On Wednesday February 29th the Hofmobiliendepot Vienna open their 2012 spring exhibition. We had hoped to make it to the opening; but life being what it is. We wont. Sadly. Not least because the exhibition explores, for us, one of the most interesting periods of design - The Sixties. Not interesting as in, "Wow! Look how bright, spacey and groovy everything is!!!" Obviously. But interesting in terms of what it brought into the design vocabulary and the doors that it opened. And because it
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Bauhaus travelled a lot. Not only itself as an institution, but also in terms of the dispersion of its students and professors. And so, tempting as it can be to limit Bauhaus to a few sites in Weimar, Berlin and Dessau to do so is not only to ignore a lot of the Bauhaus story. But also to deny yourself the chance to experience some truly revolutionary and inspiring buildings. But where to start ? How can one best find the remaining traces of Bauhaus outwith its main centres? And what about
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During the "Summaery" exhibition back in July 2011 we asked Professor Bernd Rudolf, Decan of the Architecure Department at Bauhaus Uni Weimar, about the motivations of the modern architecture student. "It is still the case", he answered playfully, "that they all want to make the world a better place. That remains the principle reason for studying architecture..." And designers ? Can designers make the world a better place? Do they even want to ? What motivates contemporary designers ? At
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For all in our near Copenhagen, and who aren't planning travelling to Weil am Rhein in the coming months, the Designmuseum Danmark is also currently offering the chance to view an exhibition that highlights the role of art in the design process. But featuring works from Finn Juhl. Not Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. One of the most important, if not so universally well known, Danish furniture architects of the mid 20th century Finn Juhl would have celebrated his 100th bithday in 2012. And as
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Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec are without question two of the most important designers of their generation and are currently being honoured in two shows. The retrospective "Bivouac" currently on show at the Centre Pompidou Metz, and Album, an exhibition of their drawings and sketches that premiered in Bordeaux and is now on show at the Vitra Design Museum Gallery, Weil am Rhein, At the opening of "Album" at the Vitra Design Museum Gallery we spoke to Ronan Bouroullec about drawing, getting
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There's nothing quite like a invitation to a vernissage to remind you that you really should get round to finishing of typing up an interview. At Neue Räume Zurich in October 2011 we didin't just speak to Nikolas Kerl and Jürg Scheidegger But also with Moritz Schmid and Rebekka Kiesewetter. And yes the last two interviews have yet to be published. We are working on them. Promise. Back at Neue Räume, Rebekka told us that it was almost certain that she would be co-organising a "Depot Basel -
read moreBack at Qubique Berlin we spoke to Nils Holger Moormann, and in addition to discussing the number of days spent in bed with fever following the Bookinist Cup - three appeared average amongst all participants - he also mentioned that he was busy redesigning a car. At that point he couldn't say more; but in December the results of the project were displayed in Bilbao during the launch of the new Renault Twingo. Inspired by Wagon-Lit, the French for sleeping car and a term that conjures up the
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Having got up in the middle of the night to travel through the depths of the European winter just to get to Weil am Rhein for the "Album" opening, you can imagine our joy when we heard that Erwan Bouroullec had frozen to his core while waiting to board the 6.15 Basel bound TGV. Not because we're cruel, heartless beasts who take pleasure in the suffering of others. At least not on this occasion. But because it is one of these nice reminders of how "normal" the design world is and designers
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As we admitted, "time management challenges" saw us visiting Design braucht Täter 2012 in Cologne before it officially opened. And before all exhibitors had arrived. We know it's not good. And we're still not sleeping properly. And so it was especially nice to receive an e-mail from Julia Pfizenmayer from jp designs - one of those exhibitors we never got the chance to see - introducing us to her modular storage system Outsider. Because it means that the exhibitors don't hold it against
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A couple of years ago we were sat, late one Friday evening, in the kitchen in the Moormann Berge in Aschau, when Nils Holger Moormann came in. Beaming. He'd just returned from collecting a "German Design Prize" in Gold for Berge and enthused how, in comparison to other design prizes, winning the Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland was like winning Olympic gold. He may not have compared it to the Olympics, our memories may be fuzzy on that point. But it was certainly high praise. And
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We received advance warning of what awaited us at IMM 2012 on the Friday afternoon before the official opening. Ambling through Cologne town centre we came across a large plastic hemisphere - the IMM Snow Globe. Dispatched on a tour through the city to entice the good folk of Cologne to visit the fair, the IMM Snow Globe was filled with some of the delights that would be on show, and, at the touch of a button, feather-lite snow blustered over the scene. Beautiful! However, as Julia
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For a decade and a half the unofficial start to Cologne Furniture Week has been the honouring of the "A&W Designer of the Year" Awarded by the German magazine "A&W Architektur & Wohnen", the prize was inaugurated in 1997 to honour a designer whose work has particular defined the home furnishing style of our time. Previous winners including Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio or Tom Dixon. To name just three from 15. The A&W Designer of the Year 2012 is the Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola.
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Following on from last years "Kids Only" collection, Richard Lampert was/were back at Cologne 2012 with a collection of new outdoor furniture And just as "Kids Only" clearly wasn't. So too can "Living Outdoor" clearly also be used for "Living Indoor" Which is important if you live north of Alicante and can't guarantee your summer will be in any way summary. Featuring four new products from three of the company's roster of young design talents, the new collection can be seen as an extension
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On January 27th the Design Museum Helsinki opens "DesignWorld", its first major exhibition for 2012. A not unimportant fact given the Finnish Capital's tenure as World Design Capital 2012. And very much in keeping with the Helsinki 2012 Manifesto - if we can use such phrase, apologies if that's going to far - DesignWorld asks how design can help, influence and improve man, society and the ways we interact with the world around us. Featuring market products, prototypes and "concepts in
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A drawer. Honestly that is all it takes and you’ve got us. A desk with a drawer. Or even better multiple drawers. As if Müller Möbelfabrikation could read our minds, we were met on their stand in Cologne by the most fantastic sheet steel desk. With soooo many drawers. If that's not a guaranteed to way to get our attention! If we did have one slight criticism it would be the decision to display a version in orange. If there is one colour that is real hard to photograph under exhibition
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In addition to showing "From Aalto to Zumthor Furniture by Architects" the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln is also showing off it's new acquisitions: 10 early Michael Thonet stools and a rare work from Jacob and Josef Kohn. Plus 2 monumental pieces of modern abstract metal furniture: "2 R Not" by Ron Arad and "Bell Metal Horse Chair" by Satyendra Pakhalé The Thonet chairs are currently being displayed in a special showcase that wonderfully portrays the development of Michael Thonet's work.
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Although it would be wrong to say that we misled you in saying that there would be no Moormann furniture at IMM Cologne. There was one piece. A brave, young Strammer Max Not in Cologne however as representative of his designer or producer, but as the Global Ambassador of an idea so genial, so eye wateringly simple, so necessary, that we're more than a little twisted with jealousy at not having thought it up ourselves: World Furniture Day. Looking to put the fun back into furniture the
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Aside from the exhibition concept and their knack for choosing the perfect location, there's another reason we always look forward to Design braucht Täter. Every year we find something new. And 2012 is no exception. Even though we admittedly snuck in while they were still setting up and so didn't actually get to see all exhibitors. We know it not good form. Sorry. But we have a huge schedule here. And simply had to. And of course: We can. Cheeky buggers that we are. Schreibtisch für Zwei
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As tradition demands the Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln (MAKK) have organised a furniture themed, special exhibition to coincide with the Cologne Furniture Fair. Under the title "Von Aalto bis Zumthor: Architektenmöbel" ("From Aalto to Zumthor: Furniture by Architects") the MAKK is presenting over 120 examples of furniture designed by professional architects. As older readers will have long since accepted, the "Furniture Architect" is a pet subject of ours. Not just because the architects
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On Monday January 16th IMM Cologne, Germany's largest furniture trade fair, opens it doors. In the coming days we'll bring you a series of interviews, reports and reviews from the Rhein, but ahead of the show we thought we'd look back at what Cologne 1962 had to offer. On the one hand, because we think it's interesting to look back on what the furniture industry had to offer 50 years ago; but also to help place IMM 2012 in context of its heritage. The International Möbel Messe Köln started
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We know that in the past we've been quite harsh on Chemnitz; but like all conscious organisms we're programmed by our experiences. And up until now it's fair to say that we haven't experienced all that much love in Chemnitz. However maybe, just maybe, things are taking a turn for the better in the town on the banks of the River, hmmm, Chemnitz. Not only have they in the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz one of the most progressive and innovative art galleries in Germany; not only have they in the
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Design weeks are part of the daily grind of our profession. For those outwith the industry it all just looks like jaunting off to another exotic sounding location and going to a lot of cocktail parties with unfeasibly gorgeous and entertaining people. For others it may be. For us it's early mornings, heavy rucksacks, lots of polite small talk, little food, lots of walking, lots of avoiding polite small talk, late nights. And we generally have to buy our own beer. Which we typically drink
read moreAlthough officially a company fete at which Moormann wanted to thank their partners, dealers, designers et al for the good cooperation over the previous year; Die Hölle von Aschau was much more a family fest at which one could really feel the warmth that exists between the company and all they work with. And that despite the sleet and wind. This warmth was particularly evident as Nils Holger Moormann himself took to the track and was immediately surrounded by the sort of camera scrum more
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There is nothing cheaper and less original in the world of journalism than a look back over the highlights of a year/sports event/concert series/etc. Except possibly "Ten tips for the perfect curry/haircut/crease" However such a review offers the uninspired many advantages. In addition to the chance to fill column space without having to think or research, there is also no risk that the German President will phone you to complain. Unless of course one of your highlights was the time the
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