such as a safari of a mountaineering escape, we’re noticing a return to authenticity in kitchen design.”

This “social design” is evident in the brand’s latest project, the Delancey concept kitchen, which features earthy colours, rich marble and open spaces that provide plenty of flexibility and room to socialise.

A key inspiration for Lanserring was the realisation that kitchens rarely accommodate important family moments. “We’re trying to create spaces where people can engage more with those they love,” says Beaugeard. “It can be as simple as ensuring your kitchen workspaces are naturally facing tables where your children are doing homework while you prepare food.

“My children are aged seven and nine, and I’ve come to learn that the really important conversations are the incidental ones.

Whenever I least expect it, that’s when they’ll ask me a question that stops me in my tracks or open up about something on their mind. I’m incredibly keen to create spaces to promote that open-mindedness and dialogue.

This design principle works well when it comes to hosting guests, too. “Entertainment in the home is informal these days,” he adds.

“It’s much more desirable to curate and create these engaging moments, so you don’t want the space to get in the way. We’re finding that HNW clients are looking for really luxurious, intuitive spaces designed with stunning materials. It’s a way of opening up your home.”

Founded in 2017 by brothers Bernd and Johann Radaschitz – fourth-generation owners of a respected Austrian joinery and carpentry company established in 1923 – Lanserring employs a team of master craftspeople in studios in Vienna and London who have worked on projects including One Hyde Park and with designers such as Martin Kemp and Katharine Pooley. Lanserring’s custom-made kitchens are an evolution of the brothers’ work, focusing on creating contemporary spaces that make entertaining and family bonding more intuitive “Our clients love spending time in their kitchens for entertaining purposes, whether with their family or friends or even to work,” says Bernd. “When spending that much time in one place, the selection of materials used in the right proportions is vital. We recommend embracing authentic and natural materials.”

Keeping up with modern trends, designs also make use of the most sustainable and elegant materials – such as bamboo.

“We use solid brass instead of brasscoloured plastics, solid timber and bamboo rather than synthetic woods. Bamboo is a wonder material in many ways; it’s a grass rather than a wood and has a very high mineral content. It can heal itself from marks over time, and it’s a natural disinfectant,” says Beaugeard. “It has such a fast growth rate, it’s a renewable resource and using it has very little impact on the environment. The downside is that it’s very complex to working with.”

The benefits outweigh the costs for Lanserring, who work with their clients from initial design to final installation of their dream kitchens. One of the biggest trends is the search for sustainable, tactile materials that don’t sacrifice durability or quality.

“Everything we do is made by hand by master craftsmen, so there’s no production line, which allows us to offer totally bespoke designs using incredible materials,” he says.

“We are trying to innovate and disrupt the market as much as we possibly can, so sustainability is such a huge part of what we’re trying to accomplish.” lanserring.com 90

WE’RE TRYING TO CREATE SPACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN ENGAGE MORE WITH THOSE THEY LOVE

INTERIORS

Lanserring’s Delancdy concept kitchen creates room to socialise and entertain

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Turning up the heat As he launches the Tempus Supper Club, chef Jack Blumenthal shares why he’s taking his guests into the kitchen

Words: Michelle Johnson

T

he world’s top chefs will often tell you that making it in the restaurant industry takes skill, creativity and a fearless approach to your craft. As a young chef with an already impressive repertoire, it’s clear that Jack Blumenthal has all this and more. Now, the Fat Duck Group’s former development chef is spreading his wings even further by launching a new series of Mayfair supper clubs in partnership with Tempus.

With an emphasis on seasonal British ingredients and outstanding guest experience, Blumenthal is determined to create a unique theme and menu for each event based entirely on his guests’ favourite meals. The challenge, he says, is to exceed their memories and bring his own unique twist on each dish.

Blumenthal’s collaborative approach comes as no surprise given his career rise so far. The 26-year-old son of revolutionary chef Heston Blumenthal got his start working at his father’s Michelin-star pub, The Hind’s Head in Berkshire.

“I think I had racked up an iTunes bill I had to work off,” he laughs. But the chef-in-training very soon earned his place in this most demanding of kitchens. From there, he worked under chef Adam Simmonds before studying – and later going on to teach – at the University of West London.

We speak to Blumenthal about getting out of the kitchen, his rise through the restaurant ranks, and why cooking is far more than just a family trade.

Jack Blumenthal: Cooking is obviously in my blood and has been passed down to me, but for me it’s all about making people happy. Supper clubs give me an opportunity to meet with guests, create menus that are tailored to them, and really interact with them to make them feel part of the experience. I think that’s what’s important about cooking, that people love it. I get my point and personality across in my food.

business, I’ve always learnt loads just in the background.

I tried a few office jobs but I always ended up back in the kitchen. Eventually I thought, ‘Stop fighting it, Jack.’

I started working in Dad’s pub, the Hind’s Head in Bray.

From there I worked for an amazing chef, Adam Simmonds, at Danesfield House. After that I studied at University of West London, and then I became a teacher. It was so rewarding seeing kids go from not being able to hold a knife to running a 60-cover restaurant with ease. That’s why I love my job, and what inspires me. The more I learn, the more I want to pass that down to others.

What can guests expect?

How would you describe your style as a chef ?

Our guests can expect a bespoke experience designed for them. My plan is to work with our guests to cater for exactly what they want, but also to throw in a little surprise here and there. Dining is all about the customers’ overall experience, not just about what the chef puts on the plate.

I look forward to being fully interactive with all the guests to make this a meal they’ll never forget.

I like to keep things simple, but with a little added twist here and there. I love British culture and produce, so if it’s locally sourced and seasonal that’s great. Let the ingredients do the talking and don’t overcomplicate it too much. I’m still quite young so I’m still learning about myself and about different cuisines and cultures. I get a lot inspiration from social media at the moment. I think all any chef can do is keep an open mind and not be afraid to try new things.

Tempus: Jack, what inspired you to launch the Tempus Supper Club?

Are there specific challenges in catering for an event compared to being in your own restaurant?

Yes, definitely. One challenge of catering an event is not knowing the venue – you arrive and there’s half a kitchen or no appliances. I did a private job in Thailand a few years ago at this newly built mansion, catering for about 90 people, and they didn’t have a kitchen – no plates, no gas.

I ended up making a canapé platter from half a door and some banana leaves; it was great! I think the key is knowing not to expect too much. It’s challenging, but it’s also part of the fun and what makes catering exciting.

What attracted you to the restaurant industry?

I didn’t have a choice [laughs]. My father has done a lot for the restaurant industry and I’ve got so much respect for him and what he’s achieved. Being around him and the 92

Who are your biggest influences in the industry?

I’ve had great people mentor me. Obviously, I’ve got so much respect for my Dad and he’s a massive influence of mine. He’s the reason I became a chef in the first place. I think the classic French chefs are amazing. Years ago, before Dad’s restaurants were doing well, we would drive down to the south of France and eat at classic French restaurants. My childhood memories of going to places like La Maison Troisgros near Lyon, and the whole experience – the food, the ambiance, the people who were there – is a huge influence for me. It sometimes makes me shivery, thinking about it.

Find out more about the Tempus Supper Club at tempusmagazine.co.uk/events

VALKYRIE REESTABLISHES THE gold standard Tempus explores the new Valkyrie Ambassador Card, milled from solid gold and designed to be the most secure card on the planet

I

n an unassuming red brick building in the heart of London’s Mayfair, exists a company that works beneath the surface to protect and power some of the UK’s most important companies – and the individuals that run them. Unlike the see-to-be-seen high-end restaurants and designer boutiques that neighbour its headquarters, leading security firm Valkyrie operates under the radar, but what it (purposefully) lacks in exposure, it exudes in expertise.

Valkyrie assists major security firms across the globe with specialist security measures – including electronic countermeasures (better known as ‘bug sweeping’) and physical and electronic penetration testing – for UK and international corporations, HNW individuals, and their family offices. Impressively, Valkyrie is also responsible for supplying and securing a number of the UK’s most sensitive buildings, including The Houses of Parliament.

“Valkyrie punches well above its weight in a number of areas, due mainly to an exceptionally talented team which I am lucky enough to head up,” says managing director David Webb. “Most of our team is drawn from the UK special forces and intelligence community, which means we can count on significant and relevant experience in the field and combine this with practical solutions in the commercial environment.”

Webb spent 16 years serving in Britain’s elite 22 SAS, before heading up Valkyrie’s formidable team.

“Valkyrie breaks the mould when it comes to modern security thinking. We look at any problem from a number of perspectives to provide a 360˚ solution that goes beyond tackling the obvious threat to provide a holistic and integrated or, as I like to say, ‘joined-up’ solution,” he says.

Since its inception in 2010, Valkyrie has built up an impressive reputation with a list of clients who look to the firm for a diverse range of products and services, all designed to help protect them and mitigate risk in both their domestic and business environments.

Webb explains that trust is the foundation of Valkyrie’s success and it has inspired them

to develop products that go beyond the areas traditionally associated with run-of-the-mill security firms. The state-of-the-art technology, applied by people with years of training and experience at the highest levels of the security services, is what gives Valkyrie its edge.

It is this demand for practical yet highly secure products for everyday use that inspired Valkyrie’s newest development: the Valkyrie Ambassador Card programme. Now in its prototype development stage, the payment card already looks set to become the world’s most secure card, designed for use by a global elite.

Fashioned from solid 18-carat gold, the Valkyrie Ambassador Card firewalls its clients’ bank accounts, protecting them from direct attack through cloning or skimming. The card cannot be scanned and can only be read in a Point of Sale (POS) machine with highly secure chip and PIN. Another interesting feature is the signature, which is engraved onto the back of the card, making fraudulent misuse very difficult. The card clears in more than 120 currencies worldwide, so is perfectly suited for the international traveller with bespoke fraud prevention-built in. The Ambassador Card has been designed to directly meet the demands of a highly mobile HNW community that is exhausted with constant fraud checks on their standard plastic bank cards, which can often cause delays and embarrassment.

“The card was inspired by a request from a private bank which wanted us to design a bespoke card for their clients, the majority of whom are billionaires,” Webb explains. “The decision was made to produce the card in solid gold or platinum and to build in a number of physical and electronic security features that will make the card the most secure card on the planet.”

With each card made-to-order, availability of Ambassador Cards is limited but with this, Valkyrie clients will be confident that when it comes to their card, all that glitters really is gold – solid gold. valkyrie.co.uk 94

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SAVE the DATE Your luxury events calendar for August and September 2019

Design

Culture

In September, the UK’s forefront design event, the annual London Design Festival (14-22 September) returns to the capital. Take a stroll through the city to discover landmark pieces such as Paul Cocksedge’s Please Be Seated, at Finsbury Avenue Square, or pop into the V&A to discover a unique series of installations created specially for the event. If you prefer design of a fashion persuasion, join the world’s leading designers as they unveil the spring/summer trends set to define the industry in 2020. Fashion Week season kicks off with New York Fashion Week (5-13 September), followed by London (13-17 September), Milan (18-24 September) and Paris (23 September-1 October).

Get red-carpet ready for a month of all things movies, starting with the Venice International Film Festival (28 August-7 September). Packed with world premieres, exclusive screenings and star-studded parties, this is one of the industry’s most prestigious and glamorous, events. If you miss Venice, you have a second chance to catch some silver-screen action at Toronto Film Festival (5-15 September). Back in London, BBC Proms (19 July-14 September) continues with a colourful programme of eagerly anticipated live concerts and performances at leading music venues across the city and, when the weather suits, in Hyde Park.

Exclusive INVITE Tempus Supper Club Led by Jack Blumenthal In August, Tempus is delighted to host the first of many Tempus Supper Clubs, in partnership with Jack Blumenthal. The innovative chef (see our feature, page 94) will take guests on a culinary odyssey focusing on memories, sensation and experience. Events will be held twice a month, with tasting menus from six to 12 course prepared by Blumenthal and hosted in exclusive Mayfair.

To register your interest, please email georgia@tempusmagazine.co.uk 96

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Motoring September is classic car season, with three leading events heading to the UK – Salon Privé (5-8 September) at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Concours of Elegance (6-8 September) at Hampton Court Palace in Richmond, and Goodwood Revival (13-15 September) at the eponymous Motor Circuit in Chichester. Across the pond, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, a charity event that raises money for worthwhile organisations, returns to California on 18 August, bringing Monterey Car Week to a high-octane close. Fast car fanatics, meanwhile, shouldn’t miss the Singapore Grand Prix (20-22 September) – one of F1’s key races.

Sport Arguably the most famous test series in the UK, The Ashes (1 August-18 September) sees cricket teams from England and Australia go head to head for the prized Ashes urn. This year, the historic event will take place in five venues across the UK, where England, fresh from a World Cup win, will attempt to win the prize back from their rivals. In show jumping, The Longines Global Champions Tour comes to London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea (2-4 August), before departing on a tour to Valkenswaard, Rome, Saint Tropez, Montreal, New York and Prague. Equestrian fans should also clear time in their diaries for Burghley Horse Trials (5-8 September).

Sailing Whether you prefer sailing boats or superyachts, there’s something for you this season. Sailing enthusiasts should head to the Isle of Wight to Cowes Week (10 – 17 August), the oldest and largest annual sailing regatta in the world, or Monaco to discover some of history’s most iconic boats at Monaco Classic Week (11 – 15 September) at Yacht Club de Monaco.

Motorboat fanatics should stay put in the Riviera and frequent Cannes Yachting Festival (10 – 15 September) or Monaco Yacht Show (25 – 28 September) to views some of the largest, and most innovative, yachts on the planet. The parties alone are worth the trip.

For more exciting events, visit our website: WWW.TEMPUSMAGAZINE.CO.UK 98

Where every client is unique, every solution bespoke.

Valkyrie 22 South Audley Street Mayfair London W1K 2NY United Kingdom

+44 (0) 20 7499 9323 security@valkyrie.co.uk 99

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