As we arrived in Vienna the first thing we noticed was our breath. It's autumn in Vienna. And we still haven't found our winter accommodation. When we do an object such as "Heat x Heart" may be just the thing to complete our winter retreat. Created by the Swedish born, London based designer Hilda Hellström in cooperation with E. Fessler Kamine, a Vienesse firm who have been involved with the production of heating ovens and oven tiles for over 200 years and whose products can be found, for
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It seems somehow fitting that our first post from Vienna Design Week 2013 should be from a Passionswege project. Passionswege is after all one of the major attractions for us of Vienna Design Week. For anyone new, or who has mistakenly stumbled across us, Passionswege is a programme within Vienna Design Week that pairs young designers with long established handicraft based manufacturers to develop a product/project that combines the tradition of the manufacturer with the new perspective
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Although as a general rule we don't want to think about Vienna Design Week during Milan Design Week - as it means thinking beyond the summer, and that before we've really felt the warmth of the sun on our milk white skin - the touring exhibition Werkstadt Vienna showing at Ventura Lambrate is a delightful exception. Because it brought back so many memories and ultimately reminded us just why we put ourselves through this. Curated by Sophie Lovell and featuring an exhibition design by Studio
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Before we pack up our Yurt and leave Vienna Design Week 2012 to move on to design pastures new, a quick mention of the "Hartz IV Furniture" Workshop the Berlin designer Van Bo Le-Mentzel hosted at the Wien Museum. Originating in 2010 Van Bo Le-Mentzel's "Hartz IV Furniture" collection is.... well, we've never really been that sure. In essence it is a very good Open Design project, featuring as it does a comprehensive range and mix of objects, all of which can be easily constructed, even by
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A few years ago the phrase "food design" suddenly started cropping up a lot. It's the sort of phrase that makes us uneasy. It just sounds like the sort of shallow, self-indulgent thing Guardian readers get excited about and then book weekend courses in Tuscany to learn. We don't trust things like "food design". Fortunately for his Passionswege 2012 project with the Viennese jam and pickle maker Staud’s, London based designer Mathias Hahn chose to ignore the food and concentrate on the
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We missed "Croatian Holiday 2012" when it was originally shown in Milan, and so were suitably pleased to find it on the Vienna Design Week programme. Featuring 15 projects inspired by tourism, Croatian Holiday 2012 understands its main aim as stimulating a debate about the role, function and importance of design in tourism. Principally in Croatia, somewhat obviously. The objects presented could, broadly speaking, be split into two groups: those that base themselves on aspects of Croatia's
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Pretty much ever since we first saw Tafelstukken by Daphna Laurens at DMY Berlin 2010 we've had a bit of thing for them. A fact that we are completely unapolgetic about. There is something wonderfully eloquent, dignified and timeless about their work. Something that draws you to them. Their works invariably comprise a mix of materials, a mix of materials which is always central to the objects, yet is understated in the design, almost as if it doesn't want to draw attention to itself. For
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Was it not Pulp who in 1995 prophesied that the world would soon be dominated and controlled by mis-shapes, mistakes and misfits: the great silent majority who feel themselves intimidated by their alleged imperfections and deviations from society's norm. If only they could realise that they were so numerous, that they have something to offer and that society's imposed ideas of perfection were our modern golden calf, their future would be so promising..... Under the title "Misfits Revisited"
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The outer edges of the (smow)blog galaxy recently witnessed some pretty ugly scenes. A new, Windows Seven, laptop was bought. The unfortunate purchaser's printer however wasn't Windows Seven compatible. And the manufacturer had no plans to release the necessary driver. Consequently a functional, reliable printer was rendered useless. And a new machine had to be bought. Manufacturer 1 - Consumer 0 Much wailing and gnashing of teeth ensued. But it's not just software alone that is
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Do we need to repeat why we are such committed fans of the annual Vienna Design Week Passionswege programme? We hope not. But if we do, Matylda Krzykowski @ Norbert Meier Brushmaker and Petz Horn Manufacturer provides the perfect answer. Norbert Meier has been making brushes of all shapes and functions since 1973. And his workshop looks like it. Not that that is a criticism. It's lovely to see. For Passionswege 2012 the Dutch/German designer/curator/journalist/good egg Matylda Krzykowski
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One of our favourite projects during Vienna Design Week was the Passionswege project "The Swing" by Warsaw based Beza Projekt at Atelier Telliez. Philippe Telliez is a "tapessier" - a profession that can only be truly described in paragraphs, but essentially is an upholsterer who primarily works with wall hangings, tapestries and the like. Anna Łoskiewicz and Zofia Strumiłło-Sukiennik from Beza Projekt combined this "hanging" aspect with the materials Atelier Telliez's use on a daily basis
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Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Commissioned to undertake a Vienna Design Week Passionswege project with Viennese hat maker Mühlbauer Hutmanufaktur, Slovakian designer Tomas Kral focused on the visual - and in many languages linguistic - closeness of a lamp shade and cap visor to create a delightful series of hat themed table lamps. All the lamps have a ceramic base; and the shades are created from "normal" hat making materials using "normal" hat making processes A real fun
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We seem to remember getting really annoyed once by the number of platform seats on display at European design events. However two projects have renewed our faith in the possibilities offered by raised seating. Tur-Tur by Eric Degenhardt from the Richard Lampert Kids Only Collection. And Konstantin Schmölzer @ Verdarium The project sadly doesn't seem to have a name; however, in essence it involved creating a space that offered stability, security and a place from which to quietly observe and
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Back in the 80s there was nothing Hannibal Smith liked more than when a plan came together. Obviously we don't know such a feeling, but nothing gets us reaching for a hand-rolled Havana and grinning somewhat malevolently as much as when Lady Luck binds the various strands of our Blog together to give the impression of a coherent plan. Back at Norm=Form, Timo de Rijk argued that all modern design is simply a recreation of older standards - because the public expect a product to have a specific
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One of the most original, and entertaining, exhibitions at Vienna Design Week 2011 was kidsroomZOOM. Curated by Paola Noè from Gallery Unduetrestella Milan and Thomas Maitz from Austrian kids furniture producer Perludi, kidsroomZOOM was a delightful, turn of the century, downtown Vienna flat furnished especially for kids. Adults were allowed in; but hadn't been considered in the planning of the exhibition. Featuring works by producers and designers as varied as Thorsten van Elten, Rijada or
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There is nothing a newspaper sub-editor loves more than photos of an ice sculpting contest: blue sky, shimmering ice, chainsaws. And indeed nothing the manager of a 5 star hotel restaurant loves more than a well sculpted block of ice to crown an obviously over-priced buffet. However, ice isn't just chipped for the sculptural; it is popular as decorative bar furniture in winter climes and could arguably also be used for public furniture in those parts of the world where the winter temperatures
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We traditionally start our Vienna Design Week Passionswege tour at J. & L. Lobmeyr. And it is always an appointment that fills us with trepidation. Not because we fear J. or indeed L. Lobmeyr. Put it this way. A shop. Full of exquisite bone china. Full of exquisite crystal. Us. What could possibly go wrong ? And so maybe Philippe Malouin had us in mind when developing his project for Vienna Design Week 2011. And incorporated wood into his hourglasses. "Time is a quality that makes
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We've long since accepted that there are more design weeks in a year than actual weeks. But we still can't accept the poor coordination between the various festivals. June, July, August.Basically nothing. September, October. Every day Copenhagen, London, Brussels, Budapest, Istanbul, Vienna, Eindhoven, Leipzig, Lodz, Zürich.... Every 2 years Orgatec in Cologne. And in the midst of all this Berlin sprouts Qubique. Hallo! We however have no choice. Or at least little choice. Our October
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The similarities between Vienna and Stockholm are not limited to the architecture per se. But also to the architects who open the Design Weeks. At least for us! For just as at Vienna Design Week, so was our first Stockholm Design Week vernissage Vindobona by Claesson Koivisto Rune. It may not have been in quite so splendorous a setting as the Palais Liechtenstein; however the showrooms of Stockholm art dealer Åmells were a more than fitting location for Claesson Koivisto Rune's entrancing
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Although it does now seem like half a lifetime ago ... we were in Vienna for the Design Week, did enjoy it and do still have one or the other text to bring you. In 1835 Herr Lorenzi opened his first ironmongers and blade sharpening business in Vienna. In the intervening 175 years not only has Lorenzi become one of the more renowned family firms in Vienna, but over 30 "branches" of Lorenzi Stahlwaren have been established worldwide by the Lorenzi diaspora. Including one just across the road -
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Every year the Vienna Design Week places a special focus on one district of Vienna. This year it was Hernals. The industry and agriculture that once dominated Hernals have long since vanished and the streets of Hernals are dominated by telephone card shops, fruit shops and those curious businesses with the red curtains that dominate what politicians call "problem areas". Hernals of course isn't a problem area. As with all similar inner-city districts it is an area with infrastructure
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" .... says Erwin Perzy III. He is the third generation of family snow globe makers. His grandfather invented the snow globe" The grandson of the man who invented the snow globe! As we read the Vienna Design Week programme introduction to "Wunderliche Kugelkammer" by Julia Landsiedl @ Erwin Perzys Original Wiener Schneekugeln we knew that there was no way we could miss it. The grandson of the man who invented the snow globe!! Somewhat amusingly we did then very nearly forget to go, thanks
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The first station on the 2010 Vienna Design Week Passionswege was "Reichtum. Wasser + Glas" by Berlin designer Mark Braun and the Viennese crystal producer J & L Lobmeyr. Established in 1863 J & L Lobmeyr were one of the key players in the Wiener Werkstätte movement and so also in the development of Art Deco, working with designers such as Josef Hoffman, Adolf Loos or Carl Witzmann. In addition J & L Lobmeyr are one of the true stalwarts of the Passionswege series and participate every year.
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As any football fan or star-crossed lover knows only too well: passion means suffering. In Christian theology "The Passion" is specifically the suffering of Jesus in the moments leading up to and including his crucifixion. Passionswege - can therefore be seen as equivalent to the 14 stations of the cross. The Passionswege at Vienna Design Week has only very little with the morbid brutality of Jesus' walk to Calvary and has much more related to the modern definition of passion; affection,
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