Between 1965 and 1985 the Soviet Union launched some 57 satellites from their rocket launching base on Berlin's Alexander Platz; thus, making Berlin the single most important launch site in the Soviet block. Following the disintegration of first the Berlin Wall and subsequently the Warsaw Pact, satellite launches from Alexander Platz ceased and the area was converted to a nature park for tourists and those who prey on such. In 1995 Berlin City Council erected an exact replica of a satellite
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Although this encounter was never going to be as extravagant as the opening match, Fritz Haller and Maarten Van Severen fought a tense, minimalist battle in Durban. Fritz Haller's style has changed little since he broke onto the international design scene in the 1960s and his trademark mini, midi, maxi approach ensured a typically solid Fritz Haller performance. Maarten Van Severen's occasional forays were always very well considered and perfectly executed; yet, despite .03 or .04 excellent
read moreThe opening match of the 2010 (smow) designer furniture World Cup pitted not only two of the great design nations against each other, but two of the most influential post-war European designers: Verner Panton and Cesare "Joe" Colombo. In a brave early move Verner Panton attempted to go solo with his Bachelor chair, Colombo managing to counter at the last minute with his Armchair Modell 4801 for Kartell. Following further good build-ups and clever uses of plastics, Joe Colombo eventually took
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For Berlins premier design show DMY Berlin is mighty shy: but then it is only 5. And certainly no better explanation occurs to us as to why the entrances should be so well hidden. But with the help of a man with a knitting machine under his arm we eventually found our way to Hanger 5 - and our initial grumpiness at the signage shortcomings soon passed. We've been to many a design show in our time; but never in a venue that works quite as well as Tempelhof. Despite having been an active
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With less than a week to go before the opening match in the 2010 (smow) Designer Furniture World Cup the 16 competing nations have been busy finalising their preparations. Co-favourites USA arrived in South Africa from their training camp in Denmark in good spirits, team manager George Nelson however avoided answering the question as to how he saw his team's chances with the answer that “the simple joy of taking an idea into one's own hands and giving it proper form, that's exciting.” For
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The nominees for the DMY Awards 2010 have been announced. In addition to old (smow) favourites such as Rui Alves from Portugal and ETH Zürich the 2010 DMY Awards nominees include some interesting designers we haven't yet come across. The nominee that particularly caught our attention being the intriguing looking Daphna Isaacs & Laurens Manders from Eindhoven, Holland. The winners will be revealed at the awards ceremony on Friday 11th June. 2010 DMY Berlin Awards Nominees: ETH Zürich for FIDU
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Although in the course of his career Verner Panton worked with numerous designer furniture producers, his name is undoubtedly most closely associated with Vitra. Not least because of his seminal Panton Chair. The exhibition "Panton by Vitra" at Wasserschloss Klaffenbach in Chemnitz offers visitors an insight into the life and work of one of the most important and influential post-war European designers. While still a student Verner Panton worked in Arne Jacobsen's Copenhagen office and
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Because our article on the new London bus has been delayed by a broken water main at Tooting Bec, we've decided instead to do an impression of a typical London bus user. "Typical, wait ages and then two come along at once! I blame Ken Livingstone!" Ahead of the opening of the Dieter Rams retrospective "Less and More: Das design ethos von Dieter Rams", yesterday saw the opening of a second exhibition dedicated to the life and work of a former Braun designer. The Werkbund Archive Berlin's
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When asked by the (smow)boss yesterday why we appeared to be doing so little work, quoting Dieter Rams we replied with a tired repetition of one of our favourite design related jokes: "Less, but better" "Good design is honest" replied (smow)boss with an irritating accuracy. "Good design is unobtrusive" we muttered under our breath, before skulking off to the warehouse. This coming weekend the Dieter Rams retrospective "Less and More: Das design ethos von Dieter Rams" opens at the Museum
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If we're honest - and when are we not - the news caused more than little unrest in (smow)blog HQ: Last Wednesday the VitraHaus in Weil am Rhein greeted it's 100,000th visitor. And that in only 12 weeks! And with the VitraHaus now looking likely to attract more the 500,000 visitors in its first year, Herzog and de Meureon's structure is well on its way to becoming one of Germany's leading tourist attractions. Lovely! Admirers and fans of the VitraHaus can interact and share photos, tips and
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We're not in New York for ICFF this year. Last year was just toooooo traumatic... Which is a shame because our inbox is full of the most wonderful shows and products - not least the lamp collection from "the new American lighting company" Roll and Hill. In many ways a vehicle for Brooklyn designer - and our personal highlight from last years ICFF - Jason Miller, Roll and Hill carries a wide range of lighting from contemporary US designers including Lindsey Adams Adelman, Paul Loebach,
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Students. Don't ya just love 'em! Spend years studying and then.... Whereas most sociology, philosophy or art history students eventually end up working in banks, call centres or become King of England; the situation with design students is somewhat more complicated. You don't study design just for the sake of getting a qualification; you study design so that you can work as a designer. Ideally an independent, freelance designer, controlling the entire process and developing your own
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We used to love flying. But after Lufthansa's decision to send us on unwanted world tour rather than directly from Frankfurt to Edinburgh we're getting a bit sick of the sight of boarding gates. And so as we flew pointlessly around Northern Europe we found ourselves pinning for Alexander Girard. Although principally remembered as one of the worlds leading authorities on folk art, Alexander Girard was also one of the first "corporate graphic designers"; and undoubtedly his most aesthetic
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In conjunction with the current exhibition "The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction" the Vitra Design Museum are running a series of summer workshops. "The Essence of Things. Design and the Art of Reduction" deals, as the name implies, with "reduction" in design: principally the reasons for reduction in design - be they technical, aesthetic or philosophical. Using this as the basis, the workshops encourage participants to think "reduced" and for all to create useful products
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Yesterday the (smow)blog team left the office early to collectively visit the opening evening of the 2010 Kurzsuechtig short film festival in the Plagwitz Schaubühne. From a mixed programme that wonderfully highlighted the rich spectrum of animation techniques, the major winner was without doubt "Laufende Geschäfte" which collected both the audience prize and second place from the jury. The film from Burg Gebichenstein Halle graduate Falk Schuster is a bitter, bitter, bitter dark comedy about
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On Thursday April 29th the exhibition "gute aussichten - junge deutsche fotografie 2009/2010" opens at the Haus der Photographie, Hamburg. Established in 2004 as a platform for supporting young, talented photographers gute aussichten has developed into one of Germany's most important and respected contemporary photography prizes. This years exhibition features the work of the 8 artists - Georg Brückmann (HGB Leipzig); Philipp Dorl, (FH Bielefeld); Sonja Kälberer, (HGB Leipzig); Ute Klein,
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Noise isn't something that we here in Leipzig's Lower-East Plagwitz Village have to worry too much about. The loudest it gets here being when the frogs sing their morning chorus around the lake. However, within the (smow)office, as with in all offices, it can get loud - telephones, typing, coffee machines, Eames House Birds, laptop coolers. All the normal office noises that conspire to create a background wall of sound. Whereas long-term exposure to such background office noise is
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No, we don't handle the PR for Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. We would like to. But we don't. It's just the Brothers are not only among the most assiduous contemporary designers, but they also keep producing work that needs to be presented. For one reason or another. Such as Lianes, a lamp that forms part of their new show at Galerie Kreo in Paris. Galerie Kreo has in a way become a sort of "Haute couture" stomping ground for Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec. Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec's first
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On account of the horrendous hotel prices demanded during design week the (smow)blog team camp in Milan. And that despite last years near-drowning episode. This year the decision was a real blessing. Spared the torment of those trapped by Eyjafjallajokull at Milan Airport our return journey this year took us via Weil am Rhein, Vitra and the VitraHaus. What a difference the weather makes! When we were there for the opening in February architect Jacques Herzog commented, somewhat solemnly,
read moreLast week we vented our spleen on the ridiculous hotel prices in Milan during design week. And against an international design industry that blindly accepts such as part of the annual fun. We owe James Irvine an apology. James Irvine is obviously a man of principle who is prepared to raise his voice against the Milan hotel industry. And so thank you James Irvine! Hopefully the rest of the furniture industry will follow your lead and in a couple of years we can all tweet #Bologna2012 or
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Because the design world is incredibly vain, supercilious and conceited, Milan is a often a lot more about showing off than showing new products. And this year if you don’t have an iPhone with all the latest Milan design week Apps, you might as well stay at home. We don’t posses anything made by Apple, nor can we imagine a time when we will, we are however not immune to the vagaries of the design world and so over the course of the next few days will introduce you to the most important iPhone
read moreWorking as a furniture designer is a lot like working as a musician or an author. You establish a reputation and then hope to attract someone to publish/produce your work. However, whereas authors and musicians tend to work exclusively with one publisher/label for prolonged periods, furniture designers generally develop products for numerous producers simultaneously. Or at least the leading ones do. In Milan we caught up with Ronan Bouroullec and here he briefly decribes what he enjoys about
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Because the design world is incredibly vain, supercilious and conceited, Milan is a often a lot more about showing off than showing new products. And this year if you don't have an iPhone with all the latest Milan design week Apps, you might as well stay at home. We don't posses anything made by Apple, nor can we imagine a time when we will, we are however not immune to the vagaries of the design world and so over the course of the next few days will introduce you to the most important iPhone
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While we are in Milan enriching the good and fair minded hoteliers of the north-Italian Metropolis; life here in Germany will continue in its normal, non-bloodsucking, non-money grabbing way. Oh yes, we're bitter. And we don't believe that all the other Milan attendees find the hotel prices fair. Just they are too cowardly to publicly complain. Milan Design Week is a rip off and everybody knows it. Just know one dare speak it..... However, back to the topic in hand. Thursday 15th April
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