In front of the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich stands a Futuro House by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen, a work realised in 1968 as his response to considerations on questions concerning our future society. And an object which resembles a flying saucer. And arguably does so more now than it did then. Then it was a bright new future enabled by contemporary technology: now it is a piece of late 1960s science fiction. Inspired by the Futuro House 28 students from the Industrial Design and
read more
Following three years of renovations and redesign the principle house of the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich is once again open for visitors. Three years which have not only seen the physical structure renovated and redesigned, but also the presentation concept and foci. Museum für Gestaltung Zürich Established in 1875 as an applied arts and crafts museum, the contemporary Museum für Gestaltung initially served, and as with so many of the early applied arts and crafts museums, as a material
read more
In context of the renovation of the historic Falkenhütte alpine hut, Munich based StudioFaubel were commissioned to develop a formally appropriate, contemporary lighting solution. During Munich Creative Business Week 2018 the Alpines Museum Munich are presenting with Gentiana Alba - Tradition und Design, not only the result of that commission, but an insight into the development process. Gentiana Alba by StudioFaubel, as seen at Tradition und Design, Alpines Museum Munich Completed in 1923
read more
Vicis (latin, f.): Change, variety, alteration VICIS (Munich Creative Business Week 2018): An invitation to consider such. VICIS. Always Change a Running System Munich Creative Business Week 2018 Organised by state of DESIGN the subtitle of the exhibition could be considered partly biographic, given the personnel changes that have occurred since the 2017 state of DESIGN exhibition in Berlin, and also considered partly conceptual, given the altered presentation format chosen for Munich in
read more
With the exhibition Hans J. Wegner: Designing Danish Modern the Vitra Design Museum Schaudepot explores the oeuvre of one of the Grand Doyens, and arguably one of the most widely misconstrued protagonists, of 20th century Danish design. Hans J. Wegner: Designing Danish Modern, Vitra Design Museum Schaudepot "If only you could design just one good chair in your life . . . But you simply cannot”1 opined Hans J. Wegner in 1952: and as if to prove his point designed over 500. And while not all
read more
Arguably because Passover/Easter is early this year, every, but every, museum is opening a major exhibition in the course of March 2018, in preparation for the unofficial start of the tourist season in April. A situation which leaves us with the daunting possibility of creating 5 such Top 5 lists. And still having some exhibitions left over. Faced with a similar situation back in November 2017 we referred to the abundance of options which lay before us as being akin to "gardens mottled with
read more
With the exhibition INSIDE architecture by Åke Axelsson, Jonas Bohlin, Mats Theselius Sweden's Konstakademien, Royal Academy, pay tribute not to the architecture of Messrs Axelsson, Bohlin & Theselius, but to the interior and furniture design work of three: and in doing so neatly underscore the function of the interior architect and the important link between interior design and furniture design. Works by Mats Theselius, as seen at INSIDE architecture by Åke Axelsson, Jonas Bohlin, Mats
read more
Organised by the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design, IKEA, the City of Malmö and ArkDes, Sweden's national architecture and design museum, the annual Ung Svensk Form/Young Swedish Design award/platform, premiers young design talents not only of Swedish birth, but non-Swedes currently based in Sweden, regardless of genre, but who, in the words of outgoing Swedish Society of Crafts and Design CEO Ewa Kumlin, "experiment freely, venture without fear, believe in their ideas and have the strength
read more
One of the most striking aspects at Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair is the way the various Scandinavian manufacturers try to impress how old they are. Arguably on account of the sheer concentration of Scandinavians at the region's premier furniture and lighting trade fair, you will rarely find so many in one place at one time, all seem locked in a battle to claim the status as oldest, to lay claim, as it were, to being the elder statesmen of the guild. Established in 1964 screams one stand.
read more
By way of an addendum to our 5 New Architecture & Design Exhibitions for February 2018 post, and arguably also to save us mentioning it every month, February 2018 sees the inauguration of a new design exhibition cycle in Berlin: Design Views, a cooperation between the Internationale Design Zentrum Berlin and the Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin initiated with the aim of highlighting contemporary developments, thinking and directions in design. Design Views 2018 marks the 150th anniversary of the
read more
It is arguably just us, but we firmly believe that there are ever more design students studying ever more design degrees in ever more design schools, which (potentially) means ever more designers. In itself no bad thing: assuming that is that what they learn is relevant for the ever evolving nature of not only the design profession, but the society they will/should serve. To better gauge the current situation of design education in Europe we embarked in 2017 on our #campustour, an ongoing
read more
If academics are to be believed, which admittedly seems unnecessary given the wealth of irrefutable facts available on Twitter and Facebook, February has always been a short and flexible month. Initially non-existent - the contemporary January and February being once considered an indivisible "winter" - when the Romans decided to extend their calender, February was deliberately left shorter than all other months, largely for accounting purposes, that is, to allow it to be adjusted as the solar
read more
It's probably fair to say that no object at IMM Cologne 2018 confused us quite as much as the new 118 chair by Sebastian Herkner for Thonet. Not in bad way. Just in a confused way. We know, we know, what sort of being gets confused by chairs. Us. Regularly. It's why our lives' are such a mess. 118 by Sebastian Herkner for Thonet, as seen at IMM Cologne 2018 The quadratic wooden side chair is one of the true archetypes of chair design. Arguably tracing its history back to the Klismos of
read more
Aside from the chance to catch up with, and following the development of, familiar manufacturers and designers, one of the (all too rare) joys of a fair like IMM Cologne is being introduced to the previously unknown. Among our new discoveries at IMM Cologne was Münster based manufacturer Caussa. Wedge table/stool Andreas Kowalewski for Caussa, as seen at IMM Cologne 2018 Although only established in 2016, and making their IMM Cologne debut, Caussa bring a wealth of experience with them:
read more
While Georges-Eugène Haussmann is associated with the radical and unrestrained, Atelier Haußmann prefer the understated and reserved. Yet applied with the same level of conviction, self-confidence and appreciation of a well considered line. Following a couple of years absence 2018 saw Atelier Haußmann return to IMM Cologne.... Atelier Haußmann @ IMM Cologne 2018 Established, or perhaps better put, evolved in the course of the 1990s in Berlin-Kreuzberg by brothers Andreas & Rainer Haußmann,
read more
The English playwright and composer Noël Coward is widely attributed to have once opined that, "a perfect Martini should be made by filling a glass with gin, then waving it in the general direction of Italy" We can't confirm if Munich based StudioFaubel employed the grand raconteur's advice in the development of their Martini Sessel for Müller Möbelfabrikation. The result is however equally as satisfying..... Martini Sessel by StudioFaubel for Müller Möbelfabrikation, as seen at IMM Cologne
read more
One of the early highlights of our 2017 #campustour was the Arc Collection by Marie Hesseldahl & Nanna Neergaard created in context of their Diploma project at Design School Kolding. Consequently it was a particularly pleasing mødes igen with the Arc Collection at IMM Cologne 2018 where it was launched as a product family by Danish manufacturer Le Klint. Arc Pendant Lamp by Manér Studio for Le Klint, as seen at IMM Cologne 2018 All Diploma projects at Design School Kolding are undertaken
read more
"Have you ever laid out all your plates like a carpet, or piled furniture into a tower?", asks the introduction to the Technical University Dortmund's project, Alles, was ich habe [Everything that I possess] Our answer to the last question is a categorical, yes. It was one afternoon during our final year at secondary school, and together with a few chums we stacked all the common room furniture up against one wall. Just to see if we could. We could. Alles, was ich habe is a little more
read more
In his 5th century BC text "The Art of War", the Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu notes: There are roads, not to take. There are armies, not to attack. There are towns, not to besiege. There are terrains, not to contest. There are ruler's orders, not to obey.1 Were Sun Tzu's metier the furniture fair rather than the warfare, we feel certain he would have added: There are objects, not to produce. IMM Cologne 2018 is awash with such. It's not IMM's fault; rather is endemic of an industry
read more
As regular readers will appreciate, we're no great approvers of lumping individual creatives together under one umbrella term; always strikes us as being an unnecessary distraction, and (more than) a little counterproductive. We are however most appreciative that following an inaugural presentation at Kazerne Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week 2017, the showcase Generation Köln is now being presented, as it were, on home turf. Generation Köln. A Family Portrait Organised by Passagen
read more
As in art, music or literature, the path in design from an idea to its realisation is rarely straight. And not always achieved. Or at least not immediately. Consequently every designer, as with every artist, every musician or every author, has projects which began their journey's full of hope,but, then, for whatever reason....... With the showcase "in Arbeit" Cologne based designers Thomas Schnur and Klemens Grund present some of their projects which are, still, "in Arbeit" In Arbeit.
read more
One of Germany's leading post-war architects and architectural theoreticians, Egon Eiermann was also one of post-war Europe's most important chair designers, not just in context of what he realised, but also in context of what he worked towards realising and the reasons why. With the exhibition Cologne celebrate that legacy. Der Stuhl des Architekten - Sitzmöbel von Egon Eiermann @ Ungers Archiv für Architekturwissenschaft Cologne Although Egon Eiermann's career as a designer of
read more
As we've oft noted in these pages, not only have designers since time immemorial had a particular fascination for chairs, but society a particular predilection. Arguably the two are related and can be traced to the long, universal, cultural, political and social relevance of the chair and the act of sitting, a state of affairs which not only makes the physical chair/seat an integral part of our lives, but the metaphorical: excitement brings us to edge of our chairs, those who are brave/foolish
read more
With his two faces the Roman God Janus looks simultaneously forward and backwards, standing in constant watch over transitions, the passage of time, beginnings, ends. The easy connection to make is with January, that month of the year when we are invariably reflecting and hoping in equal measure: the more complex connection to make is with a well-crafted architecture and design exhibition, one which effortlessly links reflections of the past with proposals, visions and excitement for the
read more
